Sunday, January 2, 2022

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Chronology Article 64 Published 1/2/22; WORLD REPORTS OVER 2.2 MILLION DAILY NEW CASES MOST EVER BUT WORLDWIDE DEATHS ARE 5.9K PER DAY LOWEST IN 14 MONTHS; 3.6 Million People Died from China Flu in 2021 Twice the 1.9 Million in 2020; US REPORTS 572K DAILY NEW CASES MOST EVER (OVER 500 MILLION!); 847K AMERICANS DEAD FROM COVID-19; Omicron Variant Wave is Fast-Moving Around the World; Breakthrough Cases Galore; US Testing Debacle; Airline Travel Nightmare; Johns-Hopkins Data Reports 1 Million US Cases Per Day; France Identifies New Variant Dubbed IHU; "Twindemic" Outbreak of Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19; Some Patients Sick with Both Flu and Coronavirus Dubbed "Flurona"; OVER 300 MILLION TOTAL CORONAVIRUS CASES WORLDWIDE; Moderna Says 2nd Vaccine Booster (4th Shot) Likely Needed By Fall; US Supreme Court Hears Vaccine Mandate Arguments; Cyprus Laboratory Identifies "Deltacron" Variant; WORLD REPORTS 2.7 MILLION CASES PER DAY; US REPORTS 871K CASES PER DAY AND OVER 62 MILLION TOTAL CASES; CDC Criticized for the Confusing Guidance and Recommendations; Senator Paul and Dr Fauci Spar at Congressional Hearing














By K E Stone (Keystone)

As the 2021 year-end montages play on cable news channels, including the celebrity death parade with the sentimental piano music tugging at heartstrings, Americans declare, “Good riddance to 2021.” Sick Old Man 2021 is kicked to the curb without mercy while beautiful Baby New Year 2022, infected with COVID-19, is welcomed with open arms.

2022 is off and stumbling as most folks recall a story or two about how their holidays sucked because of the pandemic. Men are unhappy because the pretty ladies standing under the mistletoe are wearing masks. The Botswana/South Africa B11529 Omicron variant remains the “Talk of the Town” asChrissie would sing, so it is the best place to start.

Despite all the attention on omicron, most folks, even knowledgeable scholarly types, and medical professionals, continue to mispronouncethe omicron Greek name. Forgive them for they are not mathematicians or philosophers. It is ‘aa-muh-kraan’ or ‘ahh-muh-kron’ if that is easier for you to mouth out. When you see the word omicron, think of your doctor asking you to stick out your tongue and say, “Ahhh.” Add the rest of it. Aaa-muh-kraan. It is not ohm-muh-kraan. The variant has nothing to do with electricity or the brilliant German physicist Georg Ohm.

Fauci pronounces omicron correctly and only a handful of other talking heads; most get it wrong. It is so rare to hear someone pronouncing omicron correctly, that you stop and take notice of the person since that is someone that takes their job and responsibilities seriously and deserves street cred. Others are two-bit hacks that represent American mediocrity too lazy to take 10 seconds to learn how to properly pronounce a word; and many of the bozo’s talk for a living!

It is not surprising since virtually everyone continues to mispronounce BioNTech (Pfizer’s partner in developing the mRNA vaccine). No, it is not ‘by-oh-n-tech’. Instead, think of Beyonce the famous singer, or ‘beyond tech’ only leave out the d in beyond. Bee-on-tech. Technology dulls human’s minds.

Omicron started at the Botswana/South Africa border in the region of Gauteng (Pretoria and Johannesburg) that became the epicenter of the global outbreak. Interestingly, the Zimbabwe chart actually leads the South Africa andBotswana daily new cases charts. Keystone admits he does not know epidemiology from shinola, but he does know data and charts. And the charts say that Zimbabwe likely had a hand in the conception of the Omicron variant.

Judging purely by the progression of the daily new cases charts, omicron may have developed in the Zimbabwe/Botswana area, perhaps around Bulawayo, or the Hwange National Park, then traveled straight down Highway A1, the main artery to Gaborone, and then the variant exploded in transmissibility at Gauteng. But, this is based on charts, and obviously the scientists can make a better determination with analytical analyses.

Whoever is looking into it, maybe the WHO, should be performing testing in Zimbabwe because they are the leader of the omicron waves, followed by South Africa then Eswatini. For the omicron wave, the following peaks in daily cases are in play; Zimbabwe (12/10/21), South Africa (12/12/21), Eswatini (12/16/21), Namibia (12/20/21), Nigeria (12/22/21), Lesotho (12/24/21), Kenya (12/25/21), Ghana (12/27/21), Canada (12/27/21), Ethiopia (12/28/21), Angola (12/28/21), the world (12/30/21), United States (12/30/21), Mozambique (12/30/21), Zambia (12/30/21), Gabon (12/30/21), and Togo, Mali, Guinea, UK, Ireland, Israel, France, Italy, Spain, many other countries, and the individual US states, are still finding their way to the peak in daily omicron cases.

The countries listed through Angola are likely in the clear and on the mend from the Omicron variant but the others on the list are a work in progress. The peaks in daily cases should occur any day ahead and it is very encouraging that the world may have topped-out in daily cases on Thursday.

The world’s daily new cases chart is shown above. The cases explode higher to 1.9 million on 12/30/21, last Thursday, so fingers are crossed that the 2-day pullback will continue. Note the omicron wave skinny inverted V pattern shown on the chart so that is the projected resolution going forward.

The world’s daily new deaths chart is shown above. Finally, some positive news. The 7-day MA for world deaths drops to 5.9K deaths per day the lowest since October 2020. That is a lot of souls but less than half that were claimed during the peak deaths of wave 3.

The cases and deaths chart show the 6 pandemic waves thus far for the world. Note that cases rise into wave 3 and so do deaths but cases explode higher again to the current peak, but the deaths have trailed lower ever since the wave 3 peak. Great news. A beautiful divergence.

The world’s total deaths chart is shown above. 5.5 million people have died from China Flu over the last 2 years. That is a lot of funerals and tear-filled handkerchiefs. 1.9 million people die in 2020 and twice that many, 3.6 million, die in 2021.

China must pay for their dastardly deed against humanity but first the world has to heal and defeat the omicron wave. Filthy dirtbag Dictator Xi is Satan incarnate. The Chinese people have no choice but to live under the CCP’s communist and authoritarian rule.

The South Africa daily new cases chart is shown above. The chart for the omicron wave 4 is a skinny inverted (upside-down) V pattern. The duration is 2 weeks up to the peak on 12/12/21 then 2 to 3 weeks back down. The downside of the inverted V pattern takes a few more days than the upside rocket launch. This same pattern is shown for Zimbabwe, Eswatini and others in the list above. The world watches to see if other nations will follow the same skinny inverted V omicron pattern. They should.

South Africa is a youthful nation the average age is only 28 years old. About 40% are vaccinated but there is a lot of natural immunity in play from people infected during prior waves. Scientists are hesitant to 100% declare the Omicron variant as causing less severe illness and death because the demographics at play in South Africa do not match other nations.

The vaccinations and natural immunities, and strong youthful physiques, may have played a key role in South Africa defeating omicron quickly. Western nations are highly vaccinated, and natural immunities are at play, but the omicron illness may be more detrimental on these gluten-stuffed fat *sses.

The key nations of interest in the worldwide omicron wave are Zimbabwe, South Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Israel, UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Canada and the US specifically watching New York, New Jersey, Florida and Hawaii. The omicron wave will ripple through the US states from the East Coast inward, from the southern states northward and from the West Coast eastward. Omicron is fast-moving probably far faster than most scientists currently project.

The daily cases charts for Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Angola and Ethiopia are similar to the South Africa chart and are starting to put the omicron bug in the rearview mirror.

Mozambique’s daily new cases chart is shown above. This chart represents the next group of countries that are topping-out with omicron. Mozambique peaks on 12/30/21, so far, so 2 days off the top is encouraging. This same moment in time is occurring for Zambia, Gabon, Canada, the world and the United States.

Israel’s daily new cases chart is shown above. Israel has perhaps the best research on COVID-19 and what have they got to show for it? Buptkis. Israel’s sixth wave, the omicron wave, has gone parabolic as they frantically jab the fourth shot into arms. Good luck. Omicron will likely run its course of 2 weeks up and then 2 or 3 weeks down. Israel may peak with daily cases in the days ahead.

The UK daily new cases chart is shown above. The UK reports 190K daily new cases on 12/31/21 and 163K yesterday, 1/1/22. Cases may be peaking-out but one day does not make a trend. The 7-day MA for UK daily new cases is parabolic at 157K cases per day.

The omicron portion of the current UK wave is shown with the skinny inverted V pattern. The omicron rocket launch started about mid-December so following the 2 weeks up and 2 or 3 weeks down omicron pattern, would place the UK top in cases exactly where it is at; 12/31/21. Good luck Brit’s. The new year may be starting on an upbeat as the daily cases peak-out and begin a sharp reversal.

Spain’s daily new cases chart is shown above and it is representative of other nations such as Ireland, France and Portugal that are getting smacked hard with the omicron fist. These nations are searching for their peaks in daily cases which may appear any day forward.

For Spain’s chart, 162K cases are reported which may or may not be the peak. Cases started ramping higher in early to mid-December so the cases would be expected to top-out now. Ditto for Ireland, France and Italy. Good luck, Spain. Keystone so enjoys the evenings on the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, exchanging views with the locals in the lively cafes.

The US daily new cases chart is shown above. The omicron peak for wave 6 is at 572K daily new cases on 12/30/21 (so far). The last 2 days are 450K cases and 161K cases yesterday an encouraging direction but 2 days do not make a trend.

Elevated cases would be expected from the Christmas holiday and this occurs with the infections ramping up from 12/29/21, however, the holiday cases may be subdued since many were already sickened by omicron or had their plans changed due to the airline staffing fiasco.

Typically, the highest number of infections after a superspreader will occur at the 8-day mark, which is today, so give it a couple days to see how the US case data shakes out. The numbers may be revised higher as people catch-up after the holidays.

The daily cases are higher than the numbers report because positive cases identified with at-home tests are not counted if the person never tells anyone. Fingers are crossed that the 12/30/21 peak in US daily cases will hold.

The B11529 Omicron variant has to work its way across the United States but many states are already fully engulfed such as New York, New Jersey, Florida and Hawaii. Omicron is moving from the East Coast inland with many Midwest states already under siege. The virus is also moving from the southern states northward and from the West Coast inland towards the Midwest.

The United States may see the omicron wave rip through the nation at a far faster pace than anyone forecasts. It would be a great start to the new year because so far, this year feels a lot like the last one.

The sad and depressing US active cases chart is shown above. The active cases chart is the ‘flatten the curve’ chart and the bell curve chart that needs to flatten and roll over lower to prove the virus is being defeated. The pandemic is not being defeated because the line is going higher.

Worse, that blue line for US active cases spiking higher is a shiv into every nurse’s ribs. It means heavier caseloads than the unmanageable amount now and more time away from the family sleeping in the janitor’s closet on the third floor of the hospital. On the bright side, this may be the last hurrah for the pandemic and the peak in caseloads may come faster than anyone expects.

If all the good nurses, doctors and medics can hang in there, a big improvement in the patient caseload should appear in the back half of the month. The next couple weeks may be the busiest for the healthcare workers and the last of the mayhem of the pandemic.

The US daily new deaths chart is shown above. The deaths were in a nice downtrend until the waning vaccine efficacy started sending older Americans, that were vaccinated between December 2020 and April 2021, to the hospital and of course, some did not make it. In addition, omicron shows its ugly face creating a double-whammy of gloom for US wave 6.

The 7-day MA of US deaths is at 1.1K deaths per day stuttering sideways for the last 2 months. The flat brown line is at 900 deaths per day. If deaths can break through the 9 hundo support, the down leg in deaths will have gravitas.

Note that the US daily cases and active cases charts display thin red lines showing the increase in infections from the start of the pandemic to the wave 3 peak, and now from wave 3 to the wave 6 peak. Interestingly, as cases set record numbers, the US daily deaths chart ramps higher into the wave 3 peak but does not continue higher. Instead, as shown by the green line, deaths drop away and remain far below the wave 3 peak. This is great news and shows that the transmissibility of the variants increases but the deaths do not increase (so far). Considering all the unvaccinated folks in the hospitals these days, that is good news.

The US hospitalizations chart is shown above. Hospitalizations increased into the wave 3 peak, when folks were dropping like flies since the vaccines were not yet widely available, but remain lower during the subsequent waves; a good thing.

The caveat is shown on the right hand side of the chart with the big red question mark. A spike in hospitalizations is occurring but as usual, the CDC is at home eating figgy pudding and licking the bottom of the eggnog bowl. The hospitalization data is a few days behind as usual so instead of about 75K hospitalizations, the number may be higher. Someone will eventually show up at the CDC and update the data.

The first level to watch is the 93K hospitalizations peak of wave 5. It would be bad if hospitalizations break up through that resistance at 93K. The 125K resistance would be in play next if the 93K gives way. The need for ventilators and ICU beds is not as drastic as feared, so far, although hospitals are very busy. It is far easier for a busy hospital to handle patients that all have flu-like symptoms and simply need a place to rest for a while as opposed to all of them needing a vent and a priest.

Over the coming days, the omicron story will be told. It would not be unreasonable to expect the hospitalizations to peak out in the 90K to 120K area but again, it is not like wave 3 when orders of magnitude more patients were on vents and had more tubes sticking out of them. The waning vaccine efficacy is sickening elderly folks but most are holding up well especially if they receive monoclonal antibodies.

Hospitalizations are jumping higher in New York and New Jersey (you can use the pull-down menu on the CDC site to check out individual state data). Florida hospitalizations ramp higher but nowhere near the New York and New Jersey. Maine had record hospitalizations but the numbers are now coming down.

US hospital admissions continue higher as per the CDC so that means hospitalizations will continue higher for the next 4 days. The fastest acceleration in admissions is for the folks 60 years and older which makes sense since some of these are breakthrough cases due to waning vaccine efficacy and others due to omicron penetrating the vaccine protection, even for boosted people. Sadly, New Jersey reports the most hospital admissions ever worse than wave 3 (use the pull-down menu).

The US county map on the CDC site is blood red with high community transmission occurring to the point that it is countrywide and not community spread. Over 91% of the United States is in a high transmission county. The extremely high level of transmission is reminiscent of wave 3 when the entire country was under siege, however, as explained above, hospitalizations and deaths are far lower than wave 3.

As the never-ending pandemic lingers on for 2 years, high transmissibility takes on a different meaning than one year ago. The same high infection rates shown on the US county map mean something different (less severe illness and deaths) than one year ago.

The US cumulative deaths chart is shown above and offers sound bites for politicians and medical pundits alike. 847K Americans are dead from China Virus. 371K died in 2020 and 476K died in 2021. The republican media has been saying for a few months that more Americans died under Biden than Trump. Wrong. Power changed hands on 1/20/21 and there are 435K dead under the orange-headed bloviating carnival clown (King Trump) and 412K dead under the frail confused Alzheimer patient (Sleepy Joe Biden).

The republicans can actually tell the truth about the death count when 24K more deaths occur. This will place Biden at 436K dead and Trump at 435K. When will this happen? At the 1.1K per day death rate, it will take 22 days to get there. Thus, republican hacks listen-up, you can mouth off correctly about more deaths under Biden than under Trump after 1/24/22; until then you are continuing to lie when you say Biden has more deaths than Trump.

The vaccines started to roll out in December 2020 and the healthcare workers and elderly were getting vaccinated like gangbusters January through April. By the end of May, all 50 states were stocked to the rafters with vaccine so anyone that wanted a shot could have had the shot by then. There were 615K deaths through 5/31/21.

Thus, 232K Americans died from 6/1/21 to present because they were not vaccinated. Many did not take the shots by choice but others, such as the poor, disabled, destitute, homeless and abused, did not get vaccinated for other reasons.

US deaths hit the Spanish Flu mark at 675K souls on 9/2/21 and the China Flu has now claimed 847K lives in all almost 200K more than the last 100-year plague. The CCP must pay for their nefarious deed.

The New York State daily new cases chart is shown above. The same technical chart analysis holds for other states on the leading edge of the omicron wave such as New Jersey, Florida and Hawaii. New York State reports 85K daily cases another all-time record.

The 7-day MA is parabolic at 59.5K cases per day. New York cases started to take off higher mid-December so it is reasonable to believe the 2-week omicron trademark upswing pattern is pretty much played-out and a top should be in play any day.

New York City Mayor Adams has his hands full holding de Blasio’s bag of sh*t. City dwellers were not throwing confetti the other night in Times Square to welcome in the new year, no siree, they were celebrating the end of King de Blasio’s reign. De Blasio’s legacy is cast in stone; he conducted a COVID-19 superspreader event on his last day in office. Way to go, de Blasio. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

The USA has the greatest number of total coronavirus cases in the world at 55.9 million. India is next with 34.9 million total virus cases. Brazil, UK, Russia, France, Turkey, Germany, Spain, Italy, Iran and Argentina round out the top dozen on the ugly list. France worsens leapfrogging Turkey. Iran improves two spots with Spain and Italy worsening.

COVID-19 has infected 290 million people worldwide. 5.5 million people are dead from the China Flu. 254 million global citizens have recovered from China Flu. 88% (254/290) 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, until now. It may be a one-off but if not, it hints that people are not recovering as fast from COVID-19 as one year ago. About 10% of the people that contract coronavirus have lingering health effects such as long-covid or die.

Worldwide, 1.9% (5.5/290) of the people that are infected with covid die; 1 in 53. This number sat at 2.1%-2.2% for many months, then dropped to 2.0% for a couple months and now sneaks lower to 1.9% a positive development for the planet. The vaccinations and natural immunities are helping to lower the world’s death rate albeit by small increments.

3.8% (290/7670) of the world’s population of 7.67 billion people have been infected with coronavirus; 1 in every 26 people on earth. 0.07% of the world’s population (5.5/7670) died from the pandemic; 1 in every 1,395 people.

In the United States, 55.9 million people are infected with covid. 847K Americans are dead. 41.5 million Americans have recovered from coronavirus. This equates to 74% (41.5/55.9) of US citizens recovering after becoming infected with COVID-19. The recovery percentage has been between 76% and 84% over the last few months and now slips to 74%. 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. It is a new year so set small easy goals. If you want to lose weight, first spend 2 weeks writing down everything you put in your mouth every day including a stick of gum and how many glasses of water you drink. Only then can you assess your problem areas, set another small goal, and plot your new course forward. If you want the healthiest immune system possible, you have to eat like an Asian.

In the US, 1.5% (847/55900) of the people infected with COVID-19 die. This number was sticky at 1.6% to 1.8% for many months and now dips to 1.5%. 1 in every 66 US citizens that are infected with coronavirus die. 0.26% (847/330000) of Americans have died from COVID-19 which is 1 in every 390 Americans.

16.9% (55.9/330) of the American population of 330 million people, call it 17%, have been infected with covid; 1 in every 6 Americans. The minority communities are impacted disproportionately. The 17% that now have natural immunities solidly contribute towards developing herd immunity.  The numbers for natural immunity are likely far higher than reported. Many Americans had covid at home and never saw a doctor or reported the illness.

The United States has 19% (55.9/290) of the COVID-19 cases in the world. 1 in 5 people that become infected with covid on planet earth are Americans. The US vaccination program made an impact month’s ago, but not so much in recent weeks and months. The number is flatlining. This percentage was 22% about 10 months ago.

The US accounts for 15.4% (847/5500) of the China Flu deaths in the world. 1 in 6.5 people (2 in 13) that die from COVID-19 around the world are Americans. 7 months ago, it was 1 in 5. The numbers are stalled at the same level for the last 6 months.

The Keystone Speculator Coronavirus Infection Rate Model, the Keystone Model for short, is a simple model that predicts when the active cases chart curves will flatten-out and roll-over lower. The active cases chart is the ‘flatten the curve’ chart that represents the maximum stress and strain on the medical system and healthcare workers. Once the active cases chart rolls over forming the bell shape, the virus is being defeated and healthcare workers can breathe easier.

The Keystone Model uses the peak in the daily new cases to forecast the peak and flattening of the active cases curve. The ‘flattening of the curve’ only pertains to the active cases chart. For communist nations where the populations must do what they are told or they receive a bullet in their heads (China), and for smaller authoritarian nations (Eastern European countries, Africa and Middle East nations), and many Asian nations where citizens follow government rules without questioning authority (South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia), the active cases curve will peak, on average, 11 days after the peak in daily new cases.

For the Western countries, such as the US and European nations, the so-called free societies, the active cases curve will peak, on average, 28 days after the peak in new cases. It takes about 2 weeks longer for a free society to tamp down a virus wave than a communist or authoritarian state because lockdowns are not strictly enforced.

All projections below for countries and the US states continue to use the 11 and 28-day periods for forecasting for consistency. When the peak in daily new cases occurs, if a subsequent day is within 8% of that peak top, it is identified as the peak in daily new cases day.

The peak in the daily new cases is easily seen on the bar charts provided by Worldometer, the CDC and Johns-Hopkins. The daily new cases bar charts are shown on television news channels with a 7-day moving average (MA) line which is a smoothing mechanism that identifies the trend.

An update for The Keystone Model is provided since another 10-day period passes, 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 64 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-fourth article is published on Sunday, 1/2/22. The Coronavirus Chronology series of articles are the only real-time source of information available continuously chronicling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic from early 2020 into 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 64 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 never-ending COVID-19 saga.

The sixty-second article is the Coronavirus (COVID-19)Chronology Article 62 Published 12/11/21; OVER 817K AMERICANS DEAD FROM CHINAFLU; OVER 5.3 MILLION DEAD WORLDWIDE; Botswana/South Africa B11529 Variant(Omicron) Appears More Contagious Less Lethal; Omicron Variant Identified in 25US States and 67 Countries; Omicron Exhibits Community Spread and ImmuneEscape; US Wave 6 Continues; Thanksgiving Day Parties Create New Infections;Waning Vaccine Efficacy Creating Breakthrough Cases Worldwide; Vaccine ZealotsCreating Tyrannical Governments; Vaccine Mandates Remain Snarled in US Courts;Europe and Southern Africa Are Global Pandemic Hot Spots; Pfizer COVID-19 OralPill Reduces Hospitalizations and Deaths By 89%; Cornell University Closes WhenOver 900 Vaccinated Students are Infected with COVID-19 Including OmicronVariant; China’s Sinovac Vaccine Inadequate Against Omicron; South KoreaReports Deadliest Day Ever; UK, Denmark, Norway, South Korea, Vietnam, Laos,South Africa and Eswatini Report Highest Cases Ever; Johns-Hopkins US DeathsExceed 800K Grim Milestone; 1-Year Anniversary of US Vaccinations; PresidentBiden Predicts “A Winter of Severe Illness and Death”; US and EuropeanHospitals Overrun Because of Waning Vaccine Efficacy Sickening HealthcareWorkers

The sixty-third article is the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Chronology Article 63 Published 12/21/21; Waning Vaccine Efficacy Sickens Healthcare Workers and Elderly; 1st American Death Occurs from Omicron Variant Now Dominant In the US; President Biden Announces New Winter Plan that Sounds Like the Old Plan; OVER 829K AMERICANS DEAD FROM CHINA FLU; OVER 5.4 MILLION DEAD WORLDWIDE; US Wave 6 is the Waning Vaccine Efficacy and Omicron Wave; Breakthrough Cases Common; Western Europe and Southern Africa Global Hot Spots; US Unprepared for Surging Demand in COVID-19 Testing; Israel Begins Administering 4th Vaccine Dose; FDA Approves Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Merck’s Molnupiravir Anti-Viral Oral Pills for Treating COVID-19; Botswana/South Africa B11529 Omicron Variant Identified in All 50 US States and 100 Counties; WORLD REPORTS 980K DAILY NEW CAES THE HIGHEST EVER; Over 500 Million Vaccine Doses Administered in US; CDC Reduces 10-Day COVID-19 Isolation Period to 7 Days for Healthcare Workers Based on Staff Shortages, er, Science; Evusheld Drug Helps Immunocompromised; President Biden Decrees “There Is No Federal Solution”; CDC Reduces 10-Day Isolation Period to 5 Days for All; WORLD REPORTS OVER 1.9 MILLION DAILY NEW CASES MOST EVER BUT WORLDWIDE DEATHS ARE BELOW 6K PER DAY LOWEST IN 14 MONTHS; US REPROTS 572K DAILY NEW CAES MOST EVER (OVER 500 MILION!); Rapid-Testing Reliability Questioned; CDC Stops Using PCR Tests that Cannot Distinguish Between COVID-19 and Influenza (Flu): Omicron Variant Infects South America; ‘Pandemic of the Unvaccinated’ Devolves into ‘Pandemic of the Vaccinated’

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.

Laos (Third/Consecutive Wave)
12/11/21 New Case Peak Date
12/22/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Norway (Continuous/Seventh Wave)
12/15/21 New Case Peak Date
12/26/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days) (chart continues higher)
 
South Korea (Fifth Wave)
12/18/21 New Case Peak Date
12/29/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days) chart is flattening and rolling over; give it a couple days)
 
Nigeria (Fourth Wave)
12/22/21 New Case Peak Date
1/2/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Lesotho (Fourth Wave)
12/24/21 New Case Peak Date
1/4/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Namibia (Fourth Wave)
12/24/21 New Case Peak Date
1/4/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Malawi (Fourth Wave)
12/24/21 New Case Peak Date
1/4/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Kenya (Fifth Wave)
12/24/21 New Case Peak Date
1/4/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Canada (Fifth Wave)
12/27/21 New Case Peak Date
1/7/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Angola (Fourth Wave)
12/28/21 New Case Peak Date
1/8/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Iceland (Fifth Wave)
12/28/21 New Case Peak Date
1/8/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Switzerland (Fifth Wave)
12/29/21 New Case Peak Date
1/9/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days) (chart trying to top-out)
 
Sweden (Sixth Wave)
12/29/21 New Case Peak Date
1/9/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Denmark (Eighth Wave)
12/29/21 New Case Peak Date
1/9/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Spain (Seventh Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/10/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Vietnam (Second Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/10/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Zambia (Fifth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/10/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Panama (Fifth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/10/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
United States (Sixth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 28 days)
 
Ethiopia (Fourth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/11/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Bolivia (Fourth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/11/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Mozambique (Fourth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/11/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Paraguay (Sixth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/11/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Uruguay (Fourth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/11/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Argentina (Sixth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/11/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Portugal (Sixth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/11/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Greece (Fifth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/11/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Malta (Ninth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/11/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Turkey (Fifth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/11/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
UK (Fifth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 28 days)
 
Finland (Continuous Wave Higher/Fifth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 28 days)
 
Uganda (Fifth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/12/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
France (Fifth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/12/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Italy (Fifth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/12/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Ireland (Fifth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/12/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Colombia (Fourth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/12/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Mexico (Fourth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/12/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Israel (Fifth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/12/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)
 
Australia (Fourth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/12/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (based on 11 days)

It is ugly stuff. First, the miniscule good news is that Zimbabwe, South Africa and Eswatini are removed from the bad list above as their active cases charts are rolling over to the downside. The nations at the global epicenter of the omicron outbreak are first in and first out.

The tops in the daily new cases for many countries above are extended so by definition, their active cases curves will take longer to roll over and hospitals will be stressed.

Turkey, Greece and Israel are added to the bad list. Ditto Mexico so omicron is now wearing a sombrero. Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay are added to the bad list as omicron infects South America. Bolivia has led the way and it is a mess. Uganda is also added to the bad list as the omicron wave moves northward through Africa.

Cases are starting to sneak higher for Belgium, Netherlands and Austria and they will likely be added to the bad list next time. Germany is okay now but with Belgium and Netherlands starting to slip down the omicron rabbit hole, the Deutschland is probably not far behind a few weeks from now.

Central America is getting infected again and Guatemala will likely be added to the bad list next time. Ecuador and Peru are in lousy shape but their data is less reliable. Omicron is attacking South America. Tunisia in northern Africa is getting infected so it may appear on the list next time.

The country list above is uninspiring. It is surprising to see the world’s daily cases chart potentially peaking because the ugliness in the individual countries says otherwise.

France crosses above 10 million total cases and imposes stricter rules on the public. Masks are mandatory indoors and outdoors. Citizens are told to work at home 3 days per week if possible. There is a vaccine mandate in place if a French citizen wants to enter a bar or restaurant. Sacrebleu! No baguette and wine for you! France adds the US to its travel red list so Americans have to jump through a few extra hoops if they want to visit Paris.

The next list shows the US states that are struggling, which is basically all of them, with the worst states at the bottom. Any state that showed signs of improvement last time is crushed into the dirt by omicron. The US states are falling down the covid rabbit hole into coronavirus Hell. The expectation is that not as many people will die as compared to wave 3 despite the record high cases exploding everywhere.

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. January will be a busy month for the doctors, nurses and medics.

Minnesota (Sixth Wave)
12/7/21 New Case Peak Date
1/4/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date (curve is flattening and dropping but give it a few days)
 
Maine (Second Wave/Continuous)
12/10/21 New Case Peak Date
1/7/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Connecticut (Fifth Wave)
12/27/21 New Case Peak Date
1/24/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Idaho (Fifth Wave/Continuous)
12/28/21 New Case Peak Date
1/25/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Kentucky (Continuous Wave)
12/29/21 New Case Peak Date
1/26/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Michigan (Fifth Wave)
12/29/21 New Case Peak Date
1/26/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Kansas (Fifth Wave)
12/29/21 New Case Peak Date
1/26/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Montana (Fourth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Wyoming (Fourth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Wisconsin (Sixth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
New Mexico (Sixth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Arkansas (Fifth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Indiana (Sixth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Missouri (Sixth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Vermont (Fifth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Rhode Island (Sixth Wave/Continuous)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Louisiana (Fifth Wave/Consecutive Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
New Hampshire (Fourth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Mississippi (Fifth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Maryland (Sixth Wave/Continuous Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
California (Continuous/Fifth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Utah (Fifth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Nevada (Fifth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Illinois (Fifth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Texas (Fifth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Washington (Sixth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Oregon (Sixth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
West Virginia (Sixth Wave)
12/30/21 New Case Peak Date
1/27/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Virginia (Sixth Wave/Continuous Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
North Carolina (Sixth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Tennessee Carolina (Sixth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Ohio (Sixth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Oklahoma (Sixth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Colorado (Sixth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Nebraska (Fifth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Georgia (Fifth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Alabama (Fifth Wave/ Continuous Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Massachusetts (Fourth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
South Carolina (Fifth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Hawaii (Fifth Wave/Continuous Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/21 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Florida (Sixth Wave)
12/31/21 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
New York (Fifth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/29/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
New Jersey (Fifth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/28/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Arizona (Fourth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/29/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Pennsylvania (Sixth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/29/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date
 
Delaware (Sixth Wave)
1/1/22 New Case Peak Date
1/29/22 Projected Active Case Peak Date

The Omicron variant is in all 50 states and the 46 above are all in trouble. Even the 4 remaining, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and Alaska, will be on the bad list next time. It is amazing how fast everything went to sh*t.

Most of those state charts show huge spikes in daily cases. But playing the role of Mr Brightside, the drastic explosion in cases in virtually every US state at once means the omicron wave is going to hit hard and fast and run its course in America a lot faster than anyone realizes.

The problem is in the VST (stock trading lingo for very short term), say the next couple weeks, maybe three. The healthcare workers are going to get annihilated with patients. This coming week is going to be bad.

If a healthcare worker, get ready for a horrible 2 weeks but that may be the worst you see for the remainder of the pandemic with conditions improving every day afterwards say from mid-month forward.

So as ugly as the charts are, the fact that everywhere in the United States is getting pretty much hit at the same time, is a good thing. Get it over with fast like ripping off a Band-Aid. Most US states may top out in daily cases in the days ahead and the omicron wave is known for its quick retreat on the downside.

Considering the wild upside in daily cases across the United States, to the stratosphere, raise your hand if you are an *sshole that thinks vaccine mandates work. If you are that stupid, please explain it.

On Friday, the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for and against the first two key legal issues requiring resolution; the vax mandate on large businesses and the vax mandate on healthcare workers. Biden’s OSHA rules are unconstitutional; at least that is the expectation of the future court decisions.

The vaccine mandates did not help the airlines; it only hurt them. They will brag that more employees complied and took the jabs but of course they did when the company threatened to destroy their life and family. US airlines cancel 2,300 flights today and 1,600 more worldwide. The airlines blame the weather and omicron. Funny how no one mentions the 900-pound elephant sitting in the cockpit; vaccine mandates.

The airlines lost a lot of employees but more importantly, they created a disgruntled workforce. Some of those staff shortages are the workers the airlines made kneel in front of them to accept the vaccinations. They saved their jobs but many will take any opportunity they can to screw the company. The Ivy League managers are stupid about everyday life. When someone screws you, you screw them back, and some nutcases will screw you back forever.

Pilots, attendants and airline staff that were forced to take vaccines have a little tickle in their throats today. Hey boss, I can’t make it in today. Once-dedicated employees, that are now disgruntled workers after being forced to kneel in front of their boss and take the jab, smell blood in the water and are happy to screw the airline a little more if they are able. Screw people and they screw you back. The airlines are now offering triple pay to pilots and double pay to other workers if they put in extra time during January. It makes you laugh out loud.

Any company imposing vaccine mandates has purposely created disgruntled employees. That is stupid management and will hurt the businesses over the long term. And all for naught. Cases catapult to the sky and would have done so regardless of the vaccine mandate garbage.

Americans, especially parents, want the kids back in school as the new year begins, and many communities are forging ahead but others, such as some Atlanta schools, are already backing away and going to remote learning. People are sick of the pandemic and the daily unknowns.

Kids getting back to school hinges on tests which are as rare as hen’s teeth these days. Bungling Biden dropped the ball and forgot to order tests in October so the Whitehouse scrambles to at least provide 500 million tests this month. Biden talked about a website to order tests but that will be a disaster especially for this first batch.

The tests will go with a blink of an eye. Instead of a jackass website, ship the test kits to the governors that can distribute them to local governments and communities since these people know where the need it at. Poor folks do not have computers and the wealthier folks can buy their own tests. The pandemic keeps screwing the disadvantaged folks while the rich keep getting effortlessly richer. This garbage is going to make the coming class war worse.

Sleepy Joe has a test of his ability at hand. He has made numerous boneheaded mistakes but if people want to give him one last chance it is now. He promised 500 million tests this month and he better deliver. Biden has 28 days to deliver the goods. If the tests are fumbled, Biden will be officially a president non grata. Good luck, Joe. Wake up, put the pudding down, and do something.

Over 30 universities are going back to remote learning so the college experience continues devolving into something that sucks.

The speed of the omicron wave taking hold around the world is breathtaking. Southern Africa is in good shape as the outbreak has run its course but the northern African nations are under siege. Ditto the UK, Ireland and western Europe. It is sad to see cases start to increase in Belgium and Netherlands since it is likely the start of the omicron rocket launch and movement back across Europe from west to east.

North America is engulfed with Canada, Mexico and the US under omicron attack. As explained above, it is jaw-dropping how fast all the US states went to Hell in a covid handbasket. Central America is also getting hit and South America, that no one ever seems to talk about, is smacked with the omicron menace. Bolivia has been in trouble for many weeks and the wheels just fell off the wagon. Asia is hanging in there except for Vietnam that reports a huge pop in cases.

Thus, with the force of omicron hitting crazy fast, that means it will disappear faster as well so all is not doom and gloom.

By the time the test kits arrive this month, the US daily new cases will probably be on the backside of the omicron wave 6 and it may be the last hurrah for the pandemic. 2022 begins on a downbeat but there are happy songs to play in the back half of January that will make everyonesmile, as Steve plays and sings.

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/3/22, at 3:00 AM EST: The holiday parties are over. Time to get back to work and school but Americans are concerned about the Omicron variant spreading like wildfire. Welcome to 2022. People are resilient. It is time to come out from under the bed. US Defense Secretary Austin tests positive for China Flu. Austin, 68, was fully vaccinated and had the booster; a lot of good it did him. Star football (American soccer) player Lionel Messi of the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) team tests positive for COVID-19 as does three other players. More breakthrough cases. World governments are facing an uphill battle to convince unvaccinated people to take the shots especially when the jabs do not prevent infection or transmission contrary to the original promises months ago. Goldman Sachs, the large investment banker on Wall Street, tells employees to work remotely due to the omicron outbreak. JP Morgan and other banksters follow the leader. Novavax applies for emergency approval for its protein-based vaccine (different than the others) that is showing a 90% success rate in drug trials. NVAX stock pops +2% in pre-market trading. Dr Fauci, speaking yesterday on CNN (democrat-run media), proclaims, "Of course you do not want to panic people." Fauci opines about the "90 thousand (90K) people that are in the hospital and 12 hundred (1,200; 1.2K) deaths per day. That is not a trivial situation." The New York City Teacher's Union wants the public school system to go remote. Parents are pulling their hair out. Dr Gottlieb on CBS (democrat-run media) yesterday says the Omicron variant is mainly an upper airway disease which is good news for adults (as opposed to the deep lung infections of the earlier variants). However, toddlers with airway issues are impacted negatively if they are infected with omicron and the hospital numbers bare this out. Good luck to the little tykes. The airline mess continues. The United States already cancels 1,600 flights today which creates unhappy business travelers that need to be at a meeting at 11 AM EST two states away. Over 14K flights have been cancelled worldwide since Christmas. Maybe the airline employees that were forced to take a vaccine into their body they did not want are calling off work; they are glad to do anything to help screw the company going forward. This is America, baby.

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/3/22, at 4:00 AM EST: The US reports 185K daily new cases a lower number well off the 572K peak on 12/30/21 but it is a Sunday number which is always the lowest of the week. The rubber meets the road over the next few days. 162 Americans die yesterday and the 7-day MA trend line for US deaths drifts lower to 1,099 deaths per day. New York daily cases pull back to 60K yesterday. Ditto New Jersey cases that are coming off the peak. Texas and Florida are not updating their data. 

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/3/22, at 4:30 AM EST: India is concerned about a bump-up in cases and begins a vaccination program for the 15 to 18 year old age group. France plans to shorten the wait for booster shots from 7 months down to 4 months. Is that based on science or politics? No one cares anymore. Countries keep pumping boosters in arms hoping to stop the pandemic but it is like bailing out a leaky boat with an empty coffee can. Israel forges ahead with widescale adoption of the fourth shots, a booster-booster, for healthcare workers and citizens over 60 years old. If the booster-booster does not work, by golly, Omer and Daniel are in the lab mixing up the booster-booster-booster and promise that it will stop COVID-19. China continues to struggle at containing the outbreak in Xi'an despite the draconian forced lockdown of 13 million Chinese people. Anyone daring to venture out from their home jail cell is disciplined and/or beaten. That's the way communism works. After all, the terracotta soldiers in Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an are in eternal lockdown. China reports 101 new infections below the prior day's 131 cases but the China data is always unreliable (lies). The CCP reports numbers that will help their political narratives. 91 of the cases are in Xi'an which brings the total to about 1,700 cases in the region, a large number for a government enforcing a zero-covid strategy. Cases in Hong Kong, now just another dirtbag communist city under CCP rule, are rising so stricter restrictions are imposed. Airline flight disruptions and new protocols will hamper business. Interestingly, many pro-democracy Hong Kong people are now thrown into a communist Hell hole of despair. How many Hong Kong folks, having tasted freedom for many years, now thrust into communist rule for the remainder of their life, are simply walking around not caring if they are infected with China Flu and not caring if they spread it (which is problematic for China's zero-covid strategy)? Life drains out of humans that lose hope.

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/3/22, at 5:00 AM EST: The UK reports 138K daily new cases coming off the 189K peak on 12/31/21 but 2 days do not make a trend. Nonetheless, the UK may have topped-out with cases on New Year's Eve. It follows the omicron daily cases chart pattern of 2 weeks up, peak, then down for 2 or 3 weeks. Ireland is crying in its beer as daily cases keep setting records. France and Italy are reporting a couple days of cases off the peak an encouraging sign. Mozambique appears to have run its course completing its skinny inverted V pattern  for daily new cases. The B11529 Omicron variant is a fast-moving bug and earthlings will be surprised at how fast it runs its course over the next couple weeks (as long as the peaks forming with daily cases hold).

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/3/22, at 10:00 AM EST: The FDA authorizes the Pfizer/BioNTech booster shot for 12 to 15 year old children. In addition, the 6-month waiting period for the booster shot is lessened to 5 months. Dr Fauci says the CDC may clarify the 5 day isolation period guidelines to require a test. Detractors accused the CDC of not requiring a test at the end of the 5-day isolation period because there are no tests available (lack of supply versus science). Fauci runs the NIAID; why is he speaking for the CDC? New York City is receiving criticism for a new edict that wants to preferentially provide monoclonal antibody and oral pill treatments to people of color ahead of white folks; essentially choosing who receives medical attention based on the color of their skin. America is a sick society. Why not provide treatment to the people that are sick?

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/3/22, at 10:45 AM EST: Florida republican Governor DeSantis holds a press conference in Fort Lauderdale at Broward Health, asking the federal government for additional monoclonal antibody treatments. DeSantis explains that Florida had an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to directly supply mAb treatments to the Sunshine State, and the GSK treatment works against omicron, but the Biden administration took over all mAb supplies from Big Pharma in September, and has been limiting mAb treatments ever since. DeSantis comments on the huge rise in Florida cases but says omicron is not as deadly. Thousands of Americans died needlessly under Biden's watch because of his vaccine-only strategy that limited mAb treatments. Biden dissed and denigrated monoclonal antibodies, HCQ, ivermectin and other preventive and early COVID-19 treatments for political reasons and to promote vaccines, a major blunder. Handling the pandemic should have been an all hands on deck approach with all treatments and therapies on the table. The reason this could not occur is that a vaccine cannot be approved for emergency use if there are other treatment options available. The Whitehouse calls all other treatments snake oil and junk science because that permitted the emergency approval of the vaccines. Crony capitalism.

Note Added Monday Afternoon, 1/3/22: Comedian and late show host Jimmy Fallon tests positive for COVID-19 and he is triple vaccinated; a lot of good it did him. Triple vaccinated television personality Whoopie Goldberg tests positive for coronavirus. Breakthrough cases galore. Goldberg is one of five ladies on "The View" television show that sit around pontificating on politics. All the women have now gotten sick with covid despite full vaccinations and their daily cheerleading of vaccines proclaiming that the jabs prevent infection and transmission. Nope, people that are fully vaccinated can be infected and transmit COVID-19. The ladies learn the hard way but fortunately, they only experience mild symptoms and will be back caterwauling on tv soon. A Fort Worth, Texas, judge blocks the vaccine mandate levied against Navy SEALS a small victory for Americans that still believe in liberty and not buying into the mass hysteria.

Note Added Monday Evening, 1/3/22: Twitter permanently bans Dr Robert Malone accusing him of misinformation but the social media platform refuses to explain the post that causes the action. Malone begins posting on Gettr. Malone, that developed many of the patents that formed the basis of the mRNA platform, is against vaccinating children especially mandating the shots. Malone's comments do not jive with the current political narrative that is trying to promote childhood vaccinations for COVID-19. Malone is obviously 100% pro vaccine since that has been his entire career but does not like the approach taken for children that he believes, and the data show, are not at serious risk. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and Dr Malone's thoughts can be discussed with your doctor to arrive at individual decisions. Malone appears on the Joe Rogan broadcast that goes viral over the weekend. Unvaccinated Rogan was infected with COVID-19 weeks ago and beat it with a cocktail of HCQ, ivermectin, steroids, Z-Pak, antibiotics, vitamins, zinc, and other goodies. Malone discusses the history of Germany in the 1920's and 1930's and how an educated society went bat crazy with a 'mass formation psychosis' and that frenzy was then directed and pinpointed on a specific issue to maintain the attention of the masses. This typically leads to a charismatic leader taking control and the story does not end well. The similarities to that path and the US are valid but Malone thinks that those statements in the video may have triggered the Twitter ban. The video is also banned from YouTube and other social media platforms but, as typically happens, the drama creates super-charged interest in the interview and the Joe Rogan broadcast hits record levels far more than if the video was ignored. People want to hear all sides of a story not the government line. Interesting times. Malone says the risk to children is nil so boosting a child already at zero does not make sense. Rogan says he is establishing a prescience on Gettr and may ditch Twitter. Rogan immediately has 8 million followers in one day's time on the new Gettr site. Old people remember the saying, "When EF Hutton talks, people listen," now they say, "when Joe Rogan talks, people listen."

Note Added Tuesday Morning, 1/4/22 at 4:00 AM EST: The US reports 426K daily cases for Monday above Sunday's 389K. Not good. The holiday infections increase and the data-reporting is playing catch-up. Typically, the 8-day mark is the biggest jump in infections after a superspreader event (Christmas), which was Sunday, but this is usually the lowest case data for the week. Monday cases bump higher. Two numbers are key; the 426K cases and the 589K peak on 12/30/21. If today's (Tuesday) cases slip back below 426K, a positive picture is ahead and the 12/30/21 top will likely hold. If today's cases exceed 426K, another peak may be ahead for Friday's data which is typically the highest numbers of the week. Some of the cases that would be expected this first week of January may have already occurred on each side of Christmas. So far so good. The United States is on the downside of the skinny inverted V pattern for daily new cases (as long as the 589K peak in US cases is not exceeded and the odds favor this outcome but Friday's number will tell the tale). 767 Americans die yesterday and the 7-day MA for US deaths keeps stumbling sideways at 1.2K deaths per day (in the 900 to 1.4K deaths per day range for almost 3 months). Monoclonal antibody treatments would have saved thousands of lives but Sleepy Joe was playing with windmills and solar cells. New York State reports 56K daily new cases continuing to come off the 1/1/22 top at 85K cases. Ditto New Jersey so both states are working on the downside of their skinny inverted V patterns for daily cases. Florida has not updated its data thus far this year. Wake up, DeSantis. The Florida governor held a press conference yesterday but should be telling his data analysts to get with the program. Pennsylvania cases pull back. Ohio is starting to pull back. Ditto Delaware. Good news. Omicron is a lightning fast wave which is a good thing. Epidemiology and virology is like stock trading heavily influenced by crowd behavior. It is always darkest before the light. When the human frenzy is at fever pitch, that is typically when the turn occurs. Maximum bullishness in the stock market (like now) will lead to a major selloff. The anxiety and angst in America to begin the year (panic and fear is rampant), with the schools in disarray, and businesses hanging on by threads, makes people further believe that the worst is yet to come, but typically that is when the dawn occurs. The B11529 Omicron wave is moving through the US like "Greased Lightning," as Travolta would sing, so folks are probably working themselves into a tizzy when the threat is not that serious. Time will tell. By the time Sleepy Joe shows up in the jalopy with the test kits, America will be waving bon voyage to omicron. But Johns-Hopkins says not so fast reporting 1,082,549 daily new cases. Wow. Over 1 million cases in the United States the most ever for an individual day! 1 million cases is far above the current Worldometer peak at 589K cases. This development increases the drama for the week ahead. Johns-Hopkins reports 3.4 million cases over the last week so that is 486K cases per day for 7 days and then over 1 million yesterday. Perhaps the 1 million is a data catch-up number? The 7-day MA of US daily new cases as per Worldometer is 466K cases per day so this jives with the 486K per day from J-H. The next 4 days will tell the story (since Friday's are usually the highest data of the week). Either the Worldometer data catapults over 1 million cases per day over the next couple days, or, the J-H cases will sharply decrease hinting that the 1 million was more of a data anomaly. California cases also retreat off the peak for a couple days. Maybe the 1 million cases is fear porn hoping to encourage more vaccinations and boosters despite people getting sick with omicron anyway.

Note Added Tuesday Morning, 1/4/22 at 5:00 AM EST: The world reports 1.4 million daily new cases yesterday continuing to come off the 12/30/21 peak at 1.9 million cases. The Johns-Hopkins 1 million case number is suspect since that number says 71% of the cases in the world yesterday were in the US. That is not correct. Something smells. The holiday data needs to line-out for a few days. World deaths continue dropping down to 5.8K per day more good news. The UK reports 158K cases remaining below the peak but stubbornly elevated. The 189K cases peak on 12/31/21 continues to hold for the UK. France and Italy cases are backing off substantively so the worst appears over (case-wise) more good news. Ditto Spain, Portugal and Malta. The omicron wave hits hard and fast, makes its impression, then disappears just as fast, like a beautiful woman. Cases pop in Netherlands and Belgium but are already slumping off the mini-peak which is an excellent sign. The delta wave washed over Europe from Russia moving east to west. France, Italy, Spain and Portugal (western Europe) took the delta left hook to the face but then was punched with the omicron right cross, collapsing to the mat. But these nations are now defeating omicron with the skinny inverted V pattern. The expectation is for omicron to now wash back over Europe moving west to east and sure enough Netherlands and Belgium are hit, but wait. A lot of their infections during the delta wave were also omicron and there must be a combination of vaccination and natural immunity forming herd immunity as the pop in cases in these 2 nations is short-lived. The week ahead has to play out but it paints a better picture for what may be coming at Germany. Canada improves. Mexico worsens. Bolivia thankfully reports a drop in cases so the peak may be in on 12/31/21. Mozambique and Zambia cases come far off the top forming the inverted V pattern more good news. It makes sense that the world cases are decreasing since the individual country charts are more optimistic than the dreadful displays on the weekend. The world, including America, needs to take a chill pill. Omicron is a super fast-moving pathogen so by the time you worry about it, it's gone. Concern increases in India and Japan as cases bump higher off a nil base. Japan is mad at the US military in Okinawa where cases are occurring saying their protocols are too lax. The infections probably have more to do with the young military studs chasing after the pretty Japanese girls hoping they can get a date. India says 80% of the new cases are the Omicron variant. Australia is struggling with rising infections. New South Wales reports more record numbers. Israel reports 11K daily new cases yesterday teasing the highest levels ever which may be the peak if the inverted V pattern plays out. The United States and Israel will probably have similar chart wave patterns since their covid policies are similar.

Note Added Tuesday Morning, 1/4/22 at 6:00 AM EST: CNN (democrat-run media) reports that US hospitalizations are at 103K overtaking the delta wave highs as per the CDC. No they aren't, well, they probably are, but only the Whitehouse, CDC and CNN, that lie in bed together each evening, know the numbers. This garbage was pointed out before in the chronology. The CDC web site link clearly shows the US hospitalizations at 83K on 12/30/21 and the 7-day MA at 68K on 1/1/22. The CDC obviously feeds data directly to CNN that represents the democrat narrative in play. In the rigged crony capitalism system it is the same on the other side. Fox News, Newsmax and AM talk radio tout the Trump republican narrative and are privy to the inside talking points. CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and NPR tout the Biden democrat narrative and are privy to the inside talking points, such as real-time CDC data. Aren't you glad that the rigged crony capitalism system is on its last legs? You should be. America will figure it out. A banner on the CDC site says that data will not be updated until today. The data is already known and being spouted on CNN while the American public does not have access to this same information to verify if it is correct. Such is crony America on full display daily. The peak in hospitalizations were around 125K during wave 3 one year ago almost to the day so it will first, be interesting to see if the CDC people ever wake up, or stop partying on the holidays, and update the data, and second, if the hospitalizations blow up through 125K, or not (this would be bad for the already stressed healthcare system). Hospitalizations lag the daily cases so fingers are crossed that the US daily new cases did top-out on 12/31/21. The hospital admissions lead hospitalizations by 3 or 4 days so it would be nice to see the admissions flatten and roll over lower but again, the CDC folks have to wake up, grab a cup of coffee, and decide to finally update their outdated data.

Note Added Tuesday Morning, 1/4/22 at 9:00 AM EST: Americans are working themselves into frenzy. Hospitals report that people are showing up for treatment because a test says they are positive. Other people are looking for tests or to get a test at the hospital. Hospital spokespeople across the US are doing PSA's (public service announcements) on when someone should go to the emergency room and what to do concerning a positive test. Florida hospitals say that one-half the hospitalizations are not for COVID-19. Florida needs to update their data but it does appear that the high number of hospitalizations are clouded with other ailments and conditions besides COVID-19. Some people that think they may have covid and worry that their days are numbered find out that they actually have the flu and are sent home to eat soup. If the US daily cases keep trending lower this week, the mass hysteria should subside. If daily cases climb above 1 million as Johns-Hopkins proclaims, the craziness will become madness.

Note Added Tuesday Afternoon, 1/4/22 at 1:00 PM EST: The CDC approves booster shots for the 5 to 11 year old's that are immunocompromised. The CDC advisory committee was sent packing and Queen Walensky is the sole stamp of approval of the FDA authorizations that are pushed through the system faster than an order of fries at McDonalds. The CDC COVID Data Tracker site data is not updated as yet showing 97K hospitalizations for 1/2/22 but the 103K is nowhere in sight, yet. The CDC says 95% of the US infections are omicron (a range of 77% to 98%). The cable news channels are stoking fear about children in the hospital. Some of the cases are mischaracterized. If a child shows up with a broken arm after falling out of the oak tree in Mr Willoughby's yard, and tests positive for COVID-19, he is a covid patient rather than a kid with a broken arm. Keystone has had so many broken bones through the years that he would joke that the hospital had more pictures of him than his mother. Children under 5 years old are not eligible for vaccinations, so a bunch of kids under 5 years old are sick. Duh. Who woulda think it? Less than half the kids from 5 to 18 years old are vaccinated with the first series of shots let alone a booster. Some tweens and teenagers are showing up at hospitals. Duh. Kids are also hit with the respiratory infections rampant this time of year, allergies and flu. All this craziness creates a covid tornado whipping people into frenzy and fear. Also, chubby kids are in the hospital even chubby infants. If you are a parent of a chubby kid, call your doctor to discuss vaccinations. Gathering all these factors, and adding in kids that are returning to schools and sports, and vaccinated parents are getting their unvaccinated kids sick, is it any wonder that more kids are testing positive? The situation will likely resolve itself over the next week or two. Omicron is a fast-moving virus storm. On the bright side, all the kids that test positive and get through the illness will have natural protection.

Note Added Tuesday Afternoon, 1/4/22 at 2:12 PM EST: Here comes Uncle Joe, he's movin' kinda slow, at the junction. Time for another COVID-19 Response team meeting with President Biden. He will likely mumble through the same diatribe about vaccinations and boosters. His approval ratings continue to tank. He was hired to handle the pandemic instead he got sidetracked into climate change. He did not want to order tests kits as advisers asked. He did not fast-track the development of the anti-viral oral pills. He stifled the production of monoclonal antibodies because he pushes the vaccine-only agenda. Strike three, yer out. Biden says the rise in cases will continue (cases are actually down for 3 days as per Worldometer data). The president says there are a "lot of reasons to be hopeful in 2020." How about 2022? Alzheimer Joe is confused again saying the wrong year. Biden declares, "Get vaccinated! Get boosted! Wear a mask!" Sounds like one year ago. "We have booster shots for the whole nation." Yes, you do, but you do not have tests which is what everyone actually needs. Sleepy Joe sounds like a snake oil salesman pitching magical elixir off the back porch of a carnival wagon. Here comes the doom and gloom. Biden says if you are unvaccinated you will get severely ill and die. He says 35 million people are still not vaccinated. Yes, but most may have natural immunities. Biden is the one-trick vaccination pony; the schtick is old. It is sickening to listen to the same old story. Hey Pops, what else ya got? Grandpa Biden decrees, "There is no excuse, no excuse for anyone being unvaccinated." Says he. Who made him king? King Biden proclaims, "Schools should remain open." This is humorous since the Teacher's Union is in bed with the democrat party and they do not want to hear this statement. Biden is simply reading a teleprompter and trying not to slur his words. "Booster shots work." Huh? Why are triple vaccinated people becoming breakthrough cases? Joe sounds like the guy on the New York City street corner that opens his trenchcoat trying to sell you a wristwatch. He repeats the old line that "this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated" that is no longer valid. If you average the hospitals around the US, it is about a 70/30 split of unvaccinated/vaccinated patients. Remember a couple months ago, the unvaccinated patients in hospitals were over 95%. It equalizes more each day (as the peanut gallery yells that the shots prevent death). The president says testing kits are on the way but does not offer any new information. He mumbles about ordering a test by searching on google; he is incoherent saying something about "test near me, google?" If you type in "test near me" into google search the pharmacy locations pop-up such as CVS and Walgreens, and the HHS site, where more locations for tests can be found. Surely this information can be communicated better than mumbled by an elderly man that does not know google from shinola. Biden says the Pfizer pills are already saving lives and the production is in full swing, unfortunately it is a time-consuming process producing the oral pills. He is doubling-down on the treatment ordering 10 million more courses for a total of 20 million courses (a course is a packet of pills is like a steroid packet). The journalists are forced out of the room so Biden does not have to answer questions and embarrass himself. Sleepy Joe then continues with the briefing from the covid team. It is same-o, same-o. Interestingly, Florida is taking the stance to move away from testing while the teachers in Chicago want every child tested before they return to the schools; two opposite positions. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, a controversial figure, tests positive for COVID-19. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) votes in favor of teaching school remotely creating more stress for parents. The kids are screwed again. The US government provided millions of dollars to schools to make them safe but that money likely went into corrupt people's pockets.

Note Added Tuesday Evening, 1/4/22 at 9:00 PM EST: The Florida republican Governor DeSantis is having a laugh poking fun at democrat House member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, known as AOC, a left-wing radical from New York. The draconian covid restrictions continue in New York, even vaccine mandates on children, but Florida is free of the mask and vaccine mandates and the democrats from the draconian states choose to fly to the Sunshine State for fun in the sun. AOC's constituents are wearing masks, scheduling vaccinations and boosters, battling the winter weather and worrying about the omicron outbreak, while Cortez lives it up on the beach partying with dozens of other maskless folks. DeSantis says he could name a half dozen or more democrat lawmakers, that impose mandates on their states, that then fly to Florida a state that does not ask for "your papers, please." Cortez, embarrassed and unable to provide a rebuttal concerning her hypocrisy, instead says republicans want to have a date with her, or sex with her, or some such dribble and immature innuendo. A House representative should not act like a 15-year old school girl if she wants to be taken seriously.

Note Added Wednesday Morning, 1/5/22 at 2:00 AM EST: Damn. The world descends into covid Hell with daily new cases at 2.2 million This is disappointing as many nations were improving the last couple days. The data is playing catch-up after the holidays. It is likely a small setback and may be the new peak in daily cases. World deaths remain at 5.9K deaths per day. Boom. Cases are popping in India and no doubt pumping the world number higher. India is starting its parabolic omicron wave and it will get ugly fast; that's a shame. Oh no. Brazil reports nearly 19K cases and it is starting its omicron wave. Cases in Argentina are a rocket launch to the moon with over 81K daily new cases. The UK reports 219K daily new cases the most ever; bad news. On the positive side, this burst in UK cases, which also has to do with the holidays, will likely top-out again any day ahead. The UK was on a good path for a couple-three days but that was snuffed-out with another pop in cases. More people are being tested so lots more cases are appearing but fortunately, the hospitalizations and deaths remain in check. South America and Central America, some call it Latin America, is under siege. Cases in Canada jump to 50K yesterday eking out a new record high, again, some of it may be the data catching-up after the holidays. Sunnofabitch. France reports 272K daily new cases a new record high so the couple days of improvement are blown out of the water. Italy also reports a record day at 171K daily new cases. The turn for the worse is disappointing but it is likely only a few-day setback. No wonder the world cases bump higher with the above continents and countries falling down the covid rabbit hole. 

Note Added Wednesday Morning, 1/5/22 at 2:30 AM EST: France discovers a new strain of COVID-19. One dozen people are sick in southern France near Marseille with the new B16402 (simplified notation) variant that has 46 mutations and is dubbed IHU. The genomic research team at Mediterranee Infection University Hospital Institute (IHU) discovered the mutant, hence the name. The Independent reports that the strain may have started with a person repeatedly traveling to Cameroon as described in a medRxiv white paper. New variants are always forming but may never develop high transmissibility like the Delta and Omicron variants. The WHO is downplaying the discovery and not concerned at this time. Actually, the B1640 lineage was discovered in November before the Botswana/South Africa B11529 Omicron variant and is listed as a variant under monitoring (VUM). The WHO has 3 levels of concern with variants; VUM, VOI and VOC. The variants of concern (VOC) are the worst such as the UK B117 variant (alpha), South Africa B1351 (beta), Brazil P1 (gamma), India B1617 (delta) and Botswana/South Africa B11529 (omicron). The variants of interest (VOI) are under close scrutiny and two are in this category right now the Peru C37 variant (lambda) and Colombia B1621 (mu). The IHU variant will not receive a Greek name unless it starts to spread and moves up into the VOI category. For now, IHU is nothing to be concerned about but the fear porn does serve the government purpose of scaring more people into getting vaccinated and boosted. At the same time, President Macron announces plans to further screw the unvaccinated citizens by preventing them from carrying on everyday life unless they kneel and take the jabs. The idiot says he wants to 'annoy the unvaccinated'. Does anyone think this stuff ends well?

Note Added Wednesday Morning, 1/5/22 at 3:00 AM EST: The US reports 568K daily new cases a lousy elevated number but it remains below the peak high at 614K cases on 12/31/21. The holiday revisions are occurring so the numbers keep adjusting. It will be great if the US peak in daily cases remains in last year (12/31/21). 1,847 Americans die yesterday. Where's the GSK monoclonal antibodies, Joe? Chop, chop. America needs the GlaxoSmithKline mAb treatments that work against omicron. The US government is controlling the GSK supply of mAb leading to complaints from Florida and Texas that have implemented effective monoclonal antibody treatment clinics for many months saving lives and preventing hospitalizations. Where's the president? Sleepy Joe is sleeping. No he isn't. He just asked the maid if she saw his hat. New York and New Jersey daily new cases remain off the peak tops which is a positive. Today starts off lousy looking at the world charts but the United States is hanging in there. Three more days of cases are needed, however, to tell the story. The Friday data is the highest of the week so that number is immensely important in determining how fast the omicron wave will dissipate in America. Pennsylvania reports a new high in cases a lousy development for the Keystone State. Cases explode higher to record levels in Texas. California also continues reporting record cases. These highly-populated states increase the overall US case numbers.

Note Added Wednesday Morning, 1/5/22 at 3:30 AM EST: The CDC COVID Data Tracker continues showing hospitalizations below 100K at 97K. All day yesterday, CNN advertised 103K US hospitalizations citing the CDC; the data and charts do not verify the number as yet. This morning, CNN is touting 113K US hospitalizations. It is hilarious. If you want to know the US hospitalizations data, you have to tune in to a left-leaning cable news outlet. That is funny. This is no way to run a pandemic. The CDC needs to report their data in real-time on their web site not to selectively feed numbers to left wing news outlets to broadcast to the public. The CDC is receiving criticism over the new isolation period guidelines. The message is lost on the public and too confusing. People are simply going to stay home if sick, and if they feel better, they will go to work. The sad part is that each time the Whitehouse and CDC, or talking heads on television, try to explain the isolation guidelines it is only creating more confusion. The CDC is not mandating a test at the end of the 5-day isolation period because there are no tests available. This is the new science. Nasty stories are surfacing out of China as the zero-covid policy is enforced without exception. 13 million Chinese folks remain in lockdown in Xi'an many without food to eat. Others are without hygiene products. People need medical care but hospitals are locked down so they collapse in the street. A lady has a miscarriage because the hospital will not let her inside. The filthy CCP has no respect for life. They do not care that a beautiful Chinese child died; to Dictator Xi and his dirtbag henchman, that is good news since it is one less mouth to feed. Global citizens must understand the CCP's evil. China (CCP) imposes a new partial lockdown on Zhengzhou, China, where a new outbreak is occurring. The Beijing Olympics begins in only 30 days.

Note Added Wednesday Morning, 1/5/22 at 8:00 AM EST: Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh opens a second COVID-19 unit. Last year, they had 4 or 5 kids per day coming to the hospital today it is 30 to 50 per day. The hospital is asking the public to not bring any child in with mild symptoms instead only seek treatment if there is a shortness of breath or other serious ailment. There are thousands of worried parents showing up at emergency rooms because their child coughed once and picked a booger. Some folks have worked themselves into a tizzy watching the non-stop cable news fear porn. The anxiety and drama is pumped on television because it attracts eyeballs and that raises more ad revenue for the networks. Comedian and late night talk show host Seth Meyers tests positive for COVID-19. He is triple vaccinated so it is another breakthrough case. What else is new?

Note Added Wednesday Morning, 1/5/22 at 11:00 AM EST: Children's Macy's department stores cut an hour off each end of the store hours due to staffing issues and light foot traffic. Americans are complaining that the prices for COVID-19 test kits, if you can find them, are increased gouging customers. The Whitehouse had an agreement with Walmart and others to sell the tests at reduced costs but that has expired. Consumers say a test kit in Walmart or other comparable stores, is $20 to $24. People of modest means, the working poor, disabled folks and other great Americans cannot spend their limited money on a test. All the people making the rules are out of touch with Main Street since they grew up in upper middle class and wealthy environments, not on the streets with no name.

Note Added Wednesday Afternoon, 1/5/22: The CDC endorses booster shots in 12 to 15 year old children 5 months beyond the initial shot series by a vote of 13 to 1. CDC vaccine advisers provided the recommendation. The CDC used to have an advisory panel but two members resigned because they did not like the way the approval process was proceeding for vaccines. CDC Director Walensky then anointed herself as the sole signoff to gran approval after a FDA recommendation. Now there is some type of vaccine advisers. Who knows what is going on over there? The pandemic remains a chaotic and confusing mess for 2 years running in mediocre America. The CDC is not changing the definition of fully vaccinated. They are talking about some nonsense such as referring to the jabs as "being up to date." Don't these political animals get sick of twisting themselves into knots? Two shots of the mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna) or 1 shot of the J&J is fully vaccinated. Pause for laughter. It is a joke. The Johnny John shot last 2 months after which the inoculated jackass is walking around thinking he is protected but he is on par with an unvaccinated person. The CDC tells people to use the mRNA vaccine as a booster for the J&J shot for this reason. The efficacy of the Johnson & Johnson shot is  pitiful. The mRNA shots last 3 to 6 months where efficacy nosedives and then the booster give you another couple months of protection but then falls off again. Israel is testing booster-booster's now (a fourth shot). All this drama for naught because the Omicron variant penetrates the vaccination and booster firewall as well as any natural protection. Interestingly, the natural antibody protection flows backwards and not forwards. If you had delta and develop natural antibodies, you can still get infected with omicron. However, if you get omicron and recover, the natural immunity will protect you against delta and the other previous strains. The Epoch Times reports that a Danish study of 12K households finds that omicron spreads faster in vaccinated people than unvaccinated and even higher between those with booster shots. Wow. That gets your attention. This study will create angst at the Whitehouse and CDC and prompt them to tell the Twitter and Facebook censors to be on alert for the article.

Note Added Wednesday Evening, 1/5/22: Humorously, some of the news teleprompter readers are attempting to pronounce the 'IHU' French variant as if it is a Greek letter. IHU is the research institute where the variant was identified it has nothing to do with the Greek variant names. If the new Cameroon/France B16402 mutation would start to spread and become a problem, the WHO will name it a VOC or VOI and give it a Greek letter designation. People are dolts nowadays; humans were far more intelligent 4 and 5 decades ago. Technology makes people lazy. In Israel, two women test positive for both COVID-19 and flu. Scientists are worried about a 'twindemic' of influenza and COVID-19. Other nations such as the United States, Brazil, Hungary and the Philippines detect both flu and coronavirus in the same patient and the dual infection is dubbed, "flurona."

Note Added Thursday Morning, 1/6/22 at 2:00 AM EST: A covid meteor strikes earth this week with the world reporting 2.6 million daily new cases yesterday another pandemic record. A quadruple-whammy of delta, omicron, waning vaccine efficacy and end of year holiday parties sends the infections to record levels on this blue planet. Humans crave interaction with one another spreading the virus especially the highly contagious Omicron variant. World deaths average 5.95K per day it would be a shame if the bodies started piling up again above 6K per day and higher. Checking the United States, the daily new cases catapult to the moon. The clock falls off the wall in the Oval Office. The US reports a humungous 705K daily new cases yesterday the most ever so the 1 million cases number from Johns-Hopkins a couple days was pointing in the correct direction. The US cases peaked last year on 1/8/21 which is Saturday this year only 2 days away. The high cases are not surprising this week as the holiday infections ripple through. The infections this year are far higher than last year and reflective of the contagious omicron bug. It is is a disappointing sight but it is what it is and sets up for an interesting next 2 days of data. Friday is typically the highest number of the week so it will be a positive if the cases do not exceed hump day's outrageous 705K cases but if the cases keep running higher, over 1 million, the top in daily cases is going to need a few more days to develop. If Friday's cases are off the top, we may be experiencing the top in daily cases right now in real-time yesterday and today. US deaths are averaging 1.2K per day. New York reports 81K daily new cases an elevated number but still below the peak at 85K on 1/1/22. The cases pop right on schedule 4 days after the Times Square superspreader event. New York City Mayor de Blasio's legacy is a moron that held a superspreader event on his last day in office. The world is run by idiots. New Jersey reports 38K daily cases a new record high. The skinny inverted V patterns need to form for the daily cases for New York and New Jersey and a logical place for the tops is this week. Florida catches-up with its data with cases remaining below the New Year's Eve peak. Miami, Florida, reports very high infection rates. Illinois reports 32K cases another record high. Ditto Pennsylvania. The US states are reporting high numbers now that we are into the meat of the week. The US is bigtime ugly but the positive side is that the serious illnesses and deaths remain in check. The ventilators need to stay in the storeroom if possible. Also, the high cases are expected due to the holidays and based on last year's behavior. The waning vaccine efficacy is also creating cases but the officials do not talk about this subject. Despite the worry, angst and despair, the United States may be peaking-out right now, in real-time, with the pandemic staging its last hurrah.

Note Added Thursday Morning, 1/6/22 at 2:30 AM EST: Australia deteriorates each day no matter what draconian restrictions they impose on their citizenry. Australia reports over 64K daily new cases the most ever a big spike higher. The land Down Under is getting plowed under. The number one in the world tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, who plays coy as to whether he is vaccinated or not (probably not), is granted a medical exemption and visa to play at the Aussie Open. Of course he is; the greedy corporate machines want money. Djokovic lands in Australia but is detained at the airport and the visa rescinded. Australians have endured six lockdowns over the last year. Citizens are told they cannot visit family and are beaten by cops and military if they venture out to walk the dog in the park, and yet mister bigtime tennis star receives special treatment. The drama is developing into a big controversy in Australia. Riots increase worldwide due to the 'rules for thee and not for me' with political officials decreeing draconian lockdowns and other restrictions while they vacation like royalty. In fairness to Djokovic, he followed the rules and flew there but is now offered a sh*t sandwich, er, vegemite sandwich, by the Australian leadership. They should let him play. Hours later, Australia moves to deport Djokovic. He appeals and is placed in a quarantine hotel near Melbourne. Australia has no choice. Their rule is that travelers must be double-vaccinated to enter the country. There would be a revolt if foreigners are given a free pass while Aussies suffer, however, Australia has turned into a docile adult baby nation over the last decade; ever since everyone's guns were taken away. Unvaccinated Djokovic likely faces a long plane ride home. The unvaccinated are shunned in society; they are the modern-day lepers. Countries such as Australia, China and New Zealand, that try to follow the zero-covid strategy, may come up the big losers in 2022. South Korea is finally on the mend with the active cases curve falling off lower forming the coveted bell shape. India's daily cases pop to 91K another high for the new omicron wave that is taking off vertical. Ditto Brazil. Good luck to them as they begin falling down the covid rabbit hole. Much of the world, such as the US, is already dealing with the omicron wave looking for the peak in daily cases, but other nations, such as India and Brazil, huge nations, are only now entering the omicron fire pit. Japan reports rising cases so the Omicron variant is starting to bite the island nation.

Note Added Thursday Morning, 1/6/22 at 3:00 AM EST: Uruguay daily cases leap higher with the omicron wave wreaking havoc. Bolivia reports 9.2K daily cases another huge record high. South America is getting hit with the omicron wave. Cases pop higher in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Honduras so Central America is under siege. Mexico cases leap higher the most in 5 months. Jumping across the pond, the UK reports 195K cases off the 218K cases peak the day before. The UK should be placing its omicron top at any time. The United Kingdom has over 3 times the cases of the peak one year ago but only one-half the hospitalizations (although rising). Oh no. France reports 333K daily new cases the most ever but its omicron top should form at anytime. Ditto Italy with cases catapulting over 189K yesterday a new record. There is more testing occurring around the world which creates lift to the case numbers. Portugal reports record high cases. Oh my. Despite the draconian lockdowns, Netherlands reports 24.5K daily new cases the most ever. The tulips on the window sill just wilted. Belgium reports a bump higher in cases but nothing dramatic so far. Germany reports over 63K daily new cases a big spike higher so the Deutschland is screwed. There is no stopping the omicron bug. People want to be done with the pandemic but the pandemic is not done with them.

Note Added Thursday Morning, 1/6/22 at 5:00 AM EST: The US Grammy Awards (music) show on 1/31/22 is cancelled. Planners say it is not worth the risk to the musicians and attendees with the Omicron variant raging across the country. Fox News (republican-run media) morning television host Steve Doocy reveals that he and his entire family caught omicron over the holiday. His son, Peter Doocy, that is a Whitehouse pressroom reporter, a thorn in the president's side, was also sick with COVID-19. The Doocy family is, yes, you know, vaccinated and boosted. A lot of good it did them. Breakthrough cases galore. People continue cheerleading the vaccines and boosters even if they become sick with covid. What choice do they have? They have 3 shots of serum in their arms and do not want to look stupid. Right-leaning radio talk show host Glenn Beck tests positive for COVID-19 another breakthrough case. Billionaire Richard Branson and his wife and family are sick with what he describes as a mild case of omicron. It is more breakthrough cases since everyone was vaccinated and boosted; a lot of good it did them. The US airline mess continues with over 1,000 flights cancelled per day for the last 11 days running. American mediocrity is on full display daily.

Note Added Thursday Evening, 1/6/22: Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel speaks at a Goldman Sachs conference. These events are where the crony capitalists meet to discuss how to further rig the system in their favor. CNBC media reports that Bancel says the efficacy of the vaccines will likely wane and a fourth shot (second booster) will be needed by the Fall (in about 8 months), maybe sooner, depending if any new variants pop up. Bancel opines, "I will be surprised when we get the data in the coming weeks that it's holding nicely over time. I would expect that it's not going to hold great." That is not a ringing endorsement of the booster so the booster-booster is on deck. Bancel says countries such as the UK and South Korea have already reserved orders for the future fourth doses. Bancel proclaims, "I still believe we're going to need boosters in the Fall of '22 and forward. We have been saying first this virus is not going away. We're going to have to live with it." The Moderna CEO also says the immunocompromised and folks with comorbidities will probably need booster shots for years to come. Ka-ching, ka-ching. Money, and Big Pharma, make the world go 'round as Pink Floyd would sing.

Note Added Friday Morning, 1/7/22 at 2:00 AM EST: The WORLD CROSSES THE 300 MILLION TOTAL CASES MILESTONE. China has screwed the world with the Wuhan Virus. 3.9% of the world has been infected with COVID-19; 1 in every 26 people. 5.5 million earthlings are dead from China's pathogen. 258 million global citizens have recovered. Wednesday's terrible 2.2 million daily new cases for the world are taken out by yesterday's 2.6 million cases another record. Wow. Rounding up, that is 3 million people that got sick with China Flu yesterday, in one day, out of the 7.67 billion people on the planet. This is 0.04% of the world's population (3/7670=0.0004 times 100 to make it a percent is 0.04%). In other words, 1 in every 2,500 people on earth yesterday reported that they have COVID-19 (hit the 1/x inverse key on your calculator for the 0.0004). Omicron is spreading like wildfire to use the tired ole clichĆ© one more time.

Note Added Friday Morning, 1/7/22 at 3:00 AM EST: The UK crosses the 14 million total COVID-19 cases milestone and is coming up on the 150K deaths grim milestone soon. The UK reports 180K daily new cases yesterday an elevated number but headed in the correct direction. The UK peak is at 218K cases on 1/4/22, then 195K on Wednesday, and now 180K. With the holidays in the rearview mirror and the omicron infections already far along, it is likely the peak will hold for 1/4/22 which is good news. Ireland, however, is punched in the face with 24K cases yesterday another record (this may be the peak). France and Greece report cases coming off the top so they may be placing their peak now. Italy is at another record with over 219K daily new cases. Italians need to put the pasta fork down, cork the wine bottle, kiss grandma goodbye, and go home until the infections are under control (Italy may be placing its peak in daily cases right now). Italian deaths continually ramp higher which is different than other nations seeing flat death rates or subtle rises. Some of the infections and deaths may be the more dangerous Delta variant but there is no doubt that the gluten-enriched meals of pasta and bread, that create fatness, play a major role in the rising Italian deaths. Netherlands reports 2 days of 25K per day cases. Not good. Whoa. Belgium reports a huge spike in daily cases to 28K blowing away all prior infection numbers. It looks like the omicron wave is now washing over Europe from west to east. Delta was east to west across the continent. Daily new cases rise in Germany. Cases are launching into their omicron parabolic phase in India, Brazil and Japan which will keep the world numbers elevated. South America is falling apart with cases rocketing to the moon in Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay and other nations. South America is the new omicron epicenter. Chile reports the highest cases in a half year. Central America is also in trouble with Costa Rica's daily cases about to set new records. Mexico daily new cases jump to 21K the most in almost 5 months.

Note Added Friday Morning, 1/7/22 at 4:00 AM EST: The US reports a huge 752K daily new cases another record edging out the 713K cases on hump day. Remember, cases peaked on 1/8/21 last year, which is tomorrow, and the omicron wave pattern is the inverted V, so cases may be placing their top now, perhaps for the year. America's deaths are moving sideways at 1.3K per day. There are 16.6 million active coronavirus cases in the United States a new record that represents the mayhem at hospitals and clinics. Today's daily cases number is for all the marbles and the 752K cases is the line in the sand. If Friday's cases are below 752K, that will be fantastic news and likely indicate the top is in, however, if the cases are above 752K, the top in daily cases may not occur until the middle of next week. New York State crosses the 4 million total coronavirus cases milestone. Boom. New York reports 87K daily new cases another record edging out the prior 85K peak. New Jersey daily cases come off the top for one day. Texas sets a huge daily cases record at 57K on 1/3/22 so perhaps that will hold as the omicron top. Illinois reports another record day of cases. California is in big trouble. California reports over 73K daily new cases a new record. Rivets fall from the Golden Gate Bridge and a cable snaps. The highly populated Golden State will be an ugly story over the next few days. The Superbowl (American football championship game) is scheduled for 2/13/22, only a month away, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (Inglewood). Good luck. The NFL is looking for stadiums in other states that can serve as a venue if there is a problem in Los Angeles with covid in February. The United States is getting hit with the hardest punch of the omicron wave currently. Perhaps peak omicron.

Note Added Friday Morning, 1/7/22 at 5:00 AM EST: The CDC says 95.4% of the COVID-19 cases are the Omicron variant. The CDC warns that 84,000 people could die from COVID-19 over the next 4 weeks. What are they smoking? They say as many as 3.5K Americans can die per day. The current death rate is at 1.3K per day. A more realistic number is 20K to 30K deaths over the next 4 weeks but they are pumping it to 84K to create more fear porn so people will get vaccinated and boosted. People have stopped listening to officials pontificating since they have been wrong too many times over the last 2 years. Being wrong is not the problem, it is the arrogance of never acknowledging the mistakes and simply moving on to announce new decrees many of which will also be wrong. It is poor, disjointed, disorganized and inept leadership. Everybody is in charge (providing opinions and directives) but no one is in charge (there has never been a point person for the pandemic).

Note Added Friday Morning, 1/7/22 at 8:30 AM EST: The US Monthly Jobs Report is 199K jobs missing the over 400K expected. The unemployment rate drops to 3.9%. Black unemployment rises. The 3.9% is a happy low number but not if you understand economics. As a recovery occurs, people regain confidence that there are good jobs to be had and they flood back into the workforce. The unemployment rate number is calculated by asking people if they are actively looking for work. For the first few months of a recovery, the unemployment rate will move higher, which is actually a good thing because it reflects the flood of people excited about the economy and out looking for jobs again, and then as the recovery is underway, and lots of folks are hired, the rate will begin trailing lower and then hopefully down to a 3-handle. The lackluster jobs and low unemployment number actually reflects a sluggish economy with most people back to work that want to, or more correctly, can, work (some folks are prohibited from working because they have long-covid, or other health problems, or are taking care of a sick family member, or cannot afford or find daycare, and many other pandemic-related reasons). It would be better to see the unemployment rate rise slightly from 4.0% towards 4.5% over the next few months then begin to trail lower but do not hold your breath because the economy has major structural problems to deal with after a dozen years of Federal Reserve money-printing and the never-ending pandemic. The JOLTS Report (job openings) was released on Tuesday receiving lots of media attention so it requires context and explanation. The JOLTS is 11 million US job openings and the quit rate is 4.5 million people (rounding the numbers). There are 7 million unemployed folks. About 1-1/2 years ago, there were over 20 million Americans unemployed. The numbers barely hit the wires, when amateur armchair economists divide 11 by 7 and proclaim that there are 1-1/2 times the jobs available for people that need work. Isn't that great? Life is wonderful. Nope. It does not tell you that. Before the pandemic hit, the 5 to 6 million job openings level was a base that existed month after month as well as a base of about 3 million quits. There are always an enormous amount of job openings since many skilled positions go unfilled and companies play games to get around EOE (equal opportunity) laws. A business with 50 white guys may say they cannot find people of color to fill their openings but upon closer inspection, their ads are in newspapers on the other side of the country and they know people will not be interested, but it is ammunition to tell regulators they are doing all they can to create a diversified workplace. There are many rigged games in the crony capitalism system that make the rich rich. Anyhoo, 11 minus 6 is 5 million job openings, a more realistic number, and these job openings are likely unskilled jobs. If you can clean bedpans, wash soiled sheets, scrub toilets, serve food or flip burgers, you have a future in America with jobs galore. The 7 million number is likely double and more because once people lose their unemployment benefits they are no longer a statistic; they are forgotten. Thus, clearing away the fog and smoke of the JOLTS, there are probably 15 million or more Americans that want to work but only about 5 million jobs and these openings are the minimum wage positions highlighted. This is real life. This scenario is far different than the folks on television touting numbers that they do not understand. In addition, taking 3 away from 4.5 is 1.5 million quits (pandemic-related) not 4.5 million. Most of these are minimum wage workers quitting the burger joint and deciding to instead try bedpans for a while at a buck or two more per hour. The quits rate is one of the favorite statistics of Treasury Secretary Yellen who used to be the Federal Reserve Chair (now it is Powell another obscene money-printing dove destroying the country). In a strong economy, a higher quits rate hints that people are willing to leave their jobs to perhaps start a business but the current 4.5 million quits are not reflective of this occurring. The numbers remain messy and influenced by the once in a century pandemic now in its third year. Keystone places a wet blanket over the jobs reports; now you know why he is never invited to any fancy bigshot parties. 

Note Added Friday Morning, 1/7/22 at 9:00 AM EST: The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology releases a study showing that vaccinations effect the timing of a woman's menstrual cycle. This vaccination side effect has been a concern for young women for many months but ignored by the mainstream media that tells them to shut their mouth and take the shot. NPR (democrat-run media) reports on the study and says the menstrual effects are temporary and akin to having a sore arm. What do you ladies think of that statement? A man said it. Americans are the test subjects for the huge countrywide ongoing mRNA vaccination research. There is lots to learn. On a side note, NPR refers to 'people' and 'some people' when explaining the delay in menstrual cycles after the jabs. It is not people; it is women. The female sex is the only gender with menstrual cycles. This is the stupid woke stuff that Americans are getting sick of and starting to push back against; moronic garbage like people have periods and people get pregnant. Idiocy. The chronology pointed out similar examples of this sick woke stuff on the CDC website. If an idiot tells you repeatedly that 'people' have menstrual cycles, laugh in their stupid faces, and educate them that only women have menstrual cycles. Tell them not to go through life stupid.

Note Added Friday Morning, 1/7/22 at 10:00 AM EST: The United States Supreme Court begins hearing oral arguments on President Biden's (unconstitutional) OSHA regulations that mandate vaccines for companies employing more than 100 people or those receiving government funding. The healthcare employees and federal workers are a key focus of the legal discussions. The other day, President Biden proclaimed that the vaccine mandate "is not about freedom." Yes it is, Sleepy Joe, that is exactly what it is about; liberty, freedom and constitutionality.  Justice Breyer is a cheerleader for vaccinations stating repeatedly that the COVID-19 cases are rising at a pace of three-quarters of a million cases per day. Sounds like he wants vaccine mandates to remain in place. Liberal Justice Sontomayor opines about children on ventilators so obviously she is in favor of the OSHA rules and mandates. She is participating remotely due to her diabetes and virus concerns, while the other eight justices are together; seven are wearing masks. Justice Gorsuch is the rebel of the group. Sontomayor says 100K children are in serious condition now (wrong; it is about 3.3K orders of magnitude lower). Sontomayor says vaccines can stop the spread of virus (wrong). She says omicron is as deadly as delta (no, it is not; omicron is more contagious than delta but less lethal). Sontomayor seems like she would be a sweetheart to have dinner with and exchange fun conversation but her comments on the COVID-19 pandemic show unpreparedness and ignorance. The Supreme's are a 6-3 court favoring conservatives over liberals so the expectation is that the mandates will be shot down but time will tell. Chief Justice Roberts asks how a mandate rule would be enforced and opines that vaccine mandates should be handled by Congress. The lawyers fighting the vaccine mandates says OSHA is for making rules about forklifts beeping when they backup, not to force 100 million Americans to get vaccinated. Justice Sontomayor, from her creative perspective, asks if a person spewing a virus is like an engine spewing sparks. God Bless her. Justice Kagan says the vaccines and mandates are the obvious solution to stop the pandemic. Kagan proclaims that the best way to prevent the virus is with vaccination. Breyer, Sontomayor and Kagan are the 3 liberal judges that will vote in favor of the mandates but the other 6 judges sound far more skeptical. Justice Thomas asks, "Is the vaccine the only way to treat covid?" Justice Gorsuch wonders that if vaccines can be mandated, why not exercise, weight loss, what you eat, or yoga? Justice Alito opines about the OSHA regulations saying that when you get home from work, you can take your hardhat off, but you cannot take off the vaccine. The arguments continue. The Supreme Court's objective in the near term is to decide if the vaccine mandate policies can remain in place as the court matters proceed. The court will likely decide quickly, maybe by next week, since the OSHA rules take effect on Monday. The decision impacts businesses, schools, hospitals, government offices and all of society. The Supreme Court needs to fast-track their decisions to remove uncertainty which kills an economy. They know that.

Note Added Friday Afternoon, 1/7/22: New York State mandates booster shots for healthcare workers by decree by Governor, er, Queen Hochul. Politicians live for power. Hochul comes clean admitting that many people in the hospital are there for other reasons. If these patients test positive for the virus (asymptomatic for COVID-19), they are listed as coronavirus patients because the hospital will get another $3K per head. The rigged crony capitalism system is sickening. Hochul says a week ago 39% of the new Yorker's in hospitals were not there for covid. It is 42% now; increasing. Hochul admits that half the people in hospitals are for COVID-19 but the other half of hospitalizations are for other reasons. 2,600 airline flights are cancelled in the United States today. Americans have lost patience with the 2-week traveling nightmare. Employees are calling off sick with COVID-19, or they are exposed to the virus, and the winter weather creates further havoc. Of course, the airlines are not mentioning the employees that were forced to take a vaccination to keep their jobs that now call in sick or say they are exposed to the virus and have to remain home. When you screw people, they screw you back. How do you like it? Vaccine mandates should have never been implemented; they only create disgruntled employees and serve to tear the country further apart. The CDC says it is preparing for the COVID-19 'endemic'. Instead of communicating that the virus is trying to be eliminated, the CDC is accepting the fact that COVID-19 will be with us for a while. Former Biden advisers publish papers in the American Medical Journal suggesting that the pandemic strategy shift to a focus on testing, mitigation, vaccines and treatments calling it a "new normal." It is a major failure of the pandemic that the vaccines-only strategy was employed over the last year when other treatments and therapies could have been promoted at the same time. The other treatments were ignored and dissed because emergency approval could not be granted to vaccines if other treatments were available. The strategy would have worked if the vaccines were better. The mRNA initial shots only last 3 to 6 months and do not prevent infection or transmission. A booster shot is offered at 5 months but this only provides strong protection for a couple more months. The vaccines are not holding up as evidenced by the massive number of breakthrough cases (but the peanut gallery yells that the jabs prevent serious illness and death; actually 'lessen' is a better word than 'prevent'). The Whitehouse and CDC remain confused. President Biden is asked if Americans should be prepared to live with COVID-19 forever. After a confused 20 seconds, Biden says, "No, I don't think covid is here to stay. But  having covid in the environment here, and in the world is probably here to stay. But covid as we're dealing with it now is not here to stay." Huh? Sleepy Joe sounds confused and is not on the same page with the CDC. He says the virus is not here to stay but the CDC says it is here to stay. Jackson Browne sings, "Stay Just A Little Bit Longer." The pandemic never had a single point person in charge which can be added to the long list of failures.

Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/8/22 at 2:00 AM EST: Disappointment. Both the world and United States set new records for daily new cases. The world reports 2.7 million daily new cases above the prior day's 2.6 million cases. The US reports 849K daily new cases above Thursday's 803K cases. This is lousy news but Friday's are typically the biggest data days of the week so it is not unexpected. If the US cases would have been sub 803K the peak may be in but now the data will be needed for a couple days next week to see if the 849K peak holds and the skinny inverted V pattern for daily new cases plays out as it has in Africa and elsewhere. CDC Director Walensky refers to the chart pattern as an "ice pick" an excellent description and easier to say than "skinny inverted V." The thick handle represents the bottom of the daily cases chart where more cases are clustered and the sharp point of the ice pick is the peak day of cases which may be yesterday's 849K cases for the US. The Friday, 1/14/22, daily cases will need to be compared to the 849K to make sure it is below which will further confirm the top for America's daily cases next week, should it occur (it is expected). Walensky says the pattern will ripple through the country but as the chronology has explained over the last week, most US states are fully engulfed with the omicron wave right now so the event should be short-lived. Remember, the daily cases may peak out and drop but the hospitals will remain busy for the following 2 to 4 weeks. The top in US daily new cases is extended due to the increased infections from the holiday and end of year parties. Last year to the day, the COVID-19 cases peaked during the horrible wave 3, so similar behavior is expected this year. New York, New Jersey, Florida and Hawaii were the first states to get smacked with omicron and then the others quickly thereafter. Therefore, to gauge the top in cases, these fours states will likely roll over first leading the rest of the country. New York exceeds the 4 million total virus cases milestone. New York reports 81K cases yesterday, an elevated number but below the peak on Thursday at 87K; a positive development. New Jersey, however, is hammered with 38K cases another record high above the 37K cases 2 days prior but only by a small amount (she may be topping). Florida is 77K cases also eking out another marginal high. Hawaii is well off its peak yesterday but one day does not make a trend. Pennsylvania reports 32K daily cases a new record. Illinois and Ohio are coming marginally off the top. It is a shame that the Chicago schools remain closed because the teacher's union wants stricter safety measures in place. All the incompetents involved had months to figure it out, and limitless government funds, instead they are all *ssholes that hurt the children. Much of the funds for covid likely went into people's pockets in corrupt America. Washington State reports 17K daily cases a new record. California takes a turn for the worse with over 100K daily cases yesterday a new record. No wonder the overall US numbers are higher. 12% of America's coronavirus cases yesterday are in California, the land of fruits and nuts; a lot of good their draconian lockdowns, mask mandates and mandatory vaccines did. They are in the same boat as any other state but Californians have been controlled like slaves over the last year. Texas's daily cases remain above 50K per day for the last few days. The infections in the heavily-populated states pump the overall US numbers higher. Child hospitalizations are at record levels because kids below 5 years old are not eligible for vaccinations.

Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/8/22 at 3:00 AM EST: The omicron cases in Africa continue resolving. Israel, UK, Ireland, France, Italy and Spain are key nations for gauging the omicron wave. Israel's daily cases drop from the 17K peak down to 9K yesterday a positive sign hinting that the ice pick top may be in for the daily cases. UK cases remain below the 218K peak on 1/4/22. UK hospital staffs are increasingly sick with omicron so the military, 200 troops in London, is called-in to help out. Ireland cases come off the peak top for one day but that does not make a trend. France reports a huge 328K daily new cases a hair below Thursday's 332K cases. Italy reports 108K cases less than half of the peak 219K cases on Thursday a hopeful sign that the skinny inverted V pattern, the ice pick, is playing out. Spain's daily cases peak on 12/30/21 which is good news. Portugal's cases remain elevated above 38K for a couple days. The Netherlands reports a huge spike to 35K daily new cases a new record. The windmills stop moving. Cases explode higher in Belgium and Germany so it is there turn to be slapped by omicron. Cases escalate in India, Japan and across South America driving the world numbers higher.

Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/8/22 at 3:30 AM EST: China continues struggling at controlling the ongoing Wuhan Virus outbreaks. China says hospitals in the locked-down city of Xi'an are told to not turn away any people requiring aid but another woman has a miscarriage after being refused care. 13 million Chinese folks are in lockdown in Xi'an since 12/23/21 and in China, a communist country, lockdown means lockdown, not sneaking-out to visit pretty An two blocks away for a nighttime kiss. The CCP are liars. Never believe a lying communist. It is guaranteed that the hospitals remain in a sealed-off mode. Anyone that dies during the lockdown is one less mouth to feed. Dirtbag Dictator Xi loses sleep each night worrying about how to feed 1.4 billion people each day. Daring individuals post on social media that "no one cares what you die of (in Xi'an)." Of course they don't. You live in a communist nation. News Channel 3 reports that the top comment on Weibo social media is; "This (the lockdown and punishments) just goes to show: COVID-19 might not kill you, but bureaucrats can." The Beijing Olympics starting 2/4/22 may be a mess. Hypocrisy exists in the communist countries just like the Western nations. Chinese officials (CCP loyalists) are shamed and berated in public for attending a birthday party after imposing the lockdown on the population. Humans are dirtbags all around the world. Infections are linked to the party which means a couple of those folks are going to receive a bullet in their temple. Humans are corrupt animals. That is why all governments throughout history never last beyond 250 years; many are lucky to last 50 years. Governments crumble for two simple reasons; human greed (corruption) and non-transparency (that hides the games). It's not rocket science, and Keystone knows rocket science.

Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/8/22 at 4:00 AM EST: Another late night television host contracts China Flu. James Corden cancels the upcoming shows after testing positive. He was the idiot that did a dancing and singing video with Ariana Grande promoting vaccines and worshipping and praising a large photo of Dr Fauci. The video is nauseating. California valley girls would say, "Barf me out, gag me with a spoon." A lot of good the *ss-kissing video and vaccinations did Corden now another breakthrough case. Jackass. The CDC continues monitoring the 90 cruise ships that each have at least one COVID-19 case. The largest outbreak is on a large ship with 48 cases but this is a small percentage of the people on board. No one on any of the covid cruises have been hospitalized and no one has died. Five Arizona law enforcement personnel die recently of COVID-19 which begs the question were they involved in handling the southern border crisis and the migrants. Americans are subject to draconian China Virus rules, mask mandates and forced vaccinations but illegal aliens entering the United States are not. Several social media sources are reporting that COVID-19 is the leading cause of death of US police and law enforcement officers. 94-year old actor Sidney Poitier dies. At that age they chalk it up to anything, like Betty White. A cause of death is not released and the news reports are confused as to where he died (it appears to be at home). He may have died from CVID-19 but we will never know. Poitier is legendary and the 'coming of age' movie, "To Sir With Love," is a classic, exposing Americans to a cool black dude, making folks think about the future direction of our multi-ethnic nation.

Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/8/22 at 6:00 AM EST: The COVID-19 Data Tracker shows US hospitalizations at 111K but pundits on television say the number is over the 125K peak one year ago during the wicked wave 3 madness. The CDC's public data is always a few days behind. The China Flu cases are exploding higher but fortunately the illnesses are less severe, even in unvaccinated folks, and far less patients are in the ICU's or on ventilators. CDC Director Dr Walensky is getting badgered from all sides. The pandemic is not going well with the biggest spike in cases ever so it is time to look for a scapegoat to blame. Walensky is the target although there is plenty of blame to go around including Trump, Pence, Biden, Fauci, Collins and others. Fauci should be the one sent packing. The pandemic needs daily briefings but from a task force that has gravitas with a single point person in charge that has the say with the virus. This chief sends out a bulleted list of talking points and facts to the people discussing the virus each day to keep everyone singing from the same hymn sheet with universal messaging. Since this is the pandemic where everyone is in charge, but no one is in charge, with Americans having to piece through different nuggets of information from different talking heads at different times of the day, sometimes conflicting statements, it devolves into a disorganized, chaotic and confusing mess. You cannot run a pandemic by committee; anything by committee for that matter. A leader needs to run the show but the pandemic has a lot of poser's instead. US hospital admissions are the highest ever with the parabolic omicron spike overtaking the wave 3 peak. Admissions climb in all age groups and the over 70 crowd is getting hammered hardest probably due to the waning vaccine efficacy (elderly folks were first to get vaccinated, some a year ago, and without a booster shot they have buptkis for protection). CNN commentator Christi Paul announces that she was away a couple weeks because she had COVID-19. Yes, another breakthrough case. The joke about flu shots in the 1970's through the 1990's was always, "Get the shot, get the flu," because anyone that got the flu shot always seemed to get sick with the flu a few days or week or two later. Keystone's Uncle Harry religiously got his flu shot each year and like clockwork he would be sick a couple weeks later. It was comical. Of course, the sick uncle would tout the medical line that he must have had the flu before the shot and other such rot. Now the meme is updated for modern days with "get the shot, get covid."

Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/8/22 at 8:00 AM EST: The promising anti-viral oral pill treatments are arriving at hospitals and pharmacies over the last 2 weeks. Quantities are small with one Pittsburgh pharmacy receiving 140 courses of the Pfizer Paxlovid pills. People receiving the pills must test positive for COVID-19 and have a doctor's prescription. The pills will be given to high-risk patients with the primary goal of keeping folks out of the hospital. Medical officials say the first shipments of pills are not for everyone and not to be used as a preventive treatment (rationing until the pill production catches up in a few months). In other words, if you become sick with China Flu, and are overweight or obese, Paxlovid will be your savior. Additional shipments of the Paxlovid pills are expected but the demand will likely outweigh supply into late March or April and this is a major Biden blunder. Just think how much better off the United States would be right now if it had mountains of Paxlovid pills? The stress on the hospitals would disappear instantly, but alas, Sleepy Joe was sleeping on the job. The pills will disappear quickly. New York went through over 1,500 Paxlovid pill courses in one week's time and their cupboard's are empty. The vaccines are waning in strength creating breakthrough infections, daily cases keep rising into the ice pick chart formation, there are not enough tests to know if you are sick, or if you can get on an airplane, but that does not matter because flights are cancelled, and the promising oral pill treatments are as rare as hen's teeth, as well as the GlaxoSmithKline antibody treatments, but, other than all that, things are going swimmingly.

Note Added Saturday Morning, 1/8/22 at 10:00 AM EST: Wall Street investment bank Citigroup tells employees to kneel and provide your papers, please, by Friday. If proof of vaccination is not provided to management by 1/14/22, the employee is placed on unpaid leave and will be terminated on 1/31/22. Happy New Year. The pandemic exposes the dirtbags of society. The other greedy bankers in Manhattan will do the same thing. Kneel and roll up your sleeve. While you're down there, shine your boss's shoes. You'll make a lot of money, but being a player requires your soul. The FDA authorizes reducing the period between the initial shot series and the booster jab from 6 months to 5 months for the Moderna mRNA vaccine following the same path as the Pfizer/BioNTech booster shot.

Note Added Sunday Morning, 1/9/22 at 3:00 AM EST: Bloomberg reports that the University of Cyprus has found a strain of COVID-19 that combines the Delta and Omicron variants dubbing the pathogen, "Deltacron." It is likely nothing to be concerned about at this time or probably in the future. The scientists are going amuck trying to claim their 15 minutes of Andy Warhol fame. Protests in Europe are becoming more violent. In France and Italy, angry demonstrators battle police. President Macron said he wants to "p*ss people off" enforcing more mandates forcing them to get vaccinated. The jackass succeeds but not as he expected. Idiot Italy proclaims that vaccinations for people over 50 years old rises sharply after the vaccine mandate is imposed. No sh*t, Sherlock. Tell people you will destroy their lives unless they take the jab, and wonder of all wonders, they take the jab. That is nothing to be proud of; it is something to be ashamed of.

Note Added Sunday Morning, 1/9/22 at 3:15 AM EST: The world reports 2.7 million daily new cases for two consecutive days holding at record levels. The countries of the world are following the ice pick chart pattern for daily cases which is a fast-moving infection wave. Since omicron is currently cascading around the world, the world's daily cases may bump sideways at these highly elevated levels above 2 million for a week or two. Omicron sweeps across Africa with many nations already recovering. The omicron infection wave will likely wash across Europe moving west to east. South America is getting hit hard which will maintain the elevated daily cases for the world. Ditto the rise in cases in Italy and Japan. Sadly, world deaths are averaging 6.2K per day crossing back above the 6K level so the downtrend in world deaths is over and a sideways trend begins.

Note Added Sunday Morning, 1/9/22 at 3:30 AM EST: The UK reports 148K daily cases continuing to come off the 218K peak on 1/4/22. That is good news and the skinny inverted V pattern likely places its peak last Tuesday. In technical analysis, compare likes for likes so Tuesday's daily cases (1/11/22) is important and must be below the 218K peak, which it likely will, which will further confirm the top is in for UK daily cases on 1/4/22. The pain will still continue for the Brit's, however, since the hospitalizations and deaths lag cases. The UK active cases chart is parabolic and as per the Keystone Model requires 28 days after the peak in daily cases to top-out. The active cases chart represents the strain on the healthcare system. Thus, the good new is that cases likely peaked last week, however, the bad new is that hospitals will remain under duress for the next couple weeks, and the active cases chart  will not signify that omicron is being defeated in the UK until the end of this month, or sooner. Brit healthcare workers need to hang in there because an improvement will be seen after 2 more weeks of hard work and then a drastic improvement with the worst clearly over for the UK as February begins. Ireland remain a mess reporting over 26K daily new cases another record. The Irish need to put down the steins, give the drinking songs a rest and leave the pubs. France's daily cases may have peaked 1/5/22 which can be confirmed by the upcoming cases on 1/12/22. Italy may have peaked on1/6/22. Spain peaked on 12/30/21. Germany crosses the 7.5 million total cases milestone. The omicron infection wave now moves west to east across Europe. Australia reports 116K daily new cases another record. The Djokovic drama continues with the tennis great holed-up in an Aussie detention home until the courts hear his appeal tomorrow which determines if he plays in the Open. 25 Aussies die yesterday from China Virus; the deaths trend higher. 16 die in New South Wales and over 200K people are in isolation. One-hall of the workers in the region are furloughed after being in contact with a person that tests positive. Cases move higher in India, Japan and Brazil as their omicron waves take off higher. The cascading omicron infection wave moves quickly around the world.

Note Added Sunday Morning, 1/9/22 at 4:00 AM EST: In the US, 40 New York hospitals stop routine surgeries to address the omicron patients. In Georgia, teachers that test positive may teach in-person anyway if asymptomatic. Each US state and city has different covid rules and restrictions due to the weak leadership at the top (Trump, Pence, Biden, Fauci, Walensky, etc...) and numerous missteps and confusing information. People stop listening and begin doing their own thing. Newly installed New York City Mayor Adams says, "We have to learn to live with covid in a safe way." Some California teachers are moaning about the spread of omicron and staging sickouts to protest (a group of teachers call in sick so the school cannot function that day). America, land of the adult babies. Chicago's standoff between Mayor LIghtfoot and the teacher's union continues. Teachers say it is not safe with omicron cases spiking each day while Lightfoot says, "The city will not buckle," and the kids need to be back in school.

Note Added Sunday Morning, 1/9/22 at 4:15 AM EST: The United States is at 61 million total coronavirus cases and 859K deaths. The US reports 468K daily new cases yesterday an expected lower Saturday number but it is nice to see nonetheless, far off the Friday peak high at 831K daily cases. Where did that Johns-Hopkins number of 1 million cases per day go? Hello, where are you? As per the J-H data, from 12/30/21 through 1/8/22, nine days, US cases rise by 5.5 million which is 610K cases per day on average. The last six days of US cases as per J-H data are; 200K, 800K, 600K, 800K, 900K and 400K. Maybe that 1 million hyped cases announced the other day is under the sofa in the lobby. Nope, not there. Can 1 million cases be on tap in the days ahead? Maybe, but that proclamation the other day likely had more to do with scaring people to get vaccinated and boosted. New York reports over 85K daily new cases so the numbers remain elevated, but likely peaking. New Jersey cases back off the peak for one day so perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel. Not at the Woodland Behavioral and Nursing Center in New Jersey that was the gruesome sight of 17 bodies stacked in a makeshift morgue in the spring of 2020 as the pandemic raged. Back then, the facility was called Andover. The name change does not help with the pandemic bad luck. 200 patients are infected with omicron at Woodland and over 100 staff are sick. All are fully vaccinated; a lot of good it did them. The facility says only one-half of the patients are boosted and only 11% of the staff. Obviously, the vaccines do not hold up well after 5 or 6 months. The New Jersey National Guard is deployed to assist the facility. Pennsylvania reports record cases and it is a Saturday number that should be subdued; not good. Boom. Texas reports 58K cases the highest ever. Boom. Arizona reports 16.5K daily new cases the most ever except for 1/3/21 one year ago. New Mexico cases are the highest ever. Mexico, ur southern neighbor, reports over 28K daily new cases at record levels so infections are moving north and the southern border crisis exacerbates the infections. Mexico crosses the 300K deaths grim milestone. The US should peak in daily cases in the week ahead but that still means the month will be difficult on the healthcare workers since the active cases chart will need 2 to 4 weeks to peak-out. Omicron is a fast-moving infection wave but it is never fast enough.

Note Added Sunday Morning, 1/9/22 at 11:00 AM EST: The medical talking heads make the rounds on the Sunday morning political talk shows on television. CDC Director Dr Walensky appears on Fox News (republican-run media) with Bret Baier defending herself from the latest criticism but politicians and officials are looking for someone to blame for the pandemic mess so she is used as the punching bag. Fauci is playing it low-key the last few days probably happy that the heat is on someone else for a change. Walensky has to clarify Justice Sontomayor's comments that 100K children are in the hospital with many of them on ventilators; it is actually only a little over 3K in the hospital a 97% difference. How can a Supreme Court justice not know such simple facts about the subject? As the "Get Smart" television show would say, "she only missed it by that much." Comically, the Supreme Court is spreading COVID-19 misinformation. A new controversy develops with Walensky refusing to disclose how many Americans actually died from COVID-19 (rather than with covid). The truth is coming out that many China Flu deaths are actually people with from one to four comorbidities. The data needs separated into who directly died 'OF' COVID-19 and who died 'WITH' COVID-19 but had underlying health problems. She should know the information, and probably does, but doggone it, she must have left that data in her other purse. By some estimations, 40% of the COVID-19 patients are coming in with some other ailment. Walensky does not know how many kids are on ventilators. Of course not because they can probably be counted on one hand; the low number would hurt the fear campaign. The Whitehouse and CDC are likely very concerned about the 5 to 18 year old kids that are not getting vaccinated. Even parents that are triple-vaccinated do not want the serum in junior's arm. The under 5 kids are not approved for vaccination. The fear porn around kids sick with covid is pumped 24/7 to nudge parents into taking their tweens and teens to the vaccination tent. People sense that and only dig in their heels further. Like dear ole Ma would say while sitting on the rocking chair on the back porch of the shanty, "you catch more bees with honey, than you do with vinegar." People want to see numbers and data that back up Walensky's proclamations but she only provides a 'trust me' attitude. When you are in the frying pan and think it cannot get much worse, someone tosses you into the fire. Walensky did not help her credibility. 

Note Added Sunday Afternoon, 1/9/22: The Omicron variant doom and gloom parade continues on cable television. Pundits say the omicron trouble will be in play through February. This is likely too negative an outlook. If the US cases top out in the days ahead, which is on the table, the US hospitals should notice improving conditions before the end of the month and the US would be expected to be in great shape, with omicron a memory, by Valentine's Day (4 or 5 weeks). The schools remain a mess. Chicago, Illinois, schools are cancelled again; teachers want to sit at home and teach remotely. God Bless them if they are scared but this is their profession and it is time to fish or cut bait. Pandemics are not going to go away so if you are a teacher that is scared of in-person learning, you have to find something else to do; teaching hands-on is a prerequisite for the job since the many hours per day of remote instruction does not work (as parents have realized). Atlanta, Georgia, kids are sent back to school with protocols in place. Parents have to drive kids to school in some communities in the US since bus drivers are out sick with omicron. Most drivers are senior citizens that were vaccinated early last year and are driving school bus in their retirement; obviously, more breakthrough cases due to waning vaccine efficacy.  

Note Added Sunday Evening, 1/9/22: An Australia court hears tennis player Djokovic's appeal to remain in the country and play in the Open and orders his immediate release. The decision surprises most people. The Aussie's have been pushed to get vaccinated, plus locked-down for months on end, and even beaten if they dared leave their house, and now they watch the red carpet rolled out for the Serbian carrying his tennis racket and balls. That's funny. The government may still step in for another twist and turn but it appears that Djokovic will play in the Aussie Open next week despite not being vaccinated (he tested positive for covid in December). Star players are already out of the tournament due to injuries or covid so losing Djokovic as a draw will seriously hurt the viewership. More importantly, looking at it with greedy human eyes, is the tournament sponsors losing money if he is not allowed to play; perhaps behind the scenes that are telling the government to let him play. The saga continues with Djokovic playing the part of Crocodile Dundee. Democrat Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tests positive for COVID-19. She was the butt of jokes for leaving the draconian mask and vaccine land of New York (democrat state) to instead vacation in maskless Florida (republican state). As it turns out, her partying gets her sick, and/or she infected others, and then she flies back to Florida infecting more people along the way. Idiot. She is vaccinated and boosted; a lot of good it did her. Another breakthrough case. Twitter goes wild with folks retweeting The Babylon Bee's (a satirical website) comment that; "Covid wanted to date her." Cortez had complained that the only reason people (republicans) criticize her actions is because they want to date her; yes, the idiot said that. Now she receives her comeuppance for playing the part of the 15-year old 'oh pity me I'm too pretty' girl. New York ports are backing up due to workers out with omicron. Workers throughout the US agricultural chain from field and farm to grocery store are getting sick which may create sparse shelves over the next couple weeks. 

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/10/22 at 4:00 AM EST: China imposes a partial lockdown on Tianjin which is only about 62 miles from Beijing where the Olympics begin in 25 days. 18 cases appear and omicron is identified in the communist nation. China's zero-covid strategy faces a serious test. The CCP begins testing all 14 million residents of Tianjin.  The CCP tells Chinese folks to not leave Tianjin unless absolutely necessary which means, in a commie nation, do not leave period or you will receive a bullet in your head. In Malaysia, a doctor and his gang are arrested for running a vaccine certification ring issuing phony papers. 

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/10/22 at 5:00 AM EST: Italy is imposing a 'super green pass' on the population that takes away the covid testing option and only approves of vaccinated people and those that have recovered from COVID-19. Your papers, please. The stricter rules will escalate the violent protests occurring in Italy, France, Netherlands and Germany. Vaccines are mandatory for Italians 50 years and older. UK government research cannot prove that masks limit virus transmission in a classroom or close setting but continue to require children to wear masks anyway. The harm done to kids emotionally, mentally, and developmental-wise from wearing masks is worse than the virus; the consensus thinking is moving this way. If you grouped all the mask studies together and developed a fair conclusion, a masked environment would result in only marginally less transmission of virus, 10% at best or less, than an unmasked environment, and many studies show zero difference. Masks are never worn properly. People, and especially kids, are picking their noses, itching and eating moving the mask around on their dirty faces. Many people do not wear a mask over the nose and this is the major entry point for omicron that prefers the upper respiratory tract. It is also why mask studies are worthless. The best protocol is to simply stay away from people; remain as socially distant as possible as well as staying up wind of folks.

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/10/22 at 5:30 AM EST: 24% of US hospitals have staffing shortages. Hey *ssholes, why not hire back the healthcare workers you fired because they did not want vaccinated? Your vaccinated workers are getting sick with omicron. The hospitals now want to force healthcare workers back to work that test positive and are asymptomatic. What stupidity. It is a bad idea to have an infectious person walking around a hospital. Duh. The hospitals cut their nose off to spite their face with the vaccine mandates. Hospitals need to admit that vaccine mandates were stupid and ask all the unvaccinated workers to come back. Perhaps if the Supreme's pass along a quick ruling defeating Biden's unconstitutional vaccine mandates, that will provide cover for hospitals to save face and they can hire back the unvaccinated doctors, nurses, medics and staff they stupidly let go. The Supreme Court ruling will be big news and may come down at anytime this week, or not. They know that time is of the essence so the Supreme Court ruling on the OSHA rules and vaccine mandates is likely coming this week.

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/10/22 at 6:00 AM EST: The world reports 1.9 million cases  yesterday a welcome retreat off the 2.8 million peak on Friday. The UK cases remain well below last Tuesday's peak at 218K cases. Tomorrow's cases will be a like for like comparison to last week's peak and should remain well below confirming the peak in daily cases a week ago. The UK active cases chart remains parabolic. This is the curve that needs to flatten and reverse, forming a bell shape, to verify that the virus is being defeated and the healthcare workers will get a big break. The UK active cases curve will likely peak, flatten, roll over and drop over the next couple-three weeks. The UK looks good going forward with the daily cases exhibiting the skinny inverted (upside-down) V shape, the ice pick, now on the downside. The omicron tops may be in for western Europe but the variant now travels east infecting Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Serbia, Austria and others. Switzerland may have hit its peak already for daily cases. India and Japan report more new highs in cases for their infant omicron waves. Wow. Philippines descends into covid Hell on Earth in days reporting 28K daily new cases the most ever. Considering the past problems at hospitals and handling the pandemic, and the floods and terrible storms, the Philippines must be a sea of covid misery. On the bright side, so many Filipino's have been sick with China Flu that there is likely lots of natural immunity at play. With Philippines in trouble, Indonesia and Malaysia must be watched, but they remain in great shape with no worries. Therefore, Vietnam infected the Philippines since they are neighbors across the ocean. Manilla Airport is also a busy hub and this capital city contains about 60% of the current infections. Boom. Mexico reports 31K daily  new cases the most ever. The omicron infections are at the southern border. Cases remain elevated in Canada. Central and South America are experiencing a jump in omicron cases. The highest vaccinated nations in the world, such as Gibraltar, Israel, UAE and Portugal, see huge omicron waves with record daily cases just like any other nation. Does that mean the vaccinations don't work?

Note Added Monday Morning, 1/10/22 at 7:00 AM EST: The US reports 309K daily new cases a nice low Sunday number. The 817K cases on Friday remain the peak and will be the peak if this Friday's cases remain below. US deaths, on average, climb higher to 1.5K per day going in the wrong direction. New York State reports 70K daily new cases so it will be nice to keep seeing the numbers retreat off the 87K cases high on Thursday. New Jersey cases retreat for 2 days which is a positive sign. Daily new cases remain elevated in many states but slightly off the peak highs so the days ahead will dictate if the fast omicron top is at hand. The child hospitalizations are continually hyped on the democrat-run cable news outlets (CNN, MSNBC) and broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC) which are preforming the Whitehouse's bidding of scaring parents into getting their kids vaccinated. The hospitalizations chart for minors is displayed on television launching skyward pumping the fear narrative into Mom and Dad's mushy brains. The CDC link shows the childhood hospital admissions chart which is essentially the same fear chart shown on television. The yellow line at the bottom is the 0 to  17 years old age group and yes the current ramp higher is well above the previous high. However, look at all the other age groups shown in different colors. The top purple line is the 70 years and older age group and those folks are dropping like flies. The huge purple spike is orders of magnitude higher than its prior spike. Everything is relative and that big worry about children in hospitals can be said for all other age groups as well, but it is only said for children to keep the fear porn going and encourage vaccinations. The motive is obvious because each time the children's hospital chart is shown on television, the teleprompter readers cheerlead vaccinations for the 5 to 18 age group (which are way below desired targets). Many kids are going to the hospital for different reasons, such as accidents, and all are automatically tested for COVID-19. Those that test positive for China Flu are listed as covid patients even though that is not the reason they sought medical help. Little Clarence the climber fell out of the apple tree in Mrs Hawthorne's yard breaking his arm. At the hospital, he tests positive for covid but is asymptomatic and did not know he even had covid. Clarence is reported as a COVID-19 case as Dr Ben Dover wraps his arm in a cast and Nurse Goodbody hands the young man a lollipop. Small kids, ineligible for vaccinations, have smaller airways so the worry is that the Omicron variant, an upper respiratory pathogen, will hurt their tiny throats more than an adult with a wider throat and nasal passages. Obesity remains the 900-pound elephant sitting on the living room sofa, eating bonbon's, that no one wants to discuss. And there are obese children as well as adults. Parents of overweight and obese kids should call their doctors for advice and start instilling good eating habits at a young age. Make sure they eat a salad at every dinner meal so they get in that groove from a young age. They will thank you when they are 20 years older. 

Note Added Monday Afternoon, 1/10/22:There are now more vaccinated people in the hospital, due to breakthrough cases, than unvaccinated people. That's funny, but tragic. Get vaccinated and get a breakthrough case. The unvaccinated folks in the hospital, however, have worse outcomes than the vaccinated, especially if obese. Pfizer CEO Bourla is interviewed by CNBC media at the JP Morgan Health Conference. He brings a wet blanket to the covid party proclaiming, "The two doses, they're not enough for omicron. The third dose of the current vaccine is providing quite good protection against deaths, and decent protection against hospitalizations." At least he is honest. Omicron can evade some of the protection of the two initial shots. The UK releases a real-life study showing that the initial vaccines are only 52% effective at the 6-month mark (and that is when the efficacy falls off a cliff). Specifically on the Omicron variant, the two initial doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines are only 10% effective at the 5-month mark. In other words, the vaccines are basically useless in preventing infection and spread of the Omicron variant. A vaccinated person has no better protection than an unvaccinated person (as the peanut gallery yells out that the shots will help prevent hospitalizations and death).The Whitehouse and surrogates are touting mask use again and the higher quality N95's not cloth masks. Bourla says a new vaccine specifically targeting omicron will be available in March. Omicron may be ancient history by then. Comically, the Whitehouse and CDC continue touting vaccinations and boosters the one-trick pony. They say you have to have them because of the big bad omicron, but at the same time a vaccine is being developed for omicron. What does that tell you? Why are the vaccines jammed down everyone's throats when there is clearly a glaring efficacy issue. Biden blew it with the vaccine-only strategy while denigrating all other treatments; it was a major blunder. CDC Director Walensky decrees, "75% of the people that died from COVID-19 died with four or more comorbidities. Really, these are people who were unwell to begin with." Oh vey. Neighbor Regina, that has lung cancer, skin cancer, diabetes and heart issues, passes away but also had tested positive for coronavirus, so Dr Ben Dover registers Regina as a COVID-19 death (especially since the hospital will receive extra money for a covid death). The crony capitalism system is on its last legs as the greed runs amuck. As a result of the chaotic and confusing pandemic information over the last 2 years from incompetent leadership, the damage to the credibility of the medical profession is extensive and will be long-lasting. Walensky's comments are disappointing since the COVID-19 data including cases, hospitalizations and deaths, may be problematic. The death count may be way overinflated but we will not know for a couple years until the bean counter's get in there and figure things out. For now, the pandemic remains an all hands on deck event in real-time as the omicron wave washes over the United States. Walensky said the quiet part out loud (many of the China Flu deaths are people that died 'WITH' coronavirus not people that died 'FROM' coronavirus. In fairness, comorbidities is a big category and includes age and BMI's over 25. Thus, if you are a fat old person, you have two comorbidities off the bat.

Note Added Tuesday Morning, 1/11/22 at 2:00 AM EST: The UK top in daily cases is looking good and can be confirmed after today's number. The news is not good for UK Prime Minister Johnson sinking into more scandal. A memo surfaces where Boris was inviting staff to join him in a 'bring your own booze party' at Number10 during the 2020 lockdown. Hypocrisy is a disease that has infected all nations. Boris is the guy at the party with the lampshade on his head. France, Italy, Spain adn Portugal daily new cases are retreating off the top so western Europe is on the mend. It will be a couple more weeks or so before the hospitals see relief but conditions will improve quickly. Like other poor leaders around the world, Italy PM Draghi blames the unvaccinated for all the problems in his country. European Parliament President David Sassoli, 65, dies in Italy. Initial causes of death bandied about include immune system problems and pneumonia. Sounds like COVID-19 but they probably do not want to tell the world the news since he is triple-vaccinated. The corrupt world spins round and round each day. A French politician on the local level promotes vaccine mandates in a speech and is immediately pelted with garbage from the crowd. Humorously, let's mark those folks down as a maybe on the vaccine mandate. People, you are either a free country, or you are not; make your choice. The vaccines are peddled 24/7 but studies show they are not of much use against the Omicron variant although they likely will stop you from dying (at the same time, death rates are negligible for anyone unvaccinated and under 50 years old and those that do die are typically fatties). The daily cases in Denmark and Sweden peak on 1/5/22. Israel and Ireland may be peaking right now. Daily cases finally come off the top for Bolivia that has been hit hard with omicron. Bolivia deaths cross the 20K deaths grim milestone. Fingers are crossed that Peru may have peaked on Sunday. Canada reports over 55K daily new cases the most ever a huge spike higher. The clock falls off the wall in Prime Minister Trudeau's office. The US declares Canada a high travel risk. The dirtbags in Quebec are making vaccines mandatory if you want to purchase alcohol or marijuana. If you don't take the shots, you can't do any shots. Mexico cases may have peaked Sunday but total deaths sadly cross the 300K grim milestone. Boom. Philippines reports over 33K daily new cases the most ever a huge spike higher. The Philippines is screwed; it must be a covid Hell-hole in that poor nation.

Note Added Tuesday Morning, 1/11/22 at 2:30 AM EST: 4,000 students in China are sent to quarantine facilities. What a sight. They are dressed in white space suits. The image is bazaar. The communists are sticking to their zero-covid strategy. The filthy CCP is encouraging, and providing cash rewards, to Chinese folks that rat on someone breaching the lockdown and quarantine requirements. It's called communism. The virus spreads to Anyang so the CCP places 5 million people into lockdown. China is limiting US flights into their commie country because too many Americans are testing positive for virus at the airports. It is interesting that the country that unleashed the pandemic horror upon the world may now be staring down the barrel of a loaded coronavirus gun. Almost every country on earth, nearly 200 of them, have suffered through the ravages of the China Virus over the last 2 years. China and New Zealand continue to battle the pathogen with a zero-covid strategy. Australia pursued the zero-covid approach but it failed. It would be interesting that as the world gains immunity from both vaccines and natural infections, the variants look for the remaining hosts in the world, which would be China. 

Note Added Tuesday Morning, 1/11/22 at 3:00 AM EST: The United States reports 674K daily new cases yesterday an elevated number but encouraging remaining below the Friday peak. Tuesday numbers are always above Monday's so today's case numbers are important to see if they shoot back above 674K (bad) or if they continue slumping over. Any daily cases that are below 674K for today will be a significant win and create confidence that the top may be in last Friday. The US death rate is shamefully climbing to 1.6K deaths per day as Biden, the vaccine man, stumbles along without providing proper supplies of monoclonal antibodies (the Glaxo mAb treatment works on omicron), or anti-viral oral pills (Pfizer is the best one with about 90% efficacy while the Merck pill treatment is about 30%), as well as tests. It is a debacle. Incompetent's Trump and Biden could not manage themselves out of a paper bag even if you handed them a box cutter. The dolts at the Whitehouse and CDC ignore the best treatment path for China Virus which is EARLY TREATMENT. There are likely a couple hundred thousand American deaths on Biden's hands for not providing adequate mAb treatments to the states over the last year. It may be true that 200K lives may have been lost from June to present since vaccines were available and would have saved them, but at the same time, 200K lives were likely lost because Biden would not provide mAb or embrace an EARLY TREATMENT philosophy using HCQ, ivermectin and many other therapies. Both are probably true. Chose your counter factual argument that could never be proven. If you are sick with covid and your doctor tells you to go home, and then if you become real sick, you can be admitted, flip her/him the bird and immediately seek a doctor that can actually help you and provide EARLY TREATMENT options.

Note Added Tuesday Morning, 1/11/22 at 3:30 AM EST: Cases are starting to come off the peak tops for most US states which is an encouraging sign, however, the data will have to play out through Friday. Virginia is having a tough go with daily cases at record levels on Saturday. Virginia declares a State of Emergency for 30 days. The hospitals are overwhelmed in many states with the National Guard's providing personnel and assistance. As per the CDC  data, Michigan hospitalizations are teasing record levels from mid-December, however, oddly, hospital admissions are not yet above prior peaks for any age group. The CDC needs to revamp their data analysis and charts because discrepancies like this create credibility problems. Michigan crosses the 30K deaths grim milestone but daily cases may have peaked on Friday. Illinois's daily cases are coming off the top so that is positive news and more importantly, the Chicago schools are reopening. The adult babies finally come to an agreement and allow kids to get back to where they belong; in the classroom and with their friends developing social skills.

Note Added Tuesday Morning, 1/11/22 at 4:00 AM EST: Facebook, now Meta Platforms, informs employees that the return to the office is delayed until March. King Zuckerberg, an American Idiot, tells employees to kneel and receive the booster shot to keep their jobs. Isn't America great? Meta is moving to Austin, Texas, a city that is now a liberal (democrat) beach head in the red (republican) Lonestar State. The US airport mess continues across from coast to coast with 3K flights cancelled today. Ports remain backed up for months. America is now a third world country. 

Note Added Tuesday Afternoon, 1/11/22: Fauci and Walensky testify on Capitol Hill in front of the Senate Health Committee creating pandemic theater. Walensky wears a double-mask the whole time while Fauci talks without a mask and then puts it back on when he is not speaking. Walensky is likely getting ready to tell everyone to wear a N95 mask rather than a cloth mask that is ineffective against omicron. Some say masks are ineffective anyway. Walensky defends the chaotic announcement about the isolation period changes from 10 days to 7 days to 5 days, then first for healthcare workers, but then for all, and without a test because tests were not available, but calling it science, but then the next day saying you can get a test if you want to, at the end of 5 days. She tries to defend that mess but no one is buying what she's selling. Both democrat and republican lawmaker's are grilling the two characters. She stupidly, says, in one breath, that the reduction in the isolation period was needed because of staff shortages, but it is rooted in science. Pause for laughter. Is she drinking on the job? Humorously, Walensky, Fauci and the gang may be following science but it is political science they are following. Fauci loses patience with republican Senator Marshall's questions and calls him a "moron" when he thinks the mic is off; childish behavior. The main act of today's drama is the Senator Ron Paul versus Dr Anthony Fauci wrestling match. Each visit to Capitol Hill results in fireworks between Paul and Fauci and today is no different. Fauci moans about death threats on himself and family and blames Paul claiming that his statements, "Kindles the crazies." Fauci says Paul put him in danger. Fauci is a distraction at this point and needs to go. What is he saying that helps Americans handle the pandemic? Nothing. He is moaning to receive sympathy in case he needs it down the road as more information is revealed on the Wuhan Lab scandals. Any public figure receives that garbage even if you are a school teacher or on a local board. It will only get worse in future years. Fauci forgets that Paul was seriously injured by his nutcase neighbor that went berserk against him for his political views. Fauci was never injured; he is a guy in his 80's that should have retired a decade ago. Fauci and Collins are up to their eyeballs in the Wuhan Lab scandals with gain of function research which is always a heated point of contention during his testimonies. The research they funded may have led to the development of COVID-19; this is why Fauci is always animated at Congressional hearings. Perhaps squirming is a better word. Fauci claims innocence in the matter citing a new definition of gain of function research but he was the guy that helped craft that change in the wording. It should all come out in the wash in the future but in corrupt America, who knows? Paul grills Fauci on why he is always denigrating other doctors that are in the trenches treating coronavirus 24/7 stressing EARLY TREATMENT and experiencing great success with HCQ, ivermectin, antibiotics, steroids and other treatments and therapies. Fauci does not treat any covid patients; he only spouts about it daily. Fauci should resign immediately and an investigation needs to get to the bottom of what Fauci and Collins were involved with at the Wuhan Laboratories with the communist scientists. Inquiring minds want to know and will not let the doctors sweep the scandal under the NIH rug. The 500 million covid test kits that Biden promised are supposed to begin showing up at the end of January and over a 3-month period. Sounds like the president's proclamation at Christmastime to have the tests in January was another lie. Biden makes phony promises and lies at about the same pace as Trump. Biden's latest plan is for the US insurance companies to provide reimbursement for 8 at-home tests per month for all Americans? Where is this money coming from? The rich already have enough money. Let them buy their own tests. Give the tests to the poor and disadvantaged for free. The greed in America is rampant and sickening but is expected as crony capitalism gasps its remaining breaths. 

Note Added Tuesday Evening, 1/11/22: One year ago, everyone was told that the fancy new mRNA vaccine will protect you with 95% and better efficacy from infection. In addition, the vaccine meant that you would no longer spread the virus and your chances of severe illness and death disappear. In reality, one year later, the truth is that the vaccine efficacy deteriorates after only 3 to 6 months after the initial 2 doses. After 6 months, it falls off a cliff. This is why you see all the sick seniors now. They were vaccinated too many months ago and the vaccine is no longer preventing them from taking ill. The monoclonal antibodies are saving a lot of them that have delta. The GlaxoSmithKline mAb treatment is helping the omicron-infected folks but it is in short supply. Someone wake up Sleepy Joe Biden and tell him to order more. Chop, chop. The booster jab, shot three, only provides elevated protection, back in the 70% or so range, for a couple months, and then it is down in the 30%'s again. All the original claims for the vaccines are unraveling one by one. Even the severe illness claim is slipping away because plenty of vaccinated folks are bigtime sick in hospitals. Keystone almost lost an elderly friend but that tough old bird made it through okay. He was vaccinated but got infected. It appears the shots do help prevent death so they should simply be called a 'COVID-19 death prevention shot series' and not a vaccine. The waning vaccine efficacy is creating lots of sick folks. Vaccinated people can be infected and transmit the virus and the dirty little truth no one wants to talk about is how many vaccinated parents brought the virus home and infected their child or teen. Don't be too hard on yourself but instead accept it and do not blame some faceless unvaccinated boogeyman. A virus is a virus and the vaccines are not that good. In addition to all this lousy news, anyone vaccinated still likely has the spike proteins circulating in their bodies. The final wet blanket is that even with 3 shots in the arm, you only have about 10% protection against the Omicron variant. It is about the same as an unvaccinated person. Look at the bright side, vaccinated folks. At least you shouldn't die. The pandemic remains a chaotic and confusing mess with weak leadership. Bumbling Biden is in Georgia talking about a federal voting bill that would take away state rights. You do not want that. Hey buddy, why don't you handle the pandemic like you promised? Someone needs to put Sleepy Joe's priorities in a better order. The pandemic is a rudderless and captain-less ship, drifting aimlessly for 2 years in the dark covid sea of human misery.

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