Promising New Coronavirus Vaccine

[marvpelkey]

Not sure how Nov 8th turned into an Emoji, but my apologies.

[LesPalenik]

Cruising is not my thing. I typically rent either a house or condo on Kauai and drive to different places. Cost of a car rental for 2 weeks is about $2,500. I rented a car in Croatia for 20 days for $245.

$2,500 for 2 weeks car rental is an obscene amount. Could be because of the democrat governor. But maybe that price was just transitory.
I wonder how much will Hertz charge there next year for Tesla.

[chez]

$2,500 for 2 weeks car rental is an obscene amount. Could be because of the democrat governor. But maybe that price was just transitory.
I wonder how much will Hertz charge there next year for Tesla.

It’s been that price for a year now. The excuse is the rental companies dumped much of their fleet when travel to Hawaii dropped because of Covid, now with the car shortage, they are having a tough time filling their fleets. That’s the official story, but my gut says greed comes into play here.

[Robert Roaldi]

It’s been that price for a year now. The excuse is the rental companies dumped much of their fleet when travel to Hawaii dropped because of Covid, now with the car shortage, they are having a tough time filling their fleets. That’s the official story, but my gut says greed comes into play here.

Off-topic for this thread, but I think it's because of free market forces, the same ones that compel health insurance companies to keep medical costs low.

[LesPalenik]

It’s been that price for a year now. The excuse is the rental companies dumped much of their fleet when travel to Hawaii dropped because of Covid, now with the car shortage, they are having a tough time filling their fleets. That’s the official story, but my gut says greed comes into play here.

I visited Kauai about 15 years ago and I think at that time we paid about $250/week for a car.
A friend of mine who has been going to Hawaii quite often for many years, prefers now Oahu, since they have there pretty good and cheap public bus network.

[Robert Roaldi]

Gwynne Dyer's commentary on Omicron and travel bans, https://gwynnedyer.com/2021/covid-19-digital-peasants-and-the-ignorant-rich/.

[Alan Klein]

Gwynne Dyer's commentary on Omicron and travel bans, https://gwynnedyer.com/2021/covid-19-digital-peasants-and-the-ignorant-rich/.

At least we didn't call Biden a bigot for banning travel from Black nations as democrats and Biden called Trump a racist and xenophobe when he banned travel from China. The Democrats made a political charge for every Trump decision and policy move.

[digitaldog]

No. But he did take a thread on vaccines and convert it into another forum for his political views... with the cooperation of others.

He did it again.

At least we didn't call Biden a bigot for banning travel from Black nations as democrats and Biden called Trump a racist and xenophobe when he banned travel from China. The Democrats made a political charge for every Trump decision and policy move.

Alan: Trump is a racist. Was, long before Covid-19 existed.

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2016/7/25/12270880/donald-trump-racist-racism-history

[Alan Klein]

$2,500 for 2 weeks car rental is an obscene amount. Could be because of the democrat governor. But maybe that price was just transitory.
I wonder how much will Hertz charge there next year for Tesla.

I just checked AARP where I'm a member.  For a week in February 2022, they want $105 a day for a Chrysler 300.  That's not too bad considering.  There are other deals going up to $200 a day or so.  But what's wrong with a Chrysler 300? 

Try AAA.  They have deals too.  Of course, you have to join for a year but the savings may be worth it.  Some rental car companies charge for a second driver.  But with AAA, you don't have to pay that, at least I didn't a couple of years ago in California when I rented from Hertz.   Check with your credit card companies too.  They have deals as well. 

[PeterAit]

$2,500 for 2 weeks car rental is an obscene amount. Could be because of the democrat governor.

Seriously? The governor? I do not know that I have every heard a stupider comment.

[Jonathan Cross]

In the UK the COVID alert level as been raised the the 2nd highest. Boris Johnson has announced this evening that all adults (18+) will be offered a booster jab by the end of the month if 3 months or more since 2nd jab. The military is going to help. The pressure is on to get jabbed to save hospitalisations as Omicron is more infectious. This is to cut down the possibility of other treatments e.g. cancer being postponed if Covid demand goes up a lot.
Jonathan

[LesPalenik]

Seriously? The governor? I do not know that I have every heard a stupider comment.

Loosen up, don't take everything seriously. Or do you want me to attach those yellow emoticons to all my posts?

[Robert Roaldi]

An interesting state by state comparison of Covid responses, https://www.politico.com/interactives/2021/covid-by-the-numbers-how-each-state-fared-on-our-pandemic-scorecard/.

[Alan Klein]

An interesting state by state comparison of Covid responses, https://www.politico.com/interactives/2021/covid-by-the-numbers-how-each-state-fared-on-our-pandemic-scorecard/.

I have been highlighting for two years, that there are both health and economic issues that were and are still paramount.  Unfortunately, the press and Democrats pushed health issues to the detriment of economic ones.  They concluded people who were concerned about economic issues were somehow evil, a political position started because it was a presidential election year.   Most people who are concerned about economic problems also understood there was a balanced approach one needed in taking appropriate action for both problems.

It's still not over.  We'll have to wait months, possibly years to get a real understanding of what results from different positions and actions taken by the states.

From the article you listed the link to:

Here are some core takeaways:

-States that imposed more restrictions such as stay-at-home orders and mask requirements did experience lower rates of death and hospitalizations. But they also tended to have worse economic and educational outcomes.
-States whose economies are heavily dependent on tourism suffered the most economically, with Hawaii and Nevada hit hardest.
-No state did well in every policy area.
-Overall, rural states tended to fare better than more urbanized states on economic and educational outcomes. Many rural states, despite being less densely populated, ranked poorly in health outcomes, however.

[Robert Roaldi]

Sadly, the Worldometer 7-day moving day average of US daily deaths is at 1200 or so at the moment and seems to be tracking new daily infections. I guess there was some hope that this new wave might show a relative decrease in daily deaths compared to daily infections, which would show lowering morbidity, but that's not happening yet. Even if the recent variant is less deadly, the lower vaccination rate in the US means that significant numbers of people are still at risk from the original Covid version(s). Future research may sort out all these numbers more accurately than we can now.

The history of US daily deaths (7-day avg) is interesting. Its lowest level since the onset of Covid was at about 245 per day in late July 2021. 245 per day works out to about 89,000 per year, which is well above the annual number of deaths due to flu (about 35,000) and is also significantly above the worst flu year (about 60,000).

New infections in Canada are also rapidly increasing, presumably doe to the new variant, but with no corresponding increase in deaths, yet. Difficult to know how to interpret this data. It could be because of high vaccination rates in Canada but it could also mean that the new variant is less deadly. I don't know what percentage of current infections are due to the new variant.

[Alan Klein]

Sadly, the Worldometer 7-day moving day average of US daily deaths is at 1200 or so at the moment and seems to be tracking new daily infections. I guess there was some hope that this new wave might show a relative decrease in daily deaths compared to daily infections, which would show lowering morbidity, but that's not happening yet. Even if the recent variant is less deadly, the lower vaccination rate in the US means that significant numbers of people are still at risk from the original Covid version(s). Future research may sort out all these numbers more accurately than we can now.

The history of US daily deaths (7-day avg) is interesting. Its lowest level since the onset of Covid was at about 245 per day in late July 2021. 245 per day works out to about 89,000 per year, which is well above the annual number of deaths due to flu (about 35,000) and is also significantly above the worst flu year (about 60,000).

New infections in Canada are also rapidly increasing, presumably doe to the new variant, but with no corresponding increase in deaths, yet. Difficult to know how to interpret this data. It could be because of high vaccination rates in Canada but it could also mean that the new variant is less deadly. I don't know what percentage of current infections are due to the new variant.

From what I have read, the new variant is not as deadly.  Statistics soon will tell.  It may turn out like the regular flu.  Officials are not treating it like the flu however insisting on masking up again.  The problem is many people are done with the mask.  Even here in NJ, the democrat governor Murphy has indicated people have "had it" with masks. 

[Robert Roaldi]

... people have "had it" with masks.

Not sure what that even means. Have they had with anti-biotics? Have they had it with chemo for cancer? Have they had it with stopping at red lights? It's incoherent.

[Jonathan Cross]

If people go without masks, get Delta or Omicron and spread it, that could increase hospitalisations and the numbers isolating, hence off work. The worry in the UK is that more taking up beds in hospitals will affect other needs such as cancer treatments. More isolating or unwell and not at work will affect the economy.

Personal freedom or gross selfishness?

Jonathan

[digitaldog]

From what I have read, the new variant is not as deadly.  Statistics soon will tell. 

So you don't know. You assume.

The problem is many people are done with the mask.  Even here in NJ, the democrat governor Murphy has indicated people have "had it" with masks.

Many people are done with assuming, not following science and political stupidity and yet....more examples here of all three.

[TechTalk]

From what I have read, the new variant is not as deadly.

Who wrote that and where did you read it?