XPost: alt.tv.pol-incorrect, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.politics.usa
XPost: sci.med.diseases

Uh oh.

While the mainstream (read: liberal) media have gone wild with
speculation of the newly emerged Omicron variant, one MSNBC host now
says it may be much ado about nothing.

Chris Hayes said Wednesday on his nightly show that sure, COVID-19 is
bad for anyone who is immuno-compromised or has a co-morbidity. “But
for the people who don’t fall into that [high-risk] category – and
we’re talking about, 150 million people, maybe, or more — those people
who are vaccinated and particularly those who are boosted, you know,
the personal risk went from something we hadn’t really dealt with
before in our lifetimes … to something that does look more like the
flu,” Hayes said.

“Now, the flu of course can still be dangerous – kills tens of
thousands of Americans every year — but we do not orient our lives
around the flu,” he said. “So that’s closer to the level of risks that,
you know, 200 million Americans or less than that are now dealing
with.”

After nearly two long years of shutdowns and lockdowns, school and
business closures, along with government mandates for mask wearing and vaccinations, Hayes said Americans have just about had it.

“And then when you add in the sheer exhaustion many people feel — and I
don’t have to tell you this I’m sure because you’re just feeling this
yourself, many of you — but the length of this disruption to our lives, obviously the politics of the pandemic are just completely different
than they were earlier in the pandemic,” Hayes said.

.@chrislhayes on the weird reality for vaccinated folks amid
omicron wave:

The risk went from something we hadn’t really dealt with
before in our lifetimes, to something that looks more like
the flu. The flu can still be dangerous—but we do not reorient
our lives around the flu. pic.twitter.com/4K5qNOplpW

— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) December 30, 2021

The media breathlessly reports the ever-rising number of cases that
have hit the U.S. this winter, but several recent studies — and even
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who usually leans toward the worst-case scenario —
are now saying Omicron appears to be less severe compared to the Delta
variant that has been widespread.

During a White House COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday, the top U.S.
immunologist cited a study from the University of Edinburgh that
suggests the risk of hospitalization from Omicron is two-thirds lower
than Delta.

“As we get further and further in the experience with Omicron — and
perhaps even variants that might come after that — it’s very, very
clear: For example, with Omicron, if you have a larger number of
infections — and as the data that I presented here indicate that there
is — it looks like a significant lessening of severity compared to
others — it becomes much more relevant as to what the seriousness of
the impact on society is,” Fauci said.

“We’re never going to stop counting tests. But we’re looking forward,
as I think everyone feels is appropriate, that, ultimately, when we’re
going to have to, quote, ‘live’ with something that will not be
eradicated and very likely would not be eliminated, but can actually be
at such a lower level of control — namely a control that does not
disrupt society, does not disrupt the economy — that it will be much
more relevant as to what the level of seriousness of impact is, as
opposed to infection, which might turn out to be milder,” the doctor
added.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who served on former President Trump’s White House Coronavirus
Task Force and is now President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser on
COVID-19, also said the “final conclusion about the level of severity
in children remains to be determined.”

But he added: “And so to repeat what we say so often and it deserves reemphasis, the risk of severe disease from any circulating variant,
including Omicron, is much, much higher for the unvaccinated. And so,
adults and children who are eligible, get vaccinated and vaccinated
people, get boosted when eligible.”

Fauci’s comments mirrored the recent findings from the U.K. Health
Security Agency (UKHSA), which operates much like the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency found that those who
contract Omicron are less likely to become severely ill compared to
people who get the Delta variant, according to the data, Politico
reported.

“More people are likely to have a mild illness with less serious
symptoms — probably in part due to Britain’s large number of vaccinated
and previously infected people, and possibly because Omicron may be intrinsically milder,” Politico reported. “Chief Medical Officer Chris
Whitty has previously cautioned against too much optimism based on the
initial optimistic signs from South Africa in the past few weeks.
However, the UKHSA’s view after studying cases in Britain is that
Omicron is indeed usually less severe than Delta.”

But the report included one caveat: “The less good news is that while
Omicron seems milder overall, the UKHSA has found it is not necessarily
mild enough to avoid large numbers of hospitalizations. The experts
have found evidence that for those who do become severely ill, there is
still a high chance of hospitalization and death.”

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Let's go Brandon!

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