The Politics of Covid 19, mask wearing and the vaccination process

[Pyperkub]

A new bill passed through the Tennessee House that would allow pharmacists to prescribe Ivermectin


TennesseeAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHfuckingmorons.

What TN really needs is a drug to prevent TN GOP from reproducing and continuing to infects the state gov.

On the good news side, the legislature wasn't quite as stupid as the headline writer, as the bill only allows them to fill the prescription, not actually diagnose and recommend Ivermectin as treatment.

[El Guapo]

So the development this weekend that I'm still wrapping my head around is that suddenly everyone seemingly decided that it's ok to send current Covid-positive people to outdoor events. I took my daughter to her soccer game Saturday while my wife took our son to his baseball game. I found out later that one of the kids was currently positive with Covid while another parent there was positive as well. They were both wearing masks and mostly keeping distant, and I know that the risk of outdoor tranmission is still (as far as I know) very low. But still. And on top of that we had a pool party yesterday, and one of the parents asked whether it would be ok to send a kid on covid day 9 who was still testing positive. I was like eh.....you know what, maybe not.

Was there a meeting last week where everyone decided this was ok? Again I know outdoor transmission risk is low, but like...just wait until you have a negative test before being around other people, ok?

[LawBeefaroni]

Aren't the recommendations still an isolation period? I think it's down to 5 days but still...

And outdoor activity does not mean no indoor exposure. Restrooms, vehicles/transit, etc, are still indoor spaces as far as transmission is concerned.

[Smoove_B]

Was there a meeting last week where everyone decided this was ok? Again I know outdoor transmission risk is low, but like...just wait until you have a negative test before being around other people, ok?

Yeah, it's been on going since the CDC bungled the 5 day return to work messaging - everyone believes that after 5 days you're no longer infectious. While that's possible, if you're still dropping positive tests on Day 6 (or 9, or 12), you're still able to spread the virus.

So my understanding is that no one is testing anymore - using TFG's philosophy of no test = not sick.

No one (no one) should be eating indoors right now among stranger - restaurants, bars, schools, work cafeteria, etc...

I would not be sending a kid to a pool party if they had COVID.I would not be sending a kid to sit on a bench or in a dugout next to other kids if they had COVID.

But nothing matters anymore and I'm crazy, so don't forget that.

[El Guapo]

Yup, it does seem like the 5 day CDC guidelines are at the core of this. I suppose at least with baseball there is generally a certain amount of social distancing built into the game, and the field here had no indoor spaces of any kind (no dugouts, bathrooms, etc.). So there is that. But still.

[Max Peck]

I finally scored a rapid test kit this week. We can't buy them anywhere here, as far as I know, but the provincial government distributes free kits to a variety of locations, none of which ever seem to have them in stock. I had to pick up some emergency supplies at the pharmacy on Monday, and noticed that they had a few available at the cashier, maybe 5 or 6, so I was able to get one.

My goal is to never need to use it before it expires in 2024.

[msteelers]

So the development this weekend that I'm still wrapping my head around is that suddenly everyone seemingly decided that it's ok to send current Covid-positive people to outdoor events. I took my daughter to her soccer game Saturday while my wife took our son to his baseball game. I found out later that one of the kids was currently positive with Covid while another parent there was positive as well. They were both wearing masks and mostly keeping distant, and I know that the risk of outdoor tranmission is still (as far as I know) very low. But still. And on top of that we had a pool party yesterday, and one of the parents asked whether it would be ok to send a kid on covid day 9 who was still testing positive. I was like eh.....you know what, maybe not.

Was there a meeting last week where everyone decided this was ok? Again I know outdoor transmission risk is low, but like...just wait until you have a negative test before being around other people, ok?

My friend had a birthday party for his 2-year old son back in March. Family drama ensued because his sister showed up with her daughter who was experiencing cold/flu symptoms (I don't know exactly what the symptoms were). My friend had to basically kick his sister and niece out of the party. And of course, his family viewed him as the bad guy for taking steps to try and not let others get sick.

People just generally suck, and would rather put others at risk than inconvenience themselves.

[LordMortis]

I finally scored a rapid test kit this week. We can't buy them anywhere here, as far as I know, but the provincial government distributes free kits to a variety of locations, none of which ever seem to have them in stock. I had to pick up some emergency supplies at the pharmacy on Monday, and noticed that they had a few available at the cashier, maybe 5 or 6, so I was able to get one.

My goal is to never need to use it before it expires in 2024.

I got a kit of four tests in December. I have two tests left that expire in July. Glad yours are more durable.

[Smoove_B]

I got a kit of four tests in December. I have two tests left that expire in July. Glad yours are more durable.

Possibly not - read up here:

As of April 28, the following brands have been given an extended shelf life, which you means you should look up the new expiration dates by clicking on this link:

All BinaxNOW products
CareStart
Flowflex
Detect
iHealth
InBios SCoV-2 Ag Detect

Direct link to FDA

[LordMortis]

Made in Korea by ???. Distrubuted by Roche.

[Isgrimnur]

People just generally suck

Preach, brother.

[Isgrimnur]

Back home after my trip. Masking was an afterthought for just about everyone in Columbus, Ohio. Certainly not much difference than my experience running pre-trip errands in the metroplex.

Start the clock.

I guess I've sailed past the all-clear mark.

[Smoove_B]

Appeal has been filed:

In a 48-page document filed in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Justice Department argues that the order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in early 2021 "falls easily within the CDC's statutory authority."

Last month, the Justice Department said that it would appeal U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle's decision to strike down the CDC's mask mandate for public transportation if the agency determines the mandate is still needed to protect public health.

"None of the district court's quarrels with the CDC order comes close to showing that the CDC has acted outside the 'zone of reasonableness,'" the Justice Department said in the brief.

"The findings in the CDC order provide ample support for the agency's determination that there was good cause to make the order effective without delay."

I guess we'll see how that goes.

[Blackhawk]

And that was how the Supreme Court bound the partisan politics surrounding COVID-19 into precedent, setting the stage for the future.

[Smoove_B]

Unreal

https://twitter.com/jayobtv/status/1532717916331950080

The State or Florida threatened the Special Olympics with $27.5 MILLION in fines because the organization had a vaccine requirement at its games in Orlando this weekend.

Late yesterday, the Special Olympics pulled the requirement

[LordMortis]

Thank goodness for protections against government over reach. We wouldn't any sort of authoritarian movement against the minority of the weakest among us or anything.

[Kraken]

One hopes that the next thing the Special Olympics will pull is out of FL.

[LordMortis]

One hopes that the next thing the Special Olympics will pull is out of FL.

Too late for that but hopefully everyone else knows what Florida is capable of doing before holding an event (or business) there. Of note, again this is in Orlando, which is a mostly blue area of Florida.

https://www.2022specialolympicsusagames.org/

[Kraken]

One hopes that the next thing the Special Olympics will pull is out of FL.

Too late for that but hopefully everyone else knows what Florida is capable of doing before holding an event (or business) there. Of note, again this is in Orlando, which is a mostly blue area of Florida.

https://www.2022specialolympicsusagames.org/

I was thinking of future years. I'd like to see a lot of businesses and organizations cauterize FL.

[Smoove_B]

I was thinking of future years. I'd like to see a lot of businesses and organizations cauterize FL.

And yet, I am hardly seeing much news about what else he did yesterday:

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) vetoed a budget item for a new practice facility for the Tampa Bay Rays over the team’s recent tweets about gun control.

And people voted for this, so I guess...awesome?

[ImLawBoy]

It's probably worth noting that the disabled and disability advocates are a pretty diverse crowd, and there are significant numbers of MAGA types and cultural conservatives among them. I have no doubt that there is a sizable group among them that are celebrating this (like those who might believe that a vaccination is the cause of a disability, for example).

I was thinking of future years. I'd like to see a lot of businesses and organizations cauterize FL.

And yet, I am hardly seeing much news about what else he did yesterday:

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) vetoed a budget item for a new practice facility for the Tampa Bay Rays over the team’s recent tweets about gun control.

And people voted for this, so I guess...awesome?

Right result, wrong reason. I'd love for the government to get out of the business of subsidizing billionaires and their sports teams. To do it based on political expression, however, is the wrong reason.

[LordMortis]

Right result, wrong reason. I'd love for the government to get out of the business of subsidizing billionaires and their sports teams. To do it based on political expression, however, is the wrong reason.

So much this! So so so much this.

[gbasden]

Right result, wrong reason. I'd love for the government to get out of the business of subsidizing billionaires and their sports teams. To do it based on political expression, however, is the wrong reason.

So much this! So so so much this.

Absolutely for both.

[Blackhawk]

I was thinking of future years. I'd like to see a lot of businesses and organizations cauterize FL.

And yet, I am hardly seeing much news about what else he did yesterday:

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) vetoed a budget item for a new practice facility for the Tampa Bay Rays over the team’s recent tweets about gun control.

And people voted for this, so I guess...awesome?

Seems like a strong incentive for the team to move.

[Smoove_B]

Remember this the next time you need to get on an airplane

https://twitter.com/aurabogado/status/1 ... 7586871297

So. If you test positive at home for COVID and are seeking to cancel your @united flight as a result, you will need to obtain a doctor's note if you expect to get a refund. Otherwise, the airline will knowingly let you board, thereby exposing those around you.

[malchior]

It's United. Horrible is their normal state.

[Isgrimnur]

WFAA

An Arizona man has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines after being wrongfully identified and arrested as a shoplifting suspect, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Tarrant County court.

Michael Lowe is accusing American Airlines of negligence, mental, physical and financial damages after being jailed for 17 days for a crime he didn’t commit in 2020, the lawsuit said.

[Unagi]

I think this should be in the Cops Behaving Badly thread.

[Max Peck]

There is a picture of the alleged perp wearing a mask in the article, so it's on topic.

[Smoove_B]

Apparently the amicus brief is being filed tomorrow for the federal mask mandate appeal. It was signed by six (!) former CDC directors though seven could have signed it. Can you guess which former director didn't?

Spoiler:

That's right, it's Robert Redfield

Funny, that.

[Smoove_B]

So yeah, as I was mentioning on the other side of the fence, the cost of vaccinations and the refusal of Congress to approve anything in a timely manner is forcing the hand of the current administration:

The Biden administration said Wednesday that a funding crunch is forcing it to divert more than $10 billion in coronavirus relief from test procurement and other efforts as it tries to come up with money to secure the next generation of vaccines and treatments for some high-risk Americans.

The White House said it has been left with “no choice” but to cut back on orders of at-home rapid tests that have supported a domestic manufacturing base for the easy diagnostic tests. It also is scaling back funding for research and development of new COVID-19 vaccines and limiting orders of personal protective equipment in an effort to maintain some stockpiles of vaccines and treatments for Americans heading into the winter.

Even then, the Democratic administration says, there will only be enough money available to provide treatments and vaccines to some people. It urged Congress to act to provide enough money to secure doses for all who might want or need them.

...

The administration said the Wednesday moves would shift $5 billion to buy COVID-19 vaccine doses for the fall, $4.9 billion for 10 million Paxlovid oral antiviral treatment courses and $300 million for the purchase of additional monoclonal antibody treatments.

The Biden administration has been warning for months of the potential for rationing and other tough trade-offs if Congress doesn’t act to provide additional funding, saying that it would cost lives as people’s immunity from booster doses or from prior infection wane.

Lawmakers in March appeared near a deal for $10 billion of the $22.5 billion that President Joe Biden has requested, but negotiations broke down over Biden’s plans to end pandemic-related public health restrictions on U.S. borders that severely curtailed migration. Though that move has been blocked by a federal judge, lawmakers have appeared no closer to reaching a deal.

[LordMortis]

Eh, we all know that you can stop funding this stuff and get it back if you need it. I mean look at great everything was in 2017 when stopped funding pandemic preparedness last time. It wasn't until Biden took over that all of the money started getting wasted.

[Smoove_B]

Just saw this Tweet thread this morning and I need to process it...

https://twitter.com/thrasherxy/status/1 ... 3503593474

I don’t think liberals can process how they are now being misled about Covid worse by Biden, congressional democrats and the New York Times worse than the county was ever misled about the pandemic by Trump, Mitch McConnell and Fox News. At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a lot of confusion. There is NOT much confusion now about what needs to be done—but the Democrat controlled White House and Congress won’t do it. They find the will to send tens of billions of Ukraine, but they’ve given up on Covid.

The Democrats have shifted from a sure-to-fail vaccine only policy (more on that later) to a sure-to-fail antiretroviral (ARV) policy.

After a first read, I can't really disagree with the take.

[coopasonic]

There is only so much you can do when Freedumb is on the line!

I've basically joined the "Fuck it!" camp, but I almost never leave the house and my family is healthy and low risk. Oh and Texas insists my kids attend school in person anyway with no real quarantine policy.

My 72 year old mom with COPD and whatever the other lifelong smoker lung issues are wants to come visit (she lives in a very, very rural area in NY). My wife says she is an adult and if she wants to risk it, it's her choice. I am less in the "Fuck it!" camp when it's my mom's life on the line. I am the one charged with making the call if she ends up on life support and I have specific instructions on her wishes there apparently because I am the only one of her 3 sons she could count on to follow her wishes.

Fuck it, indeed.

[Kraken]

Masking at today's grocery run was at approximately me%. There were three or four other people wearing masks, but together we constituted a rounding error. Oh, and that basket of free N95s by the door was gone.

[LordMortis]

I am less in the "Fuck it!" camp when it's my mom's life on the line.

There in lies the rub for me. I also see my parents regularly as they are in their 80s. Time spent with them is precious. Even though she doesn't want it of me, that is the single biggest reason I haven't had bouts of "fuck it!" in the last two and a quarter years. If I was the reason my mom goes down I don't think I'd last long on the earth. I'm pretty certain my mind would cave in and that would be it for me.

[Blackhawk]

Oh, and that basket of free N95s by the door was gone.

Our stores have just removed their 'sanitized carts' section. It was mostly low-impact theater, but when they're not even bothering with the theater, you know it's a lost cause.

[El Guapo]

Apparently the Boston public schools are rescinding the mask mandate as of Monday, just for the last week of school. Which like even if you don't think they should have a mask mandate...why just for the last week? A parting case of COVID as a special memory for the summer?

[Freyland]

Apparently the Boston public schools are rescinding the mask mandate as of Monday, just for the last week of school. Which like even if you don't think they should have a mask mandate...why just for the last week? A parting case of COVID as a special memory for the summer?

Only if you didn't order a yearbook.

[Smoove_B]

As part of my continuing effort to feel worse, via the select subcommittee report on COVID-19:

https://twitter.com/TheAngryEpi/status/ ... 5461261313

On September 16, 2020, Atlas proposed that PCR tests be made “less sensitive”, presumably to hide the true number of COVID19 cases. He stated that testing made reopening more difficult, hence it should be curtailed.