Once again, America is in denial about signs of a fresh Covid wave
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/16/once-again-america-is-in-denial-about-signs-of-a-fresh-covid-waveOnce again, America is in denial about signs of a fresh Covid wave
Eric Topol
When it comes to Covid, the United States specializes in denialism. Deny the human-to-human transmission of the virus when China’s first cases were publicized in late 2019. Deny that the virus is airborne. Deny the need for boosters across all adult age groups. There are many more examples, but now one stands out – learning from other countries.
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In the past couple of weeks, the UK and several countries in Europe, including Germany, France and Switzerland, are experiencing a new wave. At least 12 countries, geographically extending from Finland to Greece, are experiencing new increases in cases, some quite marked, such as Austria exceeding its pandemic peak, and Finland with an 85% increase from the prior week. Many of these countries are also showing a rise in hospital admissions.
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Indications within the United States support the idea that new wave is already getting started. Wastewater surveillance is relatively sparse in the United States, but 15% of the 410 sites where it was conducted between 24 February to 10 March 2022 showed a greater than 1000% increase compared with the prior 15-day period. Also, the BA.2 variant is gaining steam in the United States and is now accounting for more than 30% of new cases.
The root cause for the new wave is hard to pin down. Certainly, the BA.2 variant is known to have increased transmission, at least about 30% more than its sister lineage, Omicron BA.1. With the concomitant reduction of mitigation restrictions and waning immunity protection of vaccines, that transmission advantage will increase. This “BA.2 triad” of factors is thus hard to dissect, as they are clearly interdependent. Rather than focusing on what precisely is driving the new wave, the imperative is to drive some preventive action.
As with the first five warnings from the UK and Europe, the United States did not take heed. Instead of proactively gearing up with non-pharmaceutical interventions (masks, quality of masks, distancing, air filtration, ventilation, aggressive testing, etc.), it just reacted to the surges when they were manifest. Now we are at a point with very low vaccination and booster rates, only 64% of the populations has had two shots, and 29% three shots. That puts the United States at 65th and 70th in the world ranking of countries, respectively.
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= new reply since forum marked as read
how did we go from probable spikes in COVID to patriarchy? 
I've said it before, if a male were to demean females there would be a mad dash to report, dismiss, decapitate and worse on DU, but male bashing is given free rein. 
they'll keep doing it.
My conscience is clean.
put Purel hand sanitizing stations throughout their stores. Just like the common cold virus, the COVID virus could be transmitted from a person's hands to their nose, eyes, or mouth as well. I always sanitized my hands immediately up leaving any public place until I could thoroughly wash them.
I've taken every precaution possible. I do not want COVID, no matter how it's introduced into my body. 
Stay healthy.
Right before COVID started crushing the country in 2020 I had a dream I caught it and was in the hospital. I'm not one to put stock in dreams, but I figure, why press my luck?
You stay healthy in the upper left part of the country. OK?
I see what you did there! 
You wouldn't be hoisting some jackass from his own petard, would you?
in the U.S. either.
Plenty of Americans are determined to Make COVID Great Again
Or so I was told on DU yesterday, or perhaps Tuesday.
People with pre-existing conditions (especially immuno compromised) are still very vulnerable. These people comprise a large number of covid deaths. Those who claims that vaccinated don't die don't know what they are talking about.
