Medical News of the Day
Tuesday, December 21st, 2021
Medical News of the Day - Tuesday, December 21st, 2021
Covid
Omicron
Omicron infections appear no less severe than Delta; COVID-19 lowers sperm count, mobility - Reuters
Infections caused by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus do not appear to be less severe than infections from Delta, according to early data from the UK.
Researchers at Imperial College London compared 11,329 people with confirmed or likely Omicron infections with nearly 200,000 people infected with other variants. So far, according to a report issued ahead of peer review and updated on Monday, they see “no evidence of Omicron having lower severity than Delta, judged by either the proportion of people testing positive who report symptoms, or by the proportion of cases seeking hospital care after infection.”
Stunning spike in COVID rattles New York - Fox 5 New York
Just a couple of weeks ago, New York City seemed like a relative bright spot in the U.S. coronavirus struggle. Now it's a hot spot, confronting a dizzying spike in cases, scramble for testing, quandary over a major event and exhausting sense of déjà vu.
An omicron-variant-fueled wave of cases is washing over the nation's most populous city, which served as a nightmarish test case for the country early in the pandemic. While health officials say there are important reasons why it's not spring 2020 all over again, some Broadway shows have abruptly canceled performances, an indoor face mask mandate is back and testing is hard to come by.
Virus fears widen as omicron variant takes hold across US - Associated Press
The nation’s second-largest city (Boston) called off its New Year’s Eve celebration Monday, and its smallest state re-imposed an indoor mask mandate as the omicron variant leaped ahead of other variants to become the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S.
The moves in Los Angeles and Rhode Island reflected widening fears of a potentially devastating winter COVID-19 surge. Much of the concern is being driven by omicron, which federal health officials announced accounted for 73% of new infections last week, a nearly sixfold increase in only seven days.
Omicron sweeps across nation, now 73% of new US COVID cases - Associated Press
Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers showed nearly a six-fold increase in omicron’s share of infections in only one week.
In much of the country, it’s even higher. Omicron is responsible for an estimated 90% or more of new infections in the New York area, the Southeast, the industrial Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. The national rate suggests that more than 650,000 omicron infections occurred in the U.S. last week.
Israel bans travel to US after Omicron cases found on Miami flight - Independent
Israel has announced a ban on citizens travelling to the United States amid concerns about Omicron, the new Covid variant, and rising infections in both countries.
The ban will come into affect at 10pm on Tuesday, Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennet said on Sunday night, with eight other countries joining a “no fly” list.
It will mean travel from Israel to more than 50 countries is forbidden, and those returning from red-listed destinations will be required to quarantine upon returning.
American Soldiers Fuel Omicron Fear in Japan Amid Covid Outbreak - Bloomberg Quint
An outbreak at a U.S. military base in Japan is fueling concern about the omicron variant, months after the nation saw a record delta wave of infections ebb.
More than 180 people are part of the cluster at the U.S. military Camp Hansen on the island prefecture of Okinawa, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Monday. Though it’s unclear how many, if any, of the infections were caused by the omicron variant as the military doesn’t genetically sequence its cases, concern is growing that the highly transmissible new variant is spreading as two people connected to the base have been confirmed to have it.
Quebec announces closure of businesses as daily cases top 4,500 - The Post Millennial
The new measures come after back-to-back record days of new cases, with Monday seeing over 4,500.
Substacks
The Implication of Bean Recounting: Imaginary CDC Statistics - Rounding the Earth Substack
"The world will never discover a person who is hiding in the crowd." -Mardy Grothe
Anybody who doesn't know of people who have faked getting vaccinated (have fake vaccine documentation) either doesn't know very many people, none of those people trust their discretion, or has their head firmly planted in the sand. But that's just one way that we know how unreliable vaccine statistics are. There are more.
Stunning data about vaccine failure from Ontario, Canada - Alex Berenson Substack
Them thar green line is infections among the vaccinated. Assuming these are Omicron cases, there are only two possibilities:
The vaccines have now failed completely.
Omicron preferentially infects vaccinated people.
Treatment
Omicron may sideline two leading drugs against COVID-19 - CP24
As strained U.S. hospitals brace for a new surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the fast-spreading omicron variant, doctors are warning of yet another challenge: the two standard drugs they've used to fight infections are unlikely to work against the new strain.
For more than a year antibody drugs from Regeneron and Eli Lilly have been the go-to treatments for early COVID-19, thanks to their ability to head off severe disease and keep patients out of the hospital.
Lockdowns/Protests/Mandates/Closures
More than 150 Comparative Studies and Articles on Mask Ineffectiveness and Harms - Brownstone Institute
It is not unreasonable to conclude that surgical and cloth masks, used as they currently are being used (without other forms of PPE protection), have no impact on controlling the transmission of Covid-19 virus. Current evidence implies that face masks can be actually harmful. The body of evidence indicates that face masks are largely ineffective.
My focus is on COVID face masks and the prevailing science that we have had for nearly 20 months. Yet I wish to address this mask topic at a 50,000-foot level on the lockdown restrictive policies in general. I build on the backs of the fine work done by Gupta, Kulldorff, and Bhattacharya on the Great Barrington Declaration (GBD) and similar impetus by Dr. Scott Atlas (advisor to POTUS Trump) who, like myself, was a strong proponent for a focused type of protection that was based on an age-risk stratified approach.
Thousands of Sydneysiders are choosing to wear face masks despite mandates being dropped — as the government urges Aussies to take 'personal responsibility' for their health as we move to the next stage of the pandemic.
Since December 15, NSW residents have no longer been required to wear masks or check into venues via QR codes for most indoor settings as the state adjusts to its new 'Covid normal'.
As eased restrictions came into effect last Wednesday, Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant advised people to continue mask-wearing indoors amid fears case numbers could balloon to 25,000-a-day by January.
Court order stops vaccine mandate for federal contractors in Missouri - for now - Fox 2 Now
The federal vaccine mandate will not be enforced in Missouri. At least not yet.
Missouri’s Attorney General’s Office announced Monday afternoon that it received a court order blocking the federal vaccine mandate from being enforced in the state.
Missouri and nine other states filed a lawsuit in October over the vaccine mandate on federal contractors.To read the ruling, click here
Mask-wearing on planes may be here to stay, Fauci says - Greenwich Time
Mask-wearing on planes may be here to stay, top federal infectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci says.
In an interview on ABC News's "This Week" on Sunday, he was asked if he believes there will be a point when it won't be necessary to wear masks during air travel.
England hospital units may close as staff revolt over jab mandate, says NHS leader - The Guardian
Entire hospital units could be forced to shut because of staff quitting in protest at the government’s order that they must all be vaccinated against Covid-19, a senior NHS leader has warned.
Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, said that at one hospital trust in England, 40 midwives were refusing to get jabbed, raising fears that the maternity unit may have to close.
“Trust leaders are acutely aware that, from April onwards, when Covid vaccinations will become mandatory, decisions by staff to remain unvaccinated could – in extreme circumstances – lead to patient services being put at risk,” said Hopson.
Vaccine
EU backs Novavax shot as region’s fifth COVID-19 vaccine - Reuters
The European Union on Monday approved the use of Novavax's (NVAX.O) COVID-19 vaccine in people 18 years and older, giving a boost to the U.S. biotech after long delays and paving the way for a fifth shot in the EU as the Omicron variant spreads.
New Zealand links 26-year-old man’s death to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine - Reuters
New Zealand authorities on Monday said they had linked a 26-year-old man's death to Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine after the person suffered myocarditis, a rare inflammation of the heart muscle, after taking his first dose.
The death is New Zealand's second linked to a known but rare side effect from the vaccine after health authorities in August reported a woman had died after taking her doses.
Even three doses of Covid vaccine may not be able to limit Omicron variant: BioNTech CEO - Insider Paper
Three doses of a Covid vaccine may not be enough to slow the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of Covid, according to Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech in Germany.
The variant, which is known to evade vaccine immunity, has spread to approximately 90 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“We must be aware that even triple-vaccinated are likely to transmit the disease. It is obvious we are far from 95 per cent effectiveness that we obtained against the initial virus,” Euronews quoted Sahin as saying to the French daily Le Monde on Monday. BioNTech collaborated with Pfizer in the United States to develop the two-dose revolutionary Covid jab, which is based on mRNA technology.
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines withheld from Vietnamese children after spate of deaths & AEs - TrialSite News
The program to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to children has been paused in Thanh Hoa and Hanoi due to safety concerns. As reported by TrialSite, health regulators in Vietnam’s south-eastern provinces have stopped the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after more than 120 children were hospitalised following a school-wide vaccination. TrialSite also recently reported that a 15-year-old boy from Vietnam’s northern province died, the fourth paediatric death linked to the COVID-19 vaccine. TrialSite’s Southeast Asia correspondents investigate further.
High school student dies after receiving COVID-19 vaccine shot - Tiếng Việt
The boy was vaccinated alongside his school mates on December 15 and passed away three days later, said Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, director of the Hoi An City Medical Centre.
The boy had suffered from meningitis and he had not informed doctors about his illness before receiving the jab, said Anh.
Politics
Gates, Fauci, and Daszak charged with Genocide in Court Filing - The Desert Review
In a stunning 46-page legal filing to the International Criminal Court on December 6, an intrepid attorney and seven applicants accused Anthony Fauci, Peter Daszak, Melinda Gates, William Gates III, and twelve others of numerous violations of the Nuremberg Code. These included various crimes against humanity and war crimes as defined by the Rome Statutes, Articles 6, 7, 8, 15, 21, and 53.
Biden was in close contact with aide who later tested positive for Covid-19, White House says - Washington Post
President Biden was in close contact with an aide who later tested positive for covid-19, the White House said Monday night.
Biden tested negative for the virus Monday morning and will be tested again on Wednesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. She added that Biden will continue with his daily schedule since current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not require fully vaccinated individuals to quarantine after an exposure.
Biden faces tough task of rallying exhausted Americans against omicron threat - Washington Post
Four days before Christmas, as coronavirus cases spike and testing lines snake around city blocks, President Biden on Tuesday will again attempt to persuade Americans to take protections to fend off the fast-spreading omicron variant.
But at a moment of great urgency — both for the nation’s health and the president’s standing — he has few new tools at his disposal, at least not politically palatable ones, and public health experts fear that exhausted Americans have tuned out their warnings.
Other Covid News
Covid: Vulnerable NHS patients to be offered new drug - BBC News
A new Covid drug designed to reduce the risk of vulnerable patients needing hospital treatment will be available on the NHS from today.
Sotrovimab is a monoclonal antibody given as a transfusion to transplant recipients, cancer patients and other high-risk groups.
If given quickly after symptoms develop it should help prevent people from falling seriously ill with the disease.
Initial tests suggest it should still work against the Omicron variant.
A patient at a care facility was in cardiac arrest. Paramedics refused to enter, citing Covid restrictions. - Washington Post
When the police officer entered a room at a Southern California care facility last month, he found a panicked nurse performing chest compressions on a patient, body-camera footage shows. The patient was in cardiac arrest, and the staff did not have the proper equipment to help, according to a police report.
But just outside the entrance of the building stood paramedics equipped with possible lifesaving tools. They had refused to cross the threshold, claiming it was against state coronavirus rules, according to the report.
NHL, NHLPA agree to postpone five games Thursday - NHL
The NHL and NHL Players' Association have agreed to postpone five games Thursday, the day before the holiday break.
The two remaining games on the schedule will be played Tuesday; the Washington Capitals will play at the Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, NHL LIVE) and the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; SN360, SN-joined in progress, TVAS, ATTSN-RM, BSSUN, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
With no games scheduled Wednesday because of COVID-19 related postponements, the NHL and NHLPA agreed Monday to postpone the five games that remained scheduled for Thursday in order to begin the collectively-bargained holiday break effective with the conclusion of games Tuesday, bringing the total number of games postponed this season to 49.
Attack On Unvaccinated Footballers 'Intensifies' As Piers Morgan Calls For Unvaxxed Players To Be ‘Refused’ Injury Treatment - The COVID World
Piers Morgan made a 'shocking' statement saying that footballers should be denied treatment for injuries if they refuse to be vaccinated.
Swedish company showcases microchip that can download COVID-19 passport status - Fox Business
A microchip technology introduced in recent years by the Stockholm-based startup Epicenter is being presented as a means to store one's COVID-19 vaccine passport under the skin.
Censorship
Journalist Alex Berenson SUES Twitter over his permanent ban - Daily Mail
The independent journalist Alex Berenson has filed a federal lawsuit against Twitter challenging his ban from the service over a tweet questioning the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.
The lawsuit filed on Monday in US District Court for Northern California seeks Berenson's reinstatement to Twitter and unspecified monetary damages over his permanent ban in August.To read the lawsuit, click here
Censorship of Dr. Brian Tyson - Medical Freedom Substack
Brian Tyson is the latest medical physician who has been permanently suspended from Twitter. His suspension by social media authoritarian Twitter occurred on Sunday night.
Other Medical News
The email to the health care workers was like something out of “The Wolf of Wall Street.” “We are in the last few days of the month and are only 217 appointments away from meeting our budget,” the August 2020 memo stated. “Don’t forget the August bonus incentive for all patients scheduled in August! That’s the easiest money you can make. Get that money!!”
The “Get that money!!” entreaty wasn’t addressed to a bunch of hard-charging, coke-snorting stockbrokers. It went to Michigan-based employees of Pinnacle Dermatology, a private equity-owned group of 90 dermatology practices across America.
I am working with Mathew Crawford, who runs the very successful Rounding the Earth Substack, on Operation Uplift Wristband, where you can show your Medical Freedom solidarity. My profile photo on here is what the wristband looks like with Mathew’s Substack on the other side.
If you’re interested in purchasing wristbands, please email us at operationuplift@protonmail.com.
Here are the prices, which includes shipping in the United States. You will need to pay for shipping if you live outside of the US.
10 for $10
50 for $40
100 for $60
500 for $250
You can read Mathew’s Substack from last week for information about Operation Uplift.
It is time for us to stand up against the medical tyranny that has devastated humanity around the world for the past generation and let’s stand up for MEDICAL FREEDOM.
Lastly, on a personal level, my prayers and well wishes go out to my brother-in-law and two friends, who have contracted Covid. My sister and her children are doing fine so far. This Substack will never do what other social media feeds have done and ridicule, harass and taunt people based on vaccination status. Medical Freedom is for everyone, even those who want to be in the tyrannical rule of the corporatists in the medical field. Like I have said, this is much more than just COVID.
God Bless my family, friends and everyone who is battling the virus.