[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

Agree, and I don't think anyone is shooting for zero. I've heard <1,000 cases/day, <10 deaths/day might be the "tolerable" thresholds. We should get used to yearly "Covid" shots along with our flu shots.

Not sure it has to be that low, maybe 10x that? (that's what I think flu numbers are)

Originally Posted by Stylo

What do you think of the idea that masks are actually encouraging the natural selection process of the virus to be more virulent in a bid for survival, thereby making it harder to achieve natural (plus vaccine) herd immunity?

Masks stopped flu, but not these variants.

Yes but only in the sense that it is doing in the people not wearing masks. The reason we're not achieving the full benefit of masks is it's not being universally worn, kind of like with vaccinations.

Originally Posted by Mike 75

Agreed. Although I wonder what happens after Memorial Day, and we've vaccinated everyone who wants it. Does Lamont keep up with the daily reports on cases, hospitalizations etc.? Even if he does, will anyone care or pay attention?

My theory is vaccines may not fully prevent getting one of the variants but it will still keep you alive and out of the hospital. What I think could happen that would be interesting is cases going up but hospitalizations and deaths going down (or maybe even being low and insignificant). Then cases don't really matter anymore and the vaccines won even if some people won't see it that way.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

Yes but only in the sense that it is doing in the people not wearing masks. The reason we're not achieving the full benefit of masks is it's not being universally worn, kind of like with vaccinations.

But masks aren’t perfect, most of which do very little to protect against airborne disease, and if that were true, areas with very high mask compliance would have very different numbers than places with poor mask compliance. Numbers are generally a wash. And most transmission is household.

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

My theory is vaccines may not fully prevent getting one of the variants but it will still keep you alive and out of the hospital. What I think could happen that would be interesting is cases going up but hospitalizations and deaths going down (or maybe even being low and insignificant). Then cases don't really matter anymore and the vaccines won even if some people won't see it that way.

I think you may be right. And we are seeing this somewhat already, with cases increasing over the past week yet the hospitalization numbers staying flat to slightly down. If few people are getting severely ill and ending up in the hospital, then who cares about the case numbers? I think the problem will be that the system is so keyed upon case numbers that it will be hard to shift from that metric.

[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

My theory is vaccines may not fully prevent getting one of the variants but it will still keep you alive and out of the hospital. What I think could happen that would be interesting is cases going up but hospitalizations and deaths going down (or maybe even being low and insignificant). Then cases don't really matter anymore and the vaccines won even if some people won't see it that way.

People not dying in hospitals isn't newsworthy. It doesn't sell papers. "Cases" need to stay relevant.
You would think a vaccinated majority and normalized hospital capacities would end it all and get back to normal, but it won't, they're gonna ride this thing's coattails as long as they can. Milk every last drop.

[DigitalMilford]

Originally Posted by SteveM85

... but it won't, they're gonna ride this thing's coattails as long as they can. Milk every last drop.

Who is "they" and who benefits from this?

I haven't met a single person who doesn't want this over.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by DigitalMilford

Who is "they" and who benefits from this?

C'mon now. The media literally makes revenue from Covid news.

[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by DigitalMilford

I haven't met a single person who doesn't want this over.

Nor have I

Originally Posted by Stylo

C'mon now. The media literally makes revenue from Covid news.

I thought it went without saying

[DigitalMilford]

Originally Posted by Stylo

C'mon now. The media literally makes revenue from Covid news.

Marketing and advertising budgets are way down, and with the exception of subscription media like Netflix, revenues are down. Media is still mostly dependent on advertising, and, in turn, being negatively impacted by Covid. Some local media is experiencing an increase in eyeballs, but, the advertising budgets aren't there to capitalize.

Sorry to inject reality into a good anti-media rant.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by Stylo

C'mon now. The media literally makes revenue from Covid news.

If not for Covid, there would be something else. Many newspapers were on life support before this, and with advertising revenue at the local level so low, many will not make it.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

If not for Covid, there would be something else. Many newspapers were on life support before this, and with advertising revenue at the local level so low, many will not make it.

Exactly. Jay