The new COVID thread

[GwynnInTheHall]

Had to grab a ride home from the Auto Mechanics today. My driver was an obvious non masker, but said she was vaccinated. I kept my mask on. For the 25 min drive she continually complained about Covid protocols, how she should have a choice, how she moved to this country to have that choice, how people are gonna die anyway etc. It was a non stop rambling mixture of persecutions, anti intellectual garbage and disgust. I thought to interject, but could tell--it wasn't worth the effort. SO, I just kept wearing my mask and looking forward to the ride ending.

It's fuckling hilariously sad that the Anti Covidians and Anti Vaxxers feel like the persecuted, when it's their actions/inactions who are impacting others in a detrimental way.

Bizzarro..

[The Feral Slasher]

Conservative commentators and radio/TV personalities dying left and right of COVID, including a guy who called himself "Mr. Anti-Vaxx". This particular one made one final tweet in which he compared the push to get citizens vaccinated to Naziism. He follows in the unfortunate footsteps of other right wing personalities being hoisted by their own petards, including another guy whose last social media message was encouraging others, like himself, to get ivermectin. He died shortly thereafter.

I wish this would make a difference to more covid/vaccine skeptics. I know a few will reconsider, but i have faith a majority wont. So frustrating

[Bene Futuis]

Conservative commentators and radio/TV personalities dying left and right of COVID, including a guy who called himself "Mr. Anti-Vaxx". This particular one made one final tweet in which he compared the push to get citizens vaccinated to Naziism. He follows in the unfortunate footsteps of other right wing personalities being hoisted by their own petards, including another guy whose last social media message was encouraging others, like himself, to get ivermectin. He died shortly thereafter.

[Bene Futuis]

Eric Clapton, already a racist and fascist supporting POS, has further cemented his legacy of being a douchebag by putting out some crappy anti-vaxx anthem.

[Sour Masher]

I was thinking of both those analogies last night after my post. I started with the drunk driver and while my wife and I were debating belief and if believing fervently was in any way a justification, she stated that the Isis-K member who blew himself and 170 people held deep convictions in a similar manner to the San Angelo guy. Thus the terrorist analogy.

I believe these people who refuse the vaccine range from the thoughtless drunk driver to the zealous terrorist.

One question..... Are those who survive these antivaxxer/maskers, but double down on their dangerous rhetoric-even worse than the one they just lost or am I being too harsh in believing so?

It is hard for me to make much of a distinction between the two groups, because my perspective is the wrongness of their actions is so obvious from the start. However, sure, the people who double down even after their beliefs are directly and personally refuted could be considered worse. Some might consider them better, because their convictions did not waiver, even when the worst case outcomes affected them directly.

[GwynnInTheHall]

I should clarify--I do not mourn his passing in a vacuum. I agree, he brought it on himself, and if his death leads anyone else who shared his beliefs reason to reconsider, it will only go a short way in negating the harm he spent the latter part of his life spreading. My sadness is for his wife, who was not an anti-masker, and his children, and more broadly, for the absolutely misguided convictions of people like them that lead them to die and kill in the name of what they believe is a righteous cause. In that way, I liken him more to a terrorist than a drunk driver. Drunk drivers generally don't have strong convictions about the righteousness of drunk driving that lead them to preach its merit to others. So, no, I don't mourn his death at all in a vacuum. He got what was coming to him, but like many terrorists, he seemed to really believe his wrong words and actions were righteous. That is a dangerous thing for all, as we continue to see.

I was thinking of both those analogies last night after my post. I started with the drunk driver and while my wife and I were debating belief and if believing fervently was in any way a justification, she stated that the Isis-K member who blew himself and 170 people held deep convictions in a similar manner to the San Angelo guy. Thus the terrorist analogy.

I believe these people who refuse the vaccine range from the thoughtless drunk driver to the zealous terrorist.

One question..... Are those who survive these antivaxxer/maskers, but double down on their dangerous rhetoric-even worse than the one they just lost or am I being too harsh in believing so?

[Sour Masher]

Yeah, I’m pretty much with GITH on this. Yes, it’s absolutely a tragedy for the families of people this happens to. But they know what they need to do, but refuse to do it. It’s a broader version of people who knowingly drive drunk, putting themselves and others at risk. I can’t feel a whole lot of sympathy for drunk drivers who kill or injure themselves, either.

I should clarify--I do not mourn his passing in a vacuum. I agree, he brought it on himself, and if his death leads anyone else who shared his beliefs reason to reconsider, it will only go a short way in negating the harm he spent the latter part of his life spreading. My sadness is for his wife, who was not an anti-masker, and his children, and more broadly, for the absolutely misguided convictions of people like them that lead them to die and kill in the name of what they believe is a righteous cause. In that way, I liken him more to a terrorist than a drunk driver. Drunk drivers generally don't have strong convictions about the righteousness of drunk driving that lead them to preach its merit to others. So, no, I don't mourn his death at all in a vacuum. He got what was coming to him, but like many terrorists, he seemed to really believe his wrong words and actions were righteous. That is a dangerous thing for all, as we continue to see.

[chancellor]

Yeah, I’m pretty much with GITH on this. Yes, it’s absolutely a tragedy for the families of people this happens to. But they know what they need to do, but refuse to do it. It’s a broader version of people who knowingly drive drunk, putting themselves and others at risk. I can’t feel a whole lot of sympathy for drunk drivers who kill or injure themselves, either.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Here is one for the Shadenfreude crowd. A anti-mask freedom rally organizer has died of COVID at age 30, after refusing testing, because he did not want to become part of the COVID test statistics and after taking the recently touted home remedies on the right, including Ivermectin. His family's GoFundMe is doing very well, and they are going to need it--he leaves behind a pregnant stay-at-home wife, with three daughters and a foruth on the way.

I find the story incredibly sad, and I am left continuing to be dumbfounded by those who act like he did. It is as if there is an inborn need for many to find a cause worth dying for, and if none is around, they pick a less worthy one anyway. I am not criticizing his beliefs, even if I disagree with them, but the level of his conviction. I cannot fathom going all in on anti-safety measures as if they were really the equivalent of the horrors inflicted on people by the Nazis, as so many on the right love to claim so offensively. Even if one is skeptical of the efficacy of masks, or the need for other COVID regulations, to not only know with complete certainty that your belief is accurate, but to be willing to die for it, and take many more with you....it reminds me of what Nietzche said, "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."

You are much more understanding than I am. This guy was from San Angelo, Tx--where I went to college and not only did he refuse to vaccinate, mitigate or educate--he spread misinformation and was the founder of San Angelo Freedom Defenders. A couple of my pals who still live in the area knew the guy and like you, are somewhat saddened and non critical even though they disagree with his choices.

I just can't be that way anymore. Especially with guys like this who not only refused to do his part to prevent others from getting and possibly dying from Covid, but actively campaigned to get others to do the same.

Is it a tragedy he died? With a few exceptions, every loss of life is tragic--but the guy did it to himself and so he'll get not a drop of sympathy from me, his family will--but only if they use this tragedy to prevent others from adopting/encouraging this man's opinions on Covid. If they choose to double down--fuck em. I am tired of the willful ignorance of those who continue to rail against vaccines, mitigation measures and the virus in general--It's killing people--People I know, family, friends--and those it doesn't kill it can still disable for life. I've at least 2 friends I know that are and may be for quite a while--if not life--hooked up to oxygen tanks, they cannot even walk down the damn hall without gasping for breath.

Lives, lifestyles, industries ALL affected in a detrimental way because these asshats will NOT listen to reason and in some cases actively go out of their way to convince others of their asinine ways.

So yeah, it's tragic--but they have no one else to blame but themselves.

The Mean Guy.

[Sour Masher]

It is easy to get down right now, in the middle of a Delta spike hitting us harder than many thought it would at this point, and the waning efficacy in the vaccines in stopping infection and spread, but it is worth reflecting on how lucky we were that the science was in the right spot to be able to develop these vaccines so quickly, and that we are fortunate that the vaccines are doing a lot of good, saving countless lives. And with all the frustration over anti-vaxxers, the US's overall rate of vaccination is double the world average (due largely to our privilege of access, of course), and 82% of our population over the age of 65 is fully vaccinated, and 92% has had at least one shot.

It is easy to focus on the losses and the tragedies, the mistakes that led to so many needless deaths. But as with everything pertaining to the human condition, we have a mix of hair-pulling madness and stupidity, and truly remarkable achievements. Some of these numbers are pretty amazing, given where we were just a year ago: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ine-doses.html

[Sour Masher]

Here is one for the Shadenfreude crowd. A anti-mask freedom rally organizer has died of COVID at age 30, after refusing testing, because he did not want to become part of the COVID test statistics and after taking the recently touted home remedies on the right, including Ivermectin. His family's GoFundMe is doing very well, and they are going to need it--he leaves behind a pregnant stay-at-home wife, with three daughters and a foruth on the way.

I find the story incredibly sad, and I am left continuing to be dumbfounded by those who act like he did. It is as if there is an inborn need for many to find a cause worth dying for, and if none is around, they pick a less worthy one anyway. I am not criticizing his beliefs, even if I disagree with them, but the level of his conviction. I cannot fathom going all in on anti-safety measures as if they were really the equivalent of the horrors inflicted on people by the Nazis, as so many on the right love to claim so offensively. Even if one is skeptical of the efficacy of masks, or the need for other COVID regulations, to not only know with complete certainty that your belief is accurate, but to be willing to die for it, and take many more with you....it reminds me of what Nietzche said, "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."

[Bene Futuis]

N=1000

[Sour Masher]

The racial breakdown in that poll is inconsistent with numbers I have seen to this point. Not a fan of self-reporting data on something like vaccination, and I can't find how many people were polled, but it is at least interesting that so many said they were vaccinated. To this point, everything I have seen indicated AAs are vaccinated at a lower rate than other groups, and I think it is a failing of messaging and trust building.

It is also surprising the poll indicated 18-34 is more vaxxed than the 35-49 age range. That too is inconsistent with the all of the data I have seen.

[Bene Futuis]

[Moonlight J]

worked with a school district this week who has seen the following jump week over week in data:

Positive cases were up 178% week over week:
-up 237% with students
-up 61% with employees

Total Direct Contacts Quarantined up 276% week over week:
-up 324% with students
-down 20% with employees

This is a district which allows parents to opt their children out of a mask policy without any kind of medical reason, and 15% of parents have done so with their children over the past week.

There is a math lesson there somewhere....