111–120 of 794 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
When people realized that "Nu variant" sounded like "New variant"
And Xi sounds like the Chinese leader.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Based on people I've discussed this with their explanation is: The data doesn't support lockdowns and madates for the masses . Deaths are typically a select subset of the population. Hospitalizations much the same. Using a one size fit all solution - when surgical solutions are more appropriate -makes them suspect. Please don't shoot this messenger. I'm just providing context that tends to be missed elsewhere. p.s. f…
Aside from ethical concerns around shutting a subset of the population out of society to benefit others, that presumes that a selective approach would be effective, and that it is feasible to segregate the vulnerable and non-vulnerable populations. Do you have any practical suggestions as to how that might be implemented? As a I believe that’s why it hasn’t been attempted.
But speaking for myself, the fact that early on there were such a ridiculous number of deaths in retirement homes (primarily in NY, NJ, PA and CA) never smelled right to me. We had data - openly mentioned in the media - about Italy and the elderly and yet the same thing happened here? It's been all down hill since then.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can always follow the money to see who benefits from a decision, and who gets penalized. The initial lockdowns penalized many small businesses (small shops, hairdressers) that could not operate and benefited large online retailers and chains like Walmart that were declared exempt, that got extra business. The lockdowns also justified large-scale payout of benefits, that were funded by increasing the money supply.…
So you’re just ignoring the countless lives saved and lost?
Though I'm impressed they're literally making the "lockdowns are being driven by Big Delivery Service" argument.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
In order for there to be an evolutionary pressure toward becoming less severe, having higher severity has to give some disadvantage - e.g. killing the host before it can spread the disease or giving stronger symptoms so hosts can be isolated before they can spread it. The corona virus is pretty unique in how much it can spread before/without any symptoms showing up, which should mean there's relatively less room for…
Can someone explain whether corona is unique in this attribute of spreading versus other viruses? I would expect most cold-related viruses or other viruses in the human virome to exhibit this pattern.
Of course, there's questions of degree.
This new variant has been called "mild." I hope this proves to be true, and is not used as an excuse for another lockdown. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-diseas...
Why do you say "excuse for another lockdown"? Are you implying that someone in government has alterior motives to desire a lockdown?
I’d argue the reason governments obsess over marginally effective at best measures like masks is that they give society the opportunity to wag their fingers and exercise the usual moral authoritarianism at their neighbours instead of blaming the politicians for their various inadequacies throughout the pandemic (including in the UK’s case running the NHS into the ground with cuts a decade before in their usual miserly short-sightedness).
I would love for a COVID variation for with low severity illness to become dominant ... forever?
I expect this to be the case since decreased severity is associated with higher virus reproduction. The main question becomes second order effects.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Based on people I've discussed this with their explanation is: The data doesn't support lockdowns and madates for the masses . Deaths are typically a select subset of the population. Hospitalizations much the same. Using a one size fit all solution - when surgical solutions are more appropriate -makes them suspect. Please don't shoot this messenger. I'm just providing context that tends to be missed elsewhere. p.s. f…
Aside from ethical concerns around shutting a subset of the population out of society to benefit others, that presumes that a selective approach would be effective, and that it is feasible to segregate the vulnerable and non-vulnerable populations. Do you have any practical suggestions as to how that might be implemented? As a I believe that’s why it hasn’t been attempted.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
South Africa is also pissed that they've been cut off from the rest of the world. They might be downplaying.
I'm not sure I get this assumption. Few other countries were "pissed off" when borders were closed to them. I still cannot travel recreationally to Japan from the US, and that's fine.
South Africa's COVID-19 adviser, Prof Barry Schoub told Sky News that so far, most Omicron cases, were mild. https://youtu.be/3RSRtuRm92o Edit: "South African doctor who raised alarm about omicron variant says symptoms are ‘unusual but mild’" https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-diseas... "Dr Angelique Coetzee said she was first alerted to the possibility of a new variant when patients in her busy pr…
It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta.
A long time ago, long before the pandemic politicized messaging so much, a researcher posted a comment here on HN where they said that virus deadliness and contagiousness were in tension.