By K E Stone (Keystone)
The FDA and CDC tag team officially approve the Pfizer/BioNTech
and Moderna mRNA booster shots for all American adults 18 years old and older.
The decision would have more bite if 17 US states (Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota,
New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, including New York City, Rhode Island, Utah,
Vermont and West Virginia) had not already started boosting everyone 18 and
older without the blessing from the medical bigwigs. Humorously, everyone is
choosing which science they want to follow.
The FDA provided its approval for boosters yesterday morning
followed by the CDC advisory panel approval at 3:30 PM EST yesterday afternoon
and then CDC Director Walensky signed-off on the approval and recommendations at
6 PM EST. Rubber stamps were handed out to everyone in the morning so the booster
shot documents slid through the process effortlessly.
Booster shots can begin across America right away; today. High
school seniors moan since many parents, and schools and universities, will make
them take the shots, and, since they are not children anymore, they will not
receive ice cream as a bribe.
The booster shots are now available to the vaccinated folks
by decree from the CDC. Let it be said, let it be written, let it be done (fisttouches heart). Queen Walensky and Lord Fauci have spoken. The new FDA and CDC
decision will provide clarity on the booster shot situation since it was
another pandemic mess off the get-go with Sleepy Joe Biden promising booster
shots for all Americans by mid-September without checking with the FDA and CDC
that had to put the kibosh on the president’s statement.
The vaccination program is in shaky territory. US infection
wave 6 is underway as Americans over 18 years and older are allowed to take the
booster shot. The hopeful outcome is that wave 6 will roll over in short order
as the booster shots take hold just as wave 4 was defeated and rolled over to
the downside once the initial vaccinations between December 2020 and April 2021
kicked-in. This outcome will be known over the next couple weeks.
Unfortunately, from the standpoint of controlling the virus,
Thanksgiving Day is coming fast. Of course, humans are jumping for joy with a
4-day holiday weekend ahead (Thursday through Sunday), but the festivities and
parties will lead to more infections. The next 6 weeks is party time with
celebrations planned for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, the Jewish
holidays, Kwanza, and Festivus for the rest of us, to name a few. It could not
be a worse time for wave 6 to start taking off higher.
Americans, Europeans, and other northern hemisphere
dwellers, are facing a long winter ahead which exacerbates the spread of
infections as we breathe each other’s recirculated air including Keystone’s hot
air. Americans are back at work and school which increases the incidence of
transmission.
Sadly, the waning vaccine efficacy is creating a big problem
currently but it is swept under the rug by most of the media because King Biden
does not want any negative messaging around the vaccinations. The truth is that
the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna) efficacy drops off a cliff
after 6 months. The J&J single-shot efficacy is dropping towards nil after
only 2 months. Many vaccinated Americans believe they are over 90% protected
from the virus when, at 6 to 10 months after their initial mRNA shot series,
are actually walking around with only minimal protection (although they are
guarded against serious illness and death).
In J&J’s case, people are walking around thinking they
are protected and they are in about the same boat as an unvaccinated person.
This is why the FDA and CDC permits the mixing and matching of vaccines telling
the J&J shot recipients to now take an mRNA shot. This is called science.
Millions of vaccinated people do not understand that they
can be carrying and transmitting the virus to children, other vaccinated
people, and the unvaccinated, that are always conveniently blamed for the virus
waves. The false sense of protection that some vaccinated people believe they
possess, coupled with booster shot hesitancy, could be a toxic and terrible mix
for America going forward.
The Cumulative Count of People Receiving at Least One Dose chart
is shown above. Americans rushed to get vaccinated through the end of May which
tamped down wave 4. The colored boxes highlight the vaccinations each month,
and when allowing for the 6-month drop-off in efficacy, the picture is not
pretty if people do not get boosted.
The large red hash-marked area in the chart shows the people
that are vaccinated but not protected that well after a half year or more,
unless they receive a booster shot. Millions of Americans were sold the
vaccines on the fantastic 95% plus efficacy and are clueless that 8 months
later they do not have the protection they think they have. Vaccinated folks
over 60 years old are starting to show up at hospitals, lying on gurneys.
The Whitehouse and CDC have been brow-beating Americans to
get vaccinated, and still are, but those that did not take the shots likely
will not. Instead of wasting energy on a hopeless cause, the medical folks
would be smarter to focus on the booster shot program. These folks are already
submissive for the shots and Retail 101 says it easier to maintain and service
an existing customer (someone already vaccinated) than get a new customer
(vaccinate a person that has refused to take the shots).
That large red hash-marked area should scare folks. If
people blow off booster shots, the over 60 crowd are going to start dropping
like flies again. The vaccines do not protect against getting coronavirus or
transmitting the virus. The shots will help you tolerate the infection easier
and protects against severe illness and death, however, there are holes
beginning to appear in the ‘protection against severe illness’ mantra. Data is
showing that more vaccinated people are becoming sicker.
The chart shows that the infection waves do not end and continue
beyond wave 4. The India B1617 variant, that was subsequently renamed the Delta
variant by the WHO, wreaks havoc around the world and creates the US wave 5.
The vaccinations did not stop wave 5 from occurring perhaps
because the vaccines target the spiked protein on the original virus rather
than B1617. Note how the rise in wave 5 begins directly when the initial
vaccinations start surpassing the 6-month period (waning efficacy).
Nonetheless, wave 5 was diminishing and on its way out but
over the last 3 weeks, wave 6 raises its ugly head. The vaccinations are not
stopping the infection waves from occurring and the waning vaccine efficacy may
become a terrible problem ahead. Wave 5 is called the delta wave. Wave 6 might
be dubbed the ‘vaccines suck’ wave.
The herd immunity calculation is in good shape with 69% of
the United States vaccinated with at least one shot and 15% to 35% with natural
immunity after already having COVID-19. Adding the percentages is a herd
immunity at 84% to 104% which should stop the pandemic (anything above the 70%
to 85% range) but why is wave 6 underway now?
The vaccine zealots will quickly decree that the natural
immunity is not that good. Au contraire, Pierre. Although studies are
proclaiming both sides of the natural immunity story, the reports that state
natural immunity is long-lasting and robust are more credible.
Thus, the only other part of the equation is the vaccines.
As the Cumulative Count of People Receiving at Least One Dose chart explains,
there are tens of millions of Americans in that red hash-marked area that will
need a booster shot to be protected. Right now, many of those vaccinated folks,
with their chests puffed-out, looking down at the unwashed unvaccinated person
wearing a mask, are actually no better protected than that unvaccinated person.
It makes you laugh out loud, but at the same time sad, since humans are sick
with China Flu, and die.
Thus, the 69% of one dose folks that are assumed to be
protected from coronavirus, may not be as well protected as they think. It
would be some percentage lower to allow for the waning vaccine efficacy.
Pulling a number out of thin air, say 45% of the 69% are protected with the
other 24% beyond the 6-month period after the initial shot series, some way
past. Using the 45%, the herd immunity calculation is 60% to 80% and still has
some work to do to get to the pandemic finish line. The waning vaccine efficacy
is a problem but no one wants to talk about it because it is a downer of a
subject.
It is likely that the waning vaccine efficacy is stalling
the herd immunity calculation and even driving it backwards. In other words, if
the vaccines would be good for a year, instead of 6 months, the US would be on
easy street. Instead, anyone vaccinated through May needs a booster shot
already, otherwise, they got buptkis. In addition, the folks that blow-off the
boosters will be an increasing portion of the new cases.
TPTB (the powers that be) will have to search their souls
and perhaps rethink the function of the vaccines. Is it to prevent infection?
Transmission? Severe illness? Death? To minimize long-covid patients? If the
initial vaccination continues to protect against severe illness and death, does
a healthy person need a booster shot which then is only providing some marginal
additional infection and transmission protection? Inquiring minds want to know.
The truth is that the China Virus is a once in a century
pandemic and everyone is making it up as they go along. Medical folks, and most
humans, are not good at admitting their mistakes. Unfortunately, this behavior
leads to mistrust. The population wants straight talk and when officials are
obviously blowing wind half the time, like Lord Fauci, people simply stop
listening.
If you tell people how past guidance was wrong, why it was
wrong, and how the direction and plans have changed in a new direction, people
will be cool with that. They will shun jackasses that say, for example, a mask
is not necessary (as news stories show medics handling patients in Hazmat
suits), then a mask is necessary, then 2 masks, then 3 masks if you like, then
back to 2, then mask and vax, then no mask with vax, then you do the HokeyPokey and you turn yourself around, that’s what it’s all about.
Note the robust rate of vaccinations through the end of May
(steep rise) but then the rate drops off sharply (the slope of the chart is
flatter from June to present). The CDC COVID Data Tracker shows the USvaccination rate at 1.3 million doses per day a robust rate. However, much of
that is booster shots and not first-time vaccinations. This is okay since most
of the unvaccinated will likely never take the shots, but the vaccinated can be
more easily convinced to roll up the sleeve and take another jab for the team.
Over 33 million booster shots have been administered, mainly
to the 18 and over crowd, which is 17% of the vaccinated folks. In other words,
1 in 6 vaccinated people are boosted which is not a good showing thus far. 39%
of the vaccinated people over 65 years old are boosted which means about 60%
are not. 3 in 5 vaccinated seniors are not boosted. Many have a hospital bed
waiting with their name on it.
The US hospital admissions and hospitalizations are
unfortunately moving higher again since wave 6 is underway but the numbers
remain about one-half of the late August-early September peaks. Looking at the
age group curves on the CDC chart, the uptick in admissions is most noticeable
in the 60 years old and older age group. CDC Director Walensky mentioned this
fact the other day.
As previously mentioned, 60% of the vaccinated folks 60 and
older have not yet received a booster shot. A covid storm is brewing. No one
wants to see a redux of spring and summer 2020 when the elderly folks were
dropping like flies. If the old folks do not get a booster shot, wave 6 may be
the grim reaper of the 60 and older crew. American deaths remain elevated week
after week and waning vaccine efficacy may be an important reason.
The news above is somber as US wave 6 is underway and
accelerating. The vaccine mandate garbage continues but most companies and
businesses are finding a way around the rules. Some are accepting medical and
religious exemptions even if the excuse is written by Epstein’s Mother (on the “Welcome
Back Kotter” television show, where John Travolta got his start as Vinny
Barbarino, the Epstein character would skip school and then provide the
teacher, Mr Kotter, with an excuse slip that was always signed at the bottom,
“Epstein’s Mother”). How many medical and religious exemptions have shown up in
the HR departments that are signed at the bottom by Epstein’s Mother?
Companies cannot afford to lose workers in today’s environment
so turning a blind eye to the exemptions works especially when 70% or more of
the workforce is vaccinated. High-profile or public companies and
organizations, such as police, firefighters and nurses, are scrutinized more
closely.
Philadelphia Mayor Kenney revises policy requiring all city
employees to be vaccinated by 1/14/22. Less than one-half of the public
servants are vaccinated in Philadelphia. Workers can provide a medical
exemption with a note from Epstein’s Mother and probably stay on the job while
making TPTB happy.
The US border control agents face a vaccine deadline on
Monday. Border agents must be vaccinated but half of them have not even uploaded
their vaccination information. That’s funny. Good on them. The US cannot afford
to lose any agents so perhaps they will allow most to upload a medical
exemption, signed by Epstein’s Mother, and everyone will look the other way.
The deadline hits Monday so the government will have to sh*t
or get off the pot. Lawsuits may keep everything in limbo and extend the mess
for a while. Otherwise, something is going to hit the fan on Monday with the
border agent vaccine mandate issue. The TSA (Transportation Security Administration; airport workers) is in the same boat so the airline industry may become a real mess during the holiday.
It's rich for the CDC and Whitehouse to shove vaccines down
people’s throats when the CDC continues to refuse comment on the vaccination
status of its own organization. Walensky continually sidesteps the issue since
30% to 40% of the CDC workers may not be vaccinated. How do you like knowing
this as you kneel before power and roll up your sleeve for the CDC? This behavior
builds mistrust.
The FDA is no better saying that they do not want to release
vaccine data for 55 years. Well, isn’t that special? Sounds like the officials
are trying to sweep a lot of stuff under the rug but the carpet is starting to
appear quite lumpy.
COVID-19 likes old people and fat people so it is a double
whammy if you are both old and fat and a great reason to talk to your doctor.
The childhood vaccinations continue and the medical folks are not helping
themselves. There are mistakes on doses and other problems occurring with the
children with incidents reported in California, Virginia, Maryland, Utah and
elsewhere.
Parental confidence in taking their child to get vaccinated
suffers with each negative news story. Since there is likely a lot of attention
now focused on administering the proper doses to children and refining the
procedures, the mistakes should diminish. American mediocrity is on full
display daily. Latisha, chewing bubble-gum behind the counter at the pharmacy,
was texting her boyfriend and simply got a 3 and a 1 mixed-up between the adult
and children doses; she says, “no biggie.” Parents gasp.
The US daily new cases chart is shown above and make sure
you are sitting down before viewing. Wave 6 is clearly underway. As mentioned,
the hope is that wave 6 can die quickly due to booster shots like wave 4 died
quickly due to the initial vaccinations kicking-in. The rising cases are likely
going parabolic so a negative outcome is more likely. Wave 4 was a gentle up
move, the last hurrah for the pandemic, until the nasty wave 5 carrying the
India B1617 variant (delta) punched America in the face, and now wave 6.
The US reports 112K daily new cases for yesterday, Friday,
11/19/21. Ouch. That is a punch to the gut. The last 4 days of cases are 99K,
105K, 112K and 112K. Say hello to wave 6 that wants to stay for the holidays.
The 7-day MA of US daily new cases is 92.2K cases per day and rising. The 3-day
MA keeps printing higher highs and higher lows, verifying the ongoing uptrend
in US cases.
Uncle Sam is lying on a gurney asking for monoclonal
antibodies. The US daily new cases are over 100K per day for 3 days running.
Keystone brings a wet blanket to the Thanksgiving parties. The pandemic news is
lousy. You can try and put chocolate on a turd and call it a candy bar but it
is still a turd. America faces a rocky road ahead and people’s minds do not
appear ready for the challenge.
The US active cases chart is shown above. This is the
“flatten the curve” and bell-curve chart. As you can see, it is no longer flat
or looking like a bell. The darn line is moving higher which means our great
doctors and nurses are going into a busy period again. Hopefully, they had some
time to recharge their batteries.
The unvaccinated nurses and medics are looking at the people
that called them heroes a year ago and proclaiming, “You some-bitches, we were
heroes when we put ourselves at risk a year ago, but since we do not want
vaccinated now, we are pieces of garbage.” What a shame that America treats these
folks so badly only because of the stupid vaccine mandates. Maybe they will not
be there when you get sick.
Vaccine mandates will end up as another failed entry on the
Biden bungle list. The US active cases chart cannot form the bell shape if the
line is moving higher and the curve will likely not flatten and roll over until
12/18/21 give or take. Merry Christmas.
The biggest travel days since before the pandemic will occur
over the next week. Airports say travel will be up 80% compared to last year
and is back at pre-covid levels. Do you think virus cases will rise? It
probably depends on how many fully vaccinated, but non-boosted, maskless
Americans are traveling over the coming week. They are easy to spot since they
are typically the *ssholes denigrating unvaccinated people.
The doom and gloomer’s that said trouble was likely in the
Fall and winter are correct with wave 6 in progress. The red dashed path of
pain is America’s destiny but if the daily cases can remain in check over the
coming days and peak-out, Christmas can still be joyous. If daily new cases
continue ramping higher, however, you may as well invite the Grinch over and he
is the only one that probably will show up anyway. That will be a funky bell
shape on the active cases chart when wave 6 decides to roll over. It will be a
bell with a dent on top.
The US daily deaths chart is shown above. Deaths remain too
high but it is positive news overall with the number of lost souls heading
lower week after week. 1.3K Americans die yesterday and the 7-day MA is at 1.1K
deaths per day after briefly slipping below 1,000 deaths per day for a couple
days. Deaths remained steady or dropped during wave 4 so fingers are crossed
that wave 6 will repeat that pattern. The falling US deaths are a positive
light and glimmer of hope in the covid darkness.
The Worldometer data is at 791K US deaths moving towards a
dreaded 8 handle. The CDC COVID Data Tracker is at 769 deaths. Johns-Hopkins isat 771K deaths. The IHME is at 764K US deaths.
New Mexico’s daily new cases chart is shown above and sadly,
1.8K cases are reported yesterday the highest of the current wave. The
infections have to be related to the migrants crossing the southern border and
the aliens being taken to cities and towns to assimilate. The 7-day MA for New
Mexico’s daily cases is 1.4K cases per day and rising. It is lousy news.
Arizona’s daily new cases chart is shown above and it is the
same as New Mexico with record cases for the current wave at 5.1K per day and
the 7-day MA at 3.7K cases per day. Just like New Mexico, Arizona is suffering
from a combination of migrants infected with COVID-19, elevated numbers in
Navajo Nation and the waning vaccine efficacy. Texas remains in good shape but
the daily cases are likely bottoming right now for the Lonestar State and are going
to start moving higher again.
New York reports 7.4K daily new cases the most in 7 months
and highest for the current wave. The clock just fell off the wall in Mayor de
Blasio’s office. Wake him up and tell him he has big problems as he invites
200K or 300K people to Times Square in 41 days. America is a nation led by
imbeciles. The 7-day MA trend line for New York state’s daily new cases is 6.3K
cases per day starting to go parabolic.
De Blasio is screwing things up before he leaves office. New
York state and NYC is in COVID-19 trouble as travel is reopened and Americans
begin arguing with each other in the airport lines. Everyone is trying to get
to grandma’s house and even grandma is in line yelling at an attendant because
she wants to get back to her own house. Sputum, perhaps covid-laced, is
launching from flapping lips. Have fun at the airports and in Times Square on
New Year’s Eve.
Michigan’s daily new cases chart is shown above and reports
10,241 daily new cases yesterday only surpassed by one other day in the
pandemic on 4/13/21. The 7-day MA is at 8.8K cases per day and has gone
parabolic. Michigan’s active cases are the highest ever. Good luck to the
doctors, nurses, medics and healthcare workers in Michigan. You are going to
need it.
Pennsylvania’s daily new cases chart is shown above and
sadly, daily new cases spike to 7.6K per day the most since January. The clock
just fell off the wall in Keystone’s office. Sunnovabitch. That is lousy news.
The Keystone State crumbles under the weight of coronavirus with cases jumping
higher. The 7-day MA is 5.7K cases per day and has gone parabolic. It is not a
pretty picture.
Earlier in the year, older Pennsylvania folks flocked to the
mass vaccination sites like bees to honey. Droves of Pennsylvania seniors were
vaccinated from January through May. Most folks do what they are told in these
parts, sans Keystone, and took the jabs. Adding 6 months when the vaccine
efficacy begins falling off a cliff, is July through November (the last few
months).
Pennsylvania is feeling the wrath of the waning vaccine
efficacy. Keystone knows firsthand of folks that took the shots in the March
through May time period but they do not plan to take the booster. It may be a
loss of confidence issue for people that are booster hesitant. They were sold a
bill of goods when they originally got vaccinated and now, months later, the
pandemic is still a chaotic mess with no end in sight, and Nurse Goodbody is
standing over you holding a hypodermic in her pretty hand saying, “One more
time.”
The world’s daily new cases chart is shown above. The planet
reports 599K daily new cases yesterday on par with the 621K cases the day
before. The 600K cases per day level for the world has not been seen in more
than 2 months. Russia’s coronavirus stink spreads westward across western Asia
and then all of Europe driving the world’s numbers higher. The 7-day MA for the
world’s cases is at 524K cases per day.
Russia’s daily new deaths chart is shown above and
shamefully, 1,254 Ruskies die yesterday, another deadliest day ever. The 7-day
MA is at 1.2K deaths per day and rising. At least we know that vodka is not a
good treatment for COVID-19. Dictator Putin watches his people die as his feet
are massaged by Irina, the pretty maid at palace number two.
France’s daily new cases chart is shown above. The wheels
just fell off President Macron’s Peugeot. France reports over 21K daily new
cases the most since August and the highest of the new wave going parabolic.
The 7-day MA is 16K cases per day spiking vertically. You could see it coming
in the charts a couple weeks ago but Macron is slow to react. With a new wave
already spinning out of control in France, how’s that green pass working out for
you Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frederic Macron? That’s a lot to fit on a business
card.
Germany’s daily new cases chart is shown above. The last 3
days are 61K, 64K and 59K cases per day, respectively, the highest ever. The
7-day MA is at 46K cases per day and has gone parabolic. The active cases curve
is spiking vertical and the highest ever. German hospitals are getting busy and
are going to be hurting bigtime.
It is crazy time in Austria and Netherlands and their two
daily new cases charts are shown above. Austria reports 15.8K daily new cases
the highest ever with the 7-day MA at 13.2K cases per day. As the cases set
records and the pandemic spins out of control, citizens take to the streets
defying lockdown orders protesting the draconian measures. A riot breaks out in
Vienna with over 10K protestors in the streets.
The Netherlands reports 23.6K daily new cases another record
high with the 7-day MA at 18.7K daily cases. Austria and Netherlands are in
covid Hell. Protests are taking place in Rotterdam. Thwack. Blood. People
running. 20 protesters are arrested. 7 people are injured. The natives are
getting restless.
The USA has the greatest number of total coronavirus cases
in the world at 48.5 million. India is next with 34.5 million total virus cases.
Brazil, UK, Russia, Turkey, France, Iran, Argentina, and Germany round out the
top ten ugly list. Germany nudged Spain out of the number 10 spot.
COVID-19 HAS INFECTED 257 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. 5.2
MILLION PEOPLE ARE DEAD FROM CORONAVIRUS. China has committed a heinous
injustice against the rest of the world and they must pay but first the planet
needs to recover.
232 million global citizens have recovered from China Flu. 90%
(232/257) of the people that become infected with COVID-19 recover in a
reasonable time frame. This percentage has been at 90% to 92% for many months.
About 10% of the people that contract coronavirus have lingering health effects
such as long-covid or die.
Worldwide, 2.0% (5.2/257) of the people that are infected
with covid die; 1 in 49. This number has sat at 2.1%-2.2% for many months and has
dropped to 2.0% over the last 5 weeks a positive development for the planet.
3.4% (257/7670) of the world’s population of 7.67 billion
people have been infected with coronavirus; 1 in every 30 people on earth. The Wuhan
Virus has negatively impacted everyone on the planet. 0.07% of the world’s
population (5.2/7670) died from the pandemic; 1 in every 1,475 people.
In the United States, 48.5 million people are infected with covid.
791K Americans are dead. 38.4 million Americans have recovered from coronavirus.
This equates to 79% (38.4/48.5) of US citizens recovering after becoming
infected with COVID-19. The recovery percentage has been between 76% and 84% over
the last few months. Vaccines have not improved the recovery percentage. America’s
rampant obesity problem has greatly added to deaths and hospitalizations. If
you are overweight or obese, and unvaccinated, call your doctor.
In the US, 1.6% (791/48500) of the people infected with COVID-19
die. This number is sticky at 1.6% to 1.8% for many months. 1 in every 61 US
citizens that are infected with coronavirus die. 0.24% (791/330000) of
Americans have died from COVID-19 which is 1 in every 417 Americans.
Vaccinations have not improved the death percentages. The death rate is at 2.0%
globally which is higher than the US at 1.6% reflecting the better health care
in America.
14.7% (48.5/330) of the American population of 330 million
people have been infected with covid. 1 in every 7 Americans have been stricken
with coronavirus. The minority communities are impacted disproportionately. The
15% solidly contributes towards herd immunity and the number is likely far
larger (double) by the CDC’s own admission, providing natural antibody
protection.
The United States has 19% (48.5/257) of the COVID-19 cases
in the world. 1 in 5 people (5.3 to be exact which is 2 in 11) that become
infected with covid on planet earth are Americans. The US vaccination program
made an impact month’s ago, but not so much in recent weeks and months. This
percentage was 22% about 9 months ago.
The US accounts for 15.2% (791/5200) of the China Flu deaths
in the world. 1 in 7 people that die from COVID-19 around the world are Americans.
7 months ago, it was 1 in 5. The numbers are going in the right direction for
the US but the improvement has stalled and is going nowhere the last 5 months.
In all the pandemic excitement and non-stop news flow, it
should be acknowledged that this is the 60th article in the Coronavirus
Chronology. 60 is a lot. It is like writing an encyclopedia. The articles
started in spring 2020, along with the pandemic, and continue 20 months later
spaced at about 10-day intervals. At this point, the chronology is an endeavor
that must continue since it serves as a historical document. Keystone remains shackled
to, and must carry, the pandemic “Ball and Chain.”
The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus Infection Rate Model,
the Keystone Model for short, is a simple model that predicts when the active
cases chart curves will flatten-out and roll-over lower. The active cases chart
is the ‘flatten the curve’ chart that represents the maximum stress and strain on
the medical system and healthcare workers. Once the active cases chart rolls
over forming the bell shape, the virus is being defeated and healthcare workers
can breathe easier.
The Keystone Model uses the peak in the daily new cases to
forecast the peak and flattening of the active cases curve. The ‘flattening of
the curve’ only pertains to the active cases chart. For communist nations where
the populations must do what they are told or they receive a bullet in their
heads (China), and for smaller authoritarian nations (Eastern European
countries, Africa and Middle East nations), and many Asian nations where
citizens follow government rules without questioning authority (South Korea,
Japan, Singapore, Australia), the active cases curve will peak, on average, 11
days after the peak in daily new cases.
For the Western countries, such as the US and European
nations, the so-called free societies, the active cases curve will peak, on
average, 28 days after the peak in new cases. It takes about 2 weeks longer for
a free society to tamp down a virus wave than a communist or authoritarian
state because lockdowns are not strictly enforced.
All projections below for countries and the US states
continue to use the 11 and 28-day periods for forecasting for consistency. When
the peak in daily new cases occurs, if a subsequent day is within 8% of that
peak top, it is identified as the peak in daily new cases day.
The peak in the daily new cases is easily seen on the bar
charts provided by Worldometer, the CDC and Johns-Hopkins. The daily new cases
bar charts are shown on television news channels with a 7-day moving average
(MA) line which is a smoothing mechanism that identifies the trend.
An update for The Keystone Model is provided since another
10-day period passes, actually 11 days this time, and more data and information
become available to push the China Flu story forward. The Coronavirus
Chronology identifies the real-time hotspots occurring around the world and
within the United States. The chronology serves as a historical document that
will be referenced for decades to come by those that want to experience the
entire pandemic as it unfolds in real-time.
The Coronavirus Chronology compilation of articles will be
published in the future by Amazon and distributed internationally. This is
Article 60 in the Coronavirus Chronology that provides real-time information for
historians, teachers, students, journalists, economists, market participants, corporate
executives, financial managers, Wall Street, doctors, nurses, medical personnel,
first responders, researchers, public officials, news organizations, traders,
investors and politicians studying the COVID-19 pandemic both domestically
(USA) and internationally.
This sixtieth article is published on Saturday, 11/20/21.
The Fall season begins in the northern US states so folks will spend more time
indoors staying warm breathing each other’s air. The airports are bracing for a
busy two weeks of travel at pre-pandemic levels.
The coronavirus series of articles are the only real-time
source of information available continuously chronicling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
during 2020, and 2021, and in the near future, 2022. Readers live and breathe
the pandemic, the worst in a century, as it occurs in real-time, experiencing
the daily virus zeitgeist, good or bad, devoid of political correctness. This
is not revisionist history-telling. It is the raw pandemic truth and human
emotion occurring, recorded and chronicled in real time, without any allegiance
to political parties or media sources. The information is direct and
unapologetic. A chronology can be written no other way.
All 60 Coronavirus Chronology articles are archived on The
Keystone Speculator blog. The last couple articles are linked below if you want
to come up to speed with the ongoing COVID-19 saga.
The Worldometer web site tracks the coronavirus (COVID-19) around
the world and its link is provided. Many charts in the coronavirus series of
articles are provided courtesy of Worldometer and annotated by Keystone. The
CDC COVID Data Tracker is another excellent source of information. The
Worldometer, Johns-Hopkins and CDC data track each other well with the
Worldometer data ahead of the Johns-Hopkins and CDC data by a few days. The
Worldometer data is far superior for forecasting since it is updated more
reliably in real-time.
The countries with rising active cases charts are
highlighted below with the worst nations at the bottom. The peaks in daily new
cases are shown and the projected peaks for active cases are based on the
Keystone Model. The peak and flattening of the active cases curves are
extremely important since it represents the maximum stress on healthcare
workers and the medical systems.
It will take longer for the active cases charts to roll over
to form the bell shape for those troubled nations at the bottom of the list
(they are still experiencing highs and peaks in their daily new cases).
Hospitalizations lag the daily cases by a week or two and deaths lag
hospitalizations by a week or two.
UK (Fifth Wave)
10/22/21 New Case Peak Date
11/19/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 28 days) (curve tying to flatten)
11/10/21 New Case Peak Date
11/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/12/21 New Case Peak Date
11/23/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/12/21 New Case Peak Date
11/23/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/12/21 New Case Peak Date
11/23/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/15/21 New Case Peak Date
12/13/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 28 days)
11/15/21 New Case Peak Date
12/13/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 28 days)
11/15/21 New Case Peak Date
12/11/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 28 days)
11/16/21 New Case Peak Date
11/27/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/16/21 New Case Peak Date
11/27/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/17/21 New Case Peak Date
11/28/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/17/21 New Case Peak Date
11/28/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/17/21 New Case Peak Date
11/28/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/18/21 New Case Peak Date
11/29/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/18/21 New Case Peak Date
11/29/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/18/21 New Case Peak Date
11/29/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
Laos (Third/Continuous Wave)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
Vietnam (Second Wave)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
South Korea (Fifth Wave)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
11/30/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/17/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 28 days)
There is major ugliness above especially Europe and America. The US is added to the bad list and will likely not see improvement until December. In North America, Mexico and Canada are okay, however, both nations show an uptick in cases in recent days so they may be starting the walk down the Primrose Path.
Europe is a nightmare. Austria and Netherlands are in
terrible shape. Both nations are dealing with daily protests on top of the
pandemic. Denmark remains challenged. Russia remains a Hell hole. France and
Italy are flushed down the covid toilet. Cases in Spain and Portugal rise so they
are added to the bad list.
Morocco is in excellent shape with no worries so it will be
interesting to see if, over time, COVID-19 jumps across the Pillars of Hercules
(Rock of Gibraltar) from Spain. Same dealio with Tunisia, a great vacation spot
although it can get dangerous, where infections may jump from the Italian boot
to the café tables of Tunisia. Oh my, look at that. Malta is in between Italy
and Tunisia and Malta new infections take off higher into a new outbreak wave.
Italy infected Malta that is now added to the naughty list. Tunisia will want
the tourism business so it is likely destined to become infected next month and
into January.
Czechia and Slovakia are locking down the unvaccinated.
Germany says it is considering implementing stricter coronavirus measures. Ireland
hospitals complain that they are nearing capacity as cases jump higher.
In South America, Bolivia and Chile require close watching.
Hopefully, a larger outbreak does not flare out from these two nations. Chile is voting for a new president tomorrow so an election, rising infections and riots are a volatile mix.
In Asia, South Korea is reporting a spike in cases over the last few days. 3,290 daily new cases occur 3 days ago on Thursday, the most ever for South Korea. Remember when they were the gold standard on how to handle the pandemic last year? South Korea is now in shambles. More troubling is that unlike most countries, where the new infection waves do not bring along a big increase in deaths, South Korea deaths are elevated at near record levels. South Korea needs to be monitored extremely closely here forward because there may be a new bug occurring on the Korean Peninsula. In Southeast Asia, Laos has gone to Hell in a covid handbag and needs to be added to the bad list. Ditto Vietnam where cases are rising again.
Eight nations are removed from the bad list since their
active cases curves are rolling over to the downside; Gabon, Bulgaria,
Barbados, Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Azerbaijan. Challenges
remain for these countries but each week forward will be an improvement. It is
surprising to see Ukraine bring the pandemic under control. More power to them
as concern increases over the build-up of Russian troops at the border.
The next list shows the US states struggling with
coronavirus with the worst states listed at the bottom. The peak in daily new
cases and projections for the peaks in active cases are provided as per the
Keystone Model. The flattening and roll over of the active cases curve forming
the bell shape indicates the virus is being defeated and the caseload on healthcare
workers will quickly improve. Things are going to get worse for wave 6 before
they get better.
Louisiana
(Fourth Wave) (potential data issue; Louisiana cases are down big for almost 3
months so the active cases curve should have rolled over already)
8/13/21
New Case Peak Date
9/10/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve is flattening but taking its good ole
time)
8/24/21
New Case Peak Date
9/21/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve is flattening but taking its good ole
time)
8/29/21
New Case Peak Date
9/26/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve trying to flatten)
9/17/21
New Case Peak Date
10/15/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve trying to flatten)
9/17/21
New Case Peak Date
10/15/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve trying to flatten)
10/1/21 New Case Peak Date
10/29/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (curve continues higher)
10/14/21 New Case Peak Date
11/11/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (curve continues higher)
11/4/21 New Case Peak Date
12/2/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (curve trying to flatten)
11/5/21 New Case Peak Date
12/3/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
11/11/21 New Case Peak Date
12/9/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
11/16/21 New Case Peak Date
12/14/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/16/21 New Case Peak Date
12/14/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/17/21 New Case Peak Date
12/15/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/18/21 New Case Peak Date
12/16/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/18/21 New Case Peak Date
12/16/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/18/21 New Case Peak Date
12/16/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/18/21 New Case Peak Date
12/16/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/17/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/17/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/17/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/17/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/17/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/17/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/17/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/17/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/17/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
11/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/18/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date
Rhode Island falls down the covid rabbit hole with cases increasing rapidly. Massachusetts worsens. New York worsens while everyone thinks things are hunky-dory. Maine worsens. The highly-vaccinated northeastern states continue struggling. The high vax rate does not mean buptkis if the person is 8 or 9 months beyond the initial shot series due to the waning vaccine efficacy. The high vax rate for a state, especially if the majority of shots took place before May, does not currently provide as much protection against coronavirus as expected.
Michigan is in big trouble and issues new mask guidance.
Nurses are traveling to Colorado to help with the patient overload. Wisconsin
cases are rising at 11-month highs. Nebraska cases move higher.
The southern states are a worry because cases in Alabama,
Louisiana and Arkansas are sneaking higher. Perhaps the active cases curves did
not resolve over the last couple months because another can of whoop-ass is on
the way. Virginia and Kentucky are in the same boat where it may get ugly there
in the week ahead.
The US states not listed are for the most part starting to
curl higher with cases so all 50 may appear on the bad list in the next
article. What a sad state of affairs; a 20-month pandemic with no end in sight.
If the vaccines were better than only a 6-month buying time serum,
the US could have turned the corner. Instead, America is adrift in the covid
sea of misery. The virus siren song entices Americans to steer towards
infections.
6 states (Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota (which was supposed
to be on last time but fell through the cracks), Pennsylvania, Ohio and
Arkansas) are added to the bad list but interestingly, Alaska is taken off the
bad list the only state that has a positive story. America is going in the
wrong direction as wave 6 bites and takes hold. The news is not good. The bad
list can easily have another dozen or more states listed 10 days from now.
President Biden receives a physical yesterday and turns 79
years old today. The doctors say everything is fine but what else would they
say? The exam was likely orchestrated to combat chatter about his potential
lack of mental acuity. President Biden’s approval rating is in the crapper from
36% to 44% in the same range as former President Trump’s rating for four years.
As the busy travel period begins for Thanksgiving, “Bang!” A
shot goes off at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, try to
fit that on a business card, with people scrambling and crawling around on the
dirty floor. An accidental discharge of a firearm occurs at the security area. A man runs away. Confusion occurs but things are slowly returning to normal. The
holiday travel period is off and stumbling with chaos, confusion and
congestion. Let the festivities begin.
America is ready for the Thanksgiving Day holiday even
though US wave 6 is expanding. Will the booster shots be able to stop US wave
6?
A fun weekend is ahead starting Wednesday, 11/24/21, through
Monday, 11/29/21. If the holiday fun creates new infections, the cases will
manifest between 11/29/21 and 12/11/21. Thanksgiving will serve as the model
case for what will happen after Christmas and New Year’s. The case data over
the next 3 weeks may tell the tale for the entire winter period ahead into
2022.
Happy Thanksgiving to all. The turkey does not have a chance. Keep an eye on Dr Fauci and do not let him feed any table scraps to the dog.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 11/21/21, at 3:00 AM EST: Russia reports 1,254 deaths yesterday another deadliest day ever. Russia has to hold the record for logging the most deadliest days ever of any nation on earth during the pandemic. So much for the Sputnik V vaccine that no one talks about anymore. Ruskies keep dying face down in their borscht while Putin is getting his toenails clipped by sexy Alexandra at palace number three. In Europe, tens of thousands of protesters take to the Austrian streets. In Vienna, demonstrators proclaim, "I want my freedom back!" and "This is a coronavirus dictatorship!" Austria's full lockdown begins tomorrow placing the nation on edge. Austria reports 3 days of cases above 15K per day the most ever. Croatia is imposing a covid passport on citizens which is meeting resistance. Boom. France reports nearly 23K daily new cases the most for the current wave. Where's Macron? Bueller? Macron? Riots are increasing. Arson and looting is rampant in a couple of cities. France is sending in troops to restore order. Italy and France are moving in lockstep as the infection wave ripples westward across Europe. Italy reports 11.6K daily new cases the most for the current wave. The pandemic is worsening. Fortunately, the deaths in France and Italy remain low, at least for now. Czechia reports 23K daily new cases the most ever. 113 Czechs die yesterday the most since April. Wow. Slovakia is hammered with 9.2K daily new cases the most ever. On BBC media, the WHO European Regional Director Dr Hans Kluge proclaims that 500K people may die in Europe this coming winter. The global pandemic is a never-ending horror show.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 11/21/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The US reports 37K daily new cases way off the 100K level but it is a weekend number. Today may be lower. The important numbers are during the week ahead. The data from Wednesday on may become erratic with the Thanksgiving Day holiday. American minds are thinking about turkey, pumpkin pie and fun in the days ahead, not coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. The numbers for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are key since they should be clean before the holiday data reporting and machinations begin. The 3-day MA for US daily new cases continues printing higher lows and higher highs so the uptrend in cases continues. 404 Americans die yesterday, a palindrome of death, with the 7-day MA at 1K deaths per day that will hopefully go sub 1,000 deaths per day this week. US wave 6 is underway and once again, as Jay Farrar with Son Volt sings, America has its "Back Against the Wall."
Note Added Sunday Morning, 11/21/21, at 11:00 AM EST: Dr Fauci appears on the Sunday morning political talk shows and warns that a new surge of COVID-19 infections may occur this holiday season. He is a clueless dolt. Look at a chart. US infection wave 6 is already clearly underway. Fauci has eyes but he does not see. He decrees, "If over 18, get a booster." This is terrible advice from what is supposed to be America's top doctor. Fauci should be telling people to go see their doctors to decide about a booster shot. The Nordic nations and France have discontinued use of the Moderna vaccine for people under 30 years old due to myocarditis. Lord Fauci is telling anyone over 18 to blindly walk into a pharmacy and take the vaccine. Where is Fauci when that 20 year old young man runs into the pharmacy before work for his booster but by lunchtime is feeling dizzy and has heart pains? Where's Fauci then? Fauci tells everyone over 18 to go get a booster shot but he does not review their medical histories. Fauci needs to retire. The myocarditis issue may be related to testosterone so any young man or boy should have discussions with parents and doctors to assess a vaccination and booster shot program especially with the Moderna vaccine. Fauci says that the definition of 'fully vaccinated' may change in the future to mean 2 initial shots and the booster shot, a 3-shot regimen, for the mRNA vaccines, and J&J would be a 2-shot vaccine. This would complicate the vaccine mandate garbage that Biden is trying to force on Americans. Also, if it is 6 months between the initial series and the booster, but you need the booster to be called fully vaccinated, how does that impact work status under the proposed vaccine mandate regulations. Unintelligent leaders never think of the unintended consequences of their actions. CVS, Walgreens and other pharmacies report brisk activity this weekend with booster shots and childhood vaccinations.
Note Added Monday Morning, 11/22/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The US reports 27.5K daily new cases yesterday but it is a Sunday number expected to be low. The 7-day MA trend line backs off to 82K daily new cases per day an encouraging sign. In addition, the 3-day MA trend line, which is more choppy, since it only averages the last 3 days of data, prints a lower low. This is important news. Halleluiah as Leonard would sing. The 3-day MA, that started and confirmed the uptrend in cases for the ongoing wave 6 for the last 3 weeks, has broken trend. The daily cases will likely move into a sideways pattern which is excellent news (you have to move sideways before you can move down). Wave 6 may be a wave 4 redux. The initial vaccinations tamped-down wave 4 and the booster shots may snuff-out wave 6. This year is a lot different than the troubling period last year. Lots of elderly folks are already dead from China Flu, people are trained on masks and social distancing, the vaccinations are at robust levels and 100 million or more Americans may have already had COVID-19 and have natural immunity. Fingers are crossed that right when it looks like wave 6 is going to take off in an ugly way, it may back off like wave 4. The Thanksgiving Day holiday test is ahead. The jury is out as to whether the US daily cases will increase 11/29/21 through 12/10/21 due to the parties and get-togethers, or not.
Note Added Monday Morning, 11/22/21, at 4:30 AM EST: Spain reports 2 consecutive days of over 6.6K daily new cases the highest for the new wave underway. Ditto Portugal that has been above 2.4K daily new cases per day since last Wednesday. Protests and riots increase across Europe demonstrating against the vaccine mandates and lockdowns. There are over 40K people in the streets of Vienna, Austria, where 1 in 3 people are not vaccinated. Riot police are using water cannons to control crowds in Brussels. The demonstrations are becoming violent. Christmas markets are shut down across Europe. Of course, governments place all the blame for the current outbreaks solely on the unvaccinated people, vilifying them like murderers, completely ignoring the vaccine waning efficacy problem and the fact that vaccinated people can carry the virus infecting the unvaccinated. The inconvenient truth and facts keep getting in the way of political narratives. The vaccine mandates and lockdowns are training people to hate their countries and the animosity will linger on for decades. Humans are wired that way. South Korea is of interest since daily cases remain elevated and deaths are near record levels. Russia is in the same boat but generally, for other nations across Europe, and the US, the new infection waves are not bringing a dramatic increase in deaths. Score one for the global vaccinations. However, there may be something nasty developing in South Korea. Daily cases are over 3.1K per day since last Wednesday, at record levels. 30 South Koreans die yesterday only surpassed by 3 other days during the entire pandemic. For some reason, South Korea is having trouble at containing the deaths. 80% of the country is vaccinated and yet the current wave is their worst yet. 3 weeks ago, South Korea relaxed restrictions on the public so everyone has been partying ever since. Bars and restaurants are open later and the government allows larger groups to congregate. This explains the new surge in cases, and South Korea is reimposing restrictions on the public, but it does not explain why deaths are elevated. The AstraZeneca vaccine was used in South Korea and its waning efficacy is on par or worse than the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine after 6 months. South Korea allows mixing and matching of shots and encourages people that had the AstraZeneca vaccine to take a Pfizer/BioNTech booster jab.
Note Added Monday Morning, 11/22/21, at 5:00 AM EST: Today is the vaccine mandate deadline for US federal workers such as border agents and TSA employees. The fix is in. Tens of thousands of medical and religious exemptions are requested and the managers and contractors involved say it will take weeks and months to sort through the exemption requests. Thus, the unvaccinated folks will remain on the job, the country needs people to continue working, and the janitor sweeps the medical and exemptions requests under the rug in the breakroom. It will be interesting to see if there are any staffing problems at the US-Mexico southern border or at the airports over the coming days. Only the US government could orchestrate a vaccine mandate deadline for airport workers to occur today when the busy Thanksgiving Day holiday travel weekend is ramping-up.
Note Added Monday Afternoon, 11/22/21: Whitehouse spokesperson Jeff Zients says, "We can curb the spread of the virus without having to in any way shut down out economy." Biden also said he would never institute a vaccine mandate, until he instituted a vaccine mandate. Zients proclaims, "We have 82% of people now with one shot and more and more people getting vaccinated each week." It is notable that he mentions other treatments and therapies such as monoclonal antibodies; it only took 20 months. Biden mentioned mAb in a speech a couple months ago pledging to expand the use of the treatment, but a couple weeks after that the Whitehouse said it is limiting mAb treatments sent to states for no reason (except to keep the focus on vaccinations and nothing else). Florida has documented great success with mAb treatments and other states can follow that example. It is attention-grabbing that Zients now mentions other treatments and therapies after a year of vaccine-only preaching. Good on him and the task force team, better late than never as they say. Zients says using vaccines, booster shots and monoclonal antibodies can prevent the US from "going backwards in any way, shape or form." An integrated approach to fighting the pandemic involving vaccines, oral pills, monoclonal antibodies, HCQ, ivermectin, vitamins especially D-3 and zinc, and other treatments and therapies, would greatly help Americans handle COVID-19 physically and mentally. If the country was all rowing in the same direction with all treatments on the table and shown respect, and the shaming, mandates and tribal nastiness tossed aside, society's stress levels and mental angst due to the pandemic would be greatly reduced.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 11/23/21, at 3:00 AM EST: Controversial lawyer and activist Robert F Kennedy, Junior, son of Robert F (Bobby) Kennedy that was assassinated in the 1960's, is interviewed on the Coast to Coast AM radio talk show by George Noory. Kennedy is hawking his new book, "The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health." Gates uses his billions to fund pharmaceutical research for his pet projects. Kennedy says three people, Dr Fauci, Bill Gates, and Jeremy Farrar, a medical bigwig in the UK, who he describes as Fauci and Gates rolled into one, control 51% of the pharmaceutical research on the planet promoting drugs (they lay in bed with Big Pharma). The motivation is the patents and royalties that line the player's pockets. The medical organizations are tangled-up with, and pledge allegiance to, Big Phama. Kennedy says that at the CDC, employees are promoted for cheerleading vaccines but anyone raising concerns about vaccines are passed-over for future advancement. He says the Pfizer vaccine trials were shortened and condensed over time because waning efficacy appeared in the patients receiving mRNA shots after only 2 months. The trial participants were then given the vaccine which corrupted the study. He says 22K people got vaccinated and one died of covid. Also, 22K got the placebo and 2 died of covid. Kennedy says this forms the basis of a talking point where it is said that the vaccine is 100% effective. Further, he says a 100% effective vaccine does not mean you will never die of COVID-19. It means that 22K vaccines saved one life but how many lives may be lost due to the vaccine? He cites 'all-cause mortality' information provided by the government that shows 22 of the vaccinated people died the majority of deaths are heart attacks. 14 people that were taking the placebo died. Thus, about two times as many people died that took the vaccine than did not take the vaccine (from all causes). The question is asked if the vaccines are pushing a few folks into heart attacks and death at the expense of saving one person from COVID-19? Obviously, it is a complex issue. Politics, and human greed, among the players involved, confuse the matter further. Can the vaccines be saving one life from COVID-19 but pushing 4 other people into heart attacks? Kennedy is labeled as an anti-vaxxer but by his own admission he is not. All his claims are backed-up by the governments own information that he cites, sources and references. Unfortunately, in pseudo-free America, Kennedy's information is blanket censored because it does not support the government narrative that says shut your mouth and take the jabs. Israel is studying another booster shot which would be the fourth jab of the vaccination series. Where does that end? Boosters forever? Social media sites, such as Facebook, place a blanket censorship on Kennedy but cannot prove any claim he has made is false. When confronted with the act of stifling of free speech, Facebook says it censors posts questioning pharmaceutical products. Why? That is what is supposed to happen in America. Kennedy says any comments against the ongoing pro-vaccine political narrative and orthodoxy is censored. The vaccine zealots are controlling the daily narrative. America is lost if freedom of speech is not permitted. The US Constitution has been obliterated over the last 20 months. The Coronavirus Chronology went through a bout of censorship as many of you remember a few weeks ago. Keystone will not stop writing, recording and publishing the ongoing pandemic drama in real-time. In the future, people will need to understand what really happened during the great pandemic of 2019, 2020, 2021 and shortly, 2022. Kennedy says on 9/12/19, at the Wuhan Laboratories in China, the communist authorities (CCP and Chinese military which are the same) removed all information, data and lab samples involving gain of function research and coronavirus projects (the filthy lying CCP knew they had created a worldwide problem in summer and fall of 2019). The international medical bigwigs (WHO, CDC, NIH, etc...) have been running pandemic simulations for the last 3 years assessing topics such as how to communicate to the public during a pandemic. Perhaps they were studying how to use a pandemic to force authoritarian rule on a population and destroy global democracy? Vaccine research in China and the US are intertwined with the militaries and the bioweapons programs. For COVID-19, Kennedy says studies are showing that 5,000 IU's of vitamin D-3 per day or more, and some of it can be gained through exposure to sunlight, have an inverse relationship to people dying from covid. 78% of the people dying from COVID-19 have a vitamin D deficiency. Interestingly, Kennedy says Fauci admitted to taking vitamin D-3 daily and yet he never mentions it in his hundreds of television interviews. Vitamin D-3 costs pennies and Big Pharma would not make any money on it. Kennedy's 2 kids had COVID-19 and he provided direct care to both and yet he did not get the virus. He says that his robust levels of vitamin D-3 may have prevented an infection. Kennedy says the coronavirus illness should be managed by treatments, drugs and therapies other than, or in concert with, vaccines. Early treatment is key. This is important. Lord Fauci is telling people that test positive there is nothing to do initially except go home and then if you get real sick, you can come to the hospital for treatment (and die). This is the opposite of what should have been done. EARLY TREATMENT OF COVID-19 IS CRITICAL. Preventive treatments such as vitamins A, C, D-3 and E, zinc, selenium, turmeric, etc.., will keep the immune system in tiptop shape. African nations use HCQ and ivermectin across the continent to snuff-out the outbreaks. Interestingly, the COVID-19 death rates are lower in the African countries than the United States. The US is only focused on vaccines while African nations had no choice but to use treatments such as HCQ, ivermectin, D-3, zinc, and others, since vaccines were not yet available to any great extent. What does that tell you? For all the billions of US taxpayer money spent on vaccines, some should have went to mass distribution of vitamin D-3 to Americans especially in the poorer and rundown communities. Perhaps the Dr Fauci and Big Pharma relationship is too cozy as they comingle in bed each evening, wriggling under red satin sheets monogrammed with the Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna logos. Kennedy says the VAERS site, where adverse reactions are posted, underestimates the actual numbers. Doctors are not incentivized to report issues and the average person does not know that you can report an adverse reaction to a vaccine. Kennedy proclaims that too much information, data and research is hidden by the medical organizations. Kennedy says the virus likely originated in China in a copper mine and bat cave. Six people became very ill with a covid-type illness and 3 died. The disease did not pass on to their families so it jumped from bat to human but not human to human. The gain of function research plays around with the human to human transmission mechanism and that is when the virus likely escaped the Wuhan Laboratories. The research, and people playing God, is disturbing and could wipe out most of the world's population. All these folks are sick pups. Kennedy is certainly controversial but his information should not be censored and it should remain in the public domain. People can decide for themselves but instead the Whitehouse, CDC and NIH want any information that goes against the vaccine narrative to be censored, ridiculed and denigrated. This is America best described as a faux free market crony capitalism system.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 11/23/21, at 3:30 AM EST: The US reports 74.2K daily new cases a welcome number since it is below the 7-day MA trend line at 94K cases per day and also under 100K cases. The joy and Halleluiah moment yesterday is shattered. The weekend case data is revised higher to 89K and 65K cases, respectively; not good for weekend numbers which should be smaller. The higher case numbers send the 3-day MA trend line higher which now prints a higher low rather than a lower low so the uptrend in US cases and wave 6 continues (rather than developing a sideways move). The glimmer of hope yesterday is snuffed-out by the higher case revisions. The data revisions are typically no biggie but do become more substantive when waves are taking off higher since the case data is accumulating faster and it is harder for workers to keep up with everything in real-time. Looking at the prior weekend data for 11/13/21 and 11/14/21, the cases are 81K and 65K, respectively. So the 81K on the prior Saturday pops to 89K this past Saturday and the Sunday case data remains steady at 65K week on week. The data is comparable and steady weekend to weekend so take that as a hint that the US caseload may begin lining out sideways. The 7-day MA, although moving higher still yet, has slowed its rate of ascent again hinting that a sideways move in case data may be coming but it is just not here as yet with the Thanksgiving Day holiday looming. The US is trying to turn the corner on the wave 6 surge but the headache is the increased holiday activity over the coming days and vaccinated people carrying covid and not realizing they are not as protected as they think they are. 516 Americans die yesterday.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 11/23/21, at 5:00 AM EST: The UK reports 45K daily new cases with the 7-day MA sloping higher again at 42K cases per day. Not good. The UK is in a choppy pattern with elevated cases since July. The UK needs to find a way to lower the case count but Boris Johnson's government appears to want to keep leaving things status quo. Russia exceeds 9.4 million total COVID-19 cases a milestone no one wants. The good news is that Russia peaked with daily new cases 2-1/2 weeks ago, and the active cases curve is flattening ready to start dropping to form the bell shape, but the bad news is that Russian deaths remain elevated above 1.2K per day since 11/9/21 two weeks ago. If the daily cases continue lower, the deaths should begin backing down. Netherlands reports over 23K daily new cases the second highest day ever. Sweden's case count remains low and the envy of Europe. Sweden is believed to have more natural immunity than other nations since it did not impose the draconian lockdowns like other nations. Cases remain elevated in Austria, Germany, Czechia and Slovakia. Chancellor Merkel says the outbreak is "worse than anything they've seen." Austrians are lining up for mass vaccinations. Oh no. Hungary reports over 27K daily new cases the most ever although the data may be combining a couple days. 392 Hungarians die the deadliest day ever but it may be a multi-day data combination. South Korea remains in trouble and is very concerning due to the elevated cases and elevated deaths. Vietnam reports another day of cases over 10K per day and deaths shoot up to 190 souls the most since September. Oh no. Laos is ugly. The numbers are small relative to other nations but cases sky rocket over 1K per day and 7 die on Saturday the deadliest day ever. It is concerning to see 3 Southeast Asia nations ramping higher in cases and in deaths.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 11/23/21, at 6:00 AM EST: Back in the States, Walt Disney does an about-face in Florida due to Governor DeSantis's law not allowing mandates. Walt Disney World Resort in Florida suspends the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees. The Biden administration vows to fight Florida on their anti-mandate law. DeSantis decrees, "Nobody should lose his or her job over these mandates" and people should not lose their "individual freedoms." Dr Fauci walks back his comment that a full mRNA vaccination regimen will probably be 3 shots (2 initial shots and then a booster shot 6 months later). Flip-flop Fauci likely realizes he should not be telling young boys and men to take booster shots willy-nilly like he did the other day due to myocarditis concerns. Fauci should tell folks to discuss the vaccinations and booster shots with their doctors. The AMA (American Medical Association) continues cheerleading the vaccines proclaiming (in a court filing) that halting the Biden OSHA vaccine mandate regulations is creating "grave danger to the public." The AMA says they are the "medical experts" and vaccines work; as America goes from wave 5, the delta wave, into wave 6, which has more breakthrough cases than the authorities want to admit.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 11/23/21, at 7:00 AM EST: COVID-19 takes on a new catchy nickname in the public discourse; the "Wu Flu." The American public refers to coronavirus in many different ways and it varies by state. The list includes COVID-19, covid, coronavirus, the virus, the pandemic, China Flu, China Virus, Wuhan Flu, Wuhan Virus, Delta, Delta virus, and now Wu Flu. The Einstein's at the WHO are giving the virus variants Greek alphabet names to avoid tagging a country, city or region with a negative connotation. Isn't it stupid? The people that think of everything in racial and ethnic terms are the sick bastards in powerful positions, at universities or talking on television. Normal regular Americans do not think about racial overtones due to a virus name. The eggheads from Ivy League schools dream up this nonsense. The name Kung Flu, that King Donnie referenced last year, that a comedian said, was shouted-down by the media and Trump was accused of racism. It was just a joke. The chronology explained the incident in real-time. Young folks in the 1970's loved the "Kung Fu" television show, Keystone included, and many of us went on to study and practice martial arts. Kung Flu is simply a play on words and no one needs to take offense. The media, as usual, blows it out of proportion and then people get worked into a tizzy. The drama attracts more eyeballs to the cable news outlets which brings in more ad revenue dollars. This is the way the crony capitalism system works. Controversy and fear always sells. Fear can also be used to gain control. In western Pennsylvania, the most often used names are 'covid', 'the virus', 'the pandemic' and 'China Flu'. Some folks call it China Flu simply because all the other viruses and diseases are named that way like Spanish Flu, Asian Flu, Swine Flu, Bird Flu; it is always something-flu. Calling the pandemic 'covid' and 'the virus' are probably the two most often used terms by the common public during this ongoing never-ending 20-month Hell.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 11/23/21, at 11:00 AM EST: The TSA puffs its chest out proclaiming that 93% of its employees are vaccinated and there should not be any staffing problems through the busy travel days ahead. The Transportation Security Administration releases the rosy headline statement but does not say what happens or happened to the other 7%. Oh, there they are, they are still working. The vaccine mandate deadline came and went yesterday. There is a lot of games going on with the vaccine mandate garage. Companies are walking a tightrope trying to please the Biden administration by forcing vaccinations on employees, but at the same time trying not to alienate large chunks of their workforce that they cannot afford to lose. That is why necessity breeds creativity. Some businesses will probably say that the remaining workers that are unvaccinated are such a small number that they will try counseling or other magic tricks just to keep the person working while hoping the vaccine mandate stuff goes away. Other companies use fuzzy math to dazzle Biden's confused eyes while they tell Sleepy Joe to look over there instead. As an example, say a company has 100 employees and 80 are vaccinated and 20 are not. Thus, 80% of the workforce is vaccinated (80/100=0.80 times 100 to make it a percentage= 80%). Now, to appease the Biden masters, the same company will say they are 94% vaccinated a great success due to the mandate and leave us alone and go bother someone else. Taking a look at the fuzzy math, say 15 employees are requesting medical and religious exemptions. They all got their exemption cards for $5 from Slick Tony that you can usually find at the bar at the Do Drop Inn. The business does not want to lose employees so the exemptions are given a quick glance and filed away. The company no longer counts the 15 employees since they have exemptions. Thus, the business will say 80 workers are vaccinated out of 85 eligible employees (the same amount are vaccinated as before the mandate, nothing has changed, only the total count of employees has changed to allow for exemption slips that are signed by Epstein's Mother) which is 94% of the workforce (80/85=0.94x100=94%). Whoopie! Wheeee! Look at us! Sleepy Joe gives the company the thumbs up for doing a good job but it all can be credited to fuzzy math. A mathematician can make numbers say whatever you want them to say.
Note Added Tuesday Afternoon, 11/23/21: CNBC media reports that over 600 Google employees have signed a document opposing the vaccine mandate. Google wants all employees to be vaccinated even those working at home. Google makes money off the healthcare industry so they have to perform a balancing act pleasing King Biden and his dictatorial mandates while at the same time trying to accommodate employees that do not want vaccinated. Santa Cruz, California, reinstates the indoor mask mandate after relaxing the measure only 6 weeks ago. Cases rise after the mask mandate was lifted. Officials want people to wear masks indoors at home. It is laughable. People are fed up with wear a mask, don't wear a mask, wear a mask, some say just leave it one way or the other instead of the roller coaster ride of indecision. Credibility crumbles.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 11/24/21, at 3:00 AM EST: The turkey's are running for their lives on the eve of Thanksgiving. The United States will be in relaxation and party mode through Monday. America reports 86K daily new cases for yesterday. The 7-day MA turns down to 92K cases per day hinting that a sideways pattern may be under development. The next 3 weeks is the test case for how the holidays may spread virus that can be applied to the Christmas/New Year's holidays. It will also determine if the booster shots can roll wave 6 over to the downside, or, if the parties and gettogethers create more infections sending wave 6 painfully higher. 1.2K Americans die yesterday and the 7-day MA disappointingly is starting to move sideways at 1K deaths per day. People are ending up in the hospital and dying because they do not know that treatments like monoclonal antibodies are available. It is one of the many great failures of the pandemic. Once you get real sick with COVID-19, and they wheel you into the ICU, and the nurse is standing over you holding a breathing tube, you're screwed. Minnesota reports 11.2K daily new cases the most ever but it may be a combination of a couple days. The big spikes in cases in Minnesota occur on Tuesday's so it must be due to the way the data is reported. Ohio reports 6.1K daily new cases teasing last week's highs. Ditto New York. Oh no. The wheels just fell off in Rhode Island reporting 604 daily new cases the most for the current wave and highest cases since January and one day in March. Nurses and doctors in Rhode Island will have to put their holiday plans on hold as duty will call. Rhode Island, the northeastern states, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other states that had excellent vaccination rates early this year are getting hit with new cases. There is only one logical reason. The waning vaccine efficacy. After 6 to 9 months, the vaccines are not doing as much protecting and this manifests in the states that had the most vaccinations in the January through May period. 19% of the vaccinated people have received a booster shot so that is only 1 in 5 and no surprise that cases are rising especially with vaccinated folks over 60 years old thinking they are better protected than they actually are. Medical folks say a booster shot will push the vaccine effectiveness higher towards 90% or more but now people are asking, "for how long?" Any vaccinated person 18 years and older that took the jabs before 5/24/21 is eligible for the booster shot. Humans are funny. If the goal is for more booster shots, and that is the government's current goal, the talking heads, Lord Fauci included, should name a specific date and not repeat the "6 months since the last shot" mantra. People are too lazy or math-challenged to subtract 6 months from today. It is is what it is. Comically, do they even know what day today is? Thus, if on television today, a booster of booster shots should proclaim that "anyone that took their jabs before May 24th is eligible for a booster shot." Folks will remember what month they took the shots and by hearing the firm day that is 6 months ago, may be prompted into action faster rolling-up their sleeves for number three. 42% of the vaccinated folks 65 years old and older have received the booster shot which is 2 in 5 people. This is not good because hospitals are seeing the influx of vaccinated patients that are 60 and older. It is easy to see what is happening and with 3 of 5 vaccinated folks over 65 not yet boosted, there may be a lot of elderly folks lying on hospital beds during the holidays. Missouri reports more than 1.9K daily new cases a troubling sign breaking out to 7-week highs. The southern states such as Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi are experiencing a bump higher in daily cases. This is worrisome behavior and hints that the vaccine protection after 6 to 10 months is not doing as good a job. The states having a tough go are Rhode Island, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Arizona and New York. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Arkansas and a few other require close watching. Generally, states are reporting cases below the peaks from last week which is a good thing and hints that wave 6 may not pack that much of a punch. However, America is walking on covid eggshells with the Thanksgiving Day holiday at hand and people already out boozin' and cruisin' and kissin' and huggin'. For the party people having a good time, humorously, there is an inverse correlation between the amount of alcohol in their system and mask wearing.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 11/24/21, at 3:30 AM EST: Cases remain elevated in Germany at over 54K cases yesterday. 343 Germans die yesterday, a deadly palindrome, the deadliest day since April. Germany crosses the 100K deaths grim milestone. The Christmas markets in Germany are boarded-up as the China Flu continues crushing life worldwide. Oh no. The clock just fell off the wall in President Macron's office. Sacrebleu! France reports 30.5K daily new cases yesterday the most of the current wave and not seen since April and one day in August. 98 die in France yesterday the most in a couple months. Triple-digit deaths will get a lot of attention. France is no longer ruling out lockdowns. How did the green pass work out for you Macron? You took away French rights, screwing people, for nothing. The green pass did not hold back the new outbreak running rampant across Europe. Cases remain elevated or are rising in France, Italy, Malta, Spain and Portugal as covid runs its course across western Europe. The WHO now warns of 2.2 million total deaths from COVID-19 in Europe and parts of Asia by March (700K new deaths into the springtime added to the existing 1.5 million deaths in greater Europe). Last week, the WHO said 500K deaths during the winter so they upped the grim reaper forecast. WHO says 67% (two-thirds) of the cases in the world are in Europe. South Korea remains a mess and is considering new restrictions on the public after lifting the measures (which created more infections) over the last month. New Zealand plans to lift travel restrictions for foreign travelers beginning January.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 11/24/21, at 11:00 AM EST: Just in time for the holiday, a new variant is discovered. The Botswana B.1.1.529 variant is creating concern. The chronology simplifies the names for ease of readability so the new mutation will be called Botswana B11529. The information is limited with the Guardian reporting 10 cases in total; 3 in Botswana, 6 in South Africa and one in Hong Kong a traveler from South Africa. Botswana's case data is erratic and days are grouped together so it is difficult to analyze. South Africa was in great shape but cases are now rising with over 1.2K daily new cases the most in 7 weeks. The WHO calls out B11529 as one of the Variants Under Monitoring (VUM) but the data is incomplete. The medical organizations, such as WHO and the CDC, do a p*ss-poor job of updating their websites. You can always count on the CDC data and charts to be a couple days to one week or more behind. This is unacceptable in today's technological age and hints that the delay is purposeful (so the managers have an extra few days to make decisions before announcing the decrees to the public). The WHO designates the variants as VOC (Variants of Concern), VOI (Variants of Interest) or VUM. VOC is the worst group and contains the 4 top coronavirus variants to date; UK B117 (alpha), South Africa B1351 (beta), Brazil P1 (gamma) and India B1617 (delta). Delta variant remains the most contagious and widespread mutation wreaking havoc around the world. The WHO idiots renamed the variants one year into the pandemic, to confuse the situation further, assigning the Greek alphabet names because they are worried about hurting people's feelings. Screw that. The chronology will always reference the country of origin just as it refers to the virus as the China Flu or Wuhan Virus. That is where it started and that is what it should be called. The 2 VOI's are the Peru C37 (lambda) and Colombia B1621 (mu) both unable to make headway against the super dominant India B1617 worldwide delta wave. The South Africa data will need monitored closely to see if Botswana B11529 makes any headway, or not. The WHO does not assign a Greek letter designation to VUM's only to VOC's and VOI's when the variants begin to spread and take hold.
Note Added Wednesday Afternoon, 11/24/21: Television pundits are giving Americans a cavalcade of advice about the Thanksgiving Day gettogethers. If everyone is vaccinated, masks are not required. What if a person has one shot? What about the unvaccinated children? A lady tells people to set up the garage as a testing area before people enter the house. Another jackass tells people to reduce the number of invitees and this may be achieved by cooking a nontraditional meal without turkey. People are whacked nowadays. The drug stores say the coronavirus testing kits are selling out as fast as hotcakes and hard to restock. The party goers moan when Uncle Bob tests negative because now he is invited into the gettogether and will stay a while.
Note Added Wednesday Evening, 11/24/21: Massachusetts General Brigham Hospital workers are asking the US Supreme Court to block management's vaccine mandate requirement. The hospital fired employees that did not want vaccinated either due to medical or religious reasons, or because they had COVID-19 and have natural immunities. The worker's lives and families are falling apart due to the loss of income and mental anguish. The vaccine mandate's major accomplishment is making Americans hate each other's guts. If that is what people want, give it to them, shove it down their throats. President Biden remains defiant, as he jets off to Nantucket to party with the billionaires this holiday weekend, asking the courts to lift the stay on the OSHA vaccine mandate rules. The pushback against vaccine mandates grows stronger daily. The big three automakers slap Sleepy Joe in the face. GM, Ford and Chrysler, in concert with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, decide to withhold the vaccine mandate and instead allow workers to report their vaccinations status on a voluntary basis and continue wearing masks. The vaccine mandates do not stop the pandemic; they stop Americans from liking each other.
Note Added Thursday Morning, Thanksgiving Day, 11/25/21, at 3:00 AM EST: Happy Thanksgiving, an American holiday, a day when it is best to go beltless and wear pants with an elastic waistline. The turkey's do not have a chance. The US reports 105K daily new cases for yesterday and the Tuesday cases are revised higher to 107K. Two days above 100K cases is not good and revisions that are substantive are a sign of an upward moving wave. The 7-day MA is up to 96K getting pulled higher by the daily numbers exceeding 100K cases per day. The 3-day MA jagged trend line prints a higher low and moves higher maintaining the 3-week uptrend. Hopefully, in a few days, the 3-day MA will print a lower high to break the upside trend. The holiday is going to create hiccups in the data so the next few days may be tricky to analyze. The US active cases chart continues higher (bad news). 1.6K Americans die yesterday a jump in deaths. The deaths number is sickening each day since many people do not have to die. Vaccine zealots immediately tout the greatness of the jabs and say millions of lives would be saved if they got vaccinated while they refuse to administer monoclonal antibodies or provide the public any information on preventive and early treatments for coronavirus. Instead of folks arguing, they should instead agree about the two main facts causing the lingering infections and misery. First, the Delta variant, that started in India, is highly contagious and infected the world, creating US wave 5 and now wave 6. Second, the vaccines are not as good as touted. Heavens to Betsy! Vaccine zealots are having a case of the vapors hearing such sacrilege. Granted, it was a great accomplishment to push the COVID-19 vaccines through in the short amount of time (because Trump and Biden handed Big Pharma billions of dollars of taxpayer money) but the shots are not living up to the hype. The efficacy of the mRNA vaccines drop off a cliff at 6 months, and there is not much protection at all at 9 months (putting the protection against death to one side), which makes for an interesting Thanksgiving table since Mary was vaccinated in February but not yet boosted, Carlos in March, Latisha in April and Running Feather in May. Everyone decided to party-on even though they did not receive the booster shot as yet. The J&J vaccine only lasts 2 months. The 'one and done' folks instead got 'one and not done come back for another one'. The republican tribe was touting the "Trump vaccines" day in and day out but not anymore since the mRNA vaccines only lasted 6 months and J&J shot 2 months. Maybe now they can tout the "Trump/Biden boosters." The contagiousness of the Delta variant, along with the waning vaccine efficacy problem worsening each day, and the fact that vaccinated people can carry the virus and infect others, sustains the ongoing, never-ending pandemic. Oh no. Missouri reports 2.2K daily new cases above the already elevated 1.9K cases the day before. Missouri hospitals need to tell the great nurses and doctors that they will need to work more shifts over the coming month. Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico and New Hampshire remain in trouble. Oh no. Pennsylvania reports 7.6K daily new cases comparing back to January. The babushka-wearing, blue-haired gal's and elderly gentlemen walking with canes got vaccinated January through April in Pennsylvania and most likely think they are 90% or more protected when, without the booster, they got buptkis, and are starting to lay on gurneys. A lot of Pennsylvanians will probably croak over the coming month. Yesterday's deaths are 98 souls. The Keystone State is under siege. Keystone closes the window shutters on the log cabin preparing for a dark winter. Biden talked of the dark winter last year so now he will have to talk about it again. The same bad news occurs in neighboring Ohio. Cases have to be watched in Rhode Island, Maryland and New York. The situation is not looking particularly hopeful but perhaps a drumstick and some pumpkin pie will improve the outlook. The United States is at 798,245 total deaths as per Worldometer data so the dreaded and grim 800K deaths milestone will be crossed today or tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving. Here comes goofy Uncle Adam that always brings a guitar and sings songs.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 11/25/21, at 4:00 AM EST: Bad news on the global front. The world reports 633K daily new cases a new high for the current wave 6 and most since early September. The 7-day MA is at 562K cases per day and moving higher. The world receives a coronavirus thumb in the eye. 8.4K global citizens die yesterday above the sideways-moving 7-day MA for world deaths at 7.2K per day. The world is at 260 million total infections and 5.2 million total deaths. The UK continue struggling to get the current outbreak under control. There is likely a back and forth of infections occurring among nations. The UK infects Ireland and as UK cases drop, they begin rising again as the UK is infected by Ireland, or, same with the European continent a back and forth with the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France and the Nordic nations. Russia remains a mess and must be going for herd immunity through natural infection. The German government blocks Chancellor Merkel's plan for a lockdown. Germany's death toll exceeds the 100K grim milestone. France is in big trouble with cases exploding higher at 33K per day. Macron cut his finger upon hearing the dire news. He was slicing baguette and when he pulled back he also spilled his wine over the silk tablecloth. Italy pulls a France with conditions quickly deteriorating. Italy reports 12.5K daily cases the most since 5/1/21; May Day. The Italians should be yelling, "Mayday! Mayday!" 85 Italians die the deadliest day since June. Spain just got flushed down the covid toilet reporting 8.5K daily cases a big spike higher the most in almost 2 months. Ditto Portugal that has cases leaping to 3.8K per day. Vietnam worsens. Laos remains in trouble. Oh no. It is a punch in the face. South Korea reports a huge spike higher in cases to 4.1K and the 7-day MA trend line has gone parabolic (vertical). 35 South Koreans die yesterday the deadliest day ever except for one day last December. There is a major situation in South Korea and the WHO and others need to get in there and figure it out fast.
Note Added Thursday Afternoon, 11/25/21: The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that coronavirus in children rises 32% over the last 2 weeks. The organization releases these fear bulletins every couple weeks to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated. Is the rise in COVID-19 cases actual illnesses or a positive test? Some doctors conjecture that the vaccines may be creating the rise in cases. The Whitehouse and CDC will have conniptions hearing those medical opinions but the vaccine for kids is a slightly different formulation and there is not a lot of data available as yet. The US should tread carefully since the vaccines should not create other health issues or deaths in kids than the illnesses and deaths proclaimed to be saved if widespread childhood vaccination occurs. In other words, is the risk of vaccination higher than the risk from COVID19? It is a fair and legitimate question. The grand experiment continues. The CDC COVID Data Tracker shows the hospital admissions flatlining for the 0 to 17 year old age group so there is no rise in serious illness for children. None at all. There is fuzzy math occurring with the 32% fear-mongering number. The European Union (EU) approves the Pfizer vaccine for the 5 to 11 year old age group. European Medicines Agency (EMA) head Marco Cavaleri cavalierly cheers the vaccinating of young children. Cavaleri declares, "There is no way out of the pandemic except vaccinations." The pediatric agencies in Europe are also striking fear into parent's minds coaxing them into vaccinating their children.
Note Added Thursday Evening, 11/25/21: 53 million Americans are traveling this Thanksgiving Day about 48 million by car. 2.3 million travelers are passing through airports the busiest day of the entire pandemic. There are no major flight cancellations or staffing issues. It appears the TSA and major airlines are turning a blind eye to the tens of thousands of vaccination exemptions claimed for religious and medical reasons. Paul, the mail boy, is told to slow-walk the sacks of vaccination exemption requests to the HR Department. Companies are realizing that if they take a lot of time to review the exemptions, while at the same time saying they want to be fair and employ an exhaustive, extensive and lengthy review process, they can keep the unvaccinated employees in their jobs and keep King Biden's mandates at bay. About 30% of the healthcare workers in America remain unvaccinated as per Medical News Today. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. An actor on the "General Hospital" multi-decade soap opera television show, Steve Burton, is canned after he refuses to be vaccinated. He played the Jason Morgan character for the last 30 years, the ladies will probably know who he is, and says his exemption requests were denied. Burton, a skilled actor and orator, steps on his soapbox proclaiming, "This is about personal freedom to me." Good on you Mr Burton.
Note Added Friday Morning, 11/26/21, at 3:00 AM EST: Boom. The Israeli Health Ministry announces that the new Botswana B11529 variant is identified in a traveler from Malawi. This is concerning since Malawi is on the east coast of Africa far from Botswana and South Africa on the southern tip. The new variant may be present in the countries in between; Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho. Two other people test positive for the new variant and the three infected people are placed in quarantine in Israel. All 3 are vaccinated which makes the hair stand up on the back of scientist's necks. The new variant is first identified in Botswana, then South Africa, then in a traveler that landed in Hong Kong, and now Israel from a traveler from Malawi. It is worrisome. South African scientist Tulio de Oliveira says the new Botswana B11529 variant has more than 30 mutations to the spike protein. Global stock markets react negatively to the news. The vaccines did not stop the new variant. Hong Kong and Japan stock indexes plummet -3% overnight. European stock indexes collapse -3% and more across the board. US futures are down -2%. Cruise lines hit a covid reef and sink into despair. RCL (Royal Caribbean) crashes -11%. NCLH (Norwegian Cruise Lines) sinks -11%. CCL (Carnival) is crashing -11%. It may be an ugly stock market day in the US. Dow futures are off 800 points premarket. Oil futures collapse -6%. Copper drops -3%. Gold rises as traders smell fear. Israel is stopping travel to and from South Africa and nations such as Germany and France are considering the same restrictions. Britain bans travel to Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Namibia and Eswatini. Those are nations in South Africa so obviously the authorities know more than they are saying in public. The entirety of southern Africa may be engulfed with the Botswana B11529 variant. No wonder global markets are falling apart. WHO scientist Dr Maria Van Kerkhove proclaims that we "don't know very much about this yet" which does not instill a lot of confidence. Markets drop further. There is a whiff of fear in the air that the Botswana B11529 variant may escalate into a widescale global outbreak that spins out of control like the Delta variant. It is beginning the same way the India B1617 variant (delta) started this year in India that continues wreaking havoc around the planet. Japan bans travel to South Africa.
Note Added Friday Morning, 11/26/21, at 3:30 AM EST: The world exceeds 260 million total coronavirus cases with over 5.2 million dead. No one pays attention to the milestones of death and destruction anymore; it is accepted. Russian deaths remain elevated above 1.2K deaths per day but the daily new cases are off the peak for about 3 weeks and Russia's active cases curve is finally flattening and likely beginning to roll over lower to form the coveted bell shape. Russia is finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. The southern African nations will be watched closely going forward due to the Botswana B11529 variant. Oh no. South Africa reports 2.5K daily new cases yesterday a big jump higher. There may be trouble afoot. Worse, 114 South Africans die yesterday the most in 6 weeks. Botswana cases are not jumping higher but its data is less reliable. Malawi, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique do not show any appreciable rise in daily cases as yet. South Africa and Botswana will be a major focus over the next couple weeks. South Africa is trying to downplay the seriousness of the variant since tourism is a major driver of their economy. Germany reports over 76K daily new cases the most ever. Germany deteriorated quickly once the last Oktoberfest beer stand was taken down. German deaths are rising substantively as well which is concerning. Europe is a mess and the headlines are going to get worse over the next few days not better. Belgium reports over 23K daily new cases only surpassed by one day over one year ago. Slovakia reports 2 days in excess of 100K daily new cases the most ever. In South America, Bolivia reports over 1.2K daily new cases the most for the current wave and not seen in 4 months. Chile cases remain elevated. South Korea remains a mess and getting worse. Ditto Vietnam and Laos, that now reports the most cases ever. The world may be once again slipping down the COVID-19 rabbit hole.
Note Added Friday Morning, 11/26/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The US reports 27K daily new cases but it is the Thanksgiving Day number which would be expected to be low. Most Americans remain off work today for the holiday weekend. 306 Americans die from China Flu on turkey day. States are reporting lower cases for Thursday across the board due to the holiday but New York is a bad exception. The last 3 days of cases in New York state are 7.K, 7.3K and 7.3K yesterday. Not good. New York's active cases curve is on the rise. The virus is likely going to spread and become ugly in New York over the next month. Michigan remains a mess as the federal government sends 50 healthcare teams to Michigan with more likely on the way. Governor Whitmore requested the help and is grateful for the extra staffing. Missouri cases jump higher a troubling sign for the South.
Note Added Friday Morning, 11/26/21, at 6:00 AM EST: The WHO calls an emergency meeting to discus the Botswana B11529 variant. The main purpose is likely to move it from the VUM (Variants Under Monitoring) status to VOI (Variants of Interest) so it can receive a fancy Greek letter designation. The news media refers to Botswana B11529 as 'the variant' or 'a new variant' and is struggling with not mentioning Botswana. The politically correct stupido's are worried that naming the country of origin of the new variant would stigmatize the nation. It is baby stuff. Grow up and call it the Botswana variant. The media personalities can hardly wait for the WHO meeting which may bestow a Greek name for the Botswana variant. Today is Black Friday in the US a huge shopping day for Christmas and the holiday season. People will be out and about, without booster shots or masks, spreading good cheer, and virus. Today is termed Black Friday since it is typically the day of the year that the retailer's balance sheet goes from red ink (losses during the year; you're 'in the red') to black ink (Black Friday and holiday sales that create the year's profits for the retailer; you're 'in the black').
Note Added Friday Morning, 11/26/21, at 7:35 AM EST: Dr Fauci appears on CNN television (democrat media) telling folks to get vaccinated as usual. Fauci says the new variant has to be investigated. He does not add anything new to the Botswana B11529 variant conversation. He says the new variant is not yet found in the United States. Fauci wants to wait for data on the new variant before issuing travel bans (by then it may be too late). He appears tired and when pressed on past pandemic decisions becomes defensive (how dare you question Lord Fauci?). Fauci is likely put-off because this it democrat-run television and they should be friendlier to him feeding him softball questions and making him look like a great guy. In a poll a few days ago, two-thirds of Americans think it would be a good idea if Fauci retired. Canadian rock and roller Bryan Adams, also a photographer, tests positive for COVID-19 two times in the last month and is now in a hospital in Milano, Italy. The raspy-voiced singer is fully vaccinated and probably wishing life was like the Summer of '69.
Note Added Friday Morning, 11/26/21, at 9:30 AM EST: Oh no. Belgium identifies a case of the Botswana B11529 variant in a man that has returned from Egypt. Double oh no. Now Egypt and Belgium are two more countries tangled-up in the B11529 developing nightmare. A CNBC article incorrectly states that the new variant started in South Africa. It was actually identified in Botswana first probably only a stone's throw from the South Africa border. The media is champing at the bit to receive their politically correct Greek name instead of saying Botswana B11529 and the WHO, currently in the special meeting, may deliver at any time. The EU recommends all 27 member nations suspend travel to southern Africa. South Africa says the restrictions are too harsh (trying to shield its tourism industry from excessive harm). Sharp-tongued Peter Navarro, that worked as a trade adviser to former President Trump, talks hardball on Fox News, a republican-run media outlet, to promote his new book. Navarro proclaims that he told Trump's Chief of Staff Mulvaney to "strangle that Fauci baby in his crib." Navarro compares Fauci to Hitler. As they say in hillbilly country, "Them's fightin' words." This is a nasty time in American history where citizens choose to tear each other down daily one claiming to be holier than thou, and more righteous, than the other. People are often wrong but never in doubt.
Note Added Friday Morning, 11/26/21, at 10:15 AM EST: The US stock market falls out of bed as expected due to the fear-mongering over the Botswana B11529 variant. The Dow Jones Index, followed by the general public, crashes 950 points, -2.6%, during the first 45 minutes of trading. The S&P 500 Index, which is the US stock market, crashes 97 points, -2.1%. The Nasdaq Composite, that reflects more of the tech stocks, collapses 275 points, -1.7%. The Russell 2000 Index, small caps, crash 80 points, -3.5%. Oil is down -8% which will create lower gasoline prices in a few weeks. An old trader's joke is that gasoline prices at the pump go up like a rocket but come down like a feather (greedy companies). Copper loses -3.5%. Gold pops +1% as fear develops in global markets. France's CAC Index (French stock market) crashes -4.3% and European indexes are down -3% or more across the board. People begin to learn where Botswana, South Africa and Malawi, that may become a new epicenter of horror, are located on the world map.
Note Added Friday Morning, 11/26/21, at 11:30 AM EST: The Dow Jones Index crashes over 1,000 points, -3%. S&P 500 -2.3%. Ocean cruise lines crash between -12% and -16%. Airlines crash the same amounts or worse. UAL (United Airlines) crashes -14%. LUV (Southwest Airlines) feels no love tumbling -6% on the Botswana variant news. No one wants to go on a trip to Variantland. The United States announces plans to meet remotely with South African scientists today to discuss the Botswana variant. The WHO cautions countries to not impose travel restrictions on South Africa and other countries too quickly based on the new B11529 variant. The WHO cautions against "knee-jerk reactions" and says a "risk-based and scientific approach" should be applied when considering travel restrictions. That statement is fancy talk that does not help the situation. The Greek letter name leaks out and will likely be "nu" if the WHO deems the Botswana B11529 mutation a VOI or VOC, but the jury remains out. Nu is pronounced 'new' so the WHO's infinite wisdom will have people referring to the new Nu variant. Is that the Nu-nu variant? Nanu, nanu. Nanu, nanu. No, the new variant is named nu so do you understand now that it is the new nu variant? Who's on first? Who knew that the new nu variant would cause such a nuisance? Portugal declares a state of emergency and new restrictions on the public. The chronology explained the westward moving infection wave across Europe so Portugal and Spain had plenty of advanced warning. The colorful bikini's disappear from the beautiful Portuguese and Spanish beaches. The tourism industry will be damaged further if the Botswana variant kicks into high gear around the world. This is why cruise lines and airlines are crashing in global stock markets.
Note Added Friday Afternoon, 11/26/21, at 3:00 PM EST: The WHO ends the emergency meeting with pale faces and clammy hands. It is an 'all hands on deck' moment. WHO classifies the new Botswana B11529 variant as a VOC (Variants of Concern) placing it directly at the top of the list. It jumps from VUM to VOC leapfrogging VOI. That is serious business. It is now the fifth major strain of coronavirus joining alpha, beta, gamma and delta. The Einstein's at the WHO name the B11529 variant 'omicron' rather than 'nu'. They must have read Keystone's ridicule above. But omicron? Omigod. They must be drinking over at the WHO to come up with such stupid stuff all the time. In keeping with America's financial system, they could have called it omicrony. Omicron. It is laughable. It rolls right off the tip of your tongue. It sounds like a boy's robot toy; the Omicron. Congratulations WHO for making the pandemic once again a little harder for everyone to understand. Scientists think the cat is out of the bag with the Omicron variant since cases show up in Hong Kong and Belgium. If those cases were identified, then there are far more out there. It is like cockroaches or mice. If you see one when you turn the kitchen light on in the middle of the night to get a drink of water, there are about seven more mice or a couple dozen more roaches. Dr MT Osterholm, a professor at the University of Minnesota, provides interesting comments time to time and says the new variant is likely "already out of the barn" and "trying to contain this virus (Omicron variant) right now is like trying to contain the wind." The WHO says there is "risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOC's." This is not good. The WHO is rewriting history saying the new variant now started in South Africa. Not according to initial reports. It started in Botswana and is called Botswana B11529 (B.1.1.529). The WHO likely does not want Botswana stigmatized so it assigns the variant name to South Africa which already has had variants. The chronology will reference the new variant as Botswana/South Africa B11529 (omicron) variant, or Omicron variant, or omicron. What a stupid name from the stupid WHO. The US stock market collapses in the holiday-shortened session. The Dow crashes -2.5%. S&P 500 -2.3%. Russell 2000 small caps crash -4%. The United States does not wait around for more data on the new variant, as clueless Fauci said this morning, and instead imposes travel restrictions on 8 southern Africa nations including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. That is an excellent selection of nations to try and nip the problem in the bud. Comically, the Whitehouse makes the decision after being briefed by Dr Fauci and they say they are following the science. Fauci said only about 3 hours earlier he needed to wait for more data before making decisions on travel restrictions. It must have arrived in that window and he analyzed it and changed his mind from waiting on travel restrictions to limiting the travel with 8 nations. They don't call him Flip-Flop Fauci for nothing. The hope is that omicron is not as contagious as delta, which is currently well over 99% of all US cases (99.7% of all adult cases in Pennsylvania are the Delta variant), but if it is, and starts to displace delta, which it appears to be doing in South Africa as per the frontline research, Lord Have Mercy on Our Souls.
Note Added Friday Afternoon, 11/26/21, at 5:00 PM EST: Legendary rhythm and blues (R&B) singer and performer Smokey Robinson says that only God saved him from COVID-19. He had the illness a year ago but is talking about it now because he is hawking a new Lifetime channel television movie, for the ladies, called "Miracle in Motor City." He tells everyone to wear masks and get vaccinated. This is why he is given the platform to talk; he is touting the Whitehouse and CDC line. Stick to the R&B and great harmony Smokey and don't be a coronavirus clown. The vaccine players Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson say they are investigating and testing the Omicron variant. The mRNA vaccine makers think a vaccine can be provided in 3 to 4 months time if the Omicron variant begins spinning out of control.
Note Added Friday Evening, 11/26/21: Merck lays an egg saying the oral pill treatment for COVID-19, molnupiravir, developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, provides only a 30% protection from hospitalization and death instead of the 50% and higher originally touted. MRK stock crashes -4% today. Pfizer's oral pill for treating COVID-19 is looking a lot better. It is called Paxlovid and is 89% effective at reducing covid hospitalizations and deaths.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 11/27/21, at 3:00 AM EST: South Africa is unhappy that 13 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Israel and Brazil, are imposing travel restrictions due to the Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant. Airlines and airports complain that the travel ban is too hasty. Of course they say that because they are thinking about money. Delta Airlines and United Airlines say they will not stop flights to and from South Africa which will create friction with the Biden administration. South Africa can blame the WHO because they leapfrogged the VOI status for the Omicron variant changing its classification from VUM status to VOC status in a heartbeat (VOC, or Variants of Concern, is the worst status). Countries would be irresponsible to not impose travel bans. Some nations probably would have imposed lesser travel restrictions on South Africa if the WHO would have deemed B11529 to be VOI (Variants of Interest; not yet as serious as VOC), but they did not. Two KLM flights from South Africa, carrying a total of 600 passengers, lands at a Netherlands airport. Oh no. 61 of the travelers test positive for coronavirus. Oh my. Scientists are testing for the Omicron variant while keeping the travelers in quarantine. It appears too late to stop the worldwide spread of the Omicron variant. It is interesting that the WHO's naming system passed over two Greek letters to get to omicron. As explained above, the initial leaked name for the new Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant was nu but the WHO likely figured that referencing the new nu virus would create confusion. What is the next letter? Xi. You cannot make the stuff up. Yes, Xi, same as China's filthy dirtbag Dictator Xi. If you look in Xi's eyes, you can see Satan. The CCP, led by dirtbag Xi, maintains control over the Chinese people forcing them to live under a communist system, or they receive a bullet in their head. The WHO likely wanted to avoid controversy especially since they laid in bed with the CCP in late 2019 and early 2020 running cover for the communists (CCP) as they protected China while sending the COVID-19 pandemic out to all other nations on earth. China must pay for their nefarious deeds but first the world has to heal from the pandemic and the latest obstacle to that goal is the Omicron variant. The television talking heads and politicians are too lazy to learn how to pronounce omicron. American mediocrity is always on full display daily. They can be forgiven since they are not mathematicians or philosophers, simply sloppy workers. Omicron is not pronounced 'oh-muh-kraan' but instead "ahh-muh-kraan'. Think of going to the doctor and when you stick out your tongue you say, "Ahhh." Same sound; ahh-muh-kraan or more correctly written as aa-muh-kraan. The pundits still do not pronounce BioNTech properly so go figure. Lazy people abound in the bread and circus days.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 11/27/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The US reports 38K daily new cases a low number for a Friday but it is the holiday period so the data is subject to revisions. Thanksgiving Day is in the rearview mirror so now the wait begins to see if US cases rise. A bump higher in infections typically occurs 4 to 10 days after an event with 8 days a sweet spot so using 11/25/21 as the starting point, a rise in cases may occur from Monday, 11/29/21, through Sunday, 12/5/21, with a robust pop in infections expected on Friday, 12/3/21. Pour a tea or coffee and wait since next week will tell the tale of US wave 6. The deaths do not let up in America with 337 souls perishing from China Virus yesterday. Minnesota and Michigan are getting hammered by the virus. Minnesota is running our of ICU beds. KSTP News reports that people are delaying surgeries and other needed treatments for underlying health issues due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Allina Health releases a statement discussing the difficult situation in Minnesota in part saying, "We are currently experiencing one of the most challenging times we have faced throughout the pandemic." Despite all the talk of hospitals busting at the seams, not one of the idiots in charge mention monoclonal antibody treatments. Hey morons, open up statewide mAb clinics like Florida that administer the 20-minute IV injection and then send folks back home. The mAb treatments will help alleviate the strain on the hospitals. It is an immense failure of the pandemic that an integrated approach cannot be taken to fight the pandemic. Hospitals have no right to complain about their workloads if that community does not have an active plan administering mAb treatments to people that become symptomatic. That is your problem for being managed by idiots. Political narratives and human power grabs leave common bodies in their quake. Minnesota needs to go back to reporting cases daily instead of skipping days then reporting higher numbers. Analysis is problematic. The worst may be over for Minnesota, for now, but the Thanksgiving Day infections are ahead for the US and of course, the scary Omicron variant is hiding in the bushes behind the shed. 56 Minnesotans die yesterday the deadliest day since the first few days of January.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 11/27/21, at 6:00 AM EST: The Omicron variant dominates the United States news flow today and likely through the weekend. The chaos on Wall Street yesterday gets the attention of the public. The concern with omicron is that the variant will be one, more contagious, and/or two, it may exhibit immune escape. This phrase will be used more going forward. Immune escape means that a variant begins to overcome the effectiveness of the vaccines. The current vaccines may not provide much protection against the Omicron variant but the jury remains out. Researchers are working 24/7 to determine the answer and BioNTech says it should know in a few days how effective the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is against B11529. South Africa receives a hairy eyeball from some nations since only 36% of the population is vaccinated but it has a lot to do with logistics. There is an underlying distrust of government in South Africa, like elsewhere, that also creates vaccine hesitancy. Major outbreaks will increase vaccination rates based on prior data. Nothing like people staring at their own mortality face to face to get them to roll up their sleeves to protect their arse. Many humans are procrastinators until forced into action by events. It is the way they are wired. The news media has a new horse to ride all weekend long called Omicron. The Sunday morning political talk shows on television will surely cover the new B11529 variant so Fauci has his suits sent out to the cleaners preparing for the morning's photo-ops. The results of the testing in the Netherlands with the 61 passengers from South Africa is pivotal. How many, if any, are infected with the Botswana/South Africa B11529 (omicron) variant? European stock markets will take a hit in proportion to how many of the 61 people testing positive also are infected by the Omicron variant.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 11/27/21, at 7:00 AM EST: The world exceeds 261 million infections. The milestones tick by and no one pays attention anymore. One or two deaths are devastating but over 5.2 million deaths are a yawn. Dirtbag Joseph Stalin said, "A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths are a statistic." How true. The UK and France are not getting along due to trade and border issues including migrants trying to cross the Channel and drowning in the cold, unforgiving waters. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and France President Macron slap each other's faces with white gloves and as Boris turns the other cheek, he is slapped hard by a rise in infections at over 50K daily new cases per day. The UK has been unable to tamp down the persistent wave 5 that may be starting to spiral out of control. Both leaders would do well by putting their squabbles aside and instead focusing on their ongoing outbreaks. France reports a big 34.4K daily new cases another record high for the current wave and not seen since April. The green pass, masking, vaccinations, the whole bag of tricks, do not stop the pandemic that rages on endlessly. Spain reports daily cases a hair under 10K per day another record high for the current wave. Netherlands and Belgium remain a mess. Ditto Ireland. Germany is ugly with record daily cases continuing and 374 Germans raise their last stein yesterday the deadliest day since the springtime. South Korea, Vietnam and Laos remain ugly messes with infections running rampant. All eyes are on South Africa due to the B11529 variant. Oh no. South Africa reports 2.8K daily new cases yesterday a bump higher from the prior day at 2.4K cases which was a big pop higher. 126 South Africans die over the last 2 days. The other 7 southern African nations that are the targets of the travel bans due to the Omicron variant are not a concern as per their daily cases, active cases and deaths charts and data. You would not know anything was amiss in that neck of the woods except for South Africa cases popping higher. South Africa can complain about the travel bans but judging from the charts, there should be a travel ban in place since their cases are rising sharply. The other southern African nations, however, do not exhibit trouble as yet. Egypt cannot handle its current wave that lingers on with elevated daily cases. The person that tested positive for the Omicron variant in Belgium traveled from Egypt. The world awaits more information on the B11529 Omicron variant and its potential to spread. Europe remains the epicenter of the pandemic and has no time to worry about a future omicron when they are dealing with a delta spiraling out of control. Ditto the United States that is bracing for a wave of potential infections next week due to Turkey Day. The Omicron variant can be worried about another day. Scientists say the B11529 variant has not appeared in the US as yet. If/when this news occurs, the Dow Jones Index will likely dump another 1,000 points.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 11/27/21, at 10:00 AM EST: Oh no. The UK reports 2 positive cases of the Omicron variant. The minute hand falls off of Big Ben. UK PM Johnson is under siege by coronavirus. The omicron cases are showing up in multiple countries which means the world is screwed. England expands its travel ban to southern Africa now including Angola and Zambia and all nations south. Back in the States, healthcare professionals keep trying to convince the public to get vaccinated or receive their booster shots, as scientists ascertain if the jabs even work against the new Omicron variant. The same pundits, the vaccine proponents, cheer childhood shots, the younger the better, but more mix-ups occur. 100 children receive the wrong dose of vaccine at an Iowa hospital. American mediocrity is always front and center these days. A search for the guilty is underway and the innocent will surely be punished. Parents will not develop confidence in the childhood vaccines if groups of children keep receiving wrong doses every day. It is hard to find good help these days especially with jackass vaccine mandates forcing companies to fire some of the best employees including valuable experienced nurses that should be shown respect. Uncle Sam is shooting himself in the foot each day and will find out it feels better if he stops.
Note Added Saturday Afternoon, 11/27/21, at 12:00 PM EST Noon: At 5 PM local London time, 12 noon on the US East Coast), UK Prime Minister Johnson speaks about the pandemic and developing Omicron variant situation. Johnson says the new B11529 variant can be spread via double-vaccinated people. He says the virus spreads rapidly. Johnson says anyone entering the UK must take a PCR test and isolate until a negative result is provided. If exposed, the UK wants you to stay in quarantine for 10 days regardless of vaccination status (are people going to follow the rules?). The UK imposes stricter mask-wearing guidelines for indoors and on public transportation. After all that doom and gloom, the prime minister says vaccinations should provide some level of protection and tries to convince people to take the jabs. He thanks the South African scientists for being the first to identify the new Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant (omicron), and then slams the door in their face with travel restrictions. South Africa relies on the tourism industry like Thailand and other nations and the pandemic is devastating to their economies and livelihoods. South Africa complains that it is stigmatized for identifying the B11529 first but it is mainly a ploy to make nations feel guilty and provide aid. South Africa deserves great credit for their genomic sequencing expertise and quick reporting, but that does not come with a prize. Germany and Italy identify cases of the Omicron variant. The bug is already making its way around the world. This just in. Czech Republic reports a case of the B11529 variant. Austria suspects that it has a case of the new variant. In America, Dr Fauci receives attention proclaiming that the Omicron variant "may already be in the US." The fear is ratcheted up and always followed by a plea for the public to get vaccinated and receive their booster shots. Fauci decrees, "When you have a virus like this, it almost invariably is ultimately going to go essentially all over." Classic Fauci-talk as comedian Tyler Fischer parodies.
Note Added Saturday Afternoon, 11/27/21, at 3:00 PM EST: New York is slipping on the coronavirus banana peel. New York declares a State of Emergency to prepare for the Omicron variant. Governor Hochul may be jumping the gun and should be more concerned about the current outbreak across New York state. Treat the virus you got, girly, not the one you think you may have in the future. The NHL (National Hockey League) New York Islanders clubhouse is a covid-infected nest. At least 8 players and staff are sick with COVID-19 causing the postponement of games until December. Breakthrough cases are as common in America as nose jobs in Hollywood. The vaccines are leaking like sieves once the 6-month period is hit. The bad side is that people without booster shots are walking around without masks thinking they are 90% or more protected because they are double-vaccinated, but, since they got the shots in March, they are lucky to be 10% to 50% protected; less efficacy than even the poorest flu shots each year. The breakthrough cases prove that waning vaccine efficacy is a major issue especially in the northern US states where winter is knocking at the door and people are congregating in warm living rooms. And COVID-19 loves mistletoe.
Note Added Saturday Evening, 11/27/21: The Netherlands will not yet say if the 61 passengers from South Africa that tested positive for COVID-19 have the Omicron variant, or not. They know by now so the Netherlands is choosing to not inform the public which means there are likely cases of the new B11529 variant among the 61. Non-transparency destroys democracies and representative republics. International passengers from South Africa are stranded at different airports around the world as the travel restriction hammer comes down hard and fast. Some travelers complain that they do not have the money to quarantine for 2 weeks. Travelers should be prepared for the worse and have a plan in place in case they and/or their family becomes stranded in a city and has to quarantine. Israeli government officials call an emergency meeting and will close the border to all foreign travelers for 14 days beginning tomorrow. Any Israeli returning from southern Africa must quarantine for 14 days. As the world works itself into frenzy over the Omicron variant, President Biden and First Lady Jill are Christmas shopping in Nantucket avoiding questions. Sleepy Joe is enjoying the holiday vacation and is asking the elf at the Santa Claus display for some pudding. Vice President Harris, that has an approval rating only a smidgeon better than a used car salesman, is holiday shopping in Washington, DC. It is bad optics for the dynamic duo to be shopping with all the ongoing problems in play. Santa Claus is going to place coal in their stockings.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 11/28/21, at 2:00 AM EST: The Omicron variant dominates the US news flow. The rumor mill says the new B11529 variant is highly transmissible but the symptoms may be mild. The Whitehouse, CDC and talking head surrogates use the omicron fear and worry to pimp the vaccinations and booster shots. In a few days, it will be known how effective the vaccines are against the new Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant. The lights in the global laboratories are on all night long investigating the Omicron variant. On a lighter note, college students can play a new drinking game when it comes to pronouncing omicron. Take a swig every time a talking head says oh-muh-kraan instead of the correct pronunciation aa-muh-kraan, but be careful because you will be plastered in 10 minutes.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 11/28/21, at 3:00 AM EST: The US reports a low 23K daily new cases, great news, but it is a holiday weekend number likely to be revised higher. Only 127 Americans die yesterday a lower number due to the data dearth during the holiday period, but it represents 127 grieving families; more victims of the China Virus. The US data is skewed because of the holiday so it will take a few days for the numbers to adjust and update. The United States is at 799,312 deaths inching towards 800K. The low holiday numbers puts off the inevitable for a few days but the 800K grim milestone will likely occur tomorrow. The CDC, Johns-Hopkins and IHME deaths numbers lag the Worldometer numbers but they will be at 800K in a week or two. France reports 37.2K daily new cases another high for the current wave. In the French territories of Martinique and Guadeloupe, riots are out of control with buildings burning as protesters fight back against vaccine mandates for healthcare workers. Police are injured. Journalists are smacked around. Blood spills. People become angry, and violent, when the elite class tries to destroy their livelihoods and careers over a vaccine mandate. Oh no. There is no happiness in Hanoi. Vietnam is in deep trouble with daily new cases spiking over 16K per day the highest ever except for one other day 8/26/21. Laos reports 1.5 daily cases per day the last 3 days running the most ever. South Korea remains a disaster with 52 dying yesterday the deadliest day ever. South Korea bans travel from 8 southern African nations. Koreans returning home from Africa have to quarantine for 10 days at a government-approved facility. South Korea is pushing hard to get booster shots to people over 60 years old as the evidence grows that vaccine effectiveness is waning all around the world. Australia reports 2 cases of the Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant in New South Wales. Australia is now testing everyone entering the land Down Under. South Africa reports over 3.2K daily new cases another new high for the current outbreak underway likely driven by the B11529 variant (omicron).
Note Added Sunday Morning, 11/28/21, at 5:30 AM EST: In the Netherlands, at 11:30 AM local time, the Dutch Health Authority continues playing games not yet clarifying how many of the 61 covid-infected passengers that traveled from South Africa test for the Omicron variant. Over 5,000 travelers from southern African nations are in quarantine in Netherlands awaiting further testing. The Omicron variant situation is devolving into a global mess in only a couple day's time. The days ahead dictate the world's destiny.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 11/28/21, at 11:30 AM EST: Dr Fauci is interviewed by Margaret Brennan on ABC television (democrat-run media). He is asked about the gain of function research at the Wuhan Laboratories in China and Texas republican Senator Ted Cruz saying Fauci should be prosecuted. The doctor lets out a creepy forced laugh trying to dismiss the Cruz comment as a distraction. Dr Fauci claims that detractors are aiming "their bullets at Tony Fauci." He hangs his hat on the science mantra again proclaiming, "They're really criticizing science because I represent science. That's dangerous. To me, that's more dangerous than the slings and arrows that get thrown at me. I'm not going to be around here forever, but science is going to be here forever." Fauci decrees himself as science again. Narcissistic hubris. The Lord Fauci show is getting old and so is he in his 80's. Fauci should have retired a decade or two ago. He probably only sticks around now so he can stay aware of what is occurring with the gain of function research and origin of COVID-19 scandals. Dr Ronny Jackson, former President Trump's doctor, that comically praised Donnie as a fine human specimen, because King Donnie told him to, proclaims that the Omicron variant is a ruse and political ploy by the democrats to help them in the November 2022 mid-term elections. Jackson must be sampling some of the offerings in the medicine cabinet behind the nurse's station. States such as Pennsylvania allowed mail-in voting last November due to the pandemic and Jackson says the process will repeat. A critical failure of Trump's election campaign was the orange one stupidly telling all republicans to not vote until Election Day. Give Donnie the moron award. Pure bonehead. The democrat tribe bounced into action with a smart ground game scrounging up new voters door to door telling them they can vote from home. The republicans instead opened up pop-up stores to sell Trump advertisements and tchotchkes, twiddling their thumbs, doing nothing to canvas the public and get the republican vote in early, as per Trump's stupid direction, and he lost.
Note Added Sunday Afternoon, 11/28/21: Japan closes its borders to foreign travelers due to the Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant (omicron). The Beijing Olympics in China is only 67 days away with omicron on the loose. France identifies 8 Omicron variant cases. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls a meeting to discuss the Omicron variant and says, "We are in a race against time. It is a variant of concern." She says 2 or 3 weeks are needed to develop a full picture of the new variant. Canada reports 2 new variant cases in Ontario so North America is now infected by omicron. The infected Canadians traveled from Nigeria. A case in Italy is a traveler from Mozambique.
Note Added Sunday Evening, 11/28/21, at 6:05 PM EST: US stock futures are open for trading and are slightly positive. International traders are not as worried about omicron as compared to Friday. Global indexes are set to recover on news from the WHO and others that the Omicron variant may be more transmissible but not as severe a sickness. Patients dealing with omicron are only experiencing mild symptoms such as a couple days of fatigue, tiredness, headache, scratchy throat and dry cough. Global traders believe that omicron will not be as severe a threat as the doom and gloom predicted on Friday so markets recover. The WHO is all over the map with its comments one breath saying risk from omicron is high and in the next breath saying the cases are mild. South Africa should blame the WHO if they want to beat on someone about the travel bans. The WHO jumped the Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant from VUM status to VOC status skipping VOI so that is what got the attention of all countries on earth. It is unknown if the WHO wants to err on the side of caution, or not, and if so, who made the WHO king? The WHO is calling B11529 a variant of concern, their most serious classification, along side UK B117 (alpha), South Africa B1351 (beta), Brazil P1 (gamma) and India B1617 (delta). The WHO created the global angst that is starting to subside. The WHO may want to play it safe so they Won't Get Fooled Again. President Biden returns from the Nantucket vacation and meets with the COVID-19 task force including Dr Fauci. A statement is released in part saying; "Dr Fauci informed the President that while it will take approximately two more weeks to have more definitive information on the transmissibility, severity and other characteristics of the variant, he continues to believe that existing vaccines are likely to provide a degree of protection against severe cases of COVID." Biden plans to provide another update tomorrow.
Note Added Sunday Evening, 11/28/21, at 10:00 PM EST: South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa complains about the knee-jerk reaction by countries shutting off travel. Vaccine inequity is the buzzword du jour for the last few months and blamed for the developing Omicron variant. It is a stupid argument. There are 7.7 billion humans on this planet. The mRNA vaccines require 2 shots just to protect people for a few months. It is not possible to snap your fingers, produce 15.4 billion vaccines instantaneously, and deliver those shots, with all their cold storage and logistics issues, around the world within a 6-month time frame (the length of efficacy). Over the last year, as vaccines have come available, there are less than 8 billion shots administered across 184 countries so there are about a dozen nations on earth that have none of the population vaccinated. If more vaccine is given to poorer nations, these donor countries, such as the US, then leave their populations more susceptible to developing variants. People simply have to accept the pandemic situations as they arise and work on solutions going forward instead of spending valuable time and energy on finger-pointing. In the future, pharmaceutical factories located in the poorer countries would help and also getting vaccine doses to the highly-populated cities around the world, such as Johannesburg, South Africa, early on in a pandemic. Denmark, Portugal and Scotland identify Omicron variant cases. The omicron horses are out of the barn and running wild as the travel bans try to close the gates. The 8-day celebration of Hanukkah begins for the Jewish faith. Candle makers rejoice.
Note Added Monday Morning, 11/29/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The US reports only 21K daily new cases but it is a Sunday number on a holiday weekend. US wave 6 wants to roll over but the jury is out because of the holiday data and the window now opening for possible Thanksgiving Day infections to begin appearing today through Friday, 12/10/21. Cases due to the holiday should occur this week especially on Friday, 12/3/21, but if the daily new cases remain in check or gratefully drop, the US will be in great shape, and wave 6 should roll over and die only leaving the Omicron variant as a future worry. 102 Americans die yesterday which puts off the inevitable 800K deaths grim milestone off for another day or two. 799,414 Americans are dead from China Flu. Moderna and Pfizer say they can have vaccines ready to fight the Omicron variant by early next year.
Note Added Monday Morning, 11/29/21, at 4:30 AM EST: The WHO says global risk of the Omicron variant is "very high." Wait around. In 10 minutes they will say patients are only experiencing mild symptoms. Which is it? They don't know. The scientists need a few days or week or two to get a handle on B11529. The variant currently appears to transmit as easy as the Delta variant but presents a milder illness. The concern is that most of the omicron infections are in young folks with strong immune systems which may explain the mild symptoms. How about old folks? Time will tell. The Mu variant was a big scare but by the time you returned from lunch it was already yesterday's news and no one remembers it. Mu remains under the VOI status. South Africa reports 2.9K daily new cases less than the prior day's 3.2K cases a good thing. There are 200 cases of B11529 in South Africa so it only represents a small portion of the overall cases thus far (unless testing is inadequate and the cases are far higher than reported). The Netherlands says 13 of the 61 covid-infected patients from South Africa have the Omicron variant. It took the Dutch long enough to announce the news, so long that you wonder if the baker's dozen number is true. The cases remain elevated in Belgium, Netherlands, UK and Denmark. Spain reports 9.3Kdaily new cases the most for the current new wave well underway and potentially going parabolic. Russia's daily cases and deaths are finally trending lower after months of misery and the active cases curve rolls over to start forming the bell shape. Russia is on the mend but it infected its western neighbors and all of Europe due to dirtbag Dictator Putin's poor handling of the pandemic. The South Korea covid tragedy continues with another day of record cases around 4K per day. Oh no. 56 South Koreans perish yesterday the deadliest day ever. Seoul loses souls to the Wuhan Flu.
Note Added Monday Morning, 11/29/21, at 5:15 AM EST: BioNTech says it is developing a new vaccine for the Omicron variant. Pfizer, Moderna, BioNTech and other Big Pharma players are champing at the bit to get a piece of the omicron money pie. The Fauci and Cruz quarrel continues with the Texas senator saying the doctor is an unelected technocrat with a distorted view of science. That's funny. Fauci and the Whitehouse are receiving criticism from the republican tribe over not shutting down the flights from southern Africa immediately due to the B11529 variant instead of waiting until this morning while the democrat tribe is acting sympathetic to the loss of tourism in South Africa and neighboring countries. Republicans also find fault with Sleepy Joe Biden for criticizing King Donnie Trump about the travel ban in early 2020 but now embracing a ban like a long lost sweetheart. A long-term lingering pandemic, a couple years running, becomes interwoven into a country's political zeitgeist.
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