Replies

The data from those physicians like Jim Noble and myself and the others who have and treat this everyday

The facts are these, take them, leave them, call them propaganda, but it does not change what we are seeing in our areas.

1. When delta went through, there were no vaccinated patients in any of our hospitals who progressed to critical illness. Not one

2. There were sporadic vaccinated cases who ended up on the floor in the hospital for a day or two, but did fine and were discharged no worse for the wear.

3. There is no question that the vaccine does not prevent disease, however there is plenty of evidence that it did reduce transmission (albeit not eliminate it) with alpha and delta waves. Anyone who says any different is not telling the truth

4. There is ample evidence that it prevented disease in a large part of the cohort, but was not 100% effective — and it was noted at first that the vaccine was 95% effective at stopping disease and transmission, which in retrospect is probably high. But to the highest degree of evidence, vaccinated people simply did not die from SARS - CoVI - 2 (delta)

5. Omicron is currrently the most common variant across the world.

6. Omicron has been ripping around the US for at least 6 weeks, but there is NO demonstrable increase in hospitalization nor deaths. This lends credence to the fact that omicron likely is a pandemic ender as it has evolved into a brief, self limited disease that is highly transmissible. Currently there are no reports of deaths in the US secondary to omicron or its effects on a patients comorbidities

7. In my hospital, we have seen a lot of people admitted for non-pandemic illness, and due to needing a procedure were tested and found to be (+) although asymptomatic. Thus, there is reconsideration that we should NOT test those who are with no symptoms.

8. It is clear that people who had alpha and delta died OF covid due to its interactions with their own pathologies and comorbidities (increase in death rate as noted by actuarial analysis in 2021 over what would be normal)

9. The narrative of being sick and having an incidental finding of CoVID seems to be true with omicron.

10. Despite vaccination status, omicron is clearly breaking thought. But this is likely because it is not longer an LRI, but an URI. One would except such a shift in function would allow infection

11. Early studies show that omicron produces robust antibodies to previous strains. Due to its R0 and lack of serious disease, this is what has caused South Africa to end all covid restrictions now that 80% of their population as apparently tested (+) for CoVID.

12. Previous corona infections seems to have conferred partial immunity on CoVID 19 — as such, study from Japan today seems to point out that omicron will at least give partial immunity to future strains (CoVID as a species retains very much so distinct structure as opposed to other viruses that cannot mutate and still be of corona genus)

This is offered without opinion or political gamesmanship. I am absolutely in agreement that Jim Noble is correct as it is exactly what I am seeing as it is exactly what ICU and hospital based physicians have seen all throughout.

I remain optimistic that what we are seeing with omicron is exactly what we have seen with other pandemics, and that we an rely on the laws of epidemiology instead of the politics of the moment to safely get through this. I agree with fighting the fight against mandatory vaccination — that is just not justified. People should be able to make a reasonable choice based on the best information by analyzing both the info and the strength of the data. Only then an informed decision can be made.