The Politics of Covid 19, mask wearing and the vaccination process

[Smoove_B]

Huh. I had no idea. Well it makes more sense now.

[UsulofDoom]

Too bad targeted diseases dont insta kill assholes.

That's a new low.

[malchior]

I'm sure it will start making the rounds today, but last night Newsweek released their cover art for their 11/05 issue. It can only be described as an attempt to sell magazines while undermining public health. The role the media has been playing during this pandemic is really disappointing. I expected this from Fox, but Newsweek? Unreal.

Oh, Newsweek is completely in the crapper - they're trading a bit on their prior reputation (as long as that will last), but they are a zombie magazine that's been hijacked to launder right wing nonsense.

Yep very much like how Sinclair is buying up failing radio stations and turning them into propaganda networks.

[Daehawk]

Immunocompromised may need a fourth Covid-19 shot, CDC says

[LordMortis]

Immunocompromised may need a fourth Covid-19 shot, CDC says

Don't say that. (though technically I guess I'm immunosupressed, no immunocompromised)

Edit: Shit

Moderately to severely immunocompromised people include those who are in active cancer treatment for cancers of the blood or for tumors, certain organ transplant and stem cell recipients, people with advanced or untreated HIV, and those who take a high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress their immune systems. The CDC estimates about 9 million people who live in the US, or about 2% of the population, fall into this category.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

I mean, we're all gonna need a fourth booster at some point. Makes sense that that time would come early for the immunocompromised.

[LordMortis]

I mean, we're all gonna need a fourth booster at some point. Makes sense that that time would come early for the immunocompromised.

I just got number 3 though. The idea of a booster every 2 to 3 months and the side effects that are getting progressively worse is not a turn on for me. Assuming the side effects are a good thing, then I'ma hopin' number 3 was a sign that it was doing its job.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Ugh.

Spoiler:

Wow this is a wildly irresponsible magazine cover

This "fixed" version is much better:

[Smoove_B]

Yes, that's the one. I didn't even want to post it when I saw it last night because it made me so angry.

[Daehawk]

Ugh. Im not surprised. Disappointed in media yes but not surprised.

Im looking forward to my booster in Nov. Hope I can get it. I should qualify. My local Walgreens always has openings because my town is stupid to the max.

A free shot that can save me from death or even awful sickness?..Yes sign me up.

[Defiant]

I don't know, that first picture seems appropriate if Newsweek is indeed France's answer to Tucker Carlson.

[El Guapo]

Jesus Christ. Obviously it's a blonde white kid. Feels like Stephen Miller type work.

[Paingod]

To answer the magazine's question:

"Fuck yes. She'll be happy to still have grandparents when she's older"

[Zaxxon]

My kids are now scheduled for 11/7. So yes. Yes, I would.

[LordMortis]

My thought to that is "What a stupid question? Of course I would."

Also my prediction, irrespective of vaccination, two weeks until the autumnal uptick starts kicking in in the northern states. Had to too much shopping this week. No patrons masked anywhere.

[Smoove_B]

Also my prediction, irrespective of vaccination, two weeks until the autumnal uptick starts kicking in in the northern states. Had to too much shopping this week. No patrons masked anywhere.

It's already started happening in California. I believe I saw yesterday new cases were up ~1% from a a week or so ago and the people reporting it were suggesting it's tied to relaxing mask mandates in various communities a few weeks ago.

Every day is Day 0 for the virus. It doesn't care what you did last week or even 6 months ago. If you give it the opportunity, it will make a move and turn your meat sack into a virus factory.

But yes, I agree completely - we're entering the time of year now where we would expect cases to start creeping up in the northern states. And as I said last week, as soon as kids 5-11 are approved, the pressure to remove any type of mask requirement in schools will be immediate. This is not only a bad idea, but it's the exact opposite of what should be happening everywhere as we head into winter - everyone masking indoors, especially in areas where spread is still high. I still have ~56% of people 12+ fully vaccinated in my corner of NJ, which is concerning as we head into winter. In July we had ~3 cases in a population of about 90K. Now we're up to about 41 - steadily increasing since August. And yet, you'd never know. Everything is super terrific.

[LordMortis]

But yes, I agree completely - we're entering the time of year now where we would expect

... northern autumnal college parties and working class outdoor drinking in cold rainy enviorns to shift into slobbery inebriated loud talking indoor drinking parties, kicking off with Halloween party weekend, culminating in the day before Thanksgiving, when it shifts from partying with friends to extended time with family spread through the new year...

I still have ~56% of people 12+ fully vaccinated in my corner of NJ, which is concerning as we head into winter. In July we had ~3 cases in a population of about 90K. Now we're up to about 41 - steadily increasing since August. And yet, you'd never know. Everything is super terrific.

There has consistently been twice as many people dying year over year in my neck of the woods and in public and retail spaces, you would think the pandemic is over. I'm guessing I can see why twice as many people are dying.

[Daehawk]

In a bright spot one local hospital required vaccine shots and only lost less than 1% of their employees.

Less than 1% of CHI Memorial employees resign over vaccine mandate

The only hospital to require COVID-19 vaccines in Chattanooga says less than 1% of its staff has resigned over the mandate.

[Isgrimnur]

Newsweek

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday decided it would not step in to block a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for health care workers in Maine, which does not offer religious exemptions.
...
The court gave no reason for its decision, as is usual with rulings on emergency applications. But in a brief concurring opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett warned against the court making momentous decisions "on a short fuse without benefit of full briefing and oral argument."

Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote Friday's dissenting opinion and was joined by justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

In the opinion, Gorsuch contrasted Maine's lack of religious exemptions with those offered by other states and said those who would prefer a religious exemption option believe the state's requirement "violates foundational principles of their religious faith."

[Unagi]

So, I was expecting the Newsweek cover to be much much worse. And I think maybe I'm missing what everyone else is seeing...

My first reaction to the 'cute girl with teddy bear' and the question of 'would I give her a shot' is a quick, Yes.... and then the cover goes on to say that "Health Experts strongly back a COVID vaccine for children".

I mean, I see that as an attempt to get people to vaccinate their kids (never mind the white blonde girl part)...

Again, I'm sure I'm totally missing something here. What is it?

[malchior]

So, I was expecting the Newsweek cover to be much much worse. And I think maybe I'm missing what everyone else is seeing...

My first reaction to the 'cute girl with teddy bear' and the question of 'would I give her a shot' is a quick, Yes.... and then the cover goes on to say that "Health Experts strongly back a COVID vaccine for children".

I mean, I see that as an attempt to get people to vaccinate their kids (never mind the white blonde girl part)...

Again, I'm sure I'm totally missing something here. What is it?

It's an accumulation of elements. The image they chose. The font. The way that question is phrased. The color of the words, 'A SHOT'. It could be interpreted to imply danger. It is overall implicitly negative. Also, they add a dash of false equivalence to potentially irresponsibly punch up the story. In this case, health experts vs. parents on the issue. I'm not searching out the story but it even could be a great/well-balanced story but they choose to almost certainly be intentionally provocative with this cover.

[Max Peck]

That, and the emphasis on "Parents aren't so sure" as if a preponderance of parents are against vaccinating their children and are being forced into it.

[Daehawk]

[malchior]

What is going on with these people? How does anyone let alone a group of people think this is appropriate?

[Kasey Chang]

There are signs that COVID can cause brain swelling which leads to decreased self-control, anger management issues, bipolar-like mood swings, and increased paranoia. There was a UCSF Children's Hospital paper released last week about 3 cases they saw in 2020.

The increasing irrational rhetoric from the holdouts is somewhat worrisome. It seems every other day we get some weird rant about "want children to turn in their parents", "classrooms teaching cannibalism", and other incoherent rants from antimaskers and antivaxxers.

[malchior]

There are signs that COVID can cause brain swelling which leads to decreased self-control, anger management issues, bipolar-like mood swings, and increased paranoia. There was a UCSF Children's Hospital paper released last week about 3 cases they saw in 2020.

The increasing irrational rhetoric from the holdouts is somewhat worrisome. It seems every other day we get some weird rant about "want children to turn in their parents", "classrooms teaching cannibalism", and other incoherent rants from antimaskers and antivaxxers.

I need a lot more if I am going to be conviced that it is COVID turning pockets of people into sociopaths. It wasn't like we didn't have all sorts of problems with people and rising extremism prior to 2020. IMO this situation is only pressing on pressure points that were already forming and its far more likely linked to political alignment than anything else.

Edit: FWIW anecdotally I have a friend who is a paid firefighter in Jersey City and everyone in his fire house were amongst the first ones to get vaccines. He got the call one morning to come down and get it in January (IIRC) and the guys and their families were all lined up to get them. No issues whatsoever. Same thing with a friend in the Port Authority police. I suspect a lot of these guys are actually vaccinated to be honest but they get pressured a lot politically to conform. And that's what we are seeing.

[LawBeefaroni]

So, I was expecting the Newsweek cover to be much much worse. And I think maybe I'm missing what everyone else is seeing...

My first reaction to the 'cute girl with teddy bear' and the question of 'would I give her a shot' is a quick, Yes.... and then the cover goes on to say that "Health Experts strongly back a COVID vaccine for children".

I mean, I see that as an attempt to get people to vaccinate their kids (never mind the white blonde girl part)...

Again, I'm sure I'm totally missing something here. What is it?

Same. I read it as, "give the kid a shot" like "give the kid a chance."

Maybe I'm being charitable because I haven't read Newsweek for decades and even back then it was soft news.

[YellowKing]

A SHOT bolded in red scary letters while a frightened child looks at you in terror. PARENTS AREN'T SO SURE. Again bolded in red. They knew exactly where they wanted your eye drawn. I don't know how to read it any other way than vaccine fear-mongering in the guise of being "fair and balanced." Not to mention the giant Tucker Carlson blurb at the top.

[Defiant]

Evidence that suggests that vaccination (within six months) is more effective than natural immunity:

Among COVID-19–like illness hospitalizations among adults aged ≥18 years whose previous infection or vaccination occurred 90–179 days earlier, the adjusted odds of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 among unvaccinated adults with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection were 5.49-fold higher than the odds among fully vaccinated recipients of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine who had no previous documented infection (95% confidence interval = 2.75–10.99).

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7044e1.htm

[Smoove_B]

There's been some push to stop using "natural immunity" as a term as it's a bit confusing and arguably inaccurate. But I'll leave that up to the academics to argue (and the MAGAts to scream about).

In bigger news, 9,000 NYC workers are now sitting home on unpaid leave for refusing to vaccinate. I hope the city is advancing on firing them all as no one wins the longer this is dragged out.

This represents about 6% of the entire workforce.

Send them packing and hire new workers. End of story.

[Octavious]

Kind of depressing that 6% of them are that Pro Trump that they would toss their careers away for no reason. I wonder how many of them are near the end of their careers anyway.

[Daehawk]

Its a teeny weeny shot in the arm. God forbid they one day mandate organ donation....which they should.

[LawBeefaroni]

Judge Blocks Firing Of NorthShore Nurses Who Decline Vaccination

A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against NorthShore University HealthSystem on behalf of 14 unvaccinated employees.

[LawBeefaroni]

[Daehawk]

Chicago - "So I see you have chosen death"

[LawBeefaroni]

Chicago - "So I see you have chosen death"

Chicago chose to mandate. Federal and county judges chose to block the mandate (temporarily).

FWIW, the cops didn't have to be vaccinated until the end of the year. The nurses had to be vaccinated by midnight on 10/31.

[Smoove_B]

The nation is watching.

Also: RE NYC mandate:

BREAKING - After threats that 10,000 NYPD officers could quit the force over the NYC vaccine mandate, the actual number going on unpaid leave today was 34.

[Daehawk]

hehe 34. Never have so many been so whiney.

[Isgrimnur]

Try not to catch Covid on your way through the parking lot.

Spoiler:

I know it's off by three.

[Smoove_B]