Yeah, it looked like they were coming off the peak. Opening seems to have bumped them back up and prolonged the peak. Daily case counts have since apparently declined.

Denmark's case count looks like a huge outlier. That's a testament to their testing--they seem to have run the best testing program on earth.

Since ending restrictions, their testing rates have evidently dropped. This makes sense. Rapid antigen testing there--like it remains here in Germany--was a routine practice to get around some restrictions. If you tested positive, you'd take a PCR test for confirmation, and isolate until you got your results. Without restrictions, there's no reason to take a test besides curiosity, minding your own health, or your greater sense of personal responsibility. And even if you do test positive on a rapid antigen, you don't have to take a PCR test--that positive result will never show up in official stats.

So testing has declined. But positivity rates have actually increased. Here's another a testament to the efficacy of Danish testing: their positivity rates are increasing, Berlin's are declining, and yet Berlin's positivity rates are still higher. Our measured case counts, by the way, never touched Denmark's, and are actually declining.

So what is really going on with Danish case counts? Who knows. Positivity rates are a pretty reliable indicator of where things are going, but with fewer people testing, those who do test may be biased for actually being sick.

Different testing regimes, country to country, are just one reason not to make gross generalizations about the causes and effects of different policies. If the UK isn't testing at the same rate as Germany, and if they've introduced policies that changed testing rates, and if there are meaningful cultural difference around personal space, and if, if, if. Pile on the hypotheticals and good luck finding any comparable causal relationship between policy and case counts.

Of course, that only matters if the case counts even bear out the hypothesis. Here we've got people saying the low, flat curves of US and UK case counts are the result of openness, and the high, spikey curves of France, Germany, and Denmark are the result of curve flattening. It makes no goddamn sense on the face of it.

Wow so the conspiracy theorists are right again. Who would have thought? Lol. It's like everything I was hearing in 2020 on what we shouldn't be doing/what will happen next is just now being proven correct after being essentially silenced for two years. Better late than never I guess.

I'm still in a "wear a mask whenever I go indoors" at the moment - though of course I take it off when I eat/drink. In part this is due to force of habit, and in part due to it being winter and often just having a mask on already to keep my face warm. Plus so many stores in the area still have masking rules at the moment - and I ride the bus and need to mask up for that. I'm trying to decide a threshold where I'll try and wean myself off the mask. Cases are down to 26 per 100,000 here, so probably when they are down around 10? Unless the decline slows down, that's gonna be within 2 weeks or so, meaning just the time the temperature would start rising and my face wouldn't be so frigid anyway.

My wife is unfortunately one of those people who's irrationally frightened of COVID. Like last weekend, my daughter asked me at the spur of the moment if her friend could have a sleepover. Her and her friend are both vaxxed of course, and her friend already had Omicron around a month ago. Thus she has antibodies, and she's no risk whatsoever. But my wife was pissed at me for agreeing to a "risk" without talking to her, and wore her mask indoors the entire time my daughter's friend was over. I figure I just have to give it time until whatever news sites she reads stop being so alarmist.

^ I was right when I said that Covid has largely turned into a society-wide mental illness

I’m so glad I’m not susceptible to that kind of stuff, and to group-think in general. It’s the blessing (and curse) of being a natural skeptic and....well....just being intelligent

^^
I cant believe there are still people like that now. But then again, I still see people wearing face shields and masks while being alone in their cars. I havent worn a mask since probably last May when it was still required here (except for at doctors offices still or they wont let you in). I dont even bother wearing one when a sign states that they must be worn, screw them and nobody ever says anything. But there's hardly a place left in Pittsburgh other than in the most liberal of neighborhoods that still requires masks. Was even at a restaurant last week and the servers werent wearing masks, made it much easier to hear them and it was nice to see their faces finally again.

At Northstar Ski Resort yesterday we were packed in like sardines on the bus. I didn't wear a mask nor did I see anybody wear a mask other than the bus driver. It was a little bit of an adjustment with the bus being so crowded, especially when you hear somebody cough or sneeze, but we were not meant to go thru life wearing masks.

I am a little curious what will come form BA-2 since first studies are saying it probably is more serious than BA-1 (gets back into the lungs) and is certainly more contagious. I guess it will just make the unvaccinated more likely to get serious illness and/or die.

The vaccinated population (those who haven't already done so) should get used to getting back to life without a mask. It will be easier for some than others.

Their body, their choice (to wear a mask). I have stopped since the mandate was lifted, but it's nice to see people who thought I was an antivaxxer/antimasker look at me with contempt at local establishments. :haha:

It appears as if Texas is going to court to end mask mandates on airplanes and public-transit. For many, the only time they wear a mask is on public-transit or when flying. If they are successful, that could be the end of masking for many of us. For a while, it seemed as if it would never end. I actually heard a public health official in North Carolina, when delta was declining, say he wouldn't recommend ending mask mandates due to cold and flu season.

On a similar note, Covid measures may have driven one of the Flu strains into extinction. 1 of the 4 strains of the Flu has not been seen since masking began.

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/2021...o-extinction#1

2 points:

1. What part about "Mask advisory" is so hard for a certain group of elected leaders to understand? I don't get the need for top-down, authoritarian-style decrees that we all know creates WAY more backlash and instability than it is worth. What are we achieving here other than settling scores? Next time Flu season arrives, or next time the next COVID wave hits, they should instead issue "mask advisories". I bet you that it will lead to plenty of compliance without all of the outrage. Heck, I'll probably wear one more often--it's nice to know that I am making my own decisions.

2. Making a Flu variant extinct: believe it or not, this may not be a good thing. What we know about nature is that every niche gets filled by some new species/subspecies. Now that a niche has opened up, something else will eventually fill its place, and it could potentially be something we don't have a lot of immunity do. It's better to let the viruses that we have dealt with for millennia continue to circulate through the population.

Agree 100% with the bolded statement. We will never get rid of viruses. They have been around since the founding of life. They interact with all life forms, and are found in all ecosystems. They are by far the most numerous biological entity in existence.


Each person is harboring around 380 trillion viruses right now [ 10 times as the number of Bacteria] as we speak, millions of species. Many simply co-exist with you. [ FYI in your gastrointestinal tract alone you harbor over 2 pounds of bacteria, a kilogram or a bit more]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...t%20with%20you.

"The human body is a super organism of cohabitating cells, bacteria, fungi, and most numerous of all viruses."

...

" Today we routinely talk about the "good" and "bad" bacteria in our lives, Viruses fall into the same category's."




Ever swam in the ocean? You are swimming in a virus soup.

https://theconversation.com/marine-v...2C000%20metres.

The oceans contain 10 to the 31st power of viruses [ one nonillion], More than stars in our universe. Enough to assign each star in the universe 100 million times over.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/s...ns-coronavirus

If all of the viruses on earth were laid end to end, they would stretch for 100 million light years,
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro2644

This information was not known about viruses during Ped's time as a doctor. This is kind of newer more modern information. A bit over a decade ago doctors and researchers were barely aware the human virome existed. Latest numbers are saying almost or more than half of all of the biological matter in your body is not human.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-4367...22%20he%20says.

Portland employers continue to cower in their sad covid caves of despair. City employees are expected back in the office by the end of April and Nike does not plan to return until May. Meanwhile on the east coast, Eric Adams and Michelle Wu are calling their city employees back right now. At least they are putting their money where their mouth is. Too bad CEOs aren't feeling the vibe.

Just came back from a mini vacation to Las Vegas. It's a total relief not to be forced to wear a mask everywhere there. This weekend was fairly crowded with President's Day and a mid-winter recess for school kids. I would say mask-wearing rate was around 10-20%, so I basically didn't bother at all.

Anyway, I'm back to wearing a mask on the subway, inside supermarkets, and at my office 5 days a week now in NYC.

^ There’s no way I would go to an office if they made me wear a mask. It’s bad enough when you have to do it for something you enjoy (like travel by plane).

Just tell them to call you when they drop the mask rule, until then you’ll be working from home.

^ I wear a mask at work, have done it since March 2020.

Difference is, when I am sitting in my office I don't wear it. Just when I go out to see patients. So it's not that bad at all

My work still has a "masks on when out of your office" rule, but I'm inside my office the vast majority of the day. I actually have a "work mask" (has a logo on it) which I only wear in the office.

My "home mask" is mostly for when I take the bus these days, since there's mandatory masking rules there. Though I like wearing it outside on cold days. I started not wearing it when I go into stores based upon context (if the employees and most of the customers mask, I will, otherwise, no).

Other than making my glasses fog up, and making the bottom part of my beard look stupid, I don't see what the hassle is with wearing a mask TBH. Yeah, it's mostly hygiene theatre at this point, but it's just developed into a social norm in some situations, and it likely will continue for another month or two.

You’re a doctor. Your job entails seeing lots of sick and elderly people.

It’s arguable whether it’s justified for a regular consult or most patients, and there’s no reason people should be wearing them for office or other jobs.

It is ridiculous at this point. But the worst is our kids are still being forced to wear them all day in school.

You would if you had to. I was supposed to go back to work in January where masks were required at all times except eating and conference rooms but they pushed WFH until the summer where I hope the mask BS will be over by then. Including getting on a plane.

My office requires proof of vaccination so I haven't worn a mask inside since I returned to the office last summer. The only requirement is to wear masks in shared areas of the building (lobby, elevators, hallways, etc).

Its crazy to me that many people still are forced to wear masks and kids at schools when covid poses virtually 0 threat to them.

But many people still live in fear of this crap. On CNN right now there are these fear mongering articles.

As Omicron cases fall, doctors anxiously await possible surge of dangerous child complication MIS-C

Why I'm scared about mask mandate rollbacks

If I worked in a school I'd want those little germ factories masked until they got vaccinated.

Iceland is about to become the first country, I think, to not only waive its domestic COVID requirements, but those for travellers as well.

Why? It’s like you guys don’t get it. Even if you’re vaccinated you still get the virus.

Our company is only worried about getting sued by a state health agency. Company offices in Idaho and Utah, no mask required. But ppl are dropping like flies in Oregon. Ooookay.

Exactly. The kids pose a risk to the adults that run the school.

I was triple vaxxed and got it, so I do understand that the vaccine isn't impenetrable. But until omicron, it was extremely effective at reducing spread.

Exactly, I can't even count how many people I know that had 2 shots and a booster and still got infected. Most barely got sick and certainly had no real complications, but transmission still occurs to those who are vaccinated. And we have silly mask mandates, which clearly do nothing. There is no reason to force anyone to wear a mask in school or anywhere for that matter. If somone is obese or immunocompromised, they should get special treatment or stay home, but for the vast majority of us, there is no purpose to any of this.

the absolutely absurd contagiousness of omicron really proved how silly the masks are.

fucking everybody and their brother got omicron here in chicago despite all the masking.

get your shots.

or don't.

then move the fuck on.

this is our world now.

yes, some people will get sick and die.

that is true.

but that has always been true.

^^^

The plague will touch all.

Yeah same here in PA. A ton of folks. Masks, face shields, double masks... did nothing. They all got it.

I had my Covid positive GF cough in my mouth (I knew she was positive but she still came over), and didn't feel nothing days after. Why? The power of Pfizer!

This has always been a right of passage. The virus will cull the weak and those not slated for a ticket to continue in this century. That's how nature works. But thanks to vaccines and our immune system, life continues.

This has been occurring since the era where we used bones and rocks as tools. 7.9 billion folks in the present, we are still around.

On a side note, but historically, Malaria has been terrible. Malaria is probally more of a threat than Covid. Covid might of killed more in an acute sense in terms of the last two years but Malaria continues its spree and has been for 1000's of years. Billions of folks dead throughout our history due to Malaria.

Mosquitos are the enemy of the people. No convoys on that.

I just came back from a mini vacation in Mexico. Bars, restaurants, hotels were packed to the gills. I also saw 4 cruise ships come and go. None of the tourists were wearing masks and very few locals wore a mask. California dropped their 2 month long indoor mask mandate on 2/15. Most places I have been going to in San Diego have not been requiring or enforcing the use of masks at their place of business before the expiration date, unless it was a big national chain type place.

Because I flew in and out of Tijuana, a covid test was not required on either end of the trip. Apparently Covid doesn't cross the border on foot, it's science! My friends that got a Covid test to re-enter the US weren't ask to show their results. I filled out a health questionnaire from a Mexican official government website and I was never asked to show that upon entering Mexico.

Just tell them that clearly, if they think that everyone needs to wear a mask at all times, then it doesn’t really seem safe to be in the office. Let HR and legal chew on that one for a bit.

There’s no plausible logic that says in person with no masks is unsafe, but that wearing a mask makes it 100% safe. By requiring a mask they are acknowledging that there is a risk to employees from being there, and of course you’re very scared and not comfortable with that. ;)

st. louis county and illinois waiving mask mandates today. i’d say overnight 95% of people have stopped wearing masks in public.

Even California is waiving school masking. Here in SD we've been back to regular life for a long time, even with the Governor's 2 month long indoor mask mandate that expired 2/15.

A lot of parts of CA returned to normal way before other states, yet we got this rep of being lockdown central.:rolleyes:

^^^ Yeah, when it’s all said in done, California will be among the states that responded to COVID in a reasonable manner.

Everything re-opened mid 2021. We just had a Super Bowl. Life has been back to normal for a while. Vaccines work :shrug:

Because we were lockdown central. My friends in the Bay told me plenty of horror stories. I traveled a lot during the pandemic and CA definitely felt like the most restrictive state. Someone mentioned San Diego being cool about it but I had a couple get mad at me for not having a mask on as I was checking out at a Target down there. They went all close behind my back passive aggresively to tell me. When I left the store I saw them packing their car up and asked them to say what they said louder. Of course crickets. Besides that though SD was mostly chill.

The only area of CA that remained mostly normal was South OC, parts of the IE, most of SD, and probably the North State. I bet Bakersfield didnt give a damn.

Nah there were some terrible optics. Like restaurants being forced to close meanwhile entertainment productions got full on catering provided in the same parking lot. Or arresting someone in Malibu for surfing. Or having city workers in Manhattan Beach write tickets for folks walking on the boardwalk without a mask. At the Tierra Mia drive thru in LA the worker asked if I could put a mask on. The fucking drive thru. Shit was stupid. I never experienced this kind of behavior anywhere else.

i work all over the city and everyone's a lot nicer lately. it's noticeable. it's refreshing for often brusque nyc. one good outcome from the plague? hopefully it lasts.

^ They aren’t nicer. It’s just that you can see their faces again and see that they are smiling

It was back to normal for everybody (except kids in public schools, college campuses, public transit riders and healthcare workers) from 6/15 - 12/15, then statewide indoor masks were mandated, most businesses didn't comply including Super Bowl fans and CA politicians at other sporting events. I will say that SD went back to normal a long time ago compared to Los Angeles County.

The city does seem much less fast paced than pre-pandemic. Some guy on the sidewalk was being impatient and bumped into me today. It felt like that's the first time that has happened to me since early 2020.

No. Plenty of bay area people on here, me, friends, and family said it was awesome. This reeks of politics/upset at wearing masks which has been linked to autism (I can provide sources).
Again, no. Most restaurants never closed or have at least been open since June of 15 last year. In other states they don't even understand the concept of outdoor dining, while we already had it before the pandemic. California had a tiered system so an experience in Malibu is not the same in let's say, SD or Sac. Drive 15 minutes north or south and you can find an area that meets your tastes. Plenty of businesses did not require masks for the statewide order and it's a scam perpetuated by a select few who claim CA was the lockdown state.

Oregon may as well be the lockdown poster child. We STILL have the indoor mandate for two more weeks. Wth??? I swear to God this is the biggest chickensh!t state besides Hawaii.

There is a path to the end, so just wait two weeks then it will all be ok. Don't worry about Oregon though, people will continue to try and say that California was the lockdown state...:shrug:

Please keep wearing masks, you guys are saving the world!

Life if fully back to normal in New Orleans! Happy Mardi Gras!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FMzwpkwX...jpg&name=large
courtesy @FOX8NOLA

Its just annoying. The longer they beat the drum, the longer it will take equally timid companies to return to work. Who knows, maybe Oregon tech companies are saying goodbye to downtown anyway. Health care and research seems reinvigorated tho. I hear OHSU is planning to bring ppl back. I thought they were the most paranoid. Nike is waiting til summer. I guess shoe designers are actually shut ins. California was definitely not lock down central. I was in San Diego last summer. The beach looked like a baywatch episode.

Ooh I spot two masks. White ladies bottom left.

Anybody watch the State of the Union? Nice to see the President and Congress all together just like the pre-Covid days.

I enjoyed the quick shot of AOC too ;)

I just watched a little. Im glad he finally called everyone out and said its time to go back to the office.....downtown.....everywhere. We'll see how the populous takes it.