Hospitals face results of voided mandate: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hospitals-confront-the-fallout-from-supreme-court-ruling-on-vaccine-mandate/ar-AASOkUJ?li=BBnb7Kz . It is deadly obvious that the employer mandate was effective in encouraging people to get vaccinated. The unvaccinated remain the fuel for the continuation of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants.
A doctor quoted in the article states that the vaccines are a “hell no” for him because of the unknown long-term effects of the vaccine. That view had little validity after the vaccines completed their phase 3 trials. Now, however, after over a year in which hundreds of millions have been vaccinated in the US and globally, that view is clearly anti-science. The so-called doctor is not following best practices and endangering his patients. He should not be practicing medicine.
WSJ: Omicron overwhelms rural hospitals: https://www.wsj.com/articles/patients-drive-hours-to-ers-as-omicron-variant-overwhelms-rural-hospitals-11642251602 .
The urgency of long COVID: https://www.yahoo.com/news/what-needs-to-be-done-to-address-long-covid-221414182.html . I agree that the total focus on ending the pandemic has shortchanged the people suffering from long COVID. As the article points out, studies have indicated that 10% to 50% of persons who contract COVID suffer long-term symptoms. So if 60 million Americans have contracted COVID, 6 to 30 million suffer from long COVID. The amount of long term COVID arising from Omicron is unknown because the variant is so new, but the vast majority of the 60 million contracted COVID before Omicron.
COVID evolution continues: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-pandemics-dc99bc9f769dd6d7cb669e3d185c6261 . Finally, (some) experts come to the view I have been insisting on since the start of the newsletter. There is no reason to believe that an infectious virus will evolve to become less deadly. Indeed, COVID evolved to produce Delta, which was more deadly than its predecessors.
The reason for this is simple logic. Viruses seek to invade a host and reproduce before they are knocked out by the host’s immune system. This process happens in a matter of days. The ultimate survival of the host is therefore irrelevant.
Still thinking of a cruise?: https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/ports-waterways/589881-passengers-stuck-at-sea-after-norwegian-cancels-cruise .
US Marines approve first two religious exemptions from vaccine mandate: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-us-marine-corps-1fb313feafcd36a7d621ba152cab3eb8 .
US Treasury may claw back pandemic aid funds Arizona designated for schools without mask mandates: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-01-14/u-s-treasury-threatens-to-claw-back-arizona-funds-over-anti-masking-school-grants .
COVAX reaches milestone of 1 billion doses shipped: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/15/update-4-u-s-cdc-urges-americans-to-wear-most-protective-mask-you-can . However, “shipped” is not the appropriate measure – “injected” is. And we know that Nigeria alone destroyed 1 million doses.
The Beijing Olympics have a new, local COVID problem: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-winter-olympics-sports-health-beijing-f9fb6ea315985b81223697fc0760c401 . Clearly, Omicron infected this person through community spread. So how do you institute a lockdown in a city hosting the Olympics in 3 weeks? WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/beijing-reports-omicron-infection-three-weeks-ahead-of-winter-olympics-11642260807 . Oh, and Chinese New Year (the lunar New Year) is February 1. This is traditionally the biggest travel holiday in China.
WSJ: We’re just making it up now: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-race-vaccine-vs-variants-11641915035 . Good grief. It wouldn’t have been news a year ago that this pandemic reflects a race between vaccines and variants. And the expert stating that Delta was “a response” to Beta is just making stuff up. Beta appeared in South Africa; Delta appeared in India.
Study provides stronger evidence linking Epstein-Barr virus to multiple sclerosis: https://apnews.com/article/multiple-sclerosis-epstein-barr-study-b325dceb5612e4ec7f22c8f25901e5eb .
WSJ: Shortage of substitute teachers makes it tougher to keep schools open: https://www.wsj.com/articles/schools-struggle-to-find-substitute-teachers-as-omicron-surges-11642242606 .
National suicide hotline 988 set to go into operation in 6 months, but most states remain unprepared: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/mental-health/589811-many-states-unprepared-to-roll-out-national-suicide .
More on sedition charge against Oath Keepers founder and 10 co-conspirators: https://news.yahoo.com/stewart-rhodes-oath-keepers-jan-6-capitol-riot-seditious-conspiracy-charges-192749541.html . We learn that the election of Barack Obama motivated the formation of Oath Keepers. Also, founder Stewart Rhodes, a Yale Law School graduate, remains in jail after his Friday hearing: https://www.yahoo.com/news/founder-oath-keepers-jailed-texas-031014264.html . We don’t know whether the judge denied bail here (or it remains not paid), but the seriousness of the charge justifies denial of bail. But as Stephen Colbert has pointed out, 20 years doesn’t seem like enough – it’s only one Billy Eilish. Meanwhile, Mr. Rhodes is not exactly getting family support: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-estranged-wife-of-indicted-leader-of-oath-keepers-tells-cnn-he-is-a-dangerous-man-and-complete-sociopath/ar-AASOqlw?li=BBnb7Kz .
WSJ: Haitian assassination suspect arrested in Jamaica: https://www.wsj.com/articles/suspect-in-haitian-president-jovenel-moises-slaying-arrested-in-jamaica-11642293136 .
Australia to deport defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/16/australia-court-rules-novak-djokovic-to-be-deported . WSJ: Australia feared letting Djokovic stay would increase anti-vaccine sentiment: https://www.wsj.com/articles/australia-feared-letting-novak-djokovic-stay-would-fuel-antivaccine-sentiment-11642223036 .