Church was slam full today

against reacting well to a real one. The way this one was politicized has divided us while reducing trust in people who should be authoritative. If another coronavirus started tomorrow, same risk profile, but not affected by the current vaccine, I think many people, if not most, would think, "I've had enough of whatever theater I'm about to get. I'm making my own decisions this time."

This will sound political, but I can't help it: it happened. But I don't think I will ever forget the interchange between Rand Paul and Tony Fauci:

Fauci: "The vaccine will not allow us to get back to normal."
Paul: "Can you show any evidence of re-infection in a statistically significant amount?"
"It's about the variants (uses the word "variant" 3 more times)"
"Can you show any evidence of re-infection after the vaccine or having the illness?"
"You are not understanding. Its about variants (uses 'variants' 6 more times)".
"Can you show any evidence of re-infection?"
"You seem incapable of understanding me, its about variants, variants, variants."

The answer, of course, was 'no', variant or otherwise. Since Fauci wouldn't answer the question, I googled around for myself. There is very little discussion out there about variants and the current vaccine, but everyone who is connected with it and who has knowledge of what the vaccine actually is says some version of, "The variants are so new we of course have not tested the current vaccine against them in a long term study, but we know the makeup of both the variants and the vaccines, and we fully expect them to be quite effective, and early experience shows this to be the case."

But Fauci refused to say even that. These lifelong anonymous bureaucrats are having their day in the sun, and they are not going to give it up. It's gloom and doom 24/7. He'll put on a third mask any day now just to get to explain why.

So when the next one comes along, we're now supposed to trust these guys?

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Evidence of variants.....?

Apr 12, 2021, 11:58 AM [ in reply to Agree. The worst thing this virus has done is inoculate us ]

This may not be a pandemic because it may not end like one.

Evidence of variants? You have to look for it. About the last place to look for it is from a politician, or a political website or TV network, and lord knows not in Congressional testimony. You really have to toss out the garbage, go to sources, and read. Your exchange highlights something important though, with regard to loss of trust. No one wants to admit what is becoming pretty clear. Why did the United States not study "variants"? Why did it have to be the British to spill the beans on that? And why South Africa? And why has the US not studied our OWN variants? Yes, we have variants as well, and they are similar, and some different, than our allies' variants. There were no less than 6 major variants in March of 2020. Another interesting thing is we track every single person who gets a vaccine, and we track their symptoms. BUT, we have absolutely no way to track covid reinfections. They are happening and the important thing is to sort out reinfections with a different variant, versus antibody depletion resulting in a reinfection of whatever virus is going around. The first scenario means this becomes influenza-like, and will not go away. The second option means a good vaccine could end, or at least greatly reduce covid to a nuisance.

https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(21)00183-5/fulltext#back-bib4

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/5/20-4912_article

Genetic Evidence and Host Immune Response in Persons Reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, Brazil

Persons Reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, Brazil

Genetic Evidence and Host Immune Response in Persons Reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, Brazil

Persons Reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, Brazil

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/06/israel-and-chile-both-led-on-covid-jabs-so-why-is-one-back-in-lockdown

Israel and Chile both led on Covid jabs, so why is one back in lockdown?

Contrasting national outcomes highlight how easily UK could blow its chances

https://www.timesofisrael.com/real-world-israeli-data-shows-south-african-variant-better-at-bypassing-vaccine/

Israeli data shows South African variant able to ‘break through’ Pfizer vaccine

Strain is more effective than original COVID and the British variant at bypassing the shot, Israeli scientists find, in first-of-its-kind, real-world study

(the study, from the story about the study above - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.06.21254882v1.full.pdf)

Besides all of that, all the evidence you need to see herd immunity is likely not going to happen, and probably for the same reason it doesn't happen with the flu, is here:

https://nextstrain.org/ncov/global

If you scroll down and look at that pretty rainbow rectangular chart, those colors represent "variants". Upper left/blue was the original virus. It is all but extinct now across the planet, as is the second strain. You may note at the bottom right are some new colors that appeared around November of last year and are growing in prevalence. There are three variants that are increasing and now account for around 50% of all new infections on the planet (which btw are near record highs from earlier, worldwide anyway). Those three growing strains are...yep the "variants of concern"...Brazil, England, and South Africa. There's your proof, if you need it. Don't care what Fauci says, or doesn't say. In the article above about Manaus, Brazil, their first wave that resulted in 76% seroprevalence of antibodies (and herd immunity), was the original strain (upper left/blue). Their second wave was the new P.1 variant, the darkest red on the pretty rainbow chart at the bottom right. That variant overcame NATURAL antibodies to the original variant (between 25-65% of second wave infections in Manaus, Brazil were reinfections of people who had antibodies to the original strain). And, fwiw, our vaccines are based on the original variant, that basically no longer exists. Your second shot is VERY important, as that extends the longevity of your antibodies. Manaus popped again because either 1) the antibodies waned over time and/or 2) the new P.1 strain overcame those antibodies. That distinction is important with regard to vaccines. Either way, it shows herd immunity will be illusive. If it's #2, we're likely looking at the birth of another influenza-like virus.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/5/20-4912_article

The vaccines are the real wild card here. Naturally, this probably doesn't end, or doesn't end for a very long time. With vaccines, there's a chance, or even a chance it dies down to be more like influenza with some baseline immunity. The science is saying we should look at this more like influenza, and not like a pandemic STRAIN of influenza. The politicians say the sky is falling or it's all fake news, depending on their agendas. Considering how "news" has been released to Americans during this entire pandemic, we will know only when we need to know it. And even then, enough politicians and talking heads will get on TV talking about it so 50% of Americans either will or won't believe it.

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What about the snakes?

Re: What about the snakes?

If this was a true pandemic

Re: If this was a true pandemic

exactly

wait...***

I think eventually history may judge this isn't a pandemic***

Agree. The worst thing this virus has done is inoculate us

Re: Agree. The worst thing this virus has done is inoculate us

Evidence of variants.....?

Fun fact

82 is only a sampling.

Not sure how "history" would do that.

Because if it becomes permanent, like influenza

Well, the word is referring to an event...

One of the reasons I won’t be going back.***

Re: One of the reasons I won’t be going back.***

not fearing and being stupid aren't the same thing***

Re: not fearing and being stupid aren't the same thing***

Because it's true. Predicting someone is going to correct...

Re: Because it's true. Predicting someone is going to correct...

And the point I'm making is that being wise is not akin...

Re: And the point I'm making is that being wise is not akin...

That's apocryphal, the thing about "fear not"***

I am on the struggle bus too man

you are just mad because

Re: Church was slam full today

Re: Church was slam full today

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