Coronavirus

[TLS Guy]

We have a case in Minnesota now. The guy got infected after a trip to New York. So there is community spread in New York and I would bet elsewhere.

 

[cpp]

We have a case in Minnesota now. The guy got infected after a trip to New York. So there is community spread in New York and I would bet elsewhere.

Give a few more weeks it will be all over the major cities.

 

[Mr._Clark]

Give a few more weeks it will be all over the major cities.

I don't doubt it:

>>>Multiple cases of omicron virus variant detected in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) — Multiple cases of the omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in New York, health officials said Thursday, including a man who attended an anime convention in Manhattan in late November and tested positive for the variant when he returned home to Minnesota.

In addition to the conventioneer who was vaccinated for COVID-19, government officials said tests showed five other people recently infected with the virus had the variant. They included a person in the city’s Long Island suburbs who had recently traveled to South Africa, residents of Brooklyn and Queens and another case possibly linked to travel. At least one person had received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but officials did not have details about the vaccination status of the four other cases.<<<

Omicron coronavirus variant found in multiple US states

The omicron variant of COVID-19 has been discovered in at least five states, showing yet again how mutations of the virus can circumnavigate the globe with speed and ease.

apnews.com

 

[TLS Guy]

Give a few more weeks it will be all over the major cities.

Almost certainly.

The real piece of information we need, is how it affects unvaccinated people. As far as I can tell, all the cases have been breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals.

 

[cpp]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 likely acquired at least one of its mutations by picking up a snippet of genetic material from another virus - possibly one that causes the common cold - present in the same infected cells, according to researchers.

This genetic sequence does not appear in any earlier versions of the coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, but is ubiquitous in many other viruses including those that cause the common cold, and also in the human genome, researchers said.

By inserting this particular snippet into itself, Omicron might be making itself look "more human," which would help it evade attack by the human immune system

 

[Swerd]

Today, I saw this article in NPR.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/12/05/1059828993/data-vaccine-misinformation-trump-counties-covid-death-rate

"Since May 2021, people living in counties that voted heavily for Donald Trump during the last presidential election have been nearly three times as likely to die from COVID-19 as those who live in areas that went for now-President Biden."

"NPR looked at deaths per 100,000 people in roughly 3,000 counties across the U.S. from May 2021, the point at which vaccinations widely became available. People living in counties that went 60% or higher for Trump in November 2020 had 2.7 times the death rates of those that went for Biden. Counties with an even higher share of the vote for Trump saw higher COVID-19 mortality rates."

Three graphs say it all:
The first shows the correlation in 3,000 counties between vaccinations and the % vote for Trump

The second shows the correlation between deaths due to Covid-19 and % vote for Trump

And the third breaks down which voters (GOP, Dem, or Independents) make up the the total of those who are not vaccinated:

 

[Danzilla31]

Today, I saw this article in NPR.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/12/05/1059828993/data-vaccine-misinformation-trump-counties-covid-death-rate


Three graphs say it all:
The first shows the correlation in 3,000 counties between vaccinations and the % vote for Trump
View attachment 52020

The second shows the correlation between deaths due to Covid-19 and % vote for Trump
View attachment 52021

And the third breaks down which voters (GOP, Dem, or Independents) make up the the total of those who are not vaccinated:
View attachment 52022

Well look at it this way. Lot less Republicans to vote against the democrats right? As the queen song goes another one bites the dust.

 

[cpp]

Well look at it this way. Lot less Republicans to vote against the democrats right? As the queen song goes another one bites the dust.

Hate to tell ya, but I lost two really good fellow democrats to covid. This virus has no party line.

 

[Mr._Clark]

Here's the latest risk levels map from globalepidemics.org. It appears as if the red zone has started expanding and the lower edge is now moving back south. I don't think I've seen this pattern before. It does not look good to me.

Risk Levels - Global Epidemics

RISK LEVELS First published in July 2020, our COVID-19 risk levels dashboard served as a tool for the public to track the pandemic in real time. As the pandemic has evolved and testing and reporting data have changed significantly, we have retired the dashboard as of December 2022. To explore...

globalepidemics.org

Here's the map on November 8, 2021:

Here's the map on October 4, 2021:

And here's the map on August 19, 2021:

 

[Swerd]

Hate to tell ya, but I lost two really good fellow democrats to covid. This virus has no party line.

The virus has no party line, but the GOP has a line against vaccination. They're paying a steep price for it.

 

[Swerd]

Well look at it this way. Lot less Republicans to vote against the democrats right? As the queen song goes another one bites the dust.

My first reaction to "another one bites the dust" was to agree and laugh about it. But I can't because so many people have died.

It's also sad that the GOP has a plan for 'winning' future elections despite their loss of voters.

 

[Danzilla31]

Hate to tell ya, but I lost two really good fellow democrats to covid. This virus has no party line.

I know I wasn't being serious sometimes I just try to find a way to laugh at the sh$t show. Keeps me sane

 

[Danzilla31]

My first reaction to "another one bites the dust" was to agree and laugh about it. But I can't because so many people have died.

It's also sad that the GOP has a plan for 'winning' future elections despite their loss of voters.

That's what I was trying to do was get you to laugh. Keeps us sane. We do it in psych nursing all the time. Coping method my friend when your staring into the face of craziness

 

[panteragstk]

That's what I was trying to do was get you to laugh. Keeps us sane. We do it in psych nursing all the time. Coping method my friend when your staring into the face of craziness

I've always had a darker sense of humor, but I know that certain professions that see a lot more than most of us ever will have a truly dark sense of humor that I'll never get to.

Only high level of crazy I deal with is my kids. I'm outnumbered so there's that.

 

[Mr._Clark]

Here's the latest risk levels map from globalepidemics.org. It appears as if the red zone has started expanding and the lower edge is now moving back south. I don't think I've seen this pattern before. It does not look good to me.

View attachment 52029


Here's the map on November 8, 2021:
View attachment 52030

Here are COVID case counts for several states that seem to have a recent double peak corresponding to the lower edge of the red zone in the risk maps moving north, then expanding south again:

Iowa:

Illinois:

Indiana:

Ohio:

East coast states seem to be experiencing a somewhat similar pattern. Massachusetts is one example:

Further south the pattern doesn't seem to be strongly present. Arkansas is one example:

Further south the pattern seems to disappear. For example, Louisiana is still low with no double peak:

Many states in the upper midwest seem to be mired in high, yet increasing case counts.

Here's Michigan:

Minnesota:

Unfortunately, this latest wave seems to be growing again rather than subsiding.

 

[cpp]

I know I wasn't being serious sometimes I just try to find a way to laugh at the sh$t show. Keeps me sane

Agree, its hard to believe sometimes the crap we see and hear on the news these days.

 

[Mr._Clark]

I've always had a darker sense of humor, but I know that certain professions that see a lot more than most of us ever will have a truly dark sense of humor that I'll never get to.

Only high level of crazy I deal with is my kids. I'm outnumbered so there's that.

On the subject of black humor, here's one:

"What does not kill me mutates and tries again."

 

[Danzilla31]

I've always had a darker sense of humor, but I know that certain professions that see a lot more than most of us ever will have a truly dark sense of humor that I'll never get to.

Only high level of crazy I deal with is my kids. I'm outnumbered so there's that.

You would not believe some of the wacked out conversations we have at the nurses station

 

[panteragstk]

You would not believe some of the wacked out conversations we have at the nurses station

I did a small stint in IT for a major hospital in Dallas for a bit. I've heard some things. The funniest thing I did was ask about vaccinations and such (this was 2013 so not recently) and they would GO OFF about how stupid the anti-vaxx crowd is. Both nurses and doctors get all riled up about this talk. I can't imagine what they say now after all the BS they've been dealing with for TWO YEARS.

Plus, my father in law is pretty much a lifer in law enforcement and those dudes talk about some poop man.

 

[davidscott]

I did a small stint in IT for a major hospital in Dallas for a bit. I've heard some things. The funniest thing I did was ask about vaccinations and such (this was 2013 so not recently) and they would GO OFF about how stupid the anti-vaxx crowd is. Both nurses and doctors get all riled up about this talk. I can't imagine what they say now after all the BS they've been dealing with for TWO YEARS.

Plus, my father in law is pretty much a lifer in law enforcement and those dudes talk about some poop man.

Which hospital system did you do your IT stint? I worked 26 years at Texas Health full time and 3 years as a contractor in IT. Maybe we crossed paths.