san diego: dialed in: CoViD-19: More Omicron Data: Reinfections, Super High Transmission Still Means High Hospitalizations, Deaths | Don't Bother Arguing With Quacks

Happy Year of the Tiger!
Female Tiger at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 1.26.22)

Some days are up and some days are down, I guess. I don't know why everything frustrated me today, but I was grumpy from the very start of my day which has just resulted in me being completely distracted all day and still barely getting through email and of course, I haven't event started my listings. On days like these I should just shut off the news because at this point it is just rage porn. Like, those stupid ass marines that got arrested at the San Diego Zoo for FELONY vandalism? While I can't find an exact time that they were arrested, one article says everybody was off the Skyfari by 4:34pm. So if the people were on it for 1-2 hours, the incident happened at 2:34 at the earliest, most likely around 3:30, and these pricks were already out of jail by 5pm on Saturday! FOR A FELONY. WTAF? Their arraignment happens next week, but we can be almost be certain there will be no consequences for their actions.

My grumpiness continued when my mail arrived. I recently ordered my college transcripts because I'm thinking about getting an emergency license to be a substitute teacher. I haven't thought about college in a very, very long time, but when I looked at my transcript, I just got bitter all over again. I majored in Multimedia Communications -- computer stuff. And in almost every class in my major, I got a C. Know why? I DIDN'T HAVE A COMPUTER. You think maybe a private school that put me on a partial athletic and partial academic scholarship would notice that a kid isn't thriving in their major because they don't have the tools to succeed, meanwhile I played two sports and had to work three campus jobs just to stay afloat, and I crashed in a friend's dorm when she was with her boyfriend. I could go on about how much more awful my college experience was now that I have 20 years of real life to look back with a different lens, but suffice to say I can't believe I even finished the degree and no wonder so many people never finish but still suffer the debt for decades.

Then it all makes me feel bad for being a downer. Like Wordle being bought by the NYT made me way more mad than it should have seeing as I already get their stupid newsletters every day anyway. Maybe watching Archive 81 opened up some darkness by watching. So I'll try and flip my Wednesday around. I'll make sure I get some sunshine and some Zoo time or something. And I am selling merch at the Casbah for the first time in nearly two years for Jimmy LaValle with the triumphant return of The Album Leaf. Plus Darren did his interview at Deering Banjos and it sounds like it went well, though they told him they had one more interview before a decision. So chin up and I'll be better on Wednesday.

Stay safe out there.

COVID-19:

Had breakthrough COVID after a booster? Odds are it's Omicron. New findings reinforce Omicron's genius at punching through immune defenses — but also show that boosters improve protection. - nature (2.2.22)

Omicron hit Southern California much harder than the Bay Area. Here’s why. - LA Times (1.31.22)
Several cases of Omicron reinfection said detected in Israel with new BA2 strain. Israel finds a handful of cases of individuals who were infected with original BA1 Omicron strain have come down with BA2 as well, not yet clear if they were vaccinated - Times of Israel (2.1.22)
BA.2 Blitzes Through Households, Even More Than Original Omicron— Preprint study finds increased risk of infection with subvariant - MedPage Today (2.1.22)

WHO warns of rising COVID-19 deaths - CIDRAP (2.1.22)

"We're concerned that a narrative has taken hold in some countries that because of vaccines, and because of Omicron’s high transmissibility and lower severity, preventing transmission is no longer possible, and no longer necessary. Nothing could be further from the truth."
WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 1 February 2022
Tonnes of COVID-19 health care waste expose urgent need to improve waste management systems - WHO (2.1.22)
Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 1 February 2022

Ten billion COVID vaccinations: world hits new milestone. More than ten billion doses have gone into arms in a remarkably short period of time — but scientists warn that woeful inequities in access remain. - nature (1.31.22)

CDC MMWR:

SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Hospitalization Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years, by Vaccination Status, Before and During SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) Variant Predominance — Los Angeles County, California, November 7, 2021–January 8, 2022

COVID-19 incidence and hospitalization rates in Los Angeles County among unvaccinated persons were 3.6 and 23.0 times, respectively, those of fully vaccinated persons with a booster, and 2.0 and 5.3 times, respectively, those among fully vaccinated persons without a booster.
Omicron Hospitalizations Up to 23 Times Higher for the Unvaccinated — Boosters conferred the most protection, California data showed - MedPage Today (2.1.22)

Politics:

Why Americans should care about the Russia-Ukraine standoff - NPR/kpbs (2.1.22)

News:

Governor Newsom Proclaims Lunar New Year 2.1.22

Lunar New Year: The Year of the Tiger 2022 explained. Across China and the Asian diaspora, the holiday marks a time of rebirth and renewal. - C|net (2.1.22)

Governor Newsom Announces Homekey Grants for New Homeless Housing in Los Angeles and Sacramento

Other Reading:

“Debate me, bro!”: Debate challenges by science deniers in the age of COVID-19. Quacks, science deniers, and conspiracy theorists love to challenge doctors, scientists, and science communicators to “live public debates” over the science they deny. I just say no, and you should say no too if you are in a position to receive such a challenge. - Science-Based Medicine (1.31.22)