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

[Swansong]

I read an article today that states your first sentence. There is some evidence that omicron is showing that Covid is mutating towards a common cold type virus. Which is what some experts predicted months ago could happen. It is a coronavirus after all, which causes 25% of the common colds. So, it would be no surprise if Covid eventually heads in that direction, is the theory.

Of course, the article did say it's way too early to know either way, and whether omicron is the mutation that even starts us down that path.

In the meantime, I got my booster last week.

Natural Selection dictates that viruses mutate into more infectious forms (as the less infectious forms get crowded out, simmilar to how Delta effectively ended all other variants to date). Severity is neither beneficial nor really detrimental, but increased infectiousness is most certainly beneficial to the virus. If more infectiousness happens to come with less severity, then the virus will become more present but less severe. But the severity is virtually irrelevant to evolution (unless it magically mutates into a Captain Tripps-level doomsday thing). The sole purpose of a virus is to replicate. Anything that doesn't increase replication is tangtiential.


Practically speaking, if Omicron is more infectious than Delta, it will likely win out. Its severity is irrelevant to that.

 

[Kepler]

Severity is neither beneficial nor really detrimental

I'd have thought it was detrimental. The ideal virus seems to me to be something that you get infected with but it doesn't even make you sick, so you can still walk around and pass it to others, forever. Like a catchy song.

 

[MichVandal]

I'd have thought it was detrimental. The ideal virus seems to me to be something that you get infected with but it doesn't even make you sick, so you can still walk around and pass it to others, forever. Like a catchy song.

That's kind of what I was assuming, too. IIRC, ebola spreads very easily, but being so deadly, it doesn't have a lot of time to spread- that could be very wrong...

But the common cold virus is hardly deadly, so it has incredible opportunity to spread because people don't isolate themselves. Which is why it's still out there. For instance, someone I knew was at a game recently where they stormed the field. And he got a cold for the first time in 2 years. Someone with the flu may not have gone to the game, and COVID has even more chance that the person would stay home.

 

[Scarlet]

I may have to go to Columbus, Ohio for a business trip in January. I'm thinking things aren't too good there. Will need to check. Ugh.

Had a bit of a blowout, well, not so much a blowout, with my cousin. His mom lives with my mom. He lives in Wyoming, is a baptist minister and is not vaccinated. Because he believes in faith. Anyway, his sister texted me a month ago to ask what I thought - would I be OK with him going into the apartment. My mom and aunt are both vaccinated and got their boosters. I said if he goes in the building, he wears a mask the entire time. I told my mom the same thing. And she is not to hug him. His sister did tell me she told him he had to get tested before he came.

The visit was this past weekend. He also brought his son, which I did not know was happening. I don't believe he is vaccinated either. There was some miscommunication about how much he wore his mask in the apartment. I texted his sister yesterday to say I heard he didn't, at least not a lot, and asked if he actually got tested like you asked. I admittedly overreacted a bit. She said something to him (and not in a malicious was), and so he texted me, telling me was glad he didn't live in a bizarro world and that it was inappropriate for my mom to ask him if he was vaccinated so he told her it was none of her business. I responded if wanting to ensure the safety of my 87 year old mother (and his 88 year old mother) and my family and friends made me a resident in Bizarro World, so be it. And I have a lot of people with me. And that my mother was well within her rights to ask you that - you were a guest in HER HOME. I'm so annoyed at him right now.

 

[rufus]

I'd have thought it was detrimental. The ideal virus seems to me to be something that you get infected with but it doesn't even make you sick, so you can still walk around and pass it to others, forever. Like a catchy song.

Or herpes.

 

[rufus]

I responded if wanting to ensure the safety of my 87 year old mother (and his 88 year old mother) and my family and friends made me a resident in Bizarro World, so be it. And I have a lot of people with me. And that my mother was well within her rights to ask you that - you were a guest in HER HOME. I'm so annoyed at him right now.

That's what I don't understand about so much of this. That people are so selfish that they will intentionally jeopardize the health and welfare of people they supposedly love and care about.

The anti-vaxxer shit-poster who ends up dying from Covid and leaves a wife and three young kids behind. The woman who infects her elderly parents. The ones who don't die, but are now stuck with mountains of medical debt. All because of "their Freedums", or desire to "own the libs". And all their friends talk about what a great person they were, how they'd do anything for their friends and family. Apparently, not anything.

Its just all so stupid.

 

[ericredaxe]

I may have to go to Columbus, Ohio for a business trip in January. I'm thinking things aren't too good there. Will need to check. Ugh.

Had a bit of a blowout, well, not so much a blowout, with my cousin. His mom lives with my mom. He lives in Wyoming, is a baptist minister and is not vaccinated. Because he believes in faith. Anyway, his sister texted me a month ago to ask what I thought - would I be OK with him going into the apartment. My mom and aunt are both vaccinated and got their boosters. I said if he goes in the building, he wears a mask the entire time. I told my mom the same thing. And she is not to hug him. His sister did tell me she told him he had to get tested before he came.

The visit was this past weekend. He also brought his son, which I did not know was happening. I don't believe he is vaccinated either. There was some miscommunication about how much he wore his mask in the apartment. I texted his sister yesterday to say I heard he didn't, at least not a lot, and asked if he actually got tested like you asked. I admittedly overreacted a bit. She said something to him (and not in a malicious was), and so he texted me, telling me was glad he didn't live in a bizarro world and that it was inappropriate for my mom to ask him if he was vaccinated so he told her it was none of her business. I responded if wanting to ensure the safety of my 87 year old mother (and his 88 year old mother) and my family and friends made me a resident in Bizarro World, so be it. And I have a lot of people with me. And that my mother was well within her rights to ask you that - you were a guest in HER HOME. I'm so annoyed at him right now.

Annoying - and no you didn't overreact. He is the selfish and inconsiderate one. Period.

 

[Kepler]

Annoying - and no you didn't overreact. He is the selfish and inconsiderate one. Period.

Fools don't know they're fools. You're in the right and he is a creep.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

What an ass.

 

[Kepler]

That's what I don't understand about so much of this. That people are so selfish that they will intentionally jeopardize the health and welfare of people they supposedly love and care about.

They love themselves and their stupidity more. What more do you need to know about conservatives than that they are ignorant, cowardly, vain, and selfish?

Maybe COVID will become permanent and just take them all out.

 

[MichVandal]

Another who thinks you didn't overreact. Heck, my MIL caretaker is getting married soon, and is requiring vaccines to attend- so there are a lot of close relatives who can't attend because they don't think they need to protect other people.

All of the BS from the anti abortion crowd is just about control, as is this. They want their control and not someone else's, even if it kills people they pretend to love and care for.

One of the worst things about Scarlet's situation is that this person is a minister. So not a regular Christian, but a person who is supposed to be spreading the Word. I had thought that one of those was to love your neighbor. I guess that ends when you don't want to, just because. God may be the one who you think saves you, but what happens when you are ok, but the other person dies? That's ok? How is it that Christians can be so upset about murder, but you are allowed to kill each other because?

I bet he's very much against drinking and driving, even though the number hurt and die from that is a tiny fraction of what COVID has and is doing.

Baptist Minister, my ass.

 

[French Rage]

You didn't overreact. You gave clear instructions he agreed to, then he ignored them and got all huffy that he was called out for lying. One hell of a Baptist minister I presume!

 

[Scarlet]

In hindsight, I should have reached out to him directly when his sister told me he was coming and said look, here are the ground rules. I know you haven't seen your mom in a couple of years. But, given how small the apartment is and I'm not sure of your vax status, could you please make sure you wear a mask at any time you're in the apartment. I told him I take responsibility for that and should not have relied on his sister to relay that message or my mom as I think it did put her in an awkward position. I'm perfectly happy to be the bad guy in this situation. He could have been an ass early on and then I would've been at the apartment when he got there and had a mask in hand and been an ass right back and made sure he wore it all the time. I'm most upset that he told my mom it was none of her business if he was vaccinated. In her own home!

All that being said, he was the one (a) traveling and (b) going to someone else's home. He should have reached out to say what do you want me to do? He's a minister that is constantly with people. In a state where they don't take it seriously, in my opinion.

 

[rufus]

You didn't overreact. You gave clear instructions he agreed to, then he ignored them and got all huffy that he was called out for lying. One hell of a Baptist minister I presume!

Lying is ok, when its for the cause.

 

[Handyman]

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1468650094941683718

University of Florida researchers pressured to destroy COVID-19 data, told not to criticize DeSantis: report http://hill.cm/k13b5pn

Researchers at the University of Florida allegedly felt pressured to delete COVID-19 data while working on a study for an undisclosed state entity, according to a report released on Monday by the Faculty Senate committee.

The report stated that staff felt "external pressure to destroy" data, and "barriers to accessing and analyzing" data in a timely manner.

The document added that staff said there were "barriers to publication of scientific research which inhibited the ability of faculty to contribute scientific findings during a world-wide pandemic."

Other challenges reported to the committee included "palpable reticence and even fear on the part of faculty to speak up on these issues." In addition, faculty "often engaged in self-censorship and chose not to 'rock the boat' for fear of retaliation," according to the report.

University of Florida employees were reportedly told "not to criticize the Governor of Florida [Republican Ron DeSantis] or UF policies related to COVID-19 in media interactions."

 

[MichVandal]

https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1468650094941683718

So basically, the r plan is to treat every health issue just like guns. Not something we can control or talk about.

That's incredible that scientists are being asked to political WRT a scientific - medical issue. This is pressing the cutting education a lot too far.

We were offered tickets to the Orange bowl (to buy them at face value), and we quickly turned them down because of how Florida has dealt with this virus. They continue to go out of their way to murder their own citizens for some kind of political gain. I've not trusted the data coming out of their state for months, since they explicitly said they are going to suppress it.

In the end, the rea group that is likely to suffer are the retirees that moved there- we have very much seen the impact the virus has had on hospitals and healthcare. The more they suppress the data, and pretend that the full hospitals are not real, the more people will stop wanting to work there. I've seen what happens when your healthcare is abused like that, and it's pretty terrifying to consider retirement in an area like that.

 

[Handyman]

Apparently Pfizer is saying that their dual shot and booster combined is pretty effective against Omicron.

 

[Kepler]

Apparently Pfizer is saying that their dual shot and booster combined is pretty effective against Omicron.

I get my booster tomorrow.

 

[Swansong]

That's kind of what I was assuming, too. IIRC, ebola spreads very easily, but being so deadly, it doesn't have a lot of time to spread- that could be very wrong...

But the common cold virus is hardly deadly, so it has incredible opportunity to spread because people don't isolate themselves. Which is why it's still out there. For instance, someone I knew was at a game recently where they stormed the field. And he got a cold for the first time in 2 years. Someone with the flu may not have gone to the game, and COVID has even more chance that the person would stay home.

I think there's a general bell curve. Too severe and, like ebola or marburg or other viciously deadly viruses, and you don't give people a chance to spread. Too mild, though, and the virus doesn't really do much to a given host and doesn't replicate as well (at least, outside the post-infection but pre-symptom stage, which varies wildly between viruses). Remember, the virus needs to infect and take over a cell before it can replicate. Doing so typically results in some sort of symptoms (though not always). HIV is a good example of the sort-of sweet spot where you can be infected for years, but not really symptomatic, and still contagious.


The point is that infectiousness is the main driver of whether a given mutation will crowd out others. Severity is in the car, but infectiousness is the driver.

 

[Swansong]

Also, I agree with Scarlet. I'm facing something similar with one of my brothers.

Brother 1: Trumpy idiot who thinks covid is nonsense and refuses a vaccine, masking, or testing (because he "doesn't need it").
Brother 2: vaccinated and boosted, with a pregnant wife who's also vaccinated and boosted, and a 3 year old who can't be vaccinated yet
Dad: Vaccinated and boosted.


All plan to come here for Christimas. We've collectively asked Brother 1 to take a rapid test upon arrival. So far, he refuses because he's not sick. I pointed out that we aren't asking him to vaccinate or do anything else, just to take the test when entering my home. Refuses. Flatly refuses. I also pointed out that my girlfriend will need to rearrange her travel so she can avoid him before she goes to see her parents. "No she doesn't, and if she thinks she does that's her problem".


The selfishness is mind boggling. So much as taking a rapid test upon arrival is seen as admission that he's been wrong. Fox News has destroyed us.