*** OFFICIAL *** COVID-19 CoronaVirus Thread. Fresh epidemic fears as child pneumonia cases surge in Europe after China outbreak. NOW in USA (11 Viewers)

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Great news for the vaxxed/boosted here:

Latest CDC data by vaccine status:

Unvaccinated: 451 cases per 100k
Vaccinated: 134 cases per 100k
Boosted: 48 cases per 100k

Unvaccinated: 6.1 deaths per 100k
Vaccinated: 0.5 deaths per 100k
Boosted: 0.1 deaths per 100k

Link

This is a great view, thanks.  Will be interesting to update it in a month or so when Omicron is dominant.

And those #s look even better when you factor in age (eg: in Virginia the avg age of a vaxxed person is 62 and unvaxxed is 31) and other health statuses.

 

[GroveDiesel]

This is a great view, thanks.  Will be interesting to update it in a month or so when Omicron is dominant.

And those #s look even better when you factor in age (eg: in Virginia the avg age of a vaxxed person is 62 and unvaxxed is 31) and other health statuses.

Yes/no. I do think the one thing to keep in mind is that the unvaccinated deaths number will by necessity include the deaths that occurred before the vaccines came out.

But I think it seems really clear that the vaccines significantly reduce risk of death so far.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Doesnt really answer my question. Is the 100k Covid positive people or all people?

It’s exactly what I said it was. 6 out of every 100k unvaccinated people die each week from Covid.

To put this in perspective based on this data, the US population, and numbers for each category:

Unvaccinated - 91M in US. 5,507 have died each week from Covid

Fully Vaccinated (no-booster) - 142M in US. 710 have died each week.

Fully Vaccinated (with booster) - 60M in US. 60 have died each week.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I'm sure it's been discussed ad nauseum, but I just have to bring it up because it is driving me nuts.

Why, in all that is holy, do people wear masks in their cars by themselves?  I can imagine only 3 scenarios that would cause someone to do this:

1. They honestly believe it is a benefit of some kind...but if that is the case, they are woefully uninformed about COVID.
   
2. They are doing it in a form of "look at me, I'm being super cautious" kind of way.  In which case, that is sad.
   
3. They didn't think to take it off ( ) or didn't care to because it would be a short time between places where they would need to wear it.  This is the only option that makes sense, but would be a very, very rare scenario.
   

I any case, I just find it so bizarre the number of times I've seen this...maybe a couple of times a week?  So freaking weird, but this whole season has just been surreal, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

I've caught myself doing this a time or two.  It was just because my mind wandered and I forgot I had a mask on.  

 

[Doug B]

I think some people are WAY more mask tolerant than others. Jayrod posted an emoji that seemed to express disbelief that anyone could ever forget they have a mask on. So maybe for him, a mask is constant front-of-the-mind imposition. But for others ... it's comparable to a baseball hat, or a bracelet, or a necklace.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Fauci saying in some places in the USA, Omicron is at 50% of cases.  Expect record cases and hospitalizations in areas with low vaccine rates.  Buckle in.

 

[lod001]

This is what it's like to live in loserville:

Quebec new restrictions just announced at 1 pm. Bars, gyms, spas, cinemas and schools all closed until Jan. 10th. Restaurants only open between 5 pm and 10 pm and you must present QCR code for sitdown. Require vaccine passport to attend church. Working from home is now mandatory.

For a weak, highly contagious strain that if you let it run thru the population fast, it's over with. They would rather prolong it and hope it magically ends with the failed lockdown approach yet again. 

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

This is what it's like to live in loserville:

Quebec new restrictions just announced at 1 pm. Bars, gyms, spas, cinemas and schools all closed until Jan. 10th. Restaurants only open between 5 pm and 10 pm and you must present QCR code for sitdown. Require vaccine passport to attend church. Working from home is now mandatory.

For a weak, highly contagious strain that if you let it run thru the population fast, it's over with. They would rather prolong it and hope it magically ends with the failed lockdown approach yet again. 

It is not a weak strain.  You are basing things on weeks old misleading headlines.  

 

[BigJim®]

I'm sure it's been discussed ad nauseum, but I just have to bring it up because it is driving me nuts.

Why, in all that is holy, do people wear masks in their cars by themselves?  I can imagine only 3 scenarios that would cause someone to do this:

1. They honestly believe it is a benefit of some kind...but if that is the case, they are woefully uninformed about COVID.
   
2. They are doing it in a form of "look at me, I'm being super cautious" kind of way.  In which case, that is sad.
   
3. They didn't think to take it off ( ) or didn't care to because it would be a short time between places where they would need to wear it.  This is the only option that makes sense, but would be a very, very rare scenario.
   

I any case, I just find it so bizarre the number of times I've seen this...maybe a couple of times a week?  So freaking weird, but this whole season has just been surreal, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Admitting 100% I am unclear on risks involved, I (situationally) wore a mask in the car for 10 days after testing positive, if I knew the son was going to be immediately taking the car to work, lifetime, school, etc.  

 

[Alex P Keaton]

It’s exactly what I said it was. 6 out of every 100k unvaccinated people die each week from Covid.

To put this in perspective based on this data, the US population, and numbers for each category:

Unvaccinated - 91M in US. 5,507 have died each week from Covid

Fully Vaccinated (no-booster) - 142M in US. 710 have died each week.

Fully Vaccinated (with booster) - 60M in US. 60 have died each week.

This is a very helpful way of breaking it down.  Thank you.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Honestly though, what does anyone care if they see someone wearing a mask in their own car?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Quebec new restrictions just announced at 1 pm. Bars, gyms, spas, cinemas and schools all closed until Jan. 10th. Restaurants only open between 5 pm and 10 pm and you must present QCR code for sitdown. Require vaccine passport to attend church. Working from home is now mandatory.

Shutting down schools while keeping restaurants open for adults is not the way I would have prioritized these.

That's the nicest, most non-political thing I can say in response to this.  The original response I typed up included a historical reference to tarring and feathering as a means of enforcing cultural norms.

 

[Desert_Power]

Honestly though, what does anyone care if they see someone wearing a mask in their own car?

Or this in really any setting.

 

[beer 30]

This is what it's like to live in loserville:

Quebec new restrictions just announced at 1 pm. Bars, gyms, spas, cinemas and schools all closed until Jan. 10th. Restaurants only open between 5 pm and 10 pm and you must present QCR code for sitdown. Require vaccine passport to attend church. Working from home is now mandatory.

For a weak, highly contagious strain that if you let it run thru the population fast, it's over with. They would rather prolong it and hope it magically ends with the failed lockdown approach yet again. 

Especially the people that are going to die from it. You guys always seem to leave them out of the discussion. I'm guessing they'd rather not, ya know, die.

 

[Mile High]

I'm guessing they'd rather not, ya know, die.

You would think that wouldn't you. Based off the numbers GroveDiesel posted you have to wonder.

 

[Dezbelief]

didn't care to because it would be a short time between places where they would need to wear it.  This is the only option that makes sense, but would be a

When I'm at work I just leave it on, if I'm in my car at work it's usually less than 5 minutes between stops. Masks don't really bother me unless they're real tight around my ears.

Edit- if you put your sunglasses on inside before walking out and then take off your mask sometimes they get tangled.

 

[beer 30]

You would think that wouldn't you. Based off the numbers GroveDiesel posted you have to wonder.

Some folks are willing to go to any lengths to prove they are right. 

 

[Gilroy34]

Honestly though, what does anyone care if they see someone wearing a mask in their own car?

I personally laugh when I see it.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

oh boy... For Louisiana, after pretty steady declines the last 2 months, today's numbers are roughly 3x last Monday in number of cases and positivity rate (with roughly the same number of tests in the same period). I think it's fairly safe to say Omicron is on the scene here. And for those curious about hospitalizations, I had to scroll back to August in my data to find the last time we had a double digit increase in hospitalizations. Today it was +34. Let's hope vaccinations help to keep deaths relatively flat. 

 

[humpback]

Maryland data mostly back up now after a cyberattack, the positivity rate ~doubled in the ~2 weeks it was offline to over 10%, highest it's been since the initial wave. Hospitalizations have doubled in the last ~3 weeks and almost tripled from the valley ~5 weeks ago.  This morning the Governor tested positive (rapid) despite being boosted.

Stay safe everyone.

 

[Anarchy99]

What a mess. We are hosting Xmas this year. Tons of people coming, several of them flying in. Many of them already here and have been over already to visit. Spent an insane amount on food, alcohol, etc. One of our kids (vaccinated x 2 but no booster) just tested positive WITH symptoms. People are freaking out and now the majority of people don't want to attend. People that paid a pretty penny to get here not happy. Wife not happy. Unvac'd guests not happy. People that came over and then went to visit other immunocompromised people not happy. I'm not happy (have risk factors). Not sure how to fix this mess.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

What a mess. We are hosting Xmas this year. Tons of people coming, several of them flying in. Many of them already here and have been over already to visit. Spent an insane amount on food, alcohol, etc. One of our kids (vaccinated x 2 but no booster) just tested positive WITH symptoms. People are freaking out and now the majority of people don't want to attend. People that paid a pretty penny to get here not happy. Wife not happy. Unvac'd guests not happy. People that came over and then went to visit other immunocompromised people not happy. I'm not happy (have risk factors). Not sure how to fix this mess.

Cancel the party.  People who have been over should quarantine and go get a PCR test 5-days after they were there.  All should understand that this was a possibility.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Rhode Island's hospitals are not doing well, according to the president of the Rhode Island chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

I don’t know much about Rhode Island, but every time I’ve I’ve looked at their data on hospital/ICU occupancy, it looks terrible. Perhaps the state is so small they’re perpetually transferring patients to their larger neighbors?

 

[Jackstraw]

Honestly though, what does anyone care if they see someone wearing a mask in their own car?

Something, something "SHEEPLE"!!!

 

[Terminalxylem]

I'm sure it's been discussed ad nauseum, but I just have to bring it up because it is driving me nuts.

Why, in all that is holy, do people wear masks in their cars by themselves?  I can imagine only 3 scenarios that would cause someone to do this:

1. They honestly believe it is a benefit of some kind...but if that is the case, they are woefully uninformed about COVID.
   
2. They are doing it in a form of "look at me, I'm being super cautious" kind of way.  In which case, that is sad.
   
3. They didn't think to take it off ( ) or didn't care to because it would be a short time between places where they would need to wear it.  This is the only option that makes sense, but would be a very, very rare scenario.
   

I any case, I just find it so bizarre the number of times I've seen this...maybe a couple of times a week?  So freaking weird, but this whole season has just been surreal, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Choice 3.5. They have gotten into such a habit of mask-wearing, they do it reflexively. It may be impossible to believe, but some people don’t mind wearing masks. 

I’m not one of those people, but my wife is.

 

[Red Hat Road]

sometimes I get home and still have my golf shoes on, but I'm not preparing for a skins game to break out in my garage.  just didn't take 'em off yet.  I'm sure that's 99% of it.

 

[Anarchy99]

Cancel the party.  People who have been over should quarantine and go get a PCR test 5-days after they were there.  All should understand that this was a possibility.

Trying to make heads or tails of the guidelines. When does the clock start for people with symptoms . . . from the time they had symptoms, or the time they tested positive? Our son basically had the sniffles for a day and nothing else a week ago today. He tested positive on Friday but doesn't even have the sniffles anymore. If he tests negative now, is he in the clear? 

Also, most of the people who would be attending all had 3 jabs or had COVID already in the past couple of months. Still considered risky? Also, if the people that were in contact with him DON'T test positive, are they considered ok? I guess I'm asking if no one else tests positive, everyone tests negative, and no one has any symptoms . . . is that sufficient for those folks to get together 5 days from now? 

 

[jvdesigns2002]

oh boy... For Louisiana, after pretty steady declines the last 2 months, today's numbers are roughly 3x last Monday in number of cases and positivity rate (with roughly the same number of tests in the same period). I think it's fairly safe to say Omicron is on the scene here. And for those curious about hospitalizations, I had to scroll back to August in my data to find the last time we had a double digit increase in hospitalizations. Today it was +34. Let's hope vaccinations help to keep deaths relatively flat. 

I think it’s also safe to say that even being boosted isn’t super preventative against catching Omicron. Luckily—it seems as though being vaccinated and boosted is still effective in reducing severity. With that said—the number of boosted people falling sick is hugely concerning-being that each new variant seems to be reducing the efficacy of the vaccines.   With this thing spreading this fast—the next variant is likely going to come sooner than later.   Fingers crossed. 

 

[jvdesigns2002]

I'm sure it's been discussed ad nauseum, but I just have to bring it up because it is driving me nuts.

Why, in all that is holy, do people wear masks in their cars by themselves?  I can imagine only 3 scenarios that would cause someone to do this:

1. They honestly believe it is a benefit of some kind...but if that is the case, they are woefully uninformed about COVID.
   
2. They are doing it in a form of "look at me, I'm being super cautious" kind of way.  In which case, that is sad.
   
3. They didn't think to take it off ( ) or didn't care to because it would be a short time between places where they would need to wear it.  This is the only option that makes sense, but would be a very, very rare scenario.
   

I any case, I just find it so bizarre the number of times I've seen this...maybe a couple of times a week?  So freaking weird, but this whole season has just been surreal, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

You don’t think that people share cars?  I work retail and use the same car that I go to and from work with to transport my elderly diabetic mother around in.  If I have a sniffle, or for some reason am not feeling perfect—I will sometimes wear a mask in my vehicle out of an abundance of caution. I’ll also roll the windows down to create air circulation.  With that said—we should be praising people that are overly careful and not poking fun at them.  

 

[Terminalxylem]

Trying to make heads or tails of the guidelines. When does the clock start for people with symptoms . . . from the time they had symptoms, or the time they tested positive? Our son basically had the sniffles for a day and nothing else a week ago today. He tested positive on Friday but doesn't even have the sniffles anymore. If he tests negative now, is he in the clear? 

Also, most of the people who would be attending all had 3 jabs or had COVID already in the past couple of months. Still considered risky? Also, if the people that were in contact with him DON'T test positive, are they considered ok? I guess I'm asking if no one else tests positive, everyone tests negative, and no one has any symptoms . . . is that sufficient for those folks to get together 5 days from now? 

CDC guidelines

Keep in mind those guidelines haven’t been changed despite changing viral strain dynamics. One could argue the nuances of isolation and quarantine should change with a more contagious strain prone to breakthrough infection.

In general, the clock starts with first symptom. 

 

[jobarules]

Trying to make heads or tails of the guidelines. When does the clock start for people with symptoms . . . from the time they had symptoms, or the time they tested positive? Our son basically had the sniffles for a day and nothing else a week ago today. He tested positive on Friday but doesn't even have the sniffles anymore. If he tests negative now, is he in the clear? 

Also, most of the people who would be attending all had 3 jabs or had COVID already in the past couple of months. Still considered risky? Also, if the people that were in contact with him DON'T test positive, are they considered ok? I guess I'm asking if no one else tests positive, everyone tests negative, and no one has any symptoms . . . is that sufficient for those folks to get together 5 days from now? 

Why was he tested?

 

[FBG26]

Things finally starting to hit my family a bit. My parents, siblings & SOs, me/wife/kids, and aunts/uncles/grandma on my dad's side were all together Saturday afternoon. It was probably 20 people. My brother (30, boosted) felt minor symptoms this morning and had a positive rapid test.

Not sure if my brother would have been contagious on Saturday. Or did he pick it up from somebody else on Saturday and is symptomatic already? If he got it Saturday, could he have gotten it from my family? We were all inside for several hours, so if somebody was contagious, should I assume that everybody there will get it?  Nobody has those answers I suppose, but just things running through my mind. 

We have two more family get togethers planned next weekend (first is with my parents/siblings, second is with my mom's entire side of the family, which is usually 35-40 people) and so now we're trying to figure out next steps. Probably should get some rapid tests at least for my wife and I. We were going to host the get together with just my parents & siblings, but my folks live nearby and could probably host if we pull out. But then again, my brother is already out, so we'd probably just postpone since everybody lives close.

My wife and I were saying that there is virtually no way we make it through Christmas without somebody in one of these gatherings getting covid. Just too many people involved. That didn't take long. 

 

[belljr]

My daughter is staying in a dorm for 4 days next week with a stranger. And I'm weirdly ok with it

 

[Anarchy99]

Why was he tested?

We received a box of the home tests in the mail. He was curious about the tests and wanted to try one because he had sniffles earlier in the week. Lo and behold he tested positive. But by then he didn’t really have any symptoms. 

 

[belljr]

We received a box of the home tests in the mail. He was curious about the tests and wanted to try one because he had sniffles earlier in the week. Lo and behold he tested positive. But by then he didn’t really have any symptoms. 

10 days after symptoms passed.  Of vaccinated even sooner.  Did you retest?

 

[Anarchy99]

10 days after symptoms passed.  Of vaccinated even sooner.  Did you retest?

Tomorrow. 

 

[-fish-]

Those that have been following the studies on Omicron:

From what I've seen (and it may be outdated) it looks like it is infecting more people that are vaccinated, as well as more young and healthy people that were previously not getting infected or were infected but asymptomatic.   

Is this what's causing the narrative that it's a "weak" variant?  It's just infecting more vaccinated and otherwise healthy people, so the overall hospitalization and death rate is lower than previous variants?   That's not the good news that some seem to think it is.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Those that have been following the studies on Omicron:

From what I've seen (and it may be outdated) it looks like it is infecting more people that are vaccinated, as well as more young and healthy people that were previously not getting infected or were infected but asymptomatic.   

Is this what's causing the narrative that it's a "weak" variant?  It's just infecting more vaccinated and otherwise healthy people, so the overall hospitalization and death rate is lower than previous variants?   That's not the good news that some seem to think it is.

Starting to seem like that's it -- it's just infecting way more people with either prior infections (which does provide some protection vs hospitalization/death) or vaccinated/boosted (which provides a lot of protection).  The suspicion is that it impacts unvaxxed, uninfecteds similarly.

But it's too soon to say for sure.

 

[Desert_Power]

Finally went and got our boosters today. Interestingly, they gave my wife a larger dose of Moderna because she is has an immune issue

 

[Ted Lange as your Bartender]

CDC estimating that 73% of new covid cases in the US are Omicron.  Simply following the sudden spike of cases in the NFL and NBA this last week or two would have led to that conclusion imo

Link

 

[Pip's Invitation]

CENTRAL Jersey. It exists....

I know, I once lived there. If it’s a problem where you are, imagine what it must be like in the northeast corner 

 

[jobarules]

We received a box of the home tests in the mail. He was curious about the tests and wanted to try one because he had sniffles earlier in the week. Lo and behold he tested positive. But by then he didn’t really have any symptoms. 

Lol oops

I'd test again. If he's symptom free he's probably fine.

 

[SoBeDad]

Royal Caribbean ship docks at Miami port with 48 cases of COVID, cruise line says  

The industry is trying to put a positive spin on this but there has to be a negative impact. Sounds like they weren't ready for an Outbreak. With omicron, it's likely to get worse. 48 people is less than 1% of 6,000 on the ship, but where do those people quarantine, what about close contacts?

>>In a statement on Sunday, Miami-based Royal Caribbean said that each person who tested positive immediately went into quarantine. Six people who tested positive disembarked the ship mid-voyage and were transported home.

The ship that pulled into Miami the day before left port on Dec. 11 with 6,091 passengers and crew on board, 95% of whom were fully vaccinated. Of the 48 who tested positive for COVID-19, 98% were fully vaccinated. Royal Caribbean said in a statement that the passengers who tested positive were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.

However, passengers noted that was not the case. James Johnson and Connor O’Dell, an engaged couple who live in Orlando, were on Symphony of the Seas with a group of 12 family members. All members of their party were fully vaccinated. Johnson’s aunt started feeling very ill with a sore throat and an earache and later developed a strong cough. After testing positive for COVID-19, Johnson said she only received an oxygen and temperature check and were told that medical staff was too overwhelmed to monitor her more closely.

The couple and the rest of their party, who had been in close contact with Johnson’s aunt and had gone to the ship’s crowded night club, said that they received conflicting information from Royal Caribbean about whether they needed to quarantine and that initially they would not give them coronavirus tests. “We did our research and read their COVID policies, on their site they say they have excellent testing capabilities, that’s why we thought it was safe to go,” Johnson continued. “They failed their own safety standards.”

I bought into the safety aspect,” added O’Dell, whose dad also tested positive and is now getting Regeneron’s antibody therapy at his home in Tampa. “I was reading the literature they have online and thought, ‘how much safer can you get?’ Everyone’s vaccinated and has to get tested. And then you get on board and find yourself in the middle of the outbreak.” The voyage that resulted in 48 positive cases of COVID-19 was a seven-night Caribbean itinerary leaving from Miami and visiting St. Maarten; St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands; and CocoCay, the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas.<<

 

[jobarules]

Those that have been following the studies on Omicron:

From what I've seen (and it may be outdated) it looks like it is infecting more people that are vaccinated, as well as more young and healthy people that were previously not getting infected or were infected but asymptomatic.   

Is this what's causing the narrative that it's a "weak" variant?  It's just infecting more vaccinated and otherwise healthy people, so the overall hospitalization and death rate is lower than previous variants?   That's not the good news that some seem to think it is.

That doesn't explain South Africans #s. 26% of their population if fully vaxxed yet they have lower hospitalization rates than last year.

 

[-fish-]

That doesn't explain South Africans #s. 26% of their population if fully vaxxed yet they have lower hospitalization rates than last year.

Why would that be relevant?  Whatever their vaccination rate is, it's higher than last year so if infection was a constant you'd expect lower hospitalization rates.

What seems to be happening is an increase in the infection rate over all people, including healthy and vaccinated, which is contributing to a lower hospitalization/death rate overall.   

 

[-fish-]

Reinfection rate seems significantly higher as well.  

 

[jobarules]

Why would that be relevant?  Whatever their vaccination rate is, it's higher than last year so if infection was a constant you'd expect lower hospitalization rates.

What seems to be happening is an increase in the infection rate over all people, including healthy and vaccinated, which is contributing to a lower hospitalization/death rate overall.   

How about when comparing to Delta?

 

[Terminalxylem]

I still think Delta predominates, but in my opinion a lot if the current spike is Omicron related especially on the coasts.

Well that was fast. Just heard on NPR omicron is the predominant variant in the US, accounting for >70% of new cases!

 

[gianmarco]

Well that was fast. Just heard on NPR omicron is the predominant variant in the US, accounting for >70% of new cases!

It would certainly explain the really rapid spikes we're seeing.  I think we're seeing it in this thread with multiple people reporting a lot of people they know coming up positive.  They weren't kidding when they said this thing spreads multiple times faster than previous variants. 

With flu ramping up as well, this is looking like it's going to be a rough few weeks ahead. 

 

[tonydead]

For a weak, highly contagious strain that if you let it run thru the population fast, it's over with. They would rather prolong it and hope it magically ends with the failed lockdown approach yet again. 

 

Been saying this since summer 2020.  Protect the elderly and vulnerable.  Everyone else should go about their lives.  People wanted to get to herd immunity solely with the vaccine.  Then they figured out the vaccine doesn't stop the spread as much as they'd hoped.  With people refusing to get the vaccine, and the vaccine waning after a few months you can't get there.  It's just kicking the can down the road.