Some merry happy seasons greetings

 

... Merry Xmas!!!

...... Seasons Greetings!!!

......... Happy New Year!!!

We wished everyone a Happy New Year two years ago 

    and look what happened in 2020 #!@!#

We wished everyone a Happy New Year last year 

    and look what happened in 2021 #!@!#

Although everyone knows that the third time is the charm, 

   we're hedging our bets this year. 

         So here's to wishing that you won't have to learn more than 

         two new letters in the Greek alphabet in 2022 ... :-)

An Omicron paradox -- UPDATED

Last update: Monday 1/3/22

A recent op ed in the NY Times suggested that given Omicron's rapid conquest of the United Kingdom, a highly vaccinated country, it was better to make pandemic management policies based on surges in hospitalizations, rather than surges in infections. The ultimate objective has always been to keep hospitals (and other treatment facilities) from being overloaded. 

Please remind me again: Why are we vaccinating? Why are we boosting?

Last update: Friday 12/10/21 

Throughout 2020 everyone agreed that the purpose of vaccines was to protect people from severe illness and death. Our scientists developed highly effective vaccines in record time, "highly effective" as in: our vaccines reduced the likelihood of becoming severely ill or of dying by 95 percent compared to the severe illness and deaths suffered by unvaccinated persons. Things became a bit confused by mid-2021 with the sudden emergence of Delta as the dominant variant because Delta produced a substantial number of breakthrough cases, i.e., infections of vaccinated persons, even among persons who had been vaccinated within the previous three months.

President Biden's new winter Covid agenda ==> Vaccinations + rapid self-tests

Last update: Saturday 12/4/21

A few days ago President Biden announced a new nine point agenda for fighting Covid. Yes he's still pushing full vaccinations and boosters, but his new agenda's big news is rapid home tests. This good news is long overdue. Yes, everyone should be vaccinated, but breakthrough cases, i.e., infections of vaccinated persons, have been occurring with increasing frequency.  Without widely available, affordable rapid self tests, previous recommendations for "safe" gatherings of families and friends on holidays, other celebrations, and workplace meetings have been fraught with substantial unacknowledged risks.