Octopus Overlords

Another data point that shows that we totally love and protect our children in the United States.

https://twitter.com/safeschoolsny/statu ... 0683262980

The issue with schools right now is that (once again) everything else (business, bars, restaurants, etc...) has been prioritized over keeping kids and teachers safe. So as circulating virus levels have been allowed to increase because masking policies aren't in place or can't be realistically enforced (bars, restaurants), kids and teachers are now feeling the impacts. And so now the pressure is there to close them and go remote while businesses remain open and without any restrictions. Or they're ordering office workers back.

Our priorities are so fuct up and we just keep doing this over and over.

1700 new cases per day in Chicago. Watching press conference, mayor announced vax passport/requirement beginning Jan 3.

All bars/restaurants, fitness centers.

Schools, churches, exempted.


Also anyone "entering for less than 10 minutes" to pick up carry out, etc. How is this going to be enforced? Jesus.

Unvaccinated employees are exempt as well, with weekly tests.


Good idea, poor execution. Details.



She keeps calling it "Omnicron."

I'm just assuming that every major sporting event is an Omicron super spreader.

Jaymon wrote: Tue Dec 21, 2021 3:45 pm I'm just assuming that every major sporting event is an Omicron super spreader.

And any establishment that serves alcohol.

My wife has been trying for two days to just get a test done for my daughter and failed again today. NJ is a fn joke.

Octavious wrote: Tue Dec 21, 2021 4:17 pm My wife has been trying for two days to just get a test done for my daughter and failed again today. NJ is a fn joke.

It's the whole area. I just looked at every place I know in my area and the next one I could find is Sunday afternoon right now.

I'm sure it's everyone bum rushing to get tested for Christmas. We wouldn't be looking except the kid my daughter was doing a project with tested positive. The school called us yesterday. This is super fun.

Reporting from Dallas - Ft. Worth on a layover. Sitting in the airport for the last hour or so, I’d say better than 99% of people I see (not in restaurants or bars) are masked. Also, more KN95 masks than I’ve seen previously.

Also, the pop up free vaccination kiosk is hopping!

Will be interesting to see what Jacksonville, FL is like when we get there.

Chicago Hospital ICU capacity - 18% of ICU beds available. 17% of acute non-ICU available.

We're one slightly-higher-than-usual weekend of shootings away from being at max ICU capacity. Or I guess just one week of normal COVID trend away.

I'm flying for the first time since January 2020 this weekend. For the first time ever, I paid extra to pick my seats (only $4!). As best as I could tell, I chose seats farthest away from anyone else. One benefit of flying on Christmas: the plane looked only half full.

malchior wrote: Tue Dec 21, 2021 4:32 pm It's the whole area. I just looked at every place I know in my area and the next one I could find is Sunday afternoon right now.

Everything is fine:

Walmart Inc (WMT.N), Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O) and CVS Health Corp (CVS.N) have limited sales of at-home COVID-19 testing kits as demand surges due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

...

Walgreens said in an emailed statement on Tuesday that it would limit both online and in-store purchases of test kits to four per customer. The company also said it was working with suppliers to catch up with demand.

Walmart set a limit of eight tests for each online order, but allowed its physical stores to set their own limits depending on inventory levels.

"We do have strong inventory levels nationally in store," Walmart said in a statement. "However, inventory is more limited online depending on the zip code."

CVS limited sales of test kits to six per person and said the products might be temporarily out of stock on its website as it priorities inventories at its stores.

I bought 4 Binax kits (8 tests) last week. The wife wanted them in case we traveled and I did an online order at Walgreens. When I went to pick them up, the entire order pickup area was full of test kit pickups.


What happens if you test positive at home? Is there a mechanism to report if you just decide to quarantine and not get an "official" test? Are you supposed to get an official test?

I know for me I report it to work and they make me get a PCR but people that aren't in the healthcare environment, especially WFH, and decide to just stay in, are their numbers ever reported?

Heh, the few people in the office today were discussing how impossible it is to get at home testing with one person having hoarded and offering to help. At $25 a kit, the idea of hoarding is inconceivable to me. I'll just drop $300 on a whim to make sure I have them I need them.

(he also said he gave himself a nosebleed testing himself. We pleebs can't be trusted)

LordMortis wrote: Tue Dec 21, 2021 5:38 pm Heh, the few people in the office today were discussing how impossible it is to get at home testing with one person having hoarded and offering to help. At $25 a kit, the idea of hoarding is inconceivable to me. I'll just drop $300 on a whim to make sure I have them I need them.

(he also said he gave himself a nosebleed testing himself. We pleebs can't be trusted)

For a family of 4, 8 tests is like two stops on a Midwest tour. I was hoping to maybe get more in Ann Arbor but not looking likely, if we even go.

LawBeefaroni wrote: Tue Dec 21, 2021 5:37 pm I know for me I report it to work and they make me get a PCR but people that aren't in the healthcare environment, especially WFH, and decide to just stay in, are their numbers ever reported?

The official guidance is you should call your health care provider and notify your own known close contacts. The presumption is your HCP would then give you any necessary paperwork to expedite a PCR test to confirm while you engage in voluntary isolation until a confirmatory PCR is done and/or you make it 10 days without symptoms.

Here in my state if you call your doctor to report a positive test at home, that doctor should be notifying the appropriate local health department for a follow up. How that is actually working in practice in my own state (or elsewhere), I don't know.

malchior wrote: Tue Dec 21, 2021 4:32 pm

Octavious wrote: Tue Dec 21, 2021 4:17 pm My wife has been trying for two days to just get a test done for my daughter and failed again today. NJ is a fn joke.

It's the whole area. I just looked at every place I know in my area and the next one I could find is Sunday afternoon right now.

Seemingly there are no in-person or home COVID tests available in New Hampshire. We were trying to find anything today and no place we called within an hours drive had any in stock nor knew when they might get some. When we left CA there were huge stockpiles on the shelves.

That's crazy. No one can find at home testing around here but we have walk in and appointment centers everywhere around here. There is a drive thru tent in the parking lot next to my work and three churches/community centers in a two mile drive from house with public COVID testing centers. Then there are clinics and CVSes everywhere.

This was my launching site a couple of week ago. I registered at 08:00 for 10:00 appointment and they were freely taking walkins

https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/communi ... index.html

And so it begins...

Had to cancel our game night tonight because one person's mom (who lives with him) visited a cousin who has now tested positive.

No sooner had that news broke than I found out my daughter's best friend (who she hung out at with recess on Friday) also tested positive. Looks like the Grinch is coming early this year.

https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1473480525365100552

BREAKING: U.S. reports 190,190 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase since September 3

Like the NFL, they're just following the guidance.

https://twitter.com/wsbgnl/status/1473411254911844353

Why is the White House choosing a path they know will result in a huge number of avoidable deaths? Who could say?

Allowing for an orderly exit. Can't have all the ruling class rushing to get out all at once.


"Folks, the ship is NOT sinking! Everything is just fine.

On an unrelated note, we would ask the first class passengers to please assemble on the main deck near the lifeboats for...a game of shuffleboard."

LawBeefaroni wrote: Tue Dec 21, 2021 11:39 pm Allowing for an orderly exit. Can't have all the ruling class rushing to get out all at once.


"Folks, the ship is NOT sinking! Everything is just fine.

On an unrelated note, we would ask the first class passengers to please assemble on the main deck near the lifeboats for...a game of shuffleboard."

Ha. I thought the same until I saw the reports coming out this morning of 7% annualized Q4 GDP growth which is bananas. Growth uber alles. It's a "competitive advantage". We'll mourn the dead when we're all rich*.

*Offer applies to first class passengers with elite pass privileges.

NJ just smashed through our previous one-day reporting record (~6700 new cases), set on 1/13/21 by posting ~9700 positive test results today.

A few municipalities have initiated their own indoor masking orders, but the governor continues to sit on his hands. Absolutely unreal what is unfolding right now.

EDIT: Just seeing that the governor left for Costa Rica to celebrate the holidays with family for the next 8 days. Not sure if he's meeting up with Ted Cruz first. JFC.

Smoove_B wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 12:18 pm NJ just smashed through our previous one-day reporting record (~6700 new cases), set on 1/13/21 by posting ~9700 positive test results today.

A few municipalities have initiated their own indoor masking orders, but the governor continues to sit on his hands. Absolutely unreal what is unfolding right now.

EDIT: Just seeing that the governor left for Costa Rica to celebrate the holidays with family for the next 8 days. Not sure if he's meeting up with Ted Cruz first. JFC.

The President gave him political cover. Easy peasy decision here.

The message for today seems to be to let everyone know that shipping is fixed, shelves are stocked and whatever you want for Xmas is available because of Biden.

In case anyone is wondering what is driving all the decision making, at this point is should be crystal clear. I can only imagine what the history books are going to say about America now.

Smoove_B wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 12:36 pm The message for today seems to be to let everyone know that shipping is fixed, shelves are stocked and whatever you want for Xmas is available because of Biden.

In case anyone is wondering what is driving all the decision making, at this point is should be crystal clear. I can only imagine what the history books are going to say about America now.

Beyond all this which I totally agree with, this partially shows the bind that Biden is in. He can't govern because he is being actively resisted at all levels. He can't sell positive ideas because of his low ratings. And they are dealing with a schizophrenic public problem. The economy essentially has taken off, people are saying they feel great about their personnel fortunes (there is survey data indicating such), but think the economy is horrible (other survey data saying this).

And this is actually a real problem because they feel like they can't be stronger on COVID without public support...which is sorta true. We're just a fucked up dysfunctional nation in the end. The present problem is Biden always seems to be chasing the needle and never gets ahead of it. And the year he needed to get way ahead on COVID and the political meltdown happening is gone now.

America

https://twitter.com/ErinBanco/status/14 ... 7629320198

For those of you looking for a test in New Jersey, where appointments at pharmacies are booked up, Newark airport has some slots available. BUT it will cost you. If you want the test results within 1 day, you have to pay $250.

It's about $75 otherwise. Results in 4 days.

Also like, not sure where exactly the location is at Newark Airport but....seems like we generally wouldn't want people who think that they're infected driving to and passing through an airport?

El Guapo wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 1:19 pm Also like, not sure where exactly the location is at Newark Airport but....seems like we generally wouldn't want people who think that they're infected driving to and passing through an airport?

I know in one terminal it is a section they cordoned off downstairs by the baggage carousels. But considering that we allow un-vaxxed passengers anyway that is probably a small problem. It's mostly for the employees anyway as far as I know. It isn't intended for the community at large (well as much as Newark airport employs a ton of the community).

Thankfully my wife was able to find a place yesterday. We'll just mark that as our go to spot for now as they were in and out in minutes. Already got the results back today and both were negative. I'm sure my daughter would have been fine taking classes from home tomorrow. So sucks on the timing for her.

These numbers are borderline incomprehensible to me.

https://twitter.com/MarkLevineNYC/statu ... 6268042249

BREAKING: Another all-time record # of cases reported in NY State today: 28,924

17,221 in New York City alone. Positivity increased to 10.7%.

Knowing this isn't everyone (because not everyone can get tested) and then just thinking about whatever % of those people are now in medical distress...plus whatever % is now at risk for chronic illness. It's just...it's too much.

Global perspective

https://twitter.com/VincentRK/status/14 ... 4721980417

Cases in Spain have now exceeded the US.

Why is this important? Spain is one of the best vaccinated countries in Europe: 80% fully vaccinated.

The US is only 60% fully vaccinated. UK is 70%.
It's a warning.

Spain just announced they're now instituting a mandatory outdoor masking order that will be in place until the summer of 2022. They already had one for indoors in place.

Next month is going to be a complete shitshow.

Isgrimnur wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:22 pm Next month is going to be a complete shitshow.

Can we please bump the Olympics back a year?

15,500 cases in NJ today, smashing yesterday's 9600 case record. I mean...do something?

My new cynical take is that nothing is being done because of the "it's mild" belief that has been floated over the last month. Unless hospitals start seeing an increase in volume, apparently our state and local leaders are fine with the "just let it wash over you" plan. And of course, at that point it will be too late given the lag time.

And yes, hospitalizations and ICU cases are increasing but I guess not fast enough to be worried. Maybe in another two weeks...

I know I shouldn't be, but I am actually stunned.

Well we are getting to test out the herd immunity angle. So that's fun at least. I can't imagine working in healthcare right now. I'd be punching the people that didn't get the vaccine.

Anecdotally, everyone is getting this. It's a very different game, different symptoms and faster onset. More asymptomatic cases, probably from vaccination which is great but it makes it far more likely to go undetected and transmitted. Testing is key and we don't test. Even when we do, it's whack-a-mole.

A friend of ours had their mom come to town to help with a child who just returned home from major surgery. The grandmother tested daily via PCR before entering the home, even paid for the 2 hour test the day of. Negative. They mentioned everyone was good, the mom just had a runny nose. We mentioned that runny nose is one of the symptoms now, even just by it self. They decided to be extra safe and ran a home test, came up positive. Rapid PCR positive. Fortunately she hadn't interacted with the child, who is vaccinated but highly compromised due to surgery and post-surgery drugs, but they were freaking out a bit.

They did everything right but hadn't been updated on the new symptoms. Even just sneezing can be an indicator now.

Runny nose, headache, sneezing are now among the top 5 symptoms per the Zoe study.