GOP Lawmaker Who Opposed Restrictions Now Sick

July 24, 2021 at 9:05 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 20 Comments

Maine state Rep. Chris Johansen (R), who has been an outspoken opponent of coronavirus restrictions, has reportedly contracted COVID-19, Maine Public reports.

A man alleged to be Johansen said in a recording: "Listen up, I've got COVID and I'm really, really sick and I just don't have time to talk to you today."

Today my distraught brother at the end of his tether with his vaccine denying family said "I really starting to hope one of the boys (talking about one of his grandsons) gets it who is young and healthy so maybe the others (older fatter ones) will get vaccinated before it's too late".

He actually said this.  It is an absolutely stunning thing I could not imagine hearing my brother say.

Im hearing a lot of anger.  Old inoculated folks are getting pi$$ed.  I'm hearing a lot that "these people" are keeping us from getting back to normal.

I missed this detail from Rochelle Walensky's press conference earlier but it helps explain why the CDC is suddenly nervous about vaccinated people going around unmasked.
It's getting attention online this afternoon too, partly because Drudge is highlighting the news and partly because excited vaccine skeptics are misunderstanding what it says, I suspect. When the CDC says that the vaxxed and unvaxxed have the same viral load, they don't mean they have the same amount throughout their bodies, including their lungs. That would mean the vaccines don't work, which is why anti-vaxxers have perked up about it. But we already know that they work: The numbers prove that the vaccinated are at far less risk of serious illness than the unvaccinated are. Delta usually can't get enough traction in a vaccinated person's body to debilitate them.

What the CDC means is that the vaxxed and unvaxxed have similar amounts of viral particles in their noses and throats, making them equal risks to infect the people around them. That's a big deal and it helps explain the change in mask guidance. If the vaccinated are as likely to infect an unvaccinated person as another unvaccinated person is then reducing infections requires everyone to mask up, not just those who haven't had their shots. The average vaccinated person would respond to that by saying, "Why should I care if I infect someone who's unvaccinated? That's their problem." Fair enough, but epidemiologists are thinking big-picture. They want to slow the Delta surge as much as they can and buy time for vaccine holdouts to go get immunized before they're infected.

They often say this with a Trumpie tone.  Defiant and strong.

Being used to vaccinated people like me either running away or wheedling and begging them to reconsider, when I express pleasure bordering on barely concealed glee they are so they seem derailed.  I tell them, hey, it's a free country.  You don't want a vaccination, don't get a vaccination.  Hey, I say, that also works because it gets us to herd immunity.
You be YOU.

The reasons for the decline in effectiveness is unclear, but it may be one or a combination of factors, such as waning vaccine immunity and the rise of the Delta variant.

The booster campaign is not without detractors. However, from my perspective, none of the arguments against boosters are persuasive.

One argument against boosters for all, are epitomized by the comment of Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist at Bellevue--Boosters would only be warranted if the vaccines were failing to prevent hospitalizations. "Feeling sick like a dog and laid up in bed. but not in the hospital with severe Covid is not a good enough reason" for boosters.  To me, a foolish assessment, not only ignoring being "sick as a dog",(and wind up in the hospital) but being exposed to long-term side effects. And, of course, the economic impact on the workforce.

Another reason seems to broach the political and geopolitical.. We will be better protected by vaccinating the unvaccinated here and around the world. A good idea, but a separate one.

 Of course, the Biden Administration has delivered vaccines and promised even more to other countries. And, too, execution of the idea requires organization and provision for freezers to store Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. (perhaps the J and J vaccine, that has less demanding storage requirements should be reserved for use in other or developing countries).

Also, arguments are made for boosters only in "vulnerable" populations--immuno-compromised and nursing homes.  We have been there before, when the supplies of vaccines were limited and priorities in distribution made sense. But, our supplies are now ample and, too,  we have learned over the past many months, that the virus does not limit its habitat. The best bet on nursing homes is that the unvaccinated staff and guests be required to be vaccinated.

And, perhaps, the least persuasive is that boosters will undermine confidence in the vaccines, adding to the skepticism among people yet to receive one dose.

Boosters for vaccinations are not unusual. Nor are annual vaccinations.  Even our pets need booster shots, say, for rabies.

The benchmarks of hospitalizations and death are pragmatic, but not consistent with the mission of public health which promotes the welfare of the entire population and protects it from the spread of infectious disease.

Hospitals in North Texas have "quietly developed" a plan to allow doctors to take vaccination status into account when deciding how to triage intensive-care beds if the coronavirus pandemic overwhelms ICUs, The Dallas Morning News reports.

The messaging would be tricky but I actually think the most effective message we could have for the cult is - you know what, we are really not that upset you are killing yourself.  You be you.  Free-dumb is not free.

August 9, 2021 at 2:05 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 114 Comments

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Arkansas on Monday set a new record for the number of people in the state hospitalized because of COVID-19 as its coronavirus surge continued.

The state reported its COVID-19 hospitalizations rose by 103, its biggest one-day increase, to 1,376. The state's previous record during the pandemic for COVID-19 hospitalizations was in January when it reported 1,371 virus patients in the hospital.

The Department of Health reported that there are only eight intensive care unit beds available in the state. There are 509 COVID-19 patients in ICUs around the state and 286 on ventilators.

Arkansas ranks third in the country for new virus cases per capita

(Gee, ya think, a coinky-dink? Who could've seen that coming, eh?)

Our visitor arrival numbers are now surpassing the pre-COVID peak in 2019. The huge demand even prompted Alaska Airlines to add an additional flight between Seattle and Honolulu, which is now up to four daily nonstops. From Seattle. Alaska also flies nonstop from Seattle to Kauai, Maui (two flights) and Kona. That's eight daily flights here from just one city.

Anyway, the 24-bed ICU at nearby Hilo Medical Center (which is about a mile down the road from our house) is now completely full. While 13 of the hospital's 24 current ICU patients were admitted for non-COVID issues, COVID has definitely put a real strain on the facility. Two ICU patients are presently being treated in the emergency room while awaiting openings upstairs.

So, let's hope our mayor doesn't have another heart attack like he did earlier this year.

Key takeaway from infectious disease expert Inci Yildirim: "If you're vaccinated, you did the best thing you can do, and there's no reason to feel pessimistic. You're safe. But you will need to think about how safe you want people around you to be."

I think many are re-evaluating how safe they want those around them to be.

Texas Lt. Governor Blames African-Americans for Covid Surge

August 20, 2021 at 4:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 126 Comments

NBC News: "Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said unvaccinated African Americans -- not lax coronavirus precautions in states like his -- are responsible for the surge in Covid-19 cases in his state."

Said Patrick: "The Covid is spreading, particularly most of the numbers are with the unvaccinated, and the Democrats like to blame Republicans on that. Well, the biggest group in most states are African Americans who have not been vaccinated. Last time I checked, over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties, so it's up to the Democrats.

It's a lie of course but I heard some talk at the gym that sounded like the white red necks were unhappy about being lumped in with urban blacks as the most unvaccinated demographic.  I'm sure the urban blacks are unhappy with it also.  The reasons were mostly different for the two groups.    But that has been the two groups.

The coverage of this morons statement is probably resulting in some vaccinations in both groups as they learn they are being included in a group with the other

"At least 70% of the recent calls have been related to ingestion of livestock or animal formulations of ivermectin purchased at livestock supply centers,"