Honest question: do you see any point in trying to reduce Covid transmission anymore?

kibitzer wrote:

"Honest question: do you see any point in trying to reduce Covid transmission anymore?"

Yes. There are millions of unvaccinated people out there and I don't want them to get sick or crippled or dead.

Ok. You can do-gooder your way through life trying to protect people who don't want you to protect them and resent you for doing so. But don't force the rest of us to play along with this foolish, arrogant, futile mission.

While we're at it let's end abortion, let's save those who can't save themselves. Quit worrying about the fat lazy minorities that don't trust the government vaccine pla s

Why try? wrote:

This is Jim Kiler wrote:

Covid continues to thrive in the US not because some people won't get vaccinated, but because a lot of people who should get vaccinated listen to media that makes them distrust vaccinations and science.

“In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from Covid, more than three times higher than the rate in heavily Biden counties (7.8 per 100,000). October was the fifth consecutive month that the percentage gap between the death rates in Trump counties and Biden counties widened.”

To which I say: so what? Vaccine hesitancy is a global phenomenon. It's not going to change because Fauci makes one more talk show appearance to push shots. People who want a shot have gotten one. They are protected.

Quit demanding everyone wear a mask out of obnoxious liberal paternalism and let people's lives get back to normal.

Oh, I'm in charge now? Thanks for letting me know that.

flyingfrog wrote:

While we're at it let's end abortion, let's save those who can't save themselves.

That's coming tomorrow.

coaching math wrote:

trails to myself

I had the opposite experience. I welcome no more lockdowns if for no other reason the trails stay empty and free of litter everywhere.

trldude wrote:

coaching math wrote:

trails to myself

I had the opposite experience. I welcome no more lockdowns if for no other reason the trails stay empty and free of litter everywhere.

I found a National park where they closed the town access so everyone thought it was closed. I ran there a lot in 2020 and rarely saw anyone. It was awesome.

Not that it is sustainable but my wife and I went to the movie theater and had it to ourselves, took flights with nobody on them. It’s pretty difficult to catch COVID if nobody is there.

We traveled across the country and stayed in our small RV because nothing was open. I had a blast.

I have come to the conclusion that 99% of the population is insane and doesn’t realize that they will die of something eventually.

What good is life if you don’t ever do anything. Not me.

I have enjoyed the past couple of years and if I die in the next year because of covid at least I had a quality existence. I pity you all.

Why try? wrote:

Nothing we do has any more than a marginal impact on Covid spread. At what point do we just accept that we're not going to control Covid? We can reduce risk by getting vaccinated, but reducing transmission seems to be a fool's errand.

Get your shots, but otherwise I think we should just live life as normal and accept that every single person in the world is going to get Covid eventually.

I never believed it was controllable right from the start.

I never believed the constant fearmongering.

I listened to the best scientists from the start.

I remain unvaccinated.

This is a manufactured crisis. Cynical marketing and profiteering. If you don't understand this you are hopelessly naïve.

Nope. Joe Biden doesn't wear a mask (off-camera) or cancel his vacation plans and neither will I.

More important than most people being vaccinated is that the most vulnerable populations have been vaccinated, as they are the ones most likely to die and vaccination reduces the risk that they will be hospitalized and die. Infection, not as much after a short period of time. Boosters of the vaccinated (other than among those in high risk categories) may actually do more to prolong the pandemic than help bring the pandemic to an end. Some scientists believe that the new South African variant (if it is indeed more transmissible, but less lethal) will help hasten the end of the pandemic by infecting those who have never been infected, as natural immunity / hybrid immunity provide a much more significant community barrier to future outbreaks than vaccination alone since vaccines will always lag behind new variants: The weekly breakthrough infection rate in Mesa County, CO is 35.6 cases per 10,000 vaccinated individuals versus 4 cases per 10,000 previously infected individuals.

Move $ and energy towards treatment. It's time.

You're right that Covid is going to be endemic, OP. I am vaxxed, boosted, and have fully vaxxed kids, and once everyone can get fully vaxxed, including kids under 5, we should be mostly in a "let er rip" situation. Until we get there, I'm fine with everything reopening, and with vaccinated people being able to go mask-free everywhere, and the unvaccinated having to wear masks until vaccination is universally available.

And kids in school should have to either get vaccinated or wear a mask - parents can choose one. There are enough immunocompromised kids who have to attend public school (and people in general) that we should make that accommodation for them.

This is Jim Kiler wrote:

Harambe wrote:

Well, rampant transmission in low vaxxed areas (sub saharan Africa) likely spawned Omicron. So yeah, I'd say there's a benefit to keeping cases low.

No, Omicron was detected first in the Netherlands. We have no idea where it originated, but to pin it on Africa is incorrect.

Debatable, the massive distance from the nearest mutational neighbor suggests that it comes from somewhere with minimal viral sequencing surveillance. I.e. Not Europe.

Harambe wrote:

Debatable, the massive distance from the nearest mutational neighbor suggests that it comes from somewhere with minimal viral sequencing surveillance. I.e. Not Europe.

And there will ALWAYS be another variant. It’s time to accept the obvious reality that we are not going to control COVID. We can protect ourselves through vaccination, but transmission control is a pointless Sisyphean task. Omicron makes that plain.

Boston guy wrote:

Harambe wrote:

Debatable, the massive distance from the nearest mutational neighbor suggests that it comes from somewhere with minimal viral sequencing surveillance. I.e. Not Europe.

And there will ALWAYS be another variant. It’s time to accept the obvious reality that we are not going to control COVID. We can protect ourselves through vaccination, but transmission control is a pointless Sisyphean task. Omicron makes that plain.

There are thousands of variants. Omicron has been sequenced that's why it's in the news. The BS hysteria gets ramped up to the max again.

curiousoldster wrote:

You're right that Covid is going to be endemic, OP. I am vaxxed, boosted, and have fully vaxxed kids, and once everyone can get fully vaxxed, including kids under 5, we should be mostly in a "let er rip" situation. Until we get there, I'm fine with everything reopening, and with vaccinated people being able to go mask-free everywhere, and the unvaccinated having to wear masks until vaccination is universally available.

And kids in school should have to either get vaccinated or wear a mask - parents can choose one. There are enough immunocompromised kids who have to attend public school (and people in general) that we should make that accommodation for them.

Fully agree. Vaxxed people should not be expected to mask. We’ve done our part, and the anti-vaxxers are beyond persuasion at this point. Why should I sacrifice to protect people who have no interest in protecting themselves?

And kids shouldn’t be forced to mask at all. They have the lowest risk and will suffer from restriction the longest in this futile attempt to control the virus.

kibitzer wrote:

"Honest question: do you see any point in trying to reduce Covid transmission anymore?"

Yes. There are millions of unvaccinated people out there and I don't want them to get sick or crippled or dead.

But isn't there just a choice between delaying or not? Delaying has some benefit - by keeping cases requiring hospitalization low, we can ensure people who need treatment can receive it. But does it exceed all the costs?

Why try? wrote:

Nothing we do has any more than a marginal impact on Covid spread. At what point do we just accept that we're not going to control Covid? We can reduce risk by getting vaccinated, but reducing transmission seems to be a fool's errand.

Get your shots, but otherwise I think we should just live life as normal and accept that every single person in the world is going to get Covid eventually.

No.

At what point do we just accept that we're not going to control Covid?

Unfortunately, I think try to control the spread of COVID has been futile, for a long time now. I wish I was wrong, but I've seen nothing in the past year to indicate otherwise. Short of someone invented either a drug that cures it, or a new vaccine that actually stops spread and has lasting effects, it's going to run its course through humanity.

I, for one, never had the luxury of being able to fear covid. I had to work through it all (essential worker) and be exposed, repeatedly. Still, my wife and I got double vaxxed. Still, we both got covid (delta). Sure, many are going to continue choosing to fear it. But it's going to do what it's going to do.

Biggest scam in history. Nothing else comes close. Makes Bernie Madoff look like a pesky flea.

Line up for shots 4, 5, 6 and who knows how many more.

https://www.ft.com/content/27def1b9-b9c8-47a5-8e06-72e432e0838f