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A lot of the uncertainty everyone had has been memory-holedIMADreamer wrote: ↑August 15 24, 7:53 pmJust took a stroll back through the first few dozen pages of this thread. I almost forgot about how weird and uncertain times were at the beginning there. I wish I'd have kept a journal on it because it was a very unique time in life. Hope it never happens again.
On the COVID ‘Off-Ramp’: No Tests, Isolation or Masks
In the fifth summer of COVID, cases are surging, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported “high” or “very high” levels of the virus in wastewater in almost every state. The rate of hospitalizations with COVID is nearly twice what it was at this time last summer, and deaths — despite being down almost 75% from what they were at the worst of the pandemic — are still double what they were this spring.
As children return to schools and Labor Day weekend travel swells, the potential for further spread abounds. But for many like Moyer, COVID has become so normalized that they no longer see it as a reason to disrupt social, work or travel routines. Test kit sales have plummeted. Isolation after an exposure is increasingly rare. Masks — once a ubiquitous symbol of a COVID surge — are sparse, even in crowded airports, train stations and subways.
Epidemiologists said in interviews that they do not endorse a lackadaisical approach, particularly for those spending time around older people and those who are immunocompromised. They still recommend staying home for a couple of days after an exposure and getting the newly authorized boosters soon to become available (despite the poor turnout during last year’s round).
But they said that some elements of this newfound laissez faire attitude were warranted. While COVID cases are high, fewer hospitalizations and deaths during the surges are signs of increasing immunity — evidence that a combination of mild infections and vaccine boosters are ushering in a new era: not a post-COVID world, but a postcrisis one.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/covid-off-ra ... 10509.html
Certainly an inspiring quote at the end:mikechamp wrote: ↑August 27 24, 9:36 amI thought this was a really good article about where we are with COVID right now. If possible, please read it all:
On the COVID ‘Off-Ramp’: No Tests, Isolation or Masks
In the fifth summer of COVID, cases are surging, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported “high” or “very high” levels of the virus in wastewater in almost every state. The rate of hospitalizations with COVID is nearly twice what it was at this time last summer, and deaths — despite being down almost 75% from what they were at the worst of the pandemic — are still double what they were this spring.
As children return to schools and Labor Day weekend travel swells, the potential for further spread abounds. But for many like Moyer, COVID has become so normalized that they no longer see it as a reason to disrupt social, work or travel routines. Test kit sales have plummeted. Isolation after an exposure is increasingly rare. Masks — once a ubiquitous symbol of a COVID surge — are sparse, even in crowded airports, train stations and subways.
Epidemiologists said in interviews that they do not endorse a lackadaisical approach, particularly for those spending time around older people and those who are immunocompromised. They still recommend staying home for a couple of days after an exposure and getting the newly authorized boosters soon to become available (despite the poor turnout during last year’s round).
But they said that some elements of this newfound laissez faire attitude were warranted. While COVID cases are high, fewer hospitalizations and deaths during the surges are signs of increasing immunity — evidence that a combination of mild infections and vaccine boosters are ushering in a new era: not a post-COVID world, but a postcrisis one.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/covid-off-ra ... 10509.html
Seems very fitting.Asked about how the perception of risk has evolved over time, Osterholm laughed.
“Lewis Carroll once said something like, ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there,’” he said. “I feel in many ways, that’s where we’re at.”
Yep. Too much tribalism, not enough empathy.IMADreamer wrote: ↑August 27 24, 1:20 pmI hope it was a once in a lifetime event because let's say something like that happens again, but worse. Our society just can't handle it. That's my big take away from all of it, is that we just can't handle big difficult things like that any more.
Spinning up a new vaccine in time to actually blunt an epidemic from a new disease is a stunningly impressive achievement! I think it might actually be the first time in human history this has ever been done. Obviously, infectious disease cures have been developed for other things before, but it usually takes too long and you are hard pressed to see the impact in the macro data.IMADreamer wrote: ↑August 27 24, 1:20 pmI hope it was a once in a lifetime event because let's say something like that happens again, but worse. Our society just can't handle it. That's my big take away from all of it, is that we just can't handle big difficult things like that any more.