Bad news on the COVID-19 front

[labrador12]

Effective herd immunity by April.

[99explorer]

Israeli data shows the Pfizer vaccine is nearly 99 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 death 2 weeks after the 2nd dose.

https://news.yahoo.com/israeli-data-...185500893.html

[labrador12]

Thank you Donald Trump

[rock rat]

Interesting article on how Australia managed. They did have large community outbreaks with thousands of infections, twice. Once in March and once in July which is their winter. They lock down much tighter than we do. Can't leave your house except to go buy food, mandatory masks, province closed to all travel. When the virus goes away, the open up all the way. Bars, restaurants, sporting events, no masks.

Seems to have worked pretty well. Everyone can enjoy life pretty much as normal, except if there is virus they have to put up with extreme lock down for a couple weeks.

https://theweek.com/articles/966581/...4n5T85O_lbsFv0

[99explorer]

Thank you Donald Trump

Dr Fauci says Trump did ‘terrible things’ to him and he now has to live under armed security.

https://news.yahoo.com/dr-fauci-says...185709332.html

Mr Trump's frustration with Dr Fauci quickly became apparent as the doctor regularly contradicted him and quickly became liberal Americans' preferred source of information regarding the pandemic. Dr Fauci became a minor celebrity, while Mr Trump faced mountain of criticism for his botched response to the pandemic.

Eventually, Mr Trump sidelined Dr Fauci, barring him from further public appearances, and replaced him with Dr Scott Atlas, who was loyal to the president.

Mr Atlas had no expertise in infectious diseases and often parroted whatever talking point Mr Trump was pushing at the time.

[labrador12]

Dr Fauci will say just about anything. Yahoo news will print just about any propaganda that they think will influence the simple minded 99s of the world.

[99explorer]

Yahoo News reprints articles that appeared in other publications, in this case, The Independent.

[rock rat]

[99explorer]

He seems to be saying "OMG!" as Trump was saying "Clorox."

[99explorer]

It's been 1 year since Trump infamously tweeted the 'coronavirus is very much under control' in the U.S.

And 500,000 deaths.

https://news.yahoo.com/1-since-trump...213700729.html

[jhjimbo]

There is now a NYC variant that is very 'aggressive' and has little in common with other variants.

[99explorer]

I think we'll be seeing fewer variants as vaccinations increase and herd immunity is achieved.

[rock rat]

Worldwide reported infections were cut by half over roughly mid Jan to mid Feb, and now we are up 6% over the past week.

Some countries have had massive lockdowns, and then they ended. Other countries assumed herd immunity in regions that now see a spike in infections.

Variations are starting to show up many places, NYC as Jim mentioned, South Africa, Brazil, UK.

UPS says that it's contract to deliver vaccines has doubled for the next week.

[MattM37]

At the local level, there are too many people who want to rush back to normalcy every time the numbers drop a certain amount. I can understand where small business owners are coming from, but I've listened to a few people that are acting simply (and stupidly) on principle -- kind of like the way you heard people saying after 9-11: "Don't change your travel plans, or you'll be letting the terrorists win!" Well, no: Taking some sensible precautions and making some sensible changes isn't letting anyone win anything; it's just eliminating the possibility of getting blown to bits for the sake of a week at Disneyworld.

[99explorer]

Matt -
Good post.