san diego: dialed in: CoViD-19: Zients Has Had It With The Unvaccinated "A Winter of Severe Illness and Death" | CDC Endorses "Test To Stay" For Schools | County Cases Nearly Double Overnight | Giraffe Calf Gets A Name: Mawe

San Diego Zoo Names Giraffe Calf: Mawe (Taken 12.7.21)

I really thought I could go through a day without posting, but there was so much information jammed in my inbox that I couldn't let it skip for a day. Plus, I'd like to get out and do stuff and see the world on Saturday, so it just made sense to go with my momentum. There's new information and data on omicron every day, but with delta still around, the White House COVID-19 team is done placating and keeping their soft messages to the unvaccinated. Here in San Diego, our cases nearly doubled overnight, which is not a good indicator going into a weekend of no reporting and the final dash to Christmas.

I think I have to skip the group dinner on Monday.

This really sucks, but we knew when the virus started to be detected globally that these things historically cycle for a couple years before becoming endemic, though with our vaccines, we never had to let it go on this long. The talking point that we lead with science has gotten so old, sometimes you should actually lead with common-sense: tell people to wear masks from the beginning because we didn't yet know enough about the virus, explain why ventilation is critical by acknowledging loudly and publicly and repetitively that COVID is airborne, and continue mask policies among all people, regardless of vaccination status unless you definitively know that vaccinated people cannot spread the virus, which we now know is not the case at all, (though there is still evidence that with delta, vaccinated people are less contagious and when they are contagious it is for a shorter period of time.) Now with evidence that omicron hangs in our airways, it seems more transmissible regardless of vaccine status. And it drives me crazy to continue to see Joe Biden in public situations, coughing into his hands instead of his elbow, pulling down his mask to talk, not wearing a better mask, hugging tornado victims in Kentucky where only 48.6% of people are fully vaccinated, and speaking at a goddamn college commencement where only 51.7% of the population is vaccinated. Stop traveling already! Time to work-from-home, Joe. We kinda need you to be healthy and stick around for awhile.

And I guess that's true for all of us. We need to be healthy and stick around for awhile. I've left lots of links for reading over the weekend. I think I'll skip the weekend again unless something feels pressing and worth posting.

Stay safe out there.

COVID-19:

Jeff Zients has had enough with people not getting vaccinated and not doing everything they can to protect themselves and the people around them. "For the unvaccinated, you’re looking at a winter of severe illness and death for yourselves, your families, and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm."
COVID-19 fears dash hopes for the holiday season — again - AP News (12.17.21)
WHO's Science in 5 on COVID-19: Omicron variant update - WHO (12.17.21)

Omicron was in California weeks ago, before officials raised alarms, water sample suggests - Los Angeles Times (12.10.21)
How severe are Omicron infections? As cases spread and countries plan their response, researchers await crucial data on the severity of the disease caused by the coronavirus variant. - Nature (12.17.21)

Covid-19 Vaccines: From Zero to 11.2 Billion in a Year - Statista (12.17.21)
10 states COVID-19 may hit the hardest by Christmas: Mayo Clinic forecasts - Becker's Hospital Review (12.17.21)
Pfizer and BioNtech Provide Update on Ongoing Studies of COVID-19 Vaccine - Pfizer Press Release (12.17.21)

Studies show that two 3 microgram doses were insufficient, will need to study a third shot in the regimen, which means there will not be a vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old until early to mid-2022.
Third doses are currently being studied for adolescents 12-17.
Pfizer and BioNTech Submit Supplemental Biologics License Application for U.S. FDA Approval of COMIRNATY® in Adolescents 12 Through 15 Years of Age - Pfizer Press Release (12.16.21)
EMA Issues Advice for Potential Early Use of Pfizer’s Novel COVID-19 Oral Antiviral Candidate - Pfizer Press Release (12.16.21)

Omicron symptoms could seem like a cold — but don’t underestimate this variant, experts warn - CNBC (12.16.21)

Charlie Puth Has Breakthrough COVID-19—See His Health Update to Fans - SELF (12.16.21)
What data on 120,000 COVID hospitalizations shows about breakthrough cases - Becker's Hospital Review (12.17.21)

FDA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: December 17, 2021
CDC MMWR:

COVID-19 Data Tracker Weekly Review
Evaluation of a Test to Stay Strategy in Transitional Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Schools — Los Angeles County, California, August 16–October 31, 2021
Evaluation of Test to Stay Strategy on Secondary and Tertiary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K–12 Schools — Lake County, Illinois, August 9–October 29, 2021

Politics:

Health care worker vaccine mandate can be enforced in half the country, appeals court says - CNN (12.15.21)

Biden asks Supreme Court to allow nationwide vaccination mandate for healthcare workers - Becker's Hospital Review (12.17.21)

Federal appeals court reinstates Biden administration’s business vaccine and testing mandate

6th Circuit noted that OSHA has historical precedent for using wide discretion to ensure worker safety and “demonstrated the pervasive danger that COVID-19 poses to workers—unvaccinated workers in particular—in their workplaces.”

Senate parliamentarian rejects immigration reform in Democrats' spending bill - kpbs (12.16.21)
San Diego finalizes new map of City Council districts - kpbs (12.16.21)
Governor Newsom Unveils Public Safety Plan to Aggressively Fight and Prevent Crime in California - Gov Newsom News Room (12.17.21)

News:

Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board Votes to Adopt Revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards - Dept of Industrial Relations CA (12.17.21)
Say Hello to Mawe: A 3-week-old Giraffe Calf Gets a Name at the San Diego Zoo - SDZWA (12.17.21)

News (Continued)

It’s the Most Recyclable Time of the Year! - County News Center (12.17.21)
Mouse Tests Positive for Hantavirus - County News Center (12.17.21)

Other Reading:

The US Is Gently Discouraging States From Building New Highways. A memo issued Thursday urges states to fix roads before constructing new ones, and to consider climate-friendly projects like bike lanes. - Wired (12.16.21)