Why are more Republicans dying of COVID-19?

Posted on by Thor

ABC News reported that average excess death rates in Florida and Ohio were 76% higher among Republicans than Democrats between March 2020 and December 2021, according to a working paper released last month by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Vaccine hesitancy among Republicans may be the biggest cause. The partisan gap in the deaths widened between April and December 2021, after all adults became eligible for COVID vaccines. Excess death rates in Florida and Ohio were 153% higher among Republicans than Democrats during that time, the paper showed.

The June study suggested that COVID vaccine uptake explained just 10% of the partisan gap in the deaths. Those researchers suggested that compliance with other public health measures such as mask use and social distancing was a significant factor. It is hard to imagine that people who deny the efficacy of getting vaccinated might also not wear a mask or social distance. This defies science and logic.

The research was limited to Florida and Ohio. It is possible that people from those states are just dumber that Americans from other states. More research is needed. About 20% of the U.S. population still hasn’t received a single Covid shot, according to the CDC. Only 2% of Americans have gotten the new Omicron specific booster shot. As the pandemic continues to play out, we will see more death among vaccine deniers most of whom happen to be Republicans.

 

Prom Superspreaders

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ABC News reported that close to 100 students tested positive for COVID-19 after attending their High School Prom. Masks were optional but “strongly recommended,” for the prom held at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

San Mateo High School held the party on April 9, 2022 about 18 miles from the school. 90 out of the nearly 600 students who attended tested positive for the virus.

According to San Mateo Union High School District Superintendent Kevin Skelly, all of the cases were mild.

Though the BA.2 variant is highly contagious, it is not having a major impact on hospitalizations or deaths.

Despite the outbreak, school leaders and students said having the prom was worth it to provide a sense of normalcy during the pandemic. Other schools in the district will be adding more mitigation measures to their proms so they don’t experience similar outbreaks. The plan is to test students attending the prom to find out of they are COVID positive before they spread the virus. This isn’t rocket science. It is clear that school leaders don’t give a crap about student health.

MIS-C

Posted on by Thor

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) cases in children have been on the rise possibly from the holiday season COVID-19 surge. Hospitals in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Colorado, Nebraska and New Jersey have reported an increase in cases.

The uptick in MIS-C cases coincides with a decrease in COVID-19 cases nationwide, in the wake of a post-holiday surge. Experts believe that there is often a lag — sometimes three to four weeks — between COVID-19 infections and the onset of MIS-C symptoms.

Most children infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. While MIS-C is rare, its effects can be devastating and life-threatening, with some patients experiencing inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs.

“The rise in MIS-C cases is likely due to the rise in number of COVID-19 infections, ultimately from the recent holiday surges like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and the Super Bowl,” said Dr. Todd Ellerin, an ABC News contributor and infectious disease specialist at South Shore Health. According to the CDC, at least 2.8 million U.S. cases of COVID-19 have been in children. There have been about 2,060 cases of MIS-C, to which 30 deaths have been attributed.

L.A. County reported a 35% increase in children with MIS-C over the last two weeks.

Typhoid Trump

Posted on by Thor

On October 10, 2020, just 10 days after announcing that he was infected by COVID-19, Donald Trump was on the balcony of the White House spewing his divisive rhetoric to a crowd of several hundred gathered n the south lawn who were not socially distanced. They were shoulder to shoulder but thankfully many wore masks. They should have each been given umbrellas as well.

White house officials and doctors have not yet said when the president last tested negative for the virus or if he has been tested two days in a row to clear him as non-contagious. Doctors seem to be making announcements with little supporting information that will get Trump back into crowds.

Trump may have been spreading  the virus all across the country. 11 Staff tested positive after the Amy Barret south lawn super spreader event on September 26, 2020.  Seven of his staff were infected at the Presidential Debate Prep on September 27, 2020. Five of his staff that attended the presidential Debate on September 29, 202 tested positive. Four of his staff that attended a Minnesota rally on September 30, 2020 tested positive. Hundreds of people at those events have not tested for the virus, so, the collateral damage may never be known.

The divisive law and order themed balcony speech made it clear that the president is using the White House a a backdrop for a political rally. Trump did not mention of the growing power of right-wing hate and anti-government extremist groups, including those who were charged this week in an alleged plot to kidnap Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The largely black and Latino crowd with MAGA Caps and blue tee shirts was known as BLEXIT which was founded by conservative Candace Owens to encourage African Americans to leave the Democratic Party. The irony is that Black and Latino Americans have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 virus. Blacks and Hispanics have up to 2.8 times more COVID-19 cases  compared to whites, and they die at a rate of up to 2.1 times more often that whites.

Some of the attendees had their travel and lodging paid for by controversial conservative activist Candace Owens’ group BLEXIT, according to emails obtained by ABC News. Attendees were told they must bring a mask but wearing the mask was not be required. Attendees had to submit to a COVID-19 screening the morning of the event, which consisted of a temperature check and a brief questionnaire. All attendees were also told they must wear the bright blue BREXIT tee shirt and there were no exceptions, though some guys and gals in suits couldn’t bring themselves to stretch the tees over their attire.