Mega-Thread: Coronavirus Pandemic

[Forogil]

Awhile ago it was remarkable that a country had more than 1% of their population as cases per week.

Currently Denmark, France, and Iceland are all above 2% - and Spain, Portugal, Italy, Australia, the US and the uk are above 1% (there might be more countries); and all have too high positivity rates for tests; the US is leading with 26% (WHO recommends that it should be below 5%).

And Omicron now seems to be spreading in India as well, with covid-cases increasing >30% per day; I doubt that there will be a new lockdown so it is likely to lead to a massive amount of cases before the month ends. (I hadn't checked that it was Omicron in India, but it seemed kind of obvious - https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/healt...omicron-sweeps ).

[MCMLXXXII]

That is ironic.

I know right. Thanks to that I have Alanis Morissette on repeat in my head. Doesn't matter though, I have mild symptoms. So got to take a test tomorrow and if it's negative it's back to "normal".

[Machismo]

We see the SCOTUS is hearing about the federal vaccine mandates. I don't think there's a shot in hell that Biden's company mandate stands. The federal government employee ban will probably stand, because they have been doing it for military members for longer than any of use have been alive. It's a voluntary action on the part of the recipient.

The one I'm curious about, is the mandate for healthcare workers. It will largely depend on how well the federal government can argue that this is about discretionary spending of the funds given to it by Congress.

[Edge-]

We see the SCOTUS is hearing about the federal vaccine mandates.

Two officials presenting arguments on Friday to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to block vaccine mandates ordered by President Joe Biden's administration have tested positive for COVID-19 and will make their cases remotely, their offices said.

Seems to be off to a fantastic start so far.

[D3thray]

Two officials presenting arguments on Friday to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to block vaccine mandates ordered by President Joe Biden's administration have tested positive for COVID-19 and will make their cases remotely, their offices said.

Seems to be off to a fantastic start so far.

I saw that. Delicious irony even if the truth is probably grayer. Definitely makes for a great headline.

[Edge-]

I saw that. Delicious irony even if the truth is probably grayer. Definitely makes for a great headline.

What's grey about it?

[Poopymonster]

What's grey about it?

Their shiny smooth brains? Those should be grey.

[Machismo]

Two officials presenting arguments on Friday to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to block vaccine mandates ordered by President Joe Biden's administration have tested positive for COVID-19 and will make their cases remotely, their offices said.

Seems to be off to a fantastic start so far.

That does make it more humorous.

[Forogil]

Hmm... More promising signs about Omicron; there are early signs that that the cases and hospitalization admissions in England might be close to a new peak; with three times as many cases per day as the previous peak, but about 60% of the number of hospitalization (hospitalizations are more unknown). Even if that might be a bit premature I don't see how the hospitalization/case ratio can be even close to the numbers at the previous peak.

(On the other hand there are more flu cases, and there's a lot of missing hospital staff.)

- - - Updated - - -

Germany now requiring booster doses to enter bars and restaurants without a negative PCR-test; seems that more or and more countries will amend previous vaccine requirements by adding booster-requirement:
https://www.newsweek.com/germany-req...urants-1666958

[Egomaniac]

I saw that. Delicious irony even if the truth is probably grayer. Definitely makes for a great headline.

It's not actually ironic at all. It's completely predictable.

[Edge-]

https://nbc-2.com/news/state/2022/01...-by-the-state/

Wednesday: Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried claims the state government is stockpiling around a million Covid tests that may expire soon.
Also Wednesday: Florida Governor's office calls the allegation "bizzare"

Thursday: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis unveils program to test a million seniors in the state.
Also Thursday: DeSantis admits that state officials coincidentally "found" a million unused Covid tests in a warehouse.

This country is never going to get through covid, because of chucklefuck death cultists like this who keep playing games. And likely get covid themselves, prompting their disappearance from the public while their state is being consumed by Covid while blaming their disappearance on their wifes health, and come back gasping for breath mid-speech as if they just ran a marathon.

https://www.politico.com/states/flor...expire-1404639

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday defended his administration’s decision to allow up to one million Covid-19 rapid test kits to expire, a move that comes as he is facing increasing criticism from Democrats over his handling of the Omicron surge.

Welp, Nikki Fried's claims seem a lot less "bizarre" and more like the "truth", and, unsurprisingly, it seems that Death Cultist Ron DeSantis lied once more.

BTW he still won't say if he had covid or take a test, and still refuses to say if he's boosted. And is still rejecting any and all medical guidance while listening to his states Surgeon General who apparently thinks trolling lawmakers receiving cancer treatment by hanging around in their office unmasked is a fun thing to do.

Just a reminder to those in the thread that keep memory-holing how deeply Florida is fuckin up on almost every possible level, and why the Florida government is not a remotely reputable or trustworthy source.

[s_bushido]

Welp, Nikki Fried's claims seem a lot less "bizarre" and more like the "truth", and, unsurprisingly, it seems that Death Cultist Ron DeSantis lied once more.

People have been begging Florida officials for weeks to help them with testing, but those officials are now claiming there was no demand...therefore a million tests are getting chucked out? Am I missing something, or is this story as insane as it sounds?

[Edge-]

Am I missing something, or is this story as insane as it sounds?

There's nothing to miss.

Florida left 1 million tests in a warehouse
Their Agriculture Commissioner said they exist and were about to expire
Florida's governor's office said she was a liar (in all but explicit words)
Florida admits they have 1 million tests in a warehouse the next day (unsure if this is the same million or a different million for seniors)
Florida admits they have 1 million tests that expired in the warehouse as the Agriculture Commissioner said.

Seems to be the sequence of events. Just straight up maliciousness and dishonesty.

This is why it's good that the early rumblings about the federal program to send tests to folks at their homes for free is set up so that you need to request one first. Otherwise millions upon millions would go to waste from folks who would never pick up their mail or pick it up and instantly toss it because it's a "government hoax" or some stupid shit.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...ivery-n1287189

The White House plans to ship the 500 million free at-home Covid tests President Joe Biden has promised to make available to all Americans via the Postal Service, and has finalized its first contracts related to the tests.

"We are actively finalizing the details of the distribution mechanism, including a website as we've talked about. I would expect us to provide those details next week, and yes, these tests will be sent out through the mail," deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday. "What I can say is, last night we issued out our first letter award to provide tests toward this half a billion.”

Plan to send upwards of 500M rapid test kits to folks through USPS for free, if they request them, is official now, details are being hammered out.

- - - Updated - - -

https://miami.cbslocal.com/2022/01/0...-ron-desantis/

And because apparently there's always more FuckFlorida, they're complaining they can't monopolize the US supply of monoclonal antibodies, which they have to share with all the other states, because their state's government isn't taking covid remotely seriously and is letting it run through their population like a cordless buzz-saw with the trigger stuck.

This has been their strategy since last year - focusing on monoclonal antibodies over vaccinations, masks, and distancing - and it's been absolutely ineffective as fuck.

Oh, and a final clarification on the 1 million tests -

However, DeSantis and his administration did come under fire as well for allowing as many as one million unused COVID-19 rapid test kits to expire in a Florida warehouse last month, a top state official said on Thursday. The stockpile sat idle during the fall when cases fell in Florida and demand was low, Florida Department of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said during a news conference.

1M tests for seniors are new tests.

1M tests that expired sat their because their case numbers were going down...I wonder why your case numbers would be going down when you're sitting on a million unused test kits. :thinkingface:

[PACOX]

FL also had one of the best PCR testing programs (despite data accurately sent to national databases). 24 hour turn around, fast(er) lines, in rain and heat. Shuttered, gone, surgeon general refuses to reactivate any of them.

I can tell where half a dozen onoclonal antibody sites are though. Not even that monoclonal antibody is inherently, but it's misused - marketed as an alternative to taking precautions like vaccination and masking, and often sought too late.

[Edge-]

Shuttered, gone, surgeon general refuses to reactivate any of them.

Seriously, how his actions haven't triggered some kind of review of his medical certifications given that all of his actions since taking the role seem to be to enhance the risk to public health, rather than reduce it, is beyond me.

We really, really, really, really need to have mechanisms for triggering reviews for doctors when their practices or when their policies in governmental positions are both not backed by any science and actively harmful to patients and those they serve.

[Corvus]

Meh, just been listening to a bunch of nutters rambling on and the insanity is just mind-blowing. They believe millions die of flu every year in the US and that is minor compared to some of it.

I don't normally wish ill on anyone but the sooner they get it the better.

[Breccia]

FL also had one of the best PCR testing programs (despite data accurately sent to national databases). 24 hour turn around, fast(er) lines, in rain and heat. Shuttered, gone, surgeon general refuses to reactivate any of them.

So by now we've all heard that DeSantis intentionally allowed a million tests to expire, claiming they weren't needed, from @Edge- and other sources but mostly @Edge-

We had between 800,000 and a million test kits — Abbott test kits — in our warehouse that did expire. We tried to give them out prior to that, but there wasn't a demand for it.

Yeah, if you'll remember I personally cited Florida telling people not to test.

So it's with the usual Fuck Florida mix of "you brought this on yourself" I add

1) A new study says the majority of Florida, up to 80%, will get omicron. Not COVID. Omicron, specifically.

2) The state added 396,562 people to its COVID-19 caseload in the past seven days, the Department of Health said Friday in its weekly report.

That's weekly not daily, but that's still a staggering amount. And they had like 80k yesterday so backfill from Jan 1st isn't realistic anymore.

The NYTimes lists their daily average between 55k and 60k for the last 3 days, which fits "400k in a week" pretty well. Last year, Florida (and others I'm sure) peaked Jan 13th. This isn't getting better soon, not with management like this. Or mismanagement like this, I should say.

Are other states doing poorly? Yes. Most of them are trying. Florida is not. Thank goodness omicron isn't as lethal.

[Forogil]

The story of the tennis player Novak Djokovic is now turning odder.
Allegedly he got an exemption on December 1st and then tested positive on December 16th in Serbia, and thus really thinks he should be exempted.
https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tenni...-16-in-serbia/

So basically the defense of 'I got covid, and didn't get the vaccine, and thus I got an exemption since that means I cannot get covid again, except I did get it, but that just means I will really not get it again'!

And of course he was good lad and isolated on December 16th and a few days after until the infection cleared /s

(at timestamp 18.31)

https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/statu...43717271150592

[Corvus]

That would be the third time he has claimed to have had it. Its like natural immunity does nothing.

[szechuan]

Yet even more proof that the SCOTUS is clearly compromised by GOP morons.
https://www.newsweek.com/justice-nei...h-year-1667015