Mad Mask Abbott

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Texas Governor Mad Max Greg Abbott announced on March 2, 2021 that the states mask mandate would be lifted and all business could open at 100% capacity starting March 10, 2021. The CDC had warned the day before that states should not ease public health safety restrictions. As of March 1, 2021, only 6.57% of Texans have been fully vaccinated, according to Johns Hopkins University.

COVID case numbers have fallen since the insanely high numbers of January driven by the holidays, New Years Eve and the Super Bowl. However the number of new cases have leveled off at about the worst of the summer surge which was the worst imaginable horror at the time. Since new cases of COVID-19 have been leveling off at about 50,000 new cases a day, there is a risk that there could be a 4th wave driven by states lifting health guidance too early. New variants of the virus are spreading and some are resistant to the vaccines being distributed. In Brazil, people who recovered from the COVID virus at the beginning of the pandemic are getting re-infected. The second infections are more severe and deadly.

A team of researchers in Houston, Texas, has sequenced the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from 20,400 COVID-19 patients treated at a single health system there, and they’ve found cases of all the major variants that public health experts say could increase the transmission of the virus or the severity of infection.

Ironically President Joe Biden‘s fast vaccine roll out is partly the cause of governor Abbott letting his guard down. President Joe Biden slammed Abbott on March 3, 2021 for putting lives at risk by clinging to “Neanderthal thinking” rather than heeding advice from the nation’s top scientists. “I think it’s a big mistake,” Biden told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with lawmakers. “We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way in which we’re able to get vaccines in people’s arms….The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything’s fine, take off your mask. Forget it. It still matters.”

Biden noted the death toll, 511,874 Americans at last count. “We’re going to lose thousands more…. We’ll not have everybody vaccinated until sometime in the summer,” Biden said. “It’s critical, critical, critical, critical that they follow the science. Wash your hands, hot water. Do it frequently, wear a mask and stay socially distanced. … I wish the heck some of our elected officials knew it.” To date, Texas has lost 43,266 lives.

“We at the CDC have been very clear that now is not the time to release all restrictions,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asked about Texas’ change of policy during a White House briefing. “The next month or two is really pivotal in terms of how this pandemic goes.”

Chicago Gym Outbreak

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The CDC reported that in August 2020, over 55 people became infected with COVID-19 after attending exercise classes at a Chicago Gym. Less than a quarter of gym-goers wore masks during their workouts, and almost none socially distanced. The gym had precautions like temperature checks, but some people went to class with symptoms anyway.

The outbreak was linked to several high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes held indoors. More than half of all the people who attended classes became infected.

The report recommends that people shouldn’t just rely on social distancing or symptom screening to prevent outbreaks indoors – mask wearing is still key. Masks were required to enter the gym but they were not required during workouts. Only one in four people said they wore masks consistently during workouts.

Twenty two people who attended the workouts had symptoms the same day they went to work out, including fever, cough, headaches, and loss of smell and taste. Three people went to class who tested positive for COVID-19 that day or before. While no one died as a result of the outbreak, two people later went to the ER for treatment, and one person had to be hospitalized for over a week.

Florida Insurrectionists

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The January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol as clearly a superspreader event gone wild. Jonathan Fielding, a professor at the schools of Public Health and Medicine at UCLA, told the Washington Post, “If you wanted to organize an event to maximize the spread of COVID it would be difficult to find one better than the one we witnessed,” he said.

CDC Director Robert Redfield said “The storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Trump on Wednesday was probably a superspreader event that “will have public health consequences.”

Contact tracing will be nearly impossible. Protesters came from all over the country and few of them were identified or arrested. This, allowing the mask less rioters to take planes and cars home to their home states spreading the virus across the country.

As rioters are arrested there will likely be outbreaks in the Washington D.C. prisons and jails. As well as prisons all across the country. Epidemiologist will find it challenging to track the spread since the anti masking MAGAts are not likely to cooperate with health experts.

There were quite a few Florida idiots were among the horde that descended on the Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the counting of the Electoral votes. I included 10 of those idiots in my illustration allowing them to breath each others viral filth. Who knows exactly how many more are out there.

MIS-C

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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.

Cheersport Nationals

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Gimme a C, gimme an O, gimme a V, gimme an I, gimme a D! Whats that spell?! COVID!!!!!!  40,000 fans are expected to converge on Atlanta Georgia, for the Cheersport Nationals. Though event organizers are taking some precautions against COVID-19, it doesn’t take an expert to figure out that it will likely be a superspreader event. By CDC standards, the event is at the highest risk of Covid-19 transmission.

A CDC study from October found that indoor sporting events — even those with far fewer players than the cheerleading competition — can easily turn into superspreading events.

10,000 competitors are expected to take part in the annual Cheersport Nationals event, about half the number of competitors who usually attend. Georgia just recorded its highest single-day COVID-19 death toll. Atlanta where the cheer event is taking place, has seen a 9.8% Covid-19 positivity rate over the last two weeks, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s most recent report.

Public health doctors are worried that competitors and their families could further spread the virus in between competitions and around town. After the competition they then will return home and seed the virus all across the country.

The convention center where the event is being held also houses Covid-19 patients with mild to moderate illness. Attendees “assume all risks related to exposure to Covid-19” by taking part. All coaches and cheer performers are required to wear a mask to enter the building and “during the transitions” between practice and performance. The cheerers don’t need to wear masks during their performance.

 

90,000 in Next 3 Weeks

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More than 90,000 Americans might die in the next three weeks the CDC has reported. More than 38,000 Americans have died of Covid-19 in the first two weeks of the new year. Currently, more than 130,300 people are hospitalized with the virus, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project.

New York City is about to open Yankee Stadium as a vaccination site and in California Disney Land is also to become a vaccination site. Disney Land is slated to become the states first super vaccination site, able to vaccinate upwards of 7,000 people each day. California has lagged behind it’s planned vaccination rate, doling out around a third of its doses so far. Fast efficiency distribution of the vaccine has been a problem across the country.

Perhaps Disney World will also become a vaccination site here in Florida but the parks have been packed at the start of the New Year with tourists to profit from people who are stiff crazy from the pandemic.

Besides the 20,000 National Guard now in Washington D.C. there are also National Guard troops helping administer the vaccines in 16 states and territories. CVS Pharmacy has reported that they should be able to administer 25 million vaccinations a month, but that program is not off the ground yet. What is needed is a unified National plan but the POTUS has denied the virus and left it up t each state to figure out ho to distribute vaccines. The result is anarchy. In New Jersey, smoking is considered to be a pre-existing condition and therefor smokers are moved to the front of the line for a vaccine.

I have a sister in South West Florida still struggling to try and get vaccinated. It has become her full time job. She had an appointment set up for January 14, 2021 but got a call back from the health department and was told that they had run out of vaccine. She is now on a list and might be called when more vaccine comes in. Shipments of the virus are not expected for two weeks.

Joe Biden is planning  1.9 Billion dollar COVID Relief plan that includes $1400 stimulus checks and an additional $160 billion for a national vaccine program, including $20 billion for distribution, and an additional $50 billion for expanded testing. The plan also calls on Congress to invest $170 billion in K-12 schools and higher education, including $130 billion for schools to safely reopen. Unfortunately we have six more days to wait before he and Kamila Harris are inaugurated.

Every Minute

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The U.S. Centers of Disease Control (CDC) reported that the United States is now averaging one COVID-19 related death every minute. The pandemic is increasing in severity as we head into the winter months.

The virus has causes 69,000 deaths in nursing homes as of November 15, 2020. The latest COVID-19 pandemic death toll for the U.S. stands at 267,302, with 1,251 new deaths being reported in the 24 hours leading up to Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

Hospitals in the Midwest are being overrun by  the increasing demand. COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising amid shortages of nurses and other health care workers, the situation in some places is becoming severe. If things don’t change, hospitals will have to ration care by turning patients away. COVID-19 deaths, have climbed more than 40% over the past two weeks and set records last week in places like Wisconsin. The Dakotas and Wyoming had the country’s highest infection rates last week, but Iowa and Wisconsin weren’t far behind, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

There is light at the end of the tunnel with vaccines becoming available. But the three of four month until those vaccines can be distributed to people, will be the darkest months of this pandemic. “We have not even come close to the peak and, as such, our hospitals are now being overrun,” said Dr. Michael Osterholm of Biden’s  coronavirus advisory board. The United States is headed for a COVID Hell.

Holiday Travel

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Holiday travel this year is like holding a hot air balloon Festival during a tornado. This is 2020 so a firenado seemed more appropriate.

There are 37 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The constant refrain of holiday carols and commercialization leads to a desire for human companionship. Millions of Americans ignored warnings from health experts and decided to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. The CDC has said that small home gatherings are the primary source of spread of the COVID-19 virus.in a recent study it was found that the virus was spread 65% of the time at small gatherings. The coming weeks will be difficult, especially since so many traveled over the holiday and held in-person dinners indoors.

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s foremost authority on infectious diseases, and Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned about the potential for a spike in infections stemming from holiday parties, even if they’re small and only among relatives.

Nearly 3 million air travelers passed through security checkpoints on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before Thanksgiving. Sunday was the single-busiest day at airport checkpoints since March. The Thanksgiving travel damage is done. It will take 7 to 10 days for people to discover if they have been infected. Dr. Anthony Fauci described what the United States will experience in the first weeks of December as “A surge upon a surge.”

Fauci said the arrival of vaccines offers a “light at the end of the tunnel.”However we all have to stay vigilant to help slow the spread of the virus until that vaccines can be distributed. Health care workers will likely be among the first to get the vaccine, with the first vaccinations happening before the end of December, followed by many more in January, February and March, he said.

In the mean time do not let your guard down leading up to Christmas. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said to think of COVID like the Grinch. If you practice social distancing, wear a mask in public and wash your hands often we can all celebrate the holidays safely. In many places, hospitals are being overwhelmed by rising case loads. More than 20 percent of U.S. hospitals expect critical staff shortages in the coming week, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Beds can be built but you still need enough doctors to handle the rise in cases. we are fast approaching 100,000 people who are hospitalized for COVID-19. Now the Midwest, Great Plains, and Mountain West are the new hot spots, but some former hot spots are warming back up as well, with cases and hospitalizations surging again. Florida which is third in terms of the number of deaths from COVID-19 is again becoming a hot spot. “Thanksgiving may be the beginning of a dark holiday season as the surge in coronavirus cases is likely to persist, or even get worse, through December, January and February.” said Dr. Fauci.

Kansas Surge

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A Kansas mask requirement went into effect July 3, 2020 as cases began rising across the Midwest. However 81 counties opted out of the mandate, as permitted by state law. The other 24 counties — which account for the majority of the state’s population — chose to require that masks be worn in public places.

The CDC and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment analyzed trends in county-level cases before the mandate went into effect and two months afterward. Though rates were considerably higher in the 24 counties that required masks, over the two-month study period they brought the growth of cases under control and even reduced them. The counties that didn’t require masks continued to see their cases increase.

On average, the counties that required masks saw a 6% reduction in cases (calculated as a seven-day rolling average of new daily cases per capita). In contrast, the counties that opted out saw a 100% increase.  Along with other mitigation strategies including physical distancing and hand washing, “the decrease in cases among mandated counties and the continued increase in cases in non mandated counties adds to the evidence supporting the importance of wearing masks,” the CDC says. The conclusion is simple. Wearing face masks in public spaces reduces the spread of COVID-19.

Kansas hospitals are seeking the help of nearby states to help handle the surge of patients being admitted to hospitals. However the entire Midwest is struggling under the immense surge in cases.

Dr. Birx said that Americans who gathered for Thanksgiving should assume they’re infected and get tested. People who traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday are likely to cause a spike in cases in the next two weeks. If you visited family outside your home, you should consider yourself as possibly infected and should get a COVID-19 test.

More than 9000 Florida Children Infected

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The Daily News reported that more than 9000 Florida school aged children have tested positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks since schools opened. The Florida Department of Health reported 48,730 confirmed COVID-19 cases among children 17 years old or younger in new data released Tuesday. That’s 8,995 more cases than at the previous update, which ended on Aug. 9, 15 days earlier. More than 17,000 of those cases are in children ages 14 to 17, or high-school aged. About 13,000 patients are ages 5-10. More than 600 children have been hospitalized. Since Aug. 9, 2020 another child has also died, bringing the total to eight. The Florida union representing thousands of janitors, bus drivers and other front line workers at Florida schools suggests that schools reconsider opening in the fall.

Rebekah Jones who created The Covid Monitor which tracks cases in schools, reported that, Florida Governor DeSantis’ Department of Health claims that the number of COVID-19 cases in Florida schools is confidential. As she said,  “They publish the age, gender, county, symptom onset data, case date, travel info, and more.. but a count of cases by school- which they published then DELETED!!- is “confidential???” NO. OUR SCHOOLS. OUR KIDS. OUR DATA. DEMAND BETTER FROM YOUR GOV!!”

The Florida Education Association sued Governor Ron DeSantis who insisted that all children must return to school in person regardless of the risks associated with the pandemic. On Tuesday  August 25, 2020 Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson sided with the Florida Education Association and granted a temporary injunction against the state’s order that required brick-and-mortar schools to reopen. The mandate, Dodson wrote in his ruling, “arbitrarily disregards safety.” The state school board has filed an appeal.

On August 21, 2020 CNN reported that the White House officially declared teachers Essential Workers  as part of their efforts to encourage schools around the country to reopen for in-person learning. The guidance for essential workers states that they can continue to work even after exposure to a confirmed case of Covid-19, provided they remain asymptomatic.

On Monday, August 24, 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed the language on its website about who should get a COVID-19 test, a move that has baffled public health officials. “If you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms, you do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one,” the guidelines now read, in contrast to the previous recommendation, which called for testing ALL close case contacts.

CNN broke the news that the decision to change the wording was made not by the CDC, but by top government officials from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and could even reach the White House, where President Donald Trump has made clear he believes the United States is doing too much testing for the COVID-19. The change, made without any rationale or explanation, further erodes the scientific community’s confidence in the CDC. For months, the story has been that more—not less—testing could only help control the world’s worst outbreak of the virus. Politics have infected the pandemic. It is what it is.