Corona Virus: It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

[Smoove_B]

California's summer wave could top winter surge:

The concentration of coronavirus levels in San Francisco’s wastewater is at even higher levels than during the winter, according to data tweeted by Marlene Wolfe, an assistant professor in environmental health at Emory University.

Wastewater data for much of L.A. County — Los Angeles city and a wide swath of eastern and southern L.A. County — have been unavailable due to a supply chain shortage on testing supplies at the state level. But county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said last week that steady increases have been noted as of late in the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District that serves areas in and around Calabasas and the L.A. County Sanitation Districts’ treatment plant in Lancaster.

The wastewater data suggest many infections aren’t being recorded in officially reported coronavirus case counts. That is because so many people are using at-home over-the-counter tests, which can be more convenient than getting tested at a medical facility, where results are reported to the government.

I'm glad we have people monitoring the wastewater as we continue to dismantle testing.

At UC San Francisco’s hospitals, 5.7% of asymptomatic patients are testing positive for the coronavirus, meaning 1 in 18 people who feel fine nonetheless have the coronavirus. In other words, in a group of 100 people, there’s a 99.7% chance that someone there has the coronavirus and is potentially contagious. “Think about that the next time you go into a crowded bar or get onto an airplane with 100 people,” Wachter said.

“I kind of wish the flight attendants would hold up a sign that says, ‘I can guarantee to you that someone on this plane has COVID,’” he said. “I think the rate of mask wearing would go up quite a bit.

The data:

L.A. County’s coronavirus case rate continues to rise. L.A. County is now averaging about 6,900 coronavirus cases a day — nearly double the peak case rate from last summer’s Delta surge, and 27% higher than the previous week. On a per capita basis, L.A. County’s case rate is 476 cases a week for every 100,000 residents; a rate of 100 or more is considered high. COVID-19 deaths in L.A. County have risen from 50 per week to between 88 to 100 fatalities per week over the past month.

California is recording about 21,000 coronavirus cases a day, up 16% over the prior week. On a per capita basis, the state is recording 368 cases a week for every 100,000 residents. California is recording roughly 255 COVID-19 deaths per week. Weekly deaths in the state have fluctuated from 200 to 300 deaths a week.

And this is totally the message being broadcast to everyone right now:

“The symptoms are quite devious in my mind,” Kosnik said, with some people who don’t know they are infected thinking symptoms are only from allergies or a cold.

“If you have symptoms, and you test negative, you need to still assume you could have COVID,” Wachter said.

Why the concern?

Regarding BA.5, “what is different — and this is where it is something of a game-changer — is the level of immune escape, and particularly to the degree to which immunity from prior infection, including prior versions of Omicron, doesn’t seem to count for as much,” Wachter said.

So it’s wrong to think that if you’ve survived a coronavirus infection, you no longer have to worry about COVID-19 for perhaps three months, Wachter said.

“We are seeing reinfections as early as a month after a prior infection,” Wachter said. “You can’t count on COVID ‘superpowers’ from your prior infection-plus-vaccination to make you completely free of risk for the next three or four months, which is really the way we used to think about this a few months ago.”

[Isgrimnur]

Talked to Dad last night. Both he and mom have come down with it. Both should be on an antiviral 5-day course by today.

[hitbyambulance]

was surrounded by coughing dudes (with no facial coverings) on the plane from Juneau to Seattle tonight. let's see if the KN95 performed admirably..

[Smoove_B]

Good news, I just saw headlines that cruise ships are no longer capable of having Covid-19 outbreaks, according to the CDC.

[gilraen]

Good news, I just saw headlines that cruise ships are no longer capable of having Covid-19 outbreaks, according to the CDC.

In all honesty, though, most of that reporting was meaningless. It doesn't matter if a cruise ship went 6 months without a single outbreak - all it takes is one person to bring it onboard tomorrow, and it'll spread like wildfire.

[Smoove_B]

Not meaningless to me.

But seriously, one of the core functions of public health is to monitor and evaluate outbreaks. We do so because we want to stop future outbreaks from happening. Are there recommendations we can make? Changes we can encourage? This rubs me the wrong way in that it continues the theme of abdication currently happening.

In the big picture does it matter? No, probably not. But the optics are gross.

[stessier]

My supervisor got back from a cruise a week ago Sunday. He had a cough Monday and tested positive on Tuesday. I'm sure it was a coincidence.

[Smoove_B]

Wait...what?

Although COVID-19 is no longer the disruptive force it once was, we are ready to meet the moment as BA.5 cases rise.

We have the tools to protect people from this subvariant. But we have to work together: If you're eligible, get boosted.

[malchior]

The WH is under such a deep siege that they've apparently lost the capacity to tell the truth.

[Smoove_B]

Unless "disruptive force" is code for "killing everyone indiscriminately", then sure, I'll cede that point. But I continue to question what the benefit is for pretending everything is fine - unless it's all about the economy (stupid).

[coopasonic]

unless it's all about the economy (stupid).

So I made the mistake of clicking a video by Second Thought and while I think he may be a bit on the extreme, I can't find much fault in what he is pitching around the evils of our capitalist society. I don't have a specific video to point to, but he has some interesting stuff. He and Drazzil would agree on a lot of things, but he would agree with Beau on a lot of things as well.

In the US it is literally always about the money.

[Smoove_B]

It really is.

And to be clear, I'm not in the zero covid / we must lock down everything everywhere camp. Early on that made sense, but it was pretty clear it wasn't going to be a long-term option.

So instead of going insane, I'm totally not understanding why states aren't mandating masks in public, essential places. Transportation. Pharmacies. Public schools. Supermarkets. Banks. Government offices. In this way we're helping to keep public places where people need to go safer. It's not going to stop the insane transmission, but it might lower it a bit - and it'll certainly make those places safer for people that still *need* to wear masks in places they must frequent because their health is at risk. It doesn't help workers in retail (because we've already decided work places don't need to protect their workers), but I feel like it would be doing *something*. And it's possible that by normalizing mask use in these areas, it's increases mask use in non-mandated areas. I dunno.

Restaurants and bars can stay open and continue to be plague central - no worries there. They can continue to pay crap wages to workers that are willing to deal with the general public. Where it gets dicey for me is the jobs where people don't have a choice - they need to work in a specific location or job - and their employers don't give a crap about their health. One way masking helps, but only so much.

[hitbyambulance]

unless it's all about the economy (stupid).

So I made the mistake of clicking a video by Second Thought and while I think he may be a bit on the extreme, I can't find much fault in what he is pitching around the evils of our capitalist society. I don't have a specific video to point to, but he has some interesting stuff. He and Drazzil would agree on a lot of things, but he would agree with Beau on a lot of things as well.

In the US it is literally always about the money.

tangential:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/07/opin ... nials.html

i'm all aboard the 'degrowth' train

[Smoove_B]

Maybe this will be it's own thread? I dunno. Does anyone but me care?

The Biden administration is reorganizing the federal health department to create an independent division that would lead the nation’s pandemic response, amid frustrations with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The move elevates a roughly 1,000-person team — known as the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, or ASPR — into a separate division, charged with coordinating the nation’s response to health emergencies, according to seven people briefed on the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment.

The reorganization allows the division “to mobilize a coordinated national response more quickly and stably during future disasters and emergencies while equipping us with greater hiring and contracting capabilities,” Dawn O’Connell, who leads ASPR and would run the new division, wrote to staff members Wednesday afternoon. The emailed memo was shared with The Washington Post.

What's the deal?

The creation of the new Administration of Strategic Preparedness and Response, which is expected to be phased in over two years, comes at a time of growing concern about the federal government’s ability to respond to health emergencies — whether a once-in-a-century pandemic driven by a novel virus such as SARS-CoV-2, or an outbreak of a long-identified pathogen such as monkeypox, which has established treatments and vaccines.

I would not describe the CDC as...nimble, so I understand what they're doing. But as I keep reminding everyone, public health is a state issue. I'm not sure how creating a separate entity at the federal level is going to change anything when a state refuses to do anything related to stopping an infectious disease from spreading out of control.

But public health experts say that a critical part of pandemic response is working with state and local health agencies, and note that the CDC has a far stronger relationship with those front-line teams than ASPR. The emergency-response office also has faced scrutiny over its own operations.

I'd agree with this, yes.

Several congressional panels are already scrutinizing the pandemic performance of ASPR, the CDC and other health agencies. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who leads the Senate’s health committee, on Wednesday criticized the Biden administration’s response to the monkeypox outbreak and asked for an urgent briefing on its strategy.

Meanwhile, some senior Biden administration officials said they were unaware of the plan to reorganize the department, which was approved by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and has been held close by his deputies.

Yup. Sounds about right.

EDIT: And I suppose to add new information:

Number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 reaches 42,894, the highest since February

[Smoove_B]

In case you're interested to see how an epidemiological academic would present the current data on transmission:

There's a reason behind the rise in #COVID19 #hospitalizations.

Transmission, based on the officially reported #cases, continues to increase in many places.

Hard to tell on the current @CDCgov map how pronounced #transmission is becoming.

[hitbyambulance]

was surrounded by coughing dudes (with no facial coverings) on the plane from Juneau to Seattle tonight. let's see if the KN95 performed admirably..

UPDATE: the KN95 indeed performed admirably.

[LawBeefaroni]

So I'm hearing a lot from city council members that there is a lot of COVID money waiting to be spent. Just heard one who is trying to get it for housing for homeless, parks, public transit, etc.

Pretty clear why it's not getting spent on actual COVID. If you don't spend it on COVID, you can spend it on pet projects.

[Smoove_B]

Pretty clear why it's not getting spent on actual COVID. If you don't spend it on COVID, you can spend it on pet projects.

Thankfully Alabama was not able to spend it on building prisons. But yeah, won't surprise me to learn money is being creatively applied elsewhere. Because freedom.

[Smoove_B]

Global perspective on how things are going

Spoiler:

USA! USA! USA!

[Smoove_B]

Absolutely amazing

Just an incredible exchange.

Reporter: The White House has pledged to go beyond CDC guidance in caring for President Biden...If the White House thinks that's the right approach for the president, shouldn't that be the right approach for all Americans?

CDC Director:

Spoiler:

Tl;dl - get back to work

[Grifman]

unless it's all about the economy (stupid).

So I made the mistake of clicking a video by Second Thought and while I think he may be a bit on the extreme, I can't find much fault in what he is pitching around the evils of our capitalist society. I don't have a specific video to point to, but he has some interesting stuff. He and Drazzil would agree on a lot of things, but he would agree with Beau on a lot of things as well.

In the US it is literally always about the money.

And yet, it’s not just the US that had relaxed Covid restrictions. Is it about the money for these other countries too?

[Grifman]

New variant on the way:

[Grifman]

Unless "disruptive force" is code for "killing everyone indiscriminately", then sure, I'll cede that point. But I continue to question what the benefit is for pretending everything is fine - unless it's all about the economy (stupid).

This is what you seemingly ignore - it’s not just corporate America calling the shots. People don’t care - they don’t see the threat as being severe enough, they want to move on:l:

“Fully 70 percent of Americans agreed with the statement that “it’s time we accept Covid is here to stay and we just need to get on with our lives” in a recent poll by Monmouth University. That survey found that support for vaccine mandates has dropped to just 43 percent from 53 percent in September, while support for masking and social distancing guidelines dropped to 52 percent from 63 percent over the same period.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/08/us/p ... s.amp.html

I’m not saying this is right or smart, but simply blaming capitalism or American corporate business interests is a very simplistic view. This isn’t corporate America speaking.

[Smoove_B]

I’m not saying this is right or smart, but simply blaming capitalism or American corporate business interests is a very simplistic view. This isn’t corporate America speaking.

This is something being examined in various circles (the attitudes of the general public) and there have been a few demonstrations (via survey results) that the attitude of the population follows the message being projected by federal/state/local leaders and businesses.

In other words, there's been pretty clear manifestation of "Well, if the government isn't worried, I'm not worried" in a significant number of people. Just look at the countless events the White House has been holding - including yesterday's panel on vaccines - not a single mask in sight for the official event. They're modeling what they want for everyone - including how important it is to "get back to work" and to do so immediately if possible (Biden, Manchin, Murkowski - all said it in their official press releases related to having Covid-19).

It's quite similar to the finger pointing circle happening now where the CDC says it's up to states to mandate masks and the states say we are following guidance from the CDC - an unbroken circle where no one wants to be responsible.

Regardless, you're right - people are to blame as well. But the whole process is being driven by financial interests, pushing on federal, state and local leadership. There are people (~30%) that are never going to wear a mask or get vaccinated; I'm done with them. Instead, we should be targeting the 40% that would respond to the "peer pressure" that would emerge when the ~30% of people that respond to mandates follow the mandates.

EDIT: The new thing being pushed by the unofficial mouthpieces of the administration (people like Leana Wen) is "hybrid immunity" - the idea that having vaccines and wild exposures is super extra protective. This is a soft-push of the Great Barrington Declaration nonsense - the idea that we should just all hurry up and get Covid-19 so we'll be ultimately be better off. The messaging coming out now is that "we're all going to get it" or "we probably already had it" - why are you still resisting doing things, going to work, wearing a mask, etc... It's ghoulish and I have nothing to compare it with. Actively encouraging people to get (and spread) a disease? I don't even know how to explain how insane that is.

[Grifman]

But the whole process is being driven by financial interests, pushing on federal, state and local leadership.

You have asserted this a number of times as previously noted. So what is your evidence? As far as I know, you have never given any.

I can only offer one piece of anecdotal counter evidence. I still have contacts at my former employer, One of the largest banks in the US. They would prefer people (non-customer facing) be in the office, but most are still working from home, coming into the office only a day or two a week. And when I go into branches (I’ve had to go several times lately, which is unusual), most of the employees were wearing masks. And they were asking people to maintain distancing. It’s only one example but that doesn’t sound like a corporation pushing to have the pandemic delclared over.

To go further, here’s an article describing corporate interests as actually going further than govt, mandating vaccines and masks. In fact as the article points out, there have been a number of times where they ran into issues with govts that wanted to do less, like DeSantis in Florida:

“A who's who of business behemoths spanning a range of industries – including United Airlines, Disney, Microsoft, Walmart, Google and Tyson Foods – have announced plans to require their workers to be vaccinated before returning to offices and other locales. Many more have reinstated mask mandates for front-line workers and others. In many cases, their decisions have put them at odds with the politicians running the show in the states in which their workers live.”

https://www.usnews.com/news/economy/art ... ontext=amp

[Smoove_B]

You have asserted this a number of times as previously noted. So what is your evidence? As far as I know, you have never given any.

Here's the biggest example of industry driving the decision.

To go further, here’s an article describing corporate interests as actually going further than govt, mandating vaccines and masks. In fact as the article points out, there have been a number of times where they ran into issues with govts that wanted to do less, like DeSantis in Florida:

“A who's who of business behemoths spanning a range of industries – including United Airlines, Disney, Microsoft, Walmart, Google and Tyson Foods – have announced plans to require their workers to be vaccinated before returning to offices and other locales. Many more have reinstated mask mandates for front-line workers and others. In many cases, their decisions have put them at odds with the politicians running the show in the states in which their workers live.”

https://www.usnews.com/news/economy/art ... ontext=amp

That's from last August - it was a different world then, still shortly after the administration was pushing the vaccination only strategy we're currently locked in. It wasn't until corporations starting suing over mandates (vaccinations) that things started falling apart. All while states were suing against masking mandates on transportation.

[LordMortis]

But the whole process is being driven by financial interests, pushing on federal, state and local leadership.

You have asserted this a number of times as previously noted. So what is your evidence? As far as I know, you have never given any.

I can only offer one piece of anecdotal counter evidence. I still have contacts at my former employer, One of the largest banks in the US. They would prefer people (non-customer facing) be in the office, but most are still working from home, coming into the office only a day or two a week. And when I go into branches (I’ve had to go several times lately, which is unusual), most of the employees were wearing masks. And they were asking people to maintain distancing. It’s only one example but that doesn’t sound like a corporation pushing to have the pandemic delclared over.

To go further, here’s an article describing corporate interests as actually going further than govt, mandating vaccines and masks. In fact as the article points out, there have been a number of times where they ran into issues with govts that wanted to do less, like DeSantis in Florida:

“A who's who of business behemoths spanning a range of industries – including United Airlines, Disney, Microsoft, Walmart, Google and Tyson Foods – have announced plans to require their workers to be vaccinated before returning to offices and other locales. Many more have reinstated mask mandates for front-line workers and others. In many cases, their decisions have put them at odds with the politicians running the show in the states in which their workers live.”

https://www.usnews.com/news/economy/art ... ontext=amp

Anecdotally, my old office was very accepting of WFH, though the president is still eager to get people in the office. He firmly believes, and rightly so, that business is better conducted by being present. That said, he follows industry guidance which is founded in OSHA and MiOSHA. The absolute second the industry/MiOSHA change, so to will the office. When I quit, I was that last of the mask wearers, though everyone except the president were still eager to stay at home. The only other people that wanted to be in the office were people who wanted to get away from home to get work done. As someone who interacted with nearly everyone, you can tell who was babysitting at home and who was taking care of home stuff and who really kept a home office to keep their work and home life separate.

[stessier]

My company was requiring vaccines last summer too in preparation for being able to comply with the government mandate. As soon as the mandate was dropped, so was all vaccine requirements. Masks followed shortly thereafter. Both are still encouraged, but only a few office personnel wear them - no one on the production floor does. I don't blame production either - it's a really hard job under normal circumstances and brutal in a mask.

[malchior]

But the whole process is being driven by financial interests, pushing on federal, state and local leadership.

You have asserted this a number of times as previously noted. So what is your evidence? As far as I know, you have never given any.

I can only offer one piece of anecdotal counter evidence. I still have contacts at my former employer, One of the largest banks in the US. They would prefer people (non-customer facing) be in the office, but most are still working from home, coming into the office only a day or two a week. And when I go into branches (I’ve had to go several times lately, which is unusual), most of the employees were wearing masks. And they were asking people to maintain distancing. It’s only one example but that doesn’t sound like a corporation pushing to have the pandemic delclared over.

FWIW I what we are seeing is persistent use of soft power from major institutions that have limited reason to care about big picture public health. It's not their lane. We have seen a lot of talk from business leadership across the country -- especially in the financial industry -- that seems linked to exposure to commercial real estate. It's not provable because I doubt anyone is going to blurt the quiet part out loud.

However, we also see the banks protecting themselves by downsizing their footprints themselves. I'd liken it to a rearguard action. They are advocating to protect their own interests, which gives them time to firm up the balance sheet and strategic outlook, and are preparing themselves for a future with a lot more remote work than in the past. It isn't about declaring the pandemic over more than trying to achieve this delaying effect. I don't think it is a stretch to suspect they value their bottom line versus public health. Especially when the impact that can be traced back to themselves is so diffuse.

[LawBeefaroni]

But the whole process is being driven by financial interests, pushing on federal, state and local leadership.

You have asserted this a number of times as previously noted. So what is your evidence? As far as I know, you have never given any.

I can only offer one piece of anecdotal counter evidence. I still have contacts at my former employer, One of the largest banks in the US. They would prefer people (non-customer facing) be in the office, but most are still working from home, coming into the office only a day or two a week. And when I go into branches (I’ve had to go several times lately, which is unusual), most of the employees were wearing masks. And they were asking people to maintain distancing. It’s only one example but that doesn’t sound like a corporation pushing to have the pandemic delclared over.

They only grudgingly allow WFH because they don't want people to quit. I'll bet that whatever bank that is, they want people back in the office but have no choice but to let them WFH.

JPM and GS:

At a "Wall Street Journal" industry event last year, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon weighed in on the idea of remote work, saying it “doesn’t work for people who want to hustle.”

It “doesn’t work for culture, doesn’t work for idea generation,” Dimon continued. “We are getting blowback about coming back internally. But that’s life.”

It appears the blowback won. Earlier this month, a year after JPMorgan had said everyone would be required to return to the office, Dimon conceded he now expects only about half his 270,000-person workforce to return to the office full time — and 10% will work fully remote.

Even so, other companies continue to try to end remote work and hybrid work plans. Among them: Goldman Sachs, which last month [April 2022] said it would require everyone to be in the office.

You can be sure they are messaging this to their people in government.

Even so, other companies continue to try to end remote work and hybrid work plans. Among them: Goldman Sachs, which last month said it would require everyone to be in the office.

And yet among businesses that employ white collar or knowledge-based workers, one-third to 60% are requiring an in-office presence of some form, whether part- of full-time, Lewis said.

“A significant percentage of folks are trying to get their workplace back to what they considered normal before COVID,” he said.

My team recently lost a data analyst because we required one (1) day per week in the office. And I'm pulling double duty because we lost a director who wanted 100% remote to live closer to family.

On the plus side, lots of opportunity if you're willing to go in.



People have tased the apple. That genie won't go back into Pandora's bag.

[malchior]

I get called a lot for job opportunities. Almost all are remote now. They'll caveat that they'll need a few appearances once or twice a quarter. This is my experience at least in the NJ/NY metro area where the expectation to commute 1-2 hours each way to get into NYC is laughable now. It's not going to happen.

[Smoove_B]

Sorry I didn't include this earlier - the restaurant/bar industry pushing for the removal of masks earlier this year.

While pushing for a quick end to the mask and vaccine mandates that were imposed as COVID infections soared, operators are pressing statehouses and city councils to turn other emergency measures into permanent options. Topping that list are permission to keep the outdoor dining structures that were hastily constructed to provide outdoor seating, and an OK to keep selling alcohol to-go.

The amped-up lobbying has an urgency because the moves could significantly affect sales during two significant business boosters this weekend, the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day.

They said to either keep paying them money or remove the barriers that affect retail operation.

[coopasonic]

We're 6 weeks out from our return to work, 3 days a week in office and I am terrified of the potential staffing impacts. Our leadership is pushing back hard on remote exceptions and basically every college hire we get is asking about them. For 2.5 years we have done really well WFH and while I do miss some aspects of the office environment, I would happily continue to WFH for the rest of my career. I feel like something is going to have to give this fall and I really hope leadership (executive leadership, nobody listens to me) responds quickly enough to keep it from breaking us.

[Isgrimnur]

Talked to Dad last night. Both he and mom have come down with it. Both should be on an antiviral 5-day course by today.

They're on the mend. But my sister has it now.

[Smoove_B]

The so-called "learning to live with it" phase of the pandemic is the most brutal so far.

It is showing precisely who and how many our society is willing to sacrifice in the name of supposedly "returning to normal."

That is not to say earlier stages of the pandemic (and before) were without cruelty. But now there is no longer even the pretense of decency.

People openly express who they think should be excluded or made disposable so they can "get on with things" and "live their lives."

The brutality has become all too clear to disabled people, older adults, and anyone who is vulnerable. They see people in their community, or even some of their family and friends, who are unwilling to do the bare minimum to keep them safe, as though their existence is a burden.

On the broader social level, more people are dying of COVID-19 this year in Canada than in any previous year of the pandemic, while mass infection and reinfections debilitate and harm people of all ages.

The impacts of long covid are becoming a threat to every aspect of society

As more people become infected and reinfected, and as more people have ongoing health issues related to COVID-19, they too become acceptable sacrifices and disposable.

Yet for so many, it is only after the fact they realize this unapologetic brutality could apply to them.

Any ethically oriented people looking at this situation, seeing the cruelty and a society with a set of bared fangs, are not going to be able to feel good about participating and "returning to normal."

The only thing moral people can do is turn away and resist.

The effects of this brutality are immediate and embodied for those who are made disposable, but it also has broader social and political effects.

Once these attitudes are mainstreamed, it is frightening to imagine what else can be considered acceptable and where it leads next.

[Max Peck]

As of this week in Ottawa, more people have died from COVID-19 in 2022 than in all of 2021. That gives us a little over 5 months left to run up the score.

Imagine how much worse it could have been if the pandemic weren't over.

[Kraken]

Today I rode the T into the city for the first time in at least 3 years. The car wasn't crowded, even at rush hour, and I'd say 60-65% of passengers were masked, which ain't bad considering it's voluntary. The AC was going full-blast so I know air filtration was in play. All in all, it didn't feel risky.

Met Wife for dinner (outdoors) at a bustling restaurant in Cambridge (Shy Bird, locals), and the overall level of activity looked pretty normal. The local economy is still perking along nicely and a lot of people were out enjoying a pleasant summer evening.

I've missed going into the city, which I used to do once or twice a month in the Before Times, and look forward to doing it again for as long as the nice weather holds.

[Zaxxon]

Pleased to see my home county back to Medium on the Community Level metric this week. I know it's a made-up metric developed to look good, but we hadn't been below High for many weeks.

[Smoove_B]

I think my county has been in High since May. I also get local level data and it's beyond frustrating. Not only to see it but to have my profession acting like there's literally nothing we can do about it - just observe it all unfold.

Maybe after the midterm elections. Maybe then it'll be ok to do something.

[Daehawk]

Thanks National Geographic

How multiple COVID-19 infections can harm the body

With reinfections on the rise, scientists warn that each bout increases your risk of troubling outcomes, from long COVID to heart disease.