Promising New Coronavirus Vaccine

[TechTalk]

Oh, stop it.  She got a call from Biden and switched her opinion.

Really? When did the CDC switch their opinion on teachers not needing to be vaccinated for schools to re-open?

[Alan Klein]

Biden's supporting the teacher's union because they supported him in the election.  The CDC director works for the President. It's politics, not science.

[TechTalk]

The question was in regard to your claim. When did the CDC switch their opinion on teachers not needing to be vaccinated for schools to re-open?

[Alan Klein]

The question was in regard to your claim. When did the CDC switch their opinion on teachers not needing to be vaccinated for schools to re-open?

I seem to recall the reduction to 3 feet from six feet was a sop to the unions.  Biden was trying to split the baby.

[Manoli]

My wife and I are looking to travel in the Fall, maybe, overseas.  We might need some sort of vaccine "passport" that would make it easier to get in and out of various countries. 

No! Please, No!

[TechTalk]

I seem to recall the reduction to 3 feet from six feet was a sop to the unions.  Biden was trying to split the baby.

You refuse to answer the question about your claim that the CDC director switched her opinion on teachers not needing to be vaccinated for schools to reopen because it's false. So, you try to dance around it.

To once again dance around that question, you make another claim that the the CDC guidance which reduced desk spacing was a concession to teachers' unions. Despite the fact that it was the opposite of what their unions wanted. Teachers' unions opposed that change, just like they opposed CDC guidance that teachers did not need to be vaccinated for schools to re-open. The new Secretary of Education, that Biden appointed, successfully overcame resistance and protests from the teachers' unions in Connecticut to reopen their schools as Education Commissioner. Reopening schools for in person learning is a top priority for Biden and they're actively working to overcome reluctance from teachers' unions to get schools open and provide the necessary resources to make it happen.

The current guidance from CDC for school reopening recognizes local situations and has flexibility.

"Schools should determine, in collaboration with state and local health officials to the extent possible, whether and how to implement each of these considerations while adjusting to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the local community. Implementation should be guided by what is feasible, practical, acceptable, and tailored to the needs of each community. It is also critically important to develop strategies that can be revised and adapted depending on the level of viral transmission in the school and throughout the community, as this may change rapidly. Strategies should be implemented in close coordination with state, local, or tribal public health authorities, recognizing the differences between school districts, including urban, suburban, and rural districts."

Your claims are so far off base that they're not even in the ballpark.

[Alan Klein]

You refuse to answer the question about your claim that the CDC director switched her opinion on teachers not needing to be vaccinated for schools to reopen because it's false. So, you try to dance around it.

To once again dance around that question, you make another claim that the the CDC guidance which reduced desk spacing was a concession to teachers' unions. Despite the fact that it was the opposite of what their unions wanted. Teachers' unions opposed that change, just like they opposed CDC guidance that teachers did not need to be vaccinated for schools to re-open. The new Secretary of Education, that Biden appointed, successfully overcame resistance and protests from the teachers' unions in Connecticut to reopen their schools as Education Commissioner. Reopening schools for in person learning is a top priority for Biden and they're actively working to overcome reluctance from teachers' unions to get schools open and provide the necessary resources to make it happen.

The current guidance from CDC for school reopening recognizes local situations and has flexibility.

"Schools should determine, in collaboration with state and local health officials to the extent possible, whether and how to implement each of these considerations while adjusting to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the local community. Implementation should be guided by what is feasible, practical, acceptable, and tailored to the needs of each community. It is also critically important to develop strategies that can be revised and adapted depending on the level of viral transmission in the school and throughout the community, as this may change rapidly. Strategies should be implemented in close coordination with state, local, or tribal public health authorities, recognizing the differences between school districts, including urban, suburban, and rural districts."

Your claims are so far off base that they're not even in the ballpark.

I said Biden split the baby when he reduced the distance from 6 feet to 3 feet.  It wasn't a full concession.  That's what splitting the baby means.  I didn't say he kissed their ass.  He tried to have it both ways.  Following the science somewhat, but giving the teacher's union a sop.

Regarding what the CDC and its director said, I got my information from Joe's post. It seems what I believe about the situation and I believe Joe's point.  Here it is again:

You missed some: 

On or around Feb. 3rd, she said, “There is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated ... Vaccinations of teachers is not a prerequisite for safely reopening schools.”  That is pretty clear cut. 

Schools can safely reopen without vaccinating teachers, CDC says

Then on February 4th, Jen Psaki walks the director backwards by saying “Dr. Walensky spoke to this in her personal capacity,” Psaki said. “Obviously, she’s the head of the CDC, but we’re going to wait for the final guidance to come out.”  I look at this as a massive insult towards Dr. Walensky, especially since she was talking in front of CDC logos, not in her personal capacity, and not to mention she is a doctor while Psaki is just a media personality, and an obvious signal the administration was going to dictate what the guidance should be. 

Then the following week, we got the new guidance, which, if followed, would require 99% of schools nationwide to close down even though 50+% were open at the time. 

It is obvious the administration stepped and "guided" the CDC on what to do due to concerns from teachers unions.  After the guidance came out, many experts in the private sector rejected them for being too stringent and difficult to achieve. 

Now if you want to get bogged down in the minutia of things to try and obscure the clearly obvious 30K foot view, that being we are not following the science but politics instead, be my guest.

[chez]

Just more panic-porn.

Really. Well I have a cousin right now fighting for his life on an intubator in a induced comma with major damage to his lungs and kidneys. Very poor prognosis. His wife a teacher brought Covid home and infected my cousin.

I'm getting a little sick of your attempt of humour around this deadly virus. Quit being such an ass and have a little companion for the millions that died and 10's of millions that survived but will be compromised for the rest of their lives.

[TechTalk]

Regarding what the CDC and its director said, I got my information from Joe's post. It seems what I believe about the situation and I believe Joe's point.  Here it is again:

Now you want to pass the buck to Joe. You made the claim "She got a call from Biden and switched her opinion". When did the CDC director switch her opinion on teachers not needing to be vaccinated for schools to re-open?

Stop with the copy and paste, the dancing around it, it's your claim — own it. When did the CDC director switch her opinion on teachers not needing to be vaccinated for schools to re-open?

[chez]

Sorry to hear that. However, that doesn't have much to do with what I was ridiculing, that is that someone healthy not wearing a mask was responsible for those deaths.

How does a healthy person know they are not carrying the virus. Many people are asymptomatic and can spread the virus just like someone else on their death bed. See that's the false sense of security the ignorant have...I feel great so I don't need no damn mask.

[chez]

Alan, enjoy life. Go on a trip. Do not listen to political idiots, the likes of CDC and Dr. Fauxi.

Yeh, listen to that other political idiot called Trump. He knows best.

[chez]

Well, that doesn't mean anything. I didn't imply it will stop at 60K, just to wake me up. I had it, survived it. You? Still live in fear?

Bullshit. At the time you were claiming Covid is no worse than the yearly flew where on a bad year it kills 60,000 people in the US. Well I guess your smart ass remarks back then about waking you up hasn't changed any...you are still a selfish inconsiderate smart ass.

[Alan Klein]

Now you want to pass the buck to Joe. You made the claim "She got a call from Biden and switched her opinion". When did the CDC director switch her opinion on teachers not needing to be vaccinated for schools to re-open?

Stop with the copy and paste, the dancing around it, it's your claim — own it. When did the CDC director switch her opinion on teachers not needing to be vaccinated for schools to re-open?

I believe she was told by Biden to back off when it came to the teacher's union.  I wasn't a fly on the wall.    There were no witnesses, no transcripts, no video. When he told her , how it developed, I will leave it to Joe and everyone's imagination.  She understood the science that it was OK to open schools.  But, it is my belief based on the fact that the union supported Biden in the election and he had to pay them back.  So he told her to back off. That's how politics work.  In order to satisfy the science and to give the union a sop, she reduced it from 6 feet to 3 feet.  That's what I believe.  You can believe what you want to believe.

[TechTalk]

I said Biden split the baby when he reduced the distance from 6 feet to 3 feet.  It wasn't a full concession.  That's what splitting the baby means.  I didn't say he kissed their ass.  He tried to have it both ways.  Following the science somewhat, but giving the teacher's union a sop.

And this is just more BS as well. The CDC director pointed to recent evidence from a study of Massachusetts schools in the decision to decrease the desk separation recommendation.

CDC Looks At Whether 3 Feet — Instead Of 6 — Is Safe For Schools' Social Distancing - March 15, 2021

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/03/15/977564878/cdc-looks-at-whether-3-feet-instead-of-6-is-safe-for-schools-social-distancing

The CDC's current guidance for schools recommends seating or desks be "at least 6 feet apart when feasible."

But a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that 3 feet may be as safe as 6 feet, so long as everyone is masked. The authors compared infection rates at Massachusetts schools that required at least 3 feet of distancing with those that required at least 6 feet, and found no significant difference in the coronavirus case rates among students or staff in the two cohorts.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, addressed the Massachusetts study at the White House COVID-19 briefing on Monday, and noted that schools have struggled with the 6-foot guidance.

"We are looking at these data carefully," Walensky said. "The question actually prompted more studies to be done, so we know more are forthcoming. We're taking all of those data carefully and revisiting our guidances in that context."

[Alan Klein]

And this is just more BS as well. The CDC director pointed to recent evidence from a study of Massachusetts schools in the decision to decrease the desk separation recommendation.

CDC Looks At Whether 3 Feet — Instead Of 6 — Is Safe For Schools' Social Distancing - March 15, 2021

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/03/15/977564878/cdc-looks-at-whether-3-feet-instead-of-6-is-safe-for-schools-social-distancing

The CDC's current guidance for schools recommends seating or desks be "at least 6 feet apart when feasible."

But a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that 3 feet may be as safe as 6 feet, so long as everyone is masked. The authors compared infection rates at Massachusetts schools that required at least 3 feet of distancing with those that required at least 6 feet, and found no significant difference in the coronavirus case rates among students or staff in the two cohorts.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, addressed the Massachusetts study at the White House COVID-19 briefing on Monday, and noted that schools have struggled with the 6-foot guidance.

"We are looking at these data carefully," Walensky said. "The question actually prompted more studies to be done, so we know more are forthcoming. We're taking all of those data carefully and revisiting our guidances in that context."

They found a fig leaf to satisfy the union and the science.  You can always find something to justify your political position.  Politicians are great at that.  They talk out of both sides of their mouths all the time.  Walensky is kissing Biden's ass as Birx kissed Trump's.  It's all politics.

[TechTalk]

I believe she was told by Biden to back off when it came to the teacher's union.  I wasn't a fly on the wall.    There were no witnesses, no transcripts, no video. When he told her , how it developed, I will leave it to Joe and everyone's imagination.  She understood the science that it was OK to open schools.  But, it is my belief based on the fact that the union supported Biden in the election and he had to pay them back.  So he told her to back off. That's how politics work.  In order to satisfy the science and to give the union a sop, she reduced it from 6 feet to 3 feet.  That's what I believe.  You can believe what you want to believe.

This is typical. What a waste of freaking time. There are facts.

The CDC director was asked by a reporter about the prioritization of teachers for vaccines before schools reopen in the fall at a press conference. That's a FACT.

The CDC director responded "there is increasing data to suggest that schools can safely reopen and that that safe reopening does not suggest that teachers need to be vaccinated in order to reopen safely." That's a FACT. There  are "witnesses" and "transcripts". I know because I posted the transcript twice myself. That's a FACT.

You made the FALSE claim that ""She got a call from Biden and switched her opinion". That's a FACT.

There has been and there was no "switch of opinion" regardless of your "belief" and that too is a FACT.

I'm done with this. What a waste.

[TechTalk]

They found a fig leaf to satisfy the union and the science.  You can always find something to justify your political position.  Politicians are great at that.  They talk out of both sides of their mouths all the time.  Walensky is kissing Biden's ass as Birx kissed Trump's.  It's all politics.

It's all paranoia and a waste of time.

[Chris Kern]

Many people are asymptomatic and can spread the virus just like someone else on their death bed.

For obvious reasons, it is difficult to produce precise statistics on asymptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2.  I have read estimates ranging from 30 percent to 60 percent of all infections.  There appears to be an expert consensus that transmission by presymptomatic individuals is somewhat more common than transmission by those who never develop symptoms.  However, that may be an artifact of contact-tracing being performed more often on the former group than on the latter because the infection was not discovered in many of the latter until it was too late to initiate a contact-tracing regime.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Really. Well I have a cousin right now fighting for his life on an intubator in a induced comma with major damage to his lungs and kidneys. Very poor prognosis. His wife a teacher brought Covid home and infected my cousin.

I'm getting a little sick of your attempt of humour around this deadly virus. Quit being such an ass and have a little companion for the millions that died and 10's of millions that survived but will be compromised for the rest of their lives.

 

Oh, brother... spare me your appeal to emotion (look it up, it is a logical fallacy)

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... Many people are asymptomatic and can spread the virus just like someone else on their death bed...

 

I have posted, months ago, links to research that found zero to negligible chance of asymptomatic transmission.