Viruses / Vaccines 2

Halifax2TheMax

dankind said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

mrussel1 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Go Beavers said:

OnWis97 said:

Yeah...it's pretty much over for most people. This little dip is seems to have created some complacency.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-masks-cdc-expected-update-mask-guidance-early-week-rcna16331

Vaccines worked against the original Covid and the Delta. Not so much now. 28% with the booster? I'd be more disappointed if it mattered. I don't regret getting my three shots but I'm not sure there's a point in getting more...is the chance of myocarditis higher than the chance the next vax helps? Probably not, but vaccines are no longer the solution we hoped. They probably helped flatten the curve and keep some symptoms less severe.

Now?  Now we're moving into "time to live with it." Masks are done.* Distancing is done. 

*Mandates, anyway. A few weirdos (myself included) will still wear them in some situations. But the bottom line is, we're caving to fatigue. And the truth (masks don't make a difference) is always convenient in America.

Huh? The vaccine is very effective with Omicron as well. 

it's just maddening to read this shit over and over and over. it's still highly effective against severe outcomes. but yes, you might get the sniffles! oh no! 

I was sick for one day.  ONE.  The vaccine works.

I know other people not vaccinated that got sick recently as I did and were out for weeks.

This... exactly.  And I hate being sick so I can't be more thankful for the vaccine.  No I didn't feel 100% but it was nothing.  My son was J&J vaxed (single, in the summer) and no booster.  He got the Cron and was sick for 4 days, two of them being pretty intense.  The vax and booster works, it helps.  

Show me the research.

I know you're joking but isn't the easy answer to show hospitalizations and deaths of vaxed and unvaxed??  

That should be the proof?

We're almost to the two full year mark and will be entering into the third year of this nonsense soon. If you (general you) haven't figured it out by now with all of the information that is readily, publicly available, I don't know what to tell you (general you).

Huh?  I was asking if the easy answer to "show me the research" was hospitalizations?  I don't know of other research that shows vaccinations work or don't that is easier to understand than that.

Re-read what I posted. Hospitalization, deaths, ICU, long covid data, etc. is readily available in the public domain. If you’re (general you) are still questioning the efficacy of vaccines, boosters and the potential of masks/face coverings over nada, then I don’t know what to tell you (general you).

I agreed with vaccinations and their efficacy so I have zero idea what you are talking about.  I agreed with it about 3 posts earlier to yours.

I do agree with what they are saying about the inefficiency of gators and cloth masks. So again, I don't know what you are saying?  A N95 works best is all I keep reading and hearing.

Third I was asking you(general you) if showing the non believers that hospital rates among the vaxxed and unvaxxed was the best proof which I believe is the best measuring stick to show people.

I am completely baffled at your angle towards me.  If I have shown anything against the science or the professionals please show me.  I made the point about the masks and what should be worn so I don't know what else you read or maybe you are confusing me w somebody else?

Dude, you need to relax. The "general you" was/is directed toward those that are still questioning EVERYTHING despite 2 years, going on three, of this nonsense. And all the data one needs is readily available, including the deaths/hospitalization rates you pointed out. Even gaiters and cloth masks can have an impact, slightly/minimally/ a half percent? better than nothing. But here we are, still questioning the efficacy of face coverings (not you, me but others) Its the others my ire is aimed at. The lack of critical thinking skills, combined with social media, will be the death of Western Democracy.

"Show me the research" comment that I directed at mrussel is what some on here are still thinking, FFS.

Sorry, You confuse me sometimes...  This was one of them...  

FFS indeed...

What did you miss about "general you" versus "you?" I didn't imply "you." Regardless, no problemo, its not personal, no biggie. It happens. Would it help if I posted a tweet or a meme instead? Just kidding. /s or is it s/?

And my FFS is directed at the bold. And you don't fall into that category. Or do you?

I took General you to mean me.  I've never seen anyone use the term General You before.  Honest.  If you would have said General Population Id have gotten the gest right away. 

Yeah the sarcastic text gets lost verrrry easy.

I knew FFS was a joke, that one I got!

My bad then as I assumed since you’ve been on here long enough and there has been previous examples of posters using the “you” versus “general you” and having to clarify. I didn’t study English composition well enough to know what the correct combination of words and punctuation should be used to make the writer’s inference/reference clear and understood in this instance. I checked out of English around the time of Shakespeare and A Tale of Two Cities.

Anyone know an editor?

School us fancy pants, shantzy pants editor. Regarding the use of you, personally, versus general you and how to make the intent/meaning more clear. And don't start with, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Or I'll zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

dankind

Halifax2TheMax said:

dankind said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

mrussel1 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Go Beavers said:

OnWis97 said:

Yeah...it's pretty much over for most people. This little dip is seems to have created some complacency.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-masks-cdc-expected-update-mask-guidance-early-week-rcna16331

Vaccines worked against the original Covid and the Delta. Not so much now. 28% with the booster? I'd be more disappointed if it mattered. I don't regret getting my three shots but I'm not sure there's a point in getting more...is the chance of myocarditis higher than the chance the next vax helps? Probably not, but vaccines are no longer the solution we hoped. They probably helped flatten the curve and keep some symptoms less severe.

Now?  Now we're moving into "time to live with it." Masks are done.* Distancing is done. 

*Mandates, anyway. A few weirdos (myself included) will still wear them in some situations. But the bottom line is, we're caving to fatigue. And the truth (masks don't make a difference) is always convenient in America.

Huh? The vaccine is very effective with Omicron as well. 

it's just maddening to read this shit over and over and over. it's still highly effective against severe outcomes. but yes, you might get the sniffles! oh no! 

I was sick for one day.  ONE.  The vaccine works.

I know other people not vaccinated that got sick recently as I did and were out for weeks.

This... exactly.  And I hate being sick so I can't be more thankful for the vaccine.  No I didn't feel 100% but it was nothing.  My son was J&J vaxed (single, in the summer) and no booster.  He got the Cron and was sick for 4 days, two of them being pretty intense.  The vax and booster works, it helps.  

Show me the research.

I know you're joking but isn't the easy answer to show hospitalizations and deaths of vaxed and unvaxed??  

That should be the proof?

We're almost to the two full year mark and will be entering into the third year of this nonsense soon. If you (general you) haven't figured it out by now with all of the information that is readily, publicly available, I don't know what to tell you (general you).

Huh?  I was asking if the easy answer to "show me the research" was hospitalizations?  I don't know of other research that shows vaccinations work or don't that is easier to understand than that.

Re-read what I posted. Hospitalization, deaths, ICU, long covid data, etc. is readily available in the public domain. If you’re (general you) are still questioning the efficacy of vaccines, boosters and the potential of masks/face coverings over nada, then I don’t know what to tell you (general you).

I agreed with vaccinations and their efficacy so I have zero idea what you are talking about.  I agreed with it about 3 posts earlier to yours.

I do agree with what they are saying about the inefficiency of gators and cloth masks. So again, I don't know what you are saying?  A N95 works best is all I keep reading and hearing.

Third I was asking you(general you) if showing the non believers that hospital rates among the vaxxed and unvaxxed was the best proof which I believe is the best measuring stick to show people.

I am completely baffled at your angle towards me.  If I have shown anything against the science or the professionals please show me.  I made the point about the masks and what should be worn so I don't know what else you read or maybe you are confusing me w somebody else?

Dude, you need to relax. The "general you" was/is directed toward those that are still questioning EVERYTHING despite 2 years, going on three, of this nonsense. And all the data one needs is readily available, including the deaths/hospitalization rates you pointed out. Even gaiters and cloth masks can have an impact, slightly/minimally/ a half percent? better than nothing. But here we are, still questioning the efficacy of face coverings (not you, me but others) Its the others my ire is aimed at. The lack of critical thinking skills, combined with social media, will be the death of Western Democracy.

"Show me the research" comment that I directed at mrussel is what some on here are still thinking, FFS.

Sorry, You confuse me sometimes...  This was one of them...  

FFS indeed...

What did you miss about "general you" versus "you?" I didn't imply "you." Regardless, no problemo, its not personal, no biggie. It happens. Would it help if I posted a tweet or a meme instead? Just kidding. /s or is it s/?

And my FFS is directed at the bold. And you don't fall into that category. Or do you?

I took General you to mean me.  I've never seen anyone use the term General You before.  Honest.  If you would have said General Population Id have gotten the gest right away. 

Yeah the sarcastic text gets lost verrrry easy.

I knew FFS was a joke, that one I got!

My bad then as I assumed since you’ve been on here long enough and there has been previous examples of posters using the “you” versus “general you” and having to clarify. I didn’t study English composition well enough to know what the correct combination of words and punctuation should be used to make the writer’s inference/reference clear and understood in this instance. I checked out of English around the time of Shakespeare and A Tale of Two Cities.

Anyone know an editor?

School us fancy pants, shantzy pants editor. Regarding the use of you, personally, versus general you and how to make the intent/meaning more clear. And don't start with, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Or I'll zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I use mufuckas.

Edited: "If mufuckas haven't figured it out by now with all of the information that is readily, publicly available, I don't know what to tell mufuckas."

My freelance rate is $80 an hour, and I'm afraid that I must charge you for the full hour. 

Cash is preferred so that I'm not 1099'd into abject poverty again. Thanks.

mrussel1

That's a great reply. 

Halifax2TheMax

dankind said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

dankind said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

mrussel1 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

Go Beavers said:

OnWis97 said:

Yeah...it's pretty much over for most people. This little dip is seems to have created some complacency.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-masks-cdc-expected-update-mask-guidance-early-week-rcna16331

Vaccines worked against the original Covid and the Delta. Not so much now. 28% with the booster? I'd be more disappointed if it mattered. I don't regret getting my three shots but I'm not sure there's a point in getting more...is the chance of myocarditis higher than the chance the next vax helps? Probably not, but vaccines are no longer the solution we hoped. They probably helped flatten the curve and keep some symptoms less severe.

Now?  Now we're moving into "time to live with it." Masks are done.* Distancing is done. 

*Mandates, anyway. A few weirdos (myself included) will still wear them in some situations. But the bottom line is, we're caving to fatigue. And the truth (masks don't make a difference) is always convenient in America.

Huh? The vaccine is very effective with Omicron as well. 

it's just maddening to read this shit over and over and over. it's still highly effective against severe outcomes. but yes, you might get the sniffles! oh no! 

I was sick for one day.  ONE.  The vaccine works.

I know other people not vaccinated that got sick recently as I did and were out for weeks.

This... exactly.  And I hate being sick so I can't be more thankful for the vaccine.  No I didn't feel 100% but it was nothing.  My son was J&J vaxed (single, in the summer) and no booster.  He got the Cron and was sick for 4 days, two of them being pretty intense.  The vax and booster works, it helps.  

Show me the research.

I know you're joking but isn't the easy answer to show hospitalizations and deaths of vaxed and unvaxed??  

That should be the proof?

We're almost to the two full year mark and will be entering into the third year of this nonsense soon. If you (general you) haven't figured it out by now with all of the information that is readily, publicly available, I don't know what to tell you (general you).

Huh?  I was asking if the easy answer to "show me the research" was hospitalizations?  I don't know of other research that shows vaccinations work or don't that is easier to understand than that.

Re-read what I posted. Hospitalization, deaths, ICU, long covid data, etc. is readily available in the public domain. If you’re (general you) are still questioning the efficacy of vaccines, boosters and the potential of masks/face coverings over nada, then I don’t know what to tell you (general you).

I agreed with vaccinations and their efficacy so I have zero idea what you are talking about.  I agreed with it about 3 posts earlier to yours.

I do agree with what they are saying about the inefficiency of gators and cloth masks. So again, I don't know what you are saying?  A N95 works best is all I keep reading and hearing.

Third I was asking you(general you) if showing the non believers that hospital rates among the vaxxed and unvaxxed was the best proof which I believe is the best measuring stick to show people.

I am completely baffled at your angle towards me.  If I have shown anything against the science or the professionals please show me.  I made the point about the masks and what should be worn so I don't know what else you read or maybe you are confusing me w somebody else?

Dude, you need to relax. The "general you" was/is directed toward those that are still questioning EVERYTHING despite 2 years, going on three, of this nonsense. And all the data one needs is readily available, including the deaths/hospitalization rates you pointed out. Even gaiters and cloth masks can have an impact, slightly/minimally/ a half percent? better than nothing. But here we are, still questioning the efficacy of face coverings (not you, me but others) Its the others my ire is aimed at. The lack of critical thinking skills, combined with social media, will be the death of Western Democracy.

"Show me the research" comment that I directed at mrussel is what some on here are still thinking, FFS.

Sorry, You confuse me sometimes...  This was one of them...  

FFS indeed...

What did you miss about "general you" versus "you?" I didn't imply "you." Regardless, no problemo, its not personal, no biggie. It happens. Would it help if I posted a tweet or a meme instead? Just kidding. /s or is it s/?

And my FFS is directed at the bold. And you don't fall into that category. Or do you?

I took General you to mean me.  I've never seen anyone use the term General You before.  Honest.  If you would have said General Population Id have gotten the gest right away. 

Yeah the sarcastic text gets lost verrrry easy.

I knew FFS was a joke, that one I got!

My bad then as I assumed since you’ve been on here long enough and there has been previous examples of posters using the “you” versus “general you” and having to clarify. I didn’t study English composition well enough to know what the correct combination of words and punctuation should be used to make the writer’s inference/reference clear and understood in this instance. I checked out of English around the time of Shakespeare and A Tale of Two Cities.

Anyone know an editor?

School us fancy pants, shantzy pants editor. Regarding the use of you, personally, versus general you and how to make the intent/meaning more clear. And don't start with, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Or I'll zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I use mufuckas.

Edited: "If mufuckas haven't figured it out by now with all of the information that is readily, publicly available, I don't know what to tell mufuckas."

My freelance rate is $80 an hour, and I'm afraid that I must charge you for the full hour. 

Cash is preferred so that I'm not 1099'd into abject poverty again. Thanks.

https://youtu.be/Jz5V_Pdxy10

Halifax2TheMax

Anyone who thinks this is over is fooling themselves. Guess who’s the most vulnerable?

https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/health/ba-2-covid-severity/index.html

Go Beavers

Meltdown99 said:

https://twitter.com/ianrodenppc/status/1494370576609202181?s=21

2/3 rds of the country is overweight so it’s probably not the weighted variable you want it to be. 

Go Beavers

HughFreakingDillon said:

I just went to the Diabetes Canada website and says the same thing. 185 and 6 feet is overweight. 

Correct. I’m 5’11 and just over 180 and overweight per BMI, but anyone who could see me would never say I was overweight. BMI doesn’t really factor in muscle mass. 

Go Beavers

mrussel1 said:

Poncier said:

I always remember the "standard" as being 6' and 180 lbs., so 220 at 6' would definitely be heavy. Of course it all depends on muscle mass and fat content. Not all 220's are created equal.

Yes.  When I've been about 190, I look emaciated.  200 is thin for me.  Legal weed in Virginia has caused some late night weight gain. 

Did someone say Tony’s chocolate and wasabi almonds? 

Go Beavers

lastexitlondon said:

True  i often wonder  if my wang tipped me over

Your BMI is 12? 

lastexitlondon

Close.. 10 I'm an ameoba

mickeyrat

 https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-california-pandemics-7fe43acafdedeeb334fe1448e87fb74a

California adopts nation's 1st 'endemic' virus policy

By DON THOMPSON

Yesterday

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California became the first state to formally shift to an “endemic” approach to the coronavirus with Gov. Gavin Newsom's announcement Thursday of a plan that emphasizes prevention and quick reaction to outbreaks over mandated masking and business shutdowns.

The milestone, nearly two years in the making, envisions a return to a more normal existence with the help of a variety of initiatives and billions in new spending to more quickly spot surges or variants, add health care workers, stockpile tests and push back against false claims and other misinformation.

“We are moving past the crisis phase into a phase where we will work to live with this virus," he said during a news conference from a state warehouse brimming with pandemic supplies in Fontana, east of Los Angeles.

RELATED COVERAGE

• EXPLAINER: What does it mean for COVID-19 to be endemic?

The first-term Democrat, who last year survived a recall election driven by critics of his governance during the pandemic, promised the state's nearly 40 million residents that as the omicron surge fades, “we’re going to keep them safe and we’re going to stay on top of this."

A disease reaches the endemic stage when the virus still exists in a community but becomes manageable as immunity builds. But there will be no definitive turn of the switch, the Democratic governor said, unlike the case with Wednesday’s lifting of the state’s indoor masking requirements or an announcement coming Feb. 28 of when precisely schoolchildren can stop wearing face coverings.

And there will be no immediate lifting of the dozens of remaining executive emergency orders that have helped run the state since Newsom imposed the nation’s first statewide stay-home order in March 2020.

“This pandemic won’t have a defined end. There’s no finish line,” Newsom said.

The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and with omicron fading in many parts of the world some countries have begun planning for the endemic stage. But no state has taken the step Newsom did and offered a detailed forward-looking plan.

Republicans have been frequent critics of Newsom's handling of the coronavirus and were quick to disparage his latest effort. State GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson called it “an extra-large helping of word salad" and renewed the call to “follow the lead of other blue states and end his state of emergency or lift his school mask mandate."

continues.....

Halifax2TheMax

Still growing, more slowly

Ocean County, in central New Jersey, is a mixture of beach towns like Barnegat Light and exurban towns like Toms River and Lakewood. Household income in the county exceeds the U.S. average.

Yet Ocean County is among the least vaccinated places in the Northeast. Only 53 percent of residents have received at least two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine (or one dose of Johnson & Johnson). Only 26 percent have received a booster shot.

The large number of unvaccinated residents in Ocean County has led to a horrific amount of Covid illness and death. Nearly one out of every 200 residents has died from the virus. That is worse than the toll in Mississippi, the U.S. state with the largest amount of Covid death per capita, and worse than in any country except for Peru.

What explains the vaccine skepticism in Ocean County? Politics, above all. The county is heavily Republican. Donald Trump won it by almost 30 percentage points in 2020, and many Republicans — including those who are older than 65 and vulnerable to severe Covid illness — are skeptical of the vaccines.

This partisan divide has led to the “red Covid” phenomenon that I have described in previous newsletters. Today, I have an update.

Blue, then red

First, some background: In the pandemic’s initial months, Covid cases and deaths were higher in Democratic areas, probably because they are home to several major international airports. The virus entered this country on the West Coast and in the Northeast. But it didn’t stay there. By the end of Covid’s first year in the U.S., the virus had swept across the country, and there was no significant partisan divide in deaths.

Only after the vaccines became widely available, in early 2021 — and liberals were much more willing to get shots than conservatives — did Covid become a disproportionately Republican illness. By the summer of 2021, the gap was soaring:

As the chart makes clear, the toll has been even worse in counties where Trump won by a landslide than in counties that he won narrowly.

This phenomenon is an example of how the country’s political polarization has warped people’s thinking, even when their personal safety is at stake. It is a tragedy — and a preventable one, too.

A new study by four Harvard epidemiologists estimates that 135,000 unvaccinated Americans died unnecessarily in the last six months of last year. The Texas Tribune recently profiled a young unvaccinated couple: She spent 139 days in intensive care; he asked, “Was this my fault?” They have both since been vaccinated.

Natural immunity

There is one big new development. When I last wrote about red Covid, in November, I told you that the month-to-month partisan mortality gap might be peaking, for two main reasons.

One, the availability of highly effective post-infection treatments, like Pfizer’s Paxlovid, has been expanding; if they reduce deaths, the drop may be steepest where the toll is highest. Two, red America has probably built up more natural immunity to Covid — from prior infections — than blue America, given that many Democrats have tried harder to avoid getting the virus.

Sure enough, the partisan gap in Covid deaths is no longer growing as fast it had been, as you can see from the new closeness among these lines:

During the Omicron wave, deaths have risen less in red counties than in blue or purple counties. The most likely explanation seems to be that the number of Trump voters vulnerable to severe illness — which was still very large earlier last year — has declined, because more of them have built up some immunity to Covid from a previous infection.

But don’t make the mistake of confusing a gap that’s no longer growing as rapidly as it was with a gap that is shrinking. The gap between red and blue America — in terms of cumulative Covid deaths — is still growing. The red line in that second chart is higher than the blue line, which is a sign that more Republicans than Democrats or independents have needlessly died of Covid in recent weeks.

Another point to remember: Even in deeply blue counties, an outsize number of deaths are occurring among people who are unvaccinated or unboosted. The vaccines offer incredible protection from a deadly virus, yet many Americans have chosen to leave themselves exposed.

Related: Vaccinating and boosting more elderly people is probably the single best strategy for reducing deaths, The Atlantic’s Sarah Zhang writes. One way to do so: Increase Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals that make progress.

Virus developments:

• California laid out a plan to treat Covid as a manageable risk that “will remain with us for some time, if not forever.”

• This moment feels particularly hard for immunocompromised people. “It’s like living behind a veil.”

oftenreading

Halifax2TheMax said:

Still growing, more slowly

Ocean County, in central New Jersey, is a mixture of beach towns like Barnegat Light and exurban towns like Toms River and Lakewood. Household income in the county exceeds the U.S. average.

Yet Ocean County is among the least vaccinated places in the Northeast. Only 53 percent of residents have received at least two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine (or one dose of Johnson & Johnson). Only 26 percent have received a booster shot.

The large number of unvaccinated residents in Ocean County has led to a horrific amount of Covid illness and death. Nearly one out of every 200 residents has died from the virus. That is worse than the toll in Mississippi, the U.S. state with the largest amount of Covid death per capita, and worse than in any country except for Peru.

What explains the vaccine skepticism in Ocean County? Politics, above all. The county is heavily Republican. Donald Trump won it by almost 30 percentage points in 2020, and many Republicans — including those who are older than 65 and vulnerable to severe Covid illness — are skeptical of the vaccines.

This partisan divide has led to the “red Covid” phenomenon that I have described in previous newsletters. Today, I have an update.

Blue, then red

First, some background: In the pandemic’s initial months, Covid cases and deaths were higher in Democratic areas, probably because they are home to several major international airports. The virus entered this country on the West Coast and in the Northeast. But it didn’t stay there. By the end of Covid’s first year in the U.S., the virus had swept across the country, and there was no significant partisan divide in deaths.

Only after the vaccines became widely available, in early 2021 — and liberals were much more willing to get shots than conservatives — did Covid become a disproportionately Republican illness. By the summer of 2021, the gap was soaring:

As the chart makes clear, the toll has been even worse in counties where Trump won by a landslide than in counties that he won narrowly.

This phenomenon is an example of how the country’s political polarization has warped people’s thinking, even when their personal safety is at stake. It is a tragedy — and a preventable one, too.

A new study by four Harvard epidemiologists estimates that 135,000 unvaccinated Americans died unnecessarily in the last six months of last year. The Texas Tribune recently profiled a young unvaccinated couple: She spent 139 days in intensive care; he asked, “Was this my fault?” They have both since been vaccinated.

Natural immunity

There is one big new development. When I last wrote about red Covid, in November, I told you that the month-to-month partisan mortality gap might be peaking, for two main reasons.

One, the availability of highly effective post-infection treatments, like Pfizer’s Paxlovid, has been expanding; if they reduce deaths, the drop may be steepest where the toll is highest. Two, red America has probably built up more natural immunity to Covid — from prior infections — than blue America, given that many Democrats have tried harder to avoid getting the virus.

Sure enough, the partisan gap in Covid deaths is no longer growing as fast it had been, as you can see from the new closeness among these lines:

During the Omicron wave, deaths have risen less in red counties than in blue or purple counties. The most likely explanation seems to be that the number of Trump voters vulnerable to severe illness — which was still very large earlier last year — has declined, because more of them have built up some immunity to Covid from a previous infection.

But don’t make the mistake of confusing a gap that’s no longer growing as rapidly as it was with a gap that is shrinking. The gap between red and blue America — in terms of cumulative Covid deaths — is still growing. The red line in that second chart is higher than the blue line, which is a sign that more Republicans than Democrats or independents have needlessly died of Covid in recent weeks.

Another point to remember: Even in deeply blue counties, an outsize number of deaths are occurring among people who are unvaccinated or unboosted. The vaccines offer incredible protection from a deadly virus, yet many Americans have chosen to leave themselves exposed.

Related: Vaccinating and boosting more elderly people is probably the single best strategy for reducing deaths, The Atlantic’s Sarah Zhang writes. One way to do so: Increase Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals that make progress.

Virus developments:

• California laid out a plan to treat Covid as a manageable risk that “will remain with us for some time, if not forever.”

• This moment feels particularly hard for immunocompromised people. “It’s like living behind a veil.”

"Nearly one out of every 200 residents has died from the virus"

What a horrific statistic.  

Halifax2TheMax

oftenreading said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

Still growing, more slowly

Ocean County, in central New Jersey, is a mixture of beach towns like Barnegat Light and exurban towns like Toms River and Lakewood. Household income in the county exceeds the U.S. average.

Yet Ocean County is among the least vaccinated places in the Northeast. Only 53 percent of residents have received at least two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine (or one dose of Johnson & Johnson). Only 26 percent have received a booster shot.

The large number of unvaccinated residents in Ocean County has led to a horrific amount of Covid illness and death. Nearly one out of every 200 residents has died from the virus. That is worse than the toll in Mississippi, the U.S. state with the largest amount of Covid death per capita, and worse than in any country except for Peru.

What explains the vaccine skepticism in Ocean County? Politics, above all. The county is heavily Republican. Donald Trump won it by almost 30 percentage points in 2020, and many Republicans — including those who are older than 65 and vulnerable to severe Covid illness — are skeptical of the vaccines.

This partisan divide has led to the “red Covid” phenomenon that I have described in previous newsletters. Today, I have an update.

Blue, then red

First, some background: In the pandemic’s initial months, Covid cases and deaths were higher in Democratic areas, probably because they are home to several major international airports. The virus entered this country on the West Coast and in the Northeast. But it didn’t stay there. By the end of Covid’s first year in the U.S., the virus had swept across the country, and there was no significant partisan divide in deaths.

Only after the vaccines became widely available, in early 2021 — and liberals were much more willing to get shots than conservatives — did Covid become a disproportionately Republican illness. By the summer of 2021, the gap was soaring:

As the chart makes clear, the toll has been even worse in counties where Trump won by a landslide than in counties that he won narrowly.

This phenomenon is an example of how the country’s political polarization has warped people’s thinking, even when their personal safety is at stake. It is a tragedy — and a preventable one, too.

A new study by four Harvard epidemiologists estimates that 135,000 unvaccinated Americans died unnecessarily in the last six months of last year. The Texas Tribune recently profiled a young unvaccinated couple: She spent 139 days in intensive care; he asked, “Was this my fault?” They have both since been vaccinated.

Natural immunity

There is one big new development. When I last wrote about red Covid, in November, I told you that the month-to-month partisan mortality gap might be peaking, for two main reasons.

One, the availability of highly effective post-infection treatments, like Pfizer’s Paxlovid, has been expanding; if they reduce deaths, the drop may be steepest where the toll is highest. Two, red America has probably built up more natural immunity to Covid — from prior infections — than blue America, given that many Democrats have tried harder to avoid getting the virus.

Sure enough, the partisan gap in Covid deaths is no longer growing as fast it had been, as you can see from the new closeness among these lines:

During the Omicron wave, deaths have risen less in red counties than in blue or purple counties. The most likely explanation seems to be that the number of Trump voters vulnerable to severe illness — which was still very large earlier last year — has declined, because more of them have built up some immunity to Covid from a previous infection.

But don’t make the mistake of confusing a gap that’s no longer growing as rapidly as it was with a gap that is shrinking. The gap between red and blue America — in terms of cumulative Covid deaths — is still growing. The red line in that second chart is higher than the blue line, which is a sign that more Republicans than Democrats or independents have needlessly died of Covid in recent weeks.

Another point to remember: Even in deeply blue counties, an outsize number of deaths are occurring among people who are unvaccinated or unboosted. The vaccines offer incredible protection from a deadly virus, yet many Americans have chosen to leave themselves exposed.

Related: Vaccinating and boosting more elderly people is probably the single best strategy for reducing deaths, The Atlantic’s Sarah Zhang writes. One way to do so: Increase Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals that make progress.

Virus developments:

• California laid out a plan to treat Covid as a manageable risk that “will remain with us for some time, if not forever.”

• This moment feels particularly hard for immunocompromised people. “It’s like living behind a veil.”

"Nearly one out of every 200 residents has died from the virus"

What a horrific statistic.  

Hey, but they sure did own the libs.

tempo_n_groove

Question about Ocean County.  Are these residents obese?

I see it goes to a stat about Mississippi.  That state is in last or 2nd to last place for healthiness.  Louisiana, Miss and Alabama are usually the bottom 3.

mrussel1

Ivermectin doesn't work,  and if anything,  it has adverse effects. Peer reviewed study..

https://m.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-697027

josevolution

https://twitter.com/abraarkaran/status/1495169427494473730?s=21
So is it too early? 

dignin

mrussel1 said:

Ivermectin doesn't work,  and if anything,  it has adverse effects. Peer reviewed study..

https://m.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-697027

Pffffft, if it's good enough for Bro Jogan and horses, it's good enough for me.

dignin

Potentially good news 

Got a Covid Booster? You Probably Won’t Need Another for a Long Time

A flurry of new studies suggests that several parts of the immune system can mount a sustained, potent response to any coronavirus variant

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/21/health/covid-vaccine-antibodies-t-cells.html

Useless vaccine 

HughFreakingDillon

damn paywall. oh well. great to hear.