Covid-19 miscellany

[repoman]

 

[Angra Mainyu]

It's interesting that strains of COVID-19 have been emerging that are more and more contagious. Seems like this virus was not originally adapted to live in our species, and that it's getting more and more adapted to doing so.

Well, the virus may not have been originally adapted to live in any species, if it's of artificial origin.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Like the bats sampled 10 years ago? FFS!

Covid has killed felines at zoos and psychotic apes elsewhere.

 

[bilby]

It's interesting that strains of COVID-19 have been emerging that are more and more contagious. Seems like this virus was not originally adapted to live in our species, and that it's getting more and more adapted to doing so.

Well, the virus may not have been originally adapted to live in any species, if it's of artificial origin.

And if my aunt had a dick, she'd be my uncle.

The Earth isn't flat; GMOs don't cause cancer; Aliens don't kidnap drunk Arizonans and didn't help the Egyptians to build the pyramids.

NASA landed a dozen men on the Moon between 1969 and 1972, Elvis Presley is dead, the twin towers collapsed due to being struck by airliners, and COVID-19 isn't of artificial origin.

Seriously, nobody with an internet connection or access to a decent library, and with a bare minimum of intelligence and interest in these topics should be in any doubt about the accuracy of any of these statements.

 

[Angra Mainyu]

And if my aunt had a dick, she'd be my uncle.

Before you go on, let me warn you that it is very risky to challenge the board's dominant ideology/religion on that point. If you have not yet, I suggest you take a look at what happened in the other thread.

The Earth isn't flat; GMOs don't cause cancer; Aliens don't kidnap drunk Arizonans and didn't help the Egyptians to build the pyramids.

All true, and warranted.

NASA landed a dozen men on the Moon between 1969 and 1972, Elvis Presley is dead, the twin towers collapsed due to being struck by airliners, and COVID-19 isn't of artificial origin.

The first 3 statements are true and warranted. The fourth one is at least unwarranted.

Seriously, nobody with an internet connection or access to a decent library, and with a bare minimum of intelligence and interest in these topics should be in any doubt about the accuracy of any of these statements.

About the first 3, that is correct. About the fourth, that probably depends on how much they know. But if they're interested enough (not just a bare minimum), they should not have the belief that it is not of artificial origin.

 

[crazyfingers]

So we have Omicron. I expect that the vaccines will be less effective. Because people, mostly republicans, care so much about their own selfish-selves, they will continue to ignore masking and all precautions and deSantis wana-bee's will pass more laws to forbid precautions being taken. The Pandemic will only get worse than it has already been. Hundreds of thousands more people will die. Republicans will re-double their efforts to make sure that the virus spreads as much as possible so that they can blame Biden.

Through lies and idiocy and pure evil, pro-pandemic, pro-racism, anti-environment Republicans will take the house and senate. Then a Trumper will take the white house in 2025. Nothing will get better for the foreseeable future.

 

[Elixir]

So we have Omicron. I expect that the vaccines will be less effective. Because people, mostly republicans, care so much about their own selfish-selves, they will continue to ignore masking and all precautions and deSantis wana-bee's will pass more laws to forbid precautions being taken. The Pandemic will only get worse than it has already been. Hundreds of thousands more people will die. Republicans will re-double their efforts to make sure that the virus spreads as much as possible so that they can blame Biden.

Through lies and idiocy and pure evil, pro-pandemic, pro-racism, anti-environment Republicans will take the house and senate. Then a Trumper will take the white house in 2025. Nothing will get better for the foreseeable future.

Sure looks like that's what's on deck. I'm all in on the long shot:

* Republicans find themselves in a double-digit hole by October '22, due to their own mendacity and people fed up their bullshit
* They are only able to cheat their way into single digit deficits, lose 3 more seats in the Senate and a couple more in the House
* A massive litany of voter protection laws is passed in 2023
* A free and fair 2024 election puts the racists and Nazis well out of power for the foreseeable future
* I die happy (sometime later, hopefully)

 

[crazyfingers]

This was presented by HR at the company meeting where I currently work on October 6th this year. The claim is that the CDC forecasts a decline to next to nothing by March but the CDC doesn't make forecasts like this. The chart is not a CDC source.

The announcement was that the company plan would be for everyone to be required back in the office 3 days a week Nov and Dec and then 4 days a week starting January.

What would your reaction be if shown this slide?

 

[Ruth Harris]

My reaction would not be very polite, I am afraid. The first thing I would point out is that this was not an official CDC projection as they don't make forecasts like this, as you pointed out. Then I would tell them that since I had been performing my job remotely for this extended period of time I would not know of any reason why I should not continue to do that. If they said I had no choice - I would turn in my notice. People who push things like this are not trustworthy in my opinion.

Ruth

 

[barbos]

The thing which amuses me is that US media looks at US data and then declare near end of the pandemic, completely ignoring what is happening elsewhere - in Europe for example.

 

[crazyfingers]

The thing which amuses me is that US media looks at US data and then declare near end of the pandemic, completely ignoring what is happening elsewhere - in Europe for example.

Yup

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Why did they skip the Greek letter Xi?

 

[crazyfingers]

My reaction would not be very polite, I am afraid. The first thing I would point out is that this was not an official CDC projection as they don't make forecasts like this, as you pointed out. Then I would tell them that since I had been performing my job remotely for this extended period of time I would not know of any reason why I should not continue to do that. If they said I had no choice - I would turn in my notice. People who push things like this are not trustworthy in my opinion.

Ruth

I didn't comment on the call but I did email the HR director and made the point that the CDC does not forecast and the chart was from an NPR story and even that story pointed out that it was created under the most optimistic assumption (nearly all 5+ year olds getting vaccinated, near universal mask use, no variant, etc) such that I regarded it as very suspect and extremely unlikely to happen. I noted that to assume no Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years surge was next to preposterous.

I also noted that I would not be seen in the office for the foreseeable future. No ultimatum. Just a fact. I didn't get any push back.

I am sure the new CEO was behind this deceptive slide.

I have since given them my retirement date of Jan 31. But if they don't back off on the Dec company meeting I might give them my own push back. It is a big red flag that under the new CEO they are not to be trusted.

I really wonder how many people they THOUGHT they would fool. A good dozen of us forecast a market that depends a lot on how many people end up going back to the office and the #1 variable is what will covid do. So for 18 months we've all been watching covid trends way more closely than the HR guy or the new CEO.

Sure I'll be retired but I don't take very well to being lied to.

 

[lpetrich]

They skipped nu and xi because nu sounds like "new" and xi seems like like Chinese leader Xi Jinping's name, as far as I can tell.

 

[Ruth Harris]

I am at a point where I will no longer work for a company/employer that I cannot trust, as I am past minimum retirement age too. So I understand perfectly your reasoning.

I can’t help but wonder how much of the employee shortfall is due to good workers refusing to work for an employer they don’t trust, or employers who don’t care how much their employees are endangered by working in unsafe conditions. I suspect this might be more the cause than the popular notions that vaccine mandates and stimulus money are the cause of not enough workers being available.

Ruth

 

[crazyfingers]

I am at a point where I will no longer work for a company/employer that I cannot trust, as I am past minimum retirement age too. So I understand perfectly your reasoning.

I can’t help but wonder how much of the employee shortfall is due to good workers refusing to work for an employer they don’t trust, or employers who don’t care how much their employees are endangered by working in unsafe conditions. I suspect this might be more the cause than the popular notions that vaccine mandates and stimulus money are the cause of not enough workers being available.

Ruth

I have questioned that too for quite a while now. Some industry claims that requiring vaccination will make it harder to fill open positions. I wonder if the lack of an employee vaccine requirement may be keeping even more people away. Even health care. If I was a health care worker i would NOT take a job where vaccination was not required

 

[TSwizzle]

The thing which amuses me is that US media looks at US data and then declare near end of the pandemic, completely ignoring what is happening elsewhere - in Europe for example.

Really? I must say, I haven’t paid too much attention to the legacy media recently but when I happen to catch some news , for the most part they seem to paint a very bleak outlook. And as far as I can tell a number of European countries are managing just fine, the UK and Sweden stand out.

 

[barbos]

The thing which amuses me is that US media looks at US data and then declare near end of the pandemic, completely ignoring what is happening elsewhere - in Europe for example.

Really? I must say, I haven’t paid too much attention to the legacy media recently but when I happen to catch some news , for the most part they seem to paint a very bleak outlook.

They started painting bleak picture now, when cases began rising again.

And as far as I can tell a number of European countries are managing just fine, the UK and Sweden stand out.

That's a good illustration of my point. It's irrelevant how well your country is doing if the rest of the world is not doing that well. And most of the Europe is doing badly.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I am at a point where I will no longer work for a company/employer that I cannot trust, as I am past minimum retirement age too. So I understand perfectly your reasoning.

I can’t help but wonder how much of the employee shortfall is due to good workers refusing to work for an employer they don’t trust, or employers who don’t care how much their employees are endangered by working in unsafe conditions. I suspect this might be more the cause than the popular notions that vaccine mandates and stimulus money are the cause of not enough workers being available.

Ruth

I have questioned that too for quite a while now. Some industry claims that requiring vaccination will make it harder to fill open positions. I wonder if the lack of an employee vaccine requirement may be keeping even more people away. Even health care. If I was a health care worker i would NOT take a job where vaccination was not required

It's important to remember that vaccination isn't the primary issue with antivaxxers. They've all been vaccinated for other things. They all use seat belts and obey traffic signals, even drive on the right side of the road. Imagine that! Amazing! Their inability to recognize their antivaxxer idiocy is a symptom, the causes of which could fill every library on the planet. Having a rational, dispassionate discussion with one reveals that they lack the ability to recognize their inconsistent behavior. Maybe Dunning Kruger is the real reason. That's where I'd put my money.

 

[Jarhyn]

It's interesting that strains of COVID-19 have been emerging that are more and more contagious. Seems like this virus was not originally adapted to live in our species, and that it's getting more and more adapted to doing so.

Well, the virus may not have been originally adapted to live in any species, if it's of artificial origin.

And if my aunt had a dick, she'd be my uncle.

The Earth isn't flat; GMOs don't cause cancer; Aliens don't kidnap drunk Arizonans and didn't help the Egyptians to build the pyramids.

NASA landed a dozen men on the Moon between 1969 and 1972, Elvis Presley is dead, the twin towers collapsed due to being struck by airliners, and COVID-19 isn't of artificial origin.

Seriously, nobody with an internet connection or access to a decent library, and with a bare minimum of intelligence and interest in these topics should be in any doubt about the accuracy of any of these statements.

No, she's still your aunt. I mean shit, my husband doesn't have one and he's still an uncle!

But everything else you wrote is spot on.