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Today's anti-panic porn - Delta still hasn't caused a spike...

BigDaddyDawgBreath

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Even in cases in Wyoming or South Dakota.

Here is Soutb Dakota: https://www.google.com/search?q=cov...ZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Here is Wyoming: https://www.google.com/search?q=cov...uMC4xmAEAoAEBwAEB&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Let's remember the public health autocracy has been chanting "Delta plus unvaccinated equals more cases" and even specifically singled out Wyoming for having such a low vaccination rate (South Dakota is not far behind them).

Yet why do both states - with some of the earliest and highest percentages of Delta in their state - not see any movement at all in their numbers?

Folks, something beyond the government narratives is happening here.

Personally I am just done with it and I hope others are too. The government and establishment will never let this go until we make them.
 
I keep screaming in my head... Who cares if there are more cases!!! If hospitalizations and deaths are way down and staying constant then who cares if a freaking test says you have it?! Why even get tested in the first place!?
Because our Dear Leader is still pushing 100% vaxxed.
 
And with Sanky coming out and talking about teams forfeiting you know already this won’t be a normal football season. Teams are still going to needlessly test. There will always be positives - zero COVID will never be a thing. Whether you are vaccinated or have natural immunity, immunity does not block infection. People will test positive.

It’s almost like there are two different COVID worlds - the regular folks who are trying to return to normal life and the sports/entertainment/media/political world that want this thing to go on forever. We’ll see endless testing of athletes while stadiums will be 100% full. It’s complete lunacy.
 
And with Sanky coming out and talking about teams forfeiting you know already this won’t be a normal football season. Teams are still going to needlessly test. There will always be positives - zero COVID will never be a thing. Whether you are vaccinated or have natural immunity, immunity does not block infection. People will test positive.

It’s almost like there are two different COVID worlds - the regular folks who are trying to return to normal life and the sports/entertainment/media/political world that want this thing to go on forever. We’ll see endless testing of athletes while stadiums will be 100% full. It’s complete lunacy.
People need to raise appropriate hell.
 
And with Sanky coming out and talking about teams forfeiting you know already this won’t be a normal football season. Teams are still going to needlessly test. There will always be positives - zero COVID will never be a thing. Whether you are vaccinated or have natural immunity, immunity does not block infection. People will test positive.

It’s almost like there are two different COVID worlds - the regular folks who are trying to return to normal life and the sports/entertainment/media/political world that want this thing to go on forever. We’ll see endless testing of athletes while stadiums will be 100% full. It’s complete lunacy.
which raises the question to the media/sports/political crowd: if you think masks, endless testing, forfeiting games, etc, etc should be a thing, wouldn't that mean you believe it should always be a thing? Covid is not going away completely. Ever. We gonna do this forever? Or are we gonna continue to focus on vaccinating at-risk folks (if they want) and stop making it a story every time someone not at risk gets a cold?
 
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which raises the question to the media/sports/political crowd: if you think masks, endless testing, forfeiting games, etc, etc should be a thing, wouldn't that mean you believe it should always be a thing? Covid is not going away completely. Ever. We gonna do this forever? Or are we gonna continue to focus on vaccinating at-risk folks (if they want) and stop making it a story every time someone not at risk gets a cold?
"That which must be done eventually should be done immediately".

We need to declare this over at some point. Let's do it now.
 
I will start this with I don’t care if you get vaccinated but do you not believe that one of the reasons that hospitalizations and deaths are not increasing is due to vaccine?
Sure. But also this is a weaker variant. Infectious disease doctors discuss this all the time, new variants are usually infectious, but less strong. You agree with that?
 
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Even in cases in Wyoming or South Dakota.

Here is Soutb Dakota: https://www.google.com/search?q=covid+19+cases+south+dakota+today&client=ms-android-att-us-revc&sxsrf=ALeKk00OFTU9gyhuAXEZ_-kWuvXRXWUIlg:1626777923861&ei=Q6n2YLbuM5G0tQbDtZUY&oq=covid-19+cases+south+dakk&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAEYADIGCAAQDRAeMgYIABANEB4yCwgAEMkDEAgQDRAeMggIABAIEA0QHjIICAAQCBANEB4yCAgAEAgQDRAeMggIABAIEA0QHjIICAAQCBANEB46BwgAEEcQsAM6BAgjECc6AggAOgYIABAWEB46BQgAEIYDOgUIIRCgAToICAAQsQMQgwE6BQgAEMkDOgsIABCxAxCDARDJA0oECEEYAFC8HFi0RWD5T2gBcAB4AIABuQOIAecfkgEKMC4yMC4yLjIuMZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Here is Wyoming: https://www.google.com/search?q=covid-19+cases+wyoming&client=ms-android-att-us-revc&sxsrf=ALeKk01Ym0pQytGj1uioYf1JabPyOiW5Kg:1626778037513&ei=tan2YOq9Hoe-tAbvvZrwBA&oq=covid-19+cases+wyoming&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAEYADIECCMQJzIGCAAQFhAeMgkIABDJAxAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeOgIIADoFCAAQhgM6BQghEKABOggIABCxAxCDAToFCAAQyQM6CwgAELEDEIMBEMkDSgQIQRgAUIkCWOolYJ0raABwAHgCgAHQA4gBih2SAQozLjExLjYuMC4xmAEAoAEBwAEB&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Let's remember the public health autocracy has been chanting "Delta plus unvaccinated equals more cases" and even specifically singled out Wyoming for having such a low vaccination rate (South Dakota is not far behind them).

Yet why do both states - with some of the earliest and highest percentages of Delta in their state - not see any movement at all in their numbers?

Folks, something beyond the government narratives is happening here.

Personally I am just done with it and I hope others are too. The government and establishment will never let this go until we make them.
I appreciate the info you provide, but I'd add that there is no panic unless you are a news junkie (CNN, MSNBC, MSM's) and most people aren't. I've noticed a slight uptick in mask wearers, but only a slight uptick. Biden doesn't have the balls to issue a national mask mandate, and I would be shocked if we have another round of lockdowns in this country. The reopening is continuing, but it is predictable that the left isn't going to let go of their new found power without a fight.
 
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Sure. But also this is a weaker variant. Infectious disease doctors discuss this all the time, new variants are usually infectious, but less strong. You agree with that?
I honestly don’t know but will take your word for it.
 
Sure. But also this is a weaker variant. Infectious disease doctors discuss this all the time, new variants are usually infectious, but less strong. You agree with that?
New variants can be weaker or stronger. See the flu data over the years. Delta is more transmissible largely because it can survive longer in the lungs. Viral loads are higher in delta patients. Haven’t seen mortality data, but higher viral loads tend to lead to worse infections and immune reactions to infections.
 
I appreciate the info you provide, but I'd add that there is no panic unless you are a news junkie (CNN, MSNBC, MSM's) and most people aren't. I've noticed a slight uptick in mask wearers, but only a slight uptick. Biden doesn't have the balls to issue a national mask mandate, and I would be shocked if we have another round of lockdowns in this country. The reopening is continuing, but it is predictable that the left isn't going to let go of their new found power without a fight.
The Olympics are getting wobbly. The corporate mafia is lurching toward vaccine passports. The scary anecdotal headlines are blaring again. POTUS is using the issue to try to invoke censorship in a way that would harm us for a generation or more (even the worthless ACLU finally got off their ass and got engaged against POTUS yesterday).

Every time we have gone through this some new, largely false and manipulative precedent got set. As exhausting as this all is the only way to make it end is to force it to end.

Confront the BS and actively beat it back with the full facts.
 
Delta is less deadly than other variants. The entire variant fear-mongering needs to end. We will see a spike in "cases" in the south about now because it is seasonal. Additionally, there is an increase in testing again. Vaccinated folks can still get infected - vaccines do not impart sterile immunity. Some will get symptoms, fewer will get severe symptoms, and even fewer will die. Viruses don't just disappear.

UK data on Delta (CFR 0.2%, which means IFR is much lower)

 
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Delta is less deadly than other variants. The entire variant fear-mongering needs to end. We will see a spike in "cases" in the south about now because it is seasonal. Additionally, there is an increase in testing again. Vaccinated folks can still get infected - vaccines do not impart sterile immunity. Some will get symptoms, fewer will get severe symptoms, and even fewer will die. Viruses don't just disappear.

UK data on Delta:

We are reaping the whirlwind from months of pumping unsubstantiated theories that vaccinations = no cases.

Following on the false premise that "covid being over" = no cases.

If we had just stood on the actual science with the vaccines (tested to stop bad cases, not stop cases) we wouldn't be here. Instead the public health and political establishment *rushed* to coerce vaccinations on a flawed premise of "your vaccine protects me" and declared victory when cases went down (probably for seasonal reasons as much as anything).

I am not saying there is no data to support vaccines reducing transmission to some degree but it was awfully thin to justify the massive PR effort.

Now we are seeing breakthrough cases "everywhere" and people (again) feel misled. Because they were.

The average person out there is saying "this is just like that Wuhan BS" and listening to nutjobs spreading manure from the other side - and now we have the White Housr openly calling for censorship.

This has been ideologues and amateurs falling all over themselves to demonstrate new levels of incompetence.

It is not that they got some things wrong, it is that they are repeatedly getting things wrong from the same bad way of doing things.

Viruses kill people. To a degree it cannot be avoided and is no one's fault (something basically no one still has the courage to say but which we need to acknowledge). Work must be focused on what factually does help save lives and not ideological fantasies. Individual medical decisions (including assuming risk others perceive as too great) must be protected. Life literally must go on while that happens (which requires protecting individual decisions because nothing tears us apart more than constantly being in each other's lives).

We continue to make this so much harder on ourselves than it has to be.
 
We are reaping the whirlwind from months of pumping unsubstantiated theories that vaccinations = no cases.

Following on the false premise that "covid being over" = no cases.

If we had just stood on the actual science with the vaccines (tested to stop bad cases, not stop cases) we wouldn't be here. Instead the public health and political establishment *rushed* to coerce vaccinations on a flawed premise of "your vaccine protects me" and declared victory when cases went down (probably for seasonal reasons as much as anything).

I am not saying there is no data to support vaccines reducing transmission to some degree but it was awfully thin to justify the massive PR effort.

Now we are seeing breakthrough cases "everywhere" and people (again) feel misled. Because they were.

The average person out there is saying "this is just like that Wuhan BS" and listening to nutjobs spreading manure from the other side - and now we have the White Housr openly calling for censorship.

This has been ideologues and amateurs falling all over themselves to demonstrate new levels of incompetence.

It is not that they got some things wrong, it is that they are repeatedly getting things wrong from the same bad way of doing things.

Viruses kill people. To a degree it cannot be avoided and is no one's fault (something basically no one still has the courage to say but which we need to acknowledge). Work must be focused on what factually does help save lives and not ideological fantasies. Individual medical decisions (including assuming risk others perceive as too great) must be protected. Life literally must go on while that happens (which requires protecting individual decisions because nothing tears us apart more than constantly being in each other's lives).

We continue to make this so much harder on ourselves than it has to be.
Well said. And asymptomatic transmission is still the major driver of these bad policies, despite actual evidence that it is rare (like every other respiratory virus).
 
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Well said. And asymptomatic transmission is still the major driver of these bad policies, despite actual evidence that it is rare (like every other respiratory virus).
The deceit around asymptomatic transmission is mind numbing if you dwell on it long.

CDC / feds laid it bare when they blatantly contradicted themselves by saying they wouldn't track asymptomatic breakthrough infections... for vaccinated only.

It is one of the ways we literally put our fingers in our ears, said "la la la la" and went all in on the narrative of "vaccinations equals no more cases!"

And what happens when their incompetent game blows up on them? They blame us for not getting vaccinated enough and being bad people who want to live our lives.

This is how to end this:

1. If you believe you are at risk get a vaccine. Talk to your doctors not Big Tech to make your decision.

2. Live a healthy, non-obese lifestyle.

3. If you do not believe you are at risk do not get vaccinated - then live with your choice.

4. Quit believing the BS pumped by government and Big Tech that everything I do in my life around COVID threatens your life. It is almost all complete horseshit, with little exaggeration.

5. Butt the hell out of other people's lives and decisions.

6. Quit being scared and live your life. The fact people die - and maybe even someone you know - during a pandemic is not a reason to live a life consumed with fear or consumed with anger that the tragedies that *will* occur in a pandemic only happened because all the evil people around you didn't do something they were supposed to do.
 
Delta is less deadly than other variants. The entire variant fear-mongering needs to end. We will see a spike in "cases" in the south about now because it is seasonal. Additionally, there is an increase in testing again. Vaccinated folks can still get infected - vaccines do not impart sterile immunity. Some will get symptoms, fewer will get severe symptoms, and even fewer will die. Viruses don't just disappear.

UK data on Delta (CFR 0.2%, which means IFR is much lower)

You really cannot say that delta is less deadly than alpha based on these data. Alpha hit a 0% vaccinated population whereas delta hit a 70% vaccinated plus probably 10% natural immunity population. UK is one of the few countries approaching herd immunity. I think this is very promising news.

Not sure if this was your intent, but these data are the most compelling reason for a population to get vaccinated. UK has effectively rendered this as a common cold. US has a ways to go.
 
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You really cannot say that delta is less deadly than alpha based on these data. Alpha hit a 0% vaccinated population whereas delta hit a 70% vaccinated plus probably 10% natural immunity population. UK is one of the few countries approaching herd immunity. I think this is very promising news.

Not sure if this was your intent, but these data are the most compelling reason for a population to get vaccinated. UK has effectively rendered this as a common cold. US has a ways to go.
UK seems to have very important lessons for us. It needs to be studied and understood.

We will see if US handles Delta differently than UK. At this point the summer seasonal increase in the South explains what we are seeing as much as anything else. That is not to dismiss Delta causing some increase in cases but when a huge chunk of the country "went first" with high Delta prevalence and still has seen no impact even in cases we may not yet understand what is happening.
 
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You really cannot say that delta is less deadly than alpha based on these data. Alpha hit a 0% vaccinated population whereas delta hit a 70% vaccinated plus probably 10% natural immunity population. UK is one of the few countries approaching herd immunity. I think this is very promising news.

Not sure if this was your intent, but these data are the most compelling reason for a population to get vaccinated. UK has effectively rendered this as a common cold. US has a ways to go.
Viruses don't mutate to become more deadly. Being more efficient in killing a host doesn't work all that well to propagate a species. Yes vaccines are helping but don't ignore natural immunity - it's much higher than 10%. This thing has been around for 2 years so there is significant natural immunity - a lot more than people think. The unvaccinated are protected by those with immunity - the US reached herd immunity months ago. You don't need 100% population immunity and there is debate on what the herd immunity threshhold is. Some argue 70% (based on old models). Others say 50-60%. Herd immunity doesn't = zero cases and nooone getting sick.
 
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Even in cases in Wyoming or South Dakota.

Here is Soutb Dakota: https://www.google.com/search?q=covid+19+cases+south+dakota+today&client=ms-android-att-us-revc&sxsrf=ALeKk00OFTU9gyhuAXEZ_-kWuvXRXWUIlg:1626777923861&ei=Q6n2YLbuM5G0tQbDtZUY&oq=covid-19+cases+south+dakk&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAEYADIGCAAQDRAeMgYIABANEB4yCwgAEMkDEAgQDRAeMggIABAIEA0QHjIICAAQCBANEB4yCAgAEAgQDRAeMggIABAIEA0QHjIICAAQCBANEB46BwgAEEcQsAM6BAgjECc6AggAOgYIABAWEB46BQgAEIYDOgUIIRCgAToICAAQsQMQgwE6BQgAEMkDOgsIABCxAxCDARDJA0oECEEYAFC8HFi0RWD5T2gBcAB4AIABuQOIAecfkgEKMC4yMC4yLjIuMZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Here is Wyoming: https://www.google.com/search?q=covid-19+cases+wyoming&client=ms-android-att-us-revc&sxsrf=ALeKk01Ym0pQytGj1uioYf1JabPyOiW5Kg:1626778037513&ei=tan2YOq9Hoe-tAbvvZrwBA&oq=covid-19+cases+wyoming&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAEYADIECCMQJzIGCAAQFhAeMgkIABDJAxAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeOgIIADoFCAAQhgM6BQghEKABOggIABCxAxCDAToFCAAQyQM6CwgAELEDEIMBEMkDSgQIQRgAUIkCWOolYJ0raABwAHgCgAHQA4gBih2SAQozLjExLjYuMC4xmAEAoAEBwAEB&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Let's remember the public health autocracy has been chanting "Delta plus unvaccinated equals more cases" and even specifically singled out Wyoming for having such a low vaccination rate (South Dakota is not far behind them).

Yet why do both states - with some of the earliest and highest percentages of Delta in their state - not see any movement at all in their numbers?

Folks, something beyond the government narratives is happening here.

Personally I am just done with it and I hope others are too. The government and establishment will never let this go until we make them.
Bddb, just piggybacking for all the libs and for your knowledge. If u get the vaccine, it doesn't mean u want contract the virus, but lessen the effects if you do? Like the flu shot? I know they are different but same concept?
 
Australia shut down 900,000 people yesterday over 110 new cases and one death. Its already happening. They cannot leave their homes , even for work.

 
Bddb, just piggybacking for all the libs and for your knowledge. If u get the vaccine, it doesn't mean u want contract the virus, but lessen the effects if you do? Like the flu shot? I know they are different but same concept?
To be specific the vaccines were tested for reducing the effects so you don't go to the hospital or die. They were not tested to stop spread.

Does that mean they do not stop spread at least to a degree? Many have said that it stands to reason but it is a misconception to say that getting a vaccine means you got something tested for the purpose of keeping you from getting infected.

This is why there were warnings early on not to assume or conclude that getting vaccinated meant you would not get infected but those warnings quickly got swamped.

IMO this is what has caused the confusion about people getting infected in spite of being vaccinated. People are spinning that as vaccine failure but that is not accurate IMO.

Because on the other hand there seems to be solid evidence that hospitalizations and deaths *are* being limited by the vaccines which *is* what the vaccines were tested to do.

And if COVID just becomes a souped up cold bug that doesn't result in serious outcomes we can quit being worried about "cases!" and using all the draconian things we have used in our crusade to keep positive test counts down.

It is a precarious middle ground, and not because the facts do not justify it but because extremes on both sides keep trying to impose their narratives on what is happening. IMO.
 
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Viruses don't mutate to become more deadly. Being more efficient in killing a host doesn't work all that well to propagate a species. Yes vaccines are helping but don't ignore natural immunity - it's much higher than 10%. This thing has been around for 2 years so there is significant natural immunity - a lot more than people think. The unvaccinated are protected by those with immunity - the US reached herd immunity months ago. You don't need 100% population immunity and there is debate on what the herd immunity threshhold is. Some argue 70% (based on old models). Others say 50-60%. Herd immunity doesn't = zero cases and nooone getting sick.
I did not state that viruses mutate to become more deadly. Just that you cannot declare that delta is less deadly based on the data you provided. It is very true that most virus mutants are less deadly, but they do not last long based on natural selection. But it's the rare mutant that is stronger than the original that survives.

Also, viruses can absolutely mutate to a more deadly version. Influenza has been around for millennia. The 1918 version was more deadly than 1917. Variants of the Ebola virus, with a mortality rate north of 50%, can have a negative selective advantage because they kill so quickly but Covid mortality rate around 1% does not fit this paradigm.

I agree that natural immunity is important. As you stated, we have only underestimated the true number of infected people because so many people were asymptomatic and untested. I do not agree that we, as a country, have reached herd immunity given the recent rise in hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths- which is what we should really focus on as opposed to cases.
 
I did not state that viruses mutate to become more deadly. Just that you cannot declare that delta is less deadly based on the data you provided. It is very true that most virus mutants are less deadly, but they do not last long based on natural selection. But it's the rare mutant that is stronger than the original that survives.

Also, viruses can absolutely mutate to a more deadly version. Influenza has been around for millennia. The 1918 version was more deadly than 1917. Variants of the Ebola virus, with a mortality rate north of 50%, can have a negative selective advantage because they kill so quickly but Covid mortality rate around 1% does not fit this paradigm.

I agree that natural immunity is important. As you stated, we have only underestimated the true number of infected people because so many people were asymptomatic and untested. I do not agree that we, as a country, have reached herd immunity given the recent rise in hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths- which is what we should really focus on as opposed to cases.
Influenza is a completely different virus that is known to not just mutate but to exchange entire segments of its genome, hence the nomenclature H1N1, H2N3, etc. So, the 1918 flu is a completely different influenza A subtype. You also have influenza subtype B, which is a different influenza virus. I’m not an expert by any means but it’s not as simple as just saying a mutation made it influenza worse. Influenza does some crazy genome swapping. SARS2 and SARS1 are both coronaviruses but SARS2 isn’t a mutation of SARS1. . They are separate coronaviruses, not simply strains of the same virus. SARS1 actually had a higher CFR than SARS2 and burned out more quickly.

Respiratory viruses in general are just harder to control due to aerosol spread. An MIT study showed that aerosol distribution make 6 foot social distancing no different than 60 foot social distancing. Aerosol size is much smaller than the mesh size of masks, which are actually designed to stop droplets from contaminating sterile fields during surgery (and we can argue how effective they are at doing that really, if you read the studies). Lockdowns, social distancing, masks might make people feel better but in reality the measures typically cause more harm than good. The best thing the world could have done is let the pandemic run its course, infecting the young and healthy, who mostly would have had mild to no symptoms and allow natural immunity to build rapidly. That alone would have blocked a lot of transmission and protected our most vulnerable. What we essentially have done instead is draw this thing out unnecessarily to the point where more people unnecessarily died not just from COVID, but from secondary effects of the poor public health policies. We will be dealing with the consequences of this for years in the form of lower immunity against other common respiratory viruses, which will now become a big deal, especially in children. You are already seeing this in New Zealand with the rhinovirus outbreak, which has hospitalized a lot of children. Undiagnosed cancer and chronic disease, much of which could have been treated early, will burden a lot of folks. And let’s not forget the social harm we have caused our kids - many lost out on experiencing their final year of high school and other important social milestones. How many kids are now behind in school - how will they catch up on these past 18 months? In Baltimore 40% of public scool children had a GPA of 1. The number of healthy people we unnecessarily sacrificed by poor public health policy is more than would have been sacrificed by allowing the healthy get infected with the virus.

I also predict that the hasty introduction of this spike protein mRNA vaccine is going to have significant consequences that won’t be appreciated for several years. There is evidence that the spike protein triggers inflammatory signaling cascades in human cells. A group of researchers have shown in a mouse model with human ACE receptors, the mice developed pulmonary artery thickening. Just now the FDA has approved testing the vaccine in pregnant women and yet we have been vaccinating preganant women since the beginning. That is just wrong. By the way, I chose to get vaccinated because I am in the high risk group. But I would never demand that a low risk person get vaccinated for me. I know, first of all, that life has risks. Second, my identity is in Christ and not on what happens in this world - death does not have a grip on me. Second, asymptomatic transmission is rare (like every other respiratory virus) - I have read the studies, not the CNN, Fox, MSNBC headlines. And I certainly don’t put stock into what Fauci or the CDC says.

Anyway, sorry to rant. I think you and I agree on a lot of things and we might be splitting hairs on mutations, etc. I’m sure we disagree on a lot of things, too, and that’s OK. Unfortunately we may not know the whole truth of this pandemic for years To come.
 
Influenza is a completely different virus that is known to not just mutate but to exchange entire segments of its genome, hence the nomenclature H1N1, H2N3, etc. So, the 1918 flu is a completely different influenza A subtype. You also have influenza subtype B, which is a different influenza virus. I’m not an expert by any means but it’s not as simple as just saying a mutation made it influenza worse. Influenza does some crazy genome swapping. SARS2 and SARS1 are both coronaviruses but SARS2 isn’t a mutation of SARS1. . They are separate coronaviruses, not simply strains of the same virus. SARS1 actually had a higher CFR than SARS2 and burned out more quickly.

Respiratory viruses in general are just harder to control due to aerosol spread. An MIT study showed that aerosol distribution make 6 foot social distancing no different than 60 foot social distancing. Aerosol size is much smaller than the mesh size of masks, which are actually designed to stop droplets from contaminating sterile fields during surgery (and we can argue how effective they are at doing that really, if you read the studies). Lockdowns, social distancing, masks might make people feel better but in reality the measures typically cause more harm than good. The best thing the world could have done is let the pandemic run its course, infecting the young and healthy, who mostly would have had mild to no symptoms and allow natural immunity to build rapidly. That alone would have blocked a lot of transmission and protected our most vulnerable. What we essentially have done instead is draw this thing out unnecessarily to the point where more people unnecessarily died not just from COVID, but from secondary effects of the poor public health policies. We will be dealing with the consequences of this for years in the form of lower immunity against other common respiratory viruses, which will now become a big deal, especially in children. You are already seeing this in New Zealand with the rhinovirus outbreak, which has hospitalized a lot of children. Undiagnosed cancer and chronic disease, much of which could have been treated early, will burden a lot of folks. And let’s not forget the social harm we have caused our kids - many lost out on experiencing their final year of high school and other important social milestones. How many kids are now behind in school - how will they catch up on these past 18 months? In Baltimore 40% of public scool children had a GPA of 1. The number of healthy people we unnecessarily sacrificed by poor public health policy is more than would have been sacrificed by allowing the healthy get infected with the virus.

I also predict that the hasty introduction of this spike protein mRNA vaccine is going to have significant consequences that won’t be appreciated for several years. There is evidence that the spike protein triggers inflammatory signaling cascades in human cells. A group of researchers have shown in a mouse model with human ACE receptors, the mice developed pulmonary artery thickening. Just now the FDA has approved testing the vaccine in pregnant women and yet we have been vaccinating preganant women since the beginning. That is just wrong. By the way, I chose to get vaccinated because I am in the high risk group. But I would never demand that a low risk person get vaccinated for me. I know, first of all, that life has risks. Second, my identity is in Christ and not on what happens in this world - death does not have a grip on me. Second, asymptomatic transmission is rare (like every other respiratory virus) - I have read the studies, not the CNN, Fox, MSNBC headlines. And I certainly don’t put stock into what Fauci or the CDC says.

Anyway, sorry to rant. I think you and I agree on a lot of things and we might be splitting hairs on mutations, etc. I’m sure we disagree on a lot of things, too, and that’s OK. Unfortunately we may not know the whole truth of this pandemic for years To come.
Excellent post.
 
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