The COVID Charade Reboots

Now, the public is coming to the realization that the COVID vaccine does not uniformly prevent getting the illness; and it apparently is not uniformly preventing vaccinated folks from transmitting the illness to others.

We knew from the studies and the initial descriptions of the vaccine that it never really was represented to prevent people from getting infected. And we did not know how the vaccine would affect transmission. Instead, the value of the vaccine mainly is that it prevents some of the most severe complications due to COVID. And this seems to be confirmed by the fact that deaths are not climbing dramatically even though we have more hospitalizations.

But we once again face a crisis of credibility for the ruling classes and the public health establishment. Consider the bewildering array of edicts--

• mask, unmask, mask again;
• force vaccination even if you are not at risk, and even though the vaccine does not prevent transmission;
• force vaccination even if you have been previously infected, or if you test positive for antibodies;
• lock down, re-open, and perhaps lock down again;
• ignore the scientific and the rational, and instead dictate to your subjects based on whatever feels right, or whatever will assuage perceptions.

We find ourselves in this quandary because some of our leaders are inclined toward tyranny. And the rest of our leaders are inclined toward cowardice or are profoundly ignorant-- take your pick.

Many citizens are understandably angered by the requirements to return to using masks in schools and elsewhere. Many others are also angered by forced vaccination. And they are entirely justified to feel this way. They ought to consider every recourse they might have.

Last year, the focus needed to be on protecting the vulnerable, treating the sick, offering preventive medication and leaving most of us free to go about our daily lives. When the calculated decision was made to refuse taking this approach by leaders from both parties, it led us toward our present moment. It assured we would still be dealing with this issue today because there was a failure to confront and oppose the wrong-headedness of the approaches that were being advocated.

Do we have herd immunity? Not in the classical sense. But the vaccines offered could only provide herd immunity from the most severe effects of the illness, not from the illness itself. From that standpoint, we are once again very close to the kind of herd immunity that matters most for COVID-19.

Comments

[Fred Gregory]

TC: Should I believe this ?

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7021e3.htm

COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections Reported to CDC — United States, January 1–April 30, 2021
Weekly / May 28, 2021 / 70(21);792–793

On May 25, 2021, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release.

CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Case Investigations Team (View author affiliation )

COVID-19 vaccines are a critical tool for controlling the ongoing global pandemic. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued Emergency Use Authorizations for three COVID-19 vaccines for use in the United States.* In large, randomized-controlled trials, each vaccine was found to be safe and efficacious in preventing symptomatic, laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 (1–3). Despite the high level of vaccine efficacy, a small percentage of fully vaccinated persons (i.e. received all recommended doses of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine) will develop symptomatic or asymptomatic infections with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (2–8).

CDC is working with state and territorial health departments to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infections among persons who are fully vaccinated and to monitor trends in case characteristics and SARS-CoV-2 variants identified from persons with these infections. For this surveillance, a vaccine breakthrough infection is defined as the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA or antigen in a respiratory specimen collected from a person ≥14 days after receipt of all recommended doses of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. State health departments voluntarily report vaccine breakthrough infections to CDC.† When possible, genomic sequencing is performed on respiratory specimens that test positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (9).

A total of 10,262 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine breakthrough infections had been reported from 46 U.S. states and territories as of April 30, 2021. Among these cases, 6,446 (63%) occurred in females, and the median patient age was 58 years (interquartile range = 40–74 years). Based on preliminary data, 2,725 (27%) vaccine breakthrough infections were asymptomatic, 995 (10%) patients were known to be hospitalized, and 160 (2%) patients died. Among the 995 hospitalized patients, 289 (29%) were asymptomatic or hospitalized for a reason unrelated to COVID-19. The median age of patients who died was 82 years (interquartile range = 71–89 years); 28 (18%) decedents were asymptomatic or died from a cause unrelated to COVID-19. Sequence data were available from 555 (5%) reported cases, 356 (64%) of which were identified as SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern,§ including B.1.1.7 (199; 56%), B.1.429 (88; 25%), B.1.427 (28; 8%), P.1 (28; 8%), and B.1.351 (13; 4%).

As of April 30, 2021, approximately 101 million persons in the United States had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.¶ However, during the surveillance period, SARS-CoV-2 transmission continued at high levels in many parts of the country, with approximately 355,000 COVID-19 cases reported nationally during the week of April 24–30, 2021.** Even though FDA-authorized vaccines are highly effective, breakthrough cases are expected, especially before population immunity reaches sufficient levels to further decrease transmission. However, vaccine breakthrough infections occur in only a small fraction of all vaccinated persons and account for a small percentage of all COVID-19 cases (5–8). The number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths that will be prevented among vaccinated persons will far exceed the number of vaccine breakthrough cases. To date, the age and sex distribution of reported vaccine breakthrough infections reflects the fully vaccinated U.S. population.†† The proportion of reported vaccine breakthrough infections attributed to variants of concern has also been similar to the proportion of these variants circulating throughout the United States. During March 28–April 10, 2021, the aforementioned variants of concern accounted for 70% of the weighted estimates of SARS-CoV-2 lineages submitted to CDC’s national genomic surveillance.§§

The findings in this report are subject to at least two limitations. First, the number of reported COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases is likely a substantial undercount of all SARS-CoV-2 infections among fully vaccinated persons. The national surveillance system relies on passive and voluntary reporting, and data might not be complete or representative. Many persons with vaccine breakthrough infections, especially those who are asymptomatic or who experience mild illness, might not seek testing. Second, SARS-CoV-2 sequence data are available for only a small proportion of the reported cases.

Beginning May 1, 2021, CDC transitioned from monitoring all reported COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections to investigating only those among patients who are hospitalized or die, thereby focusing on the cases of highest clinical and public health significance. CDC will continue to lead studies in multiple U.S. sites to evaluate vaccine effectiveness and collect information on all COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infections regardless of clinical status. Additional information and resources to help public health departments and laboratories investigate and report COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases are available at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-departments/breakthrough-cases.html.

FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective (1–8). CDC recommends that all persons aged ≥12 years be vaccinated with an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine¶¶ (10).

[Fred Gregory]

Senate leader Phil Berger calls CDC guidance on masks ‘guidance to ignore’

Raleigh News & Observer

BY DANIELLE BATTAGLIA
JULY 28, 2021 03:22 PM, UPDATED JULY 29, 2021 01:14 PM

Senate Leader Phil Berger called the CDC’s guidance on wearing masks as something similar to that of eating raw cookie dough: “guidance to ignore.”

A fundraising email sent Wednesday morning said the latest CDC guidelines aren’t based on science but a method by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the media and liberals to control the American people.

Berger’s spokespersons Lauren Horsch and Pat Ryan directed campaign fundraising questions to NC GOP Senate Caucus Political Leader Dylan Watts who said the email’s subject line: “CDC issues new guidelines to ignore,” was a mistake.

A corrected email has not been sent out to constituents.

“I will say that it shouldn’t say go ignore the advice,” Watts said. “I think the headline probably should have said CDC issued new guidelines; people will ignore it.”

Watts said the point of the email was that people don’t listen to the CDC guidelines.

“The CDC has given people more consistent guidance on eating raw cookie dough than they have on masks,” Watts said. “At some point, people stop listening.”

COVID CASES, DEATHS CONTINUE TO INCREASE

On Tuesday, the CDC recommended that everyone who enters a school building wear a mask and that vaccinated people in areas of substantial and severe transmission wear masks indoors.

The recommendations came as the number of COVID-19 cases increased in the United States and the CDC learned that the Delta variant is more transmissible than previous versions of the virus. The variant has also led to breakthrough cases in those who have been vaccinated.

[Triad Conservative]

Fred, I think you can believe much of the CDC's release except the vaccine recommendation at the tail end. People who are not at risk don't need the vaccine.

And Berger is right on this one.

[Fred Gregory]

CDC’s New Mask Guidance Punishes The Vaccinated To Protect The NON-Vaccinated

https://lidblog.com/cdcs-new-mask-guidance/

[Fred Gregory]

Mask Guidance Based On Misleading Data

https://victorygirlsblog.com/mask-guidance-based-on-misleading-data/

[Triad Conservative]

Good illustrations of how ridiculous this whole situation is, Fred...

[Fred Gregory]

We got some new COVID-19 rules yesterday. They were different than the rules we got the day before that, and I assume they’re different than the rules we’ll get tomorrow.

To recap:

1. Absolutely do not wear a mask

2.You must, must, must wear a mask or you’re killing Grandma

3.Don’t leave the house or you’re killing Grandma

4.If you can’t avoid leaving the house, stay at least six feet away from any other human being you see or you’re killing Grandma

5.Wash your hands 20 times a day

6.Do not touch your face or anything else, ever

7.Get vaccinated so you don’t have to wear a mask

8.You have to wear a mask even if you’re vaccinated

9.When the above rules change, and then change back, and then change back again, shut up about it or you’re a stupid MAGA-head

10.Don’t forget to vote Democrat.

[Triad Conservative]

We're living in the Twilight Zone, Fred.