Boosters

At this point the situation is not clear. The older people and health care workers that were a priority last February should probably receive boosters. How far you go after that awaits further data.

You can add how long will boosters last for also. Talk is 5 months after 2nd dose for a booster now. You could possibly end up with a situation you have the first jab 1st January, second 1st Febuary, 3rd shot 1st of June and 4th shot 1st of October.

Israel have admitted themselves they are a guinea pig for world re. boosters.

They're not doing any trials, because it's so similar to the first two doses. Why bother, they have indemnity?

Thanks for articulating my views better than I can! I hope you don’t get attacked for also conveying what you’ve seen and heard.

The data is there , the hospital receives $13,000 for every covid death and $40,000 if a ventilator was used for more than 4 days. Fact.

If a patient tests positive or show any signs of covid (difficultly breathing , cough ect) and dies, then covid is allowed to be written on the death certificate. That is not conspiracy, that is fact the info is there anybody can read it but it seems like people don’t want to know.

As part of the CARES act, hospitals can get paid more if a death is recorded as COVID. Worth remembering that this is a USA thing, not Ireland/UK (UK having it's own under-reporting scandal).

There's numerous fact checks, but here's one from fox11news (just because Fox seems to be rated more highly by those who believe in some of these conspiracies):

Fact check: How are COVID-19 deaths counted, do hospitals get money for COVID-19 deaths? | WLUK (fox11online.com)

This is the important bit, if a hospitals got (easily) caught then they'd lose out financially:

“If somebody knowingly alters the medical record, which would then create the bill I think is being alleged here... That would be caught through audit. And if that occurred, you could be prosecuted -- there’s huge penalties,"

I think to bang on any further about this should be in it's own thread.

Don't worry, they have "hope", who needs things like data and evidence in that case?

Even Dr. John the other night nearly crossed the line on his neurality

Looks like the Israel PM woke up Biden after a couple of hours meeting

Entirely different situation here in Ireland. If you've ever been to a hospital here, even in normal times, they are busy beyond description, frequently overcrowded. If you go to casualty on a Saturday, be prepared to wait for 7-9 hours before anyone even looks at you. Pizza deliveries here are, famously, significantly faster than ambulances in emergencies.

Now regarding trust in main stream media. A good strategy to get meaningful information (IMHO) is to look at two types of sources: information that comes directly from relevant scientists (virologists, epidemiologists), and conspiracy websites. By doing that, you get unfiltered, clear scientific information, and also get familiar with the most popular disinformation, and who relevant personalities are, right from the source.

Credit where credit is due: the idiotic politicisation of Covid, and science in general, primarily originated with the GOP in the US, followed shortly afterwards by far right groups here in Europe. In the US, idiots beat each other up over mask mandates in schools, here in Europe, antivax idiots demand that health care workers be executed. Have I mentioned that the idiotic politicisation of Covid is idiotic? Don't think I have. It's idiotic.

Thank you.

Aaaaand we’re back to counting covid only needing to be mentioned for it to count as a covid death..

“This new figure was drawn from data supplied to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and takes into account death certificates where COVID is mentioned”

The thing is UML, they are ALL at it. GOP the DEMs they are different cheeks of the same arse!

the reports of people beating each other up over masks are wildly exaggerated. Obviously they happen, where I live we have some of the highest vaccination rates in the country. No one cares if you wear a mask or not, it is not mandatory until this coming Monday again.the thing is .. we were told vaccination is the way out, now it’s not. Now boosters are the way out… seems as if they are not.. so masks are being brought in for ALL inside and outside… if science is being politicized… it is by those in leadership… does it work or does it not?

we have some scientists saying masks help, others saying they don’t. It leaves the tradition belief systems in research and scientific facts in limbo for most. For me, I simply maintain distance, even in the office. We installed fresh air circulation at huge cost to protect us all. We still have hand sanitizer at all entrances and still maintain distance in the office. Common sense precautions have seen no one catch COVID.

the vast majority of Americans are ordinary sensible people. Like Irish people they too value their lives, friends and families, reading some of the reports on news in Ireland (I keep,up to date) I didn’t recognise what they were saying.

ceadaoine has similar experiences and I think she is on the west side of the country. I am mid-west.

i, like many others, gather my news from numerous sources. I don’t believe any of them. I make my own mind up based on personal experiences and from talking to people. I am not saying that I am all-knowing, far from it, I can only report on what I have personal experience of.

BUT… the American political system is broken … it cares not of the ordinary American. The trust of the people is lost. That leads to massive issues in public health. When you have different stories and information coming from the CDC on a daily basis, people loose faith. It’s sad but true.

we have some scientists saying masks help, others saying they don’t

Please kindly link to one or two scientific studies that have measured mask efficacy, and found they don't work.

It leaves the tradition belief systems in research and scientific facts in limbo for most.

The idea that science is a belief system or an 'opinion' is the kind of nonsense that you hear from the conspiracy crowd. The whole point of science is that any findings can be measured, and reproduced at any time, by anyone.

Conspiracy theories that contradict science do not invalidate science.

we were told vaccination is the way out, now it’s not

Again, this is different here in Ireland. We have had the exact thing you would expect, reducing restrictions and opening up step by step, as more people are vaccinated.

It's still an ongoing effort. While over 90% of adults had at least one vaccination, and 86% of adults are fully vaccinated, when you look at the entire population, only 65% are fully vaccinated as of now. Uptake is still very good. New announcements of further lifting of restrictions in the last couple of days.

That being said - a global pandemic is an evolving, ongoing situation. It's not surprising that there were no predictions that anticipated something like the Delta variant. Getting it under control on a global level will take time, and new difficulties can be expected - as frustrating as that is for everyone..

BUT… the American political system is broken … it cares not of the ordinary American.

I only have an outside view, from news coverage in Europe, but my impression is that you are 100% correct on this one. From a European perspective, the idea that the person with the highest number of votes does not necessarily win an election (electoral college vs popular vote), that there's no public health care, no unemployment benefit, no free college education, and that the US still has the death penalty, seems incredibly bizarre.