COVID has killed a million-plus Americans. But the disastrous US policy response — blunt-instrument shutdowns and endless fear-mongering — has inflicted its own terrible toll, per numbers gathered in a Wall Street Journal report.
One ugly example: Data show a serious spike in deaths from heart attacks (4.1%) and strokes (5.2%) in 2020 over 2019. Why? Likely because policies and rhetoric on isolation and social distancing caused people to miss doctor visits and avoid hospitals.
And US drug-overdose deaths hit a hideous record, topping 107,000 in 2021, up about 15% increase from 2020, which was up nearly 30% from 2019.“We’ve never seen anything like this,” said the Centers for Disease Control staffer in charge of mortality numbers.
Social isolation, job loss and widescale disruption of everything we once took for granted in the name of “slowing the spread” was a driving force here (along with the influx of fentanyl across our southern border under President Joe Biden).
With schools shut, jobs gone remote and everyday interaction policed, mental-health issues also soared. The 18-25 age group saw the worst effect: one dataset shows 9.7% of that group suffering serious mental illness in 2020.
The gun homicide rate skyrocketed as well, jumping 35% from 2019 to 2020. Guess who bears the brunt? Overwhelmingly people of color, the very group COVID hawks swore they were shutting our kids out of pre-K to protect.
School closures, restrictions on gatherings, commercial shutdowns, mask and vaccine mandates and the endless terror-driving rhetoric were the hallmark of blue-state political leaders like New York’s Andrew Cuomo and California’s Gavin Newsom playing up to their constituencies of urbanites insulated by affluence from their policies’ grim side effects.
And for what? States that stayed in alarmism mode, like New York, fared no better than less-restrictive states like Florida in overall COVID outcomes. The United States did significantly worse on COVID deaths per 100,000 than Sweden, which never ordered a full lockdown.
A million died, largely among the elderly and the immunocompromised. Our smashing of every social bond did nothing to save them. It did do massive harm to everyone else, especially young people.
Numbers don’t lie — and on COVID’s second toll they damn our expert class.
The New York Stock Exchange is withdrawing its mask mandate for fully vaccinated people effective immediately, a source said on Friday, after several large U.S. banks also dropped their mask requirements at their U.S. offices.
The NYSE, which is owned by Intercontinental Exchange Inc (ICE.N), is now making masks optional on the trading floor and other public areas for fully vaccinated personnel and visitors, a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, adding that the existing COVID-19 policies would still remain in place.
The exchange joins investment banks such as Goldman Sachs (GS.N), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N), which also said on Friday that they were dropping the requirement for staff to wear masks in the office.
Goldman Sachs will no longer require masks to be worn by employees at its U.S. offices from Monday and will leave it to individuals to decide if they want to mask up, a spokeswoman at the bank said.
Masks will now be optional on the trading floor and other public areas for fully vaccinated personnel and visitors.EPA
For fully vaccinated employees of JPMorgan working out of their U.S. offices, masks have been made completely voluntary, according to a memo seen by Reuters.
A large percentage of JPMorgan’s staff has been vaccinated, the memo sent to all U.S. employees said, adding that contact tracing and mandatory bi-weekly testing will be carried out for unvaccinated staff entering the offices.
The NYSE joins investment banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley in dropping their mask mandates for fully vaccinated people.REUTERS
Staff at Morgan Stanley’s offices will not be required to wear masks, a spokeswoman for the bank said, as only vaccinated employees are allowed into their buildings.
Major U.S. banks have rolled out plans to bring their staff back to office in recent weeks after the number of COVID-19 cases registered a drop.
Virginia Gov. Glenn YoungkinGlenn YoungkinOvernight Health Care — White House sees quick uptake for free tests Governors declare state of emergency ahead of severe winter weather Virginia’s new AG tells state colleges they can’t require COVID-19 vaccine for students MORE (R) is facing fierce pushback from Democrats as he implements a slew of conservative policies just two weeks after he formally assumed office.
The businessman-turned-politician has hit the ground running, signing a number of executive orders aimed at banning mask mandates and what his office has called “inherently divisive concepts, like Critical Race Theory and its progeny” from classrooms.
The executive orders have sparked backlash from Youngkin’s critics inside and outside of Virginia. Seven of the state’s school boards and some parents have already sued to block the governor’s mask-optional executive order for children in schools.
Meanwhile, a tip line established by Youngkin for parents to report what it deems to be “divisive practices” taught in classrooms — like critical race theory, an academic theory that focuses on the role of institutional racism in the nation’s history — has also met with criticism and mockery from the left. Singer John Legend urged Black parents in a tweet this week to flood the tip line with complaints about their history being silenced.
Youngkin’s Attorney General Jason Miyares has also taken a conservative stance on a number of issues, including coronavirus restrictions. On Friday, Miyares issued a legal opinion arguing that Virginia colleges and universities did not have the authority to mandate that students get the coronavirus vaccine.
The administration’s actions have earned Youngkin praise from his conservative allies, who say he is keeping his campaign promises.
“He’s followed through with exactly what he’s promised and so now there’s outrage on the left that he’s doing what he said he would do,” said Republican strategist Doug Heye.
“In Republican circles, that doesn’t hurt him at all, that helps him,” he added.
Republicans argue that Youngkin’s rollback of the coronavirus restrictions that were enacted under former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam (D) reflects the growing sense of fatigue Americans are feeling when it comes to the virus. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll published Friday found that 75 percent of respondents said they were tired of the pandemic, while 77 percent said they believe most people will eventually get the virus.
Youngkin’s allies have also touted the announcement of his COVID Action Plan, which was released earlier this month. According to the governor’s office, the plan would ensure that health care facilities and providers would be provided with the proper tools to combat the virus, while prioritizing rapid tests and encouraging the state’s residents to get vaccinated.
The effects of the pandemic do not appear to have helped President BidenJoe BidenFormer chairman of Wisconsin GOP party signals he will comply with Jan. 6 committee subpoena Romney tests positive for coronavirus Pelosi sidesteps progressives’ March 1 deadline for Build Back Better MORE, who is facing his first midterm election as president in November. A Pew Research poll released earlier this week showed that Biden’s approval rating on handling the pandemic had dropped from 65 percent last March to 44 percent this month.
But Democrats say Youngkin’s approval ratings, while only based off his first two weeks in office, are dismal.
A poll from the Democratic pollster Public Policy Polling released first to The Hill on Friday showed that 44 percent of Virginia voters approved of Youngkin’s handling of the poll, while 47 percent said they disapproved.
Youngkin’s executive order to make masks optional in Virginia schools has been met with the most resistance from school boards and some parents. The executive order allows parents to be the ultimate deciders of whether their children should wear masks in public or private schools.
School boards of Alexandria, Arlington County, Richmond, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Hampton and Prince William County filed a lawsuit with the Circuit Court for the County of Arlington earlier this week, arguing that the governor’s executive order making masks optional in schools was unconstitutional.
And according to The Washington Post, 53 percent of school districts are still requiring masks for students in their schools.
Youngkin himself defended his executive order to roll back the mask mandate in a Washington Post op-ed published earlier this week.
“My executive order ensures that parents can opt-out their kids from a school’s mask mandate,” Youngkin wrote. “It bans neither the wearing of masks nor the issuing of mask mandates. Parents can now choose whether wearing a mask at school is right for their child.”
Contacted by The Hill, Youngkin’s office pointed to comments from his joint address to Virginia lawmakers earlier this year in which he called for both parties to come together.
The current law on the books in Virginia states that “to the maximum extent practicable, to any currently applicable mitigation strategies for early childhood care and education programs and elementary and secondary schools to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 that have been provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
“Parents want schools open and the science is clear—masks are an effective tool in preventing the spread of this virus,” Virginia Democratic Party Chair Susan Swecker said in a call with reporters on Friday.
Youngkin’s critics have also accused him of talking out of both sides of his mouth through acting more moderately on the campaign trail and governing more divisively.
“He campaigned focusing on bringing people together, collaboration, and being a governor for everybody,” said Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D), the minority leader in Virginia’s House of Delegates.
“Now we’re seeing a totally different course of action.”
Democrats also argue that Youngkin’s actions, whether it’s the tip line to report “divisive practices” or making masks optional, amount to a deeper conflict between Youngkin and public schools.
“It’s really clear that this governor is preparing for a war against our public schools,” Swecker said. “We hope that the courts rule in the favor of science, public health, the law, and most of all, our students.”
The legal challenge from the seven school boards will be heard next week.
“The governor suggested that everyone follow the lead of their principle while the litigation is pending, but I certainly hope school administrators will follow the law if the executive order is upheld,” said Brad Todd, a Republican strategist and adviser to Miyares.
Youngkin’s rhetoric on mask and vaccine mandates, as well as parents’ rights in the education sphere, largely matches up with what he said on the campaign trail. Candidate Youngkin put a special emphasis on taking power away from school boards and giving parents a greater say in their children’s education. In fact, the strategy used by Youngkin on education has now become sort of a prototype for many Republicans running in statewide races in 2022.
“His executive actions since taking office are a direct reflection of the mandate he was given by Virginians at the ballot box to restore parents’ rights to do what they think is best for their children,” said Jessica Anderson, the executive director of Heritage Action for America, an offshoot to the conservative Heritage Foundation.
“Local school officials who are refusing to comply with Youngkin’s parent-supported, pro-freedom agenda are standing in the way of Virginians who subscribe to the idea that parents have the best interests of their children in mind,” Anderson added.
However, the governor’s critics say the actions from the administration have resulted in him getting off on the wrong foot with Democrats, who still control the state Senate in Richmond.
“There were Democrats in the legislature eager to work with the new administration on a variety of issues where they can agree on what is best for Virginia, and yet they are now in full resist mode against the administration because of the 11 executive actions on day one,” said Mark Rozell, dean and Ruth D. and John T. Hazel chair in public policy at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.
It’s unclear how Youngkin’s relationship with Democrats will unfold over his term in Virginia, which until this month had a Democratic governor since 2014. However, it’s clear that the new administration is setting the tone for Richmond over the next four years.
“It’s going to be quite a ride,” Rozell said. “They didn’t start quiet.”
John Stockton’s latest pass has cost him his Gonzaga season tickets.
The Hall of Fame point guard and Gonzaga alum had his basketball season tickets suspended after declining to comply with the school’s mask mandate at McCarthey Athletic Center, according to The Spokesman-Review.
“Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,” Stockton, 59, told the newspaper. “And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups – those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up – they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets.”
The NBA’s all-time assists leader has been vocal in his anti-vaccination beliefs while also spreading misinformation about COVID-19. He baselessly claimed in his interview with The Spokesman-Review that professional athletes have been dying from the vaccine. There is no evidence COVID vaccines are causing deaths.
“I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead – professional athletes – the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton told the paper.
John Stockton in the stands at a Gonzaga game in 2016.AP
Stockton described his conversation about the decision with Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford as “congenial” but “not pleasant.”
For entry to its home athletic events, Gonzaga requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours. But the school has also recently become stricter in enforcing the mask mandate, The Spokesman-Review reported, which led to Stockton having his season tickets suspended.
Top-ranked Gonzaga only has five home games left on its schedule this season, but Stockton, who played at Gonzaga from 1980-84, will be forced to watch them from afar.
John Stockton, a Gonzaga alum and Jazz legend, is the NBA’s all-time assist leader.AFP via Getty Images
“I think certainly it stresses (the relationship with Gonzaga). I’m pretty connected to the school,” said Stockton, a Spokane, Wash. native. “I’ve been part of this campus since I was probably 5 or 6 years old. I was just born a couple blocks away and sneaking into the gym and selling programs to get into games since I was a small boy. So, it’s strained but not broken, and I’m sure we’ll get through it, but it’s not without some conflict.”
The coronavirus loses about 50 percent of its ability to infect about 10 seconds after it becomes airborne in a typical office environment, according to a new study about how the deadly bug survives in exhaled air.
“People have been focused on poorly ventilated spaces and thinking about airborne transmission over meters or across a room,” said Prof. Jonathan Reid, director of the University of Bristol’s Aerosol Research Centre, the Guardian reported.
“I’m not saying that doesn’t happen, but I think still, the greatest risk of exposure is when you’re close to someone,” said Reid, the lead author of the study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed.
“When you move further away, not only is the aerosol diluted down, there’s also less infectious virus because the virus has lost infectivity (as a result of time),” he added.
A man receives a nasal swab during a test for COVID-19 at a streetside testing booth in New York on December 17, 2021.ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images
The UK university researchers’ findings highlight the impact of short-range transmission — and stress the importance of physical distancing and masking up as the best way to avoid infection.
While still worthwhile, ventilation was deemed to be less effective, the news outlet reported.
The study determined that viral particles quickly lose moisture and dry out after they are expelled from the lungs. The particles’ pH also rises rapidly when the carbon dioxide in their environment drops, the news outlet reported.
Prof. Jonathan Reid headed the study that shows COVID-19 is 50 percent less infectious when it hits air.The Aerosol Society
The relative humidity of the surrounding air affects how fast the particles dry out.
When under 50 percent, such as the relatively dry air in an office, the virus had become half as infectious within 10 seconds. But at 90 percent humidity, 52 percent of particles remained infectious after five minutes, dropping to about 10 percent after 20 minutes.
Air temperature also did not affect the infectivity, contradicting the widely held belief that transmission is lower during warm weather.
Infections of the COVID-19 virus have been rising in the US. EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
“It means that if I’m meeting friends for lunch in a pub today, the primary [risk] is likely to be me transmitting it to my friends, or my friends transmitting it to me, rather than it being transmitted from someone on the other side of the room,” Reid said.
The British researchers generated minuscule particles that floated between two electric rings between five seconds and 20 minutes as the temperature, humidity and surrounding UV light intensity were tightly controlled, the Guardian said.
“This is the first time anyone has been able to actually simulate what happens to the aerosol during the exhalation process,” Reid said.
People with children sign up to receive rapid COVID-19 tests at a Long Beach Public Health Department testing site on January 10, 2022.PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
The experts noted the inaccuracy of experiments conducted by US researchers, who found that infectious virus could still be detected after three hours.
The Bristol team said the American scientists conducted their studies by spraying virus into sealed, rotating drums that do not allow them to recreate what happens when people cough or breathe.
(Newser) –
Schools that ask kids to wear masks are seeing fewer COVID outbreaks. The CDC released three reports on Friday. One summed up a study comparing outbreaks in schools that required masks and schools that didn’t in two school districts in Arizona, where Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona has banned mask mandates. Some schools there required them anyway, Yahoo News reports. Another one compared COVID case numbers in counties with school mask requirements and counties that didn’t. The third is simply a roundup of which schools have in-person, remote, or hybrid learning modalities, and which were closed for COVID outbreaks, and showed that most schools are open, even as the Delta variant spreads nationwide. Schools without mask requirements were 3.5 times more likely to have a COVID outbreak, per the Wall Street Journal.
Mobeen Rathore wasn’t involved in the studies, but he is chief of infectious diseases at a children’s hospital in a Florida county with no mask requirement for schools. In Duval County, where Rathore is, COVID cases among schoolchildren hit a high shortly after classes started, then declined when the school board changed the policy, mandating masks for 90 days. “Masks work,” Rathore told the WSJ. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also banned mask mandates, but some schools rebelled, and DeSantis docked bard members’ pay, per Yahoo News. In a press release accompanying the reports, the CDC continued to press the message that masks save lives, and not just of the kids in schools. Mask mandates “can reduce the burden on the health care systems that support these school districts,” the press release says. (Read more face masks stories.)
