45 minutes ago, DaEagles4Life said:

Flu kills 52k a year 

 

 

Pretty sure the characterization I was told was "mild cold" but also let me know if you've ever seen the flu kill nearly 3k people per day and overrun hospitals like this necessitating the national guard being deployed to deal with the surge of patients in 6 states, including my own. Sure feel like that would've been something noteworthy all those years growing up.

1 hour ago, DrPhilly said:

The Scandinavian countries have all pretty much reached the same conclusion and that is that Omicron cannot be stopped and that includes with restrictions like virtual school, early bar/restaurant closures, etc.

The virus cannot be stopped, this has long been the case. Remember:

  

On 1/28/2021 at 10:58 PM, EaglesRocker97 said:

I am starting to think that COVID is most likely just going to become an endemic disease.

However, we need to continue to limit the spread and vaccinate as much as possible in order to reach endemicity in the least catastrophic fashion.

5 minutes ago, EaglesRocker97 said:

However, we need to continue to limit the spread and vaccinate as much as possible in order to reach endemicity in the least catastrophic fashion.

 

Omicron spread can't be stopped with simple measures.  For example, cloth masks are basically useless vs. Omicron.  Vaccinating is the best tool, I agree with that.

The point is that Omicron changes the game.

Just now, DrPhilly said:

 

Omicron spread can't be stopped with simple measures.  For example, cloth masks are basically useless vs. Omicron.  Vaccinating is the best tool, I agree with that.

 

They're significantly less effective, but is "useless' the correct term? Is there an authoritative study that showed this? But I agree that we need to significantly up our masking game in this country, we're just, ya know...stupid.

1 minute ago, EaglesRocker97 said:

 

They're significantly less effective, but is "useless' the correct term? Is there an authoritative study that showed this? But I agree that we need to significantly up our masking game in this country, we're just, ya know...stupid.

Well pretty much all the experts agree and many are urging moving the bar to N95s.  That would be more logical than keeping any mandate that allows cloth.

@EaglesRocker97 Don't want to mislead here.  I don't see an N95 mandate as realistic or desirable but still more logic in that then mandating and allowing cloth.  I'd be ok with mandating surgical masks in store/restaurants for a period of weeks though to help slow things down and I see that as a more realistic and practical measure.  Can't see any logic in continuing masking kids in school though now with Omicron.  Fauci and the CDC are in a tough spot here.

Here is my county's data.  People were freaking the F out a year ago saying that if the numbers were over 300 that we would be in remote school.  Here's the data now:

We are full time in person now.  Our district has gone this route also:

3 minutes ago, DrPhilly said:

  Can't see any logic in continuing masking kids in school though now with Omicron.

Ah, probably because most schools have barely any staff or subs to fill the classrooms due to COVID. It's running roughshod over us.

1 minute ago, EaglesRocker97 said:

Ah, probably because most schools have barely any staff or subs to fill the classrooms due to COVID its running roughshod over us.

Yeah well you know that isn't the reason but it is a good indicator that cloth masks on kids aren't going to do a damn thing with Omicron.

4 hours ago, we_gotta_believe said:

A single day of 2,800 mild deaths from the mild cold. But I know, I know, they died "with covid" not "from covid". I'm sure their families enjoy hearing that theory brought up by every maga moron in earshot.

 

What an unbelievable ghoul you are to so gleefully use their deaths to try to bully others into accepting your fear driven obsession. That they died with Covid is a fact, that they died from it is not, science denier.  Some did, no doubt, maybe many, maybe most, maybe not.  How many did matters to everyone but people like you who only see their death as opportunity.

15 minutes ago, DrPhilly said:

Yeah well you know that isn't the reason but it is a good indicator that cloth masks on kids aren't going to do a damn thing with Omicron.

From a year ago but here, shows uselessness of masks.

https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/67-2021/testimony/HPOLSUB-1323-20210204-5275-F-SEELY_BRADLEY.pdf

10 minutes ago, The_Omega said:

What an unbelievable ghoul you are to so gleefully use their deaths to try to bully others into accepting your fear driven obsession. That they died with Covid is a fact, that they died from it is not, science denier.  Some did, no doubt, maybe many, maybe most, maybe not.  How many did matters to everyone but people like you who only see their death as opportunity.

That is a gross accusation.

It presupposes that one cannot be sincerely concerned about the severity of the pandemic and want to see public health policy adjust to save lives.

That the only reason one might be concerned about rising deaths is to exploit it for political gain.

That's pretty disgusting.

27 minutes ago, The_Omega said:

What an unbelievable ghoul you are to so gleefully use their deaths to try to bully others into accepting your fear driven obsession. That they died with Covid is a fact, that they died from it is not, science denier.  Some did, no doubt, maybe many, maybe most, maybe not.  How many did matters to everyone but people like you who only see their death as opportunity.

You're got some serious issues, zuke. I don't know if it's mania, bipolar, or what, but I truly hope you seek out and get some help for it.

Science relies on data, on information, the more of it, the better. Questions about the science are far more important than unquestioning belief in it. Unquestioning belief is even more anti-science than religion. And internet bullies are sniveling little cowards in real life. Who cares what they say here? They’d never say it out there. They’re the quintessential ‘’what I should have said….!’’ types.

Texas scientists’ new Covid-19 vaccine is cheaper, easier to make and patent-free

 

 

9 minutes ago, Toty said:

isn't the bold part pretty much the definition of religion?

I would revise "more" to "just as"

Thanks for reaching out. We truly appreciate the feedback from our loyal readers. My editor and I will consider your suggestions, and make any corrections we deem necessary. Keep the letters coming! 

9 minutes ago, JohnSnowsHair said:

Texas scientists’ new Covid-19 vaccine is cheaper, easier to make and patent-free

 

 

Saw that the other week unfortunately it will take them months to make updated vaccines with the new varients 

1 hour ago, DrPhilly said:

@EaglesRocker97 Don't want to mislead here.  I don't see an N95 mandate as realistic or desirable but still more logic in that then mandating and allowing cloth.  I'd be ok with mandating surgical masks in store/restaurants for a period of weeks though to help slow things down and I see that as a more realistic and practical measure.  Can't see any logic in continuing masking kids in school though now with Omicron.  Fauci and the CDC are in a tough spot here.

The logic for schools is to help prevent spread to teachers and staff. My wife’s district had 75 staff members out in the elementary schools alone.  They barely had enough staff to run the building for a few days.  

1 hour ago, DrPhilly said:

Yeah well you know that isn't the reason but it is a good indicator that cloth masks on kids aren't going to do a damn thing with Omicron.

a lot of schools have required the paper Dr type masks….my wife raised money and had the help of pta to buy cases of them and provides them to kids in her class. I don’t see many people wearing cloth masks these days.  The "gators” aren’t acceptable in places where masks are required and people seem to have figured out that cloth makes it harder to breath and they get wet and gross pretty quickly.  

8 minutes ago, DBW said:

The logic for schools is to help prevent spread to teachers and staff. My wife’s district had 75 staff members out in the elementary schools alone.  They barely had enough staff to run the building for a few days.  

Which cloth masks do not do vs Omicron. 

2 minutes ago, DBW said:

a lot of schools have required the paper Dr type masks….my wife raised money and had the help of pta to buy cases of them and provides them to kids in her class. I don’t see many people wearing cloth masks these days.  The "gators” aren’t acceptable in places where masks are required and people seem to have figured out that cloth makes it harder to breath and they get wet and gross pretty quickly.  

If they are to be mandated you really need an N95 given the length of time and the proximity.

1 hour ago, The_Omega said:

Science relies on data, on information, the more of it, the better. Questions about the science are far more important than unquestioning belief in it. Unquestioning belief is even more anti-science than religion. And internet bullies are sniveling little cowards in real life. Who cares what they say here? They’d never say it out there. They’re the quintessential ‘’what I should have said….!’’ types.

Yep, this is definitely what Rogan does when he open his pie hole and spews incorrect and moronic garbage.  
 

im sure trump was using the scientific method when he said it would all just go away too.

we could hit you morons in the face repeatedly with a science book and you’d try to tell us we hit you with a spoon.  

see, in order to question the science, you have to comprehend it, just a little. Which you don’t. 

 

2 minutes ago, DrPhilly said:

Which cloth masks do not do vs Omicron. 

 

Just now, DrPhilly said:

If they are to be mandated you really need an N95 given the length of time and the proximity.

Agreed.  Cloth masks aren’t nearly as effective as n95. My wife uses n95 for herself for that reason.  

Just now, DBW said:

 

Agreed.  Cloth masks aren’t nearly as effective as n95. My wife uses n95 for herself for that reason.  

Do you find it practical and reasonable to require kids to where an N95 for full school days every day? Kids of all ages?

7 minutes ago, DrPhilly said:

Do you find it practical and reasonable to require kids to where an N95 for full school days every day? Kids of all ages?

I would say it’s more of a good (cloth) better (paper) best (n95) approach.  The issue is that if you require a certain type of mask in schools, you have to provide a means for Parents to get it. You can’t do anything that may force an inequality. N95s are more expensive, harder to get, etc.  so you would in a way make it an inequality for families that can’t get them or afford them etc.  unless the school is providing them free of charge, they would never be able to mandate a particular type. 
 

that said, even with masking, Covid is spreading in schools but in my wife’s school it is mostly among the younger kids who can’t get vaccinated yet. It’s the k-2nd graders who are seeing the rise in cases.  And they’ve had mask mandates except for lunch time since this all started.  
 

better than any mask, are the vaccines.  That should be the first line of defense.