By K E Stone (Keystone)
The waning vaccine efficacy is the 900-pound gorilla sitting
on the living room sofa. The healthcare industry is shooting itself in the foot
firing workers over the stupid vaccine mandates but many hospital systems such
as HCA Healthcare, Tenet Healthcare and Cleveland Clinic, have reversed course and
are now allowing other options for workers.
Other hospitals are slow walking the religious and medical
exemption requests to the review table allowing workers to stay on the payroll
a while longer. The vaccine mandates will hit the fan in early January if the
OSHA rule remains in place. Chasing people from the noble medical profession is
stupid.
The big problem is healthcare workers getting sick with
covid. It is the dirty little secret no one wants to talk about. Hospitals are
saying they are at overcapacity and need help because they are losing staff to
the virus. The healthcare professionals, nurses and doctors are mostly vaccinated
and boosted but many are taking ill and have to isolate for 10 days in the
middle of the wave 6 turmoil.
The reason hospitals are overrun is not because of a huge
out of control COVID-19 wave hitting the US but instead due to the waning
vaccine efficacy with the vaccines and booster shots. The healthcare workers
are getting sick despite being triple vaccinated creating the hospital mayhem.
Someone has to say it and Keystone always seems to be that
guy. That is why he is never invited to any fancy parties. The vaccines are not
that good. There, it is said out loud. Article 63 begins on a sour note, a B
flat, and negative vibe, because of an initial study on booster shots out of
Imperial College. Are you ready? It is only one study and preliminary so do not
get your nose bent out of shape too far.
The Pfizer/BioNTech booster shot increases the COVID-19
protection up to about 70% or 75%, however, after about 2 months, the efficacy
drops to one-half that in the 35% range, which is not that good, hence, the
healthcare workers are getting sick creating staff shortages which creates the
overwhelmed hospitals.
It was odd to hear all the complaints from hospitals about
being overwhelmed because when you look at the individual state
hospitalizations and admission data, most of the charts were below the prior
peaks and far below. So how can hospitals be overrun? It did not make sense.
Hospitals are overwhelmed and seeking help from the National
Guard and federal government because of losing staff to stupid vaccine mandate
garbage, chasing good caring folks from the profession and most importantly,
from the waning vaccine efficacy including booster shots that only last 2
months.
Sadly, the bottom line is that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
initial 2-shot series, given about one-month apart, is only effective at the
90% plus efficacy level for 3 to 6 months after which the protection falls off
a cliff. Once past 6 months, the vaccinated may only be protected in the 20% to
60% range which is not that good. The seasonal flu shot typically provides
protection in the 50% to 60% area.
The booster jab (third shot) is given 6 months after the
second shot and pumps the efficacy back up to the 70% to 75% area (not the
original 90% plus) but then 2 months later it is back down to the 30% to 40%
range which is lousy. The disappointing bottom line is that the first study on the
Pfizer/BioNTech booster shots show that the boosted protection only lasts for a
couple months. Will it lead to shot number 4 a booster-booster jab?
Moderna says it is developing a new vaccine that can handle
the Omicron variant (this may be shot number 4?). The current vaccines are
based on the original virus strains and omicron is a completely different
animal with many new mutations. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
The first American death occurs from the Omicron variant a
man in his 50’s in Harris County (Houston), Texas, that was not vaccinated, but
had underlying conditions that are conveniently not detailed. Before his body
is cold, the medical professionals use the corpse to cheerlead vaccinations and
booster shots.
What was the underlying condition? Did the dead man weigh
400 pounds and have emphysema? We’ll likely never know. The first death from
the B11529 variant highlights the continuing controversy with the data
collection methods during the pandemic. Inquiring minds want to know if the
Texas man died WITH covid, or FROM covid?
When the pandemic is over, it will likely take months and a
couple years to sort through the data and figure out if the deaths reported are
due to COVID-19, or due to a patient’s underlying condition, or a combination
of both, and how are the doctors guided to record the cause of death? These are
questions for another day.
The CDC announces yesterday afternoon (Monday) that the
Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant (omicron) is the dominant variant in the
United States taking over delta. The Omicron variant accounts for 73% of the
COVID-19 cases while 27% are the Delta variant. Something smells. On Friday,
the CDC said 3% of the cases were omicron. The CDC now says 13% of the cases were
omicron last week. The CDC is rewriting history. No wonder their credibility is
on the same level as a used car salesman.
The CDC says omicron was 1% of the cases as December
started. It is fine to rewrite the numbers but the CDC needs to explain why the
3% touted last week was actually 13%. The CDC said New Jersey and New York reported
that 13% of their cases were the Omicron variant but not the entire country.
The CDC needs to revamp their entire data department. They need to post
real-time data and provide explanations if something previously reported changes.
Otherwise, there is zero credibility.
48 US states have identified the Omicron variant. Oklahoma
and South Dakota have not but that is likely because their tests lag. The
Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant (omicron) was discovered between 11/16/21
and 11/18/21. The United States started to follow the Omicron variant news on
Friday, 11/26/21, and are in a tizzy ever since, so the omicron drama is about
3 weeks along.
As mentioned, during the first week of December, about 1% of
the US COVID-19 cases were omicron. The second week of the month the omicron
cases are 13% with the Delta variant remaining the other 87%. The third week,
last week, omicron is 73% of the cases and delta drops to 27%. That is a fast
flip-flop of variants. At this rate, it has to be expected that nearly 100% of
the cases will be omicron by the end of the year only 10 days away.
Omicron is highly contagious more so than the other strains
but less lethal which may be a blessing in disguise. Coronavirus is progressing
as would be expected. The mutations are more transmissible but less deadly as
the virus tries to find more hosts.
The US was golden after wave 4 which was the last throes of
the pandemic. However, the India B1617 variant (delta) infected the world
creating US wave 5. As the saying goes, ‘the pandemic does not end until it
ends all around the world’. How true that was for the Delta variant but in
fairness, the vaccines were not that widely available as yet to stop it anyway.
The United States battles wave 5 and has that on the run so
things are looking good again, until the waning vaccine efficacy problem, which
is the hallmark of the current US wave 6, appears. The healthcare workers and
elderly were vaccinated first December 2020 through May 2021 and now all those
folks are 7 months to one year past their shots and not protected that well
anymore.
Many healthcare workers are boosted but they are getting
infected with omicron anyway. Elderly vaccinated folks, that think they are
protected, but are not since the shots are over 6 months old, are walking
around maskless and ending up on gurneys. Wave 5 is the delta wave and wave 6
is the waning vaccine efficacy wave.
Adding to this drama is the Omicron variant that raises its
ugly head during the Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend. The virus makes plans to
ruin this year’s Christmas, like last year, and is succeeding. People have to
make the best of it and quit moaning. Don’t you know that Christmas is a state
of mind? The surroundings and circumstances are of no consequence.
A Whitehouse staff member, that was on Airforce One with
President Biden on Friday, started feeling sick on Sunday and tests positive
for coronavirus yesterday. The president is tested and so far, the results are
negative. Considering the transmissibility of omicron and how it can infect
people that are vaccinated and boosted, the Whitehouse may turn into a
covid-infected nest like it was when Trump was president last year. Hopefully,
Sleepy Joe will keep testing negative and remain healthy.
The breakthrough cases are occurring with frequency even in
boosted individuals such as healthcare workers. Politicians, celebrities,
athletes and television personalities test positive for COVID-19 such as
Senator’s Warren and Booker, Colorado Representative Crow, Pittsburgh
Mayor-elect Ed Gainey, CNBC commentator Jim Cramer, the Whitehouse staffer, New
York Health Commissioner Dr Mary Bassett, just to name a few, all triple
vaccinated; a lot of good it did them (as the peanut gallery yells ‘vaccines
prevent death’).
The US daily cases chart is shown above. As Jerry and the gang wouldsing, ‘what a long strange trip it’s been’. Wave 6, the waning vaccine efficacy
wave remains in progress and teams-up with the Omicron variant. The US reports
144K daily new cases yesterday (12/20/21) smack-dab on top of the 7-day MA trend
line at 145K cases per day. The 7-day MA is a moving average trend line that
smooths-out the choppy daily data.
The peak in cases for wave 6 thus far is 167K cases on
Friday, 12/17/21. There are substantive revisions occurring in the data which
means the infections are rising rapidly. Saturday cases were 152K and Sunday
131K cases. Considering the contagiousness of omicron, cases will likely,
unfortunately, trend higher.
The tricky aspect with omicron is that the illnesses may be
less severe, and require less hospitalizations, however, since a massive number
of people become infected in a short period of time, it will tax the hospital
system, especially with the nurses becoming sick themselves, boosted or not.
The 7-day MA cannot curl lower until the daily cases remain
below the 145K level. Use this is as a guide. If cases are sub 145K this week,
it is happy time, but do not get your hopes up. Today’s number will likely be
over 145K which indicates trouble ahead. Watch the 167K peak for this cycle
thus far. Big trouble will occur if the 167K cases per day is taken out either
today, tomorrow or Thursday. Christmas Eve is Friday when the data will likely
become erratic.
The prior peak on 8/27/21 for wave 5 was 198K. Remember the
doom and gloom at the time when the pundits all guaranteed numbers over 200K?
It never happened. If wave 6 overtakes the 198K cases per day of wave 5, that
would indicate serious trouble and perhaps a breakdown of the US medical system
occurring.
Wave 6 is due to waning vaccine efficacy but will be
supercharged higher by the omicron outbreak. Less than 1 in 5 Americans are
vaccinated and boosted. Wave 6 has the potential to become very ugly.
A positive is that the omicron outbreaks may be extremely
fast moving with the daily cases exhibiting a skinny inverted (upside-down) V
pattern. The bigger stink that will likely linger into next year is the waning
vaccine efficacy. The vaccination program is turning into a mess with some
folks not vaccinated, others vaccinated thinking they are protected when after
many months, they are not, and people that are vaccinated and boosted but they
are still contracting omicron.
In addition, young children are not yet vaccinated and teens
are not boosted as drug trials continue. The pandemic remains a chaotic mess. President
Biden is good at setting himself up for failure. The speech on tap later today
is billed as the new pandemic solution speech but people are going to be
skeptical. Biden already announced a winter plan a few weeks ago and he is
changing the plan before it is winter (the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of
the year, is occurring now). The hype is big so Sleepy Joe the Sandman better
deliver on the plan, otherwise, the pandemic mess will become worse than
Afghanistan.
The US active cases curve is shown above a sad chart since
10.5 million active COVID-19 cases are the most ever. The question is how many
Americans will be infected with the omicron bug? The active cases curve is the
‘flatten the curve’ and ‘bell curve’ chart that shows the stress on the
healthcare system. Long-covid is the unseen boogeyman in the pandemic and as more
people become sick month after month, there are more long-covid patients.
The hospitals and clinics are hammered from many sides.
Long-covid cases require care, nurses are leaving the profession due to stress
or the vaccine mandate garbage, resources are needed to run the testing and
vaccination sites, nurses are getting sick with covid in increasing numbers,
the list goes on and on.
The peak in the active cases occurs about 28 days after the
peak in daily new cases so adding 28 days to 12/17/21 is 1/14/22, when the
stress on the US healthcare system will peak and begin to subside, or sooner.
Unfortunately, the Festivus, Christmas, Kwanza, Boxing Day and New Year’s
holidays are inside those 3 weeks of projected misery ahead.
It will be back to the days of early 2020 when retired
nurses and National Guard are brought in to handle the workload. In the spring
of this year, Keystone volunteered to give vaccinations to patients after
practicing with a syringe and an orange but the local clinic said they do not
need the help that badly.
Hopefully, omicron will be a pig in a poke but the numbers
in New Jersey and New York are ugly. Omicron hit the US shores faster than
anyone expected. It would be helpful if a scientist would discuss the airborne
and aerosolized aspects of the omicron particles; what makes them so transmissible?
Are they smaller? Lighter? Stickier?
The South Africa and other charts are discussed below and
the positive aspect of the omicron wave is it may be very fast-moving with the
skinny inverted V pattern. The US daily cases must remain below 154K per day
for the active cases chart to roll-over by mid-January (154K is an 8% allowance
off the 167K cases per day peak as per the Keystone Model).
The US daily new deaths chart is shown above. 623 souls
perish yesterday most of them fat. The 7-day MA is at 1.2K deaths per day a
shameful statistic 2 years into a pandemic.
There are 829K dead Americans as per Worldometer data. The
corrupt republican and democrat tribes keep playing games with the death
numbers wagging fingers at one another saying, “Nah, nah, we’re better than you
are.” It is a nation of adult babies. 459 Americans have died in 2021 and 370
in 2020. Comparing the two clown presidents, orange clown Trump has 434K dead
souls on his slate while sleepy clown Biden has 395 deaths on his watch
(1/20/21 Inauguration Day).
Thus, more people have died this year than last year
(republicans happy, democrats sad) but more people died under Trump than Biden
(democrats happy, republicans sad). The media outlets on both sides continue to
lie about this data daily. The republicans will say there are more deaths under
Biden than Trump. Wrong. The republicans would be correct in saying there are
more deaths this year than last year.
Republicans can also now say, in a nuanced way, there are
more deaths under Biden (395) than deaths in 2020 (370). 64K Americans died in
January as Baby Trump continued pouting and sulking about the election, hiding
in the Lincoln Bedroom, a whining sore loser cry-baby. Trump should have been
doing his job as president during the last 80 days instead of pouting. It is not
a good look for a grown man.
The Ohio hospital admissions chart is shown above. Ohio
calls the National Guard for help with the hospitals like several other states.
The chart shows how admissions are well off the worst days in January but the
news reports each day are about overwhelmed hospitals. Ohio hospitalizations
are elevated and climbing sharply.
The nurses and healthcare workers are getting sick with
China Flu creating staff shortages. Some are unvaccinated (nursing homes), some
are vaccinated and some are double vaccinated and boosted, and having to stay
home for 10 days as their colleagues work double-shifts. The positive aspect of
the Ohio chart is the far right side has a little hook in it so perhaps the
admissions are peaking-out.
Lord Fauci, the Napoleon-style know-it-all, that wants to
show his puss as the warm-up act before the president takes the stage today,
says the CDC, NIH and Whitehouse are considering reducing the 10-day isolation
period for nurses once they test positive forCOVID-19.
If the symptoms are asymptomatic, which is occurring with
many cases these days, the nurses may be asked to quarantine for less days so
they can return to work faster. Don’t you love it? The hospitals follow the
science. The science of money.
The hospitals want to keep operating and by golly, they will
do it on the backs of the nurses if they have to. No wonder so many great
caregivers are leaving the profession. The hospital needs more nurses right now
so the science changes and voila, eyeballing it, yep, 5 isolation days looks
good instead of 10 days. This is voodoo science.
The waning vaccine efficacy is hitting the elderly
population in America. The Ohio chart clearly illustrates this with the purple,
dashed pink and dotted pink lines, representing hospital admissions for those
over 50 years old jumping bigtime. Of course it is because they were vaccinated
too long ago. Look at the impact on those over 70 years old (purple) with
infections up like a rocket.
The over 70 crowd are happy retired folks, say, vaccinated
in February, walking around maskless, perhaps volunteering at the local food
bank or thrift shop, thinking they are protected like a gladiator when instead
they are barely covered with a tiny fig leaf of protection and a week later
they are lying on a gurney telling the nurse, “I was vaccinated.” Well, now you
are a statistic. Other US states display the same pattern as Ohio. The waning
vaccine efficacy problem with elderly Americans is obvious.
Sleepy Joe Biden took his eye off the ball. He was supposed
to handle the pandemic instead he keeps tilting at windmill legislation a la
Don Quixote. The testing program remains a mess as if no one is working on it
and the waning vaccine efficacy is a major issue, as illustrated above, yet no
one talks about it.
The booster shot rollout was a fiasco with Biden making
bonehead promises he could never keep. He never pushed monoclonal antibody (mAb)
treatments that could have saved tens of thousands of American lives and now
some of the current mAb treatments are like the vaccines, less effective
against omicron. The testing program failure is Biden’s Waterloo.
The New Jersey and New York daily new cases charts are shown
above and can serve as test cases for the Omicron variant. For New Jersey, the
daily cases tease 7.5K per day almost the record high except for 1/13/21. On
Saturday, 12/18/21, New Jersey reports 7,644 cases the peak high for the
current wave. This number is key since any day above 7,644 cases tell you that
things will get worse. The daily cases have gone parabolic like the waves in
South Africa and Eswatini. Keep fingers crossed that the downside is just as
sharp and then New Jersey’s chart behavior can help forecast other states.
Sadly, in New Jersey, the hospital admissions chart shows
higher numbers in all age groups except those under 17 years old. This is the
omicron bug so it is going after anyone 18 and older. The worst hit is those
over 50 years old probably because they were vaccinated too long ago and now
got hit with omicron before they got a booster shot.
The same dealio occurs for New York that reports 24,543
daily new cases on Monday, 12/20/21, the highest of the pandemic. It is not
good but time will tell if the inverted V pattern plays out following the South
Africa and Eswatini chart examples. New York City Mayor de Blah-sio, a
lame-duck almost out the door, please leave, says the Times Square celebration
is on after Paris, the UK and other major cities have cancelled their
celebrations. De Blasio will say the party is on until one of the days ahead he
will say it is not.
The hospital admissions and hospitalizations charts are
found on the CDC COVID Data Tracker site so you can look at your own state andstudy others. Scroll down the left margin to the ‘Health Care Settings’ tab and
under that you can click admissions or hospitalizations then use the chart pull
down menus to look at individual states.
Michigan is under siege over the last month but are actually
on the mend right now. Daily cases topped-out 3 weeks ago and the Michigan
active cases curve has rolled over now dropping. The Michigan hospitalizations
chart, that was shown in the last article, although at record levels, has
rolled over and is dropping. The Michigan healthcare workers should notice a
dramatic improvement in conditions over the next couple weeks so if you are
tired, hang in there, another week or two and the caseload is going to become far
easier (barring mischief from the Omicron variant).
Speaking of Michigan, a mask study reveals that the schools without
masks have similar infections to the schools that have imposed masks. In fact,
the schools with the morel lax mask rules had the least infections. Scientists
say wearing the same dirty mask each day may have been a problem. Generally,
the conclusion is that masking does not reduce transmission of the virus any
substantive amount.
Other studies report similar results. People and children do
not wear masks properly, they are picking their noses, itching, eating, etc… ,
reducing their effectiveness. The best way to avoid infection is stay away from
people.
The South Africa daily cases chart is shown above. It is the
900-pound elephant sitting on the recliner eating little Lamont’s animal
crackers. It is good news, well good and bad. The South Africa daily cases
exhibit a beautiful inverted V pattern so the US needs Joisey and the Empire
State to follow this example. It is a pretty and hopeful sight; the skinny
inverted V.
South Africa cases peak on 12/12/21 at 38K the world was in
frenzy. But the cases fall back to earth with yesterday’s cases down to 8.5K.
The 7-day MA is heading down. It is great news and should tamp down the fear
campaign with omicron.
Now the bad news. South Africa deaths pop higher to 105
souls yesterday an elevated number. The data will have to reveal if this is a
pattern of higher deaths coming that lag the case numbers, or, if it is just a
blip like previously occurred on 11/25/21, where it is a data catch-up day or
some other circumstance is occurring. The deaths in Eswatini could provide more
insight.
The Eswatini daily new cases chart is shown above following
South Africa by a few days. Eswatini is a small nation and small data set.
South Africans from the Gauteng epicenter (Pretoria and Johannesburg) infected
Eswatini since it is nearby geographically. Eswatini reports 1.1K cases
yesterday so it has some work to do yet but it is following the same inverted V
pattern as South Africa which is constructive. Eswatini deaths remain in check
another positive.
The same chart behavior may be occurring for Mozambique
continuing to verify the fast radical punch and run force of the Omicron
variant. It strikes you hard and quick and then disappears back into the
shadows.
The UK daily new cases chart is shown above. UK Prime
Minister Boris Johnson remains in scandal over Christmas parties he allegedly
enjoyed with staffers last year while he told everyone else to lockdown. Rules
for thee and not for me. The UK reports 92K cases per day in record territory.
The clock just fell off the wall into the Queen’s lap at Windsor Castle. It is
an ugly chart.
The UK has struggled since summertime to contain the ongoing
cases. Interestingly, the waning vaccine efficacy theme fits well with the
United Kingdom. The UK proudly bragged of a high vaccination rate faster than
most other nations, however, since they were quick to vaccinate, their vaccines
also ran out of punch faster.
Further, studies are showing that the AstraZeneca vaccine
loses more protection than the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines which is
already a lot. If vaccinated folks are
7, 8 or 9 months or more along from their initial vaccination, they are walking
around with a false sense of security. The waning vaccine efficacy is likely
the reason for the multi-month trend of elevated UK cases.
Next comes omicron wanting to join the UK party. Boris will
invite you in; he is the one wearing the lampshade. The sharp spike higher in
the chart is likely the omicron bug. The UK is a great test case to see if it
follows the South Africa and Eswatini skinny inverted V patterns. It will be
great news if cases drop in the UK since that will bode well for the turmoil in
New Jersey and New York on the US East Coast. The UK deaths remain in check
which is good news.
Canada’s daily new cases chart is shown above. Canada
reports 10.5K daily new cases teasing the highest levels ever for the pandemic.
Where’s Trudeau? Sleeping? Wake up. The daily cases have gone parabolic so who
knows where they stop? The sharp increases in daily cases have to be the
Omicron variant taking over.
The USA has the greatest number of total coronavirus cases in
the world at 52.1 million. India is next with 34.8 million total virus cases. Brazil,
UK, Russia, Turkey, France, Germany, Iran, Spain, Italy and Argentina round out
the top dozen on the ugly list.
COVID-19 has infected 276 million people worldwide. 5.4 million
people are dead from the Wuhan Flu. China has committed a heinous injustice
against the rest of the world and they must pay but first the planet must recover.
248 million global citizens have recovered from China Flu. 90%
(248/276) 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% (5.4/276) of the people that are infected
with covid die; 1 in 51. This number has sat at 2.1%-2.2% for many months and has
dropped to 2.0% over the last 7 weeks a positive development for the planet. The
vaccinations may be helping to lower world’s death rate albeit by only a small
amount.
3.6% (276/7670) of the world’s population of 7.67 billion
people have been infected with coronavirus; 1 in every 28 people on earth. The Wuhan
Virus has negatively impacted everyone on the planet. 0.07% of the world’s
population (5.4/7670) died from the pandemic; 1 in every 1,420 people.
In the United States, 52 million people are infected with covid.
829K Americans are dead. 41 million Americans have recovered from coronavirus. This
equates to 79% (41/52) 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, hospitalizations and long-covid problems. If you are overweight or obese,
and unvaccinated, call your doctor. If you are fat and over 50 years old, run
to your doctor, no, you better walk so you do not give yourself a heart attack.
In the US, 1.6% (829/52000) of the people infected with COVID-19
die. This number is sticky at 1.6% to 1.8% for many months. 1 in every 63 US
citizens that are infected with coronavirus die. 0.25% (829/330000) of
Americans have died from COVID-19 which is 1 in every 398 Americans.
15.8% (52/330) of the American population of 330 million
people, call it 16%, have been infected with covid. 1 in every 6 Americans have
been stricken with coronavirus. The minority communities are impacted disproportionately.
The 16% 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 18.8% (52/276) of the COVID-19 cases
in the world. 1 in 5 people 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. The number is flatlining. This percentage was
22% about 9 months ago.
The US accounts for 15.4% (829/5400) of the China Flu deaths
in the world. 1 in 6.5 people (2 in 13) that die from COVID-19 around the world
are Americans. 7 months ago, it was 1 in 5. The numbers are stalled at the same
level for the last 6 months.
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 and more data and information become available to push the
Wuhan 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 63 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 sixty-third article is published on Tuesday, 12/21/21. The
Coronavirus Chronology 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 63 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 never-ending 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.
South Africa (Fourth Wave)
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
12/20/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days) (chart may have topped 12/17/21 but give it a few
days)
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
12/20/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days) (chart may have topped 12/18/21 but give it a few
days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days) (chart may have topped 12/18/21 but give it a few
days)
12/11/21 New Case Peak Date
12/22/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/14/21 New Case Peak Date
12/25/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days) (chart may have topped-out 12/18/21, give it a few
days)
12/15/21 New Case Peak Date
12/26/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/15/21 New Case Peak Date
12/26/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/16/21
New Case Peak Date
12/27/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/17/21 New Case Peak Date
12/28/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/17/21 New Case Peak Date
12/28/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/17/21
New Case Peak Date
12/28/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/17/21 New Case Peak Date
1/14/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
12/17/21 New Case Peak Date
12/28/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/17/21
New Case Peak Date
12/28/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/17/21 New Case Peak Date
12/28/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/17/21 New Case Peak Date
12/28/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/17/21 New Case Peak Date
12/28/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/18/21 New Case Peak Date
12/29/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/18/21 New Case Peak Date
12/29/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/18/21 New Case Peak Date
12/29/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/18/21 New Case Peak Date
12/29/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/19/21 New Case Peak Date
12/30/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/20/21 New Case Peak Date
12/31/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/20/21 New Case Peak Date
1/17/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
12/20/21 New Case Peak Date
12/31/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/20/21 New Case Peak Date
12/31/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/20/21 New Case Peak Date
12/31/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/20/21 New Case Peak Date
12/31/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/20/21 New Case Peak Date
1/17/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
Some of the Africa nations are going to pot as the Omicron variant spreads. The South Africa and Eswatini active cases charts may be topping-out now which would be great since it would show how omicron is a fast-moving wave. Lesotho is added to the bad list as well as Angola, Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi.
A South Africa study reports that omicron hospitalizations
are 25% less than delta so the idea that the bug is more transmissible and less
virulent is correct. The problem, however, is that although omicron may cause
less hospitalizations, it spreads so fast that it may overrun hospitals in sheer
numbers. That is the worry keeping hospital managers up all night.
Omicron spread from the Gauteng epicenter in South Africa to
Eswatini and then north to Mozambique and Zimbabwe. At the same time, Lesotho
got infected and the virus moved westward from Gauteng infecting Namibia. Now
the infections move up the west coast of Africa infecting Angola. Western
Africa will likely be infected with omicron in a month.
Argentina and Australia are also added to the naughty list.
Australia is ugly with daily cases at record levels. The riot police and
military beat all those civilian Aussies trying to leave their homes for
nothing. Forcing them to stay in lockdown results in record cases. New South
Wales reports over 3K cases the most ever. New Zeeland is keeping its borders
closed. South Korea hospitals are at their limits so the government limits all
social gatherings to no more than 4 people.
China is struggling to contain an outbreak in Xi’an. There
are 90 cases over the last day with 13 million residents undergoing testing. The
Chinese want to visit relatives for new year’s celebrations but if the CCP says
stay home, you stay home, or you receive a bullet in your head. The Olympics
are coming fast only 45 days away. It may become a complete mess if infections
are not brought under control in China.
Several European countries are taken off the bad list since
their active curves are rolling over to form the coveted bell shape including
Czechia, Slovakia, Germany, Belgium and Netherlands. These countries are on the
mend. It is ridiculous that Netherlands is shut down until 1/14/22. They have
turned the corner. All the Dutch have to do is what they have been doing, no
more no less, and the cases are subsiding. It is a shame to ruin Christmas for
nothing.
Germany is considering limiting the number of people at
gatherings. Germany requires proof of vaccination to enter bars and restaurants
but proof of natural immunity is also accepted. Germany is on the mend so it
should simply continue what it is doing and enjoy the holiday. Switzerland imposes mask and vaccine mandates
on its population. Switzerland’s active cases curve may have topped-out so it
is likely peaking-out as well.
The UK is at the bottom of the pile so PM Johnson is going
to have to pull a rabbit out of his hat to save England. Is Boris working hard on
the pandemic or is he busy planning this year’s Christmas parties? He’s on the
phone ordering a keg and lining up a band. Johnson says there will not be any
changes to the covid rules right now but there may be after the first of the
year. Sounds likes the partier wants to party on the holidays covid be damned.
Canada is in terrible shape as the chart shows above. Quebec
closes bars and restaurants and sends kids home from school. No fun is allowed.
The Canucks are told to stay home.
The next list shows the US states that are struggling with
the worst states 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.
Idaho
(Fourth Wave/Continuous) (cases moving lower for 2 months)
10/14/21
New Case Peak Date
11/11/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve trying to flatten)
11/19/21
New Case Peak Date
12/17/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve is flattening, give it a few days)
12/1/21
New Case Peak Date
12/29/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/3/21
New Case Peak Date
12/31/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/3/21
New Case Peak Date
12/31/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/2/21
New Case Peak Date
12/30/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve is flattening, give it a couple days)
12/3/21
New Case Peak Date
12/31/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/3/21
New Case Peak Date
12/31/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/3/21
New Case Peak Date
12/31/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/4/21
New Case Peak Date
1/1/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve is flattening, give it a couple more
days)
12/7/21
New Case Peak Date
1/4/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve is flattening, give it a few days)
12/8/21
New Case Peak Date
1/5/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/10/21
New Case Peak Date
1/7/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/10/21
New Case Peak Date
1/7/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve may be peaking)
12/10/21
New Case Peak Date
1/7/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/11/21
New Case Peak Date
1/8/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/11/21
New Case Peak Date
1/8/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/13/21
New Case Peak Date
1/10/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/13/21
New Case Peak Date
1/10/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/14/21
New Case Peak Date
1/11/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/16/21
New Case Peak Date
1/13/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/17/21
New Case Peak Date
1/14/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/17/21
New Case Peak Date
1/14/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/17/21
New Case Peak Date
1/14/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/17/21
New Case Peak Date
1/14/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/17/21
New Case Peak Date
1/14/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/18/21
New Case Peak Date
1/15/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/18/21
New Case Peak Date
1/15/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/18/21
New Case Peak Date
1/15/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/18/21
New Case Peak Date
1/15/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/19/21
New Case Peak Date
1/16/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/19/21
New Case Peak Date
1/16/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/20/21
New Case Peak Date
1/17/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/20/21 New Case Peak Date
1/17/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
New
Jersey (Fifth Wave)
12/20/21
New Case Peak Date
1/17/22
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/20/21 New Case Peak Date
1/17/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
12/20/21 New Case Peak Date
1/17/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
The Omicron variant is in 48 of the 50 states. Oklahoma And South Dakota likely have the virus but they simply have not made it official. Mississippi is added to the bad list. Ditto Texas and Florida two highly-populated states. America takes a turn for the worse as the waning vaccine efficacy creates more cases and the omicron starts nipping at the East Coast states.
Nevada and West Virginia need watched closely and may end up
on the bad list next time. States that are hanging in there and weathering the
covid storm are Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Iowa,
Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming and Alaska.
It is bad to see the big states of California, Illinois, New
York, New Jersey, Texas and Florida all at the bottom of the list. Not good.
Here comes Uncle Joe, he’s movin’ kinda slow, at thejunction. Joe likes to sit on the porch at the Shady Rest and take naps. At
2:42 PM EST, President Biden steps up to the podium for the highly hyped
coronavirus plan. He is 12 minutes late but had a couple days to get prepared;
it is a sign of incompetence and disorganization. King Trump was the same way;
always late and disorganized. Biden promises a brand-new shiny pony so he
better not show up with an aged donkey with a sunken back.
He says everyone is tired and frustrated. Not everyone. He
must be. Right away he goes into the same-o vaccination garbage. Nothing new.
Get your vaccination or you will die. You will end up in the hospital. It is
the same-o diatribe. He says vaccinated people may get sick with omicron “in
high numbers,” which is not a good selling point for telling people to take the
vaccination.
Biden says 40 million Americans are not vaccinated that are
eligible. The president coughs; he has phlegm in his throat. Now he goes on the
booster shot diatribe. “Folks, booster shots are free and widely available. “I
got my booster shot.” He says Trump got his booster shot and it is “one of the
few things we agree on.”
Biden says the current situation is nothing like March 2020.
Over 200 million people are vaccinated. He says the US is prepared now unlike
before. Sure it is, like the current testing debacle with people standing
outside in the cold for hours? Open your eyes, Sleepy Joe. He says the US has
enough PPE and ventilators.
“The best thing to do is to get fully vaccinated.” How many
times does he have to say it? It is annoying. He says 10K new vaccination sites
are added to the existing 80K sites. He coughs up more phlegm as he talks. It
is distracting to listen to someone with mucus in their throats. Cough. Hack.
Biden says people should be “concerned about omicron but not panicked.” He
pumps the vaccinations for kids. “Get your children vaccinated now. Get
yourself vaccinated.”
Most Americans are likely sick of listening to the same-o
stuff. There is nothing new as yet except adding some new vaccination sites but
will anyone even notice that? He thanks the prior administration for developing
the vaccines, without saying Trump’s name, and gives himself credit for taking
the ball from there. This statement shows that Biden is tangled-up in the
politics of the pandemic with science riding in the trunk.
Biden says testing sites will be added. Chop, chop. People
are standing outside now. He talks about providing 500 million covid tests that
can be requested and sent to your house for free (the tests are not free; you,
the taxpayer, are paying for them, but Biden gets to play Santa) in January.
Humorously, folks may hoard as many as possible and sell them on eBay. The
US may need 4 or 5 times that number of
tests to eventually get a handle on the pandemic.
He is authorizing 1K military medical personnel to American
hospitals to help with the workload. He says plans are underway to expand
hospital beds if needed. He says the government will send extra ambulances to
transport patients from busy hospitals.
Lastly, he talks about the vaccine mandate and OSHA rules.
He says vaccine mandates are “not to control your life but save it.” That’s
what they all say. People want to make their own decisions about their own life
not take direction from Biden of all people. He cannot manage himself out of a
paper bag if you gave him a boxcutter.
The speech is falling flat; ramblings of an old man slowly
approaching senility. He says everyone is tired again. He must be tired. It is
past his bedtime. He wants to get back to the Lincoln bedroom, have some
pudding and go to sleep.
At 3:04 PM EST, questions begin. He is asked if the testing
problem is his fault. Of course, like any politician, he says no and deflects
the problem saying omicron came so fast that no one could have anticipated the
need. In other words, he did not see it coming and did not plan properly. Many
pundits saw what was coming and predicted a winter surge.
He is oddly standings sideways with his right elbow on the
podium and his face pointed sideways. The event did not live up to the hype.
Sounds like the pandemic is stumbling along like it has for the last 2 years.
The NHL (hockey) is suspending all games for the next week
due to covid sickness. The sports leagues are a mess with breakthrough cases as
common as fans complaining about the officiating.
Retired NIH Director Collins, on his last day 2 days ago, is
asked about the Wuhan Lab scandal and the origin of coronavirus. Why is it downplayed?
The lab leak is a real possibility. Collins says the lab leak scandal is a “distraction.”
Fauci and Collins are up to their eyeballs in the scandals and know a lot more about
the Wuhan Laboratories and what went on in 2019 than they are telling America,
so far.
Fox News host Jesse Watters is trying to pump his television
ratings at a republican political conference. He tells the crowd that Fauci
needs to answer the questions about the Wuhan Lab leak. He tells listeners to
ambush Fauci with the “kill shot” referencing the hard questions about the
origin of COVID-19 but Watters knows he is creating controversy.
No one should say things like kill shot since a nutcase may
run with the notion but it is a free country. Watters will have to answer to
the court of public opinion. Fauci would do a favor to the country by retiring
but he does not deserve that kind of language directed at him. Watters should
know better but he wants to get everyone’s attention. Look at me, look at me,
this is what the adult baby’s do, in today’s society.
WHO Director Tedros is concerned about omicron and wants
people to tone down the holidays. Don’t these stiffs ever have any fun? Tedros
proclaims, “It’s better to cancel now and celebrate later than to celebrate now
and grieve later.” He must have been reading a book of quotations. I wonder if
he knows, as Lord Tennyson said, “’Tis better to have loved and lost, than
never to have loved at all.” It is holiday par-tay time. Cher wants to turnback time to do more partying. You only live once.
US daily cases need to stay below 154K cases per day to see light
at the end of the tunnel. If they blow up through, which is likely, even as
early as tomorrow, the misery will be extended. The peak for wave 6 thus far is
167K cases so watch that number. If daily cases remain below 167K, there is
hope, if cases blow up through, there is no hope.
The South Africa and Eswatini daily cases charts show that
the omicron wave is super-fast moving and may not live up to all the fear hype
it is given. The UK daily new cases chart is important, as well as New York and
New Jersey, to see if they follow the same pattern as South Africa and
Eswatini. They should. People may be blowing the whole omicron thing way out of
proportion. The coming days and week or two will likely dictate what happens
through Q1 (January, February, March).
Watch to see if the 167K daily new cases level for the US is exceeded, or not, and watch how the New York and New Jersey daily new cases charts perform. They may surprise everyone and drop like a rock over the coming days. Hope springs eternal.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/22/21, at 3:00 AM EST: The data is a punch to the face. It is ugliness on a palindrome day; 122221. The world reports over 751K daily new cases the most since May seven months ago and the United States reports a huge 181,264 daily new cases the most for wave 6 blowing all hopes and dreams about ending the pandemic out of the water. The 181K cases are a serious escalation. The 7-day MA for US cases is parabolic at 155K cases per day and the 3-day MA prints a higher high. It is a shame this mayhem is ramping up as Santa Claus Comes to Town as the Boss and Clarence sing. Too bad; life is not a bowl of cherries. 1.8K Americans die yesterday. The undertaker's dance in the moonlight. Texas reports 11.2K daily new cases the most for the new wave and going parabolic fast. Whoa. Florida reports 12.9K daily new cases another big spike higher. Governor DeSantis rolls over and falls out of his hammock; an orange drops from a tree landing on his head. It is amazing. In only a few day's time, the wheels have fallen completely off in Florida; it must be an omicron spike due to its fast parabolic nature. The high transmissibility and extreme contagiousness is jaw-dropping. Texas is likely going to follow the same rocket launch pattern as Florida. No wonder the US cases went to pot. These two states are heavily populated. New York reports 22K daily new cases. Well, look at that. Wellll, doggie, as Jed would say. The 22K cases are off the insane 26.3K cases on Monday in New York state. Take the good news where you can get it. Is New York starting to form the skinny inverted V pattern for daily new cases a la South Africa and Eswatini? Let's hope so. This is some good cheer but let's see if the cases are coming off the peak in Joisey. Folks from Jersey hate it when idiots say Joisey. Sunnovabitch. Nope, they are not. New Jersey reports 8.5K daily new cases the highest for the current wave so it is not done yet. Things have to play out for a few days but it will be great if New Jersey and New York show the skinny inverted V pattern so the other states can be patterned after this chart behavior. Boom. Ohio is punched in the face with 12.5K daily new cases almost the highest ever. Ohio is in deep trouble. Michigan is improving and on the mend (barring omicron trouble). Ditto Minnesota so there are positive things occurring. Those wicked exponential waves in New York, New Jersey, Florida and Texas are bad and the main focus over the coming days. Over the coming days and week or two, these 4 states will tell the story for America well into 2022 (other states will follow the pattern of these 4 states be it joy, or sorrow).
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/22/21, at 3:30 AM EST: President Biden is not receiving high grades for his speech yesterday afternoon. When you tell people, that have been standing in line for 5 hours waiting for a test, that the great solution is to send out some tests in January, that misses the target. In fact, if you want to make people really mad that are already uptight, highlight the problem and dilemma they are in but offer no real solution for the problem. Further, Whitehouse spokesperson Psaki, nicknamed Peppermint Patty from the Charlie Brown cartoons by republican detractors, only a week ago mocked a press room reporter for asking why the government cannot send out a COVID-19 test to all Americans. Psaki walks back the statement now that, only days later, that is what is proposed. The Whitehouse loses credibility daily. People need tests now. How do they get the tests now? All that is heard is crickets and the president passing gas as he eats pudding. The CDC reports overnight that Americans have lost 2 years off life expectancy due to the pandemic. Americans used to die, on average, at 78.8 years old, call it 79, but now can only expect to live until 77. The top killers are COVID-19, heart disease and cancer. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/22/21, at 4:00 AM EST: Israel begins administering a 4th vaccine dose to citizens over 60 years old, the immunocompromised and healthcare workers. Here comes the booster-booster. Israel is also shortening the time between the second and third shots. Israel gave the booster (third shot) 5 months after the second shot so this timeframe will shorten. The Israeli data shows a significant falloff in efficacy at the 20-week mark which is 5 months. The alchemists are working overtime probably starting on shot number five, the booster-booster-booster shot, to try and stay ahead of the variants. Israel's future data on the fourth shot will be uber important. The Imperial College report shows the Pfizer/BioNTech booster shots losing efficacy after 2 months. The mRNA shots, speaking broadly, are about 90% effective at the start, but at 6 months probably only 50% if that and dropping fast, then with the booster shot the protection is back up to 70% or 75%, but 2 months later down to 30% to 40%. Will a fourth shot only pump the efficacy back up to the 70% range, or will it be less? The shots may be providing diminishing returns (as the peanut gallery yells 'the shots prevent serious illness and death'). Germany continues improving. Be safe and careful but do not cut back on Christmas. Instead, Germany threatens a stricter lockdown. No, don't do that. You are recovering. Ditto Netherlands and Belgium; all three are on the mend. Not so for France. Sacrebleu! France reports 73K daily new cases the highest ever except for 11/7/20. A rivet just fell from the Eiffel Tower. President Macron has big problems going into the holidays. As part of the solution, France begins shooting vaccine into 5 to 11 year old kids. Italy is bad reporting 31K daily new cases another high for the current wave. Western Europe remains a covid hotspot. Oh no. Spain reports a humongous spike in cases to nearly 50K per day the highest ever. Oy vey. Portugal is reporting elevated cases but hanging in there for now. The wheels fall off in Spain. WHO Director Kluge proclaims, "We can see another storm coming. Governments and authorities need to prepare response systems for a significant surge" Thank you Captain Obvious.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/22/21, at 4:30 AM EST: On the omicron beat, South Africa reports 15K cases maintaining the lower numbers off the peak high. 35 South Africans die yesterday so the deaths retreat again which is good news even though 35 families grieve today. Eswatini reports 948 cases so the inverted V patterns continue to play out nicely for the two nations. Hopefully this behavior repeats for the UK, New York and New Jersey charts. The UK remains a mess reporting 91K daily new cases yesterday remaining at record levels. Cases are jumping higher in Canada. The Vancouver Sun reports that British Columbia, BC, is closing restaurants, bars, clubs and gyms, and prohibiting Christmas parties. It is sickening. The Canucks may as well live in red China. BC blames the stricter measures on surging COVID-19 cases. Residents need vaccine passports to move around. Your papers, please. Instead of British Columbia, Canada should rename the BC province 'Basic Communism', that way they will not have to change the logo and letterhead.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/22/21, at 6:30 AM EST: The UK shortens the COVID-19 isolation period from 10 days to 7 days. Of course they do. Now that the hospitals are overrun and they need healthcare workers, why not change the science and say, hey, you are good to go now at 7 days. It makes you laugh. The United States will likely reduce the days of its 10-day isolation period as well since they need more nurses and healthcare workers to stay in the trenches instead of lying on the couch at home. When the need for workers change, the science changes. The politicians make decisions based on their political futures, then they try to find data and charts to support the narrative. This is called modern-day science. What has the Western world become? Delta Airlines wants the 10-day isolation period to be reduced to 5 days to get their vaccinated workers back on the job. The United States NHL players (hockey) will not travel to China for the Olympics due to the widespread coronavirus outbreak. The Winter Olympics, hosted by the CCP dirtbags, communists creating genocide, begins on 2/4/22 which is only 44 days away. The CCP is already matching up its spies, er, concierges, to be at each athlete's side during their entire stay in the commie nation. The Chinese people are cool but they have no choice but to live under the filthy CCP's communist/dictatorship rule, and so will the foreign visitors that will be watched, er, guided, each hour of their stay. As a parting gift after the Olympics, maybe they will hand out Mao hats.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/22/21, at 11:30 AM EST: Lord Fauci has to make himself relevant each day so he proclaims that Americans should not invite people to Christmas parties unless they are vaccinated. Come on now. It is sickening. The dude loves to make blanket decrees for everyone throughout the land as he sits on his throne (a toilet seat). Americans are sick of Fauci's stupid comments. If a visitor was not boosted or maybe unvaccinated, why can't they stop over to the party for a while and remain on the outside patio providing good cheer. That will work. Come on over for fun and music. Every circumstance is different. Fauci's comments are background noise. He fails to inform people that the vaccinated can transmit the virus. Many vaccinated parents have carried the virus home and sickened their children. Have you? If so, did you blame it on the unvaccinated?
Note Added Wednesday Afternoon, 12/22/21, at 3:00 PM EST: The Whitehouse covid task force conducts a televised meeting with Whitehouse adviser Fauci, CDC Director Walensky and Whitehouse Spokesperson Zients, whose name rhymes with science. He says since July, 2.7 million mAb treatments have been administered. Oh my. The Whitehouse finally chooses to talk about monoclonal antibody treatments. What a surprise since mAb has been dissed the whole year due to the never-ending 'get vaccinated narrative'. No wonder they mention mAb treatments. Zients says 2 of the 3 monoclonal antibody treatments are not that effective against omicron (just like the vaccines although he will not say that). Zients says the GlaxoSmithKline mAb treatment is effective and more supplies are on the way and will be available in January in every state. This is great news. Maybe they can share the recipe so other drug companies can manufacture the nAb treatments but the industry is very secretive. Congratulations to the task force for finally talking about monoclonal antibodies and it is great news that the GSK treatment will be available. Biden makes a critical mistake this year only pitching vaccines like a snake oil salesman off the back of a carnival wagon. The approach to treating COVID-19 should have been multi-faceted stressing preventive and early treatments such as HCQ, ivermectin, mAb, zinc, vitamins C and D-3, and many other therapies. It would be great for the Whitehouse to use an integrated approach to fighting China Flu. America would have likely ended up with the same number of people vaccinated as now but the country would all be rowing in the same direction instead of the ongoing nonsense with vaccinated and unvaccinated folks mouthing-off at each other and the latest baby stuff, the double vaccinated versus the boosted folks. What a mess. No one is holier than thou for receiving a shot in the arm. Walensky speaks next saying 85 countries have the Omicron variant (it is actually pushing 100 countries). She stresses four important layers in fighting COVID-19; vaccinations, booster shots, masks and testing. That is a succinct well communicated idea. It would be helpful for Americans to think about the pandemic with these four big concepts in mind. A simple graphic is shown highlighting the different layers of protection which is very well done, simple, and easy to understand, but it cannot be found on the CDC website or anywhere else. That would be a great graphic to print out and distribute at food banks or local thrift stores. Many disadvantaged folks develop an understanding of the news at the local street level since they do not have computers and those that do, for the kids education, such as laptops, do not have a clue on how to use them to research pandemic information. Walensky repeats the refrain that the unvaccinated are 10 times more likely to get covid and 20 times more likely to die. Comically, a KFF study has the eggheads pulling their hair out over the last few days. The study reports that more vaccinated people are fearful of the pandemic and the future harm that may be coming to them than the unvaccinated that generally have a devil may care attitude and they are not fearful at all. It makes you laugh out loud. The findings are not surprising to anyone that chooses to not live in fear. If you are worried and hiding under the bed all day, don't. Get up and live life. The lord himself, Fauci, speaks next. He shows slides that you need a magnifying glass to read. A PowerPoint slide presentation needs to be bulleted items that only highlight the ideas the speaker on stage is discussing in more detail. Fauci lays out a dissertation on a slide which only creates glossy eyes and wandering minds. He also likes to use ten-dollar college words. What is Fauci talking about? He slaps monoclonal antibodies with the back of his hand while continuing to cheerlead vaccinations as the only way to defeat the pandemic. On the definition of fully vaccinated, a hot potato question no one wants to answer, CDC Director Walensky says the existing definition remains in place; 2 shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines or, 1 shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. She says if 6 months past the mRNA shots or if 2 months after the J&J shot, get boosted. Walensky does not change the definition of fully vaccinated which only leaves businesses and Americans in a more confused state of mind. It is ridiculous that people vaccinated with the Johnny John shot, that are months along from the inoculation, are walking around maskless thinking they are protected when they have no better protection than an unvaccinated person. Come on now, you have to laugh at that. It is part of the farce and pandemic lunacy. In the US, there is a funky combination of unvaccinated folks, kids that cannot yet be vaccinated, people with only one vaccine shot, folks that are double-vaccinated, some not planning to be boosted, and people that are boosted. Keystone would rather demonstrate the Rubik's Cube solution to you in a few minutes rather than tackle this complex mess that may simply have to sort itself out over the coming weeks and months.
Note Added Wednesday Afternoon, 12/22/21, at 4:00 PM EST: Huge news. Big positive news. The FDA approves Pfizer's oral anti-viral pill, Paxlovid, to treat COVID-19. Yippee! The pill would be available to Americans over 12 years old. If taken within the first 5 days of symptoms (testing will be key), Paxlovid reduces hospitalizations and deaths by nearly 90%. Funny how the science changed to approve the pill at the exact time it is needed. What are the chances of that happening? It is not a panacea since folks on high blood pressure or migraine medications may not be able to use the pill. Supplies will also be limited in the early going. Initial reports say about 65K pills (they are a pill packet, like steroids, a 5-day regimen of pills) will be available by the end of the year (next 8 days) and about 200K pills in January. Hearing it straight from the horse's mouth, Pfizer CEO Bourla, he proclaims that '10's of thousands of pills will be available by the end of the year, 100's of thousands of pills in January and millions of pills in February and March'. It is easy to see that even 200K to 400K pill sets in January will not be nearly enough to handle the folks infected. Of course, the wealthy elite class in America, and upper middle class well versed on computers, will quickly acquire the future pills, leaving the poor, disadvantaged, disabled and needy holding an empty bag, as usual. Maybe they can lick the empty cardboard pill packet that is tossed into the street. Such is life in America as the crony capitalism system flails about in its last throes. The US Army at Walter Reed Medical Center says it has a 1-shot vaccine under development that can defeat all SARS-type viruses regardless of mutations. The treatment likely targets the part of the virus particle that does not typically mutate. Europe approves the new Novavax and Serum Institute of India drug Nuvaxovid for use in people over 18 years old. The WHO also endorses Nuvaxovid. The world keeps fighting back at the China Virus monster and will never give up.
Note Added Wednesday Evening, 12/22/21, at 7:00 PM EST: The Omicron variant is in all 50 US states and Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, and identified in 100 countries around the world (one-half of the planet; there are about 200 countries on earth). US officials admit that $100 billion in covid funds have been stolen by fraudsters. People set up fake companies and apply for loans they never intended to pay back. There are other scams but only 2% of the money has been recovered. Officials say they wanted to get the money out quickly and knew that some amount of fraud would occur. It is sickening. Lots of corrupt Americans stuffed lots of money into their filthy pockets. The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio takes out a newspaper ad that reads, in big bold letters, "HELP!" Ohio is overrun with new infections. It is a plea for people to get vaccinated but that would not help the situation in real-time. 80% of the folks in the hospital and 90% of the patients in the ICU are unvaccinated. This is touted as a selling point to get vaccinated and boosted but it means that for every 5 COVID-19 patients lying in an Ohio hospital, 1 is a vaccinated person. A few weeks ago, 99.9% of the patients were unvaccinated further evidence of waning vaccine efficacy the 900-pound gorilla sitting on the living room sofa that no one wants to discuss. Idiots in the US government are discussing charging people for healthcare if they are unvaccinated. It is sickening. People are fast to criticize each other each believing they are standing on the moral high ground when both are sinking in quicksand. Why not force Americans to step on a scale each morning and if they are not at the right BMI level, they must pay fees and extra for insurance policies. Any takers on this proposal? Nope. 80% of Americans are either overweight or obese. Fatties. Like dear ole Ma would say on the back porch of the shanty as the sun would set, "When you point a finger at someone else, always remember that there are three fingers pointing back at you."
Note Added Wednesday Evening, 12/22/21, at 9:00 PM EST: President Biden is interviewed by ABC News journalist David Muir (democrat-run media friendly to the president). Biden says, "Nothing's been good enough" when it comes to the pandemic. He admits, "We are chasing omicron." Sleepy Joe says he ordered a half a billion tests to be delivered next month. Biden says a fourth shot (second booster) is a possibility. The president is asked about the current testing debacle and why the administration did not see it coming. Biden is defensive and says no one saw it coming, that is what they all say. He discusses the plans for the testing program. Biden says 500 million 'pills' are ordered, but he catches himself, he meant to say 'tests', he is getting the Pfizer anti-viral oral pills mixed up with the COVID-19 testing kits. Everyone mixes things up in their brains now and then so the confusion is no biggie. Sleepy Joe continues talking but again says 500 million 'pills' this time skipping by the mistake not realizing he said it. That causes people to look at one anther with wondering stares. The Alzheimer's is increasing faster than the Omicron variant. God Bless him. The subsequent news stories in democrat-run media conveniently do not mention the Biden brain fog and pill and test confusion.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/23/21, at 4:00 AM EST: Oh no. The world reports 904,084 daily new cases the highest ever for the pandemic along with the 904,091 cases on 4/29/21. There will likely be another 7 revisions so let's call it the most ever; even if not, it is close enough for government work. It is terrible after 2 years of pandemic misery to be at the worst point ever. It is depressing for many people and especially for those that have always led a rosy life and never faced any real hardship. Come on in, the water's fine. It is a never-ending pandemic. Fortunately, world deaths continue trending lower the 7-day MA is at 6.66K deaths per day; the grim triple 6's. South Africa cases rise to 21.1K which is concerning but remains well off the peak of 38K cases 11 days ago. South Africa's active cases chart is stuttering sideways and needs to roll over lower. Unfortunately deaths pop to 99 yesterday. The last 3 day's of South African deaths are 105 souls, then 35, and then 99 yesterday. The tweak higher in deaths is not good but generally remains in check. Researches say the data shows that omicron is less of a threat for severe illness or death, at least in southern Africa. Some South African scientists are optimistic with the drop in cases and inverted V pattern playing out but several more days need to play out to confirm the positivity. The combination of vaccinations in about 40% of the population, natural immunity in play, the more youthful population and it is summertime (people are outside in the fresh air) all contribute to the quick recovery in South Africa but again, no one is claiming victory just yet. Eswatini daily new cases drop to 796 form the 1.1K on the prior day heading in the right direction creating the skinny inverted V chart pattern. Whoa. Rocket launch for Mozambique. Cases catapult higher to 2.3K cases yesterday almost the highest of the pandemic. It is easy to see omicron making its ugly way north on the Africa continent. The next day or three will determine if Mozambique is placing its spike high in daily cases now like South Africa and Eswatini (if their spike highs hold). Zimbabwe displays a beautiful skinny inverted V for daily cases and the active cases curve is moving lower so they are leading the African pack lower. As a thesis that future epidemiologist graduate students may consider is that B11529 may have actually started in the Hwange National Park area around Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The variant then moves south into Botswana along route A1 straight to Gaborone which is at the Botswana/South Africa border where omicron was first discovered near the epicenter at Gauteng (Pretoria and Johannesburg). This scenario is pulled out of thin air because Zimbabwe is leading the chart progression, then South Africa, then Eswatini, then Mozambique then Malawi and Zambia. Botswana and Lesotho data are less reliable this is why they were not mentioned but they do participate in this pattern. The Hwange National Park area may be of interest to infectious disease researchers in the future. Keystone so loved the elephants, lions, other animals, termite mounds and of course the cool Acacia trees in Zimbabwe; the local guides call them wattles. Malawi daily new cases catapult to the sky with 1.1K infections the highest of the wave teasing record levels. Boom. Zambia pops to 2.9K infections the highest of the current wave searching for a peak like Malawi. The chart progressions are beautiful. Zimbabwe leads, hinting that B11529 probably started in southwestern Zimbabwe and northeastern Botswana, and then the progression is South Africa to Eswatini to Mozambique to Malawi to Zambia. Omicron spreads into DRC (Congo) with a big spike in cases to 2.1K on 12/15/21. Wow. Oh my. Kenya reports an explosion in daily cases to 3.3K the highest ever up in the stratosphere. Obviously, omicron makes its way up the Africa coast. Uganda has a small spike in cases you can tell its exponential curve is about to begin over the coming days. Brace yourself Uganda. Boom. Ethiopia has the same wild spike higher in cases as Kenya. Cases rise in Sudan. No wonder the world is setting records with daily new cases. Scooching over to the west coast of beautiful Africa, Namibia cases are backing down with the inverted V shape although their peak in cases never tested the prior wave's highs. 13% of Namibia is vaccinated which is better than the 6% for the continent but below the 40% in South Africa. Boom. Angola reports 633 cases a big spike higher so hopefully it will quickly peak and retreat in the coming days. Omicron is on the move up Africa's west coast.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/23/21, at 4:30 AM EST: The UK is of great interest since the daily cases chart may follow the example of South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe, hopefully. Not today. UK Prime Minister Johnson falls to his knees after hearing the dreadful news. The UK REPORTS 106,122 DAILY NEW CASES THE MOST OF THE PANDEMIC AND OVER THE 100K TRAGIC MILESTONE. Boris Johnson is mourning the tragedy, yes, the tragic news that his Christmas parties will be cancelled. It is a terrible sight and good luck to the Brit's. Over the next couple days, the world will find out if the UK quickly peaks with daily cases and drops as fast as it popped, or not. On the happy side, the UK reports a 45% reduction in hospitalizations compared to prior peaks which is great news. Omicron is milder but even though most people do not get deathly sick, if everyone gets sick at once, it will blow a hole through the medical system. Interestingly, about 30K of the 100K cases are omicron in the UK only about 30%. Why so different than the US where the CDC says over 73% of the cases are omicron and some states are over 90% omicron. Is this a testing issue where the States identify more cases that the UK or does the CDC have their thumb on the scale in the back room? The US game plan has been fear porn all year long. Scaring people into getting vaccinated is the strategy. Omicron is clearly visible in the charts of New York, New Jersey, Texas and Florida, however, the CDC also highlights the northwestern US (Washington and Oregon) as omicron hot spots, but the wild spike higher in infections has not yet occurred there. Something smells fishy where the omicron cases in the States are being overblown, or, the UK may simply not be performing adequate testing to identify all the omicron cases properly. It is a stark difference in omicron infection rates. The UK is always ahead of the US with the infection waves and is this time but only 30% of the cases are omicron where 73% of the American cases are omicron. The scientists will have to figure out the discrepancy. Spain is in big trouble and reimposes an outdoor mask mandate. Rome also imposes an outdoor mask mandate. Belgium is considering more covid restrictions. Germany, Netherlands and Belgium are on the mend; don't screw your people with more rules. Simply tell them to do what they are doing, be careful and not reckless, and enjoy the holiday with friends and family. France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, however, are on the naughty list with no fun ahead for these folks. Cases are skyrocketing higher. Portugal was trying to hang in there but cases rocket launch higher. China is dealing with multiple outbreaks trying to maintain the zero-covid strategy. 13 million people are locked-down in Xi'an and only allowed to leave to go to the grocery store. It is like 2020, a police state. Concern increases over the Olympics. China says they are ready but visitors to China must remain in lockdown for 21 days. Oh my. 3 weeks in a communist jail. That's funny. A study finds that the three shots of China's Sinovac vaccine, the initial 2-shots followed by a booster, are not effective in fighting the Omicron variant. This is not surprising. The Chinese vaccines are junk. They will improve once they can steal the technology off the US companies. In China, the omicron outbreaks, inferior vaccines, lockdowns, zero-covid strategy and Olympics mix together creating a complex bowl of covid chop suey.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/23/21, at 5:00 AM EST: Oh no. The US reports over 232K daily new cases an explosion of infections. There are over 1 million omicron cases in the US. The daily cases are the highest since 1/15/21 nearly 1 year ago. American palms cup heavy heads that ponder if the misery will ever end. Modelers at the IHME (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation; University of Washington's School of Medicine) say 140 million Americans will likely contract COVID-19, mainly the Omicron variant, over the next 2 months with cases peaking at 2.8 million per day in late January. Wowza. That will get your attention. Keystone drops the fork holding his sausage and eggs. 140 million new infections in 2 months (60 days) is 2.3 million per day 10 times today's number. This would occur every day now through February. It is a dire scenario although the IHME says the hospitalizations and deaths will not be as serious as prior waves. If a 250K per day cases count is maintained, it yields 15 million new infections over the next couple months a stark difference compared to 140 million. The IHME is saying that cases will rocket to 10 times current levels, to 2.3 million per day and stay there for 2 months. Considering the fast-moving skinny inverted V patterns displaying for South Africa and Eswatini daily new cases charts, the dire prediction in cases may be overblown. Time will tell. 140 million Americans is 42% of the population so this outcome, should it occur, would indicate that the vaccinations do not do much against omicron. The United States will likely see an inverted V pattern in daily new cases like the Africa nations. The UK, Canada and a few other nations can also provide guidance on how the omicron wave will play out. Cases will rise after Christmas and New Years because of the holiday parties so the first and second weeks of January will be nasty and may be the peak in daily cases after which conditions improve quickly. By the time Sleepy Joe arrives in the stagecoach with the testing kits, omicron will be in the rearview mirror.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/23/21, at 6:00 AM EST: New York reports 27.3K daily new cases the most ever. All eyes are watching to see if a peak occurs and sudden drop off over the coming days. Ditto New Jersey with cases jumping to 11.9K the most ever. Ditto Florida with cases catapulting over 20K. Florida went to covid Hell fast. Governor DeSantis, that has his eyes on the Whitehouse in 2024, pushes himself away from the autograph table and asks aids what is going on? They reply, "Omicron." Cases pop in Texas so these 4 states will serve as the omicron test cases to see if their daily charts form the coveted skinny inverted V shape occurring in Africa. Washington and Oregon cases remain in check. Oregon reports a tiny lift of cases occurring but no big deal and not even close to what is going on in New York and Jersey. The CDC says the northwest is an omicron hot spot so okay, if they say so.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/23/21, at 7:00 AM EST: The US Supreme Court calls a special session deciding to hear the vaccine and testing mandate challenges (OSHA new rules) in the court system since it is such a major issue for the country. Special sessions are rare. Clarity is needed on the vaccine mandate garbage which would be expected to be ruled unconstitutional but nowadays, in the twisted crony capitalism system, who knows how it will play out? The Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments on Tuesday, 1/7/22. Several major US cities play hardball against their populations requiring citizens to show proof of vaccination to carry out normal life. Your papers, please. The cities that do not value liberty are Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC. Colleges are imposing booster shots on the students. This was predicted months ago and in the spring they will likely have to accept more serum in a fourth shot. Sports leagues at all levels are crushed by the covid outbreaks. China is not happy about the US hockey players bowing out but everyone is sick and the season's schedule is in jeopardy. In America college football, Texas A&M bows out of its Gator Bowl appearance a big disappointment for the team. The NBA (basketball) is postponing games. Humorously, the Brooklyn Nets basketball team cancel a game due to sick players (all vaccinated) and Kyrie Irving, that the team has locked-out because he would not kneel and take the vaccination, is the healthy guy but not permitted to play due to vaccine mandates. That's funny. Global stock markets rally big the last two days as the fears about the Omicron variant fade.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/23/21, at 11:00 AM EST: The FDA approves the Merck anti-viral oral pill, molnupiravir, say that three times fast without laughing, for treating COVID-19. Yippee! Pills from the heavens falling like rain. The treatment must begin within 5 days of the onset of symptoms, like the Pfizer pill, but the Merck pill reduces hospitalizations and deaths by 30% (Pfizer pill is nearly 90%). A person on Vice President Kamala Harris's staff tests positive for COVID-19. Politicians and staff are reporting China Flu illnesses across Washington, DC. They must be licking too many door knobs. South Carolina democrat Representative Clyburn, that delivered the state and presidency to Biden, tests positive for COVID-19. Comically, Clyburn complains that it took 56 hours for the test but it is his buddy, Sleepy Joe, that is running the show. Breakthrough cases are common and frequent. Here comes Fauci. The doctor says large holiday gatherings are not safe even with a booster shot. He defines large gatherings as 30 or 40 people. That many folks will not fit inside the double-wide. Americans will only hear the part about no large gatherings and assume he is telling folks they cannot see grandma. Two years into the pandemic, and the US government tells citizens to take mRNA vaccine shots, including boosters, but when you do, you still have to stay home for the holidays; your only friends will be eggnog and Jimmy Stewart's "It's A Wonderful Life." That is not a good selling point for vaccinations.
Note Added Thursday Lunchtime, 12/23/21, at 12:00 PM EST Noon: US drug stores are limiting purchases of covid tests due to the large demand. Walgreens limits buyers to 4 tests while CVS is limiting customers to buying 6 tests. The United States has fallen asleep at the wheel with the COVID-19 testing program. The single focus all year long on vaccinations and nothing else is a major error. A North Carolina police chief is placed on unpaid leave for informing his officers on how to obtain bogus vaccination cards. Humorously, the vaccine mandates in America have compelled the police to break the law. Everything down is up and everything up is down. 170 NFL players test positive for COVID-19. Oh my. In college football, the Hawaii Bowl is cancelled after over 30 players and staff test positive for coronavirus. Breakthrough cases are as common as Christmas tree ornaments. The folks that traveled to Hawaii are disappointed but they will have to make the best of it as they enjoy paradise, the beautiful beaches and scenery, luau's and hula dancing. The surfing is great at Waikiki. Malia and Kalea will take care of you at the Aston. In New York City, lame duck Mayor de Blah-sio scales back the Times Square New Year's celebration. Times Square officials will limit the number of people that must be vaccinated and wear masks outdoors. What human idiot agrees to be an animal for a few hours? There will be tens of thousands of them. De Blasio will create a superspreader event as the bozo heads out the door.
Note Added Thursday Afternoon, 12/23/21, at 1:00 PM EST: Former President Trump praises the vaccines which is a change in tone. Many of his followers do not want vaccinated but the time for King Donnie to speak out positivity is long gone. Donnie only does things that benefit Donnie so he likely is trying to create a softer kinder version of himself or has some other alternate motive for his comments. He's a showman. Trump is claiming credit for the vaccines. All the orange-headed clown did was tell Big Pharma they had a blank check to spend billions, whatever it takes, money does not matter, and develop a vaccine. Hence, the vaccines are developed in record time. Who woulda thunk it? It is silliness. Trump's sole role in vaccine development is telling companies they can spend as much taxpayer money as they want. Further, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was first out of the gate one year ago and they developed the shots without using government money. Trump tried to claim credit for the vaccine announcement but was summarily dressed-down by Pfizer telling the orange one that the taxpayer's money was not used. Pfizer did/does accept government funds for logistics and delivery of the vaccines. The republican tribe praises King Donnie as the vaccine maker which is comical. Further, the orange head is bragging that he developed vaccines that are actually not that good. The Johnny John shot lasts 2 months; it is a complete joke. The two mRNA jabs last 3 to 6 months when the protection nosedives and this is manifesting itself in the data and charts with vaccinated folks over 60 years old now lying on gurneys. Obviously, the vaccines do not prevent infection or transmissibility two things that were promised a year ago. Humans are typically stupid, however, and do not have elephant's memories. The booster shot is shown to last only 2 months as per the first preliminary study on the Pfizer/BioNTech third jab. Trump and Biden are two incompetents the worst leaders to have in office during a once in a century pandemic. Both are extremely poor managers royally botching the handling of the pandemic at every turn. Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber.
Note Added Thursday Afternoon, 12/23/21, at 6:00 PM EST: The major airlines cancel 300 flights, so far, due to staff shortages. The next 2 weeks will be the busiest travel period in 2 years. Hey *ssholes, why not hire back the workers you fired for not getting vaccinated? American, Delta and Alaska Airlines are hit the hardest. Remember, the airlines said they are ready for the holidays and there would be no staff shortages or flight cancellations due to their vaccine mandate policies. Liars. Some Americans will cancel plans and not see grandma on Christmas, even though they had jumped through all the government's hoops with vaccinations and testing, solely because of the vaccine mandates. The carriers blame the weather, and of course omicron, but the root cause of flight cancellations is that the airlines are thinly staffed because, despite holding a knife to their employee's throats, many still refuse to kneel before power and take the vaccine mark. Humorously, many of the obsessed pro-vaccine zealots that cheer the firing of workers over a jab in the arm, are the ones canceling their holiday plans. That's the way karma works. There is lots of chatter about shortening the isolation period for TSA workers, that test positive for covid, from 10 days down to 5 days. Delta Airlines backs the move. Of course they do because it is about money. Right on cue, here comes the CDC announcing that the isolation period is reduced from 10 days to 7 days for healthcare workers. It is hack science. Never forget America, when the need for staffing changes, the science changes. Did you know that healthcare workers are magically stronger than any other human since they only need 7 days isolation but everyone else remains at 10 days? It is ridiculous. They are simply making stuff up as they go along. The Omicron variant is taking hold in the US and the need for hospital beds will likely catapult higher. The science changed because the staffing needs changed. Follow the staffing, er, science. Professor Dr Osterholm is worried about hospital staffing and repeats his dire prediction of a "viral blizzard." Sara Nelson, the president of the largest flight attendants union, says the change in the 10-day isolation period proposed for airline workers is the "wrong move" and "may put flight attendants in a position to be forced to come back before they feel better." Talking on CNBC media, Nelson says the Omicron variant is "really concerning." As explained with the daily charts, travelers in New York, New Jersey, Florida and Texas, should be extra cautious since the China Flu daily new cases, mostly omicron, are rocket launching skyward in a parabolic phase right now in real-time.
Note Added Thursday Evening, 12/23/21, at 7:00 PM EST: The UNITED STATES HAS ADMINISTERED OVER 500 MILLION VACCINE DOSES. The CDC touts the milestone as they should; it is a notable milestone. That is 500 million arms, and perhaps a few buttock cheeks, receiving the jabs of serum. 242 million Americans, 73%, are vaccinated with at least one dose as per the CDC COVID Data Tracker. 85% of folks over 18 are vaccinated with at least one dose. 95% of those 65 years and older are vaccinated with at least one dose. As people age, they become fearful of dying, especially those that lack spiritual guidance during their existence. 205 million Americans, 62%, are fully vaccinated about 3 in every 5 people. These are good numbers. 32% of the people eligible for boosters have received the third jab a not so good number. Only 1 in 3 eligible people have received their booster shot. Only 19% of the US population is inoculated with 2 initial shots and the booster jab; only 1 in 5 people. No wonder the CDC does not want to change the definition of fully vaccinated; America would immediately drop from a 62% fully vaccinated country down to a 19% fully vaccinated country. Thus, the 1 shot of the J&J serum, the joke vaccine, or 2 shots of the mRNA vaccines, remains the definition of fully vaccinated. Biden is already wiping enough egg off his face and does not need more. Everything is politics. The US vaccination rate is at 1.4 million doses per day a respectable number. CNN commentator Dr Wen states an effective message for the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Think about 3 main layers of protection; vaccinations, testing and masking. Implement at least 2 of the 3 to be safe during the holiday. If vaccinated, test or mask to provide extra assurance against infection. Or, if unvaccinated, test and mask around others to keep yourself and them from getting sick. Simple messages work the best.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/24/21, at 3:00 AM EST: Merry Christmas Eve to all. 'Tis the night before Christmas, and all through the Senate and House, the covid creatures are stirring, especially the omicron louse. 11 lawmakers in Congress and their spouses are sick with COVID-19; all are presumed to have been vaccinated. Capitol Hill, and Washington, DC, is a covid-infected nest. President Biden receives criticism for the testing program failure on full display daily. He should have imposed the emergency production act so the tests can be cranked-out as fast as possible but he does not. Sleepy Joe keeps repeating, "No one saw omicron coming," using it as the key excuse for the testing debacle. People are spending their holiday standing in a testing line for 5 hours. The president does not impose the emergency production act because that would be an admission of failing to prepare properly with providing adequate testing supplies. Politicians only care about their own power, money and greed; the American people are always an afterthought in the crony capitalism system.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/24/21, at 3:30 AM EST: Damn. The WORLD REPORTS OVER 980K DAILY NEW CASES THE WORST DAY OF THE ENTIRE PANDEMIC. Planet Earth is ill from the China Virus. Although the news is somber on this Christmas Eve, the world's deaths trend flat or lower, down to 6.6K souls per day. The daily new cases is jaw-dropping. After 2 years of misery, the big spike in cases is the Wuhan Flu giving the world the middle finger. The virus is not over until it says it is over. South Africa reports another day of 21K daily new cases well off the top but that needs to start drifting lower again. The active cases curve is dropping nicely off the top. 75 South Africans die yesterday. South Africa officials report that 2.5% of omicron cases end up in the hospital; 1 in 40. For the Delta variant, 13% of the cases end up in the hospital; 1 in 8. Great news and further information that omicron does not cause as severe illness and death as other covid strains. Eswatini cases drop to 550 great news. Zimbabwe cases are lower. Lesotho cases drop. Cases rise in Botswana although the data is erratic. Mozambique is over 2.4K daily cases another record high so no peak yet. Zambia cases pop to 3.4K almost the most ever. Ditto Malawi, Kenya and Ethiopia. It is easy to see that the infection wave moving northward in Africa it is now moving through Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia and Kenya. The right side of Africa is on covid fire right now. On the western side of the continent, a massive spike in cases occurs in Angola now receiving the omicron beating. Cases pop a little bit in Uganda; get ready folks. Uganda hospitals should set up equipment and supplies in advance because the cases are likely going to explode higher over the next few days. Good luck Uganda; get yourselves ready to every extent possible. Keystone so enjoyed the Nyero Rock Paintings and the boat rides with the Bantu. Nigeria retreats off its peak high but only for 1 day but that is hopeful.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/24/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The UK reports nearly 120K daily new cases the most ever. Merry Christmas. The Brit's remain in their exponential omicron spike so it will be interesting to see if the wild pop in daily cases peaks-out at anytime. A lot of folks are testing positive but the hospitalizations and deaths remain subdued. UK officials say there is less than half the chance of being hospitalized with omicron as compared to delta. Germany's daily new cases continue trailing lower, as does the active cases, and the Deutschland is on the mend although the first Omicron variant death is reported. France, Italy, Spain and Portugal are a covid horror show. Interestingly, the European infection wave that started in Russia and moved westward across the continent, was mainly the Delta variant until now. The huge spikes in cases in these 4 nations show the omicron variant likely at play. Will the omicron wave then move eastward back across the European continent? Western Europe is getting hit with the double-whammy of the European delta wave and new omicron wave simultaneously. The Pope will provide the Christmas mass on the worst day of the pandemic for Italy and Rome and the surrounding region (Italy, Malta, France, Spain and Portugal). Canada is a coronavirus nightmare reporting 21.5K daily new cases the most ever blowing away prior estimates. The Canucks will serve as another test case to determine omicron chart behavior. Australia is in huge trouble with daily new cases jumping to 8.6K cases the highest ever. Australia is cancelling airline flights due to sick staff. Queensland reports 589 cases the most ever. New South Wales reports 5,612 cases a record. Australia Prime Minister Morrison proclaims, "We are not returning to lockdowns." Morrison realizes the police state imposed on Aussies over the last 1-1/2 years results in the highest cases ever. The riot police and military beat all those Aussies with billy clubs, that ventured out from lockdown to buy a quart of milk or a newspaper, for nothing. The CCP maintains a lockdown of 13 million Chinese folks in Xi'an and punishes 26 officials for their incompetence. The punishments are not made public but rest assured all were beaten senseless and a couple probably received bullets in their head. That's the way the CCP rolls.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/24/21, at 4:30 AM EST: The US reports 267,269 daily new cases the most ever except for a couple days a year ago during the disastrous wave 3. US wave 6 is in a parabolic phase now driven by the cases in New Jersey, New York, Florida, Texas and other stated under the omicron scourge. It is an ugly Christmas present. America slides down the covid rabbit hole again like little Ralphie when Santa Claus refuses to grant his request. Over 1K Americans continue dying day after day. Oh no. New York state reports a huge 38.3K daily new cases the highest ever. It is terrible but the silver lining is that deaths remain in check. New York hospitalizations are only 40%, less than half, of the wave 3 hospitalizations. New Jersey reports a humungous spike, a rocket launch to 18.1K daily new cases. Grandma is sick in Trenton. Florida reports nearly 27K daily new cases. Governor DeSantis has got his hands full. There were 2.3K cases on 12/12/21 in the Sunshine State, and 38.3K cases 10 days later; a 15-fold rise. Wowza. It has to be the fast-moving Omicron variant at play. Cases edge higher in Texas again. The Africa nations, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Canada, New York, New Jersey and Florida daily new cases charts will dictate the Omicron variant behavior. South Africa and Eswatini look good. Next, Mozambique and Zambia, and Malawi, need to peak-out and begin dropping. Then the UK and perhaps the western European nations. Then, over in North America, Canada, New York New Jersey and Florida will pave the way for the Canadian provinces and other US states. Delaware and Massachusetts report big case jumps at record levels. Ohio reports 16K new cases the highest ever. The daily cases chart for Ohio indicates a combination of the delta and omicron variants whereas Florida's wild escalation in cases is likely more of a pure omicron wave. Illinois is in deep trouble with cases catapulting to the moon the highest ever. A big spike of cases occurs in Tennessee. Obviously, everything is going to Hell in a covid handbasket. Merry Christmas. Missouri reports the most cases ever. Washington state reports a big spike in cases almost the most ever. Oregon cases float higher. Idaho is fine. Washington state is the ugly spot in the northwest. The CDC says there is trouble in that region with omicron and it is now showing up in Washington state's data.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/24/21, at 9:30 AM EST: The United States lifts the travel ban on 8 African nations; South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Losotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Namibia. It may be a better idea to slowly roll the bans away. Lift the ban on South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe since they are leading and turning the corner with omicron. It would be better to wait a few more days for the others at least until after their daily cases peak but hey, they are the experts supposed looking at science, er, politics, er, no, it's science. Looking at it another way, lift the ban on all but simply ask our friends from 5 of the nations to be patient and endure a bit more health questions and scrutiny upon arrival in the US since these folks are in the thick of the omicron infection waves. The same skepticism should also be applied to travelers from UK, France, Italy, Spain and Canada, since these nations are omicron-infected nests. In Florida, television ads that promote vaccines are removed from the airways and replaced with new ads promoting a wider treatment approach for the pandemic including vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, vitamins and promoting healthy living. Republican Governor DeSantis, who has designs on the Whitehouse in 2024, is behind the campaign to treating coronavirus as more of a flu-like illness. Agree or disagree with DeSantis, he shows initiative. The US should have set up monoclonal antibody treatment clinics, like Florida, and thousands of lives would have been saved, but Biden continues wearing the vaccine blinders on his skinny head believing the only way to stop the pandemic is a shot in the arm, and then another, and another, and probably another in the new year. The roll-out of Florida's new integrated treatment approach to covid, however, suffers from bad-timing as the daily new cases spin out of control blindsiding DeSantis. Upon hearing the somber news about daily cases rising sharply, DeSantis rolls over and falls out of the hammock, spilling a strawberry daiquiri over his autobiography notes.
Note Added Friday Afternoon, 12/24/21: The Biden administration bumbling continues. News reports say Harvard and other experts, back in October, warned of a testing surge ahead of the holidays and proposed that the US should purchase 732 million tests per month to get ready. The Whitehouse nixed the idea. Biden keeps saying "no one saw it (variants, omicron and testing concerns) coming," but the excuse does not hold water. Sleepy Joe Biden is a poor decision maker and incompetent at handling the pandemic just like King Donnie Trump. Adding further embarrassment, President Biden and the First Lady are pranked when they are taking calls with Santa Claus as a PR (public relations) event. As a phone call ends, the person blurts out, "Let's Go Brandon," which is the meme that means, "F*$# Joe Biden," and the clueless president immediately, and stupidly, repeats, "Let's Go Brandon, I agree." Oh my. The idiot is cheering a slogan that degrades him and he is clueless to it all. US airports are packed and many passengers are not happy. United and Delta continue cancelling flights. Over 600 flights are cancelled in the United States and over 2,300 flights worldwide. People tend to be irate when they are sitting in an airport on Christmas Eve with no idea when a plane will be available. The airlines guaranteed that the cancellations would not happen but they were peddling hollow promises. Hey *ssholes, how's that working out firing thousands of, what were loyal employees, over the vaccine mandate garbage? Reap what ye sow, jackasses.
Note Added Friday Evening, 12/24/21: A new drug, called Evusheld, that will help the immunocompromised battle COVID-19, even prevent it, started shipping a few days ago. The mRNA vaccines are not effective for immunocompromised folks, such as cancer patients. Even 3 or 4 shots of vaccine will not produce adequate antibody levels in many patients. Evusheld is a fantastic tool to add to the covid-fighting toolbox but bungling Biden strikes again. There are about 7 million immunocompromised Americans but only 700K initial doses available. Biden only had a few months to prepare (said cynically), like the testing kits, and he blew it with Evusheld, too. Biden was distracted this year with the climate change stuff a complete failure in identifying his priorities. He was elected to handle the pandemic but once in office he is wandering around the Rose Garden looking for his hat while others make decisions, bad ones, creating a disjointed, disorganized government. A study shows that cancer patients died of COVID-19 at about the same rate regardless of being vaccinated or unvaccinated which reinforces the general findings that the vaccines are not effective for the immunocompromised. Hospitals continue complaining that COVID-19 patients, many unvaccinated, are acting as if the are at a restaurant ordering-up treatments. "Hello doc, I'll have some ivermectin to start with, and also, how about a side of HCQ, oh, and can I also have a Z-Pak for dessert? Thanks. Chop, chop." Physicians and nurses are pulling their hair out dealing with the human condition. If you are a doctor, you have to see the humor in it. Such is America in 2021.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 12/25/21, at 3:30 AM EST: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. "The Gift of the Magi," by the great author O Henry, explains the true meaning of the season. The data is going to be erratic over the next couple weeks. US daily new cases are expected to rise as Americans congregate on the holidays. Last year's peak horror for wave 3 was on 1/8/21. Thus, the first 2 weeks of January are probably going to be ugly for America, so get yourself ready for that, however, on the bright side, it may be the final peak in cases for the pandemic. Also, studies are confirming that omicron infections result in less hospitalizations and deaths than prior China Flu strains. The US reports 198K daily new cases for Christmas Eve below the 267K peak the day before. It is likely too soon for the US daily cases to peak since many more states will become infected. If Americans can maintain their sanity into mid-January, the pandemic, and life, will likely greatly improve thereafter. The oral pills are coming, more monoclonal antibody treatments, and the vaccines are being continually updated. 2022 will likely be far brighter than the China Virus misery in 2020 and 2021. The 7-day MA for US daily new cases is at 192K cases per day and parabolic. Not good. There are over 11.1 million active COVID-19 cases in America the highest ever. US cases are jumping higher as the testing increases. 747 Americans die yesterday. New York state is a mess reporting 45K daily new cases the most of the pandemic. Much of the problem is in New York City where bozo Mayor de Blazio finishes out his last days; his vaccine mandate garbage resulting in the most COVID-19 cases ever. Way to go, bozo. How's your Times Square celebration plans going? It is a nation of imbeciles. New Jersey reports nearly 19K daily new cases another record high. Florida reports 31,683 daily new cases the most ever. New York, New Jersey are Florida are the key daily cases charts that will show how the Omicron variant behaves in the United States. We need these puppies to peak-out now, it would be a great Xmas present, but as stated above, the US will likely not peak in daily cases until the first or second week of January. Boom. The wheels fall off in Pennsylvania reporting 13.3K daily new cases the most ever. Hawaii reports 1.8K daily new cases the most ever staining paradise. The saving grace in the Christmas misery is that hospitalizations and deaths remain in check and are not rising any significant amount as the cases rise, so far. Illinois is at record daily cases. California cases escalate the last few days with cases at levels not seen since January one year ago. Not good. The infections are a repeat of what happened early on in the pandemic. The major cities are hit. Cases rise in California because of Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities. Illinois cases explode higher because of Chicago. Keystone loves the blues clubs on Rush Street; it was magic in the 70's and 80's back in the Muddy Waters days. New York City is also a major arrival area for travelers; ditto Miami in Florida. The Omicron variant is obviously spreading out from the major cities similar to the wave 1 and wave 2 outbreaks. Delaware, Massachusetts and Rhode Island report the most cases ever as the East Coast is hit with omicron. Cases in Virginia explode to almost 9K yesterday the most ever except for 1/17/21. The omicron filth spreads out from Washington, DC, as evidenced by Virginia and the surrounding states going to pot. Boom. Maryland reports 6.9K daily new cases the most ever and Governor Larry Hogan is sick with covid. The pandemic chaos will linger through January.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 12/25/21, at 4:30 AM EST: South Africa remains the focus due to the B11529 Omicron variant and the omicron epicenter nation reports 18.8K daily new cases an optimistic number below the last 2 days of 21K cases per day. The skinny inverted V pattern is a hallmark of the omicron wave. South Africa's active cases chart is coming down to form the coveted bell shape to verify that the virus is on the run. Active cases chop sideways but will resolve lower as the daily cases drop. 81 South Africans die yesterday. Deaths lag cases so it is concerning to see the bodies stack up. Before the wave 4 omicron wave, South African deaths were running at 2 or 3 dozen per day, call it 30 deaths per day. If the last 7 days are averaged, it is about 70 deaths per day. Now 70 souls is less than the wave 3 and wave 4 deaths between 500 and 800 per day, a good thing, but 70 is over double what the deaths were before omicron hit South Africa. Thus, wetting an index finger and holding it in the air to draw a conclusion, omicron creates a bump higher in deaths but nowhere near the numbers of the prior waves. Eswatini is in good shape with cases dropping. Mozambique, however, remains in the thick of the omicron battle at 2.8K cases the most ever. Madagascar reports the most cases ever so the omicron infections jump across the ocean to the island nation. Malawi, Zambia, Ethiopia and Kenya are a mess with daily cases at record levels. Uganda cases pop higher to 1.1K cases with the biggest pops in cases on tap this weekend. So far so good. The Zimbabwe, South Africa and Eswatini daily cases charts show the inverted V pattern so we need to see it appear in the other African nations, the UK, western Europe, Canada, New York, New Jersey and Florida. The holidays throw a wrench in the works since people are comingling at parties which will likely extend the waves in the developed nations.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 12/25/21, at 5:30 AM EST: The UK reports 122.2K daily new cases the most ever a punch to the British gut on Christmas. UK PM Johnson nervously drops a spoonful of figgy pudding upon hearing the dreadful news, staining his Christmas necktie. UK deaths remain in check at 116 per day. A UK study shows that omicron is 70% less likely to cause hospitalizations than the Delta variant. France reports over 94K daily new cases another all-time record. Sacrebleu! Ditto Italy and Spain. Western Europe is bigtime ugly. Netherlands, Germany and Belgium continue recovering with the active cases charts dropping nicely. Hopefully, folks are enjoying time with friends and family since they are on the mend. The French, Italians, Spaniards and Portuguese, however, are in bad shape crying in their wine. Denmark and Sweden continue dealing with increasing cases but Norway cases are retreating off the top. Bolivia continues struggling at containing the ongoing wave. Australia reports over 9K cases yesterday the most ever. South Korea and Vietnam remain a mess. It is interesting that other Southeast Asia countries look fine but these two nations, which are key industrial hubs for manufacturing products and semiconductors (chips), are a mess. There has to be a connection to business travelers, such as from the United States, perpetuating the COVID-19 misery. Vietnam is a key manufacturing country nowadays for Western nations since the folks will work all day for a hotdog and a Coke.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 12/25/21, at 6:00 AM EST: The USS Milwaukee, a combat war ship, remains in port at Guantanamo Bay, unable to set out on its mission since the crew is sick with COVID-19. It is a bad stretch for ships. Three cruise liners off the Florida coast are dealing with sick COVID-19 patients. The vacationers did not know they were signing up for a covid vomit cruise; at least the ocean adventure will provide plenty of memories. Airlines are packed with unhappy travelers; some stranded. People are sick on cruise ships. Testing lines stretch as far as the eye can see with people spending hours only to fall short. Omicron cases are skyrocketing in US states and infections are rippling outwards from the major cities. Biden's management of the pandemic, which is what he was hired to do, is in complete shambles and disarray. He did not order enough test kits even when experts told him to and the administration is behind in ordering all treatments and therapies including monoclonal antibodies, Evusheld and the Pfizer and Merck oral pills. Sleepy Joe Biden is sleeping. He spent the year playing with climate change, tilting at windmills a la Don Quixote, instead of focusing on the pandemic. Other than all those problems at play, things are going swimmingly. Sleepy Joe just asked the Whitehouse maid if he can have some pudding. He likes chocolate.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 12/25/21, at 8:00 AM EST: New York State Governor Hochul reduces the 10-day isolation period, for healthcare workers that test positive for COVID-19, down to 5 days. Hochul is not a scientist. She is not even qualified to carry Einstein's briefcase. The CDC reduced the 10-day isolation period for healthcare workers to 7 days but 5 days are also okay with exceptions. Huh? This is sickening. Everything you look at in this pandemic is a pile of sh*t. More confusion. Some hospitals are using 7 days for isolation, some 5 days, but the families of workers are 10 days. Huh? Hochul decrees 5 days of isolation for New York healthcare workers. Let it be said, let it be written, let it be done. Does anyone believe this is based in science? Why isn't the rest of the population following the same guidelines? The CDC, and now amateur Hochul, say the so-called science says some people, specifically healthcare workers, recover faster from COVID-19 than other humans. Come on, now. Of course that is stupid. The meme 'follow the science' is officially a joke. The 10-day isolation period, that was based in science, is lowered not because of science, but due to staffing shortages created by the same *ssholes firing employees due to vaccine mandates. You have to love it. Human ignorance knows no bounds. Hochul complains about staffing shortages she created and the solution is to spit on science and simply force the sick existing workers to get back to work faster even though they may not feel well or are yet fully recovered. Cue the calliope music as the Christmas covid circus rolls into town.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 12/25/21, at 11:00 AM EST: Newsmax, a republican-leaning media outlet, misrepresents the US death data like many others over the last few months. Candace Owens makes the same mistake when interviewing former President Trump. The data shown by Newsmax is correct with about 371K Americans dying from China Flu in 2020 and 467K deaths in 2021 for a total of 838K US deaths. However, commentators will then leap to the conclusion that more Americans have died under Biden's watch than Trump. Wrong. The truth is that more Americans have died under Trump than Biden. Trump was in power until 1/20/21, Inauguration Day, when Biden took over power. The presidential power transfer does not occur with the calendar year but instead on Inauguration Day, January 20. The 3 weeks in January 2021 are critical since it was the peak of the deadly wave 3. American bodies were stacking up outside hospitals while King Donnie was pouting about his election loss; unable to handle the defeat mentally to this day (because of Daddy issues). 64K American bodies from 1/1/21 to 1/20/21 to be exact; Donnie's deaths. On Trump's watch, 435K Americans died and on Biden's watch thus far 403K souls have perished. The news media keeps making this mistake over and over so you have to figure in many instances it is purposeful to boost the republican narrative. Republicans will be correct with the Trump versus Biden dead body count talking point in the future. 33K more dead Americans would put Biden at 436K deaths more than Trump's 435K deaths. With 1.1K Americans croaking per day, 33K more deaths will be seen in 30 days. Thus, the republicans and conservatives need to cool their jets until January 25 when the Biden dead body pile will be bigger than the Trump dead body pile, and then they can mouth-off correctly. Isn't the corrupt crony capitalism system and its political narratives sickening? There will likely be 1 million Americans dead by the time the pandemic ends and all the bodies are counted.
Note Added Saturday Afternoon, 12/25/21: In the UK, Queen Elizabeth tones down the Christmas celebrations due to COVID-19. In Rome, Pope Francis provides the Christmas mass overnight where crowds were limited in size due to coronavirus. Italy, Malta, France and Spain are pounded with high infection rates and record case numbers right now. The Pope offers prayers for the pandemic to end and he urges everyone to "look beyond all the lights and decorations" and help the folks in need. The Chinese communists (CCP) shut down churches, blaming COVID-19, preventing the small number of Christians from celebrating Christmas mass.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/2621, at 2:30 AM EST: Happy Boxing Day to all. About 2,000 airline flights are cancelled in the United States this weekend so travelers are not feeling the holiday vibe. A couple hundred flights are already cancelled for today. 30 million Americans are forecasted to move through airports over the 3-week holiday period. Americans continue waiting in testing lines for hours, on Christmas. President Biden was crossed-off many Christmas card and gift lists; he's been naughty this year. Only 40K daily new cases are reported for the US yesterday but it was Christmas and data will be skewed over the coming days. New Jersey reports 19.5K daily new cases another record high for the pandemic. Data is going to be sluggish and perhaps skewed until a few days into the new year.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/2621, at 3:30 AM EST: Europe is in panic mode. France and Italy are imposing stricter covid measures on the populations due to the record cases. Western Europe is under siege from the delta wave that swept across the nation and now double-whammied with omicron. The central and eastern European nations, that are improving and on the mend, are maintaining strict measures to prepare for the Omicron variant they expect to sweep back through their countries. France reports 105K daily new cases another record high. Ditto Italy with daily cases exploding to a record 55K cases. Ditto Spain at 72K daily cases. Portugal cases jump higher as the government imposes more covid rules on the public. All governments around the world are in crisis mode reacting to infection waves rather than proactively planning and preparing for the coming waves. Italy imposes the outdoor mask mandate on citizens. Austria is worried about omicron but the country is in great shape after their draconian lockdowns and should be functioning normally right now instead of hiding under the bed. The UK data will be stalled or underreported during this Christmas to New Year's stretch like in the US. London is a mess with 1 in 20 citizens sick with covid; no, says a voice from the peanut gallery, it is closer to 1 in 10. About 1 in 35 UK citizens are sick with China Flu (mostly omicron) although the symptoms are mild for many folks. Oh no. In the land Down Under, over 9.9K Aussies are infected with the Wuhan Virus yesterday another record high. The cases have gone parabolic in Australia and will hopefully quickly peak-out.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/2621, at 4:30 AM EST: South Africa reports 14.8K daily new cases with the chart dropping nicely. Eswatini and Zimbabwe daily cases are coming down nicely as well forming the coveted skinny inverted V pattern that is the signature chart pattern for the Omicron variant. Mozambique cases drop to 898 so its peak for the top of the inverted V may be the 2.8K cases on Friday. Zambia cases come off the top. Ditto Malawi. Ethiopia and Kenya report record cases levels. Uganda infections ramp higher. The infection wave moves north from South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe to Mozambique and Zambia, that now may have peaked, and then onto Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya. The news is good with deaths remaining low and the omicron infection wave is a fast moving bugger. Angola, on the western side of lower Africa, also reports a drop in cases so fingers are crossed that the peak was Friday.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/2621, at 11:00 AM EST: Three members of the South Korea boy band, BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, test positive for COVID-19; Suga, RM and Jin. The boy band, known for its music labeled K-pop, is vaccinated so it is more breakthrough cases to add to the pile. South Korea remains in covid Hell but the daily cases may be peaking. Continuing with the music theme, back in the States east of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a heart surgeon, Dr Culig, plays violin to keep sprits high for staff and covid patients. Strings sooth souls. Fauci is attracted to the television cameras of the Sunday morning political talk shows like a moth to a flame and the day after Christmas is no different. In an ABC This Week (democrat media) interview, Fauci is asked about the testing debacle and he opines that "We've obviously got to do better." Ya think? Lord Fauci proclaims, "We should be using testing much more extensive." Yes, and you are supposedly in charge, idiot. It is comical. The so-called expert that is supposed to be leading is sitting back and watching things and then decreeing what needs done; it is a glaring example of poor of leadership. Inept leaders always say 'we' when they want to spread blame and not take responsibility and 'I' when they jump in to take credit for things they should not. The discussion is more of the same-o, same-o. Omicron is highly contagious. He says there are less hospitalizations and deaths with omicron than other variants. Fauci rambles on using ten-dollar college words diminution is always one of his faves. He remains in favor of passengers wearing masks on airline flights. Fauci leans in favor of vaccine mandates for airline travel since he believes it is another way to get (force) people to kneel and take the shots. Fauci comments on Trump who is touting vaccines for the first time in a couple of interviews saying, "I hope he keeps it up." Some of Trump's hardline base supporters are not in favor of the vaccines and are not happy with Trump's new stance on vaccines. In the Candace Owens interview mentioned above with the former president, afterwards, she said Trump's stance on vaccines is because he is old and does not know how to find sources of information to study and research. Ouch. Owens, not a fan of vaccines, says that Trump only watches the major news channels which is probably true. King Donnie wanted to be seen with a sister (black female) to boost his street cred with that voting demographic but he has yet to have his Sister Souljah moment.
Note Added Sunday Evening, 12/2621: Travelers are irate in airports and on cruise ships. The Christmas weekend did not turn out as they planned. The covid outbreaks on the cruise liners are kept quiet and accurate infection counts are not yet public only adding to customer dissatisfaction and unhappiness. It is reminiscent of 2020 when the cruise ships were called "petri dishes" and "covid laboratories." A cruise ship traveler complains that covid protocols were not enforced with folks walking around maskless in all settings and the swimming pools packed with people on top of each other. People will fly no matter what but the cruise liners shot themselves in the foot with the current mess.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/27/21, at 4:30 AM EST: World cases are coming down, great news although this may be due to erratic end of year data reporting. South Africa reports only 5.6K daily new cases fantastic news not seen since the last day of November when the parabolic spike began that shot into the 38K daily cases peak on 12/12/21. Let's say South Africa's spike started on 11/29/21 at 2.3K daily new cases, then the peak at 38K, now the drop to 5.6K on 12/26/21. Thus, when the omicron wave takes off, the daily new cases spike higher like wildfire for 13 days to the peak, then 14 days later the cases are back down to low levels. It is a symmetrical wave pattern. Eswatini reports only 62 daily cases yesterday an uber low number following the South Africa lead. Eswatini got infected from the nearby Gauteng (Pretoria and Johannesburg) epicenter of South Africa and cases rocket-launched from 12/1/21. Thus, Eswatini's daily cases chart for the omicron wave is up for about 15 days, peaks on 12/16/21, then down for 10 days to the low 12/26/21. Eswatini's wave was faster on the downside. Zimbabwe is another initial omicron case study and may actually be where the variant started (based on charts). Zimbabwe jumped higher in daily cases in 5 to 11 days (data choppy), peak, and then down for 8 to 16 days. Averaging the 3 data sets, and sprinkling on some magic dust, forecasts that the omicron wave is 14 days up like a rocket and then 14 days back down just as fast. The Omicron variant wave is two weeks up, two weeks down. Zimbabwe is an outlier with its up wave occurring superfast in only a handful of days. The modeling can be applied to other countries but there is a fly in the covid ointment; the holidays. Cases in Western nations that celebrate Christmas will escalate in the 12/29/21 through 1/14/22 period due to the hugging, kissing and parties. Last year the US peaked with wave 3 on 1/8/21 so similar behavior would be expected this year.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/27/21, at 4:30 AM EST: The UK data is stalled due to the holidays with the peak in daily cases standing at 122K on 12/24/21, for now. UK cases took off on 12/12/21 when the daily cases were already elevated at 48K cases per day. If this portion is allocated to the omicron spike, the UK daily cases are jumping higher for 12 days. The UK is likely near a peak in daily cases but, as mentioned, the holiday celebrations will add to the cases and may extend the top. Israeli Prime Minister Bennett is in isolation after his daughter tests positive for COVID-19 as well as a staff member. Bennett is testing negative thus far. Israel is considering a second booster (4th shot) for the entire population. Spain joins Italy with an outdoor mask rule. Australia cases remain elevated above 9.4K per day for 2 days running. China is disinfecting Xi'an as millions of Chinese remain in lockdown in the region.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/27/21, at 5:30 AM EST: Vaccines for children may be delayed until well into 2022. Tell us why. They won't. Instead, Americans will be told to shut up and take the jabs breeding more mistrust. The college football bowl game cancellations continue with the Military Bowl and Fenway Bowl the latest covid victims joining the Hawaii Bowl on the sidelines. New York subways and trains will run slow all week long due to staffing shortages. COVID-19 is blamed while ignoring the tens of thousands of employees lost due to the bonehead vaccine mandates. The unvaccinated folks are ready, willing and able to work but stupid leaders would rather complain about their workloads than help solve the problem they created. The CDC isolation period that changed from 10 days to 7 days, and also 5 days in crisis situations, is causing confusion. Everything does from the CDC. Humorously, if a family becomes sick with COVID-19, and two members of the family work at different hospitals (some use the 5-day isolation period while others use 7 days), there will be three different isolation periods at play under the same roof; one person will isolate for 5 days, another for 7 days and the rest of the family for 10 days. Lord Fauci, Queen Walensky and Minstrel Murthy, the guy with the fancy hat, are standing outside on the sidewalk proclaiming to America that this is science. People are confused over how many days to isolate, what tests to use for what purpose, does the isolation period apply to both positive and negative tests, how does a booster shot figure into the isolation period; the testing and isolation period messaging is another pandemic mess. The only reason the isolation period is reduced is because too many essential workers (doctors, nurses, medics, fire fighters, police, etc..) are testing positive. The science changes when the staffing level changes. It's a joke. The pandemic chaos and confusion is never-ending. Everybody is in charge but no one is in charge.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/27/21, at 6:00 AM EST: The US reports 96K daily new cases. It is nice to see a sub 100K number but the data may be erratic in the days ahead due to the holiday. A big increase in cases would be expected to start ramping up in a few days. 131 Americans did not receive their Christmas wishes instead dying on the Holy Day, or maybe they did. New York reports 36.5K daily new cases for Sunday off the 45K peak on Christmas Eve. New Jersey cases also come off the top but as stated, US infections are going to rise due to all the holiday hugs. Blame the mistletoe and all you pretty ladies.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/27/21, at 8:00 AM EST: The cruise line companies sink in pre-market trading on Wall Street. RCL (Royal Caribbean), CCL (Carnival) and NCLH (Norwegian Cruise Line) are down -3% each. Airlines nosedive. DAL (Delta), AAL (American) and LUV (Southwest) drop -2% each. 700 US flights are cancelled today. There are 2,000 flights around the world cancelled or delayed; the large airports are a mess. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Lord Fauci appears on CNN (democrat media) with the same-o talking points and using the words "hope" and "hopefully" a lot. You do not want a person asking for hope to be in charge of anything. Hope is not a strategy. Fauci recommends that people avoid big New Year's party celebrations. What a stiff. He is probably mad that no one invited him to a party. Pfizer says the new anti-viral oral pill may not be a choice for people on medications. This is bad news for most people since the majority of society are pill-popper's nowadays, but great news for unvaccinated folks in good health that do not take any prescriptions drugs; they will be ideal candidates for the limited supplies of Pfizer oral pills during the next 6 weeks. The Whitehouse says President Biden will join the COVID-19 Response Team press conference this morning at 11:30 AM EST. They will have to tell America how they plan to solve the shortage of test kits debacle and the travel mess. The president just asked the maid if she saw his hat. Biden and the gang better bring some meat and potatoes to the pandemic game today because people are losing confidence. Folks are simple and only want to know one thing; how do I protect myself and my family from the virus. They want to confirm that they are doing the right thing not listen to a bunch of Harvard talk. People need simple direct information about testing, vaccines and layers of protection not excuses or camera-hungry egotists using Ivy League words to describe the pandemic.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/27/21, at 9:00 AM EST: Airline executives ask the CDC to lower the days of isolation from 10 to 5 for the pilots so they can get back to work faster (if testing negative). Businesses are jumping on the reduced isolation period bandwagon since science does not matter, only staffing levels, and of course greedy money. Hey airline *ssholes, ditch the stupid vaccine mandate garbage so tens of thousands of airline pilots, attendants and staff can return to work. Humorously, some of the folks stranded at the airports this holiday weekend are the vaccine zealots that wanted vaccine mandates and workers to be fired if they did not kneel and take the shots. Karma educates the stupid. South Africa Archbishop Desmond Tutu dies at 90 years old. Over 50 news reports and not one of them state the cause of death. Considering the omicron outbreak, it was likely COVID-19. Tutu was vaccinated but almost 8 months ago and if he was not boosted, he was very susceptible to catching covid. Perhaps the story is muzzled since South Africa already has enough covid bad press for being the omicron epicenter (Botswana and South Africa but do not rule out Zimbabwe as involved with the conception of omicron).
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/27/21, at 10:00 AM EST: Major cities around the globe are cancelling or toning-down the New Year's celebrations including London, Edinburgh, Athens, Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris, Rome and New Delhi. Many US cities plan to have fireworks but not much else. New York City lame duck Mayor de Blasio, that is almost out the door, says the Times Square celebration will go on, but whittling the party down to 15K people. To get an idea of the difference to past years, an average Times Square New Year's draws in from 200K to 400K people. The funny part is it will be 15K people and 30K cops. If he keeps whittling-down the attendance, by the time New Year's rolls around, the only people permitted to the party will be de Blasio and his family. NYC should add spike protein decorations to the crystal ball so it looks like a coronavirus particle when it descends ringing in 2022. It's only appropriate since the US is again swimming in the deep end of the covid pool to begin the new year.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/27/21, at 11:30 AM EST: The COVID-19 briefing begins with President Biden, CDC Director Walensky, Spokesman Zients and Dr Fauci sitting at desks, spaced apart, directed towards a 5 by 5 layout of computer screens on the wall. 25 ugly political mugs appear on these 25 computer screens on the wall each pledging to do more with testing. President Biden talks about testing and the long lines and says pop-up sites are coming to alleviate the lines. Didn't he say that a week ago? It's the same speech as the other day. "This is not like 2020." He says the Defense Production Act is now being used to manufacture more tests but "it's not enough, it's clearly not enough, if I'd, if we had known, we would've gone harder-quicker, if we could've of." Weak leaders say 'we' when things are not going well and 'I' when they step in to claim credit for something they did not do. Sleepy Joe slurs his words and is missing some steps as a politician because he first says "if I had known" but quickly goes to "if we had known" so there is group blame. Isn't the crony capitalism system sickening? He is using the 'coulda, woulda, shoulda' excuse, also known as American mediocrity. Biden proclaims, "We're prepared," a stupid statement when people are waiting 5 hours in line for a test. Biden says there is no "federal solution" to the pandemic; instead it will have to occur on the state level. Say what? Biden was elected because he said the federal government was going to stamp out the pandemic. King Donnie Trump was criticized for throwing the onus on the states. Now Biden is wiping his hands of the mess and tossing it to the individual states to fix. Not good. Biden's stupid vaccine mandate is on the federal level. Sleepy Joe is confused. The messaging is all over the map. Here we go with the vax talk. "We still have 10's of millions of unvaccinated people." Can't he give it a rest? Biden is the one-trick vaccination pony. He keeps saying he did not see it (the testing problem, variants and omicron) coming. Of course he didn't. Sleepy Joe can't see the teleprompter! The only thing that will make a person standing in line for 5 hours at a testing site happy, is to speed up the line. Words and promises are hollow if not accompanied by pallets of test kits.
Note Added Monday Evening, 12/27/21: The CDC reduces the isolation period for people infected with COVID-19 from 10 days down to 5 days. If asymptomatic or if the symptoms are receding, the person can use the 5-day isolation period and then use a mask for 5 days afterwards. For folks with a booster shot, or within 6 months of the initial 2-shot mRNA series, no quarantine period is required. Most Americans are not going to follow this complexity. The relaxed guidelines occur in the middle of the omicron surge. Oy vey. Healthcare giver's are at wit's end with the new guidelines and baffled. The CDC says wear a mask but what kind of mask? Doctors are calling cloth masks a face decoration (they do not provide protection). There is no distinction between a vaccinated or unvaccinated person in the new guidelines. Do the bozo's actually think Americans are following all these jukes and jives in messaging? People are not paying attention anymore as the omicron cases surge higher. The science changes because the need for workers changes. That's funny. Fauci backpedals on his comments about the possibly of requiring vaccine mandates in airplanes. Of course he does. Lord Fauci changes his statements more often that a teenage girl changes her outfit. King Fauci decrees, "It's on the table (vaccine mandate on airplanes), but that doesn't mean it's going to happen. I doubt we're going to see something like that in the reasonably foreseeable future."
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 12/28/21, at 2:00 AM EST: Cases drop to 3.8K per day in South Africa more good news indicating that the omicron wave may have run its course. Omicron hits hard and fast and then disappears just as fast; like a beautiful woman. 2 weeks up and 2 weeks down. Eswatini and Zimbabwe are in good shape, too. Mozambique and Zambia have probably peaked-out. Cases are retreating in Ethiopia and Kenya which is good news. Cases are still rising in Uganda. The omicron wave quickly travels through Africa. Angola had a wicked spike in cases on Friday but may be starting to retreat. Cases are down nicely in Nigeria.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 12/28/21, at 2:30 AM EST: Oh no. Israel is getting hit with the omicron wave with daily new cases popping higher over 3K per day and likely going into a parabolic phase. Israel is studying the effects of the second booster shot (4th shot). Prime Minister Bennett is worried about the omicron breakout and proclaims that Israel is heading towards a "storm of contagion." In only a handful of days, Israel's daily cases chart is spiking to the moon. For estimating purposes, let's say the spike in cases is starting on 12/15/21. The omicron chart pattern is 2 weeks up, peak, then 2 weeks down (by early indications from southern African nations). Thus, Israel will likely see an explosion higher in daily cases into a peak on or about 12/29/21, then a drop-off. Thus, there is a good chance that Israel will peak-out with its new omicron wave in the days ahead but the case counts are going to skyrocket before the top occurs. The UK reports 99K daily cases coming off the peak for 3 days running, however, there may be a resurgence of cases due to the holiday parties. China reports the highest number of cases in the Xi'an region since the initial outbreak in Wuhan 2 years ago. China follows the zero-covid strategy requiring non-stop testing in Xi'an with 13 million residents remaining in lockdown. China is obviously worried about the Olympics starting on 2/4/22.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 12/28/21, at 3:00 AM EST: The US reports 229K daily new cases continuing to come off the top at 298K cases on Friday for 3 days. US wave 6 came about because of waning vaccine efficacy. Wave 5 was the delta wave that was on its way out but once America hit the September to November period the vaccines were not helping the folks inoculated between December 2020 and May 2021 (as the peanut gallery yells that the vaccines prevent death) creating wave 6. The Omicron variant raises its ugly head and supercharges wave 6. If the omicron spike in daily cases takes off in the US on 12/13/21, using the 2 weeks up and 2 weeks down guideline, is a peak on 12/27/21, yesterday. So the behavior of the chart is actually as expected roughly following the African examples, however, Americans have been partying. The incubation period for COVID-19 is the 4 to 10 day range some say 4 to 14 days. Keystone has found 8 days to be a sweet spot where a substantive pop in daily cases should occur after a superspreader event, a la Christmas. Thus, adding 8 days to 12/25/21 is 1/2/22. So despite the positivity of the US daily cases chart coming down for 3 days, there will likely be another spike higher with a peak likely on tap during the second week of January. The 7-day MA trend line for US daily cases is 244K cases per day. Oh my. As testing increases, the case numbers will increase. There are over 11.7 million active cases in the United States mightily straining the healthcare system. Long-covid patients require extended care and people have put off regular care which worsens their health requiring sudden action. 823 Americans die yesterday. 1,300 US airline flights were cancelled yesterday and 600 are already nixed today. The pandemic remains a chaotic and confusing mess.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 12/28/21, at 3:30 AM EST: Dr Peter McCullough is interviewed on the Coast to Coast AM talk radio show hosted by George Noory. McCullough and other colleagues are in the trenches for the last 2 years treating COVID-19 patients directly. The interview is enlightening and provides plenty of information to discuss with doctors and healthcare givers as American family's chart a path forward through the never-ending pandemic. McCullough says omicron has broken through the vaccines and natural immunity and is becoming the dominant variant in the US. The virus multiplies extremely fast so the Delta variant cannot keep up. According to data from Denmark, South Africa and the CDC, OVER 70% OF OMICRON PATIENTS ARE FULLY VACCINATED, a jaw-dropping statistic. The CDC reported this on 12/10/21 but the American public does not hear it on television (because vaccinations are pushed as the only solution to the pandemic). Another important statistic is that 85% OF CORONAVIRUS TRANSMISSION OCCURS IN THE HOME. The average age of coronavirus deaths is 83 years old driving home the point that the elderly were killed off by the virus (is this why China is playing around with deadly viruses?; to alleviate their aging population problem?). McCullough says the vaccines came out too fast and are too broad. He discusses how he is sniped at on the internet or on television, from afar, but doctors and scientists will not agree to debate him on the COVID-19 pandemic. He says all collegiality in medicine is gone. No one is willing to sit down and logically discuss the data (because the conclusions do not necessarily match the political narratives espoused on television). McCullough says the spike protein was altered and the NIH and Wuhan Labs have been jointly conducting these experiments for many years. He says in September 2021, the vaccines lost a lot of efficacy (as Keystone discovered in the charts and data over the last month). At 6 months, the J&J vaccine is below 20% effective, Pfizer below 50% effective and Moderna below 70% effective. McCullough proclaims, "We effectively have an unvaccinated population at this point." Mother Nature may be providing protection as lots of omicron cases are mild and only presenting as a sniffle. He stresses preventive and early treatments. HCQ was used as a first line of defense by many nations around the world, and by some doctors in the United States, but most have moved on to ivermectin and next will move on to the Pfizer oral pill. Ivermectin has gone through 60 clinical studies around the world. HCQ and ivermectin are preventive and early treatments. McCullough refers folks to several websites to find more information on COVID-19 treatments and therapies that can be discussed with your doctor. The websites are; TruthforHealth.org, Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and The McCollough Report. Americans want to hear useful information from doctors in the trenches every day rather than the never-ending mantra from television pundits to get vaccinated. He says all 3 vaccines cause blood clots. The spike proteins circulate in the body for 30 to 40 days leading to blood clots. McCullough comments on the VAERS vaccine adverse reaction website where over 10K deaths are reported after taking the vaccines (remember, this data is not verified it is a general reporting system). McCullough says an associate that is deep in the weeds with this data believes that 178K Americans died from the vaccines out of the over 200 million that received the shots obviously a high and unacceptable number. The American people should be receiving detailed monthly reports on the safety of the vaccines but all that is heard is crickets. Pfizer and the FDA want to keep the data under wraps until 2078. That's ridiculous; Americans should see the data now. It is the lack of transparency that creates conspiracy theories. Duh. McCullough endorses the use of zinc, vitamin D-3, vitamin C, turmeric and other treatments. McCullough makes an interesting point that hospitals are always bragging that 'we are the best heart specialists', or 'we are the best at treating cancer', and so forth, but not one hospital claims to be the best at handling COVID-19. Why not? Where is the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns-Hopkins, all these bigtime organizations? None of their so-called experts are stepping up to say we are the best at handling covid? Why not? Maybe they realize they suck and spend their time playing the political games instead of getting their hands dirty, honoring their medical profession, and providing useful advice for common folks. Dr McCullough testified before Congress in November 2020 and will appear again on 1/24/21 to provide coronavirus information to lawmakers. He suggests four pillars of pandemic response; prevention, early treatment, hospitalization and vaccination. He says both presidents, Trump and Biden, have displayed their incompetence at handling the pandemic. The medical profession is ugly these days because if you do not tout the accepted narrative, people attack you on social media, sites are banned and threats are made that medical licenses will be revoked. Welcome to America. The doctor stresses that every statement he has made about the pandemic is backed-up by data and facts and this information is public knowledge. He says monoclonal antibodies are safe and effective and were actually developed before the vaccines. The Regeneron treatment has been a work horse but omicron will be tackled with the GlaxoSmithKline mAb treatment. McCullough says for the first strains of virus through the Delta variant, people do not contract COVID-19 a second time. However, both vaccinated and the unvaccinated with natural immunity can contract COVID-19 a second time with omicron. He says odds of another variant occurring are high. Vaccines may be prompting the emergence of the variants but the unvaccinated are always blamed. Doctor McCullough is concerned over the long-term effects of the vaccines. The FDA considers the vaccines a gene-transfer technology. It is typical to study this type of vaccine for 5 years but the process was reduced to 2 months during Trump's Warp Speed project. That's scary. The mRNA may circulate in a body for 15 months so the spike protein, that keeps getting loaded into human bodies with each injection, may lead to future health issues such as blood clots. He says the boosters have lost their effectiveness so the vaccines should be placed on hold. The doctor thinks it may take 5 years for the pandemic to run its course in part due to the vaccines. McCullough says the nose is key; this is where the COVID-19 infection multiplies. He says Big Pharma should be placing some of their profits into a vaccine safety and injury fund that should be performing ongoing research. Preventive and early treatments should be stressed more instead of the vaccination-only mantra. People have to do their homework and talk with their doctors and medical advisers to come up with the best covid plan for themselves and their family.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 12/28/21, at 11:30 AM EST: The CDC revises the omicron numbers. The sequence thus far was that 3% of the cases during the end of November and start of December were omicron, followed by 13% for the second week of the month, and the big 73% jump for the third week of December. At that trajectory, the United States should be at 100% now, right? Wrong, The CDC is using its eraser, that is why it writes data in pencil rather than pen, and says whoopsies, daisies, that 73% number is really 23%. Maybe the 2 and 7 looked similar? Last week, 59% of the cases are omicron. Thus, the latest sequence from the CDC for the last 4 weeks for the percentage of COVID-19 cases that are omicron are 3%, 13%, 23%, and 59%. Is the 59% going to be revised next week? Probably. Many US state charts do not yet show an omicron pop so it was odd for the CDC to be touting the 73% number a week ago and as it turns out, the number was fantasyland. The omicron cases increase by 36 percentage-points (23% to 59%) last week so this week should be 95% or more to prove that omicron is still spreading. Anything below 95% for this week, which will be announced next week, would indicate that omicron cases are decreasing in relation to delta cases.
Note Added Tuesday Afternoon, 12/28/21: Actor Hugh Jackman, all the ladies will know who he is, tests positive for COVID-19 so the Broadway show "Music Man" is cancelled temporarily. Yes, another breakthrough case. When he returns, there will be 76 trombones in the big parade, with a 110 cornets close at hand, he will be followed by rows and rows of the finest virtuosos, the cream of every famous band.
Note Added Tuesday Evening, 12/28/21: The FDA is investigating the reliability of the at-home antigen tests. The tests are less able to detect COVID-19 as the days of the illness progresses (less sensitive) and most likely to provide a false negative. Neighbor Harry, that has a cough, high temperature and does not feel well, receives a negative test. He celebrates by hugging and kissing his family, Emma the mail lady, taking the bus into town to tell the boss and coworkers, and then stopping at the AMVETS Club to have a beer with the boys. The next morning, however, Harry takes another rapid test but his heart sinks when he sees that the test is positive. The FDA suggests that it may be best to try 2 tests on 2 different days. People do not have the money to throw away on tests. Many people of modest means will work if they think they can get through the day, and call off sick if they feel they cannot get through the day; it is this simple when you need money to live. Fauci defends the decision to reduce the isolation time from 10 days to 5 days saying it is a balance between keeping the economy going and protecting health. That's fine, but don't call it science. The fear porn and scare tactics continue on two fronts. Parents are being told that children are being admitted to the hospital (but it is low numbers) to encourage them to get their kids jabbed and, the push for vaccinations and booster shots continue. The illness among kids is mild. The children in ICU's have comorbidities and other illnesses. People are told to get protection against omicron with a booster shot but the variant is penetrating the booster. Americans are catching on to the fact that the initial 2-shot mRNA vaccines only last 3 to 6 months and then the booster jab only lasts 8 to 10 weeks. Israel is investigating the booster-booster (4th shot) currently. One expert says within only one or two more iterations of variants, the vaccines may not be of much use.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/29/21, at 3:00 AM EST: Oh my. What a sight. The world's daily new cases explodes higher into the stratosphere at 1.22 million cases. After 2 years of the pandemic, the world is at the worst place in respect to daily cases. Omicron is infecting the planet at a fast pace with the 7-day MA trend line parabolic at 938K cases per day. On the plus side, deaths trail lower and have been in a downtrend ever since the wave 3 top in January almost one year ago. The 7-day MA trend line for world deaths is down to 6K deaths per day on the dot. Even though cases are rising to the moon, earthlings are realizing that the hospitalizations and deaths are not as bad, so many are choosing to live life again instead of hiding under the bed. 6,003 world deaths per day is the lowest trend in deaths since 10/25/20; that is 14 months ago! Celebrate! Celebrate! Dance to the music! Omicron may be the last hurrah for this once in a century pandemic. Oh no. The celebration is over. The UK reports over 129K daily new cases the most ever and crosses the 148K deaths grim milestone. Fortunately, deaths in the near term remain subdued as cases soar, with 143 Brit's dying yesterday. Turkey reports over 32K daily new cases a big pop higher so omicron has arrived. Deaths are spiking higher in unison. There is no joyous yelling of, "Opa!" in Greek restaurants today as cases shoot higher like a rocket to 22K per day a massive caseload in a blink of the eye almost 4 times prior high caseloads. Greece hospitals will be busy over the next month. Greece is kicked with the back of Italy's boot; omicron infections hit Greece and Turkey traveling across the Mediterranean Sea from west to east. Bulgaria is okay, for now, so the infections are hitting the two coastal nations. Serbia sees a bump higher in cases which signals trouble. Denmark reports over 15K daily new cases the most ever. Sweden's cases are over 6K and increasing the highest since May. France reports a record 180K cases a huge spike into the stratosphere. Ditto Italy at over 78K cases per day. Ditto Spain at 100K cases per day. Ditto Portugal over 17K cases per day. Western Europe is a mess. Germany is not yet seeing a rise in cases due to to omicron, but restrictions remain in place, so protesters take to the streets. The African nations are working through the fast omicron wave. First in, first out. China continues dealing with the Xi'an outbreak increasing the covid restrictions in addition to the strict draconian lockdowns. In Xi'an, a family member was allowed to leave home to go to the grocery store every other day but now that rule is being stiffened. If you live in a communist nation, you live in a jail cell. China hangs on to the zero-covid policy as the Xi'an cases exceed 150 per day for 2 days running (the numbers are higher since China lies). The Chinese people have no choice but to do what the CCP tells them to do.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/29/21, at 3:30 AM EST: Oh no. The US REPORTS 313K DAILY NEW CASES THE MOST EVER an unwelcome palindrome. 1.8K Americans die yesterday. The party's over. The US reports 12 million active covid cases the most ever. New York reports 43.1K daily new cases below the 44.8K cases peak on 12/24/21. Even though the number is high it is a good sign that the numbers may be peaking. The US, however, is hit with the holiday whammy and the infections would be expected to increase today through the first week of January (4 to 10 day incubation period after the Xmas superspreader event with 8 days a sweet spot for the most cases) with a big day of cases occurring on 1/2/22. Thus, New York likely has another high in cases coming in the days ahead. If the cases keep subsiding in New York state, that would be fantastic news, but do not hold your breath. Cases are also down in New Jersey but the same headache occurs where the Xmas cases may pop in the days ahead. Both New York and New Jersey are following the Africa omicron pattern with a fast up and fast down; 2 weeks up, 2 weeks down, but the Christmas infections will probably extend the tops by a week or two. Same dealio for Florida. Ditto Texas and California. It is easy to see why US cases catapult above the 313K palindrome. The most populated states of New York, Florida, Texas and California are all hit with omicron. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Virginia and Delaware are also in the same boat with omicron cases likely peaking, but the holidays are going to create additional infections in the coming days. Kentucky, the Bluegrass State, reports a big 4.3K pop in daily cases the most in almost 3 months likely getting smacked with the omicron bug.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/29/21, at 4:00 AM EST: Each day another 1,000 flights are cancelled around the world. The airlines and hospital keep complaining about staff shortages they created by screwing employees that did not want vaccinated. Dr David Ho at Columbia University says reinfections are a worry and the omicron variant can evade immune protection from vaccines, natural antibodies and monoclonal antibodies (Regeneron and Eli Lilly; the GlaxoSmithKline mAb treatment actually looks good against omicron). New Jersey democrat Governor Murphy shames himself taking his family on an 8-day Costa Rica vacation (the State Department tells Americans to not travel to Costa Rica) as the state's cases skyrocket to the worst levels ever. It is sickening. Worse, CDC Director Walensky and NIAID Director Fauci are telling people to pare back their travel plans. The elite noble class in America decrees rules for the peons that they never intend to follow themselves. Such behavior can destroy a country. Rules for thee, not for me. Do as I say, not as I do. Hypocrisy blossoms in the waning days of the rigged crony capitalism system.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/29/21, at 8:00 AM EST: CDC Director Walensky defends the reduction in the covid isolation period from 10 days to 5 days. She jumps around to a bunch of different excuses so the topic remains confusing. "It (the reduction in the isolation days) had a lot to do with, um, what we thought people could tolerate." What kind of science is that? What a mess. A rapid test is not required for people at the 5-day isolation mark but Walensky says it would be good to have a test. Is the CDC not requiring a test after the 5 days of isolation based on the data or is it because the tests are not available? Stop laughing. This is science; more like science fiction. People cannot follow the confusing messages. If they get sick, when they feel better, they will simply resume life like when they had the cold or the flu. People have bigger things to worry about these days like paying the bills and many do not even have the spare cash to buy tests.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/29/21, at 11:00 AM EST: The Whitehouse COVID-19 Response Team provides an update on testing and vaccinations but the messaging only becomes more confusing. Walensky says people are most infected and contagious 2 or 3 days before symptoms appear and 2 or 3 days after. She talks about isolation versus quarantine (most folks think these are the same thing but quarantine is for people exposed to COVID-19 and isolation is for people that are sick with the virus) and reads off a bunch of rules, if this, then this, but, if this occurs, do this but only if, the eyes gloss over, minds wander, Keystone is wondering what's for lunch. Fauci and Zients provide presentations. Fauic talks about experiments with mice, hamsters and non-primate animals that indicate omicron is less severe an illness. Fauci loves his animal studies. At the New Year's Eve party, don't let him feed Fido, Bella or Max any table scraps. Walensky says the severe covid cases are in unvaccinated people. A journalist asks the panel about what is being done concerning the death threats occurring against the doctors and other people managing the pandemic. The authorities are looking into threats. People must realize that if you say something stupid (a threat), a couple of guys in dark suits will knock on your door and talk to you for a couple hours (to make sure you are not a nutcase). If you shoot your mouth off and threaten someone, you will likely do a little time in the county lockup. Fauci clarifies his New Year's Eve party guidelines saying everyone should be vaccinated and boosted that gathers. That sounds like a bunch of stiffs at that party. Fauci the Grinch says do not go to a party of 40 or 50 people. He is probably mad because he is not invited to any parties. Come on folks, join Keystone at Party Town. Flight attendants and other workers are unhappy with the new CDC 5-day isolation guideline since they may be forced to go back to work before they recover. Good on Zients, Walensky and Fauci to provide information but the format and presentation, and topics, may not be of much help to the average American. People need a simple list, or a flow chart would work, directly telling them if sick, do one, two, three. If a rapid test is positive, do this, if the test is negative, do this. Write the instructions as if you are talking to a 5th-grader (child about 11 years old). If the 11-year old child can understand the instructions, you will reach the maximum amount of Americans with the messages (author's know this stuff). As the turmoil in America continues, President Biden and First Lady Jill are strolling on the beach with their dog; probably looking for an ice cream stand. Sleepy Joe likes chocolate. Maybe they have sprinkle toppings.
Note Added Wednesday Afternoon, 12/29/21: Over 6,000 US flights are cancelled since Christmas Eve; 1K per day. That creates a lot of unhappy passengers. Interestingly, many are vaccine zealots that want their jet-set lives back and are happy to see workers lose their jobs if they refuse to take the jab. Karma. How's that vaccine mandate garbage working out, airline *ssholes? The isolation period is reduced to 5 days, based on staffing rather than science, and airline management is telling the pilots and flight attendants to work harder, even if sick, because they screwed thousands of workers out of their jobs due to the stupid vaccine mandate. Payback's a bitch. Vaccine mandates create unhappy, disgruntled employees, negative attitudes and bad moral which leads to productivity losses, employee theft even sabotage. Reap what ye sow, dumbies.
Note Added Wednesday Evening, 12/29/21: The change in the isolation period from 10 to 5 days and the testing mess is creating ongoing chaos and confusion. The reliability of the rapid-tests are questioned which only makes the pandemic mess worse. President Biden is talking about vaccine mandates for air travel. It is craziness. Biden is more incompetent at handling the pandemic than Trump. The president has blood on his hands due to the lack of providing adequate monoclonal antibody treatments to US citizens. For many of you that have lost loved ones, some of the deaths were unnecessary and could have been avoided if mAb treatments were provided. How does that make you feel? Biden continues to blindly promote vaccines while denigrating and ignoring all other treatments and therapies a disastrous strategy with terrible results. US COVID-19 cases are the highest ever. The Regeneron and Eli Lilly mAb treatments may not be that effective against omicron, like the vaccines, but the GlaxoSmithKline monoclonal antibody treatments show success. Hey Whitehouse, tell GSK to crank the stuff out 24/7. Are you that stupid where you cannot take care of this one simple task?
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/30/21, at 2:00 AM EST: The world reports the highest case numbers of the pandemic. There are OVER 1.6 MILLION DAILY NEW CASES YESTERDAY with the 7-day MA in the parabolic phase at 1.1 million cases per day. As mentioned yesterday, while the cases skyrocket out of control, the WORLD'S 7-DAY MA FOR DEATHS DROPS LOWER GOING SUB 6K TO 5,976 DEATHS PER DAY NOT SEEN SINCE OCTOBER 2020. Great news for the planet. On this rock called Earth, there are 7,670,000,000 people and 6,000 are dying per day from the China Virus. Does that seem like a lot to you or does it seem small? South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho and Zimbabwe are in good shape with the omicron wave playing out. Mozambique and Zambia looked hopeful but they report another peak high in cases; they should peak-out any day. Malawi, Kenya and Ethiopia are in the thick of the omicron wave but will likely peak-out any day forward. Uganda reports another rise in cases. Namibia is running through its omicron cycle and Angola may have also peaked, if not, it will any day forward. The fast-moving Omicron variant infection wave moves from southern to northern Africa. The UK reports over 183K daily new cases another record. Western nations are hit with the omicron and holiday double-whammy. The UK omicron wave is in position to peak right now, but there may be a few more days of elevated cases due to the holiday parties. Hospitalizations and deaths remain in check despite the wild rise in cases. Omicron accounts for 90% of the cases in the UK. France reports over 208K daily new cases the most ever and most for any European nation during the pandemic. Sacrebleu! France deaths are trending higher but at a slow pace at 180 deaths per day. Italy reports 98K daily new cases another record. Deaths trend higher now at 142K per day. France has twice the cases of Italy but more Italians are dying per capita per day than the French. Perhaps it is due to too much pasta? Spain reports 101K daily new cases, over 100K, and deaths edge slightly higher at a pace of 56 deaths per day. Spain lowers its isolation days from 10 to 7 as they report the highest cases ever. Huh? The change in isolation days may be based on science but it is best described as 'political science'. Workers are out sick all around the world so companies are scrambling to keep the doors open even if it means sending people back to work that may not be fully recovered. Staffing levels overrule science. Europeans are panicking about the drastic rise in cases. Oh no. Portugal reports 27K daily new cases a huge spike higher the most ever. Turkey is a dead duck with 37K cases yesterday the most since April. Canada cases are skyrocketing to the moon but may peak-out any day forward. South Korea finally shows hope with the worst of the infections in the rearview mirror. Vietnam has also peaked but it still has a few weeks of tough sledding ahead. As Vietnam improves, the global inflation picture will improve since the factories will reopen and production will increase. Vietnam is a key manufacturing hub for Western nations since workers can be paid slave wages (in their economy, however, it affords them a better standard of living; everything is relative in life). Nearly 90 cruise ships around the world are dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks. Fear not, the CDC is investigating. Every crew member and passenger on these ships are vaccinated; it is breakthrough cases galore. Omicron is spreading like wildfire around the world. WHO Director Dr Tedros proclaims, "Delta and omicron are on twin tracks" and "it will lead to a tsunami of cases."
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/30/21, at 3:00 AM EST: Dear Lord. The US REPORTS 466K DAILY NEW CASES A NEW RECORD. There are 12.4 million active COVID-19 cases in the United States another record sending the hospital system into a tailspin. 1.8 Americans die yesterday. Americans cannot find tests so they are showing up in hospital emergency departments further taxing the limited resources. Sleepy Joe Biden proves each day that he is as incompetent as King Donnie Trump in handling the pandemic. Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber. In New York City, a worker with a push broom, sweeping the area used to prepare the lighted crystal ball for the Times Square drop, swings around too fast breaking a dozen bulbs. New York State reports over 67K daily new cases a huge number the most ever. The lame-duck moron mayor of New York City is telling people to come to Times Square for a superspreader event (vaccinated people get sick and transmit the virus) at the peak of the pandemic. It will be de Blasio's legacy. American excellence deteriorated into American mediocrity that now decays further into American incompetence. 175 New Yorker's die yesterday the most since February. The 7-day MA for New York State deaths has an upward bias at 71 deaths per day. Whoa. New Jersey reports 26.5K daily new cases a big spike higher the most ever and deaths are starting to develop an upward bias. Florida is in the same boat with a record-setting 47K daily new cases. There are lots of elderly folks retired in Florida now huddled indoors, pulling back the drapes, peering out the living room window, wondering what the future holds. Florida deaths remain at nil a distinction from New York and New Jersey. Get busy with that monoclonal antibody production and research, Biden, especially with Glaxo, make yourself useful. The US infections are a mix of delta and omicron in the United States which complicates the already difficult days for healthcare workers. California reports over 31K cases a big pop higher. The charts are looking ugly. Hopefully, folks are stocked-up and can ride it out at home a few days because omicron is in the air everywhere. Illinois (Chicago) remains ugly with deaths averaging 61 per day the most since February. Indiana reports 7.9K daily new cases a huge pop higher. Uncle Sam's top hat just fell into a mud puddle. Deaths in Indiana are the highest of the pandemic. Kentucky reports over 5.5K daily new cases teasing the highest ever. Missouri cases are a moonshot the most ever. Pennsylvania reports 18K cases the highest ever. Every chart you look at is ugly. Deaths move higher in Pennsylvania. Virginia, Delaware, Massachusetts and Connecticut cases explode higher. It is easy to see by the daily cases chart patterns how the coastal states are getting hit with the omicron wave (sharp drastic rocket launch higher in cases) while the states further inland are a combination of delta and omicron (daily charts bumping higher but from an already elevated base). Washington state is a mess with daily cases that will not go down. Omicron is on the loose but fortunately, the Washington state deaths trail lower. Cases pop higher in Oregon so the Washington infections move south and the California infections move north forcing the Beaver State to join the sick omicron party. The US West Coast is now engulfed. Highly-vaccinated Vermont is a catastrophe at 933 daily new cases the most ever a big move higher. Vermont folks were vaccinated early 2021 so the waning vaccine efficacy, along with the omicron wave, is a one-two punch to the face of the northeastern states. Some good news in the sea of China Virus despair. Hawaii may be the first US example of the skinny inverted V pattern for the Omicron variant wave daily new cases chart. Hawaii's cases started to explode higher, say, 12/9/21, into the peak on 12/26/21, and cases are currently on the downside, so that is 17 days up and 3 days down and counting. The omicron wave daily new cases chart pattern is 2 weeks up, peak, then 2 weeks down. Hawaii should be the first to blow through the omicron wave. First in, first out, like Africa. Perhaps the extra cases expected inthe US due to the holiday parties may not be a big deal because the people that would have been infected have already gotten infected with the omicron wave. Last year, the horrifying wave 3, that came with bigtime dead bodies, peaked on 1/8/21 so, despite the doom and gloom, the US may peak-out fast, during the first week of January, faster than anyone expects.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/30/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The CDC COVID Data Tracker displays the United States county map pretty much turning all red. The CDC is getting battered from all sides these days due to their poor data collection, lousy analyses and confusing messaging. May as well add on some more criticism. Months ago, CDC Director Walensky called attention to the US county map as a reference to determine if masks or other measures are required due to rising case counts. The counties in orange and red are substantial and high transmission regions, respectively, while yellow is moderate and blue is low transmission. The chart is not mentioned much afterwards which is another failure. The US county map should be referenced often and Americans should be educated on how to access it quickly and easily. The reason is to prepare for future pandemics. It is a mistake to mandate virus rules state by state when a county by county level makes far more sense. It is stupid to lockdown, say, Pittsburgh on the western side of Pennsylvania, if there is an outbreak in Philadelphia, which is on the eastern side of the state. If infections spread, the counties will turn red and can then implement or educate the public on taking more serious preventive steps. It is a great opportunity now, in the current pandemic, to educate people on where to look in the future. The US county map should play a far bigger role in the pandemic. It may be better to simplify it and have only three transmission levels and make it like a street light; red, yellow green. People need simple guidelines to follow. The United States county map provided by the CDC is useful in simply explaining to the public how fast the virus is spreading and in what direction. People are less scared if they have information. Even if it is not what they want to hear, it is better that they know so they can deal with it rather than letting their imaginations run wild creating frenzy. US hospitalizations are on the rise so 2022 will start on a downbeat. The New York and New Jersey hospitalizations are in a parabolic phase so there are big problems there. As New York City hospitals spin out of control, lame duck Mayor de Bozio is busy dropping his suit off at the cleaners and buying noisemakers and booze for his New Year's Eve party. The US vaccination rate is falling off a cliff. Are Americans losing confidence in the vaccines? Why would they? The vaccines only last from 3 to 6 months, then you get a booster jab that lasts only another 2 months. What do people want; the ingrates? Just as those that wanted vaccinated, got vaccinated by now, those that want booster jabs, got boosted by now. It does not create a pretty picture for vaccinations going forward. Biden's vaccine-only strategy is a miserable failure. Many vaccinated parents do not want their kids vaccinated. As humans display their cringeworthy craziness when cases are setting record highs, perhaps this is the crescendo of the pandemic, the climax, which occurs when least suspected? It is always darkest before the dawn and all that rot. Do you remember the HG Wells classic, "The War of the Worlds?" After humans fruitlessly throw everything they have at the alien beings, they realize it is hopeless and the human species is likely at its end, but no, wait, in a twist of fate the aliens die off from an earthling virus. Omicron may be the crescendo, the climax, of the pandemic that now evolves into a more flu-like illness, an endemic scenario is the buzzword these days, that does not pose as serious a threat to human life. Americans adapt and are already learning to live with China Flu. In addition to the information from the Whitehouse, CDC, NIH WHO, people are seeking other sources that are more comprehensive such as Early COVID Care Experts at www.earlycovidcare.org. One of the major mistakes of the pandemic is not stressing early care in treating COVID-19. Instead, Americans follow behind Sleepy Joe, wearing his vaccination blinders, shuffling along covid street.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/30/21, at 6:00 AM EST: The flu season is in full swing in the US along with the delta infections, omicron, and other child respiratory illnesses. Typically, around 800K Americans will get the flu each season and from 30K to 80K will die. These statistics make some people ask why are we so worried about COVID-19 anymore? Currently in the US, as per the CDC, there are 4,500 flu cases up from 2,500 as December started, so the flu season is off to a tame start. The typical flu season kills from 100 to 200 kids and 2 children die so far this year from the flu in the US. China Virus mainly kills off folks over 60 years old which is what the dirtbag CCP probably wanted the virus to do. China is likely playing around with deadly viruses to find a cure for its elderly population problem. China does not provide a safety net for the Chinese people and society is greatly weighted demographically to an aging population. If the CCP can kill off the old folks with a virus, that would alleviate their elderly problem and a pathogen that targets the older demographic is the perfect vehicle. It is sick stuff to discuss but it is the world in 2021. Keystone could tell you things about the world that would make you physically ill. Interestingly, the pandemic has improved the US Social Security system's viability since the virus did kill off older Americans. China is also involved in bioweapons research that targets individual ethnicities with viruses. How scary is that? The CCP is Satin. The Chinese people have to do what the communist leadership tells them to do, otherwise, they receive a bullet in their heads. Hong Kong is now just another dirtbag communist city. What a shame. Keystone so loved the view from Victoria Peak, and the Big Buddha at the Po Lin monastery is spectacular.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/30/21, at 9:00 AM EST: The CDC says 44K Americans may die over the next 4 weeks. This would result in 11K dead per week or 1.6K per day which is the current pace so this is not big news. A non peer reviewed study says J&J's booster shot is effective against omicron. Johnny John's vaccine has received bad press since the efficacy after the first shot falls off a cliff after only 2 months but it sounds like some better data is available with booster jabs. The CDC, however, recommends that anyone that had the initial Johnson & Johnson shot should get an mRNA vaccine, either the Pfizer/BioNTech offering or Moderna, for the second shot. J&J is new to the vaccine game; they are used to making Band-Aid's. In New York City, with the Times Square party, starring Mayor de Blowhardio, only a day away, 30% (1 in 3) of the emergency medical services personnel (EMS) and 17% (1 in 5) of the firefighters are off sick.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/30/21, at 1:00 PM EST: The CDC says that cruise liners should be avoided regardless of vaccination status. The cruise ship stocks, CCL,RCL and NCLH, hit a reef sinking -1% to -2% on Wall Street. Cruise ships are sometimes infected with Norovirus with passengers puking their guts out on a 'vomit cruise'. Nowadays, people are traveling on a 'covid cruise'. The CDC says a PCR test can show a positive for up to 12 weeks. CDC Director Walensky says the PCR test cannot distinguish between COVID-19 and influenza and will not be used going forward. What a mess. This may explain why there were nil flu cases in America last year. The mixed messages are destroying credibility. Many Americans are getting on with life, even with omicron running rampant, because they are sick of the pandemic. They are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Cincinnati, Ohio, declares a State of Emergency as understaffed hospitals are overrun with patients. The democrat-run media keeps stressing a high number of children in the hospitals but this can be due to a myriad of illnesses. Unvaccinated kids, that are not eligible for shots, are showing up at hospitals and the dirty little secret is that their vaccinated parents got their kids sick, no one else. The bulk of virus transmission occurs in the close quarters home-style settings. Are you a pro-vaccine person that got your kid sick with COVID-19? Don't worry; just blame an unvaccinated person. Twitter suspends the mRNA technology inventor from the platform for (what they say is) misinformation. Dr R W Malone is the mRNA pioneer.his technology allowed the mRNA vaccines to occur. Twitter is performing the bidding of the Whitehouse purposely labeling Malone as an anti-vaxxer which is not true. It is a smear campaign. Malone says 'children should not be vaccinated' and he is 'against the universal vaccine mandate' cheered by President Biden. The Whitehouse sees Malone's comments as hurting their vaccine-only campaign in America that is failing. In the United States, you are no longer permitted to provide a different opinion if it does not match the government narrative. Malone starts a presence on Gettr under the tag name rwmalonemd. The people on Twitter banning Dr Malone, as well as other talking head detractors, are not qualified enough on the mRNA subject to carry around his stethoscope. Alex Berenson, author of Pandemia, was also banned from Twitter a couple weeks ago and has filed a lawsuit concerning the matter. Keystone adn the Coronavirus Chronology has been through the same garbage with social media as highlighted in past articles and is shadow-banned as a way to try and limit the international audience. America becomes more of an authoritarian state each day as the rigged crony capitalism system thrashes about in its final throes.
Note Added Thursday Afternoon, 12/30/21, at 1:30 PM EST: Florida and other states are complaining about shortages of monoclonal antibodies. Where's Biden? Bueller? Biden?Bueller? Is he sleeping? The Regeneron and Eli Lilly mAb treatments are great tools to combat the Delta variant and are keeping people out of the hospitals and caskets. The GlaxoSmithKline mAb offering will help handle the Omicron variant. Get with it Biden. Why aren't these factories running 24/7? Where's Biden. There he is. He's in the Lincoln Bedroom looking for his hat. Florida writes a letter to HHS explaining the short supply of mAb treatments but the reply is that monoclonal antibody supplies are short everywhere and Florida is already receiving a little extra. Bungling Biden needs to get his priorities straight. Put down the solar cell and windmill and do something useful like handle the pandemic. More Americans will end up in the hospitals and die because of the lack of monoclonal antibodies. Another Biden blunder.
Note Added Thursday Evening, 12/30/21, at 6:00 PM EST: The New York Times reports that the FDA may approve the booster shorts for the 12 to 15 year old age group as early as Monday. The majority of these kids are not vaccinated with the first shot. The Whitehouse has still not signed the deal for the 500 million testing kits but it is expected next week. In deals like this, the factories are likely already cranking up test production with a good faith agreement so the incompetence of Whitehouse staff should not impact the delivery and availability of tests in January. The Biden administration needs to crank up monoclonal antibody production. Biden pulled back on distributing mAb when the data said the treatments were not as effective against omicron but the data was faulty by the CDC's own admission. Another major boneheaded mistake by bungling Biden. Maryland Dr Ron Effenbein, talking to Fox News (republican-run media), says the pause of monoclonal antibody treatments by the HHS on 12/23/21 will result in more severe COVID-19 illnesses and deaths. Effenbein proclaims, "People are definitely going to die because of this." In addition, only 20% of the troops are deployed to help with the outbreak that Biden promised a couple weeks ago. Biden may be more incompetent than Trump. Massachusetts is training National Guard personnel to perform healthcare tasks. 206 United States Marines are canned because they would not take the vaccine. It is a Biden disgrace destroying dedicated military folk's lives.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/31/21, at 3:00 AM EST: Happy New Year's Eve. The WORLD REPORTS 1.9 MILLION DAILY NEW CAES YESTERDAY ANOTHER ALL-TIME RERCORD. It will be interesting to see where the world cases peak. Cases started to jump on 12/21/21 so the omicron spike in cases for the world is 9 days along. The omicron wave is 2 weeks straight up and 2 weeks straight down so the world may not peak with daily cases for another 5 days. World deaths are down to 5.9K per day last seen on 10/23/20; good news. Cases continue popping higher in Israel so they are in the midst of the omicron wave. The UK reports another record high in daily new cases at 189K. The UK is not showing the peak yet but it may be at hand. The infections now are due to the holiday parties. The UK implements "surge hubs" which will increase hospital beds and staff where needed. Bad news for the Brit's with deaths popping to 332 yesterday a huge jump higher the most since early March. European New Year's Eve events are cancelled across the continent. Austria is closing bars and restaurants a couple hours before midnight strikes. France reports 206K daily cases a hair off the 208K the day before so perhaps a peak is at hand. Paris is imposing an outdoor mask mandate. Sacrebleu! How do you kiss your honey under the Eiffel Tower wearing a mask? Italy is in bad shape reporting 127K daily new cases another record. Italian deaths are flat at 143 per day. Spain reports an explosion of cases to 162K the most ever. Portugal reports 29K daily new cases another record. The omicron waves in Africa are playing out so it is important to see the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal top-out with daily new cases in the coming days to follow the omicron chart pattern. Cases continue setting records in Mozambique and Zambia but should peak any day. Malawi's omicron wave is playing out. Canada is another test case for the omicron daily cases chart pattern and reports lower cases off the 12/27/21 peak. Cases started to jump higher from about 12/15/21 so that is 12 days up and 3 days down so far fitting the general omicron case pattern of 2 weeks up and 2 weeks down. Ontario is offering a 4th vaccination shot to high-risk patients. Damn. Bolivia reports a massive spike in daily new cases to 6.1K the most ever a terrible development. Deaths also increase. Cases pop higher in Peru. Argentina cases explode into the stratosphere. Cases increase in Paraguay and Uruguay. Daily cases take a small tick higher in Brazil. South America is now engulfed in the omicron wave. Colombia had such a tough year with a massive COVID-19 outbreak and handling the refugees from Venezuela and is now in for more misery and pain with cases spiking higher. In China, the filthy CCP continues its draconian lockdown of 13 million Chinese folks in Xi'an. People are panicking because they are not allowed to leave their homes for groceries or healthcare. Of course they are locked up in their house jail cells; China is a communist country. There are no rights or liberty. Do what you are told or you receive a bullet in your head. China is publicly shaming people that helped others cross the border that may have led to more infections. The shaming is of no concern to the captives; they know they are actually walking a death march and only a day away from a bullet in their temple. Such is life, and death, in the world today.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/31/21, at 3:00 AM EST: The US REPORTS OVER 572K DAILY NEW CASES ANOTHER RECORD OVER THE 500 MILLION MARK. Lord Have Mercy. It is actually a lot higher because people testing positive at home are not reporting their case to the authorities. 45 US states report a rise in cases. There are nearly 13 million active COVID-19 cases in America crushing the hospital system. 1.4K Americans die yesterday with the 7-day MA at 1.1K deaths per day moving sideways. New York State reports 71,169 daily new cases another all-time record as New York City Mayor de Bozo plans his celebration for Times Square this evening. De Blasio's legacy is a moron holding a New Year's Eve superspreader event as the daily cases hit record highs; the epitome of incompetence. In addition, there are massive staff shortages with EMS, the NYPD and NYFD but Mayor de Bozo wants to use these resources for his party. Mayor-elect Eric Adams will be sworn-in as the new mayor of New York City after the Waterford Crystal ball drops this evening ringing in 2022. Someone needs to tap de Blasio on the shoulder and tell him that vaccinated people get sick with COVID-19 and transmit the disease. Hey dumbie, Pfizer/BioNTech, the makers of the vaccine, say "two shots of BNT162b2 (mRNA vaccine) may not be sufficient to protect against infection with the Omicron variant." Capish? The mRNA vaccine is a 3-shot series; people need to stop calling it a 2-shot series with a booster. Also, the treatment is a 'death prevention shot' rather than a vaccine since the inoculation does not prevent infection or transmission but should decrease the chance of severe illness or death. De Blasio is busy testing out the noisemakers and party props; he should paint the word 'Dunce' on one of the pointed hats and wear that this evening. De Blasio is going ahead with the Times Square celebration because he wants to be on stage during his last hours in power, like any other selfish narcissistic politician; there is no other reason. De Blasio does not care that more infections will occur further taxing the hospitals. Suffice it to say that the daily new cases in the US states are jumping higher everywhere. The pop in cases is due to the the double-whammy combination of omicron and the holiday parties. After a superspreader event (Christmas; 12/25/21), the 4 to 14 day incubation period is expected with 8 days a sweet spot where the biggest pop in cases occurs. Thus, cases should pop higher starting on 12/29/21, with a big high in cases on 1/2/22 and the event running its course by 1/8/22. Bingo. Cases pop from 34K on 12/28/21 to 53K cases on 12/29/21 and take off higher from there verifying the model. Keeping a positive attitude, the US cases may top out any day ahead in the first few days of the new year. The 'pandemic of the unvaccinated' devolves into the 'pandemic of the vaccinated'.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/31/21, at 6:00 AM EST: The United States continues cancelling flights due to the omicron outbreak and jackass vaccine mandates. Over 8,400 flights are cancelled in America over the last week. That is over 1K flights per day in the US and over 44K flights have been delayed or cancelled worldwide. What a mess. Humans do not control the pandemic; the pandemic controls humans. After 2 years of the pandemic with two incompetent presidents mucking it up, Americans are sick of the pandemic and starting to perform their own risk assessments instead of listening to Flip-flop Fauci and the gang. It is about time. Americans are relearning how to manage their own risks in life instead of listening to a bunch of confused pandemic pontificators that are often wrong, but never in doubt.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/31/21, at 8:00 AM EST: Australia rings in 2022 with fireworks in Sydney. Father Time moves on. Baby New Year arrives infected with China Flu. America's airline travel problem continues with 1,600 flights cancelled per day for a week running. Over 11,000 traveler's had their holiday plans ruined because of airline problems. How's that vaccine mandate garbage working out? Actress/comedian Betty White dies at 99 but like Desmond TuTu, or John Madden, a cause of death is not stated. When you get that old, people just figure you die of old age. White would limit and control who was around her to prevent contracting COVID-19, but who knows, maybe the omicron bug penetrated that barrier. There was big plans for her 1/17/22 100th birthday and she was supposedly in good health so her death came on fast over only a few days time. Non-transparency fuels rumors and conspiracy theories but it is the family's prerogative to release information and their decision has to be respected.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/1/22, at 2:00 AM EST: Happy New Year. It feels a lot like the old year. Massachusetts democrat Representative Ayanna Pressley tests positive for COVID-19. She says the symptoms are mild. It is another breakthrough case of a vaccinated and boosted person. Pressley encourages everyone to get vaccinated and boosted (to get COVID-19 anyway?). One dozen vaccinated US lawmakers have tested positive for China Virus over the last two weeks. The 'pandemic of the unvaccinated' devolves into the 'pandemic of the vaccinated'. Children are being admitted to hospitals at a pace similar to wave 3 a year ago. Vaccinated parents carrying the highly-contagious omicron bug are infecting their unvaccinated children. Fortunately, COVID-19 does not pose a serious threat to kids and its lethality is lessening for the general population around the world. South Africa is relaxing restrictions as the omicron wave has run its course. Although the huge spike in cases occurs, hospitalizations and deaths did not increase in any substantive way. It is great news for the planet but now Mozambique, Zambia, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Canada, Israel, and the United States, especially New York, New Jersey and Florida, need to follow South Africa's lead.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/1/22, at 3:00 AM EST: The world reports 1.6 million daily new cases a crazy-high number but it is off the peak at 1.9 million cases the day before. Perhaps the omicron top is in for the world's daily cases? Cases come off the top in Mozambique and Zambia which is more great news with the omicron wave pattern repeating. The UK reports 130K new cases another record but only a hair higher than the prior day's 129K cases so the daily cases chart may be topping-out. The news is bad for France with 232K daily new cases yesterday the most ever. Ditto Italy with over 144K daily new cases. Ditto Portugal at 31K daily cases the most ever. Israel reports daily cases off the peak the day before an encouraging sign. Ditto Canada which may be on the downside of the Omicron variant daily cases skinny inverted V chart pattern. The wheels just fell off the Sweden bus. It is getting hit with omicron like all other nations. Sweden reports 11K cases the most ever except for one other day, 12/23/20, over one year ago. On the positive side, Sweden deaths remain nil.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/1/22, at 4:00 AM EST: The United States is at 55.7 million total COVID-19 cases and 846,905 Americans have lost their lives due to the China Flu pandemic. 41.5 million Americans have recovered. There are over 13 million active COVID-19 cases in America many are long-covid sufferers. Yee-haw! Yippee! It may be misplaced joy, but the US reports 444K daily new cases yesterday less than the peak at 572K daily cases the day before. Of course, several days will need to pass to see if the omicron wave is running its course in the US. Tomorrow is 8 days after Christmas a sweet spot for an increase in infections after a superspreader event. The expected pop in daily cases occurs at the 4-day mark. If the US cases are not higher over the next couple days, it would indicate that many people that would have been infected by the holiday parties had already been sidelined with illness which is actually a good thing in the context of getting rid of omicron as fast as possible. New York State reports 70K daily new cases a hair off the peak at 71K cases the day before an encouraging sign that a top is in but one day does not make a trend. Outgoing New York City Mayor de Blasio holds the superspreader event last night in Times Square so the data for the city must be watched at the 4 to 8-day mark which is 1/5/22 through 1/9/22. If the cases in and around New York City rise in this time period, it would confirm that de Blasio held a superspreader event during his last day in office; an idiot's legacy. Times Square was not as crowded as expected probably because people did not want to 'show their papers, please' or be sandwiched in a crowd with omicron spreading like wildfire in the city. Most attendees looked like they were 15 years old. New Jersey cases also come off the top. Great news since New York and New Jersey lead the omicron waves for the US and other states should follow the same pattern. Florida is not happy with daily new cases spiking higher to 76K another record high. Perhaps the Sunshine State will back away from its peak in the coming days. The COVID-19 picture is looking slightly brighter around the world than a couple days ago as 2022 is off and stumbling.
