Covfefe-19 The 12th Part: The Only Thing Worse Than This New Board Is TrumpVirus2020

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Lindsay g has the covfefe

https://mobile.twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1422271969165201412

 

[Handyman]

Oh please tell me he met with the House GOP during their mask tirade...

 

[The Sicatoka]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/briefing/coronavirus-delta-mysteries.html

Consider these Covid-19 mysteries:

• In India — where the Delta variant was first identified and caused a huge outbreak — cases have plunged over the past two months. A similar drop may now be underway in Britain. There is no clear explanation for these declines.
• In the U.S., cases started falling rapidly in early January. The decline began before vaccination was widespread and did not follow any evident changes in Americans’ Covid attitudes.
• In March and April, the Alpha variant helped cause a sharp rise in cases in the upper Midwest and Canada. That outbreak seemed poised to spread to the rest of North America — but did not.
• This spring, caseloads were not consistently higher in parts of the U.S. that had relaxed masking and social distancing measures (like Florida and Texas) than in regions that remained vigilant.
• Large parts of Africa and Asia still have not experienced outbreaks as big as those in Europe, North America and South America.

How do we solve these mysteries? Michael Osterholm, who runs an infectious disease research center at the University of Minnesota, suggests that people keep in mind one overriding idea: humility.

“We’ve ascribed far too much human authority over the virus,” he told me. ...

We are certainly not powerless in the face of Covid. We can reduce its risks, just as we can reduce the risks from driving, biking, swimming and many other everyday activities. But we cannot eliminate them. “We’re not in nearly as much control as we think are,” Osterholm said.

 

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Oh please tell me he met with the House GOP during their mask tirade...

He did meet with senate at least, and mask less

 

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

I don’t think anyone disagrees with osterholm. We aren’t claiming to eliminate just take some basic effing public health precautions.

like vaccines.

 

[Handyman]

Yeah Osterholm isn't saying anything that contradicts what anyone else is saying. We aren't saying if the Red States hit 70% this is over or that masks fix everything...we are saying the odds are in your favor SIGNIFICANTLY if you get the vaccine and take precautions.

 

[Handyman]

https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1422269301931724810?s=19

Interesting graphs. If you follow the comments other states are shown as well.

 

[Slap Shot]

Not getting the vaccine is not limited to just Republicans.

It might not be limited but it's the lion's share. The vast majority of those speaking out publicly against vaccines are conservative, the states that lag the most behind as a % of vaccinated are red states (AR, FL, LA, MO and NV) and then there is this: https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pan...ont-want-shots

Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say they’re at least somewhat concerned about someone close to them being infected, 70% to 38%.

And overall, Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say they have not been vaccinated and definitely or probably won’t be, 43% to 10%.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Welp, back to masking at work.

 

[Swansong]

One of the hypotheses about the sudden so-far unexplained reasons for outbreaks to grow, explode and fizzle is based on known functioning of literally any virus. It infects as long as there are targets (people without any immunity) and opportunity (areas with little to know restrictions). We can fairly obviously measure the opportunity, so the other variable is level of infection/immunity (aka seroprevalence). The CDC has varied its projections on "missed" infections, with estimates ranging from 2-3 to 5+.

We've taken for granted that we're missing a substantial amount of infections due to the high level of asymptomatic spread. The assumption/hope/working theory is that between known infections, vaccinations and unknown infections (all of which grant at least some level of immunity), we're reaching that critical mass where spread is just ... less possible.

 

[SJHovey]

Yeah Osterholm isn't saying anything that contradicts what anyone else is saying. We aren't saying if the Red States hit 70% this is over or that masks fix everything...we are saying the odds are in your favor SIGNIFICANTLY if you get the vaccine and take precautions.

I have a good friend who I play golf with regularly, and is also the first person I know who received the vaccine (due to his work). However, is wife is a hardcore anti-vaxxer for the covid vaccine, so he has to publicly take some weird positions for purposes of peace at home. I told him this, last night, after golf. Think of it this way. You are handed two revolvers. One has 1000 chambers, with only one bullet. One has a million chambers with only one bullet. You have to choose one, pick it up, spin the wheel, put it to your head and pull the trigger. Which one do you choose?

I told him that I understand. There will be people who will pick the 1000 chamber revolver. Maybe they're not so good at math. Maybe they like the thrill of the danger. Maybe they've been lied to by someone they trust who has told them there really isn't a round in the 1000 chamber gun, or maybe there are a hundred thousand rounds in the million chamber gun. Maybe they just like to be a contrarian. However, in the end it really doesn't matter to me, because it simply proves Darwin was correct.

 

[Kepler]

But maybe next time don't marry an idiot.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

Welp, back to masking at work.

Me, too. After our company was beginning to announce plans to return to work, they have now completely backtracked. Vaccination badges (which I have) no longer matter. Everyone now has to mask again, fill out the health survey, and go through a temperature screen.

I still work from home, but occasionally have to go in. Vaccinated or not, we're back to full mask protocols.

 

[MichVandal]

Me, too. After our company was beginning to announce plans to return to work, they have now completely backtracked. Vaccination badges (which I have) no longer matter. Everyone now has to mask again, fill out the health survey, and go through a temperature screen.

I still work from home, but occasionally have to go in. Vaccinated or not, we're back to full mask protocols.

I was going to just plus another to scooby- but we got the gamut of survey and temps back earlier this week, and 100% masks today. Looks like the nominal "return to work" is put on hold for a much longer time.

 

[Scarlet]

Me, too. After our company was beginning to announce plans to return to work, they have now completely backtracked. Vaccination badges (which I have) no longer matter. Everyone now has to mask again, fill out the health survey, and go through a temperature screen.

I still work from home, but occasionally have to go in. Vaccinated or not, we're back to full mask protocols.

I'm waiting for a similar announcement. One of the big projects I'm working on is our return to office programs and how we will be welcoming employees back (new signage, giveaways, etc.) and I have a feeling it will be all for nothing as they push back till maybe late October. I think they should just say January 2022 and we can work from there.

 

[dxmnkd316]

My company just required us to report vaccination status. You could answer "Decline to answer" which I'm sure is being treated as "No".

I'm also hearing that several of our facilities are back to 100% masking. No one at the plant I'm at now, except for me, is wearing a mask. Seems crazy.

 

[Handyman]

I have a good friend who I play golf with regularly, and is also the first person I know who received the vaccine (due to his work). However, is wife is a hardcore anti-vaxxer for the covid vaccine, so he has to publicly take some weird positions for purposes of peace at home. I told him this, last night, after golf. Think of it this way. You are handed two revolvers. One has 1000 chambers, with only one bullet. One has a million chambers with only one bullet. You have to choose one, pick it up, spin the wheel, put it to your head and pull the trigger. Which one do you choose?

I told him that I understand. There will be people who will pick the 1000 chamber revolver. Maybe they're not so good at math. Maybe they like the thrill of the danger. Maybe they've been lied to by someone they trust who has told them there really isn't a round in the 1000 chamber gun, or maybe there are a hundred thousand rounds in the million chamber gun. Maybe they just like to be a contrarian. However, in the end it really doesn't matter to me, because it simply proves Darwin was correct.

I can honestly say I don't think I could live with an Anti-Vaxxer. That man probably has a lot of pent up aggression.

Here is the thing, if the people who are against the vaccine were willing to do the right thing besides that we could all probably live with it. If they stay home as much as possible, mask up all the time and sanitize they aren't the high end threat to everyone. (yes they are still problematic but at least they are mitigating) The problem is they don't do that either so they are basically walking petri dishes...

I like the explanation you used.

 

[Kepler]

One of the big projects I'm working on is our return to office programs and how we will be welcoming employees back (new signage, giveaways, etc.)

Money.

These initiatives always make me chuckle. Don't make an Office Space sign or give geegaws or any of these other patronizing and obviously cynical insults to employees.

They're there for money. So give them money. They aren't family, they're slaves. Give them just a little bit more towards their freedom.

 

[Handyman]

My company just required us to report vaccination status. You could answer "Decline to answer" which I'm sure is being treated as "No".

I'm also hearing that several of our facilities are back to 100% masking. No one at the plant I'm at now, except for me, is wearing a mask. Seems crazy.

Honestly I am sick of the option to decline to answer. Fuck that. It should be "Yes" and "No" with a spot to explain why and input exemption. Stop coddling this ignorant jerkoffs.

 

[Kepler]

Honestly I am sick of the option to decline to answer. Fuck that. It should be "Yes" and "No" with a spot to explain why and input exemption. Stop coddling this ignorant jerkoffs.

BUT MA FREEDUMBS!!!

And like OP said, "Decline to answer" = "No," so it doesn't matter.

All these are ways of getting morons to self-ID, like bumper stickers. It helps the humans avoid the apes.