Quote
daspyknows
Who's Next? Great album.

Czech Hana Horka died after deliberately contracting Covid-19

Singer Dies After Deliberately Catching COVID-19 So She Could Obtain A Recently-Recovered Pass
[www.msn.com]

Interesting when you've convinced yourself you're smarter than everyone else, experts be damned. "I've done my research!".

From NBC San Diego:

‘More Infectious Than Omicron, Deadly Like Delta': UCSD Doc on Possibilities For Future COVID Variants
Dr. Davey Smith, Head of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UCSD, says it's possible we could need COVID vaccines and boosters for the rest of our lives as new variants keep emerging

COVID19

For San Diegans exhausted from the omicron variant, scientists say, unfortunately, more variants are likely on the way. “I think we kind of expect it at this point … to keep seeing new variants that affect us differently too,” said George Medina, a bartender at Bolt Brewery in downtown San Diego. Like many others, Medina shared with NBC 7 that omicron has caused staffing shortages at his work. “I actually did get COVID-19 not too long ago ... it was really mild. It was fever headache and that’s it,” he said. But doctors say the worry is that new variants won't be as mild as omicron, and potentially more contagious. “Maybe the variant that comes afterward, Pi, might actually be as infectious or more infectious than omicron and yet deadly like delta,” said Dr. Davey Smith, Head of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UCSD. “It is very likely that we’re going to need shots and boosters over our lifetime and that the virus is not going away.” Smith says it’s possible we’ll treat COVID more like the flu – creating new versions of the vaccine each year to keep up our immunity. He says vaccines are critical when it comes to slowing the evolution of COVID: “It shortens the amount of time the virus has to live in me, cause damage, and to be transmitted to someone else.” Smith says he expects to be treating patients for COVID throughout his career, but predicts the strategy and formula of vaccines could change. “We’re going to figure out exactly how many boosters someone needs or what antibody level is needed to protect ourselves,” he said. Smith added that even young people who might experience mild symptoms should still get boosters as more variants emerge, to prevent spreading the virus to those more vulnerable.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And from CNN:

Austrian lawmakers pass Europe's strictest Covid-19 vaccine mandate

Vaccine Mandate

Austria's parliament has approved the European Union's strictest Covid-19 vaccine mandate, making it compulsory for the country's residents over the age of 18 to get the shot.
The law goes into effect February 1. However, Austrian officials will only begin conducting checks to see if the mandate is being adhered to from March 15. Starting then, those without a vaccine certificate or an exemption could be slapped with initial fines of 600 euro ($680). Pregnant people and those who cannot be vaccinated without endangering their health are exempt from the law, according to the Austrian Health Ministry's website. People who are recovering from a Covid-19 infection are also exempt for 180 days from the date they received their first positive PCR Covid-19 test. The bill passed by a vote of 137-33. Lawmakers debated for more than seven hours in parliament before the vote, in which 13 MPs did not participate. The Austrian government on Thursday introduced another incentive for people to get vaccinated: A lottery. Austrian citizens will get one lottery ticket for each vaccine shot they have had, meaning three tickets in total for those who have had their booster shots. Every 10th ticket will win a 500 euro ($568) gift voucher, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said. "To put it bluntly, we have earmarked up to 1 billion euro for the vaccination lottery which is based on reward and incentive,'' Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said at a news conference hours before the vote in parliament. "I believe it's totally justified to spend this money."

Cases of Covid-19 in Austria have soared to levels not seen since the start of the pandemic due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. On Wednesday, Austrian authorities recorded 27,667 new infections in 24 hours, according to data from the Austria's Health Ministry. The vaccine mandate legislation was, however, proposed in November as officials attempted to stem Austria's fifth wave. At the time, the country had some of the lowest vaccination rates in the EU. The country's immunization rate has since increased to 71.7%, higher than the EU average. The new law will last until January 31, 2024 and will be implemented in stages, according to the health ministry. Every Austrian household will receive a letter explaining the mandate from February 1, when the law goes into effect, until March 15, the day compliance checks begin. Austrian officials will be able to search a national database that lists the vaccination status of every resident, or the date that they must be vaccinated by. Unvaccinated people will eventually face a maximum fine of 3,600 euro ($4,000) for up to four times a year if they are not on the vaccine register by their assigned vaccination date. Authorities can waive the fine if a person gets vaccinated within two weeks of receiving the penalty notice. The law is among the most punitive measures rolled out by Western lawmakers in recent months as they attempt to curb the socioeconomic burdens of the pandemic.

France is also cracking down on the unvaccinated. The French government recently passed a bill that requires people to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated in order to access a wide range of everyday activities, such as visiting restaurants and bars and taking long-distance public transport between regions. Italy has mandated that everyone above the age of 50 be vaccinated or risk a fine, and Germany requires anyone who has not received their booster to show negative Covid-19 test results before entering public venues

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

THE AGE ---- 21 January 2022



ROCKMAN

^ Covidiot

Beijing's Olympic 'bubble' will be the most ambitious Covid quarantine ever attempted. Will it work?

COVID19

The Winter Games is just two weeks away and outside Beijing's Olympic venues, the banners and decorations are up. But so too are long rows of metal fences and guard posts, dividing the Chinese capital and barring anyone without an official Covid-safe pass. Having been largely sealed off from the world for two years, Beijing is bracing itself for the arrival of thousands of foreign Olympians, officials, journalists and support staff -- including from countries where the highly transmissible Omicron variant is raging. Whether Chinese authorities can keep the Games Covid-safe and prevent any flare-ups from spilling into Beijing is the ultimate test of China's zero-Covid strategy. The stringent prevention and control measures are held up by the ruling Communist Party as proof of the supposed superiority of its authoritarian political system. The strategy has kept infections and deaths low -- but it has also inflicted painful lockdowns on millions of people and isolated China from the world. And now, Beijing is applying those same measures to the Olympics. To limit the spread of infection, it is sealing the entire Games inside what authorities have called a "closed loop system" -- a bubble completely cut off from the rest of the city.

The quarantine is arguably the most ambitious of its kind ever undertaken. The NBA attempted something similar, when it created a quarantine zone inside Disney World in Orlando, Florida, designed to keep players and staff safe for the final stages of the 2019-20 season. But what Beijing is about to attempt is on a whole other level. Whereas the NBA "bubble" housed about 350 players from 22 teams, the Beijing bubble is welcoming an estimated 11,000 people from around the world -- and they will be shuttling through three competition zones up to 111 miles (180 kilometers) apart. Securing the bubble will require massive manpower, meticulous planning, pervasive surveillance and rigorous government enforcement -- and the arrival of Omicron has only made it all the more challenging. Already, coronavirus has been detected in recent Olympic arrivals in Beijing, both at the airport and inside the closed loop. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in a statement Wednesday that so far, 1.53% tests conducted upon arrival are positive, while 0.02% of regular screening tests taken inside the closed loop are positive. It did not specify the number of total tests in both scenarios. "All cases so far are within 5 days of arrival and are therefore assessed as being imported (contracted prior to arrival in Beijing). No infection has occurred within the Closed Loop," the statement said. As of Friday, more than 2,000 participants have arrived in Beijing, including athletes, officials, members of the IOC and media, according to the official app for the Beijing Winter Games. Thousands of Chinese volunteers and staff have already spent days, if not weeks, inside the closed loop.

Here's a breakdown of how the bubble is supposed to work.

The separation
Participants will be confined to the "closed loop" from the moment they touch down until they fly out. Throughout their stay, they will compete, work, eat and sleep without making any contact with the wider Chinese population. The "closed loop" consists of a series of stadiums, conference centers and more than 70 hotels, with those in downtown Beijing fenced off and closely guarded by police; it even has its own transportation system, with 4,000 vehicles dedicated to moving participants from place to place. Instead of one giant Olympic bubble, the system is formed by a network of interconnected mini-bubbles. They are concentrated in three zones: downtown Beijing, where the ice competitions and opening and closing ceremonies will be held; the suburban Yanqing district, a site for alpine skiing and sliding; and Zhangjiakou, a city in neighboring Hebei province that will host Nordic skiing and the bulk of freestyle skiing and snowboard events. The three zones are linked by high-speed train and highways. To maintain the separation, even the train cars are divided, and the closed-loop buses are given specially marked lanes. Drivers not part of the Olympics who cross into these lanes will be fined. In a sign of the lengths Chinese authorities are going to avoid the bubble being breached, residents have been warned not to rush to offer help if an Olympic vehicle is involved in a crash. "In case of traffic accidents with special vehicles for the Winter Olympics, please pay attention to maintaining a safe distance," Beijing's traffic authorities said in a statement on social media earlier this month. "Do not make contact with vehicles or personnel in them and wait for professionals to arrive at the scene." Athletes, staff and volunteers inside the closed loop will also be separated from spectators, who have their own transport and entrance to the events. The Beijing organizers announced this week that tickets for the Games will not be sold to the general public in response to the pandemic, but instead distributed by authorities.

Hopping into the bubble
Given China's determination to keep out any Covid cases, getting to the bubble is already a challenge. Anyone entering the bubble must be fully vaccinated, or face an additional 21-day quarantine upon arrival in Beijing before being allowed into the bubble. The journey starts 14 days prior to departure. Participants are required to limit interactions with others to avoid catching Covid. They must also use an app to upload their body temperature and answer questions about their health status every day. Cybersecurity researchers have warned the app contains security flaws that leave users exposed to data breaches. Chinese authorities have dismissed the concerns, but the United States and other countries are advising athletes to bring disposable burner phones to the Games. Before departure, those traveling to the Games must take two Covid tests. With few international flights allowed to land in Beijing, most participants have to take special charter flights. Upon arrival, they will be greeted by workers in hazmat suits and undergo another test, before being transported to their hotel in designated buses escorted by police.

What is it like inside?
Once inside the bubble, participants will be subject to a series of rigorous prevention and control measures. They will be tested for Covid every day and must wear face masks at all times. The stakes for catching Covid are extremely high. Participants who test positive will be immediately removed from the Games. Those who are symptomatic will be sent to a designated hospital for treatment, while asymptomatic cases will be taken to an isolation facility. They won't be allowed to return to the bubble until all symptoms disappear and they test negative twice in a row -- meaning they'll almost certainly miss their event. The PCR tests for the Beijing Winter Games are also more stringent than those used by others sports events, such as the NBA and NHL, meaning they can return positive at a lower viral load. A positive test can also affect the person's teammates and colleagues. Anyone who has had a mask-less exposure for longer than 15 minutes to an infected person is considered a close contact, and will be subject to twice daily testing. Chinese authorities did not reveal how many people will be inside the "closed loop system." Already in the bubble are thousands of Chinese volunteers and staff, including organizers, health care workers, drivers, cleaners and chefs. The first batch of volunteers -- 16 students from a university in Beijing -- entered the "closed loop" on January 3 to work at the Beijing Capital International Airport, before the first Olympic flight arrived. The Chinese staff and volunteers are required to stay throughout the event -- meaning they will miss the Lunar New Year holiday. It's the biggest festival in China and the most important time for families to get together -- likened by some to Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years combined. To exit the bubble, they must also undergo 21 days of strict quarantine at a designated facility. Chinese organizers have touted the innovative technologies adopted inside the bubble to keep it Covid safe. At the stadium for ice hockey, staff will wear all-day armpit thermometers, which will sound the alarm should someone's temperature exceed 37.3 degrees. Inside a "smart canteen" at the main media center, robots make Chinese and Western dishes and cocktails behind glass screens, while meals are delivered from the ceiling by automated robot arms.

Will it work?
The IOC has suggested the early detection of Covid-19 cases among arrivals is a sign the "closed loop system" is working. "All data to date provides confidence that daily PCR testing combined with the isolation and close contact policies in place means that the Closed Loop is very safe and there are no infectious participants within it," it said in the statement. Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, said it was unsurprising -- and even inevitable -- to see cases inside the Olympic bubble. "Given the high transmissibility of the new variant, I'm sure there will be some infections at the Games," Huang said. "The question is whether those flare-ups will develop into outbreaks in the bubble -- or even worse, spill outside the bubble and cause outbreaks in the city and beyond." Huang added he was "cautiously optimistic" that China's zero-Covid strategy could succeed, citing the "unprecedentedly stringent measures." Earlier this month, the Omicron variant was detected in the community in Beijing, prompting authorities to swiftly lock down an office building and a residential compound. Several Delta cases have also since been reported. Authorities warned of the "double pressure of domestic and imported cases," yet still struck a confident tone. "The overall situation remains under control," Huang Chun, an official with the Beijing Organizing Committee, said at a news conference last week. He added there were no plans to seal off the city or change the coronavirus containment rules for the Winter Olympics.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Reading the paper this morning, I have encountered a new word:

Vaxenfreude (like schadenfreude) - the joy the vaccinated feel when the unvaccinated get COVID-19.

Saddened to see that this has become so polarizing.

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl
Reading the paper this morning, I have encountered a new word:

Vaxenfreude (like schadenfreude) - the joy the vaccinated feel when the unvaccinated get COVID-19.

Saddened to see that this has become so polarizing.

Are you saying you feel joy?

Quote
The Sicilian

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl
Reading the paper this morning, I have encountered a new word:

Vaxenfreude (like schadenfreude) - the joy the vaccinated feel when the unvaccinated get COVID-19.

Saddened to see that this has become so polarizing.

Are you saying you feel joy?

Did you actually read her post?

Quote
treaclefingers

Quote
The Sicilian

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl
Reading the paper this morning, I have encountered a new word:

Vaxenfreude (like schadenfreude) - the joy the vaccinated feel when the unvaccinated get COVID-19.

Saddened to see that this has become so polarizing.

Are you saying you feel joy?

Did you actually read her post?

He did not. And here we are with no ‘face palm’ emoji.

Actually I did read it. However, by saying it's polarizing doesn't say where YOU stand. No offense intended, but I didn't want to guess at your stance.

Quote
The Sicilian
Actually I did read it. However, by saying it's polarizing doesn't say where YOU stand. No offense intended, but I didn't want to guess at your stance.

(Psssst…the ‘I’m saddened’ bit was a clue.)

From the Washington Post:


Anti-vaccine activists, reveling in their pandemic successes, will rally in D.C. against mandates

As anti-vaccine activists from across the country prepare to gather on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, they are hoping their rally will mark a once-fringe movement’s arrival as a lasting force in American society. That hope, some public health experts fear, is justified. Almost two years into the coronavirus pandemic, the movement to challenge vaccines’ safety — and reject vaccine mandates — has never been stronger. An ideology whose most notable adherents were once religious fundamentalists and minor celebrities is now firmly entrenched among tens of millions of Americans. Baseless fears of vaccines have been a driving force among the approximately 20 percent of U.S. adults who have refused some of the most effective medicines in human history: the mRNA vaccines developed against the coronavirus by Pfizer, with German partner BioNTech, and Moderna. The nation that produced Jonas Salk has exported anti-vaccine propaganda around the globe, wreaking havoc on public-health campaigns from Germany to Kenya. That propaganda has also found its way into many reaches of American life. It has invaded people’s offices and shaped the daily decisions of school principals. It has riven families and boosted political campaigns. What was once an overwhelming public consensus on vaccine safety is now a new front in the nation’s culture wars. It is no accident that some in the anti-vaccine movement are describing Sunday’s rally as their first equivalent of the March for Life, the annual antiabortion rally that took place in Washington on Friday. “Our worst worries have been manifested,” said Joe Smyser, chief executive of the Public Good Projects, a nonprofit group that tracks and seeks to combat vaccine misinformation. “These fringe ideas are no longer fringe ideas.”

Despite signs from the earliest days of the pandemic that the anti-vaccine movement was advancing its cause by preying on the uncertainty and social division that accompanied the virus, the U.S. public health establishment never mounted a true counteroffensive, Smyser said — a view shared by other public health experts and epidemiologists. “I think we were really naive,” he said. “This movement was allowed to get stronger and stronger with almost no pushback.” The 153 most influential anti-vaccine social media accounts and groups have accumulated 2.9 million net new followers since January 2020, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate, an advocacy organization focused on fighting vaccine misinformation. Imran Ahmed, the center’s chief executive, said those gains are especially remarkable in light of social media platforms’ renewed efforts to crack down on vaccine misinformation. Vaccine skeptics notched another victory just last week, when the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Biden’s vaccination requirement for large employers. (A smaller mandate for workers at health-care facilities that get federal funding was left intact.) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist who will speak at Sunday’s march, said the widening distrust of vaccines is an organic outgrowth of people’s firsthand experiences with negative side effects from the coronavirus vaccines. He pointed to the large number of reports of reactions to those vaccines now on file in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Continued. > COVID19

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Quote
MAF
BA.2, the sub-variant that raises new questions (BBC)

Nobody (not even me) likes to admit that it's far from over yet. Historically, however, it is a well know fact that the more people (or animals for that matter) are infected by a particular virus, the bigger the chance is that more mutations take place. In your body it may be a pretty harmless mutation, but in somebody elses body it may be an aggressive and destructive version overthrowing all other "running" versions. And then it's a matter of time and sh*t starts all over again.
A Dutch virologist (who said a lot of wrong things in the beginning of the pandemic, politically "forced") said the other day that corona can not yet been looked upon as a flu !?!?! He knowns damn well that corona is not and will not be a flu.
The structure of the corona is so different from the flu virus! How can you even suggest with not yet?


I'm a GHOST living in a ghost town

Quote
Hairball
From the Washington Post:


Anti-vaccine activists, reveling in their pandemic successes, will rally in D.C. against mandates

As anti-vaccine activists from across the country prepare to gather on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, they are hoping their rally will mark a once-fringe movement’s arrival as a lasting force in American society. That hope, some public health experts fear, is justified. Almost two years into the coronavirus pandemic, the movement to challenge vaccines’ safety — and reject vaccine mandates — has never been stronger. An ideology whose most notable adherents were once religious fundamentalists and minor celebrities is now firmly entrenched among tens of millions of Americans. Baseless fears of vaccines have been a driving force among the approximately 20 percent of U.S. adults who have refused some of the most effective medicines in human history: the mRNA vaccines developed against the coronavirus by Pfizer, with German partner BioNTech, and Moderna. The nation that produced Jonas Salk has exported anti-vaccine propaganda around the globe, wreaking havoc on public-health campaigns from Germany to Kenya. That propaganda has also found its way into many reaches of American life. It has invaded people’s offices and shaped the daily decisions of school principals. It has riven families and boosted political campaigns. What was once an overwhelming public consensus on vaccine safety is now a new front in the nation’s culture wars. It is no accident that some in the anti-vaccine movement are describing Sunday’s rally as their first equivalent of the March for Life, the annual antiabortion rally that took place in Washington on Friday. “Our worst worries have been manifested,” said Joe Smyser, chief executive of the Public Good Projects, a nonprofit group that tracks and seeks to combat vaccine misinformation. “These fringe ideas are no longer fringe ideas.”

Despite signs from the earliest days of the pandemic that the anti-vaccine movement was advancing its cause by preying on the uncertainty and social division that accompanied the virus, the U.S. public health establishment never mounted a true counteroffensive, Smyser said — a view shared by other public health experts and epidemiologists. “I think we were really naive,” he said. “This movement was allowed to get stronger and stronger with almost no pushback.” The 153 most influential anti-vaccine social media accounts and groups have accumulated 2.9 million net new followers since January 2020, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate, an advocacy organization focused on fighting vaccine misinformation. Imran Ahmed, the center’s chief executive, said those gains are especially remarkable in light of social media platforms’ renewed efforts to crack down on vaccine misinformation. Vaccine skeptics notched another victory just last week, when the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Biden’s vaccination requirement for large employers. (A smaller mandate for workers at health-care facilities that get federal funding was left intact.) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist who will speak at Sunday’s march, said the widening distrust of vaccines is an organic outgrowth of people’s firsthand experiences with negative side effects from the coronavirus vaccines. He pointed to the large number of reports of reactions to those vaccines now on file in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Continued. > COVID19

Unfortunately "Darwinism" will rear it's ugly head and this lot will pay the price disproportionately. What bothers me most is the ones that can't make their own decisions on it, their children.

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl
Reading the paper this morning, I have encountered a new word:

Vaxenfreude (like schadenfreude) - the joy the vaccinated feel when the unvaccinated get COVID-19.

Saddened to see that this has become so polarizing.

For those unvaxxed who spew their antivaccine propaganda they are getting what they deserve. If that's considered joy by some, so be it.

I'm at a point where I just glide over the factual aspects of the debate and focus on who is just using it as an excuse for being the nastiest version of themselves.

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl

Quote
The Sicilian
Actually I did read it. However, by saying it's polarizing doesn't say where YOU stand. No offense intended, but I didn't want to guess at your stance.

(Psssst…the ‘I’m saddened’ bit was a clue.)

He's proven in this thread, and others that he either doesn't read, chooses not to, or doesn't have the mental capacity to comprehend.

In any case, he won't go away.

Quote
daspyknows

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl
Reading the paper this morning, I have encountered a new word:

Vaxenfreude (like schadenfreude) - the joy the vaccinated feel when the unvaccinated get COVID-19.

Saddened to see that this has become so polarizing.

For those unvaxxed who spew their antivaccine propaganda they are getting what they deserve. If that's considered joy by some, so be it.

And this whole pandemic will show how people really are the pros and cons............... one word disgusting

__________________________

Quote
treaclefingers

Quote
Hairball
From the Washington Post:


Anti-vaccine activists, reveling in their pandemic successes, will rally in D.C. against mandates

As anti-vaccine activists from across the country prepare to gather on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, they are hoping their rally will mark a once-fringe movement’s arrival as a lasting force in American society. That hope, some public health experts fear, is justified. Almost two years into the coronavirus pandemic, the movement to challenge vaccines’ safety — and reject vaccine mandates — has never been stronger. An ideology whose most notable adherents were once religious fundamentalists and minor celebrities is now firmly entrenched among tens of millions of Americans. Baseless fears of vaccines have been a driving force among the approximately 20 percent of U.S. adults who have refused some of the most effective medicines in human history: the mRNA vaccines developed against the coronavirus by Pfizer, with German partner BioNTech, and Moderna. The nation that produced Jonas Salk has exported anti-vaccine propaganda around the globe, wreaking havoc on public-health campaigns from Germany to Kenya. That propaganda has also found its way into many reaches of American life. It has invaded people’s offices and shaped the daily decisions of school principals. It has riven families and boosted political campaigns. What was once an overwhelming public consensus on vaccine safety is now a new front in the nation’s culture wars. It is no accident that some in the anti-vaccine movement are describing Sunday’s rally as their first equivalent of the March for Life, the annual antiabortion rally that took place in Washington on Friday. “Our worst worries have been manifested,” said Joe Smyser, chief executive of the Public Good Projects, a nonprofit group that tracks and seeks to combat vaccine misinformation. “These fringe ideas are no longer fringe ideas.”

Despite signs from the earliest days of the pandemic that the anti-vaccine movement was advancing its cause by preying on the uncertainty and social division that accompanied the virus, the U.S. public health establishment never mounted a true counteroffensive, Smyser said — a view shared by other public health experts and epidemiologists. “I think we were really naive,” he said. “This movement was allowed to get stronger and stronger with almost no pushback.” The 153 most influential anti-vaccine social media accounts and groups have accumulated 2.9 million net new followers since January 2020, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate, an advocacy organization focused on fighting vaccine misinformation. Imran Ahmed, the center’s chief executive, said those gains are especially remarkable in light of social media platforms’ renewed efforts to crack down on vaccine misinformation. Vaccine skeptics notched another victory just last week, when the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Biden’s vaccination requirement for large employers. (A smaller mandate for workers at health-care facilities that get federal funding was left intact.) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist who will speak at Sunday’s march, said the widening distrust of vaccines is an organic outgrowth of people’s firsthand experiences with negative side effects from the coronavirus vaccines. He pointed to the large number of reports of reactions to those vaccines now on file in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Continued. > COVID19

Unfortunately "Darwinism" will rear it's ugly head and this lot will pay the price disproportionately. What bothers me most is the ones that can't make their own decisions on it, their children.

The VAERS "reports" are turned into fake news by the self-righteous 'gotcha' people, which has spawned the proper reactionary 'why argue with an anti-vaxxer when you can just wait' stance. You can thank the Fake News channel for that matter, which was founded in 1996 by Rupert Murdoch: it's a sub-culture that is culling itself.

People may misinterpret VAERS, which is easily searchable, as a catalog of actual side effects, rather than possible or suspected ones. And it's easy to pull data out of context. "For those who are out to scare, there's a lot of material there," says Heidi Larson, director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Take Carlson's fearful numbers. The Fox News host did not mention the reports are not vetted, nor that among the approximately 4000 deaths after COVID-19 vaccination reported to VAERS at the time of his broadcast, nearly 80% were in people 60 and older, whose mortality from all causes is substantially higher than in younger people. "A review of available clinical information, including death certificates, autopsy, and medical records has not established a causal link to COVID-19 vaccines," as CDC puts it on its website.

[www.science.org]

People might believe the vaccines to be completely benign and still disapprove of the proposed digital passports. It's a perfectly reasonable stance being articulated, no medical hysteria whatsoever factoring into it. None of the coverage dare touch that issue with a ten foot pole.

Quote
Nikkei
People might believe the vaccines to be completely benign and still disapprove of the proposed digital passports. It's a perfectly reasonable stance being articulated, no medical hysteria whatsoever factoring into it. None of the coverage dare touch that issue with a ten foot pole.

We have covid passports in our jurisdiction. They work fine, I don't get the hysteria, but to each his own.

They work fine as in what do they do, exactly? My point is that the concerns are deliberately misrepresented. A giant strawman is being built that's an uneducated, irrational antivaxxer, self-medicating with horse preparates. Of course people can pat themselves on the back for winning arguments against that guy, but it won't help them understand what is actually happening.

Quote
Nikkei
They work fine as in what do they do, exactly? My point is that the concerns are deliberately misrepresented. A giant strawman is being built that's an uneducated, irrational antivaxxer, self-medicating with horse preparates. Of course people can pat themselves on the back for winning arguments against that guy, but it won't help them understand what is actually happening.

What they do, and are supposed to do is allow businesses (and other organizations) to vet who enters. It's a risk-mitigation process for that business, to facilitate business and allow people that are concerned about the pandemic to feel they are in a 'safe place'. At the same time, it reduces spread of the virus because people that are vaccinated and wearing PPE are far less likely to spread that virus. So it facilitates business, keeps people safe, reduces/slows spread of the virus.

Anything beyond that you're suggesting is happening is perhaps something that you're noticing where you live. I'm not seeing giant strawmen. But I am seeing the antivaxx group in protests around businesses and even hospitals that are complying. If they have a problem with this, they shouldn't be protesting and harassing businesses and clients, but rather protest the legislators/government who are passing the rules.

But this is what I'm seeing so my question to you is, "what are you seeing?", so that I have a better understanding of "what is actually happening" at least from your POV.

Quote
Nikkei
People might believe the vaccines to be completely benign and still disapprove of the proposed digital passports. It's a perfectly reasonable stance being articulated, no medical hysteria whatsoever factoring into it. None of the coverage dare touch that issue with a ten foot pole.

People should always be skeptical about new medications. Pharmaceuticals are a business first. Their case is always backed by billions and anything negative is viewed as a threat. Television commercials are filled with new meds on one side and lawyers suing older ones or those that didn't work properly on the other.

Water cannon, tear gas at COVID-19 protests in Brussels

COVID19

BRUSSELS (AP) — Police fired water cannons and thick clouds of tear gas in Brussels on Sunday to disperse protesters demonstrating against COVID-19 vaccinations and restrictions that aim to curb the fast-spreading omicron variant. The protest drew tens of thousands of people, some traveling from France, Germany and other countries to take part. Protesters yelled “Liberty!” as they marched and some had violent confrontations with police. Video images showed black-clad protesters attacking a building used by the European Union’s diplomatic service, hurling projectiles at its entrance and smashing windows. Anti-vaccination demonstrators also marched in Barcelona. The protests followed demonstrations in other European capitals on Saturday that also drew thousands of protesters against vaccine passports and other requirements that European governments have imposed as daily coronavirus infections and hospitalizations have surged due to the omicron variant.

In Brussels, white-helmeted police riot officers repeatedly charged after protesters who ignored instructions to disperse. Police water cannon trucks fired powerful jets and snaking trails of gas filled the air in the Belgian capital. Brussels police said 50,000 people demonstrated. A protest leader broadcasting over a loudspeaker yelled, “Come on people! Don’t let them take away your rights!” as police officers faced off against demonstrators who hurled projectiles and insults. “Go to hell!” shouted one protester wearing a fake knight’s helmet with a colorful quiff. Some protesters harassed a video team covering the march for The Associated Press, pushing and threatening the journalists and damaging their video equipment. One protester kicked one of the journalists and another tried to punch him. Nearly 77% of Belgium’s total population has been fully vaccinated, and 53% have had a booster dose, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Belgium has seen over 28,700 virus deaths in the pandemic.

In downtown Barcelona, protesters wore costumes and waved banners reading “It’s not a pandemic, it’s a dictatorship,” as they marched against against restrictions imposed by both national and regional authorities to curb a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the omicron variant. Participants included people rejecting vaccines and those who deny the existence or gravity of the virus that causes COVID-19. Few donned face masks, which are currently mandatory outdoors in Spain. Police said 1,100 people attended. Spain, a country of 47 million, has officially recorded over 9 million coronavirus cases, although the real number is believed to be much higher. Nearly 92,000 people have died in Spain since the beginning of the pandemic. With over 80% of Spain’s residents vaccinated, experts have credited the shots for saving thousands of lives and averting the total collapse of its public health system.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

THE AGE --- 25 January 2022



ROCKMAN

Neil Young demands Spotify remove his music over Joe Rogan vaccine misinformation

‘They can have Rogan or Young. Not both,’ writes musician in an open letter to his management that has since been taken down from his website

Sian Cain
@siancain
Tue 25 Jan 2022 05.45 GMT

Neil Young has demanded that his music be removed from Spotify due to vaccine misinformation spread by podcaster Joe Rogan on the streaming service, saying: “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”

In an open letter to his manager and record label that was posted to his website and later taken down, Young wrote: “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them. Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.”

Young specified that his decision was motivated by The Joe Rogan Experience, which is currently Spotify’s most popular podcast and one of the biggest in the world. Rogan signed a US$100m deal in 2020 giving Spotify exclusive rights to the show.

“With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE, which is hosted exclusively on Spotify, is the world’s largest podcast and has tremendous influence. Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, though the company presently has no misinformation policy,” he wrote, adding: “I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform … They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”

The letter was addressed to his manager Frank Gironda and Tom Corson, the co-chairman and chief operating officer of Warner Records, which releases Young’s music through its Reprise Records imprint.

Gironda confirmed the letter was authentic to The Daily Beast. “It’s something that’s really important to Neil. He’s very upset … we’re trying to figure this out right now.”

Last month, 270 doctors, scientists and healthcare professionals signed an open letter requesting that Spotify implement a policy for dealing with misinformation because of Rogan’s “concerning history of broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the Covid-19 pandemic”.

The letter cited an episode in which Rogan interviewed Robert Malone, a virologist who was involved in the mRNA vaccine technology that led to some of the leading Covid-19 vaccines but has since been criticised for spreading vaccine misinformation. Both men were criticised for promoting several baseless conspiracy theories, including the false claim that hospitals are financially incentivised to falsely diagnose deaths as having been caused by Covid-19, and Malone’s assertion that world leaders had hypnotised the public into supporting vaccines.

The Guardian has approached Spotify for comment.

[www.theguardian.com]

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl
Neil Young demands Spotify remove his music over Joe Rogan vaccine misinformation

‘They can have Rogan or Young. Not both,’ writes musician in an open letter to his management that has since been taken down from his website

Sian Cain
@siancain
Tue 25 Jan 2022 05.45 GMT

Neil Young has demanded that his music be removed from Spotify due to vaccine misinformation spread by podcaster Joe Rogan on the streaming service, saying: “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”

In an open letter to his manager and record label that was posted to his website and later taken down, Young wrote: “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them. Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.”

Young specified that his decision was motivated by The Joe Rogan Experience, which is currently Spotify’s most popular podcast and one of the biggest in the world. Rogan signed a US$100m deal in 2020 giving Spotify exclusive rights to the show.

“With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE, which is hosted exclusively on Spotify, is the world’s largest podcast and has tremendous influence. Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, though the company presently has no misinformation policy,” he wrote, adding: “I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform … They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”

The letter was addressed to his manager Frank Gironda and Tom Corson, the co-chairman and chief operating officer of Warner Records, which releases Young’s music through its Reprise Records imprint.

Gironda confirmed the letter was authentic to The Daily Beast. “It’s something that’s really important to Neil. He’s very upset … we’re trying to figure this out right now.”

Last month, 270 doctors, scientists and healthcare professionals signed an open letter requesting that Spotify implement a policy for dealing with misinformation because of Rogan’s “concerning history of broadcasting misinformation, particularly regarding the Covid-19 pandemic”.

The letter cited an episode in which Rogan interviewed Robert Malone, a virologist who was involved in the mRNA vaccine technology that led to some of the leading Covid-19 vaccines but has since been criticised for spreading vaccine misinformation. Both men were criticised for promoting several baseless conspiracy theories, including the false claim that hospitals are financially incentivised to falsely diagnose deaths as having been caused by Covid-19, and Malone’s assertion that world leaders had hypnotised the public into supporting vaccines.

The Guardian has approached Spotify for comment.

[www.theguardian.com]

I liked Joe Rogan on "Fear Factor" (sort of). Joe's spouting this antivaxx nonsense, even though he caught COVID himself and had to get the antibody treatment.

Evidently fear is not a factor for Joe.

Good on ya Neil.

So many people are saying that Neil is anti-free speech and is part of the establishment...

The ignorance of society has exploded fantastically in the last 5 years!