Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Mike]

JFC

[iam416]

EFZ

[Jeff Buchanan]

There are two COVID boogey men in the news this morning: (1) India, (2) the risk of a growing number of SARS2 variants in the unvaccinated. Let's break these down.

(1) Have you ever been to India or, for that matter read about it? It is the most unhealthy, fetid shit-hole containing 1.4 billion people living close together in huge cities. It's kind of like Michigan times 1000. A huge population of previously uninfected hosts exposed to a highly transmissible virus. It's sad that thousands of Indians are dying but with billions to be infected and a generous mortality rate of 2%, 200,000 will die. Once the fire starts, this one is hard to extinguish when the material is as inflammable as it is.

(2) This is the one I want to stress today. The risk of COVID variants to reaching herd immunity. First, credit to the Biden administration for hitting the airwaves with public service announcements encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. Epidemiologically, the key to control of a pandemic causing virus that mutates - and SARS2 does - is to sharply reduce the number of hosts that SARS2 has a chance to infect. The math is simple: Each time a virus replicates inside a host, it makes mistakes, creating thousands of genomic changes in its RNA. Some of these just fade away. Some create disease symptoms of varying degree, some turn out to be new viruses that have the capacity to evade the human immune system and these new variants get passed along to others. Having this happen in 100 hosts is way better than having it happen in 10,000.

The degree to which SARS2 variants are forming is, right now, probably the most researched aspect of the pandemic. I've linked to an article below that talks science and facts - something you aren't getting from your local or national news. What you're getting are sound bites that are misleading if not factually falsehoods. Here are the takeaways although I encourage you to read the article at the link:

• SARS2 variants form as the natural process of replicating inside a host. This should be expected.
• Not all variants are virulent to the extent that they are more transmissible or more lethal.
• The degree to which variants become unresponsive to the host's immune system prompted by vaccines is low.
• Real world effectiveness of vaccines approved and in use outside of China and China's recipients of their vaccine remains in the 80% range for all defined illness (mild to serious). It is much higher when the only metrics being studied are hospitalizations and death.
• Some studies demonstrate that v. native SARS2, vaccines prevent transmission at about a 90% rate. This drops to as low as 50% (about like influenza) v. the Brazilian variant. Higher than that against the South African and much higher against the UK varaints. In the US, today, the UK variant is dominant ...... are you getting the picture?

There's no question that from a PH perspective you want to reduce transmission. You do this, now that we have them, with vaccines. I believe it is legitimately arguable to what degree you need to add other mitigation measures beyond vaccines, i.e., masking and distancing for vaccinated people. Theoretically, yes, this might reduce transmission but it is not a slam-dunk that it will. Too many other factors involved. After vaccination can you catch a variant version of SARS2? So far, its rare (based on limited testing data). If you do catch a variant, are you going to be asymptomatic and transmit it to others? Again, the existing but limited data doesn't support that outcome.

I suppose, given the CDC's ultra-caution, I can understand their current recommendation that vaccinated people should still mask and distance. TBH, we don't have the data yet to say with certainty that there isn't asymptomatic spread occurring among the vaccinated who catch a variant to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. I would think it is rare.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2777785

[Kapture1]

There are two COVID boogey men in the news this morning: (1) India, (2) the risk of a growing number of SARS2 variants in the unvaccinated. Let's break these down.

(1) Have you ever been to India or, for that matter read about it? It is the most unhealthy, fetid shit-hole containing 1.4 billion people living close together in huge cities. It's kind of like Michigan times 1000. A huge population of previously uninfected hosts exposed to a highly transmissible virus. It's sad that thousands of Indians are dying but with billions to be infected and a generous mortality rate of 2%, 200,000 will die. Once the fire starts, this one is hard to extinguish when the material is as inflammable as it is.

(2) This is the one I want to stress today. The risk of COVID variants to reaching herd immunity. First, credit to the Biden administration for hitting the airwaves with public service announcements encouraging everyone to get vaccinated. Epidemiologically, the key to control of a pandemic causing virus that mutates - and SARS2 does - is to sharply reduce the number of hosts that SARS2 has a chance to infect. The math is simple: Each time a virus replicates inside a host, it makes mistakes, creating thousands of genomic changes in its RNA. Some of these just fade away. Some create disease symptoms of varying degree, some turn out to be new viruses that have the capacity to evade the human immune system and these new variants get passed along to others. Having this happen in 100 hosts is way better than having it happen in 10,000.

The degree to which SARS2 variants are forming is, right now, probably the most researched aspect of the pandemic. I've linked to an article below that talks science and facts - something you aren't getting from your local or national news. What you're getting are sound bites that are misleading if not factually falsehoods. Here are the takeaways although I encourage you to read the article at the link:

• SARS2 variants form as the natural process of replicating inside a host. This should be expected.
• Not all variants are virulent to the extent that they are more transmissible or more lethal.
• The degree to which variants become unresponsive to the host's immune system prompted by vaccines is low.
• Real world effectiveness of vaccines approved and in use outside of China and China's recipients of their vaccine remains in the 80% range for all defined illness (mild to serious). It is much higher when the only metrics being studied are hospitalizations and death.
• Some studies demonstrate that v. native SARS2, vaccines prevent transmission at about a 90% rate. This drops to as low as 50% (about like influenza) v. the Brazilian variant. Higher than that against the South African and much higher against the UK varaints. In the US, today, the UK variant is dominant ...... are you getting the picture?

There's no question that from a PH perspective you want to reduce transmission. You do this, now that we have them, with vaccines. I believe it is legitimately arguable to what degree you need to add other mitigation measures beyond vaccines, i.e., masking and distancing for vaccinated people. Theoretically, yes, this might reduce transmission but it is not a slam-dunk that it will. Too many other factors involved. After vaccination can you catch a variant version of SARS2? So far, its rare (based on limited testing data). If you do catch a variant, are you going to be asymptomatic and transmit it to others? Again, the existing but limited data doesn't support that outcome.

I suppose, given the CDC's ultra-caution, I can understand their current recommendation that vaccinated people should still mask and distance. TBH, we don't have the data yet to say with certainty that there isn't asymptomatic spread occurring among the vaccinated who catch a variant to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. I would think it is rare.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2777785

If I have to wear a mask after taking the vaccine, then I'm not taking the fucking vaccine.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I'm not taking it fucking period.

[Hannibal]

If I have to wear a mask after taking the vaccine, then I'm not taking the fucking vaccine.

Democrats have absolutely no intention whatsoever of letting you go back to your normal life. The Great Reset is here.

[lineygoblue]

I don't care if the Detroit Pistons somehow manage to sign the to best 15 basketball players in the world. I will not watch the NBA any more. I'm done with the NBA.

When their "most important" player is allowed to threaten the life of a law enforcement officer who was doing his job, and do so with impunity, then its time for that league to fold. Its no longer about playing a sport. Its about politics and mass conformity. You must believe his way, or you're dead.

Die, NBA.

[Kapture1]

I don't care if the Detroit Pistons somehow manage to sign the to best 15 basketball players in the world. I will not watch the NBA any more. I'm done with the NBA.

When their "most important" player is allowed to threaten the life of a law enforcement officer who was doing his job, and do so with impunity, then its time for that league to fold. Its no longer about playing a sport. Its about politics and mass conformity. You must believe his way, or you're dead.

Die, NBA.

amen

[Hannibal]

You guys think Covid restrictions were fun? Wait until the Democrats start imposing restrictions to address the "Public Health Crisis" of racism.

[iam416]

A quick reminder -- the Maskless Covid Apocalypse in Texas that Chairman Joe predicted and called "neanderthal thinking" has yet to come to pass. Cases are, in fact, down. https://www.nationalreview.com/corne...tm_term=fourth

I wonder how Prog Hero Governor Gretch is doing?

Ya wanna play politics with Covid then let's play politics.

[Kapture1]

A quick reminder -- the Maskless Covid Apocalypse in Texas that Chairman Joe predicted and called "neanderthal thinking" has yet to come to pass. Cases are, in fact, down. https://www.nationalreview.com/corne...tm_term=fourth

I wonder how Prog Hero Governor Gretch is doing?

Ya wanna play politics with Covid then let's play politics.

the real question is how her dad is doing.

Too bad for me I got to watch 2 grand parents die alone in the last year, at least she can physically travel to Florida to be with him while telling Michiganders to stay home.

[lineygoblue]

A quick reminder -- the Maskless Covid Apocalypse in Texas that Chairman Joe predicted and called "neanderthal thinking" has yet to come to pass. Cases are, in fact, down. https://www.nationalreview.com/corne...tm_term=fourth

I wonder how Prog Hero Governor Gretch is doing?

Ya wanna play politics with Covid then let's play politics.

I imagine Gretch and her clan are planning a pleasant summer of traveling around the state, and especially spending some time on Mackinac Island at the Governor's Residence on the Island. Before she does, she will urge bars and restaurants to remain either closed or restricted to diners, and insist on everyone wearing masks, even if they've been vaccinated. She'll insist that Chairman Joe is the best president to ever sit in the oval office. She'll back LeBron's hateful words. She'll insist that cops are the problem with law enforcement, and not lawless people. She'll say that legal gun owners are the 'real danger' with the 2nd amendment instead of criminals. And of course, white men are the scourge of creation.

In other words, a normal year for her.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I don't care if the Detroit Pistons somehow manage to sign the to best 15 basketball players in the world. I will not watch the NBA any more. I'm done with the NBA.

When their "most important" player is allowed to threaten the life of a law enforcement officer who was doing his job, and do so with impunity, then its time for that league to fold. Its no longer about playing a sport. Its about politics and mass conformity. You must believe his way, or you're dead.

Die, NBA.

AMEN AND EFZZZZZ

[THE_WIZARD_]

A quick reminder -- the Maskless Covid Apocalypse in Texas that Chairman Joe predicted and called "neanderthal thinking" has yet to come to pass. Cases are, in fact, down. https://www.nationalreview.com/corne...tm_term=fourth

I wonder how Prog Hero Governor Gretch is doing?

Ya wanna play politics with Covid then let's play politics.

EFZ

[Jeff Buchanan]

Don't conflate the choice of wearing a mask with the choice of getting vaccinated or not.

WRT to vaccination. I don't give a fuck about who gets vaccinated and who doesn't when it comes to you. Getting vaccinated is a personal choice. When it comes to ME and MY health, MY preference is to get vaccinated and when I go out and will be inside, to have as many people around me as possible that are also inside that have been vaccinated. That's my risk reduction strategy to avoid having to deal with COVID. YMMV.

That means it's my choice to gather in indoor establishments or venues that require adults to be vaccinated to enter. Likewise it's my choice to not go to indoor establishments and venues that don't. The unvaccinated adults have the same choice. Get barred from venues or establishments that require vaccination to enter or go to those that don't.

By extension, it's my position that private indoor establishments and venues can establish requirements for entry inside - i.e., no shoes, no shirt, no service. That's legal. I'm opposed to Governor Desants' position on this and I'm pretty sure it's going to be challenged if he intends to extend this to airlines operating on international flights from FL airports or cruise ships operating from FL ports. Right now, he hasn't crossed that bridge.

Outdoors things for me are completely different. It is my assessment that the risk of becoming infected with COVID either with or without vaccination is so low as to render mitigation measures unnecessary.

This isn't hard. Choose wisely. If not for your health, for the health of others.