Coronavirus Outbreak

[Josh]

England said this week that it was reducing the number of days that people must isolate for after showing Covid-19 symptoms to seven days from 10 days, a change that officials said could help alleviate the shortages. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a similar move on Thursday, though that change applies only to health workers.

That seems really brilliant. I mean, who would argue against the idea that a health-care worker should be allowed to go back to work for three days while they might still be contagious. It's not like they're in close contact with other people all day long or anything....

Cases are spreading like crazy, so the solution is... people who test positive should return to work sooner. Makes a lot of sense!

[silentreader]

Well it didn't take as long as I expected....
Province of Ontario today new case rates: Fully vaccinated 32.39 per 100,000 -- 77.5% of daily total
Unvaccinated 31.93 per 100,000 -- 16% of daily total
Partially vaccinated 29.43 per 100,000

Hospitalization rates are not fully up to date but appear to be relatively stable, fully vaccinated people make up just over 50% of "hospitalizations but not in ICU" but only 24% of ICU cases.

Is it the Omicron variant there?

Wastewater testing in a local municipality, (population 3 to 400,000?) showed 75% omicron, but I think that data may be a week old. The official provincial estimate for yesterday was 90.6% omicron, which could line up with the wastewater data considering the rate at which seems to be expanding.
So I'm hoping it is the omicron only and that here is no relation to the massive booster shot push over the same time period. Partially vaccinated people maybe, possibly, almost, seem to have better rates than people fully vaccinated with booster shots, although that flies in the face of science, so I'm sure it must not be happening.

It intrigued me a bit that the CMO for that region, who is keen to have everybody stay at home over Christmas and New Year, said that a negative result on a rapid test doesn't mean anything.

[Josh]

The data is in.

The Omicron variant spreads worse in vaccinated people. The unvaccinated have less risk of catching this disease than the vaccinated.

Vaccine effectiveness 91-150 days after vaccination is worse than being unvaccinated at all.

I'll leave it up to the rest of you to find the evidence, but here are some places to start:

- The New York Times
- Public Health Ontario
- BMJ

So far, it does look like boosters are effective for up to 40 days after being vaccinated. So if you just go get a booster every 40 days, you can end up with the same result as an unvaccinated person.

[silentreader]

The data is in.

The Omicron variant spreads worse in vaccinated people. The unvaccinated have less risk of catching this disease than the vaccinated.

Vaccine effectiveness 91-150 days after vaccination is worse than being unvaccinated at all.

I'll leave it up to the rest of you to find the evidence, but here are some places to start:

- The New York Times
- Public Health Ontario
- BMJ

So far, it does look like boosters are effective for up to 40 days after being vaccinated. So if you just go get a booster every 40 days, you can end up with the same result as an unvaccinated person.

I'm pretty hesitant about making unequivocal statements on this, I don't think there is enough hard data on omicron at this point. Unfortunately some jurisdictions will go full steam ahead without admitting there may or may not be negative considerations.
I found this interesting coming out of Israel, not quite the same point of issue, but at least the recognition of a need for more complete data. Not a majority position throughout this pandemic, especially among politicians.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/israel-c ... -1.6296418

[nett]

The data is in.

The Omicron variant spreads worse in vaccinated people. The unvaccinated have less risk of catching this disease than the vaccinated.

Vaccine effectiveness 91-150 days after vaccination is worse than being unvaccinated at all.

I'll leave it up to the rest of you to find the evidence, but here are some places to start:

- The New York Times
- Public Health Ontario
- BMJ

So far, it does look like boosters are effective for up to 40 days after being vaccinated. So if you just go get a booster every 40 days, you can end up with the same result as an unvaccinated person.

I'm pretty hesitant about making unequivocal statements on this, I don't think there is enough hard data on omicron at this point. Unfortunately some jurisdictions will go full steam ahead without admitting there may or may not be negative considerations.
I found this interesting coming out of Israel, not quite the same point of issue, but at least the recognition of a need for more complete data. Not a majority position throughout this pandemic, especially among politicians.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/israel-c ... -1.6296418

I wouldn't expect to see complete data on this. Omicron came up so fast, TPTB were unable to get their act fast enough to manipulate the narrative with bad data, but have no doubt, they are working on it fervently. There is WAY too much money on the table now.

[Sudsy]

Regarding this Coronavirus, today I'm reminded of what Jesus, the Prince of Peace, said when He left this earth that His peace He was giving to them. The wonderful gift of His peace. And then He says so do not be troubled or afraid. John 14:27

I'm thinking this morning how one might have made their peace with God but are not living in the peace of God ? His peace is a gift. One must open and use a gift to enjoy what it brings.

In Col. 3:15 we read that we are to allow His peace to rule in our hearts. To me, that is like opening and using the gift. I have a part to play in experiencing this peace. God does not force His peace upon us.

Considering a text regarding our part to have this peace - Philippians 4:4-9.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

This Christmas day I'm reminded of earlier times when I followed this text and lived in this peace beyond my understanding. But it can be a gift we put up on a shelf and it does us no good. It is up to me to take it down from the shelf and put it to use every moment of every day. Don't be anxious about anything requires my resolve and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. That is real Kingdom living.

That is where my thoughts are this morning as I ponder this Coronavirus topic and how it can rob me of His peace.

[nett]

The data is in.

The Omicron variant spreads worse in vaccinated people. The unvaccinated have less risk of catching this disease than the vaccinated.

Vaccine effectiveness 91-150 days after vaccination is worse than being unvaccinated at all.

I'll leave it up to the rest of you to find the evidence, but here are some places to start:

- The New York Times
- Public Health Ontario
- BMJ

So far, it does look like boosters are effective for up to 40 days after being vaccinated. So if you just go get a booster every 40 days, you can end up with the same result as an unvaccinated person.

The authors provided this analysis for why the found negative VE

The negative estimates in the final period arguably suggest different behaviour and/or exposure patterns in the vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts causing underestimation of the VE. This was likely the result of Omicron spreading rapidly initially through single (super-spreading) events causing many infections among young, vaccinated individuals.

This is a simple way of saying, the vaccines don't work at all, and worse yet, people who think they do are spreading Omicron like crazy.

Omicron is not mild, but if you don't want to catch it for some reason, might be wise to steer clear of vaccinated people until we have more data.

[Grace]

This is a simple way of saying, the vaccines don't work at all, and worse yet, people who think they do are spreading Omicron like crazy.

Omicron is not mild, but if you don't want to catch it for some reason, might be wise to steer clear of vaccinated people until we have more data.

Interesting. Is that because the vaccinated have a false sense of security in thinking they are vaccinated, so they are immune to the Omicron virus? So they are taking less precautions? Obviously the Omicron virus is vaccine resistant, creating breakthrough cases.

I am definitely not opposed to Covid vaccines. However on a side note, since the vaccine was available it was, and still is touted, bragged about, and glorified as the method to the end of Covid and get rid of this plague. Yet here we are, with Covid cases ever rising among the vaccinated right along with the unvaccinated.

It reminds me of the story of the Titanic, when it's prideful,arrogant builders made the comment "Not even God himself could sink this ship." Well, we know the end of that story. Mere man put his trust in the vaccine to end this plague, but it hasn't happen. I am not saying God can't use vaccines to end a plague, but men being being proud about it, was guaranteed a fall.

[Soloist]

https://www.military.com/daily-news/202 ... _211224.nl

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 12,000 military service members refusing the COVID-19 vaccine are seeking religious exemptions, and so far they are having zero success.

That total lack of approvals is creating new tensions within the military, even as the vast majority of the armed forces have gotten vaccinated.

The services, urgently trying to keep the coronavirus pandemic in check by getting troops vaccinated, are now besieged with exemption requests they are unlikely to approve. Meanwhile, troops claiming religious reasons for avoiding the shots are perplexed because exemptions are theoretically available, yet seem impossible to obtain.

This is very similar to many hospitals approving a religious exemption and then suspending without pay. An exemption is offered, but is utterly useless.
Despite public statements saying there would only be honorable discharges for refusal, I personally have heard of some dishonorable discharges.

This is actually something that has been permitted in the past but was fairly rare to hear about.

[temporal1]

https://www.military.com/daily-news/202 ... _211224.nl

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 12,000 military service members refusing the COVID-19 vaccine are seeking religious exemptions, and so far they are having zero success.

That total lack of approvals is creating new tensions within the military, even as the vast majority of the armed forces have gotten vaccinated.

The services, urgently trying to keep the coronavirus pandemic in check by getting troops vaccinated, are now besieged with exemption requests they are unlikely to approve. Meanwhile, troops claiming religious reasons for avoiding the shots are perplexed because exemptions are theoretically available, yet seem impossible to obtain.

This is very similar to many hospitals approving a religious exemption and then suspending without pay. An exemption is offered, but is utterly useless.
Despite public statements saying there would only be honorable discharges for refusal, I personally have heard of some dishonorable discharges.

This is actually something that has been permitted in the past but was fairly rare to hear about.

Nov 2021: EXCLUSIVE- “Boeing U.S. worker vaccine exemption requests top 11,000” -sources
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/exclusi ... 00-sources

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“A Timeline of COVID-19 Developments in 2020”
https://www.ajmc.com/view/a-timeline-of ... ts-in-2020