CR: COVID-19 --Political Talk

[aggie08 21504]

1 minute ago, Johnny Sack said:

Again it isn’t just white Trumpers that hesitate to vax.  It’s blacks and LatinX.  Blacks have the lowest vax rates of any race.  And vote 90 percent in favor of Biden.  Blacks and Hispanics also have high Covid mortality rates. You don’t just to get to blame Trumpers, as much as you’d like to.  Some very high death counts in blue states.  And in the deep red south states some of the highest death rates are going to be in your blue voters.  

Not this shit again. Do your alma mater a favor and at least pretend like you've attended a statistics class.

[JimmyJames 12271]

2 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Again it isn’t just white Trumpers that hesitate to vax.  It’s blacks and LatinX.  Blacks have the lowest vax rates of any race.  And vote 90 percent in favor of Biden.  Blacks and Hispanics also have high Covid mortality rates. You don’t just to get to blame Trumpers, as much as you’d like to.  Some very high death counts in blue states.  And in the deep red south states some of the highest death rates are going to be in your blue voters.  

“It is always the blacks fault.” - Johnny Sack.

[JimmyJames 12271]

1 minute ago, aggie08 said:

Not this shit again. Do your alma mater a favor and at least pretend like you've attended a statistics class.

He only got in to UT because of his family’s wealth. No other reason.

[4th&Five 41549]

22 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

I’m old enough to remember when almost every leftist on here shrieked about the shortage of tests in spring of 2020 was a major failure by the federal government.  Now almost two years in we are short of tests and our President claims this variant was a surprise.  Is that also not a failure?   Or is one a failure and the other not.  Or are neither?

Yes, we should have more tests. I don’t disagree there.  Trump was against testing all together because it meant more cases, so I wouldn’t say it’s an exact comparison. 
 

Edited December 28, 2021 by 4th&Five

[DaysOff 7951]

I spent 5 seconds on this Google search so don't @ me. Doesn't seem like people of color are really the problem.

https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-COVID-Vaccine&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5aWOBhDMARIsAIXLlke8uUP9wLq-7Qh4IRig2LogDubhLeY1XMcBsJBGgyDsNi3oA5Ur29AaAtZKEALw_wcB

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19101]

Guys, stop responding to Johnny Sack of Shit.  He is a fucking troll.  Nothing you say will change any of his opinions.  Trump is his God.

[tchookem 3900]

Guys, stop responding to Johnny Sack of Shit.  He is a fucking troll.  Nothing you say will change any of his opinions.  Trump is his God.

Cue Immortal with "This isn't the Trump thread". It's his new schtick.

[aggie08 21504]

But the effortlessness that he can transition any topic to, "Actually, it's black people's fault" is something to behold. They don't teach that in two-a-days. That's self-taught. Innate even. He must be a legend in his community.

[Dutchrudder 11139]

I spent 5 seconds on this Google search so don't @ me. Doesn't seem like people of color are really the problem.

https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-COVID-Vaccine&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5aWOBhDMARIsAIXLlke8uUP9wLq-7Qh4IRig2LogDubhLeY1XMcBsJBGgyDsNi3oA5Ur29AaAtZKEALw_wcB

Question 6: If 50% of white people are vaccinated and they are 76.3% of the population, and 45% of black people are vaccinated but only make up 13.4% of the population, how do you blame the minority for all the problems in our country? Show your work.

[shakahorn 1645]

Total deaths is a meaningless stat when dealing with an infectious disease. What is case fatality rate now vs then. Also what is case fatality rate of vaxed vs that of qtards 

But you can’t do that.

[JimmyJames 12271]

54 minutes ago, Dutchrudder said:

Question 6: If 50% of white people are vaccinated and they are 76.3% of the population, and 45% of black people are vaccinated but only make up 13.4% of the population, how do you blame the minority for all the problems in our country? Show your work.
 

Well you are obviously not taking into account the fact that the reason we have Covid in America in the first place is due to all the illegals crossing the border. So since your question omits that fact it’s not really a fair question now is it. 

Edited December 28, 2021 by JimmyJames

[Gatorubet 30238]

Question 6: If 50% of white people are vaccinated and they are 76.3% of the population, and 45% of black people are vaccinated but only make up 13.4% of the population, how do you blame the minority for all the problems in our country? Show your work.

[Johnny Sack] ….but they’re black [ /Johnny Sack]

[Willfully Horn 8017]

9 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

 

 

I don’t get this post. The tweet dates are from 2020. The second from October 2020. Was Steve Herman still a senior administrator at the EPA in October 2020?

This makes more sense to me:

Edited December 28, 2021 by Willfully Horn
Edit

[El Diablo 4232]

On 12/25/2021 at 11:01 AM, TXSG8R said:

Yea, it was really weird, even more so with the complete lack of anything to get into the facility. I can’t even get into the VA parking lot without a temp check and question screening. 

Which VA facility? Doris Miller here in Waco stopped that earlier this year, during the summer maybe? As far as I've seen only the clinic has anyone taking temps and doing questioning upon entry. Other buildings, Blind rehab, physical rehab, hell even the building they're using for COVID shots, aren't doing the screening upon entry. 

Edited December 28, 2021 by El Diablo

[DigglerontheHoof 21199]

10 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

Again it isn’t just white Trumpers that hesitate to vax.  It’s blacks and LatinX.  Blacks have the lowest vax rates of any race.  And vote 90 percent in favor of Biden.  Blacks and Hispanics also have high Covid mortality rates. You don’t just to get to blame Trumpers, as much as you’d like to.  Some very high death counts in blue states.  And in the deep red south states some of the highest death rates are going to be in your blue voters.  

you are absolutely dumb as a bag of hammers.  It's a good thing you're a trust fund pussy b/c you'd be a broke dick motherfucker w/out it 

[cactusflinthead 27598]

1 hour ago, El Diablo said:

Which VA facility? Doris Miller here in Waco stopped that earlier this year, during the summer maybe? As far as I've seen only the clinic has anyone taking temps and doing questioning upon entry. Other buildings, Blind rehab, physical rehab, hell even the building they're using for COVID shots, aren't doing the screening upon entry. 

Temple was temp checking this summer when my dad was there.

[cactusflinthead 27598]

11 hours ago, Sawbonz said:

Total deaths is a meaningless stat when dealing with an infectious disease. What is case fatality rate now vs then. Also what is case fatality rate of vaxed vs that of qtards 

Oh I don't know. Negative population growth in Alabama is a fairly stark reminder that the graveyard don't lie. Some counties have zero cases of covid reported. Primarily red ones coincidentally.

[Anastasis 23469]

 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

So, the CDC went from 10 days of isolation for the Covid positive to now 5 days of isolation.

 

[Anastasis 23469]

https://twitter.com/davidalim/status/1475844235991552002

 

 

David Lim

 

@davidalim

 

CDC's estimate for the prevalence of Omicron last week dropped significantly from 73.2% w/ a 95% prediction interval of 34-94.9% down to 22.5% w/ a 95% prediction interval of 15.4-31.5%. 12/25 estimate is 58.6% with a 95% prediction interval of 41.5-74%.

Edited December 28, 2021 by Anastasis

[Biff Tannen 45683]

So one of my wife's medical assistants has fever and is symptomatic and her husband just tested positive for COVID, but they say she has to stay at work or she wont get her holiday pay at all.  This is what happens when corporations take over healthcare.  Good work idiots.

 

[Immaculate Vibes 114]

20 minutes ago, MC Fresh Breath said:

So, the CDC went from 10 days of isolation for the Covid positive to now 5 days of isolation.

 

 

[El Diablo 4232]

8 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

So one of my wife's medical assistants has fever and is symptomatic and her husband just tested positive for COVID, but they say she has to stay at work or she wont get her holiday pay at all.  This is what happens when corporations take over healthcare.  Good work idiots.

 

We have similar guidelines wrt to holidays. Pretty sure at least we could go see a doc and that would cover the unplanned absence.

[GreenspointTexas 9602]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

 

Funniest tick tok of 2021

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

So one of my wife's medical assistants has fever and is symptomatic and her husband just tested positive for COVID, but they say she has to stay at work or she wont get her holiday pay at all.  This is what happens when corporations take over healthcare.  Good work idiots.

 

Not all corporations.

[jimmyjazz 45948]

40 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

https://twitter.com/davidalim/status/1475844235991552002

 

So this is saying they overestimated omicron last week?  Still, the trend is pretty clear.

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

31 minutes ago, Immaculate Vibes said:

 

 

Reddit comment I saw:

Quote

Why doesn't the CDC just cut out the middleman and say "our recommendation is to do whatever the business community wants you to do"?

 

[Anastasis 23469]

8 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

So this is saying they overestimated omicron last week?  Still, the trend is pretty clear.

Agree.  But that's a pretty big miss in the modeling on the way up. 

[Don Johnson 4753]

1 minute ago, Anastasis said:

Agree.  But that's a pretty big miss in the modeling on the way up. 

It's obvious to anyone paying attention than Omicron is taking over.  But that is a laughable mistake.

[Anastasis 23469]

37 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Funniest tick tok of 2021

I lost it at "Here's comes Leave Them Kids Alone!!"

[Anastasis 23469]

One of the biggest failures of the pandemic imo is the failure to deploy an overwhelming amount of low cost rapid tests.  The three letter agencies botched it early and often and have not let up on the gas in finding new and novel ways to fuck up the play.  This 5 day guidance seems totally arbitrary. The guidance should be quarantine until symptoms resolve and 2x negative tests, or some similar specification. That may be 3 days for some, 5 for others, or 10 for yet others.  

Edited December 28, 2021 by Anastasis

[jimmyjazz 45948]

15 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

One of the biggest failures of the pandemic imo is the failure to deploy an overwhelming amount of low cost rapid tests.  The three letter agencies botched it early and often and have not let up on the gas in finding new and novel ways to fuck up the play.  This 5 day guidance seems totally arbitrary. The guidance should be quarantine until symptoms resolve and 2x negative tests, or some similar specification. That may be 3 days for some, 5 for others, or 10 for yet others.  

I agree, but I suspect they are trying to keep it simple, given the average American's inability to grasp any kind of nuance.  That said, what you proposed isn't exactly complicated.  (You'd have to add "separated by 24 hours or more" to the 2X guidance, in my opinion.)

[DDD Dad 14339]

One of the biggest failures of the pandemic imo is the failure to deploy an overwhelming amount of low cost rapid tests.  The three letter agencies botched it early and often and have not let up on the gas in finding new and novel ways to fuck up the play.  This 5 day guidance seems totally arbitrary. The guidance should be quarantine until symptoms resolve and 2x negative tests, or some similar specification. That may be 3 days for some, 5 for others, or 10 for yet others.  

I don’t disagree. Biden administration and the CDC were too optimistic in their view of the effectiveness of vaccines and the percentage of population that would vaccinate. That caused the companies who were developing and manufacturing tests to slow down/shut down. When Delta arrived they weren’t able to scale up fast enough, and it doesn’t appear the government recognized the need to help make testing a more urgent priority (with subsidies or whatever else they’re now doing to get tests manufactured and distributed).

[jimmyjazz 45948]

15 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

I don’t disagree. Biden administration and the CDC were too optimistic in their view of the effectiveness of vaccines and the percentage of population that would vaccinate. 

Agreed on the latter, but I don't think they overshot on effectiveness, especially with regard to hospitalization and death, which were the two main targets for reduction.

The vaccines are highly effective, probably more effective than initially hoped for.

[pyrohornIII 4814]

On 12/27/2021 at 9:41 AM, Fastbreak said:

Have you ever heard of freedoms? Guns are good. Mental health is bad. Schools are the worst with all that teaching and learning.

"Mental health is bogus hocus pocus.  Made up shit by little pansies who don't get enough attention.  That's why we need more guns, so we can protect ourselves from these drama queens when they go rogue.  Amirite?" - any MAGA rural parent.  

[DDD Dad 14339]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

Agreed on the latter, but I don't think they overshot on effectiveness, especially with regard to hospitalization and death, which were the two main targets for reduction.

The vaccines are highly effective, probably more effective than initially hoped for.

My comment on their view of its effectiveness was based on what I expect were their predictions as to the percentage of the population that would get vaccinated.  If there had been more widescale adoption of vaccines early on, perhaps we wouldn't have had such a significant need for tests.  Regardless, we're now feeling the effect of the focus on vaccines over and to the exclusion of test availability.  I'm not saying they shouldn't have pushed the vaccine side, just that it appears it occurred to the detriment of developing adequate testing for the subsequent waves that appeared to have been more significant than anticipated.

Edited December 28, 2021 by DDD Dad

[Sawbonz 27561]

1 hour ago, Immaculate Vibes said:

 

This is a stupid take. Cite data that shows 10 day isolation is clinically significant vs 5

[DDD Dad 14339]

3 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

This is a stupid take. Cite data that shows 10 day isolation is clinically significant vs 5

It's a knee jerk reaction that supports a certain confirmation bias.  Clinical data has been pretty consistent (especially with Omicron) that infections are contagious shortly before symptoms emerge and for 2-3 days thereafter.  Based on what I've seen consistently reported over the last couple of weeks, 10 days is overkill for Omicron.  Probably for Delta, too.

[Anastasis 23469]

2 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

I don’t disagree. Biden administration and the CDC were too optimistic in their view of the effectiveness of vaccines and the percentage of population that would vaccinate. That caused the companies who were developing and manufacturing tests to slow down/shut down. When Delta arrived they weren’t able to scale up fast enough, and it doesn’t appear the government recognized the need to help make testing a more urgent priority (with subsidies or whatever else they’re now doing to get tests manufactured and distributed).

 

I think that you can give Biden a pass for focusing on vax roll-out initially, given everything that we knew at the time. It would have required some really sharp foresight to see in the background the opportunity to simultaneously build rapid test stockpiles as demand was reducing. Easy to see the early opportunity from where we sit today and with hindsight.

However, it seems like it became clear at some point mid summer with delta and with early omicron data that we were going to need to scale testing. There was a discussion about rapid test availability in this thread back in September, and a suggestion to ramp up production and push tests to every household. As recently as a few weeks ago the press secretary was doing that little sarcastic smirk thing at the notion that really triggered a lot of public health experts, the backlash which I think played a role in the administration changing course with rapid tests.    

[DDD Dad 14339]

3 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

 

I think that you can give Biden a pass for focusing on vax roll-out initially, given everything that we knew at the time. It would have required some really sharp foresight to see in the background the opportunity to simultaneously build rapid test stockpiles as demand was reducing. Easy to see the early opportunity from where we sit today and with hindsight.

However, it seems like it became clear at some point mid summer with delta and with early omicron data that we were going to need to scale testing. There was a discussion about rapid test availability in this thread back in September, and a suggestion to ramp up production and push tests to every household. As recently as a few weeks ago the press secretary was doing that little sarcastic smirk thing at the notion that really triggered a lot of public health experts, the backlash which I think played a role in the administration changing course with rapid tests.    

Yes I recall that as well.  I wondered at the time if it was in an effort to deflect and avoid having a hard discussion about difficulties they might have been facing getting things ramped up as quickly as needed, and I recall being annoyed by how Psaki handled that.  I would have much preferred to hear her say something along the lines of, "we recognize that we have a need for more tests ASAP, and we're working on getting as many tests out to the public as soon as we can," rather than "so if we send out 300 million tests to every American and they test once, then where are we?" (or something like that). 

 

While that's a WAG on my part, I would imagine there were at least some competent people trying to get things moving regarding tests, but were running up against roadblocks (bureaucratic or logistic presumably).

Edited December 28, 2021 by DDD Dad

[wildcat09 29354]

45 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

 

I think that you can give Biden a pass for focusing on vax roll-out initially, given everything that we knew at the time. It would have required some really sharp foresight to see in the background the opportunity to simultaneously build rapid test stockpiles as demand was reducing. Easy to see the early opportunity from where we sit today and with hindsight.

However, it seems like it became clear at some point mid summer with delta and with early omicron data that we were going to need to scale testing. There was a discussion about rapid test availability in this thread back in September, and a suggestion to ramp up production and push tests to every household. As recently as a few weeks ago the press secretary was doing that little sarcastic smirk thing at the notion that really triggered a lot of public health experts, the backlash which I think played a role in the administration changing course with rapid tests.    

Yeah, I think the rise of Delta should've been when the feds began focusing on scaling up test availability. By then, it was clear variants that escaped the initial vaccines were a possibility and it was clear that a substantial percentage of the American population was never going to get vaccinated. Especially given how cheap the at home tests are to produce, it's a huge fuckup on the administration's part not to have done more to get shitloads of tests to everyone who wanted any.  And for free, not for fucking $25 for a pack. 

[DDD Dad 14339]

6 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

Yeah, I think the rise of Delta should've been when the feds began focusing on scaling up test availability. By then, it was clear variants that escaped the initial vaccines were a possibility and it was clear that a substantial percentage of the American population was never going to get vaccinated. Especially given how cheap the at home tests are to produce, it's a huge fuckup on the administration's part not to have done more to get shitloads of tests to everyone who wanted any.  And for free, not for fucking $25 for a pack. 

To expand on my earlier point, I wonder if in fact the feds were focusing on scaling up test availability when Delta began to rise but ran into roadblocks (logistical primarily but probably also bureaucratic) due to the prior shutdown and scaling back of testing once vaccines were shown to be effective and were being rolled out.  I assume they were trying to ramp up but couldn't do so quickly enough.  The public face they put on that is where I have an issue.  Of course if I'm wrong and they were merely incompetent for not having seen the need to start ramping up testing again, then I'm all in favor of blasting them.

Neither possible scenario really matters at this point, though.  The administration could have done a better job, with messaging or executive action to support expanding testing availability, or both.

Edited December 28, 2021 by DDD Dad

[wildcat09 29354]

It's certainly possible, but I don't see any reason to give them the benefit of doubt on this. As you noted, had they SAID they were working on it and that there are hurdles to deal with, that'd be one thing. Instead, we got Psaki's snark as if tests weren't important.

[jimmyjazz 45948]

15 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

it's a huge fuckup on the administration's part not to have done more to get shitloads of tests to everyone who wanted any.  And for free, not for fucking $25 for a pack. 

I said this somewhere, maybe this thread, but I bought a 20-pack of tests at East Side Medicine Shop (38.5th and Airport in Austin) for $100.  Not free, but more than 50% less expensive.

As luck would have it, we've burned through half of them already, since my (vaccinated) stepson caught covid, and now my (unvaccinated) stepdaughter has symptoms.  Joy.

[Biff Tannen 45683]

3 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

So one of my wife's medical assistants has fever and is symptomatic and her husband just tested positive for COVID, but they say she has to stay at work or she wont get her holiday pay at all.  This is what happens when corporations take over healthcare.  Good work idiots.

 

Update: wife talked to the powers that be and got them to let the MA go home and still get paid.  JFC, these people are dumb.

[Asithappens 974]

Not to criticize anyone in particular here, but give me a fucking break if you're complaining about 3-letter gubmint agencies changing (or vacillating) b/t 5-day or 10-day isolation periods. 

It's a virus. We have a vaccine. No one knows if 3 days, or 5 days, or 10 days is the optimal isolation period. Don't be a dumb fuck: get all (ALL) your shots (includes flu vaccine), be smart, wear a mask if you're unsure. If your take on all this is "the gotdamned feds don't know what they are talking about b/c last week it was 10 days and now it's 5 days then fuck you. 

sorry for the rant

Edited December 28, 2021 by Asithappens

[ouflak 60]

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

The vaccines are highly effective, probably more effective than initially hoped for.

Sorry if I'm replying out of context. But wasn't the hope initially 100% effectiveness, by pretty much every person on the planet, including and especially those who were developing them?

[jimmyjazz 45948]

3 minutes ago, ouflak said:

Sorry if I'm replying out of context. But wasn't the hope initially 100% effectiveness, by pretty much every person on the planet, including and especially those who were developing them?

Wut?

[wildcat09 29354]

4 minutes ago, ouflak said:

Sorry if I'm replying out of context. But wasn't the hope initially 100% effectiveness, by pretty much every person on the planet, including and especially those who were developing them?

No vaccine has been or ever will be 100% effective.

[heso 2794]

3 minutes ago, ouflak said:

Sorry if I'm replying out of context. But wasn't the hope initially 100% effectiveness, by pretty much every person on the planet, including and especially those who were developing them?

The first time I heard Fauci talk about the effectiveness of vaccines while they were being developed he said he would be happy with anything over 50% and ecstatic with anything over 70% effectiveness.