Re: 9 - Guess I am not following. Many, many FReepers say that COVID-19 is no worse than the cold - so not sure what the issue is (for those FReepers).
Kidding aside, what variant is predominant in PRC? Is it similar to what is in most of the world - contagious but rarely lethal?
PRC has an aging population which may make matters worse.
Doubtful if mask and vaccine mandates gain any further traction in the US other than a few areas.
Fury, you are a deranged hypochondriac. If remember you pushing the vax mandates in 2020. You are a true kapo conservative.
Fury wrote: “Re: 9 - Guess I am not following. Many, many FReepers say that COVID-19 is no worse than the cold - so not sure what the issue is (for those FReepers).”
And, don’t forget the FReepers who insist that viruses, including COVID, don’t even exist.
I do not think it is a matter of which variant is most prevalent, how serious it is, or anything like that at all. The purpose is to say the magic word “covid” and to activate the totalitarian impulses of the government or governments in whichever Nations the disease happens to land.
Sadly, I think the Chinese saw this last election that occurred in the US, and saw that the electorate did not throw out its leadership. People talked about “red Wave red Wave” before the election. Frankly I think what we saw was a blue wave. Because as crappy as things are being run in this country the Republicans should have put up a 10-seat win in the Senate. But they didn’t. I would have to conclude that things aren’t bad enough for the people of the US to overthrow their leadership.
So if I was a member of the ccp, I would have to conclude that if I wanted to screw with the United States, I would renew the bulk transmission of covid and throw the same type of wrench into the works of the United States that the virus did last time. Maybe that is a radical, paranoid view. I happen to believe the Chinese are in a defacto war with the United States and wish to defeat us, by any means necessary or possible.
” what variant is predominant in PRC?”
the last article I read says it’s BF.7 - an omnicron variant that has pretty good immunity evasion against both vaccinated and acquired immunity.
It’s been around since 2021, but hasn’t really grabbed a foothold in the northern hem. Entered China allegedly thru Mongolia and has spread rapidly. BF.7 accounts for about 5% of the cases in the US.’
The US is focused on a different omnicron variant XBB.1.5 - now accounting for about 75% of the cases in the northeast region: https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/health/covid-variant-xbb-explainer/index.html
Don’t a much larger percentage of Chinese people smoke?
This could be a contributing factor. Just like asthma or other respiratory issues make covid worse.
I suppose it depends on what strain you contract. I had it in March and April of 2020 and it took me weeks to get over it and my lungs burned for months. It was definitely worse than any cold for me.