Covid General discussions

[Robert Roaldi]

I'm not minimiing the risk.  I protect myself.  But the article should have indicated which variant he died from.  They made it seem like it was Omicron but they were not definitive.  It seems therefore like just another scare article.

Do they test every case? Is it possible they didn't know?

[chez]

I'm not minimiing the risk.  I protect myself.  But the article should have indicated which variant he died from.  They made it seem like it was Omicron but they were not definitive.  It seems therefore like just another scare article.

Well given it occurred recently...there's a good bet it was Omicron. There are plenty young people in hospitals or morgues to tell you letting your guards down now is really stupid.

[Alan Klein]

Do they test every case? Is it possible they didn't know?

The thing is more people are taking chances thinking that Omicron is safer, which it is.   Not indicating if it was Delta he died from if it was, doesn't advance knowledge much.  Meanwhile the article repeats the word Omicron about 7 times making it seem like that's what he had, never mentioning Delta, and never stating explicitly what he died from.  For all we know he went in with Covid but died of a heart attack.    It seems they had an agenda with the article.  It's stuff like that which makes people suspicious.   

[Alan Klein]

Well given it occurred recently...there's a good bet it was Omicron. There are plenty young people in hospitals or morgues to tell you letting your guards down now is really stupid.

Many are claiming we should follow the science.  There's no science in guessing about what he died from.  The article seems like clickbait.

[Robert Roaldi]

Many are claiming we should follow the science.  There's no science in guessing about what he died from.  The article seems like clickbait.

You're jumping to conclusions. It could just be a mistake or simply bad reporting. You have the byline, just email and ask.

[Alan Klein]

You're jumping to conclusions. It could just be a mistake or simply bad reporting. You have the byline, just email and ask.

The average reader isn;t going to send an email for a clarification.  The problem is that with so many questioning the honesty of reporting, the  hypocrisy of politicians who issue mandates and then personally disregard them, etc, these kinds of articles just raise more doubt in already doubting people. 

If we want these outliers to change their minds and get vaccinations and follow what seems to be the right path, the news has to be more meticulously provided.  Politicians and scientists in particular have to be honest and forthright instead of often playing politics with the whole thing.   

[LesPalenik]

The thing is more people are taking chances thinking that Omicron is safer, which it is.   Not indicating if it was Delta he died from if it was, doesn't advance knowledge much.  Meanwhile the article repeats the word Omicron about 7 times making it seem like that's what he had, never mentioning Delta, and never stating explicitly what he died from.  For all we know he went in with Covid but died of a heart attack.    It seems they had an agenda with the article.  It's stuff like that which makes people suspicious.

If Omicron is ten times less dangerous but also ten times more transmissible, we would end up with roughly the same outcome as in Delta times. Which actually correlates with the latest casualty numbers. In USA, the recent deaths fluctuate in the 1,500-2,000 range, and in Canada the deaths seem to be also on rise (150-200).  So Omicron is far from being harmless.

[Alan Klein]

If Omicron is ten times less dangerous but also ten times more transmissible, we would end up with roughly the same outcome as in Delta times. Which actually correlates with the latest casualty numbers. In USA, the recent deaths fluctuate in the 1,500-2,000 range, and in Canada the deaths seem to be also on rise (150-200).  So Omicron is far from being harmless.

What I was pointing out is the article is biased. It makes it seem like this guy died of Omicron to scare people of Omicron.   That's a distortion if he died from Delta or something else.

[Robert Roaldi]

...  Politicians and scientists in particular have to be honest and forthright instead of often playing politics with the whole thing.

Even if I were to accept your outlandish interpretation of that story, how do you go from not being happy with CNN's reporting to "Politicians and scientists in particular have to be honest and forthright instead of often playing politics... "   It's a non-sequitur at best.

Besides, the issue of trying to acquire "natural immunity" by getting the infection has been dealt with before. It's wrong-headed and dangerous. How can anyone be so stupid as to believe that a thusly acquired infection would protect them forever? If vaccinations don't work 100% of the time, why would anyone think that an immunity acquired by being infected would work any better? What would they then have to do, get infected again in 6 months as a "booster". It is a spectacular failure of modern culture that such superstitions and witch doctor-like beliefs emerge as credible.

[Alan Klein]

I agree that many people are making foolish decisions based on political leanings aggravated by misinformation.

[Alan Klein]

The government and science winked at the public telling us in the beginning that it didn't matter which vaccine you took.  That wasn't true.  Another fib by them.  The results now match the same order of effectiveness found during their trials a year ago.  Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J.   

Interesting, what turned out to be best against Delta is if you had both the vaccine and caught the disease previously which doesn't seem very good to me since you caught the disease.  How that's better I'm not sure.

One chart shows people vaccinated with Moderna had the best protection against COVID-19 in 2021
New data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday suggests a clear hierarchy among the three vaccines in use in the US — at least against the Delta variant.

In a study of more than 1.1 million adults conducted from May to November in New York and California, Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine provided the most robust protection against Delta infections, Pfizer's came in second best, and Johnson & Johnson's trailed both of them. The new CDC study reinforces nationwide hospital data released last year.

But the very best immune protection against a COVID-19 infection against Delta came in the form of what's called hybrid immunity, a blend of prior infection and vaccination. That was true regardless of which vaccine a person had received.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/one-chart-shows-people-vaccinated-133743679.html

[Chris Kern]

I agree that many people are making foolish decisions based on political leanings aggravated by misinformation.

Apology accepted.

[LesPalenik]

Just watched the video discussion between Dr. Dean Ornish and Rip Esselstyn about not so well known benefits of plant-based diet.
Dr. Ornish is well known doctor (he was Bill Clinton's doctor and also health advisor to Obamas). In this video he talks about reversing diabetes and heart disease, lengthening of telomeres and preventing prostate cancer and even Alzheimer.
He also quotes several studies which documented that people on plant-based diet handled covid-19, including omicron variant better than others on the regular diet.
The first study done by the British Medical Journal on 3,000 frontline health workers who were taking care of covid-19 patients, found out that workers on plant-based diet were 73% less likely to develop moderate to severe illness, people on pescatarian diet 59% less likely and people on Atkins/Keto diet were 400% more likely to get moderate to severe illness.

He also mentioned another experiment in film Game Changers where the doctors gave a single meat-based meal to three men and another plant-based meal to other three men. They found out that the men who consumed the plant-based meal had in their sleep more frequent and harder erections. The entire film crew went on plant-based diet after filming that scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EORES18qDqM
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKmIxkBxtGg&t

[PeterAit]

Just watched the video discussion between Dr. Dean Ornish and Rip Esselstyn about not so well known benefits of plant-based diet.

Plant-based? Every food we eat is plant-based, from your broccoli and tofu to beefsteaks, chicken wings, and oysters. What's wrong with "vegetarian?"

[Alan Klein]

I'm not the only one complaining that scientists and the government have confused people about Covid with their conflicting statements.  Even Time Magazine, a liberal outlet, concludes similarly.  Naturally, you're going to get some people who refuse to go along or just don't understand what the "right" thing is to do.


How the Biden Administration Lost Its Way
...The Administration vowed to let scientists lead the way, but the result has been a confounding lack of coordination. The heads of the CDC, National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration and the President’s COVID-19 task force have made conflicting statements on everything from boosters to quarantines, leaving the public befuddled and anxious. “I would argue that the American people have less trust in federal health officials now than a year ago,” says Dr. Leana Wen, a public health professor at George Washington University. In a CBS News poll released Jan. 16, two-thirds of Americans said the U.S. COVID-19 response was going badly.
https://time.com/6140442/joe-biden-presidency-second-year/

[LesPalenik]

Plant-based? Every food we eat is plant-based, from your broccoli and tofu to beefsteaks, chicken wings, and oysters. What's wrong with "vegetarian?"

Technically, a vegetarian is a person whose diet consists of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products.
Plant-based diet avoids the latter two kinds. Some people refer to it as eating only things which don't have a face or mother.
A balanced diet, including primarily plants, and a little bit of dairy, eggs, fish and occasional organic meat yields also better results than the SAD (Standard American Diet).   

[Alan Klein]

Good news.  I think I'll plan a vacation for March. I'd love to go now as it's 14 degrees F right now, but it's too soon for safety.


Is COVID retreating in the U.S.? Data paints encouraging scenario
NEW YORK, Jan 21 (Reuters) - New coronavirus cases are falling in parts of the United States hit hardest by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, according to a Reuters analysis of public health data, offering an early indication the virus might once again be in retreat.

COVID-19 infections have decreased in 19 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, an analysis of the past week through Thursday compared with the prior week showed.

In the Northeast, which saw some of the highest case loads during the latest surge, infections are down 40% week-over-week.

"Certainly it bodes well for us in terms of the trajectory of Omicron," said Wafaa El-Sadr, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia University in New York City.

The drop was more modest at the national level, with new reported COVID-19 cases down 7% during the same time period, according to the Reuters tally, as Omicron surges in some other parts of the country.
https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/is-covid-retreating-us-data-paints-encouraging-scenario-2022-01-21/

[chez]

Many are claiming we should follow the science.  There's no science in guessing about what he died from.  The article seems like clickbait.

She died of Covid. Who gives a rats ass what strain it was. She foolishly self infected from her family thinking it was no more than a cold with the idea that she can then go to restaurants and theaters after she recovered. That is the message of this story...don't underestimate Covid.

As far as what strain it is...really doesn't matter. With Delta the US was dying at a rate between 1000 and 2000 a day and it still continues with the Omicron strain.

[Alan Klein]

She died of Covid. Who gives a rats ass what strain it was. She foolishly self infected from her family thinking it was no more than a cold with the idea that she can then go to restaurants and theaters after she recovered. That is the message of this story...don't underestimate Covid.

As far as what strain it is...really doesn't matter. With Delta the US was dying at a rate between 1000 and 2000 a day and it still continues with the Omicron strain.

The article was apparently trying to prove that Omicron is very dangerous by repeating the word Omicron about seven times. They were setting up the reader to believe this woman died from it.  Yet, they never reported that she actually died from Omicron. In fact, the only person who claimed what she died from was her son, nor did he claim it was Omicron?  He just claimed it was Covid which means it could have been the more dangerous variant of Delta.  In any case, was he a doctor?   Did he test his mom?  How does he know what she died from?   Fake news to scare us about Omicron.  If I claimed this, you guys would be all over me for assuming stuff.   

[LesPalenik]

As far as what strain it is...really doesn't matter. With Delta the US was dying at a rate between 1000 and 2000 a day and it still continues with the Omicron strain.

Yes, the death count right now is actually higher than last year - almost 3,000 deaths in US and 212 in Canada yesterday and today's counts may be similar.