The Global Pandemic Cope/Panic Thread

[wxdude]

Dr. Fauci declares US is 'out of the pandemic phase'

Apr 27, 2022

Dr. Anthony Fauci announced on "PBS NewsHour" that the US is no longer in the pandemic phase of Covid-19.

Dr Fauci has now clarified his remarks stating that the U.S. is out of the "acute component of the pandemic phase" on NPR and told the Washington Post that we are now in a "transitional phase, from a deceleration of the numbers into hopefully a more controlled phase and endemicity."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...er-fauci-covid

Still...

The omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 is the latest version to seize the attention of public health experts. It is rapidly gaining traction, and CDC estimated Tuesday that it accounted for about 30 percent of new infections. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said preliminary estimates suggest it is about 25 percent more transmissible than the omicron subvariant BA.2, itself more transmissible than the original omicron strain.

The virus’s ability to mutate and work around the human immune system has made experts cautious about predicting the trajectory of the pandemic.

Meanwhile earlier this week it was reported that 58% of all adults and an astounding 75% of kids in the U.S. have COVID-19 antibodies from a previous infection based on collected and anonymously tested blood samples from commercial laboratories nationwide. IMO that is a colossal disgrace of how the country has handled containment!

https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/26/healt...cans-cdc-study

[Papichujoe]

I like the term "post pandy"

[gaypalmsprings]

Dr. Fauci declares US is 'out of the pandemic phase'

Apr 27, 2022

Dr. Anthony Fauci announced on "PBS NewsHour" that the US is no longer in the pandemic phase of Covid-19.

[wxdude]

With the number of COVID Omicron BA.2 subvariant cases starting to ramp up, a lot of musicians and their supporting crews are now on the edge, as reported in the LA Times:

https://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...-cancellations

BTW, there are even more anecdotal online accounts of people testing positive for COVID after attending Coachella W2 despite being vaxxed and even boosted. People though who were vigilant about mask wearing in crowds and indoor settings seemed to have fared a lot better.

[scenicworld]

I have my eyes on those Bjork shows. I really hope they don't get cancelled but an indoor show in LA right at the peak doesn't seem like the best idea.

[Papichujoe]

Apparently "Flurona" is a thing, I seen an article about a kid who recently came back from Mexico testing positive for the "Co-infection" in Los Angeles this past week

[ocbruin84]

Much is being made about omicron's contagiousness and the rising cases. Isn't is...pretty mild though? Especially for the vaccinated?

[gaypalmsprings]

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus cancelled all of its holiday show performances set for the Castro Theatre, after some members of the chorus tested positive for COVID-19.

[wxdude]

So there's been a couple of music-world related developments related to the worldwide rapid increase of COVID cases due to the highly-contagious omicron variant:

1) The Recording Academy and CBS have announced that the Jan. 31 Grammys award ceremony at AEG's newly-named Crypto.com Center (formerly Staples) has been postponed for a second consecutive year in a row due to COVID concerns according to Variety: https://variety.com/2022/music/news/...d-2-1235142718

2) A Bad Bunny reggaetón concert in Puerto Rico three weeks ago is being called a super-spreader event. Around 2000 of the 60,000 people got COVID after attending, and it coincided with a 4600% increase in cases on the island! And much of the PR population is fully vaccinated too. https://www.billboard.com/music/lati...ses-1235015526

The sobering numbers come even after the event — which took place Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 at the Estadio Hiram Bithorn — followed strict COVID-19 protocols and safety measurements. The Noah Assad Presents and Move Concerts-produced concert required all concert attendees to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or an official Vacu-Id provided by CESCO Digital. The promoters also implemented mandatory masks, even when on the field and during the concert. “Those who don’t wear a mask will be removed from the event and fined $100,” according to measures laid out by the organizers.

While people followed mask rules at the entrance and at the Bad Bunny Museum (located inside the stadium), on the event’s first night when Billboard was in attendance, the majority of attendees ditched their masks once at their seats. During that show, while event staff was strict about checking COVID-19 vaccination cards at the entrance, there was little enforcement of mask mandates within the venue.

Multiple videos posted on social media social also show people without masks, and on Tiktok people said they tested positive after attending the concert.

[wxdude]

Appreciate that, but this is FloriDUH, and the omicron variant spread is pretty out-of-control in the Miami area thanks to the policies and regulatory prohibitions of Governor MoRon DeathSentence and the band of clowns in the Florida state legislature. I'm limiting my exposure as best as I can.

[Papichujoe]

No real anxiety coming from me about omicron, I hope yours eases I had a big bout with anxiety when covid first started, I'd hyperventilate to the point where I had that ringing in my ear and almost passed out a few times, I never showed it for the fear of "why are you worried about something that isn't a big deal" which further added to my anxiety, I hope you can find ways to go about and let out that anxiousness

[wxdude]

Anyone having anxiety with the rapid spread of the COVID-19 omicron variant nationally and worldwide? It feels like just as we were beginning to see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel with more people getting vaccinated and taking precautions, we then realized it was the headlights of an oncoming train. Omicron arrived just in time for the holidays as kind of a big eff you! People have been literally lined up for miles in some places like L.A., New York, and Miami to get tested. The strain and amount of contagion in NYC alone has caused a whole new bunch of live entertainment cancellations, particularly celebrations and special shows planned for NYE. Tons of airline flights have been canceled due to aircraft crew members and ramp workers getting ill and having to quarantine.

So far I have managed to stay clear of the coronavirus and have been masking up (sometimes double masking) every indoor place I go and scaling back activities again. I've had to postpone getting a booster for a couple of weeks but hope to do so in the upcoming week. Unfortunately I've had friends that recently got COVID despite being fully vaccinated thanks to be around some some ignorant assholes who want to flout medical science. It sucks!

[Papichujoe]

I'm can't wait to hear the "but it's not fda approved" or "it's an experimental vaccine" to "man you really trust the fda?" and "The government is so currupt you could pay people to do anything in there"

Literally those are 2 posts I seen this morning 😬

[wxdude]

Big news today: the FDA has just given full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine. This is the fastest approval by the agency for a new vaccine. It removes the "experimental" treatment label that was used while it was authorized for emergency use only. I'm sure we'll see more vaccine mandates imposed by employers, states, local municipalities, retailers, and entertainment facilities now. It'll be interesting to see what excuses the freedumb crowd will come up with now.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...-full-approval

[wxdude]

GV was listening, FTW!

This is fucking awesome and bold! No lame excuses for being unvaxxed. It's good to see a company as large as AEG throw down the gauntlet and not to put up with bullshit at any of its festivals or venues after October 1*.

(* in states where businesses and other entities checking proof of vaccination hasn't been made illegal just to appease a governor's huge moronic ego)