COVID Update 2022

[2dimes]

I, on the other hand, think it's worthy of Edgar Allan Poe.

Never more?

[Dukasaur]

I, on the other hand, think it's worthy of Edgar Allan Poe.

Never more?

I was thinking more "The Tell-Tale Heart."

“It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night.”

[2dimes]

I was thinking more "The Tell-Tale Heart."

That one's a pretty good Tourniquet song. I like the title track, Crawl to China, even better.

[riskllama]

[jusplay4fun]

And now, about 19 months later:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html

All measurements of COVID in the USA are headed in the right direction as vaccinations work to reduce incidents of the disease.

And now we can share the vaccines with the rest of the world.

Thanks to President Trump for Operation Warp Speed.

President Donald Trump formally announced Operation Warp Speed on May 15, 2020, in the White House Rose Garden.

[riskllama]

lol, a year late is better than never i guess...

[jusplay4fun]

[jusplay4fun]

[jusplay4fun]

[Dukasaur]

[jusplay4fun]

Good one, Duk. I had to chuckle on that one.

AND:

America the Beautiful Quarters® Program

https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coin-and-medal-programs/america-the-beautiful-quarters

About the Program
In 2010, the United States Mint began issuing 56 quarter-dollar coins featuring designs depicting national parks and other national sites as part of the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program. 2020 marks the eleventh year of the program and features the next five quarters.

Virginia Shenandoah National Park NPS Release date: 3/31/2014

[HitRed]

October 30, 21 Adoration

I am the Lord your God come from Heaven to speak to you. I am the one true God of the Universe.

I come to lead my little flock back home to where you came. I come to fill the hearts of my faithful with my grace and love. There is nothing more important than to serve and worship the Lord your God with your whole being. I am the Lord of the Universe, there is no other beside me. I am true God and true man, who came to save man from sin and death.

You have nothing to fear for I am with you to the end of time itself. I come for those who believe in the one true God, Son of Man. I come for those who seek for deeper growth and life in me. Search the heavens I am there. Search the mountains I am there too waiting for those who seek me. There is nothing more important than to seek the one who created you and to serve Him with all your being. I shall always be for those who believe and do my will. Worship your Lord God above all things. The earth will pass away and all that will be left is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Go now.

[jusplay4fun]

The Words of God

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Matthew 24:35

and

King James Bible

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Luke 21:33

My words here and in other parts of my life pale in comparison. I try to do good for those I meet, but I know that my existence is very short and very limited. I try to do the best I can with what I have.

[jusplay4fun]

JUST Over one year ago, Trump lost in Virginia badly. NOW Republicans seem to be turning the TIDE against Democrats who are woke and too far left.

Stay tuned.

There is an apparent rejection of the Liberal Democrats who have ruled the State (or Commonwealth) for 12 years statewide. The LAST time a Republican won a statewide office in VA was 2009 for Governor. And also elections happening for Lt. Gov. and Attorney General, the three statewide Offices up for election each 4 years. (New Jersey is likely to stay Democrat, as usual.)

Virginia, being a state that is NOT quite one party, as is Calif, NY, NJ and a few other states, is more of a bellwether state than New Jersey. The national politics impacts VA state elections, especially with Washington, D.C. bordering VA.

A bellwether is a leader or an indicator of trends. The term derives from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) leading a flock of sheep. A shepherd could then note the movements of the animals by hearing the bell, even when the flock was not in sight.

Sociologists apply the term "bellwether" in the active sense to a person or group of people who tend to create, influence, or set trends.

In politics, the term often applies in a metaphorical sense to characterise a geographic region where political tendencies match in microcosm those of a wider area, such that the result of an election in the former region might predict the eventual result in the latter. In a Westminster-style election, for example, a constituency, the control of which tends frequently to change, can mirror in its popular vote the result on a national scale.

In the stock market, a bellwether is a stock taken to be a leading indicator of the direction in a sector, in an industry or in the market as a whole. Bellwether stocks therefore serve as short-term guides.[1] JPMorgan Chase is a U.S. example of a bellwether stock. As one of the major banks in the United States, it sets the tone for the rest of the banking industry. JPMorgan Chase also has contracts with companies in other industries, so its performance is reflected in other sectors of the market.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellwether

[HitRed]

Praise God!

[jusplay4fun]

As of now, the Republican candidate for the Governor of New Jersey holds a razor thin margin in that race vs, the incumbent Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy.

There is a strong backlash against Democrats. Listen to James Carville.

[jusplay4fun]

WASHINGTON (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was declared the winner in his reelection campaign Wednesday after results from mail ballots and Democratic-leaning counties helped the Democrat extend his lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli.

The Associated Press declared Murphy the winner Wednesday evening after a new batch of votes from Republican-leaning Monmouth County increased Murphy’s lead and closed the door to a Ciattarelli comeback.

Ciattarelli won Monmouth by nearly 20 percentage points. However, in keeping with a statewide trend, Murphy carried the mail vote in Monmouth by about 40 percentage points.

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-new-jersey-elections-presidential-elections-election-2020-d501c81d5e4677f094185a69c8be0386

[jusplay4fun]

Case study, one state with rising COVID rates and cases:

Why are Colorado COVID-19 cases spiking?

Colorado has the fifth-highest 7-day, per-capita coronavirus case count in the United States, and state forecasters say it’s going to get worse before it gets better. Yet the state’s vaccination rate ranks among the top one-third in the country, with about 72% of the state’s eligible population now fully vaccinated.

Even as the root of this contradiction remains a mystery, the source of the infection spike now gripping this state is clear. Those who are unvaccinated comprise about 80% of infections. At UCHealth hospitals, that ratio holds: 78% of those hospitalized and 91% of those in ICUs are unvaccinated. The ones hospitalized despite being vaccinated are often immunocompromised or significantly older.

https://www.uchealth.org/today/why-are-colorado-covid-19-cases-spiking/

ALSO:

Here’s a look at those states with the highest per capita caseload and their percentage of fully vaccinated people:

State Daily cases per 100,000 residents Full vaccination rate
North Dakota 447 48%
Minnesota 445 62%
Alaska 412 53%
Vermont 409 72%
Colorado 377 62%
Source: CDC

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/here-are-the-states-where-covid-19-is-increasing-2#block-7560b4e1-bf82-4661-a1f2-4efa99fc9604

WoW, the states with the highest Daily cases per 100,000 residents also have the lowest vaccination rates. What does THAT MEAN..??

And one more table, same (URL) source:

States with the highest percentage of vaccination (total population)
1. Massachusetts: 82%
2. Vermont: 81%
3. Pennsylvania: 81%
4. Connecticut: 80%
5. Hawaii: 80%
Source: COVID Act Now

[jusplay4fun]

What has been the effect of the 3rd or booster shot, for those who have gotten it?

On another note, I now carry my mask into most places and put it on if:

1) there is a policy for the store or place; I look for a sign on the door when I enter. (One place I was in today did not have a sign very visible when I entered, but I heard the "recommendation" over the PA system. I got my items, went to self check-out, kept my distance, and never put the mask on. I never really got within 6 feet of anyone else, an important factor, to me, anyways.

2) most customers are wearing a mask.

3) I also consider the others in the establishment. I recently went into a pharmacy. Since many there are elderly, I put my mask on before I entered.

This is a new phase, and has gone on for the past several months. It seems most places do what they think is best regarding masks. We in VA do not have a state-wide mandate regarding masks, THANK GOD..!

This is one more thing to be THANKFUL for at the THANKSGIVING Holiday in the USA, which is officially tomorrow, Nov. 25, 2021.

[jusplay4fun]

As of today the number of cases in the USA is going up again. (This upward trend has been going up for the past 2-3 weeks.) There are concerns about another winter surge.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

[jusplay4fun]

OKAY, I am COMPLAINING LOTS HERE:

I am growing more weary at having to wear a mask in many places and the REST of inconveniences due to COVID, too. I often go back to my car to get my mask to enter a building.

Places are closed; I am to avoid people exposed to COVID. I avoid going to events, like sporting events, to avoid exposure. I miss seeing people I know at high school basketball games. I have not seen many since I retired from full-time teaching.

BUT I am grateful for my two granddaughters. They make life really GREAT. I enjoy seeing how the enjoy simple pleasures and how they interact with the world to learn and enjoy things like water flowing out of a faucet and running through leaves in their yards.

In the meantime, I need to schedule and plan for more vaccines: flu, pneumonia, shingles, and the Booster.

Shelves of somethings are barren; luckily NOT too much nor too often. But there are "Supply Chain" issues causing shortages. Luckily, I did NOT have to shop much for Christmas and my wife plans ahead to avoid such problems. Things are not as bad as March - May of 2020 (NOW there is toilet paper on the shelves of stores, thank goodness...!...).

But the number of COVID cases increase. Luckily, it seems most cases are omicron and thus not too serious, not as bad as Delta. I hope this current surge in cases of COVID is the last major gasp by the COVID virus (Sars-2 or whatever it is officially called.) And, despite chicken little saxi's Fake News, The Sky is NOT falling and things are NOT that bad due to COVID; the vaccine is LARGELY responsible for that improvement.

The news is depressing about inflation, the Economy, the weather, and of course, COVID. We are told that suicides, depression and drug addiction is up. We are told that people go hunger and are food insecure. Most poor are not hungry, an issue I have addressed in recent YEARS. I doubt there is someone actually STARVING in the USA. Most poor in this great country do better than those who are hungry and many who are refugees fleeing wars in much of the world.

And now we are reminded of a few hundred crazy Trump supporters who tried to disrupt Congress January 6, 2020. What is the role and failures of the person in charge of the Security of the US Capitol, the current Speaker of the House? The Democrats will not investigate her failures nor her role that day. AND YES, Trump should have DONE MORE to stop his crazy supporters. It seems that Trump's son and daughter were pleading with President to DO MORE that day as the violence began.

And there is the constant drumbeat of how most Americans are full of hate and are "racists" (and I vehemently disagree with that false narrative). And how does a nation of so-called "systemic racism" elect and re-elect a black President of the USA AND elect a black female vice-President of the USA? And there are many other blacks and minorities elected to offices in many states and localities. And here in Virginia, we elected the Nation's first black Governor in 1989.

Lawrence Douglas Wilder (born January 17, 1931) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 66th Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. He was the first African American to serve as governor of a U.S. state since the Reconstruction era, and the first African American ever elected as governor

Wilder won election to the Virginia Senate in 1969. He remained in that chamber until 1986, when he took office as the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, becoming the first African American to hold statewide office in Virginia. In the 1989 Virginia gubernatorial election, Wilder narrowly defeated Republican Marshall Coleman.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Wilder

Airlines have had to cancel flights; my sister was not affected as she travelled to see our Mom. I am grateful for that. I did see firsthand airline issues when I flew to Denver area in the summer. DFI Airport had big cancellations due to weather. It was bad for many folks. I did not enjoy wearing masks as I was on airplanes and in airports. I put up with that requirement. I usually wear my mask when in school to teach, too.

Life goes on and I am grateful for what I have. It could be worse; things are not as bad as "progressives" claim. And things could be better. too. We muddle forward, stopping and re-starting. Life goes on, mostly for the better. BUT I need to complain. I am grateful to my friends, family, and wife who helps me deal with all this negativity and depressing news. I need to stay positive and to go forward. Keep trying to help others and try to make things better. GO NOW.

[Dukasaur]

The Covid restrictions are getting annoying.

Here in Ontario, after 6 months of having restaurants open they are closing again.

My position is that at this point anyone who wants to be vaccinated has been. If the anti-vaxxers want to play Russian Roulette, let them. Darwin needs grist for the mill.

[jusplay4fun]

The Covid restrictions are getting annoying.

Here in Ontario, after 6 months of having restaurants open they are closing again.

My position is that at this point anyone who wants to be vaccinated has been. If the anti-vaxxers want to play Russian Roulette, let them. Darwin needs grist for the mill.

Basically, I agree on all that Duk. I consider MOST of those who do not get vaccinated as STOOOPID or influenced by bad, uninformed, biased persons, or those who do not understand medicine and science. Some fall prey to spurious, silly, or incorrect information that is , at best, speculation that is unsupported by the data and the information available.

Many of those who remain unvaccinated will not change their minds; many become more obstinate and more vociferous in their opposition. I am aware of several (in RL) who did not get vaccinated and suffered death and/or serious illness. Those who are vaccinated are MUCH more likely to avoid serious illness, hospitalization, and death. That is very apparent from the Data and from anecdotal evidence for me.

Some, like saxi, mislead the weak-minded. That is why I so vigorously and vehemently oppose saxi's Fake News about COVID and the vaccines.

There are ALL kinds of incorrect information online and in Social Media and many peddled by saxi clones and those that saxi apparently follow to source his LIES and his misinformation.

We have better means and technology to communicate BUT the information is NOT better than it was before the Internet for many persons. Many choose to stay ignorant or biased or only follow their "Tribes." They are lazy and do not want to have to think for themselves. Even former President Trump cannot persuade those ignorant persons to get vaccinated and/or get the booster. I will admit that I am not convinced young children do NOT LIKELY need the vaccine; few get a bad case of COVID and there are unknowns about these vaccines. Nothing is certain, except for Death and Taxes, as I have cited before on more than one occasion. There are NO drugs 100% safe and 100% effective.

Just as we do not have ALL the answers about G5 for cell phones and its impact on airplane electronics. Thank goodness Verizon and ATT delayed their rollout of G5 for at least two weeks to INVESTIGATE and study this vital matter. THAT delay may mean more lives saved than the few deaths linked to any of the COVID vaccines, as reported so far.