News for March 25 — BA2 Evades Monoclonal Antibody Treatment

BA2 evades monoclonal antibody treatment: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/feds-pause-covid-monoclonal-antibody-treatment-states-potential/story?id=83678930 . COVID’s evolution is beginning to outrun certain treatments. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-omicron-subvariant-prompts-fda-limits-on-use-of-glaxosmithklines-antibody-drug-11648249966 .

The cost of going unvaccinated: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-03-25/costs-of-going-unvaccinated-in-america-are-mounting-for-workers-and-companies .

J&J Omicron death rate double other vaccines: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-omicron-johnson-johnson-vaccine/ . One would conclude that the mRNA vaccines have performed better than J&J over time.

Long COVID treatment research: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-03-25/drugmakers-scientists-begin-the-hunt-for-long-covid-treatments .

More arguments that BA2 will not hit the US as hard as it has hit Europe: https://news.yahoo.com/3-new-signs-ba-2-might-not-hit-america-as-hard-as-europe-124649476.html . This article is more hope than science. As we have noted many times, US surveillance is spotty at best. Also, at-home test kits result in understatement of actual COVID cases. So these experts are trying to trend inadequate data. But we will see soon enough if the US has yet again reopened too soon.

Supreme Court allows Navy to make job assignment decisions based on vaccination status: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2022-03-25/high-court-gives-biden-win-for-now-in-navy-vaccine-case . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-sides-with-pentagon-on-vaccine-mandate-11648245356 .

Georgia advances bill to let parents opt out of school mask mandates: https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-education-georgia-6417b35b7d1ace1bdd202694ab13f1d9 . Again, science is not optional. The GOP once again demonstrates its opposition to social responsibility, even where it endangers children, teachers and the community.

WSJ: COVID backed up the already slow legal system: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-pummeled-the-u-s-legal-system-it-may-take-years-to-catch-up-11648233052 .

We eat and inhale enough plastic every week to make a credit card: https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/microplastics-found-air-water-food-103009284.html . Also, these microplastics enter the bloodstream. Swell.

WSJ: Zero COVID continues to fail in China: https://www.wsj.com/articles/shanghai-nurses-death-fuels-skepticism-over-cost-of-chinas-covid-19-measures-11648219267 .

Ukrainians but not Russians entering US at border with Mexico: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-migrants-find-easier-path-to-enter-u-s-at-the-mexican-border-11648200602 .

Biden meets with US troops in Poland, will deliver major address and meet with Ukrainian refugees on Saturday: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-visits-poland-ukrainian-refugees/ .

Is Russia using phosphorus bombs in Ukraine?: https://thehill.com/policy/international/599553-zelensky-accuses-russia-of-using-phosphorus-bombs . Russia has already committed war crimes against Ukrainian civilians. So it is not hard to believe that Russia is now burning them to death with phosphorus bombs.

Will Russia scale back its war to eastern Ukraine?: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-nato-12ebc27af39ea5e993c1b55e6f50ab46 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-refocuses-on-ukraines-east-after-month-of-heavy-losses-11648243627 . However, these statements are being made by the Russian military, not Putin. However, as supplies continue to pour in from Poland, Ukrainian forces gain strength against the Russians.

Was a Russian commander killed by his own troops running him over with a tank?: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraine-disappointed-in-nato-as-biden-visits-us-troops-in-poland/ar-AAVuMxA?li=BBnb7Kz . Things seem to get worse for Russia with each passing day their troops remain in Russia.

Clarence Thomas becomes an even bigger embarrassment, if that’s possible: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/25/media/ginni-thomas-mark-meadows-texts-reliable-sources/index.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-courts-justice-clarence-thomas-faces-scrutiny-over-wifes-texts-11648231403 . When have we ever had the wife of a Supreme Court justice promoting insurrection? Never before, for sure. Meanwhile, Justice Thomas released from hospital: https://www.wsj.com/articles/clarence-thomas-released-from-hospital-supreme-court-says-11648219962 .

St. Peter’s beats Purdue, and makes Cinderella history: https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa-tournament-st-peters-is-the-lowest-seed-to-make-the-elite-eight-020632098.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/saint-peters-elite-eight-ncaa-tournament-11648259338 . So the tournament Cinderellas add much excitement (and therefore viewers and revenue) to March Madness every year. Does that encourage the Selection Committee to rank some good teams lower? While that incentive exists, no one would have picked St. Peter’s as a Cinderella, let alone make it to the Elite Eight. The school’s enrollment is just over 2,600.

The climate is in big, big trouble: https://news.yahoo.com/antarctic-ice-shelf-the-size-of-new-york-city-collapses-201709973.html . Note that temperatures in Antarctica are 70 degrees above normal.