The media have internalized Republican criticisms about themselves, as have the Democrats. It’s been a successful PR effort beyond the GOP’s wildest dreams. https://t.co/EbFPru0Sr5
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom)
Dec 7, 2021
from http://twitter.com/RadioFreeTom
A second Delta US surge is in the works
Today’s ~60,000 hospitalizations, over 190,000 new cases reported (with weekend backlog), and 7-day avg >1,250 deaths are not putting us on any solid footing to deal with the O version
https://t.co/xStmHRzwg2 https://t.co/jVmuT9XXsw— Eric Topol (@EricTopol)
Dec 7, 2021
from http://twitter.com/EricTopol
There’s an idea that the work of local papers is being taken over by the big nationals. This is not true. Anyone who subscribes to a good local paper will know that it’s full of important local news that has huge pertinence to daily life but never makes it to the national press. https://t.co/UjyhqE2eSF
— Nathan Heller (@nathanheller)
Dec 7, 2021
from http://twitter.com/nathanheller
If you work full-time at the federal minimum wage you qualify for food stamps and Medicaid (which we all pay for).
Stop asking if businesses can afford higher wages and start asking why we’re all paying to subsidize their low wages.
— Dan Price (@DanPriceSeattle)
Dec 6, 2021
from http://twitter.com/DanPriceSeattle
Who will save the Union? Don’t wait for the press or Justice Dept or anyone else to wake up. It’s up to us. All who will put country over party or ideology. A pro-democracy coalition rises and grows strong enough to defeat this or the Union will be lost. https://t.co/xBUfpEBzOD
— Joe Trippi (@JoeTrippi)
Dec 6, 2021
from http://twitter.com/JoeTrippi
I’ll break this down later today, including what “positive epistasis” is and why it’s important.
For now, let me quote postdoc in the lab @EdythParker who said it better than anybody:
“the epistatic fucking cirque du soleil of this virus is discombobulating”.
Right on.
— Kristian G. Andersen (@K_G_Andersen)
Dec 5, 2021
from http://twitter.com/K_G_Andersen
It took Bob Dole ten minutes to button *one* button on his shirt. If any politician had a right to wallow in self-pity, it was him. But instead, he was unimaginably stoic. https://t.co/jh6dLbjmfC https://t.co/pi5UniFHfr
— Harry McCracken (@harrymccracken)
Dec 5, 2021
from http://twitter.com/harrymccracken
While we should have data on Omicron’s severity (re: acute illness) in 1-2 weeks, a reminder that it’ll take a while to sort out its propensity to cause Long Covid. Seems logical that IF severity⬇ then LC⬇, but until we know, that’ll influence my decisions re: behavior/risk.
— Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter)
Dec 5, 2021
from http://twitter.com/Bob_Wachter
If we’re serious about ending the pandemic, all barriers to getting tested in the US should be removed urgently.
“A pay and chase model…introduces an access challenge for a lot of folks”
https://t.co/8bEbPoZQ7y @thehill @Craig_A_Spencer @JenniferNuzzo @larry_levitt
— Rick Bright (@RickABright)
Dec 5, 2021
from http://twitter.com/RickABright
Nice mask study ~consistent w/ prev. results.
https://t.co/J5fczlbZhS“… face masks sign. reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to social distancing. We find a very low risk of inf. when everyone wears a face mask, even if it doesn’t fit perfectly on the face.” 1/🧵 https://t.co/lHifRje3DH
— Dr. Alex Huffman (he/him) (@HuffmanLabDU)
Dec 5, 2021
from http://twitter.com/HuffmanLabDU
Breaking News: New York City will implement a sweeping vaccine mandate for all private employers that will take effect Dec. 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, calling it the first mandate of its kind in the U.S.
https://t.co/7Wyl6fENt2— The New York Times (@nytimes)
Dec 6, 2021
from http://twitter.com/nytimes
U.S. covid hospitalizations have bounced back up, rising more than 28% in the last few weeks.
We are still averaging more than 1,000 deaths per day.
https://t.co/A7o4iboGaS https://t.co/4l5rYxsuv3
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker)
Dec 5, 2021
from http://twitter.com/ByMikeBaker
We don’t need new laws. We need to enforce the laws we have. https://t.co/reqADajnhZ
— Dave Pell (@davepell)
Dec 5, 2021
from http://twitter.com/davepell
V. good news if so; as John Moore pointed out @UCSFDOM grand rounds Thurs https://t.co/80mV7DInSi, there is a hopeful scenario (too early to be sure, of course) in which Omicron overtakes Delta but causes milder illness (particularly in vaxed). Fingers crossed that this holds up. https://t.co/y7XhW4p5dA
— Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter)
Dec 5, 2021
from http://twitter.com/Bob_Wachter
It is far, far too early to say anything definitively.
But IF it is true that Omicron is both much more transmissible than Delta, and somewhat less severe, it’s going to require a pretty different approach in schools, workplaces, etc.
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein)
Dec 4, 2021
from http://twitter.com/ezraklein
“I screened the 64 samples right away, and sure enough, six of them were Omicron.” @MitchKSmith with a report from inside a sequencing lab in Omaha, as Omicron spreads around the world: https://t.co/2RTD2V9Kmz
— Julie Bosman (@juliebosman)
Dec 4, 2021
from http://twitter.com/juliebosman
As the Omicron epidemic continues to expand in South Africa and as case counts and sequencing data continues to come in, we can better estimate the current transmission rate of Omicron. 1/19
— Trevor Bedford (@trvrb)
Dec 4, 2021
from http://twitter.com/trvrb
As we rethink behaviors in face of possible new threats, a reminder that SF – w/ 78% full vax rate, and sensible mask & other policies since Mar 2020 – has had 672 Covid deaths, 1/3rd the US per capita rate. If US had matched SF, ~500,000 people who died of Covid would be alive.
— Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter)
Dec 4, 2021
from http://twitter.com/Bob_Wachter
I’m dining inside in SF tonite. Why?⬇case # s (Fig) & ⬆vax% (78% of SF w/ 2 shots; many boosts). If I was in city w/⬆⬆cases/⬇⬇vax%, I wouldn’t.
Not enuf Omicron to change behavior YET–might in 2-3 wks (Xmas travel). Even if Om doesn’t surge, Delta’s bad enuf in many spots. https://t.co/A1qOCRjhfe— Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter)
Dec 4, 2021
from http://twitter.com/Bob_Wachter
We safeguard a lot of children and sometimes I question myself and wonder if I am being too cautious.
Sod that though.
If I am wrong I am wrong.
If I am right, I might prevent another Arthur, or Baby P or Victoria Climbié.Poor little Arthur.
— Dr Mike 😷 (@EmergMedDr)
Dec 3, 2021
from http://twitter.com/EmergMedDr
Berkeley reports first omicron COVID-19 case; Alameda County has 11 more https://t.co/zVve15wnRU
— Berkeleyside (@berkeleyside)
Dec 4, 2021
from http://twitter.com/berkeleyside
COVID Update: The anti-vaccine natural herd immunity-just go get COVID crowd has met their match … with reality. 1/
— Andy Slavitt 🇺🇸💉 (@ASlavitt)
Dec 4, 2021
from http://twitter.com/ASlavitt
It’s still too early to be sure, but amidst the concerning news about Omicron’s infectivity/spread & immune resistance are some hopeful signs that severity might be lower than Delta’s. I’m still in wait-and-see mode, but this is lowering my anxiety level a bit.
— Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter)
Dec 4, 2021
from http://twitter.com/Bob_Wachter
The bad news coming out of South Africa Friday is that researchers are now able to say that Omicron appears to be quickly taking over as a dominant strain, and it appears to have an Rt that’s 2.5 higher than that of the Delta variant. https://t.co/6lUZCGORPu
— SFist (@SFist)
Dec 3, 2021
from http://twitter.com/SFist
To really encourage vaccination, we need to require vaccines for domestic travel, especially as holiday travel ramps up and the #Omicron variant emerges.
https://t.co/JPVVrUGqKt— Zeke Emanuel (@ZekeEmanuel)
Dec 3, 2021
from http://twitter.com/ZekeEmanuel
It’s simple. We aren’t going to get where we need on vaccination rates unless we have mandates. We’ve plateaued at a 60% vaccination rate, and that’s just not good enough for public health safety.
https://t.co/PUIdtoXOoJ— Zeke Emanuel (@ZekeEmanuel)
Dec 3, 2021
from http://twitter.com/ZekeEmanuel
🦠 There’s a lot we don’t yet understand about Omicron, including its impact on immunity and what it means for vaccines. New data will be emerging over the next few wks, which could be misinterpreted w/o context. What we might expect & how to interpret the emerging data? 🧵(1/n)
— Muge Cevik (@mugecevik)
Dec 3, 2021
from http://twitter.com/mugecevik
The fact that we have not sent tests to every person’s home and made them freely available 24/7 at clinics/pharmacies will go down as one of the biggest failures of our nation’s COVID response https://t.co/jMBV5Zkxt7
— Steve Carroll DO MEd (@embasic)
Dec 3, 2021
from http://twitter.com/embasic
Omicron’s doubling time in Gauteng exceeds the prior variants of concern, but the question as to whether in can displace Delta as the dominant variant there and globally looms
https://t.co/cMPX6RvuRR @TheLancet https://t.co/7Y4JQ2BFLh— Eric Topol (@EricTopol)
Dec 3, 2021
from http://twitter.com/EricTopol
What happened last night is that Republicans charged over the Covid brink. They insisted on a vote on this amendment and all voted for it. So, e.g., the GOP wants to prevent requiring VA nurses to be vaccinated or tested weekly. The entire GOP has capitulated to the anti-vaxxers. https://t.co/u3RligEY8A
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol)
Dec 3, 2021
from http://twitter.com/BillKristol