By K E Stone (Keystone)
The Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant, dubbed omicron, remains
a worldwide concern, but less so than 8 days ago when everyone was in a tizzy.
There is much more data needed including more vaccine efficacy results for the
new variant but big picture is that B11529 is more contagious but not more
lethal.
The pandemic may be following the pathogen playbook where a
virus becomes more contagious but less deadly once it runs out of potential
hosts. An Ebola outbreak ends because it runs out of hosts; the disease kills
them all and if no one else comes into contact with those bodies, the virus has
nowhere to spread.
After 2 years, the once in a century COVID-19 pandemic is
running its course with global citizens, for the most part, either dead,
vaccinated or have natural immunities from an infection. China Virus is running
out of hosts and perhaps becoming more contagious, to reach more hosts, but in
so doing becomes less virulent, a la omicron.
The CDC says 43 patients have been confirmed with the
Omicron variant in the United States. None have died and only one person had to
be hospitalized and that was only for a couple days. Here is the shocker,
however. Are you sitting down? 79% of the omicron cases in the US, 34 of the
43, are in vaccinated people. Further, 14 of the cases, 33%, one-third, had
booster shots. Cue the dramatic music.
5 of the 43 cases are vaccinated folks that received the
booster shots 2 weeks ago which should have provided the maximum possible
protection from omicron, so say the medical folks, but it was not true for these
5 people. One-third of the omicron cases are in foreign travelers but
two-thirds of the cases are not so community spread (person to person spread in
pockets of the country) as well as immune escape (a virus overcomes the
vaccinations and natural immunity protections) are in play.
Medical pundits are waving their arms frantically telling
Americans not to worry, nothing to see here, move along, move along. Get
vaccinated and get your booster shot. What else are they going to say? The
Whitehouse, CDC and democrat-run media have all their eggs in the vaccination
basket while ignoring all the other proven treatments and therapies available.
If you or anyone else becomes sick, regardless of vaccination
status, immediately seek monoclonal antibody treatment. If your doctor refuses,
ditch them, and get help from a different doctor that can actually prevent you
from getting real sick.
When you come down to it, one year after the mRNA vaccines
are in play, starting with the Pfizer/BioNTech jabs, the only remaining selling
point for the shots is that they help prevent death, and this is getting
chipped-away as some vaccinated patients do die. A year ago, vaccines were
touted as over 95% effective in preventing infection, stopping transmission,
and preventing serious illness, hospitalizations and deaths. Further, it was
unknown how long the vaccines would be effective but some talking heads
promised a year or more.
Here we are a year later and the truth is that the mRNA
vaccines begin losing efficacy at 3 to 6 months where the protection falls off
a cliff; hence, the increase in breakthrough cases week after week. The 95%
efficacy that was promised perhaps lasts a couple-three months if that. The
protection is likely down to 60% to 80% at 6 months, pulling numbers out of
thin air but based in knowledge of the data, and from 6 months on in the 20% to
60% efficacy range. The J&J vaccine is a joke a single injection only
providing a couple months of protection and after that you got buptkis.
The booster shots are recommended for folks that are 6
months beyond the mRNA initial series of 2 shots, or, only 2 months beyond
their Johnny John shot. The waning vaccine efficacy is creating more
breakthrough cases worldwide and is one of the key reasons the globe, and the
US, is struggling right now.
The news that 79% of the omicron patients are vaccinated paves
the way for more booster shots, jabs, vaccinations, whatever you want to call
them. A few years from now, two friends cross paths at the doctors office. “Hey
Carlos. Hi Lamont. Are you here for your booster-booster-booster fifth shot?
No, I’m taking the booster-booster-booster-booster shot number six. I heard this
is the last one we’ll need.” Jokingly, Pfizer CEO Ebenezer Bourla dances with
glee under the light of the full moon at Christmastime, tossing gold coins into
the air, praising the mRNA Gods. Ka-ching, ka-ching.
There is lots of chatter about whether the definition of
vaccination should change. The waning vaccine efficacy of the initial 2 shots requires
a booster shot to bring the protection up to a level that is worthwhile.
Millions of vaccinated Americans walk around maskless each day breathing on others
and do not realize they can be asymptomatic and/or carrying the virus.
Vaccinated people think that they can get the jabs and get
on with life but in fact it is a false sense of confidence if 6 months beyond the
initial shot series. The vaccinated folks are spreading virus and infecting the
unvaccinated folks that then remain the majority of hospitalizations, although
the vaccinated hospital admissions are on a steady rise.
Lord Fauci, who never saw a camera he did not like,
proclaims, “It is a matter of when, not if” that the definition of fully
vaccinated will change to 2 initial shots plus a booster shot at 6 months. The
CDC does not want to make it official as yet since it will create new problems
for the employers, employees and the US economy.
Should the COVID-19 vaccines even be called vaccines? It is
a shot that basically helps prevent death from China Flu. The CDC changed its
definition of vaccine early on in the pandemic to lower the bar for the
coronavirus vaccines. Such is the crony capitalism system.
The vaccine zealots become more ‘zealoty’ each day breeding
tyranny around the world. The one-trick pony show by the Biden administration,
CDC, NIH and FDA, that touts vaccinations as the only solution to the pandemic,
is a failed strategy. Bozo Biden is as incompetent as inept Trump at handling,
and bungling, the pandemic.
There is only about 20% of Americans, or less, that are
unvaccinated. Some have been tested for antibodies and their own doctors tell
them to not get the shots. Others have medical and religious reasons. Others
live reclusive lifestyles and are of no threat in spreading the virus.
The black community is hesitant because of past medical
experimentation dishonesty. And some Americans simply choose to not get
vaccinated; it is supposed to be a free country. These folks live for today and
don’t worry about tomorrow. They are Born to Be Wild.
Shoving a vaccination down people’s throats that only
provides about 3 months of true protection, then bestows a false sense of
protection afterwards, is not the right decision. The ongoing rebuttal and
mantra is that the vaccine “will prevent you from dying!”
The country is at herd immunity with over 200 millionvaccinated as per the CDC and another 50 to 100 million having had coronavirus.
201 million Americans, 61%, are fully vaccinated a great number. The 200 million
threshold was crossed a few days ago.
Over 238 million Americans, 72%, are vaccinated with at
least one shot. No one can complain about that. The vaccine zealots need to
tone down the rhetoric. Everything is Going to Work Out Right. Do not fight the
covid wave, instead ride the wave, its many ups and downs. Be the water, asBruce would say.
After an expected surge in cases after Christmas and New
Year’s occurs this year, like last year’s wave 3 horror show that peaked in
cases on January 8, the United States may be in a lot better shape than it appears
on this dark wintry day. Further, the Omicron variant, although more
transmissible, appears to be less deadly and causes less severe illness. As the
pandemic stretches on for 2 years, sometimes it is smart to look on the BrightSide of Life, as Monty Python would sing.
The CDC COVID Data Tracker vaccination rate chart is shownabove. It is disappointing in that it proves how the US government withholds
information on the virus rather than release everything in real-time. Last
Saturday, the Whitehouse touted a huge 2.2 million doses in arms in one day a
great feat pumping the news as a means to encourage others to take the shots.
The trouble is that the CDC’s own site did not verify the information.
Then, finally, a week later, the bar shows on the chart that
is the 2.2 million dose day identified as last Friday, 12/3/21. It is good news
that the government provided a truthful number but sickening crony news that it
proves the CDC withholds data and pandemic information for a few days before
posting it to their website and informing the American public. The CDC likely
plays this game to provide a few buffer days where the eggheads can meet and
keep their lies straight, er, meet and discuss an intelligent path ahead and
the messaging for the public.
Setting the crony stuff aside, the 2.2 million doses per day
is great news and the ongoing average of 1.6 million doses per day is a
positive development. The vaccine zealots need to cool their jets since further
denigrating of unvaccinated folks really serves no positive purpose and only
serves to further divide a divided nation.
The US government is running commercials on radio promoting
vaccinations referencing www.getvaccineanswers.org
a website with lots of great information. The Einstein’s at the CDC and
Whitehouse are believing that they are targeting vaccine hesitant republicans
by running radio ads. AM talk radio is owned by the republican tribe and part
of the republican-controlled media. Democrats control television. Humans are
funny when they try to outsmart each other but each side is equally dumb.
Democrats highlight the lower vaccination rates in the
southern US states to encourage more folks to get vaccinated. They blame
republicans for the vaccine hesitancy but in truth, the black community is
equally at fault. The democrat-run media, such as CNBC, MSNBC, and the
broadcast channels ABC, CBS and NBC, never mention the vaccine hesitancy among
the black population in the southern states (red states).
Instead, the republicans are blamed for the lower vax rates in
those states since it fits the democrat’s political narrative. The black
community’s vaccine hesitancy issues are swept under the rug. Such is America’s
crony capitalism system.
Pundits are also spouting counterfactual outcomes to
encourage vaccinations. It is silliness since that poll of unvaccinated people
that the government thinks are there, 60 to 80 million people, may not be there
for the many reasons listed above. You cannot lead a horse to water if it is
already hydrated or has its water nearby or is not thirsty.
One popular counterfactual is that 80K to 100K lives would
have been saved if these stiffs simply would have gotten vaccinated. Vaccines
have been widely available to the American public since May and yet all these
folks are six feet (2 m) under. It is true but scenario’s can be ‘what if’d’
all day long. That’s what think tanks do.
Another example is media beating up on the unvaccinated
lepers, as usual, saying these folks are creating a higher toll on nursing
homes. There are no studies proving this. In fact, the big problem nowadays is
the vaccinated people carrying virus infecting the unvaccinated and other
vaccinated people.
The pundits overlook the 900-pound gorilla sitting on the
living room sofa. It is the most important counterfactual declaration that can
be made for the entire pandemic. 80% of America’s deaths from China Virus are
overweight and obese people. 817K Americans are dead so 80% is 654,000 fat Americans.
Wow! 654K lives could have been saved, a massive amount, if
they did not stuff their fat faces with doughnuts, cookies, cake, ice cream,
hotdogs, potato chips, white bread, red meat, excess alcohol and extra large
sodas for several decades while smoking cigarettes and refusing the spouse’s
request to take a walk around the block. It is a travesty! A crying shame! They
died needlessly! 654K lives could have been saved! Oh the humanity! It makes
all the other counterfactuals appear insignificant.
The ole saying, "Eat like an Asian" is true. There are less covid deaths in Asia where a general diet consists of beans, rice, low-carbohydrate foods, fruits, vegetables, soy and a healthy cup of tea, versus a Western diet of pasta, white bread, butter, fried meatballs, and desserts such as cake, ice cream and cookies, washed-down with lactose-rich milk or sugar-enriched soda. Now do you understand why more Americans are dying during the pandemic?
The US government signed agreements with Big Pharma that prevents
Americans from suing the pharmaceutical companies if there is an adverse
reaction to the vaccines. At the same time, the US mandates vaccinations.
Figure that one out. Further, the drug companies and FDA do not want to release
data on the vaccines for 55 years. What are they hiding? Non-transparency is
never a good look. The NIH says it owns part of Moderna’s patent to the
vaccines.
Some of the government scientists, ahem, Fauci, are filthy
wealthy off their public service cultivating the conflicts of interest with Big
Pharma over many years. The US government and Big Pharma comingle on red satin
sheets each evening committing incestuous acts so obscene that they would make
Caligula blush.
The US daily new cases chart is shown above. Wave 6
continues due to the waning vaccine efficacy, holiday parties and people
returning indoors due to the colder weather. The US reports 136K daily new
cases for yesterday the high for the week but thankfully, it remains below the
prior week’s peak at 149K cases on Friday, 12/3/21. It will be disastrous if
the United States exceeds 149K cases any day ahead. A pop in cases is expected
after the Christmas and New Year’s parties.
The US wave 3 daily new cases chart is shown above. It
describes the 3 impulse waves last year at this time. The first occurs after
Halloween, which is the second highest commercial holiday in the states behind
Christmas, and with people returning indoors because of the colder Fall and
winter weather. A pop in cases occurs from Halloween into mid-November with a
slight trail-off into turkey day.
The second impulse fractal showing a rise in cases is due to
Thanksgiving Day and that entire weekend in late November where partying is the
priority. The cases pop in early December then roll over and trail lower into Christmas.
The third impulse wave occurs when infections rise due to the Christmas and New
Year’s parties and as mentioned above, the peak day for the notorious wave 3
was on 1/8/21. Will 1/8/22 display the same terrible record high in cases? Hope
not.
Vaccinations were not available last year but this year 72%
of the nation is vaccinated with at least one dose. That is 3 out of every 4
people and nothing to sneeze at, literally. Also, many months pass by with
people being infected with COVID-19 building up natural antibody protection.
For these two herd immunity reasons, the worst of wave 6 may be showing itself
now. Note that the behavior from last year shows a drop-off in cases into
Christmas and then the big push higher afterwards with the third pulse.
Americans traveled on Thanksgiving and have experience on
how to stay safe that can be applied to the upcoming Christmas, Kwanza and
Festivus parties. The US vaccination rate is at 1.6 million doses per day again
something to be happy about and not complain about. The people that want
vaccinated are getting the shots. Everyone can relax.
The US wave 6 daily new cases chart is shown above. It
describes the 2 impulse waves so far this year that are following last year’s
fractals dead-on. We are now seeing the relaxation of daily cases into
Christmas Day and then the story will be told afterwards into the first 2 weeks
of the new year with the third pulse. The
behavior in cases from now through early January will likely dictate the path
forward for Q1 2022 (January, February, March).
The infection incubation period is 4 to 14 days, some say 4
to 10 days, and the sweet spot in the data is 8 days. It is typically about 8
days after an event where a dramatic pop in cases occurs. The peak in cases on
12/3/21 last week is exactly 8 days after Thanksgiving Day. Who could have
predicted that? Keystone.
Thus, let’s add 8 days to Christmas and that is 1/2/22. You
heard of the 12 Days of Christmas now we have the 8 Days of Christmas
Infections. There will be a pop in US daily new cases from 1/1/22 through
1/3/22 and after that each day is key to see if the cases continue rising, or,
if that is the last hurrah for wave 6. It was great to see wave 5, the delta
wave, being defeated, but then wave 6 raised its ugly head.
The US active cases chart is shown above. This is the
‘flatten the curve’ chart and the graph that needs to roll over to form a bell
shape to prove the virus is being defeated. The US healthcare workers, doctors,
nurses, medics and emergency personnel will not catch a break until the active
cases chart rolls over to start forming the bell shape and it cannot do that if
it is headed higher.
In fact, the US active cases are only a whisker away from
the most ever. God bless the nurses that are the liaisons between this world
and the next whether they want to be or not; they were chosen to be. It takes
superhuman inner strength to cope with such trying days but it can be done with
supportive family and friends, a healthy diet, water, vitamins and supplements,
healthy sleep and a spiritual base.
The news is not good for the US active cases chart since the
daily cases are at 137K yesterday within 8% of the peak at 149K the week
before. The Keystone Model now uses the 12/10/21 date as the peak in daily
cases and adding 28 days is 1/7/22. Isn’t that a kick in the pants? Bummer. The
US active cases chart will not flatten and roll over until 1/7/22 or sooner. If
any of the daily cases numbers in the week ahead exceed 137K per day, the
projected top in the active cases curve will keep getting pushed further into
January.
Hope springs eternal but paraphrasing Stephen King’s writing
in The Dark Tower, “wish in one hand, sh*t in the other, extend your hands palms-up,
to see which fills up faster.” United States healthcare workers are going to be
worked to the bone over the next month. It will make today’s stress look like
child’s play. Merry Christmas. As Uncle Paul, the miser, says, “Just think of
all the money you’ll make.”
The US deaths chart is shown above. 1.6K Americans die
yesterday and the 7-day MA stops its downtrend now moving higher at 1.2K deaths
per day. This is a horrible scorecard for the Biden administration. Monoclonal
antibody treatments should be in far greater use but instead the hospitals send
people home so they can get real sick, then admit them, put them on a vent, and
watch them die.
As the months play out, a scandal will likely surface asking
why monoclonal antibody treatments and other valuable therapies were not used
and touted more by Biden’s Whitehouse, the CDC, NIH and FDA. Solely touting
vaccinations as the cure-all is not an integrated approach to medicine. The
pundits will tell you people are dying because they are unvaccinated. Maybe
they are dying because they are being denied lifesaving mAb treatments? 817K
Americans are dead from China Flu.
Johns-Hopkins is at 797K deaths so they will cross the 800K
mark any day. Perhaps they are timing the announcement of the grim milestone
with the Sunday morning political talk shows. The talking heads will tout the
horrendous 800K Americans dead followed by “get vaccinated” and “get boosted.”
The CDC is at 792K deaths. IHME is at 787K deaths. Johns-Hopkins will be the
talk of the town to begin the work week as they wave the 800,000 dead bodies
banner in one hand and a scythe in the other.
Daily cases lead active cases lead hospitalizations lead
deaths. The daily cases must continue dropping and that is for the United
States to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the active cases 3 or 4
weeks from now. The pandemic remains a chaotic, confusing and uncoordinated
mess under both King Trump and Sleepy Joe Biden.
US hospital admissions are moving higher. Only a month ago
we were singing joyous songs happy that wave 5 was being defeated and on its
way out, until wave 6 showed up. The admissions are moving higher in all age
groups especially as age increases. This is waning vaccine efficacy that is
taking out older folks. Wave 3 decimated the elderly with casket makers working
overtime a year ago to keep up with the demand. Many died because the
treatments were scarce and vaccines were not yet available.
Hopefully, wave 6 will not be a wave 3 redux with seniors
dropping like flies this time not because they are not vaccinated, but because
they are vaccinated but many months ago and the protection is not very robust
anymore.
Keystone previously mentioned his elderly friend that co-volunteer’s
at a thrift store for the needy, 86 years young, and was double-vaccinated, but
not yet boosted, and got deathly ill with COVID-19 a month ago. Luckily his
doctor immediately sent him to a mAb treatment clinic and he recovered.
Keystone jokingly told him now he can get back to work at the thrift store and
quit his slacking and goofing-off.
The US hospitalizations are on the move higher lagging the
admissions data by 3 or 4 days. The charts are ugly. There is no other way to sum
it up.
Humorously, hospitals are reporting that people are showing
up to be admitted and they are treating it like an a la carte restaurant. Some
person sick with COVID-19 are telling the doctors and nurses that they want
ivermectin for the main course, maybe a side of HCQ and can you start us out
with some monoclonal antibody potato skin appetizers? It is funny stuff but
some of those folks will die, which is not funny.
It is comical to hear the nurses and doctors tell the
stories. They are ready to help a person in every way possible but the patient
thinks he is at a restaurant and wants to order treatments off a menu. You
cannot make the stuff up. Life is always funnier than anything that can be
imagined.
The Michigan and Maine hospitalization charts are shown
above at record levels. New Hampshire and Vermont are also at record
hospitalizations. No wonder the National Guard is sent to many states to help
handle the pandemic. Hospitals are completely overrun.
23 US states report an over 20% increase in cases in the
last 2 weeks. Hospitals are stretched to the limit. New York and northeastern
states have less than 10% of their hospital bed capacity remaining.
Worse, central US states such as Kentucky, Missouri,
Illinois and Arkansas are smacked by violent storms overnight and tornadoes. Dozens
are killed and the tragedy will add to the coronavirus cases. No one gives a
crap about vaccination status or wearing a mask when fighting to save the
neighbors life as he lays under debris screaming in pain.
Vermont’s daily new cases chart is shown above. This is the highly-vaccinated
state of Vermont at a record 736 cases with no end in sight. The Vermont chart is
a cases study in waning vaccine efficacy. It is great that the state is highly
vaccinated, but it was highly vaccinated too long ago (over 6 months).
Pennsylvania’s daily new cases chart is shown above.
Pennsylvania reports 11.6K daily new cases teasing the highest levels of the
pandemic. The clock just fell off the wall at the capitol building in
Harrisburg. This is bad and paints a stark picture ahead. Lots of elderly
Pennsylvanians dutifully ran to get vaccinated January through May, and
continue walking around maskless thinking they are invincible, when in fact
they are only a few days away from lying on a gurney.
Wisconsin’s daily new cases chart is shown above. Wisconsin
reports 6.8K daily new cases teasing the highest levels of the pandemic like
Pennsylvania. Perhaps that is another case of waning vaccine efficacy creating
a bump higher in infections.
Rhode Island’s daily new cases chart is shown above. Rhode
Island reports a huge 1.5K cases on Thursday, 12/9/21, teasing the highest
levels of the pandemic. The states up and down the East Coast are experiencing
a rise in infections. US travel restrictions were softened no doubt leading to
the rise in cases.
The highly-vaccinated northeastern states, such as Vermont,
Maine and New Hampshire, are in shambles which has to be a clean-cut case of
waning vaccine efficacy. New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina and
other states are experiencing a rise in cases.
On the world stage, Europe continues struggling and the
Southeast Asia countries of South Korea, Vietnam and Laos remain a mess. Of
course, all eyes are on South Africa due to the new B11529 Omicron variant.
South Africa’s daily new cases chart is shown above. Daily
cases are in the 15K to 20K per day range and going parabolic. The peak of the
current wave 4 is 22.4K cases on Thursday, 12/9/21. If cases remain below
22.4K, a rosy path is ahead. If, however, cases pop above 22.4K, the walk down
the Primrose path to covid Hell begins.
Fortunately, the Omicron variant is not as deadly and this
is verified in the data and charts, so far, with deaths remaining subdued at 1
to 3 dozen per day.
Note the slope of the first 3 waves in South Africa all
identical (red lines). The current fourth wave is parabolic (vertical)
verifying that omicron is a more contagious pathogen.
South Africa is the test case for the Omicron variant so
much will be learned over the coming weeks. Omicron is spreading east and north
along the major roadways. The South Africa map is shown above and those small
lines with arrows are the major routes through the jungle nations. It is easy
to see how COVID-19 spreads out from the Gauteng epicenter (Pretoria and
Johannesburg) eastward to infect Eswatini and Mozambique and northward straight
into Zimbabwe. The infections will likely continue northward with Zambia and
Malawi next on the list for rising cases.
Eswatini’s daily cases chart is shown above and the nation
reports 1,084 daily new cases on Thursday, 12/9/21, the highest of the
pandemic. The daily cases in Mozambique and Zimbabwe move higher as the virus
spreads northward up the southeastern side of Africa.
The USA has the greatest number of total coronavirus cases
in the world at 50.7 million. India is next with 34.7 million total virus cases.
Brazil, UK, Russia, Turkey, France, Germany, Iran, and Argentina round out the
top ten ugly list. Over the last month, Germany has overtaken Spain, Argentina
and now Iran. Those Oktoberfest parties must have been a good time.
COVID-19 has infected 270 million people worldwide. 5.3 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.
243 million global citizens have recovered from China Flu. 90%
(243/270) 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% (5.3/270) 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 5 weeks a positive development for the planet. The
vaccinations may be helping to lower world’s death rate albeit by a small
amount.
3.5% (270/7670) 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 (5.3/7670) died from the pandemic; 1 in every 1,447 people.
In the United States, 51 million people are infected with covid.
817K Americans are dead. 40 million Americans have recovered from coronavirus. This
equates to 78.4% (40/51) 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% (817/51000) of the people infected with COVID-19
die. This number is sticky at 1.6% to 1.8% for many months. 1 in every 62 US
citizens that are infected with coronavirus die. 0.25% (817/330000) of
Americans have died from COVID-19 which is 1 in every 404 Americans.
15.5% (51/330) of the American population of 330 million
people, call it 16%, have been infected with covid. 1 in every 7 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 18.5% (50/270) of the COVID-19 cases
in the world. 1 in 5 people (5.4 to be exact which is 2 in 11) that become
infected with covid on planet earth are Americans. The US vaccination program
made an impact month’s ago, but not so much in recent weeks and months. The number
is flatlining. This percentage was 22% about 9 months ago.
The US accounts for 15.4% (817/5300) of the China Flu deaths
in the world. 1 in 7 people that die from COVID-19 around the world are Americans.
7 months ago, it was 1 in 5. The numbers are 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, actually 11 days this time, 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 62 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-second article is published on Saturday, 12/11/21,
a palindrome day. Winter is here again, oh Lord, as Journey would sing, with
snow appearing on the grass each morning in the northern US states. The
furnaces are running and humans are spending more time in the warm house
breathing each other’s recirculated air. Aunt Jane, that has not been feeling
well, practices her opera singing in the kitchen at dinner time.
The Coronavirus Coronavirus series of articles are the only
real-time source of information available continuously chronicling the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic during 2020, and 2021, and in the near future, 2022. Readers live and
breathe the pandemic, the worst in a century, as it occurs in real-time,
experiencing the daily virus zeitgeist, good or bad, devoid of political
correctness. This is not revisionist history-telling.
It is the raw pandemic truth and human emotion occurring, recorded
and chronicled in real time, without any allegiance to political parties or
media sources. The information is direct and unapologetic. A chronology can be
written no other way.
All 62 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.
Czechia (Sixth Wave)
11/26/21 New Case Peak Date
12/7/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
12/3/21 New Case Peak Date
12/14/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days) (curve has rolled over but give it a couple more
days)
12/3/21 New Case Peak Date
12/14/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/3/21 New Case Peak Date
12/14/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/3/21 New Case Peak Date
12/14/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/5/21 New Case Peak Date
12/16/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/6/21 New Case Peak Date
1/3/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
12/7/21 New Case Peak Date
12/18/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/8/21 New Case Peak Date
12/19/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
12/20/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
12/20/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
12/20/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
12/20/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/9/21
New Case Peak Date
12/20/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21
New Case Peak Date
12/21/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21
New Case Peak Date
12/21/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
12/21/21 Projected Active Case
Peak Date (based on 11 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
1/7/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
1/7/21 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (based on 28 days)
The charts are ugly. Europe remains a mess but Germany, Belgium and Netherlands may peak in the coming days with better times ahead. Western Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal) will remain engulfed with covid for a while. The Scandinavian countries are having a tough go. Denmark, Norway and Finland continue struggling and are unable to control the covid beast.
Sweden is added to the naughty list above. Wow! Sweden is
always portrayed as the country without mask rules but weathering the pandemic
fine. Well, they are in a new wave again so they will have to continue proving
that thesis. Despite the lack of mask mandates and other loose rules, many
Swedes wore masks and followed social distancing guidelines anyways.
The US is struggling and Canada is added to the bad list. Ireland
continues to struggle at handling the pandemic.
The UK is mired in elevated daily new cases as PM Boris
Johnson remains under fire for the Christmas party, and now there may have been
parties, last year, when the country was in lockdown. Rules for thee, not for
me.
Johnson says there were no parties but he may be on video
speaking at one of the events. The parties occurred at Number 10 Downing, the
prime minister’s residence, so Brit’s are not buying the excuse that he did not
know anything. Boris was probably the one wearing the lamp shade and refusing
to give up the karaoke mic. Johnson is a Teflon Tory prime minister (scandal
rolls off of him) but this time he may have met his match. People are fed up
with the pandemic and especially politicians imposing rules on everyone that
they do not follow themselves.
Chile, Russia, Greece, Austria and Hungary were removed from
the bad list since all their active cases curves are rolling over to form the
coveted bell shape. They are on the mend.
Bolivia remains a trouble spot in South America. Argentina
and Peru require close watching and may be added to the bad list next time. In
Southeast Asia, South Korea, Vietnam and Laos cannot catch a break; cases keep
rising.
South Africa is under siege from the new Botswana/South
Africa B11529 variant (omicron). The infections spread from the Gauteng
epicenter eastward to Eswatini that is added to the bad list. Infections also
spread north so Mozambique and Zimbabwe are also added to the bad list. Ditto
Namibia. Southern Africa is a new global covid hotspot along with Europe. Next
time, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and Ghana may be added to the naughty country
list.
The UK, Spain, Italy, Norway, South Korea and Laos daily new
cases charts are extremely ugly.
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.
The Thanksgiving Day and weekend parties and get-togethers
add to the daily cases in all 50 states but hey, don’t you have to live life? The
turkey was great and who does not like a couple of legs and thighs. The
next month likely dictates the fate of the pandemic in the US for the first
quarter (January, February, March). Keep your fingers crossed. Cases will jump
after Christmas and New Year’s so the tale will be told in early January.
Louisiana
(Fourth Wave) (data problem; Louisiana cases are down big for almost 4 months so
the active cases curve should have rolled over already)
8/13/21
New Case Peak Date
9/10/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve is flattening but taking its good ole
time)
8/24/21
New Case Peak Date
9/21/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve is flattening but taking its good ole
time)
8/29/21
New Case Peak Date
9/26/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve trying to flatten)
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)
12/1/21
New Case Peak Date
12/29/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve trying to flatten)
12/2/21
New Case Peak Date
12/30/21
Projected Active Case Peak Date
12/2/21
New Case Peak Date
12/30/21
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
12/3/21
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
12/3/21
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
12/4/21 New Case Peak Date
1/1/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date (curve is flattening)
12/6/21 New Case Peak Date
1/3/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
12/7/21 New Case Peak Date
1/4/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
12/8/21 New Case Peak Date
1/5/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
1/6/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
1/6/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
1/6/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
1/6/22 Projected Active Case Peak
Date
12/9/21 New Case Peak Date
1/6/22 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
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 have peaked)
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
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
1/7/21 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
The states in the central United States, northeast and along the East Coast are having a tough time. In the Midwest there is Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan sinking into the covid quagmire. The highly-vaccinated northeastern states such as Maine and Vermont are a mess.
The mid-Atlantic states Ohio and Pennsylvania are sick. The
East Coast states such as Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and others are smacked with rising cases entering America via boat
and airplane. California crosses the 5 million total cases level the Golden
State has 10% of the US virus cases.
North Carolina, Tennessee and Oklahoma were added to the bad
list. Mississippi, Nevada and West Virginia need watched closely and will
probably end up on the bad list next time. States that are hanging in there and
weathering the covid storm are Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Washington,
Oregon, Utah, Iowa, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming and Alaska.
The Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant (omicron) is in 25
US states and 67 countries.
The US stock market is erratic in recent weeks, very
volatile, with big price swings intraday and day to day. Prices on some major
indexes keep teasing at record highs. The inflation data is the highest in 4
decades brought on mainly by higher fuel and energy costs created by Biden’s
bonehead policies and climate change cheerleading. Biden blames the pandemic
for inflation but the increased demand for goods and services due to stimulus money
is secondary to his fuel and energy mistakes.
In the United States, the daily cases have to play out
through early January to find out the impact of the Christmas and New Year’s
parties. Daily cases should continue dropping in the coming days and hit a low
around Christmas Day followed by a steady uptick into the first days of
January.
Once US wave 6 rolls over, that may be the last hurrah for
the pandemic. The Whitehouse would be wise to ditch the vaccination only
strategy and instead embrace other proven therapies and treatments to fight
COVID-19. After all, the vaccines only last 3 to 6 months then require repeated
boosters.
The discussion will continue as to the definition of fully
vaccinated. Is it the original 2 shots, as it sits now, or is it 2 shots and a
booster 6 months later? Maybe the hang-up is actually calling the jabs a
vaccine? Maybe the jabs should instead be called the ‘COVID-19 death prevention
shots’.
America’s obesity problem contributes, in a major way, to
the horrendous 817K US deaths, and counting. Americans need to do their
push-ups; push themselves up and away from the dinner table. The extra weight
seriously taxes the heart and lungs and coronavirus is happy to infect an
already sick body. 80% of the COVID-19 deaths may have been prevented if
Americans were not overweight and obese.
The Johns-Hopkins data will exceed 800K American deaths any day so that will be displayed on the cable television news chyrons and red heads and a big news story for a couple days. As dirtbag Joseph Stalin said, “One death is a tragedy; one million (or 800,000 for coronavirus) is a statistic.”
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/12/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The B11529 Omicron variant is identified in 27 US states; over one-half the country. America reports 57.4K daily new cases for yesterday a lower weekend number. Today's cases should be lower. Last Saturday was a big 115K cases so 57K is a glorious sight. Last Saturday was 9 days after Thanksgiving Day when Aunt Jane entertained everyone with her projective opera singing but then told the party she was not feeling well. With the drop in cases week on week it hints that the pop in cases for the current wave 6 is mainly due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend get-togethers. As explained above, the rubber meets the road after the Christmas and New Year's parties. This places the United States in a holding pattern for the next 3 or 4 weeks since cases will pop higher, especially from1/1/22 through 1/3/22, but will they pop from a lower base or from a higher level? Pennsylvania reports over 11K daily new cases big numbers especially for a Saturday. The Keystone State is crumbling under the weight of COVID-19. Kentucky is devastated by the Friday tornadoes so covid cases will climb as the tragedy unfolds.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/12/21, at 5:00 AM EST: The South Africa reports 17K daily new cases. Thursday was the big 22.4K daily new cases, then Friday a drop to 19K cases and now to 17K an encouraging development. Maybe omicron is a pig in a poke? Although the cases are elevated, the doctors and nurses on the ground say hospitalizations are not increasing in any substantive way and neither are deaths. Eswatini reports 1,002 daily new cases a touch below the prior day's 1,084 cases. Mozambique reports 443 cases another high for the current wave going parabolic. Zimbabwe cases back off the peak on Friday. Zambia reports 235 cases beginning a new outbreak wave. Ditto Malawi. Cases spike over 1K in Namibia a high for the current wave now parabolic. The Omicron variant may be a fast moving pathogen. It is too early to tell but cases may jump higher faster due to the contagiousness of omicron but then recede just as fast. South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe had big spikes in daily cases but cases are hesitant to move higher for a day or two. As the virus spreads north in Africa, Mozambique is fully engulfed with cases continuing higher in the parabolic phase. Ditto Zambia and Malawi. It is easy to see how omicron is making its way northward from South Africa. Namibia is also in the phase of escalating cases in the parabolic phase. Angola is okay now but it will likely begin seeing a rise in daily cases in the days ahead.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/12/21, at 5:30 AM EST: Italy reports over 11K daily new cases the most for the current wave. Where's Prime Minister Draghi? Bueller? Draghi? Super Mario is not so super. 214 Italians ate their last spaghetti dinners over the last 2 days that is 107 people dying in Italy per day the deadliest numbers since May. Spain and Portugal remain in trouble. The UK remains under siege from covid and the Johnson scandals with the embattled prime minister proclaiming that Britain faces a "tidal Wave" of coronavirus cases. Sweden's cases continue higher. South Korea remains an absolute mess with the government unable to get the current wave under control. Ditto Vietnam at over 16K cases per day the highest ever except for one other day in August. Vietnam will likely set records for covid pain and misery this week. Oh no. Bolivia reports 1.9K daily new cases the most in nearly 5 months as the current wave starts to go parabolic. Is there a new variant in Bolivia, South America? The WHO would be smart to get a team in there, perhaps they are already there, and figure out what is going wrong in Bolivia.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/12/21, at 6:00 AM EST: Lord Fauci is a laughing stock and his messaging is ignored by America. The Saturday Night Live (SNL) comedy show pokes fun at Fauci, politicians and the pandemic. According to CDC data, 714 children from 0 to 18 years old have died from COVID-19 from January 2020 through 11/27/21. The CDC and Whitehouse ignore this statistic instead pumping fear into parents telling them their children need vaccinated without delay. Only 714 children have died from China Flu during the nearly 2-year pandemic. Think about that. It is likely very surprising to you if you never saw the number before. How can this be? 818K Americans have died from covid. Let's do some simple math. Of all the Americans that have died from coronavirus over the last couple years, only 0.09% are children (714/818,000=0.0009 times 100 to make it a percent=0.09%; nil). In other words, only 1 in every 1,146 American deaths from the Wuhan Virus are children (hit the 1/x inverse function on the calculator for 0.0009=1,146). These numbers are jaw-dropping and eye-opening even if you are not a parent! Further the 714 children that passed from covid had comorbidities, serious health problems or were overweight or obese. The data suggests that a healthy American child does not die from COVID-19. The media is not telling America this information that is CDC data. They want to stick your kid with the serum for a disease that will probably not impact them in any significant way. If you are a parent, especially of chubby kids, discuss this information with your doctors so you can chart the best path forward for your family.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/12/21, at 6:30 AM EST: It is another day in the never-ending pandemic so another odd story occurs. Washington state politician Doug Ericksen, 52, a senator on the state level, said he had contracted COVID-19 in El Salvador 3 weeks ago but has not been heard from since. A spokesperson said he was in a Fort Lauderdale hospital and that was confirmed but he is no longer there. Ericksen's whereabouts and medical condition remain a mystery until he surfaces to explain the drama. It is a twofer day of jackass stories. A man in New Zealand takes 10 vaccinations in a single day. Unvaccinated people are paying him to take the shot for them so they can acquire a vaccination card. People will always find a way to get around the system. Doctors say the shots should not harm him although he will be sick for several days. Clinics started noticing the man appearing repeatedly. This man was caught. Think about how many have not been caught around the world. The black market in vaccination cards also remains in play. The world was not prepared for a global pandemic and flounders each day at handling the human tragedy that originated in Wuhan, China.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/12/21, at 11:30 AM EST: The medical talking heads make the rounds on the Sunday morning political talk shows on television but do not offer anything new. On "This Week ABC," Fauci proclaims, "I think if you look at the data, the more and more it becomes clear that if you want to be optimally protected you really should get a booster. It's the optimal care." Most people do not understand what "optimal care" means. Americans no longer pay attention to Lord Fauci. He has become a caricature of himself. Medical officials in the US, UK and other nations finally recognize the waning vaccine efficacy and are cheerleading booster shots. New Hampshire republican Governor Sununu appears on the "Face the Nation" tv show, jokingly called "Deface the Nation," and says 20% of the hospitalized patients are vaccinated folks. New Hampshire is conducting booster blitz events to encourage folks to get their booster shots. The northeastern US states are in covid Hell right now despite being highly vaccinated. That is likely because they were highly vaccinated too long ago. An Israeli study confirms research performed by Pfizer and BioNTech, the mRNA vaccine makers, that a 3-dose regimen of shots, 2 initial shots followed by a booster jab 6 months later, provides significant protection against the Omicron variant. This is great news since the study is from Israel (rather than Big Pharma touting their own products) that has street cred with their coronavirus data and analysis. The harsh reality, however, is that for anyone unvaccinated, they would need 7 months or more to reach this level of protection against omicron.
Note Added Sunday Afternoon, 12/12/21: 30 US states have identified the B11529 Omicron variant and the District of Columbia (DC). MSNBC cable news (democrat-run media) is the first outlet to begin touting America's 800K deaths grim milestone scrolling a chyron, a red head, that says, "US BRACES FOR 800,000 COVID DEATHS." That will attract some eyeballs which raises ad revenue. Fear, and sex, sells. MSNBC shows a total death count at 799,989 only a whisker away from 800K. The Worldometer data is at 818K American deaths. Johns-Hopkins is at 797,346 deaths. The CDC COVID Data Tracker is at 793,937 deaths. The IHME is at 789K deaths. Going back to the Johns-Hopkins data which will be the first to cross the tragic 800K milestone after Worldometer, they report 1,189 Americans dying per day on average. Thus, J-H should be over the 800K deaths mark by Wednesday. Los Angeles places 113 firefighters on unpaid leave because they did not kneel before power to take the vaccine. Such Is America. When your house is burning, do you care if the firefighter is vaccinated? Apparently, millions of *sshole Americans do. Let it burn.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/13/21, at 4:00 AM EST: South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, 69, tests positive for COVID-19. Ramaphosa is fully vaccinated so it is another breakthrough case. The president uses the opportunity to encourage people to get vaccinated (a lot of good it did him). Instead of vaccines, perhaps the jabs should be more correctly called, "COVID-19 death prevention shots." The vaccinated become sick with covid and transmit the disease to others but the unvaccinated are blamed for everything that goes wrong with the pandemic. If you understand this, you can have a job at the CDC and will be given an honorary PhD degree. OH NO. SOUTH AFRICA REPORTS A HUMUNGOUS 38K DAILY NEW CASES. So much for the cases subsiding for a couple days; not anymore. Instead, the infections rocket launch into the stratosphere the most infections of the entire pandemic. Officials say over 70% of the new cases are omicron and this percentage is likely higher now. The new variant is highly contagious as the South Africa daily new cases chart (above) verifies in a parabolic phase with no end in sight. 38K cases yesterday is jaw-dropping and a terrible number forecasting big problems ahead for all of southern Africa and likely the rest of the world. 21 South Africans die yesterday from China Flu the death numbers are steady at 2 or 3 dozen per day so this is a good thing although 21 families will never be the same. The data and charts verify that the Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant (omicron) is highly transmissible but not as deadly as prior strains. Since cases are skyrocketing now, there is a lag time before deaths pop, so the jury remains out on the death count. Cases back off the peak again in Eswatini but it may be a false dawn like just occurred in South Africa. Cases are now jumping higher in Lesotho which would be expected; their data is less reliable like Botswana that is also seeing cases edge higher.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/13/21, at 4:30 AM EST: The UK continues battling an ongoing covid outbreak as PM Johnson remains under fire for partying with staff last year when he had the country in lockdown. Once elected, politicians nowadays think they are anointed as kings and queens and entitled to special rules and leniencies due to their royal stature. South Korea cases back off the record-setting highs three days ago so hope springs eternal that their tragic outbreak may be peaking. Saturday is the deadliest day ever of the pandemic in South Korea. Spain reports over 17K cases another high for the current wave. European jackasses worry about the healthcare systems across the continent because workers are burned-out and hospitals are understaffed. Maybe the morons should not have fired and chased away thousands of caregivers because they did not take the vaccination? Duh.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/13/21, at 5:00 AM EST: The US reports 39K daily new cases an expected lower Sunday number and below Saturday's 57K cases. Last Sunday was 85K cases and the Sunday before 60K cases so the nice low 39K cases is encouraging. The surge of cases after the Thanksgiving holiday may be played-out. As the wave 3 fractals show in the chart above, cases will likely drift lower into Christmas Day and then rise through the first days of January. We have to wait for 2 questions to be answered. First, how big will the Christmas and New Year's surge in infections be and second, from what base will that rise in infections occur? The story will not be known until the first days of January 3 weeks away. The US active cases chart shown above is at 9.98 million active COVID-19 cases in America a new record for the pandemic Over time, as more people become sick, more folks develop long-covid requiring extended healthcare. 167 Americans die yesterday.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/13/21, at 8:00 AM EST: The University of Oxford researchers in London say 2 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are less effective at fighting the Omicron variant. The group says more breakthrough cases will occur but may not lead to more severe illness, hospitalizations or deaths. The Oxford researchers are telling people to take the booster shot to increase protection. UK health data shows that the booster shot is about 70% to 75% effective at preventing a symptomatic omicron infection. The progress of the Omicron variant can be studied by watching the nations of southern Africa and the UK. Oh no. UK Prime Minister Johnson reports the first death from omicron. Global stock market indexes pull back slightly on the news. Johnson proclaims, "I'm afraid it is now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need." Thank you, Captain Obvious. Did all the vaccinated people showing up at the hospitals tell you that? UK officials decree that one-half of the COVID-19 cases will be the Omicron variant by the end of the year.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/13/21, at 9:00 AM EST: Today is the one-year anniversary of the first shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines under former President Trump's Operation Warp Speed. Too bad the vaccines lose their effectiveness after 3 to 6 months where the efficacy falls off a cliff requiring a booster shot that no one yet knows how long it lasts or how effective it will be against the Omicron variant. Other than that, the vaccines are a resounding success. In addition, the United States is now in its sixth infection wave. A year ago, the US was in wave 3 heading into the peak of the pandemic late December and early January. One year after the vaccinations started and it feels same-o, same-o. The pandemic is obnoxious Uncle Frank, always smelling of stale cigars and booze, that invited himself over to the house, and days later refuses to leave while complaining that there is not enough hot water. America is preoccupied with the horrific videos from the Midwest showing the devastation due to the massive string of tornadoes hitting multiple states. A couple of small towns are wiped off the map. About 100 will be dead after the bodies are tallied. As rescuers and neighbors continue sorting through the devastation hoping for a miracle (finding someone still alive), no one is concerned about wearing a mask or asking who is vaccinated.
Note Added Monday Afternoon, 12/13/21: The NFL (American football) reports that 37 players, coaches and staff test positive for coronavirus the most ever. Everyone is vaccinated so it is another 37 breakthrough cases which are now as common as the privileged elite class vacationing in Martha's Vineyard. The NBA also reports elevated cases. Both football and basketball games may be threatened if the players keep testing positive for covid. The Air Force discharges 27 service men and women because they refused to get vaccinated. All have nearly 6 years experience and a lot to offer but stupid America sends them on their way preferring to be less prepared. About 97% of the people in the services (Air Force, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Space Force) are vaccinated. About 1,000 are refusing the shots. About 5,000 have claimed religious and medical exemptions. With COVID-19 cases rising, California democrat Governor Newsom reimposes the indoor mask rules. Wearing a mouth diaper while standing under the mistletoe with pretty Belinda is not going to cut it. New York is enforcing its indoor mask mandate for anyone 2 years and older. It is sickening. A 2-year old? Come on, now. Anecdotal evidence across America show citizens doing their own thing. If you want to wear a mask, wear one, if not, don't. Everyone is getting on with life and the ongoing medical pundit directives only serve as background noise. Philadelphia is concerned about the rising hospital cases and is imposing a vaccine requirement for anyone eating inside a bar or restaurant. Your papers, please.
Note Added Monday Evening, 12/13/21: Pfizer says the new COVID-19 pill, Paxlovid, an anti-viral treatment, cuts the risk of hospitalization by 89%. The pill must be used within days of the onset of symptoms like mAb treatments. Pundits stress that vaccinations remain the key tool to fight coronavirus. Of course they do. The one-trick pony show will keep pumping vaccinations as the only solution to the pandemic even though the data is showing waning efficacy and the jabs are providing lower protection against the oncoming Omicron variant. Colorado democrat Governor Polis will not impose a statewide mask mandate saying that the pandemic is over. Polis says the government should not "tell people what to wear" and the vaccines mark "the end of the medical emergency." The Supreme Court shoots-down a request by healthcare workers, doctors and nurses in New York trying to stop the vaccine mandate. The mandate remains in place but faces other court challenges. Hospitals are begrudgingly reversing their draconian vaccine mandates. The labor shortages are serious and yet the *ssholes tried to shove vaccinations down healthcare worker's throats anyway. The hospitals and healthcare companies flinch. HCA Healthcare and Tenet Healthcare, massive conglomerates in the medical industry, both drop their vaccine mandates. Money always controls people's decisions. Humans are of three minds; the brain itself, the heart and the wallet.
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 12/14/21, at 5:00 AM EST: South Africa reports 13K daily new cases a big drop off the humungous 38K case yesterday. The numbers remain jumpy. Studies indicate that the Omicron variant is creating less hospitalizations than prior COVID-19 strains and outbreaks. Cases remain elevated in Eswatini and Zimbabwe. Lesotho cases pop to 419 the most since August. Ditto Malawi as cases pop to 115. Generally, the jury remains out on the Omicron variant. Looking back at the doom and gloom predicted on Friday 12/3/21, now 11 days ago, the spread would be expected to be more forceful. A few more days and week or two will be needed to assess omicron but perhaps it goes the way of mu and lambda (never posing a serious global threat).
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 12/14/21, at 6:00 AM EST: Canada's cases are running over 4.5K per day with a new wave underway. Russia continues improving as total China Flu cases cross over the 10 million milestone. The UK reports 55K daily new cases the ugly numbers show no sign of slowdown. The UK is on its booster blitz trying to jab as many arms as possible as fast as possible. UK PM Johnson decrees, "Get boosted now." Other nations are adopting the same approach encouraging citizens to take the booster shots right away since the initial 2 mRNA shots are not that effective against the new variant. Germany and France report cases coming off the peak a few days ago but Italy and Spain keep reporting elevated cases. Oh no. Finland reports 4.3K daily new cases the most ever. Keystone cancels the trip to Helsinki but so looked forward to seeing the colorful buildings and ornate churches again. Cases remain elevated in Norway. Whoa. Denmark reports 7.8K daily new cases the most ever as deaths cross the 3K grim milestone. As Billy wrote in "Hamlet" the epic tragedy, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 12/14/21, at 9:35 AM EST: Fauci appears on CNN (democrat-run) media. He cites a study where the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is only about 33% effective against the Omicron variant (the initial 2 shots). Fauci says a booster shot greatly increases the protection against omicron. "It's pretty-good (protection)." He dodges the question about what is the definition of fully vaccinated; is it 2 shots or 3 shots? The situation is confusing to businesses and the public due to the vaccine mandates. Fauci says hospitalizations due to omicron are less than delta and other variants. He discusses the new Pfizer COVID-19 pill and how it reduces hospitalization and death by 89% if given during the first few days of infection. Fauci touts vaccinations as usual. Singer songwriter Billie Eilish, who is a top voice of the not yet fully understood Generation Z (young folks that are 10 to 25 years old), praises vaccinations, so the democrat-run media news outlets run her story. Eilish says she was vaccinated, but in August got COVID-19, and was seriously ill for 2 months, but then recovered, and says she would have died if she did not have the mRNA shots. "I didn't die, and I wasn't gonna die, but that does not take away from how miserable it was. I still have side effects. I wanna be clear that it is because of the vaccine that I'm fine." What is she on? That is a convoluted story. What is she smokin' today as she sings "Bad Guy?" The young folks listen to what Billie says so the Whitehouse and CDC are doing cartwheels in the hallway when one of the most influential Gen Z'er's blesses vaccinations. Perhaps the government slipped her a few thou to tout the story? Or perhaps promised her some future lucrative gigs in The Hamptons and Martha's Vineyard?
Note Added Tuesday Morning, 12/14/21, at 11:30 AM EST: On NBC (democrat-run) media, CDC Director Walensky appears on NBC media (broadcast television (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, NPR) is democrat-run media) proclaiming, "We still have about 120K new cases per day and the vast majority of them are delta. We have seen it (omicron) in 33 states and 77 countries worldwide. We are now detecting it (omicron) ... in about 3% (of the cases) across the nation and in about 13% (of the cases) in New York and New Jersey. It (omicron) is rapidly becoming the predominant strain." Walensky says omicron doubles about every 2 days. The discussion heralds the new Pfizer COVID-19 pill as a great new tool for the covid toolbox (as soon as it is approved for emergency use). It is interesting that omicron is spreading faster in New York and New Jersey than elsewhere. These are East Coast states that have seen increased cases over the last week or more as the chronology has highlighted. The CDC may discover that omicron is also increasing in other East Coast states such as Delaware, Rhode Island and the Carolina's. The Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant (omicron) is likely entering the United States via the East Coast and will probably spread westward across America. Happy New Year. Old Man 2021 exits the year broken down and sick from COVID-19 unable to achieve the goals promised. In comes Baby New Year 2022 but instead of hearing joyous infant giggles, the young one coughs and hacks stricken with long-covid and mental health issues. The once in a century pandemic from Wuhan, China, that started in 2019, and hits America in January 2020 (likely sooner), lingers through 2020 and 2021. The never-ending saga of sickness and death continues its path of misery and mayhem into 2022. What is there to celebrate? Put down that noisemaker and take off that silly pointed hat.
Note Added Tuesday Afternoon, 12/14/21: Speaking in Geneva, Switzerland, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, try to fit that on a business card, Dr Tedros, that loves a warm bed with Dictator Xi, proclaims, "Omicron is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant." Tedros cranks-up the fear machine decreeing, "The reality is that omicron is probably in most countries, even if it hasn't been detected yet." Tedros goes back to ogling the pretty snow bunnies on the slopes of La Dole, a lovely Swiss resort near Geneva. Say hello to Paulo and Mia; they will take care of you. Moderna's Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Burton stokes the fear machine. Burton claims that people need to worry about a "dual infection" of the Delta and Omicron variants. Burton says the "two viruses are going to coexist." Of course, if you order by midnight tonight, and use the promo code FEAR, you too can receive a new shipment of Moderna vaccine ready for children and adults by lunchtime tomorrow. Don't delay, because a dual-covid attack, is on the way. He is selling magical elixir from the back porch of the carnival wagon that just rolled into town. Gather round folks. The mRNA jabs are guaranteed to stop you from dying from COVID-19, but not much else. Step right up. How about you sir? You look morbidly obese.
Note Added Tuesday Evening, 12/14/21: The Amtrak railway system is the latest to rescind the vaccine mandate garbage. Amtrak changes policy announcing that testing and other lenient options will be available to unvaccinated employees. Companies are short-staffed and cannot afford to lose workers especially over the unconstitutional vaccine mandate nonsense. The NFL (American football) reports another 28 players testing positive for COVID-19 in addition to the prior 37 people. Breakthrough cases galore. The NHL (hockey) cancels its ninth game of the season due to covid illnesses in the vaccinated players. The NBA (basketball) is also cancelling games due to breakthrough cases. People have a false sense of security after they are vaccinated. They think they are highly protected but in reality this is only true for 3 to 6 months after which the vaccine efficacy drops like a rock. The vaccinated, however, keep walking around maskless, acting invincible, spreading virus and testing positive for illness. Many unvaccinated folks are getting sick from the vaccinated spreading the virus. Dear Lord. Over 900 students test positive during the last week at Cornell University, an Ivy League college in Ithaca, New York. What is going on there? Orgies? Cornell is a liberal institution (democrat tribe) so the students were all good little bitches and knelt before the dean to receive their vaccinations. Every infection is a breakthrough case; 903 in all, and counting. Worse, scientists say the majority of infections are the Omicron variant. Some students also had their booster shots. The university is shut down. The breakthrough cases keep stacking up bigtime but the CDC keeps sweeping the numbers under the rug. Americans are starting to notice the lump in the carpet. America's leaders have learned nothing after 2 years. Those Cornell students are returning home and will spread the Omicron variant far and wide across the land.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/15/21, at 1:00 AM EST: Studies from Hong Kong University and elsewhere report that the Sinovac vaccine, called Coronavac, is found to be an inadequate vaccine against the Omicron variant. The shots do not provide adequate antibodies so China's zero-covid policy may be in jeopardy. If China is hit with omicron, that will greatly impact the delivery of goods around the world. Researchers are studying if a third shot of Coronavac provides any protection against omicron. Asia stock markets trade flat to lower on the news overnight. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index drops -1.2% and China's Shanghai Index loses -0.5% on the news.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/15/21, at 1:30 AM EST: Bingo. The Johns-Hopkins data reports American deaths at 800,343 crossing above the grim 800K deaths milestone. News services are touting the lousy milestone as the day's headline and the media outlets will pump the sad news all day long. Worldometer is at 821K American deaths. The CDC COVID Data Tracker is at 796K. The IHME is at 791K. The untold story is all the lives lost due to suicides, drug overdoses and worsened health conditions during the pandemic. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation attempts to qualify all deaths for all reasons during the pandemic and places this total at 918K. Using the Worldometer numbers, 370K Americans died in 2020 and 451K died in 2021. In the political arena, since it is a political pandemic, 434K Americans died under former President Trump's watch (through 1/20/21; Inauguration Day) and 387K died under President Biden's watch and counting. The tragic wave 3 devastation sent many Americans to graves in late December and early January. The republican media touts more deaths this year than last, when King Donnie was in power, while the democrat media touts more deaths under Trump than under their leader, Sleepy Joe Biden. This is the political reality of a corrupt crony capitalism system on its last legs. The republican tribe has a new talking point where they can say more deaths occur under Biden (387K) than last year when Trump was president (370K) but that is conveniently ignoring the disastrous death pile in January when Trump was still president, but he spent each day sniveling and whining in the Lincoln bedroom as a sore loser cry baby after the election loss. The 80-day petty mess after the November 2020 election is Trump's legacy and how the orange one is remembered; a loser.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/15/21, at 2:30 AM EST: The United States crosses the 51 million total infections level the milestones tick by and no one pays attention anymore. Pandemic burnout, or covid burnout, or China Flu burnout, whatever you want to call it, is real and inflicting many Americans. People are running a covid marathon race that they did not prepare for or know was coming. Life does not have a reverse; you can only go forward. The US reports 108K daily new cases for yesterday an elevated number. The 7-day MA is at 117K cases per day. US active cases top 10 million for the first time ever. Doctors, nurses and medics have job security for the next couple years or more. 1.6K Americans die yesterday most likely not knowing that monoclonal antibody treatments and other therapies are available. Families will not be happy when they understand this in the weeks and months ahead. A key Biden failure in handling the pandemic is the single focus on vaccinations while ignoring, even denigrating and dissing, other proven treatments for COVID-19. Oh no. Rhode Island looks like it was rode hard and put away wet reporting over 1.2K daily new cases the most for the current wave and not seen since the first days of the year. 6 Rhode Islander's die which is a small number but the most since February and March. Cases spike in Connecticut and remain elevated in Massachusetts. New York reports a big 12.4K daily new cases for Monday the highest since January. In Minnesota, nine cry-baby doctors take out an ad in the Minneapolis Star Tribune moaning about the pandemic. The headline reads; "We're heartbroken. We're overwhelmed." They say, "The situation is critical" and ask people to get vaccinated and boosted, wear a mask, socially distance, get tested if sick, and encourage others to take these steps. It sounds like the same thing everyone has been doing the last couple years. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. What it shows is that Minnesota has inept hospital managers that did not properly prepare the state for projected disasters. Minnesota officials probably could not manage themselves out of a paper bag even if you gave them a boxcutter. Decades ago, in his youth, as part of his Jack Kerouac-type restless and wandering years traveling across the US, Keystone worked on the Mesabi Iron Range of northern Minnesota. They had a funny saying up there due to living in the harsh winter climate; "Minnesota, where the men are men and the women are too." Folks are tough up there, resilient, and will make it through the COVID-19 outbreak wave despite the whining from nine whimpy doctors. Do you want a little cheese to go with that whine? Do a little more working and a little less moaning. Nurse Goodbody is unhappy with Keystone's harsh depiction of those fine Minnesotan doctors. The stress is likely getting to them and in fairness, if the omicron infections rise at a crazy pace, the hospital system will be in turmoil. A big fear among all United States hospitals right now is that the highly contagious omicron will knock out big chunks of staff (since breakthrough cases are high) that will bring the system to its knees.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/15/21, at 3:00 AM EST: Arizona says 10 hospitals are at capacity. Why? Arizona's daily cases peaked on Saturday, 12/4/21. Arizona's active cases chart has flattened and is dropping, not an easy thing to accomplish, and it shows that the state is on the mend. 203 Arizonians die yesterday and that is bad news the most deaths since February. Is Arizona using widespread mAb treatments? Probably not due to the number of people croaking. According to the CDC data, Arizona hospital admissions are dropping. Ditto hospitalizations. Sounds like the Arizona officials are spinning yarns. The hospitalizations are only one-half or less the peak from January. It looks like Arizona is another victim of incompetent officials and inept hospital managers. It would be interesting to know if a lot of people carrying covid and croaking are the illegal aliens (migrants) crossing the porous southern border. Today's odd story is from California where taxpayer money is used to train dogs to sniff COVID-19 in socks. The socks are from a patient and the dog is not actually smelling covid but instead the sweaty chemical-laden foot perspiration of the covid-infected body. Don't we have great and cheap tests that can quickly tell a person if they have COVID-19? Why don't they instead use that dog party money to save American lives today with monoclonal antibody treatments? The Whitehouse scales back on holiday parties and plans due to the lingering COVID-19 outbreak (wave 6).
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/15/21, at 3:30 AM EST: Kroger, the large US grocery chain, decides to further screw workers taking away emergency leave days for unvaccinated employees and deducting health surcharges from their wages. The egghead executives that run Kroger, that grew up with silver spoons in their mouths, are clueless. Sure a few more workers will get vaccinated but whoopsies daisies, that whole crate of ketchup, in glass bottles, just slipped off the fork truck. Sorry, boss. Or how about price mistakes now occurring with frequency in the store. Sorry, boss, I guess I goofed, do you want me to fix them? Workers realize the company does not care about them and retribution will be on many minds. You want to play? Let's play. This is the way the world works. Clean-up in aisle 5. Joey, that was forced to take a jab last Tuesday, accidentally swings his broom sideways knocking off bottles of pickles that explode onto the floor. It stinks and a customer is complaining that they are cut by a piece of glass. Oh my. Heavens to Betsy. Sorry, boss, oh clumsy me, do you want me to clean it up? The manager cannot provide direction because he is in the back room trying to figure out why employee theft has tripled over the last 2 months oddly right when the vaccine mandate started. Good luck, Kroger. United Airlines CEO Kirby continues taking a hardline on vaccine mandates, threatening the pilots, telling them that the religious and medical exemptions claims will be reviewed closely. United must be a miserable place to work. Delta Airlines and American Airlines are not taking as hard a line against their employees with vaccine mandates. Comically, considering the ongoing political pandemic, America will become two airline tribes like everything else; the blue democrat United Airlines and the red republican Delta Airlines and American Airlines. In Congressional hearings yesterday, Texas republican Senator Cruz took United CEO Kirby to task telling him that what he is doing to employees (vaccine mandates) is wrong. At the same hearing, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines say the mask mandate on flights should end. You could have heard a pin drop; that idea floats over the room like a lead balloon. The CEO's say the cabin air is the cleanest and safest air available even better than the air in an intensive care unit (ICU). That is a funny analogy by the executive although he means it as serious. People are sick of masks and after 2 years, the face thongs have not stopped five US outbreak waves; are masks useful? Parents win a major battle against the powerful Los Angeles school system (LAUSD) that delays the implementation of the vaccine mandate until Fall 2022.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/15/21, at 4:30 AM EST: South Africa reports 24K daily new cases so the jumpy numbers keep everyone guessing. The 7-day MA is parabolic at 22K cases per day. Boom. Eswatini reports over 1.2K daily new cases the most ever. Cases pop higher in Botswana. Mozambique reports another big pop higher in cases. Ditto Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Namibia. COVID-19 infections, likely heavily laden with omicron, continue moving northward up the southeastern side of Africa with Malawi and Zambia at the front of the moving wave currently. Cases in Angola remain in check for now but have to be monitored to see if the infections spread from Namibia and then begin traveling up Africa's west coast. The UK is under siege reporting nearly 60K daily new cases almost the highest ever. PM Boris Johnson remains mired in scandal and the pandemic spinning out of control is not going to help. Members in his own party are starting to distance themselves from Boris which may be a sign of what is coming for the embattled partier. Boom. France reports 63.4K daily new cases the highest ever except for 11/7/20 over one year ago. 243 French drank their last glass of wine on Monday the most deaths since May. France declares that citizens 65 years and over must kneel and take the booster shot to validate their health pass. Your papers, please. Germany foils a plot to assassinate politician Michael Kretschmer in Saxony planned by a group that is against vaccine mandates. Spain reports over 26K daily new cases a big spike higher. The clock just fell off the wall at the Prado art museum. 94 South Koreans die yesterday the deadliest day of the pandemic. Souls rise up from Seoul.
Note Added Wednesday Morning, 12/15/21, at 10:00 AM EST: 36 US states have identified the Omicron variant. 1 in 6 US hospitals report staff shortages. Of course they do. After the jackass executives denigrate healthcare workers imposing vaccine mandates, when they have been working around covid patients for over a year and unvaccinated, chasing people away from the profession, at least away from working at hospitals, now the morons say heavens to Betsy, we have staff shortages. Ditch the vaccine mandates and quit harassing hardworking healthcare folks. Show the nurses more appreciation and do not mistreat them if they do not want vaccinated. Don't be an American Idiot.
Note Added Wednesday Afternoon, 12/15/21, at 1:00 PM EST: Twitter is making a boneheaded error proclaiming that it will discipline and crackdown on any tweets that say vaccinated people can transmit COVID-19. Who are these *ssholes making fools of themselves? Their information is wrong and flat-out misinformation when it claims to be the correct information. It makes you laugh out loud. It is a fact that vaccinated people are getting sick with COVID-19 and can transmit the disease both to other vaccinated people or to the unvaccinated. Get with the program. Here, idiots, maybe the horse's mouth will convince you how stupid you are. CDC Director Walensky said the other day, "High viral loads suggest an increased risk of transmission and raised concern that unlike with other variants, vaccinated people infected with delta can transmit the virus." Capisce? And obviously, currently, most of the omicron cases are in people that are vaccinated. Who are those folks at Twitter with the low IQ? The breakthrough cases continue increasing each day. As previously mentioned, the vaccines should not be called vaccines and instead should be named, "COVID-19 death prevention shots." Since vaccinated folks can still get sick with COVID-19 and transmit the pathogen, when you think about it, in a nutshell, the vaccinated folks are more worried about dying from the virus and contracting long-covid, while the unvaccinated are more concerned about the long-term effects of the vaccines. Typically, the side effects of vaccines are known within 6 months but no one should fault a person that decides to wait a year or two to make sure. This is why the pro-vaccine argument comparing the covid jabs to other childhood vaccinations is childish and not applicable. Those vaccines, such as measles and mumps, have been around for decades and are proven. The covid vaccines are only in use for a year or less. The unvaccinated folks are not anti-vaccine although the democrat press, following the Whitehouse playbook, tries to paint this picture. The majority of the unvaccinated are likely pro-vaccine but not these vaccines, at this time, but most will likely come around in a year or two. Many are very educated about the pandemic and medical issues. About 20% of the population said they would not take the vaccines before they were even developed and it is about the same percentage now. This proves that Trump and Biden are failed leaders since they both ignored the situation staring at them in the face, that they knew would happen, but simply hoped these folks would take the shots. Hope is never a winning strategy and verifies the level of incompetence in both men.
Note Added Wednesday Evening, 12/15/21, at 6:00 PM EST: Disgraced former New York Governor Cuomo is told to return $5.1 million in book proceeds by a New York ethics commission. Casanova Cuomo allegedly used his staff to research and write the book while on the taxpayer dime. Shamefully, Cuomo was negotiating the book deal as he sent thousands of seniors, infected with COVID-19, back to nursing homes in early 2020 where they infected other elderly patients and staff, killing over 10K New Yorker's in all. The nursing home scandal will forever be a dirty stain on the disgraced Cuomo name. Cuomo's lawyers plan to fight the order. The book was on leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic which makes you laugh out loud since he likely wanted to use it as a stepping stone to make a bid for the presidency in 2024. All presidential candidates typically release a book before they announce a run so Americans can get to know them and they develop name recognition and most importantly, donors give them money in the corrupt crony capitalism system so they can fund a campaign (of course they are then beholding to their money masters). Cuomo can kiss that goal goodbye. He'll end up hanging out at the swimming pool at the local country club making passes at the teenage girls. The book is of no use when it comes to leadership tips unless you do the opposite of what it says. Perhaps it has instructions on how to kill people in nursing homes? The book is very useful, however, if you need to steady a wobbly table (place it under the leg).
Note Added Wednesday Evening, 12/15/21, at 7:00 PM EST: Fauci appears on democrat-friendly CNN cable television repeating the same-o stuff. He admits that "there will be breakthrough infections. The vulnerable people are the people not vaccinated." He says, "We have the tools" to fight covid. He is asked about changing the definition of fully vaccinated to mean 2 initial shots and the booster jab. Lord Fauci wants to steer clear of this hot potato declaring, "Well, it's a semantic thing." That is what people say when they do not have an answer. Fauci is asked about the holidays (as if the average American gives a crap what Lord Fauci has to say anymore) and suggests that the vaccination status should be checked for all guests. Fauci puts on his Grinch hat and says everyone should "try to restrict activities." He says wear masks indoors in crowded settings. If you pull the string sticking out of the back of Fauci's suit jacket, his mouth moves and you hear the words, "Get vaccinated" and "get boosted." In a different interview, Fauci proclaims that there is no need for a variant-specific booster at this point. Of course he says that because he wants more people to take booster shots right away and not wait for the omicron shot. Americans see through the hollow words and know they are being played by Lord Fauci. When credibility is lost, people do not know what to believe so most stop listening. Studies show that the J&J vaccine is found to not provide adequate protection against the Omicron variant. The news is not surprising since the Whitehouse and CDC tell anyone with the Johnny John shot to get a mRNA vaccine 2 months after. That is not a ringing endorsement for Johnson & Johnson.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/16/21, at 2:00 AM EST: Planet earth veers off the road into the covid weeds reporting 715K daily new cases yesterday matching the cases on 12/3/21 and comparing back to numbers not seen since August. Not good. 8.2K global citizens die from the China Virus yesterday. South Africa is the focus since it is the epicenter of the Omicron variant reporting 26.4K daily new cases an elevated number and above the prior day's 23.9K cases. It is a positive that the South Africa cases have not surpassed the 37.9K cases on 12/12/21 the peak thus far for the current fourth wave and highest cases ever. Oh no. South Africa reports 54 deaths yesterday the first sign that the mortality rate is rising. The deaths were steady at the 2 or 3 dozen per day rate but over 4 dozen dead bodies gets your attention. Eswatini reports 1.5K daily new cases the highest ever. Mozambique reports nearly 1K cases yesterday the most for the current wave that is parabolic. Zambia is at 573 cases yesterday the most for the current new wave going parabolic. Ditto Malawi. Omicron is spreading northward in southern and middle Africa. Oh no. Angola reports 90 daily new cases yesterday a big pop higher the most cases in almost 2 months. Omicron is likely spreading from Namibia northward into Angola.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/16/21, at 2:30 AM EST: In Europe, Germany's active cases curve is finally flattening and rolling over to start to form the coveted bell shape to indicate that the worst is over for the healthcare system. France remains in the thick of the covid fight with 66K cases yesterday another record high for the current wave almost the highest ever. Despite the draconian rules, French lovers must be meeting in secret, spreading virus, unable to give up their wine, baguette and cigarettes. On this day in Paris in 1921, the Bloody Mary drink was invented at Harry's Bar. The French need to put the booze and baguette down and go home if they want to stop the virus from spreading. Italy is over 23K cases per day and getting sicker every day. Italian deaths are at 7-month highs which are going to start raising eyebrows. Boom. Spain reports over 27K daily new cases the highest for the current parabolic wave and deaths are edging higher at 2-month highs. Oh no. Portugal reports 5.8K daily new cases the most for the current wave and not seen since early February. Keystone cancels his trip to the Pena National Palace in Sintra. Denmark reports 8.8K daily new cases the most ever. Ditto Norway reporting the most cases ever over the last 2 days. Sweden reports the most cases for the current wave now well underway. The UK reports a huge crazy spike higher to 79K daily cases far and away the most ever. It is wild. The UK is in serious trouble and warns that the Omicron variant poses a serious threat. Canada is telling citizens to limit social interaction and not travel abroad as cases increase. Canucks are sick of the pandemic like everyone else and unhappy with the ongoing government control. The Calgary Flames hockey team reports over a dozen covid infections. Sports leagues are a mess with breakthrough cases as common as snow this time of year. Interestingly, many athletes in the NFL, NHL and NBA are vaccinated with the single-shot J&J vaccine so obviously that vaccine does not hold up well. Humorously, although it is disturbing at the same time, if you had the J&J one and done shot a few months ago, you are about as well protected as someone unvaccinated. It is funny. You are allowed to laugh. The NFL is telling all players to get booster shots as fast as possible to stem the covid tide. In South America, Bolivia continues struggling with elevated daily cases not subsiding. In Southeast Asia, Vietnam and Laos remain a mess. South Korea is a covid Hell hole with over 7.8K daily new cases the most ever. Tuesday was the deadliest day ever for South Korea. Whatever they are doing in South Korea, it ain't workin'. China is struggling with small local outbreaks with the Olympic games only 50 days away. After this global review, it is easy to see why the world reports 715K daily new cases. It is sickening. The pandemic lingers on with no end in sight after 2 years. People are burned-out from pandemic fatigue and at wits' end. Hence, humans get snippier and more ignorant with each other each day. Don't let that happen to you. "Don't Worry Be Happy."
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/16/21, at 3:00 AM EST: The US reports 137K daily new cases for yesterday. Bummer. Cases are on the rise this week thus far but would be expected to slump off over the coming days into Christmas Day (following last year's pattern). If the US cases continue edging higher, that would indicate the Omicron variant is at play and starting to wreak havoc. The 7-day MA for US daily cases is at 120K cases per day and if cases are over 120K each day forward, the average will move higher. It is lousy news. 1.7K Americans die yesterday many needlessly and because of the narrow focus on Biden's vaccination-only policy. Keystone is at the morgue checking out the dead covid bodies. How many of you dead folks received monoclonal antibody treatments? None of the stiffs raise their hand. New York state reports 14.3K daily new cases the most for the current wave and not seen since January. It looks extremely ugly for the Empire State. The lighted ball that drops in Times Square in New York City, to usher in the New Year 2022, just fell off the scaffolding shattering into little pieces that look like the coronavirus particles. The 7-day MA for New York cases is over 111K cases per day. New York is under siege. Broadway shows are cancelled including the hits "Hamilton" and "Moulin Rouge!." Keystone cancels plans to visit the Big Apple on New Year's Eve. Apple closes 3 stores, and likely more to come, due to the covid outbreak. Philadelphia is telling residents to not have holiday parties. Merry Christmas. Ohio reports a big jump in cases to 10.6K yesterday teasing the highest levels ever. Rhode Island reports over 1.4K daily new cases testing the highest numbers ever. Cornell, Princeton, DePaul and other US universities are going back to remote learning due to outbreaks of China Flu on campus. Americans are commenting that, after 2 years, it feels like the pandemic is going in reverse (getting worse). The covid stink lingers across the fruited plains.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/16/21, at 3:30 AM EST: Biden was elected to handle the pandemic. Instead, he is bungling the handling of the virus with the same incompetence as Trump while distracted by climate change and other issues the majority of the country is not interested in. New polls are damaging for Sleepy Joe. 66% of Americans, two-thirds of the population, have lost trust in Biden's leadership. 60% of the nation do not want Biden to run for reelection. He did not do the job he was hired for; the pandemic. Biden does not provide access for reporters so the rumors increase that he is cognitively unable to conduct a press conference. As you age, you may become slow in your responses but the words are intelligent. With Biden, he may be a touch slow, but the slurred speech, mixing of words, and at times confused look in his eyes, hints that something else is going on, and, if so, the Whitehouse staff and cabinet are trying to hide it from the public's eye. On his way to the helicopter, a reporter shouts a question asking for a comment on the 800K dead Americans from COVID-19, the origin of coronavirus, and why he is not taking a tougher stance against China. Biden listens to the question perhaps trying to assemble a response, but instead grins, and walks away, without saying anything, probably because he could not put together a coherent answer. Also, perhaps he defends Dictator Xi since the dirtbag CCP leader has photo's and CD's in a manila envelope marked Joe and Hunter Biden. Trump was always sweet on Dictator Putin kissing his arse while Biden is sweet on filthy Xi the communist kissing the CCP's arse. Wealthy corrupt Americans sold the USA out over the last 5 decades. President Biden visits the tornado-stricken Midwest and is met with a small crowd chanting, "Let's Go Brandon," which is the meme that means, "F*%# Joe Biden." Biden was hired to handle the pandemic. Instead, the pandemic remains a chaotic and confusing mess and at the same time Sleepy Joe botches the Afghanistan withdrawal, creates a southern border crisis and generates an inflation crisis due to his boneheaded energy policy (fuel costs climb so all costs climb). No wonder Biden's poll numbers are circling the toilet drain. He had an easy job just to handle the pandemic and not touch anything else but he blew it.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/16/21, at 9:00 AM EST: American health officials and hospital managers keep sounding the fear alarm for 3 key reasons; COVID-19 (currently dominated by the Delta variant), the Omicron variant and the standard flu. Cases are rising in all three areas. Flu is mainly attacking the 5 to 24 year old's in the US. The following nations are printing new record highs in daily new cases; UK, Denmark, Norway, South Korea, Vietnam, Laos, South Africa and Eswatini. Belgium, Germany and Netherlands are coming off their peak all-time record highs in daily cases a week ago so central Europe is improving. The European mayhem has been driven by the Delta variant so the jury remains out as to how much trouble is in store with the Omicron variant. Italy begins vaccinating children 11 years old and older and extends a State of Emergency until 3/31/22. No pasta for you.
Note Added Thursday Morning, 12/16/21, at 11:00 AM EST: Regeneron's current monoclonal antibody treatment, like the vaccines, is found to be less effective against the Omicron variant. REGN stock tanks -5%. Japan is concerned about the myocarditis risk in young men that are vaccinated and is now labeling the vaccines with a warning about the injection's side effects. Athletes around the world are contracting covid despite vaccination. European football (American soccer) players are dropping like flies but the illnesses are presenting as mild to moderate symptoms. However, Israel and other nations are extremely worried about FIFA players killing over from heart attacks. The Israeli Real-Time News says, over the last year, that 183 professional athletes and coaches have suddenly collapsed, and 108 did not get back up. 44% of the cases were athletes that were training or in a game at the time of the collapse. The major cause of death was myocarditis, pericarditis, heart attacks and cardiac arrest with the second cause blood-clotting issues. That's interesting. These same side effects can occur with the vaccines and all athletes around the world were forced to be vaccinated. Maybe it is a coincidence?
Note Added Thursday Afternoon, 12/16/21, at 3:00 PM EST: Right-wing AM talk radio host Mike Gallagher tests positive for coronavirus despite being vaccinated and boosted. Gallagher is in isolation and will receive monoclonal antibody treatment tomorrow. Breakthrough cases are receiving big attention since vaccinated athletes, celebrities and politicians are in the spotlight daily. The occurrence of omicron in vaccinated and vaccinated and boosted folks are concerning many Americans. The vaccinations are based on the earlier strains such as delta so the effectiveness wanes as different mutations occur. American arms will turn into pincushions receiving endless booster shots. President Biden says, "For the unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death." Thank you Mister Sunshine and positivity. Last year was the dark winter now we have the winter of severe illness and death. Biden says omicron is here to stay. Fauci says, "Pretty soon, it (omicron) will be the dominant variant." Shamefully, some US pharmacies are refusing to fill ivermectin prescriptions. Studies show that ivermectin is useful as a pretreatment and for fighting COVID-19. Ivermectin is already FDA-approved and in use for a few decades to treat parasitic infections and other ailments. Using ivermectin for coronavirus is an off-label use of the drug and it is not endorsed for covid by Merck the manufacturer (probably because the Whitehouse told them not to endorse it). Hopefully, Merck is doing its own studies now. In America, 1 in 5 drugs are prescribed for off-label use so it is a very common practice. If something is found to help an ailment, and it does not cause any side effects, by all means use it. Big Pharma does not make any real money off of ivermectin, since the drug is cheap and in use a long time, but they do make the dough with vaccines.
Note Added Thursday Afternoon, 12/16/21, at 5:00 PM EST: CDC advisers vote 15 to 0 recommending the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines over the J&J vaccine for booster shots. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is sullied over the blood-clotting issues. Nine people have died after 17 million J&J shots (rare). Hormones, birth control pills and smoking may be issues that interact with the J&J vaccine producing adverse outcomes. The most worrisome group with the J&J vaccine are 30 to 39 year old women, in general all young ladies, where there are about 10 cases per million vaccinations (1 in 100,000). The adverse reactions remain rare but the Johnny John shot is nonetheless dissed by the CDC. By the CDC now telling the J&J folks to get either a Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna shot for their booster, the attractiveness of the more standard type J&J vaccine is flushed down the toilet. The US government is telling citizens to kneel and accept the mRNA vaccine. The powerful people want that magical messenger RNA in everyone's body even though the technology is in its infancy (25 years along at most with physical experimentation only in play over the last decade). In a nutshell, the CDC is saying there is no standard vaccine offering available for COVID-19; only the mRNA offerings. Many folks took the J&J vaccine because they did not want the mRNA serum in their bodies. Americans are sick of the confusing mixed messages. When booster shots were approved, the direction for J&J people was to take any of the shots, including another J&J jab, as the booster. Now the CDC says do not take J&J as the second booster. And if the J&J folks take the mRNA jab as the booster, should they take just one shot or do they take the 2-shot initial series? The official medical people say the J&J people should take only 1 mRNA shot as the booster jab for now but ask them next week. It is obvious the medical officials are simply making it up as they go along. This is fine for a once in a century pandemic but the problem the CDC, Whitehouse, NIH and others have is never admitting errors and past incorrect information. Most people in power think they must always appear correct in everything they do, King Donnie Trump is an example of this affliction, even if they are blatantly wrong. Biden and the new gang are the same way. As the funny saying goes, "Politicians are often wrong, but never in doubt." Americans do not care if things change but they want the leaders to explain why the prior guidance did not work or was incorrect, and then lay out a new plan. People will follow you and believe what you say; this is leadership. The first time you try to bull sh*t the people or pretend you always know it all, and never admit to the mistakes, a la Lord Fauci, credibility is lost and the messaging is ignored. Only 30% of Americans eligible for a booster shot has gotten one.
Note Added Thursday Evening, 12/16/21: The airline CEO's testimony on Capitol Hill is receiving criticism from all sides. The Southwest Airlines and American Airlines CEO's want to lift the mask mandates on airplanes but the timing is unfortunate as the Omicron variant fear is stoked. There is harsh backlash against the CEO's with the detractors in favor of maintaining the mask mandate. Others, that are not in favor wearing masks, cheer the CEO's comments. The executives buckle under the social righteousness and apologize about suggesting that the mask mandate in airplanes be lifted. US Secretary of State Blinken cancels a Southeast Asia trip as a journalist aboard the airplane tests positive for COVID-19. The infection was discovered as the group traveled from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Lord Fauci, that travels from camera to camera, complains about the misinformation on the internet blaming it, and republican media, for people not wanting to get vaccinated. Fauci stands on a soap box proclaiming, "The only way we can think of, of countering misinformation and disinformation, is by literally flooding the system with correct information." What does Fauci mean by that? Who decides what is misinformation? You are allowed to speak as long as you read from this script. American's liberty circles the drain.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/17/21, at 3:00 AM EST: The world reports a big 723K daily new cases the most since August and May. The UK reports 88.4K daily new cases another big record day. England is in bad shape. UK health ministers confirm the CDC's messaging that the new Omicron variant case numbers are doubling every 2 to 3 days. About 12K omicron cases are identified in the UK but officials say the number is likely far higher. England, and PM Boris Johnson, are under siege. 146 Brits die yesterday with the 7-day MA at 115 deaths per day. Spain reports 29K daily new cases another record high for the current wave. Over 90% of the Spanish population over 12 years old are vaccinated; a lot of good that does them. Italy joins the sick covid party reporting 26.1K daily new cases another record for the current wave. Omicron cases are jumping higher in Germany. Denmark reports 10K daily new cases another all-time record high. Denmark implements stricter covid measures on the population to try and stop the spread of virus. Sweden reports 4K daily new cases per day for 2 days running the highest numbers for the current wave and most cases in 7 months. Oh no. Australia reports 3.4K daily new cases a big spike higher the most ever. "Down Under" is getting rolled over under the covid bus. New South Wales, at the southeastern side of Australia, that contains Sydney and Canberra, reports 2.3K new cases another record. The rise in cases occur after some restrictions on the public were lifted. Australia is using a heavy hand on the population, which does not prevent the spread of virus, so they would be better off helping people instead of riot police beating people for breaking covid rules. Health officials say the new variant is resistant against the vaccines which is especially obvious realizing that 93% of the population over 16 years old is vaccinated; a lot of good that does. Talented and pretty pop singer songwriter Taylor Swift performed in Sydney in front of 600 people 6 days ago and 100 are sick with covid. All 600 fans and their contacts are in isolation as testing continues to sort out the infections. Hopefully, the sickened young folks believe the concert was worth it and the teenybopper's, even if they are sick in bed right now, will say they would go again. Taylor should rename her song "All Too Well" to "All Too Sick." Maybe the Aussies can "Shake It Off.". .
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/17/21, at 3:30 AM EST: South Africa reports 25K cases for yesterday remaining well below the 38K peak in cases last Sunday. That is 4 days thus far and each day the cases remain well below 38K is a positive indication that the wave may be fast-moving and already on the downside cases-wise. The case numbers have to be monitored through this coming Sunday, when a week on week comparison to the 38K peak can occur. 36 South Africans die yesterday so the deaths remain relatively in check. The prior day was the scary 54 deaths but perhaps the death numbers will remain in the 2 or 3 dozen range far below the massive death numbers for prior waves. Eswatini reports over 1.6K daily new cases another record for the pandemic. The South Africa and Eswatini charts are leading the way in displaying the wave behavior of the Omicron variant. Mozambique, Malawi and Zamibia report record high cases for the current waves that are parabolic. Cases remain elevated in Zimbabwe. Cases jump higher for 2 consecutive days in Angola. Cases spike higher in Nigeria. On the positive side in South Africa, the test positivity rate is holding steady and no longer increasing. Omicron may be moving through a population faster than a Taco Bell burrito through the intestinal tract. The Delta variant is a quick moving wave. Remember the inverted (upside-down) V pattern? The downside of this pattern was interrupted, however, in the US by schools and businesses reopening. Add in waning vaccine efficacy and voila, US wave 6 continues which may experience a big push higher in daily new cases due to omicron.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/17/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The US reports 145K daily new cases and 1K deaths. The lousy numbers continue. Texas reports 6.3K daily new cases the most since mid-October. Boom. The colorful marquee lightbulbs are exploding on Broadway as New York reports over 17.9K daily new cases. The elevators just stopped in the Empire State Building. The cases are only higher in New York state 3 other days in January at the peak of the pandemic. New York positive covid cases double in the last 2 days. The Empire State needs to put the holiday party favors down and focus on the covid freight train that is the actual light seen at the end of the tunnel. Cases catapult higher in New Jersey so the coastal states are battered with the Omicron variant. Merry Christmas. There is covid in the Christmas stocking this year which is worse than a lump of coal. Michigan is dealing with overcrowded hospitals but the admissions remain below the prior peaks last April and December 2020. Interestingly, the only age group that is blowing up through the prior April peak is the hospital admissions in Michigan for those over 70 years old. They are dropping like flies. This is waning vaccine efficacy. Those older folks got vaccinated but many months ago and now they are getting sick (but standing over their hospital bed is Dr Fauci telling them at least they will not die; neither will the person that just received monoclonal antibodies). If you are older living in Michigan, keep your guard up. Minnesota is another state with covid patients packed to the rafters. Hospital admissions remain below the peak one year ago. Hospitalizations are at record levels for Michigan and Minnesota. Michigan's daily new cases peaked 2 weeks ago so conditions may not be as dire as the gloom crew predicts going forward. Minnesota's daily new cases peaked a touch over 2 weeks ago so the misery may improve over the coming week. Omicron is holding all the cards. The CDC lays down the fear card predicting 1.3 million new coronavirus cases by Christmas with 15K weekly deaths by 1/8/22. Christmas is only 8 days away so that is 163K cases per day on average each day and over 2.1K deaths per day as the joyous, er, lousy, new year begins. If, over the coming days, the daily cases are not above the 163K number, it will be great news because the CDC prediction will not be correct. The deaths increasing that much seems a stretch but they use fancy programs so time will tell if the 2.1K per day bodies stack up. The key metric to watch is the wave behavior in daily cases for South Africa and Eswatini. That will tell you how the disease progresses even though the populations are skewed towards the young. The UK can also be used as a model. The medical eggheads are basing a lot of their fancy calculations on the doubling of infections every couple days. Sure, that gets your attention and you involuntarily clench your buttocks, but if the South Africa and Eswatini charts come down as fast as they went up, a doubling of cases every couple days is no biggie if only occurs for a few days. There is lot to yet discover about omicron.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/17/21, at 5:00 AM EST: More bad news. The flu vaccine for this season is found to not be effective against one of the active flu strains so the overall efficacy of the vaccine for this season is in question. The multi-decade funny saying in the United States is "get the shot, get the flu." Apple tells employees that the return to office is on hold for an indefinite time. Apple is providing $1,000 for workers to outfit their homes for remote work. For a lousy one grand, Apple will own your soul night and day. If you like that, go for it, if not, do not let Apple control your life. Jobs come and go in life but your values, principles and the way you live life, are your constant light force. A lot of young folks are stupid happily working from home and allowing the company work to dominate their lives. Don't do that. Your mental health will suffer over the long term. When you commute to work, the work day ends when you walk out the door at quitting time. Think about it young folks.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/17/21, at 7:00 AM EST: A darkened mood descends across America covering, smothering, the holiday cheer. The Christmas tree lights flicker on and off as human anxiety levels flash red brighter than Rudolph's nose. Americans, as well as Europeans, Canadians and others, are concerned about the holidays and New Year's celebrations with cases increasing daily. Testing is helpful but not available to poor people more worried about putting food on the table, keeping the roof over their head and keeping that old car on the road. Testing is important since it proves infection and tells the person to isolate. One of the great failures of the pandemic is the complete mess of a testing program. There is no strategic testing, tracking and tracing plan for America. Everything is handled with a crisis management approach instead of intelligent proactive preparation. Another key problem is no one is in charge but everyone is in charge so any talking head on television at any given hour is the spokesperson for the pandemic in that minute. It is American mediocrity.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/17/21, at 11:00 AM EST: Omicron variant is identified in 38 US states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, and in 77 countries around the world. The concern from the US hospitals is that omicron will quickly sicken most of the staff that then cannot help the increase in patients. While incompetent hospital managers sweat profusely trying to get a consultant on the phone to figure out what to do, the NFL (American football) is going to allow players infected with covid, that are asymptomatic, to practice with the team. Everyone is making up their own rules as the pandemic rolls along. Hospitals are worried and yet vaccinated folks are walking around maskless making more people sick each day. In addition, the one-trick pony Biden show has blinders on continuing to solely endorse vaccinations as the only treatment for COVID-19. Shame on the Whitehouse, CDC, NIH, FDA, and every talking head, to not educate the public on monoclonal antibody treatments (mAb) and other therapies. It will be realized in the future that mAb treatment was a key tool that was available but never used to its full capability except in states such as Florida and Texas. The hospitals send ill folks home to become sicker when they should send them to the mAb clinic as well as provide advice on HCQ, ivermectin, Z-Pak's, steroids, zinc, vitamin D and turmeric. The hospital makes more money when you come in to receive your ventilator, say goodbye to your family, lay around a couple weeks in ICU, and then die; between $40K and $400K. Treating people early and providing pretreatment and early treatment options are of no interest to Big Pharma or the hospitals because there is no money in it. The vaccines are cash cows. Ivermectin costs pennies. If states administer more mAb to treat China Virus, the IV, and now there is a shot available, will greatly reduce the hospital load. Duh. Is everyone sleeping at General Hospital? If you stop the covid patients from having to come to the hospital via aggressive early treatments, you will not complain about too many people in the hospital.
Note Added Friday Morning, 12/17/21, at 11:30 AM EST: Lord Fauci appears on CNBC television always seeking a camera and free buffet. Fauci says that "optimum vaccination is with a booster" and proclaims that changing the fully vaccinated definition to 2 shots and a booster is "on the table." Fauci should resign since it is easy to tell that he does not enjoy the job anymore. For a guy in his 80's, the demanding job is likely taking a toll on him. From today's odd stories department, a Florida man is banned from flying United Airlines after he boards the flight wearing a mask, sort of. His mask is a hot pink satin thong straight out of a Victoria's Secret lingerie store. The attendants told him that was not an acceptable mask and he disembarked the airplane peacefully. He was from Florida a state doing well with the pandemic and where the public is generally against masks so the man was making a statement and wanted his 15 minutes of Andy Warhol fame. From the police department, two Florida men plead guilty to a nationwide fraud scheme that bilked the US government out of $35 million in COVID-19 relief loans. They will do at least a year in prison. From the karma department, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly, that lobbied for ditching masks on airplanes yesterday, which was met with heavy backlash, tests positive for COVID-19 today. Kelly is isolating. The vaccines were not good enough. It is obvious. The vaccines are only effective for 3 to 6 months and then a booster can help bring protection higher again but the jury is out as to how long this lasts or if it is effective against new strains such as omicron. The world faces a challenging 2 or 3 weeks ahead that will likely dictate the direction of the pandemic well through the first half of 2022. Baby New Year arrives soon and will be told to get vaccinated.
Note Added Friday Afternoon, 12/17/21, at 1:00 PM EST: People are lining up at COVID-19 testing sites reminiscent of last year's activity at the worst times of the pandemic. In New York City, people are standing in lines that extend along sidewalks for a couple blocks and take 2 to 3 hours of patience. If you do not test positive for covid, you likely will hanging out with that crowd for a few hours. In Florida, lines of cars, six across and 50 or more deep, blanket a testing site slowly wriggling towards the nurses stations. A lot of these folks are traveling for the holidays or other reasons so they need negative test credentials. Why else would you stand in line for a few hours? There's a lot of work involved in taking a vacation. Professor Dr MT Osterholm, that has a knack for uttering a sensational headline time to time, is interviewed on CNN and proclaims, "I think we're really just about to experience a viral blizzard." Internet article headlines and cable news chyrons jump on the bandwagon proclaiming that a "viral blizzard" is dead-ahead. Osterholm says millions of Americans are going to be infected over the next 3 to 8 weeks. He is concerned that the highly-contagious Omicron variant may take out a big chunk of hospital workers which would create chaos as the patient load increases at the same time.
Note Added Friday Afternoon, 12/17/21, at 4:00 PM EST: Pfizer reports disappointing vaccine drug trials for the 2 to 5 year old age group. Two doses of the vaccine is not generating the immune response desired in the little ones. Pfizer plans to continue the trial experimenting with 3 doses which pushes the research into Q2 2022 (April, May, June). The US stock market finishes the day and week lower. Global financial markets are soggy as the omicron fear is stoked each day. The New York City Rockettes cancel their shows for the holiday season. No legs for you. Men go into withdrawal having to do without the lovely sight of the talented long-legged beauties dancing and singing during the holiday season. It is sad news. Life is tough.
Note Added Friday Afternoon, 12/17/21, at 5:00 PM EST: Dr Robert W Malone, that invented the mRNA technology that led to the development of the COVID-19 vaccines, is interviewed on the Sean Hannity tallk radio show (republican-run media) interviewed by guest host former Texas republican Governor Louie Gohmert. Most people never heard of Malone because he is stifled in the media for not following the exact government narrative on vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. It is grossly incorrect to label Dr Malone as misinformation. Malone's work can be found on the internet by searching using his name and he read the opening statement of the Global Covid Summit in September which is dissed by the mainstream scientists. The Great Barrington Declaration is a consortium of infectious disease epidemiologists and public health officials from around the world that have grave concerns about the physical and mental impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 policies. The doctor is not in favor of 'one size fits all medicine'. Malone cites the CDC data and says about 1 in 2,700 boys that receive the vaccine will have heart troubles. People should be educated on this information so they can discuss it with their doctors and make informed decisions. Malone is not impressed with the covid vaccines. Women are reporting erratic menstruation problems (which hints of a potential ovary issue). He calls for at least 5 years of testing and research on the vaccines. He talks about a Pfizer whistleblower that highlights potential problems with the data. Malone says the virus will evolve. The vast majority of folks will survive. Kids shrug the virus off and develop natural antibodies. He says influenza, and covid, develop fast and that is why a new vaccine is needed each year. He says the COVID-19 vaccines are outdated and not good. Malone opines that the vaccines should not be mandated (and this is the guy that invented the mRNA technology in 1988). He says 80% of the deaths in the UK over the last month are vaccinated people a staggering statistic and one not bandied about to the public. Most of the Brit's are vaccinated, about 85% of the population, so the last fig leaf of cover that US Dr's Fauci and Walensky are holding on to (vaccines prevent death) may be pulled away exposing the waning efficacy reality. Malone says the current COVID-19 infections are mainly in the upper airways which usually creates less severe illness; good news. The prior infections last year and early this year were deep lung infections. Everyone's voice should be heard and all information placed on the table so people can make the best health decisions, in consultation with their doctors, for themselves and their family.
Note Added Friday Evening, 12/17/21, at 7:00 PM EST: The 6th US Court of Appeals in Cincinnati lifts the block on the new Biden/OSHA rules mandating vaccines for businesses with over 100 workers. The ruling says COVID-19 is a threat to workers that is ongoing and overwhelming. Everyone plays a pseudo-scientist nowadays even the courts. The ruling ignores the economic hardships of the people the government is targeting. If the vaccine mandate is enforced in January, there will be a ratcheting up of violence in America. If that is what Americans and their leaders want, shove it down their throats; they will gag on it. The vaccine mandate litigation may be destined for the Supreme Court. The Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant (omicron) is in 39 US states but interestingly, this number only creeps slowly higher over the last few days. If the Omicron variant is as contagious as hyped, and the South Africa and Eswanti daily cases charts do confirm the robust transmissibility, all 50 US states should have identified the variant by now. Social distancing has been the key during the whole pandemic. If you stay away from people, you do not get sick. Omicron may spread slower than expected in states where the populations are spread out. The cities and crowded population regions are a different story. A UK study says omicron is creating more severe illness than expected. This study conveniently helps stoke the fear fire which nudges people to get their booster shots. Ditto in the US where the study is hyped in the media as a means to scare folks into getting booster shots. People do not know what to believe since the science is not consistent. The studies out of South Africa say the opposite. The omicron outbreak creates less severe illness. South Africa is a youthful population that would be expected to fight the China Flu easier. In the UK, like the US, lots of elderly folks were vaccinated early in the year and the waning vaccine efficacy is now placing them on gurneys. Vaccinated folks have a false sense of security walking around maskless thinking they are fully protected from covid. In reality, about 9 months after the vaccination, this person may only be protected in the 10% to 50% range. This is why the talking heads are frantically telling folks to get boosted. The waning efficacy shows up in hospital admission data where the 70 year old and older age group is getting sick at a faster pace than the other age groups. This is because the elderly, that were vaccinated first in the January through May time frame, 7 to 11 months ago, now have buptkis for protection. Duh.
Note Added Friday Evening, 12/17/21, at 8:00 PM EST: The NFL postpones 3 football games something the league said would not happen this year. Ditto the NHL rescheduling games. The waning vaccine efficacy strikes again and punches the players in the face. At least most people that are getting sick due to the vaccines wearing off are presenting as mild and moderate cases many are asymptomatic. Houston (Texas, USA) Mayor Sylvester Turner, 67, tests positive for COVID-19. Turner was vaccinated with the Moderna shot on television on 1/4/21. Adding a month for the second shot is 2/4/21 so that is over 10 months ago. Turner is obviously another breakthrough case that occurs due to waning vaccine efficacy. Duh.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 12/18/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The world reports over 742K daily new cases. Not good. Europe remains a mess. Italy reports 29K daily new cases the highest since November 2020 over 1 year ago. The Leaning Tower of Pisa slumps over a few more inches. Spain is smacked in the face with 33.4K daily new cases teasing all time highs. Holy smokes. The UK reports over 93K daily new cases for yesterday the numbers are flying off the top of the chart. No wonder the US hospital managers are panicking. If the UK's behavior repeats in the US, it will be ugly. The positive aspect is that UK deaths remain in check at 113 per day and are not increasing as the omicron monster consumes London. France restricts travel from the UK. Germany says the Omicron variant will be a challenge. Ireland and Denmark add more covid restrictions on the public. Global politicians are great at closing the barn gate after the covid horses already bolted.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 12/18/21, at 4:30 AM EST: South Africa reports 20.7K daily new cases continuing to back off the peak high last Sunday. Today's and tomorrow's numbers are needed to assess the Omicron variant behavior. Sunday's cases can be directly compared to the peak cases at 38K last Sunday. It looks good that the outbreak is already subsiding but another couple days of data is needed. Another positive is that there are less hospitalizations in South Africa now in wave 4 than during the delta wave 3 as cases hit record levels last Sunday. Eswatini reports 1K daily cases backing off the peak high on Thursday. Zimbabwe and Namibia cases are also coming off their peaks a week ago. Cases pop higher in Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi and Nigeria. The UK daily cases chart is a scary graph that pundits say guarantees doom and gloom ahead, however, if it follows South Africa and Eswatini, at least so far, the UK daily cases chart may retreat as fast as it exploded higher.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 12/18/21, at 5:00 AM EST: The US reports 164K daily new cases the highest in 3 months. Uncle Sam takes a shiv to the ribs. Not good. The 7-day MA for US daily new cases is 127K cases per day and rising. 1.7 Americans die yesterday. The Friday numbers are typically the highest of the week and the 164K is higher than last Friday's 118K (12/10/21) higher than the prior Friday's 108K cases (12/3/21). Not good. The trend remains higher in fact the gap expands so the speed of the rise in cases is increasing perhaps going parabolic at some point like the UK and South Africa. Hope not. Florida is punched in the face hard reporting 8.8K daily new cases a big spike higher. Miami is a hotbed of infections. University of Florida modelers say Florida cases will top 40K by February the highest ever. Florida Governor DeSantis announces a new batch of monoclonal antibodies that can better treat people with serious health problems. Boom. New York reports 21.4K daily new cases the most ever. The torch just fell off the Statue of Liberty. It looks like Christmas will be lonely with only you, the elf on the shelf, and your honey if you are lucky enough to have one. New Jersey is under siege reporting 7.4K daily new cases teasing record levels. Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and other northeastern states remain in deep trouble with hospitals stretched to the limit. Maryland and Massachusetts cases are the highest since January. The holiday fun is smothered under a pillow held down by the mean ole China Virus.
Note Added Saturday Morning, 12/18/21, at 11:00 AM EST: The NBA (basketball) Brooklyn Nets team backtracks asking unvaccinated Kyrie Irving to rejoin the team on a part-time basis. Irving would not be permitted to play home games due to the covid rules but may be able to play away games. This was suggested from the start of the drama but the Nets told Irving to kneel before power and get vaccinated or he does not play. Now, since many players are sick on the team, jeopardizing the season, they reverse the prior decree. Money rules everything in life. The team buckles, reversing their hardline against the unvaccinated star player Irving, because they are worried about losing money (a losing team brings in less revenue). The Delta variant remains dominant in the United States with omicron waiting in the wings. The US wave 5 was the delta wave but the current wave 6 is dubbed the 'waning vaccine efficacy wave' even though the majority of cases are still delta. Doctors, nurses and staff are getting sick at hospitals creating staff shortages. The infections are likely breakthrough cases due to waning vaccine protection.
Note Added Saturday Afternoon, 12/18/21, at 1:00 PM EST: The Los Angeles Times interviews Vice President Harris who admits, "We didn't see delta coming. I think most scientists did not, upon whose advice and direction we have relied, didn't see delta coming." If they would have followed the Coronavirus Chronology they would have seen delta coming. Keystone must be one of the scientists they do not rely on. Humorously, politicians, like your boss, will always say "we" when they want to spread the blame but "I" to claim sole credit for something good that happens. Did you ever notice that? Now you will. The veep says, "We didn't see omicron coming. And that's the nature of what this, this awful virus has been, which as it turns out, has mutations and variants." Harris sounds stupid. President Biden wants to exude confidence in handling the pandemic but the vice president tells everyone they did not see delta or omicron coming. The pandemic remains a confusing mess 2 years along with no end in sight. Shortly after Harris's statement hit the wires, the Whitehouse says the president will provide a speech focusing on the Omicron variant on Tuesday, 12/21/21. The timing will jive nicely with the next publication of the Coronavirus Chronology Article 63 planned for Tuesday. Whitehouse staff say Biden will issue a stern warning to America's unvaccinated. That ought to be entertaining. No one is shaking in their boots. If this occurs, Sleepy Joe will look foolish, like an old crochety man yelling at kids to get off his lawn. Biden keeps breeding hate like each recent US president this time it is pitting the vaccinated against the unvaccinated. What purpose does it serve especially when the problem now is the waning vaccine efficacy? Sleepy Joe the bozo wants to shove the new-technology mRNA vaccines down people's throats that only last 3 to 6 months. As they say in Brooklyn, "Good luck wit dat." It is time to embrace all treatments and therapies to fight the China Virus; it has been an ongoing major mistake of the pandemic. Trump and Biden put all their eggs in the vaccine basket that has a 6-month hole in it.
Note Added Saturday Evening, 12/18/21, at 5:00 PM EST: Unvaccinated folks should not be treated as lepers. Everyone is an American. The Whitehouse messaging on the pandemic is a disaster both under King Donnie Trump and Sleepy Joe Biden. Keystone mentioned the Swiss cheese model a few articles ago and it is a good time to revisit this accident causation model used in managing risk and analyzing threats. It is an easy model to understand since everyone has eaten Swiss cheese. If not, try some, you will like it. A slice of Swiss cheese comes with holes in it. Picture each cheese slice as representing one layer of protection. One layer of cheese will not provide protection since it has holes in it but when you lay several slices on top of each other all the holes are blocked and voila, the protection level is solid and the threat or risk of a negative outcome is greatly diminished every taken away. Apply the Swiss cheese model to the COVID-19 pandemic. What are the layers of cheese (protection) available to combat China Flu? 15 items come to mind quickly and you can think of more; masks, social distancing, hand-washing, hand sanitizer, testing, vaccinations, boosters, prior infection (natural immunity), preventive and early treatments such as HCQ, ivermectin, antibiotics, Z-pak's, steroids and antibiotics, boosting the immune system with a healthy diet and taking zinc, turmeric and vitamins such as D-3 daily, losing weight, spending more time outdoors in fresh air, installing ventilation equipment or opening windows when inside, working from home, lockdowns (that no one wants to occur again), and having small social gatherings rather than big parties, to name a few. Each of these 13 items are a layer of Swiss cheese. Doing only one of them will not stop the pandemic. Even the best tool, er, slice of cheese, in the refrigerator, vaccines, are waning in protection creating much of the current turmoil in Europe and North America. But when you stack several of the layers of protection on top of each other, the holes are blocked and protection is solid. It is easy to see the merits of the process and how it educates people on how to think about the pandemic and most importantly, incorporate their belief systems. The beauty of the Swiss cheese model is that it does not vilify people. The model is inclusive of all people, whether you want to be vaccinated or not. If you choose to not take the shots, however, you need to add more layers of protection and follow those practices each day. A vaccinated person can be encouraged to use an additional 2 or 3 slices of protection while the unvaccinated person can be told to follow at least 5 or 6 of the layers of protection each day if they choose to not take the jabs. Everyone can live with this approach and the country can become more united again. For example, if a healthy unvaccinated person, say under 50 years old, or maybe under 65, ahem, with a BMI at 25 or lower, is wearing a mask in public places, using hand sanitizer, washing hands, keeping as far away from folks as possible (social distancing), testing often, exercising, eating right, and keeping the immune system in tiptop shape with zinc, vitamins A, C, D-3 and E, turmeric and selenium, they are doing their part to stop the spread of virus and should be left alone. At the same time, the Swiss cheese model explains how vaccinated folks can use less levels of protection (more freedom) which would encourage jabs. the vaccination and booster cheese slices can be shown with only 1 or 2 holes while the mask layer of protection can have 5 holes showing it is less effective, just thinking out loud. People can think about how they can mix and match the various levels of protection to fit their individual circumstances. The model covers all bases and encourages the country to all row in the same direction instead of acting like Cry-Babies arguing over the jabs dividing America. The Whitehouse and CDC could distribute a simple one-page flyer listing all the protection layers described above as bullet items and have a picture of Swiss cheese slices at the top showing how the concept works (the more layers of cheese (protection) the better). Wikipedia shows some cool Swiss cheese graphics. People know that more layers of clothes protects them from the winter cold and the Swiss cheese slices are the same idea. People want to look at quick, useful, simple stuff that they can understand in a minute or two rather than deciphering long wordy covid information from the CDC or listening to windbags pontificating about the virus on television. The 'COVID-19 Swiss Cheese Model' is the way to go.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/19/21, at 4:00 AM EST: The world's cases are pushing 750K per day this past week which is at the highs of the prior wave and levels not seen since May. The UK reports 90.4K cases below the 92.6K cases on Friday. UK daily cases rise since last Sunday into the parabolic spike and highest cases ever on Friday now experiencing the first day in reverse. One day does not make a trend. Fingers are crossed that the parabolic spike will retreat as fast as it shot higher as the South Africa and Eswatini charts may be hinting. The UK health minister says the Omicron variant is dominant in the UK overtaking delta. That was fast. UK healthcare workers are getting sick, like in the US, due to waning vaccine efficacy, creating staff shortages as the hospitalizations increase. London Mayor Khan declares a "major incident" so hospitals can receive help. It is a major warning to Londoners that emergency services and hospitals are operating in crisis mode. Keystone postpones a trip to London but so looked forward to visiting friends and hanging out at Itchycoo Park again. UK deaths remain in check with 125 Brit's croaking yesterday. Europe remains a mess. The Netherlands goes into a Christmas lockdown through 1/14/22 crushing the season's fun activities. Children wonder out loud how Santa Claus will visit. It is an unfair burden on the Dutch in this festive season since the Netherlands's active cases chart has rolled over and is heading lower. They should be noticing a big improvement in hospital caseloads right now. Daily cases peaked over 3 weeks ago. The Netherlands should tell everyone to simply do what they have been doing and be extra careful during the holidays if time is spent with others. Netherlands is on the mend. The politicians all over the world continue reacting after the fact. If they were firemen, they would arrive at the house when it was a cinder. The communists, authoritarians and dictators are at an advantage with handling a pandemic since they can immediately decree the rules for the population but governments move slower in the so-called free Western societies. France says the virus is spreading at lightning speed. Italy is struggling reporting over 28K cases per day for the last 2 days. Rome cancels holiday celebrations. Deaths in Italy have steadily increased through November and now as December progresses. This steady move higher is likely due to waning vaccine efficacy which is starting to sicken and kill-off more elderly folks vaccinated too long ago. Germany restricts travel from the UK. Germany's active cases chart is like the Netherlands in good shape heading lower. Germany's daily cases peaked over 3 weeks ago so an improvement in conditions should be occurring. Belgium's active cases curve is flattening now and will follow the good path of Germany and Netherlands. This is good news for Belgium although the trouble in the short term (a few more days) will continue. Austria is improving greatly. Remember when the doom and gloom crew predicted the end of the world for Austria with hospitals at the breaking point? The active cases chart had rolled over and was heading lower so Austria was actually on the mend as pointed out in the chronology and it proves-out as a couple more weeks pass. Doesn't anyone look at charts or if they do they do not understand what they are looking at? The pandemic wave moved westward from Russia that cannot handle its pandemic. Dirtbag Dictator Putin is likely just letting the population get sick so natural immunity kicks in. The virus hit eastern Europe, then central European nations and now the brunt of the wave is smacking France, Italy, Spain and Portugal on the western side of the continent. Europeans should be more positive than what the news reports say. The virus ripple, and recovery, oscillates from east to west so eastern Europe is in good shape, northern central Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium) are recovering and the western European nations will improve next in a week or two barring any omicron mischief. Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland remain in trouble but their daily cases charts may top out in the days ahead. South Korea, Vietnam and Laos remain in lousy shape but may peak out with daily cases in the days ahead. Bolivia is struggling with cases at 2K per day and more the last 2 days the most since January. Hopefully, scientists are in Bolivia figuring out what bug is at play. About a dozen or more Bolivians die per day from COVID-19 but this remains far below prior death peaks. Even though ugly China Virus outbreaks are occurring around the world, the bright spot is that the bodies are not piling up like they did in 2020 and early 2021.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/19/21, at 4:30 AM EST: South Africa reports 16K daily new cases an encouraging number with cases continuing to drop from last Sunday's peak high at 38K cases. Today's number is uber important. If it remains in the 16K-ish area well off the 38K top, the Omicron variant is going to be a pig in a poke. If, however, South Africa reports over 38K daily new cases for today, that will be known in about 20 hours, there will be covid Hell to pay. Cases back off the Friday peak for Eswatini, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia and Nigeria. South Africa's daily cases for today are key and can be compared to last Sunday's big spike to 38K; the number is going to tell a lot about the omicron wave behavior. The omicron hype may be overblown but a few more days have to play out.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/19/21, at 5:00 AM EST: The US reports 86K daily new cases an expected lower weekend number and today's cases should be even lower. Interestingly, a fun fact, US cases are over 5 times higher than South Africa's cases. The omicron wave may be an extremely fast-moving wave where the cases catapult to the moon in a few days but then fall back to earth quickly thereafter. There is still la lot to learn about the new B11529 variant. Friday, however, is at 164K cases in the US, a punch to the face, the highest since mid-September. The ongoing US wave 6 is the waning vaccine efficacy wave. The 900-pound gorilla sitting on the living room couch is, no, not Uncle Harry after a pasta dinner, but instead the waning vaccine efficacy. It did not make sense why so many American hospitals were complaining about staff shortages, and how they are overrun to the breaking point, but the hospitalization numbers were, in most cases, well below prior peaks. What gives? Some of it is the stupid vaccine mandate garbage that chases people out of the noble medical profession, a huge mistake, but the major obvious reason is that doctors, nurses and medics are contracting coronavirus in ever-increasing numbers. The elderly and healthcare workers were the first to be vaccinated between December and May and now they are 7 months to1 year past their initial shot series. The mRNA vaccines are only effective for 3 to 6 months and then the protection falls off a cliff. The elderly and healthcare workers are getting sick in increasing numbers because the vaccines did not hold up; they were vaccinated too long ago. And each passing day exposes more vaccinated people to the virus because of the ever waning protection. About 25% of the covid patients in US hospitals, generalizing broadly, some are worse, some better, are vaccinated folks and 75% unvaccinated. Remember when 99.9% of the hospital patients were unvaccinated a couple months ago? Not anymore as the vaccine protection wanes. There are 10.4 million active COVID-19 cases in the United States the highest ever. 487 Americans die yesterday. Is the US finally getting adequate supplies of monoclonal antibody treatments to the states to reduce hospitalizations and deaths? No. Big Pharma says they can meet any need for the mAb treatments but Biden has his horse blinders on riding that one-trick vaccination pony into 2022. It is a stupid plan only cheerleading vaccinations while ignoring or denigrating other treatments. A major mistake.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/19/21, at 5:30 AM EST: New York reports 19.1K daily new cases below the 21.4K cases on Friday which is encouraging but it is only one day. Cases need to remain below that 21.4K peak and the worry, anxiety and fear of the current outbreak would be unwarranted. If New York's cases pop above 21.4K, however, for any day forward, the state is screwed and the wrath of covid begins. Florida reports 2 days of daily cases exceeding 8.7K a big spike higher. Oh no. Texas reports over 7.7K daily new cases a troubling sign. Something is starting to go wrong in Texas. Billie Bob just shut down his barbeque stand off Interstate 20. Many US states remain under siege. Illinois and Indiana are ugly. New Jersey reports over 7.6K daily new cases the highest ever except for 1/13/21.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/19/21, at 6:00 AM EST: The Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant (omicron) is identified in 43 US states and 89 countries. Covid test kits disappear from US store shelves. Biden will be blamed for more lack of planning. When asked about the unvaccinated on CNN media, Dr Jonathan Reiner proclaims, "There is a tsunami coming. This Omicron variant is extraordinarily contagious, it's as contagious as measles. This may be the most contagious virus that civilization has faced in our lifetimes." Reiner encourages unvaccinated folks to start the vaccination process and says the Biden administration needs to increase the production and distribution of covid testing kits. Colorado democrat Governor Polis repeats his declaration to not institute a statewide mask mandate saying the virus emergency "is over." Polis decrees that it is the unvaccinated people's "own darn fault" if they get deathly sick from COVID-19. Sympathy, compassion and empathy are on a milk carton (missing) as expected in the bread and circus days.
Note Added Sunday Morning, 12/19/21, at 11:30 AM EST: It is Sunday morning so of course Fauci seeks the cameras and stage lights on the political talk shows on television. On "This Week ABC," Fauci suggests that people do not attend gatherings where it is unknown who is vaccinated. What a stiff. His parties must be boring. People like to hang out.. Fauci touts testing but is confronted that the store shelves are empty. The test kits are all sold out. He says there are places where you can get the tests but elsewhere there are lines. He is just making this stuff up as he talks. It has been 10 minutes since the unvaccinated have been denigrated so he primes the pump again. "We still have about 50 million people eligible to get vaccinated who are not vaccinated." Lord Fauci says the healthcare system will be stressed but he does not talk about the healthcare workers getting sick, creating staff shortages, because they were vaccinated too long ago. Funny how the expert doctor fails to tell the American people about the waning vaccine efficacy but he is quick to slap around the unvaccinated lepers a few more times. Fauci says the anti-viral pill is "a big deal." He brags about it saying it will be key in reducing hospitalizations and deaths if taken within 3 days of the onset of symptoms. The jerk has said nothing about monoclonal antibody treatments for the last 1-1/2 years that reduce hospitalizations and deaths and can be administered by IV or shot within 10 days of symptoms (over 3 times the time allowance that a pill would offer). Isn't it sickening? It's enough to make you throw up. What a major failure of the pandemic. So many lives could have been, and can be saved, with mAb treatments but the Whitehouse, NIH and CDC ignore the treatment and at the same time opine about how great it would be to have that kind of a treatment. Ugh. Fauci is cheering a future pill while he is holding the mAb IV in his hand. It makes no sense. Lastly, to end the interview, Fauci is asked about turning 81 years old in a few days. Is he thinking about retiring? Fauci exclaims, "No." The doctor, that most Americans are sick of looking at, and do not listen to anymore anyway, and has become the butt of jokes and parody, proclaims, "There's no way I'm gong to walk away." America moans. Lord, please protect us from the storyteller, Lord Fauci, who is often wrong, but never in doubt.
Note Added Sunday Afternoon, 12/19/21, at 1:00 PM EST: Massachusetts democrat Senator Warren tests positive for COVID-19. Ditto New Jersey democrat Cory Booker. Both senators are vaccinated and boosted; a lot of good it did them (as the peanut gallery yells that 'vaccinations prevent death'). Investment firm Jefferies CEO Rich Handler, that has taken a hardline on employees returning to the New York office, tests positive for COVID-19 three days after he opens the doors. More breakthrough cases which you hear about more than the unvaccinated getting sick these days. Handler was also double vaccinated and boosted. Warren, Booker and Handler all sing from the same hymn sheet saying their symptoms are mild because they took the multi-shot vaccination regimen. The counterfactual cannot be proven by definition. All three promote vaccinations because it boosts their agenda's and narratives; Warren and Booker are democrats that promote shots and masks forever while Handler wants life to return to normal so he can make a lot of greedy money and resume his jet set life style.
Note Added Sunday Evening, 12/19/21, at 5:00 PM EST: The Washington Post reports that Hong Kong scientists say the omicron virus spread between two people in a quarantine hotel. Both are in isolation but the hotel doors would open for meals. A South African in isolation in one room would not typically wear a mask when dinner was provided, or wore a mask with a valve. The man across the hall in the other room always wore a mask when he received dinner but contracted the Omicron variant. The scientists say omicron spreads more easily through the air but there may be other reasons behind the infection. Perhaps the omicron particles are smaller and lighter, or aerosolized, lingering in the air longer, making the new variant more airborne? There is lots yet to discover about the new B11529 Omicron variant. Back in America, the CDC says the risk of death for the unvaccinated is 20 times higher than the vaccinated. Also, the unvaccinated are 10 times more likely to be hospitalized. These numbers edge higher each week as if someone is pulling them out of thin air. Obviously, it is fear chatter hoping to push more people to get vaccinated and boosted. Pittsburgh area and southwestern Pennsylvania area hospitals are reporting about 20% to 25% of the COVID-19 patients are vaccinated while about 75% to 80% are unvaccinated. That is a 4 to 1 ratio in other words, in western Pennsylvania, unvaccinated folks are 4 times more likely to be hospitalized than a vaccinated person. Where are they getting that 10 stuff, Kemosabe? Long lines are occurring at testing and vaccination sites across America so people are getting the message. Most in line at testing sites are travelers that need to update their documentation so they are ready when asked for 'your papers, please'. Americans are traveling at levels not seen since before the pandemic covid be damned.
Note Added Sunday Evening, 12/19/21, at 7:00 PM EST: Retired NIH Director Collins says former President Trump pressured him to espouse narratives and downplay the pandemic but he claims he held his ground. Weak people puff their chests out after the event is over. In a gag-worthy moment, Collins praises Fauci saying no one should ever question Lord Tony because he is "the greatest expert in infections diseases that the world has known." It is sickening. Collins and Fauci are up to their eyeballs in the Wuhan Labs gain of function research scandal. As more information comes to light, America will need these two characters to testify and come clean about what they were doing with the Chinese communist scientists in Wuhan. Further, more emails surface that show Collins and Fauci colluding to discredit the scientists that formulated The Great Barrington Declaration because it did not fit the political narrative imposing lockdowns in the US. The knowledgeable scientists forming the group (Dr Martin Kulldorff, Dr Sunetra Gupta and Dr Jay Bhattacharya) were labeled as three fringe epidemiologists. This dirt and smear campaign was going on behind the scenes. America needs Fauci and Collins to come clean about their nefarious deeds over the years and tell us where the bodies are buried.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/20/21, at 4:00 AM EST: Global stock markets are crashing on omicron fear. In the United States, President Biden's Build Back Better legislation is going down in flames also crating negativity. US futures are down about -2% (the major US stock indexes will drop from -1% to -2% and more today). European stocks tank. Germany's DAX crashes -3%. The UK's FTSE drops -2%. France's CAC and Italy's MIB collapse -3%. The cascading global financial event starts in Asia overnight with China's Shanghai (SSEC) dropping more than -1% and Japan's Nikkei, Hong Kong's Hang Seng and South Korea's Kospi collapsing -2%. European protests continue across the continent, several become violent, as people are sick of mandates, covid rules, health and green passes and forced vaccinations. Israel adds the US, Canada and European nations to the no fly list because the omicron cases are from foreign travelers. The UK reports 83K daily new cases off the 92K cases peak on Friday but remaining at record levels. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under increased pressure as more pictures appear of him at the Christmas parties last year when the country was in lockdown. Boris is the one wearing the lampshade. Cases are coming off their peaks for France and Italy but not for Spain at 33.4K new cases the most for the current wave and almost the highest ever. The European infection wave travels from east to west across the continent. Sweden reports 4.1K daily new cases the most in 7 months. The worst is likely over for Germany, Netherlands and Belgium but the week ahead will have to play out. As is always the case, the leaders are late to react. Politicians are screaming bloody murder, the world is ending, and say Santa Claus is on a gurney, but it is always darkest before the dawn. When the hysteria is at peak frenzy, that is typically when a recovery is underway or beginning.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/20/21, at 4:15 AM EST: South Africa reports 15.5K daily new cases continuing to drop off the top and wow, that turned into a pig in a poke. The omicron fear hit on Friday, 11/26/21, and that weekend the world was in a tizzy. The first omicron cases were discovered in Botswana at the South Africa border hence the Botswana/South Africa B11529 variant (omicron). The parabolic chart phase for South Africa's daily cases was underway and the world feared the worst. Cases pop to 38K on Sunday, 12/12/21, the highest ever, and the doom and gloom is pumped daily. South Africa Dr Angelique Coetzee told everyone to calm down and wait for the data but no one was listening since they were too busy screaming bloody murder. As it turns out, one week later, cases are down to 15K less than one-half the peak. The Sunday-on-Sunday direct comparison is key since any data reporting issues last Sunday would be expected to repeat yesterday; it is comparing apples to apples and there is nothing rotten here so far. Cases are elevated at 15K but to be this far down off the peak is great news. The prior waves display the inverted V pattern and the omicron wave may be a skinny V (daily cases jump up super fast going parabolic in a heartbeat but then reverse on a dime and plummet back to earth like a meteor). Eswatini was infected by the folks traveling from the Gauteng epicenter so their daily cases chart will need to follow the South Africa pattern to build confidence that the Omicron variant wave is a skinny inverted (upside-down) V. Only 322 cases are reported for Eswatini a big collapse off the peak on Thursday at 1.6K cases. It is a confirmation of the skinny inverted V pattern. Cases drop off the peak for Mozambique; same dealio. The picture is looking brighter for the omicron outbreaks that may move through nations like Greased Lightning.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/20/21, at 4:30 AM EST: The Omicron variant is identified in 45 US states. The US reports 67K total cases yesterday below the 89K on Saturday but they are low weekend numbers. Omicron is at play in states such as New Jersey and New York and it is visible in the US daily cases chart. Cases should relax lower into Christmas Day when the infections will rise thereafter into the first few days of January (like last year) but this is not occurring. The cases that are keeping the chart curve elevated and moving higher are the omicron cases added on top of the delta cases. The current wave 6 outbreak in the United States is due to waning vaccine efficacy and consists mostly of delta infections. The delta wave, wave 5, was finished, but the infections return as more seniors and healthcare workers become sick because they were vaccinated too long ago. The week ahead tells the tale but the data will be interrupted from Friday, Christmas Eve, when none of the creatures are stirring, not even a covid-infected mouse, through the Christmas weekend. Usually, the Friday daily data is the highest of the week but since Xmas Eve is at hand, the key daily cases number will be the Wednesday and Thursday data (12/22/21 and 12/23/21). Friday, 12/17/21, is the peak in daily cases thus far for wave 6, the waning vaccine efficacy wave, at 164K cases, so this is the number to watch. Daily cases must remain below 164K this week for the US, if not, we're screwed. Only 109 Americans die yesterday, a low Sunday number, but a better sight than over 1,000. The 7-day MA of US deaths is at 1.1K deaths per day an unacceptably high number. The Biden administration should be held accountable for not promoting mAb treatments which would have probably saved tens of thousands of lives and lessened the burden on the healthcare system; an epic fail. The Biden team, like the Trump crew, put all their faith and trust in vaccines that only last 3 to 6 months and a booster shot that no one yet knows how long it will last. Considering the breakthrough cases in double vaccinated folks with booster shots, that third jab may only provide a month or two of elevated protection. The data on booster shots is not available as yet. New York reports 21.6K daily new cases the highest ever. New Jersey reports 7.3K cases below the prior day's 7.6K cases and may be the epicenter of the omicron bug. The chart behavior in South Africa, Eswatini, neighboring African nations, the UK and New Jersey will tell the story on omicron. The South Africa and Eswatini charts are constructive showing a quick inverted V pattern for the omicron outbreaks. Massachusetts reports over 7K daily new cases. Omicron is attacking the East Coast.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/20/21, at 5:00 AM EST: The global stock market selloff continues. European indexes are down about -3% across the board. US futures are down about -1% assessing the situation. Travel and leisure indexes (airlines, hotels, etc..) crash -3% and more. Some scientists say omicron is nothing more than a fifth generation of the common cold that impacts the upper respiratory tract which makes it less lethal. Other COVID-19 strains are deep lung infections which lead to pneumonia and death. The United States had the pandemic beat after wave 4 but the pandemic does not end until it ends worldwide. The B1617 variant (delta) started in India and spread all around the globe creating wave 5 in the US a big disappointment. America beat wave 5 but over the last month the waning vaccine efficacy sickens people, mainly the elderly and healthcare workers that were the first to be vaccinated, creating wave 6 which is more Delta variant infections. The Omicron variant is waiting in the wings but it may be a flash in the pan. President Biden will be laughed at and ridiculed if his speech about the pandemic tomorrow is fire and brimstone denigrating the unvaccinated. If it is a big threat speech, or dark winter talk, Americans will not be happy. Biden is proving that his incompetence equals Trump's. If Biden would consider or mention a vaccine mandate, that will burn the country to the ground. Hopefully, he is not that stupid.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/20/21, at 5:20 AM EST: Colorado democrat Jason Crow tests positive for coronavirus another breakthrough case. 10 minutes went by so another breakthrough case occurs. Instead of a vaccine, they should call the jabs the 'COVID-19 death prevention shot series'. And the next politician walking onto the covid red carpet is Maryland republican Governor Larry Hogan that tests positive for the China Virus. Hogan was vaccinated with a booster shot; a lot of good it did him (as the peanut gallery continues yelling that 'vaccinations prevent death'). Another breakthrough case and here comes the next one. CNBC commentator Jim Cramer, that received heavy social media criticism with his communist view saying vaccines should be mandated and the shots carried out by the military (woo-hoo; that is out there), tests positive for China Flu. Cramer says he got it when he was being tested before an event; someone at the event was spreading the bug. Cramer is vaccinated and boosted with Moderna; a lot of good it did him. He has mild symptoms but his wife is sicker and she had the J&J shot with a Moderna booster. Breakthrough cases in America are as common as the leaves in autumn. The announcements that a politician, television personality, athlete or celebrity, tests positive for COVID-19, are starting to sound like 'news flash.... Joe Blow has a cold ...'. The covid cases are generally presenting with mild to moderate symptoms and it has been a few weeks since someone real famous has died. Former President Trump tries to make himself relevant announcing that he has received the booster shot. Trump and former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, that left the network in disgrace, are charging money for appearances, rallies, that are not selling out. Isn't Trump supposed to be rich? When the Trump campaign rallies were free, people came for the spectacle but ask them for $20 or $30 bucks, and they will take a pass on paying to hear a political speech. Some of the attendees in the heavily-republican audience booed when Trump told the crowd he received the booster shot. O'Reilly and Trump look like two washed-up entertainers appearing at a VFW party trying to keep their careers alive.
Note Added Monday Morning, 12/20/21, at 6:00 AM EST: Moderna says its booster shot provides protection against the omicron variant. The CDC COVID Data Tracker shows that 242 million Americans, 73%, are vaccinated with at least one shot. 204 million people, over 61%, are fully vaccinated with 2 mRNA jabs. 60 million Americans are boosted (3 shots), which is only 30% of the people that are vaccinated, and only 18% of the US population. Less than 1 in 5 Americans are vaccinated and boosted. Only 54% of those 65 years old and older, 26 million people, have been boosted. That leaves about 13 million vaccinated old folks that think they are protected but are only a few days or couple weeks from lying on a gurney. The CDC lists the symptoms for COVID-19 including fever, cough, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, nausea and diarrhea, but that describes the morning after a wild party. Over one dozen US colleges and universities have gone back to remote learning due to the increase in breakthrough infections. President Biden, the Whitehouse and CDC are receiving criticism for not providing enough testing kits or communicating a testing strategy for America. Store shelves are empty. It is another pandemic failure. The government espouses the greatness of testing and imposes stricter testing requirements on travelers but does nothing to increase production and distribution of covid tests. This is the definition of feckless and incompetent management. You can see the Whitehouse staff pointing fingers at each other over the testing debacle that will likely gain negative press each day forward. The staff argues each telling the other, "I thought you were takin' care a dat." American mediocrity is on full display daily. The pandemic goes to pot as Biden pulls a Don Quixote, tilting at windmills with the climate change legislation. Biden needs to ditch the dissing of the unvaccinated in his speech tomorrow and instead tell America his COVID-19 testing strategy, if he has one. As previously explained, the Swiss cheese risk analysis model should be used to explain the COVID-19 pandemic to the public since it allows both the vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans to unite and do what they can to stop the virus. It is simple as telling unvaccinated folks that they have to use more layers of protection, slices of Swiss cheese, than a vaccinated person. Firebrand former Alaska republican Governor Sarah Palin, always outspoken, borrows from famous actor Charlton Heston when he spoke at the NRA years ago, saying that if the government mandates vaccines, they will do it "over my dead body." Palin is speaking with Charlie Kirk at Turning Point USA and says "They better not touch my kids, either." Biden will set the country on fire tomorrow if he starts mouthing off about forced vaccinations. The people that want vaccinated, are vaccinated, so, leave it alone. Namaste.
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