Coronavirus

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Holy [expletive], Greene County over the past 7 days is averaging 44 new cases per day/100K residents and it's in an exponential rise. Their peak in January, for reference, was 87.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Dallas County, just NE of Springfield is at 69. Their highest total as of yet.

[mikechamp]

I'm just a guy, but for those who are smarter than me, doesn't it say something about the ferocity of the delta variant that we're seeing cases rise during a time of year (in the U.S.) when transmission of contagious diseases typically goes down due to all the outdoor activities?

Can you imagine what we'd be facing if it were December?

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I'm just a guy, but for those who are smarter than me, doesn't it say something about the ferocity of the delta variant that we're seeing cases rise during a time of year (in the U.S.) when transmission of contagious diseases typically goes down due to all the outdoor activities?

Can you imagine what we'd be facing if it were December?

No idea. My understanding is indoor activities lead to more spread. It's been hot around here lately, so people hang out in the AC. Throw on top of that the country more/less abandoning masks and that could account for the spread too.

Daily cases rose during the summer last year, nationwide, as well until about the middle of August. Different times back then, but nevertheless, probably not enough data to draw a conclusion.

[Leroy]

I'd agree with that, when when it got hot everyone went inside and spread increased. And it has been hot lately.

[GeddyWrox]

I'm just a guy, but for those who are smarter than me, doesn't it say something about the ferocity of the delta variant that we're seeing cases rise during a time of year (in the U.S.) when transmission of contagious diseases typically goes down due to all the outdoor activities?

Can you imagine what we'd be facing if it were December?

I'm fearful we'll be finding out this fall. And yes, I think it does say something about its ferocity.

[G. Keenan]

And as mask mandates and capacity limits and social distancing requirements are all getting lifted because of vaccines, the unvaccinated have also tossed their masks and are just out there totally vulnerable.

[Arthur Dent]

With each passing day, and we're almost a year into the beginning of human trials of the vaccines, I get further and further into the this debate is settled and it's time for everyone over the age of 18 to get vaxxed.

That'll never happen, but I'd also be open to some form of the idea of not requiring insurance to cover medical costs associated with covid for non-vaxxed people. Average cost per hospitalized patient is around $60K. Half of that required up front for the hospital. And, I say that knowing it's a really heavy hammer to swing and one that favors the insurance companies - whom I despise. At the same time, I don't see many good alternatives. The unvaxxed are becoming an unfair burden on those that are vaxxed. Or, to put it another way in terms of risk, those that chose to avoid the risk of the vaccine in favor of the risk of the virus are now causing risk to those that chose the risk of the vaccine over the risk of the virus and while doing so are also costing the vaxxed money through use of resources, staff, overtime, equipment, etc etc etc.

I still don't think requiring the vax for adolescents is the best route, so it may take a heavy hammer to push those over the edge.

The only other option I see at being effective would be to....refuse treatment to non-vaxxed which, I mean, that's pretty absurd.

I think the reality is that while too low vaccine rates are incredibly frustrating and make us want to think of big hammers, the reality is that there is no plausible big hammer in the US. Doing whatever we can to make it super easy to get (clinics at workplaces, etc) and finding smaller bore inducements is probably the best we can do. Hundreds of thousand a day are still getting first does. Way too slow but far from zero.

I think the case for being more forceful is basically herd immunity:
1) Some people, 1-2%, who are immune compromised will not get effective immunity when vaccinated and must rely on everyone else being pro-social for protection.
2) Stopping the virus from circulating broadly helps stop new variants from forming.

I think pretty clearly the most plausible path for significant progress here is much more international vaccine distribution. There are tons of people who would love to have a vaccine if they could get their hands on one, and everyone benefits if they do.

[Radbird]

A total of 1,313 and 1,291 new cases were reported in Missouri on Wednesday and Thursday, data shows. Missouri topped 1,000 once last week — with 1,232 on June 24 — reaching levels not seen regularly since early February.

Cases in the St. Louis area have also started to trend upward over the past two weeks. St. Louis County has seen an 88% increase in cases over the past two weeks, and Jefferson County has seen a 64% increase, according to the New York Times tracker.

The city of St. Louis and and St. Charles County have seen increases of 27% and 14%, respectively.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

With each passing day, and we're almost a year into the beginning of human trials of the vaccines, I get further and further into the this debate is settled and it's time for everyone over the age of 18 to get vaxxed.

That'll never happen, but I'd also be open to some form of the idea of not requiring insurance to cover medical costs associated with covid for non-vaxxed people. Average cost per hospitalized patient is around $60K. Half of that required up front for the hospital. And, I say that knowing it's a really heavy hammer to swing and one that favors the insurance companies - whom I despise. At the same time, I don't see many good alternatives. The unvaxxed are becoming an unfair burden on those that are vaxxed. Or, to put it another way in terms of risk, those that chose to avoid the risk of the vaccine in favor of the risk of the virus are now causing risk to those that chose the risk of the vaccine over the risk of the virus and while doing so are also costing the vaxxed money through use of resources, staff, overtime, equipment, etc etc etc.

I still don't think requiring the vax for adolescents is the best route, so it may take a heavy hammer to push those over the edge.

The only other option I see at being effective would be to....refuse treatment to non-vaxxed which, I mean, that's pretty absurd.

I think the reality is that while too low vaccine rates are incredibly frustrating and make us want to think of big hammers, the reality is that there is no plausible big hammer in the US. Doing whatever we can to make it super easy to get (clinics at workplaces, etc) and finding smaller bore inducements is probably the best we can do. Hundreds of thousand a day are still getting first does. Way too slow but far from zero.

I think the case for being more forceful is basically herd immunity:
1) Some people, 1-2%, who are immune compromised will not get effective immunity when vaccinated and must rely on everyone else being pro-social for protection.
2) Stopping the virus from circulating broadly helps stop new variants from forming.

I think pretty clearly the most plausible path for significant progress here is much more international vaccine distribution. There are tons of people who would love to have a vaccine if they could get their hands on one, and everyone benefits if they do.

Very true. Not sure the extra 100m or so vaccines the us hasn’t used will do for the world but we definitely shouldn’t be hoarding any.