Coronavirus spreads. But don't panic! (topical thread)

[SYZ]

From my NYT newsletter today:

One group of US researchers had an unusual opportunity to study how partisan identity
shaped people’s views on Covid, because in 2019, they surveyed more than 3,300 people
about their political predispositions for an unrelated project. Once the pandemic began,
they went back to the same people, and about 2,500 responded to follow-up questions.

They found, in research published in peer-reviewed journals in August and November 2020,
that highly partisan Republicans took their initial cues from leaders like Trump and then stuck
to them no matter what—even if Covid cases and deaths surged in their state, even if people
around them got sick, said one of the researchers, Yanna Krupnikov, a professor of political
science at NY Stony Brook University.

Another of the researchers, Samara Klar, an associate professor at the University of Arizona’s
School of Government and Public Policy, said the crucial element appeared to be not party
affiliation alone, but active animosity toward the opposite side.

[trdsf]

Oh, Texas... Texas Lt Gov Dan Patrick is blaming Blacks for spreading COVID.

Granted, this is the same idiot who last year said that the elderly should be willing to die of COVID for the sake of the economy.

[Minimalist]

Ah Texas.

So, if they are dying like flies why are the republiKKKunts trying to disenfranchise them from voting?

[Dancefortwo]

Ah Texas.

So, if they are dying like flies why are the republiKKKunts trying to disenfranchise them from voting?

I talked to my Canadian brother a couple of weeks ago.  He lives in British Columbia but he said that the Provence of Alberta is pretty much Canada's Texas.  The provence is full of anti-vaxxers cowboy types who don't want to have the government telling them what to do even if it saves others from dying.  So Texas apparently doesn't have the corner market on stupid.  Several other places have walked into the stupid market and bought a huge load of it.

[Minimalist]

The provence is full of anti-vaxxers cowboy types who don't want to have the government telling them what to do even if it saves others from dying.

What about if it saves THEM from dying?

[Minimalist]

It's about time.

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brie...treatment/

Most private insurers are no longer waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment

In the last few months, the environment has shifted with safe and highly effective vaccines now widely available. In this brief, we once again review how many private insurers are continuing to waive patient cost sharing for COVID-19 treatment. We find that 72% of the two largest insurers in each state and DC (102 health plans) are no longer waiving these costs, and another 10% of plans are phasing out waivers by the end of October.

Nearly three-quarters of the largest health plans are no longer waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment

You want to be crazy?  Be crazy on your own dime!

[julep]

It's about time.

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brie...treatment/

Most private insurers are no longer waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment

In the last few months, the environment has shifted with safe and highly effective vaccines now widely available. In this brief, we once again review how many private insurers are continuing to waive patient cost sharing for COVID-19 treatment. We find that 72% of the two largest insurers in each state and DC (102 health plans) are no longer waiving these costs, and another 10% of plans are phasing out waivers by the end of October.

Nearly three-quarters of the largest health plans are no longer waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment

You want to be crazy?  Be crazy on your own dime!

It’s going to apply to vaccinated people, too, though, including those who get breakthrough infections or who have to get covid tests for whatever reason. We’ll all go broke together.

[c172]

3,000 new cases and 53 new deaths in my HS graduation state of AZ. Lovely. Way to go.

[c172]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/20/entertain...urce=twCNN

Melissa Joan Hart got it pretty bad.

[Minimalist]

151,000+ new cases today... and that's without Florida reporting.

[c172]

The University of Virginia is disenrolling unvaxxed students.

[SYZ]

An estimated 4,000 anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police in Melbourne today.
The entire state of Victoria is now under lockdown rules, which means all sports venues,
movie theatres, art galleries and museums, general merchant shops, restaurants and
take-aways, gymnasiums, racetracks, libraries, big box electrical and hardware stores,
hotels and casinos etc are closed until further notice.

We're only allowed out to visit food stores and medical centres, or other government
authorised essential services.  Which is what this ignorant fucking rent-a-crowd mob
was protesting.     There were similar but smaller rallies in other state capitols.

[Cavebear]

An estimated 4,000 anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police in Melbourne today.
The entire state of Victoria is now under lockdown rules, which means all sports venues,
movie theatres, art galleries and museums, general merchant shops, restaurants and
take-aways, gymnasiums, racetracks, libraries, big box electrical and hardware stores,
hotels and casinos etc are closed until further notice.

We're only allowed out to visit food stores and medical centres, or other government
authorised essential services.  Which is what this ignorant fucking rent-a-crowd mob
was protesting.     There were similar but smaller rallies in other state capitols.

Anti-vax people are not very useful. Let them all catch the virus and die (peacefully I hope). I sure won't miss them.

[Fireball]

An estimated 4,000 anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police in Melbourne today.
The entire state of Victoria is now under lockdown rules, which means all sports venues,
movie theatres, art galleries and museums, general merchant shops, restaurants and
take-aways, gymnasiums, racetracks, libraries, big box electrical and hardware stores,
hotels and casinos etc are closed until further notice.

We're only allowed out to visit food stores and medical centres, or other government
authorised essential services.  Which is what this ignorant fucking rent-a-crowd mob
was protesting.     There were similar but smaller rallies in other state capitols.

I was thinking in the past that Oz might be a good place to get away from the stupid here, in the US. Oh, well.

[Alan V]

I was thinking in the past that Oz might be a good place to get away from the stupid here, in the US. Oh, well.

Try New Zealand instead.  

[Fireball]

I was thinking in the past that Oz might be a good place to get away from the stupid here, in the US. Oh, well.

Try New Zealand instead.  

I checked into that. But they want a megabuck per person to emigrate there if one isn't working in a field that they need to contribute to the country. That's understandable. At the tender age of 68, I ain't going back to work, even in a cushy engineering job. One of my wife's friends married an NZ national, but when she needs medical treatment, she flies back the the US for it.

[Dancefortwo]

I was thinking in the past that Oz might be a good place to get away from the stupid here, in the US. Oh, well.

Try New Zealand instead.  

Stupid has no borders.  It's everywhere.  We're fighting a world of stupid.  When this is all over the population on this planet will be reduced.  It's funny, not in a ha-ha way but in a sad way, because those same domesday, apocalyptic types who are always believing the world is coming to an end are going to find out they're right.  Not in the way they think but because they're so distrustful of the government or believe in conspiracies and now won't accept help in the form of a vaccine.    

And then there's the people who are simply too poor and ignorant and don't have access to the vaccine. 

On another note, my husband has retired from teaching.  He just can't take another year of the Covid chaos.  Yesterday he was looking through the school district's website and noticed that there were 11 teaching positions open with about three weeks to fill the positions.  Schools can't keep teachers in this environment.  It's going to be a very rough ride for education and probably not just in the US but everywhere.

My-my, but wasn't THAT a cheery, uplifting post. 

[c172]

First I've heard of Jesse Jackson and wife having COVID.

[Dom]

When this is all over the population on this planet will be reduced.  

Look at the bright side - less people on earth, less environmental damage.

[jerry mcmasters]

When this is all over the population on this planet will be reduced.  

Look at the bright side - less people on earth, less environmental damage.

I've seen worse.

Sincerely,
Noah

[trdsf]

Heard a couple new terms for the antivax/antimask idiots today: the 'Flu Klux Klan', and/or 'spreadnecks'.

I'm keepin' those two.

[SYZ]

I was thinking in the past that Oz might be a good place to get away from the stupid here, in the US. Oh, well.

Um, it still is.    In the US, there're 23,274 critical cases.   In Australia, 90 critical cases.    

[Dom]

Former President Donald Trump was booed by some of his supporters at a "Save America" rally in Cullman, Alabama, on Saturday night after he suggested that they get vaccinated against COVID-19.


"I believe totally in your freedoms, I do, you've got to do what you've got to do," Trump said to the crowd. "But I recommend that you take the vaccines."

The former president then told his supporters that the vaccines are "good" and once again encouraged them to get a shot.
This suggestion was met with boos, as can be heard in a video shared by Vox journalist Aaron Rupar.

Donald Trump booed at Alabama rally after encouraging his supporters to get vaccinated against COVID-19, video shows (yahoo.com)

[Kim]

-----
Donald Trump booed at Alabama rally after encouraging his supporters to get vaccinated against COVID-19, video shows (yahoo.com)

Yep. One may create the monster but, once it's out there, it takes on a life of its own. The mind of a monster is one of mayhem. The funniest part of it is ... his followers are the ones who've had their torches & pitchforks ready from the get go.

Dumbfuck. No concept of consequences, whatsoever.

[Dancefortwo]

Former President Donald Trump was booed by some of his supporters at a "Save America" rally in Cullman, Alabama, on Saturday night after he suggested that they get vaccinated against COVID-19.


"I believe totally in your freedoms, I do, you've got to do what you've got to do," Trump said to the crowd. "But I recommend that you take the vaccines."

The former president then told his supporters that the vaccines are "good" and once again encouraged them to get a shot.
This suggestion was met with boos, as can be heard in a video shared by Vox journalist Aaron Rupar.

Donald Trump booed at Alabama rally after encouraging his supporters to get vaccinated against COVID-19, video shows (yahoo.com)

I followed your Yahoo link and saw another article about a woman who lost her two grown sons to Covid within 12 hours of each other.  She cought Covid too but she was fully vaccinated and had a mild case.  She tried to get her two sons to get the vaccinatin but they didn't.  She lost her other son 5 years ago (it didn't say why) so now she has no children left.   What a tragedy.

https://news.yahoo.com/florida-mom-lost-...59075.html