Everyone should avoid cruise travel: https://news.yahoo.com/cdc-avoid-cruise-travel-regardless-of-vaccination-status-184307217.html . CDC finally says what everyone has been thinking. Here is the CDC alert, which pulls no punches: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-cruise-ship . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cdc-tells-americans-to-avoid-cruise-ships-11640894903 .
US testing failures morally scandalous: https://news.yahoo.com/omicron-testing-failure-134504476.html . So this is all the more true as we are two years into the pandemic. Also, however, the tests need to be updated for Omicron. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-rapid-test-shortages-seen-compounded-by-slow-federal-action-11640860212 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-testing-crunch-hampers-efforts-to-curb-omicron-variant-surge-11640860201 .
Biden signs contract for key test ingredient: https://www.aol.com/news/biden-inks-137-million-contract-220308052-101128617.html .
Record COVID hospitalizations for US children: https://news.yahoo.com/omicron-testing-failure-134504476.html . As many of these children are unvaccinated, the doctors must face a situation where the parents have failed the child. Of course, there is no vaccine yet for children 5 or younger.
Doctors’ medical advice is to get vaccinated and boosted: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/front-line-physicians-describe-vaccination-affects-patients-latest-cov-rcna10215 . One wonders what long-term psychological effects doctors and nurses will have for trying to give care during the pandemic.
Hawaii has record COVID cases: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-education-hawaii-honolulu-e249a8a0281d4e976c629e2015870396 . While the headline says Omicron is to blame, the article does not provide any data supporting this comment.
Arkansas has record COVID cases: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-arkansas-asa-hutchinson-2a6d79dac26260c46c1ddd23d9a31cf0 .
Maryland has record COVID cases and hospitalizations: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-maryland-baltimore-d0ffaf4a8396d835ad8889f974d23a65 .
North Carolina has record COVID cases: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-north-carolina-raleigh-33b7abe269f4638101f09848428da87d .
Virginia hospitals struggle as COVID cases surge: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-virginia-5fca4acb3b38563f92c7c102c8218855 . But note the advice for persons with mild symptoms to avoid going to the ER. This seems like bad advice for anyone over 50.
Florida sees sharp rise in COVID cases: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-miami-florida-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-603f5a1c0efdcc6a00a2c7d7e7cb837e . Speaking of morally scandalous, DeMentis continues to run Florida despicably.
South Africa says Omicron wave has passed: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/south-africa-says-it-has-passed-its-fourth-wave-of-cases/ar-AAShU1B?li=BBnb7Kz .
Australia struggles with COVID surge: https://www.wsj.com/articles/omicron-roils-australias-exit-from-zero-covid-strategy-11640861284 . Once again, a one-tactic strategy for dealing with COVID does not reflect public health science.
UK reports sharp increase in COVID deaths: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-public-health-68a8ef346ce9ea67fc107a39ea0fab5e . While South Africa’s situation creates some hope, the UK pandemic experience has been much more predictive of US experience. That’s because their population more closely resembles ours in terms of age and other factors.
Russia sets another monthly record for COVID deaths: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/russia-moscow-covid-b1984557.html . So if they were listening, the unvaccinated would realize COVID has hammered Russia hard. Russia has large numbers of unvaccinated citizens.
Eastern Europe braces for COVID surge: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-public-health-eastern-europe-0ef555df766dd6bfcf4d0516b0da05a1 . Again, more populations with low vaccination rates face illness.
US hospitals still out of compliance with price transparency rules: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hospital-price-public-biden-11640882507 .
Teva found liable in New York opioid epidemic: https://www.wsj.com/articles/teva-found-liable-for-fueling-opioid-addiction-in-new-york-11640889252 .
It’s time to end the new Dark Ages: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/were-living-in-the-new-dark-ages-%e2%80%94-and-its-time-to-turn-on-the-light/ar-AASi5Jb?li=BBnb7Kz . So the theme of year-end press coverage seems to be that the educated have had it with the unvaccinated. Apparently natural selection is taking too long.
US unemployment claims drift below 200,000: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-united-states-jobless-claims-d6dea339ffc43f103fe24a372f453f80 . Again, many people have exhausted their unemployment benefit eligibility, so this statistic is increasingly misleading. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/weekly-jobless-claims-12-30-2021-11640826932 .
Anti-vaxxers upset with Orange Julius after pro-vaccine comments: https://www.theleader.com.au/story/7567006/anti-vaxxers-blast-trump-pro-vax-comments/?cs=13067 . These folks are fact-resistant and angry. However, the change is that they’re angry with OJ. Is this the opening Ron DeMentis has been waiting for? (No.)
Ted Cruz chooses his Idiot Olympics event – the marathon: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/31/ted-cruz-confuses-washington-state-with-western-australia-in-attack-on-covid-kill-joys .
Anthony Fauci will receive the largest federal pension in history – if he ever retires: https://dailycaller.com/2021/12/30/anthony-fauci-federal-employees-pension-largest-in-history/ . This is not too hard to figure out, as he is apparently the highest paid federal employee, and he has 55 years of service.
Tesla recalls over 475,000 cars over safety issues: https://www.npr.org/2021/12/30/1069349834/tesla-recall-rearview-safety-issues . On the bright side, they’ve sold and delivered a lot of cars. However, significant financial and reputational expense comes with this problem. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tesla-recalls-vehicles-over-camera-front-hood-faults-11640880268 .
Drunken female airline passenger faces $250,000 fine and 20 years in prison for brawl with flight attendants: https://www.foxnews.com/us/spirit-airlines-passenger-indicted-after-allegedly-drinking-assaulting-flight-attendants . Violence on flights has gone way, way too far.