Canadian COVID-19 News

[desodave]

And case counts are also rising sharply in BC. Today's total of 753 new cases is up dramatically over the last week ... it had dropped to a low of 284 on Dec 6. There are 135 confirmed omicron cases ( 3x the previous day) with over half of those on Vancouver Island. The driving events are a religous conference of young people in the Comox Valley and end of term partying at UVic ... the university has cancelled in person exams in response. That almost seems like a reward imo ... but I guess is a necessary response.
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-adds-753-n...gain-1.5710744

[Mike OReilly]

There have been a few high-profile court cases launched over parental disputes around getting their children vaccinated. Here's one recent outcome in an Alberta court:

CTV: Alberta court settles COVID-19 vaccine dispute between Lethbridge, Alta. parents

Justice J.C. Kubik of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench eventually ruled in favour of the mother, who wanted her children to be vaccinated.

In the decision, Kubik referenced the father's "engagement with vaccine misinformation" and belief that it was "experimental."

"During argument, his counsel also made reference to the experimental nature of the vaccine, the 'purported pandemic', a lack of debate in the legislature and Parliament to establish the existence of the pandemic and a failure of transparency on the part of government in providing accurate information with respect to both COVID-19 illness related outcomes and vaccine safety," the document read.

Kubik added the father's "wait and see" approach was not in the best interest of the children given that the vaccine already has Health Canada's approval and is "safe and effective for use in children."

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

There have been a few high-profile court cases launched over parental disputes around getting their children vaccinated. Here's one recent outcome in an Alberta court:

CTV: Alberta court settles COVID-19 vaccine dispute between Lethbridge, Alta. parents

This just highlights the idiocy with which the anti crowd are going about things. No reasonable person would enter a court of law using such flimsy arguments in the face of what is happening world wide. What, did the father think the judge would go against 2 years of government and social policy? Although I suppose it does help support their conspiracy argument

[sv_pelagia]

BC Health officials have extra news conference scheduled this afternoon: we'll see if new/increased restrictions.....

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

BC Health officials have extra news conference scheduled this afternoon: we'll see if new/increased restrictions.....

Ontario and Quebec have announced new tighter measures, although many think Ontario's is not nearly enough. Probably more will come.

Originally Posted by Macblaze

This just highlights the idiocy with which the anti crowd are going about things. No reasonable person would enter a court of law using such flimsy arguments in the face of what is happening world wide. What, did the father think the judge would go against 2 years of government and social policy? Although I suppose it does help support their conspiracy argument

This question is at the heart of my honest beffuddlement around this, and a number of other science-based issues. We've never lived at a time when access to quality, credible information is higher. Yet we see the apparent increase in people who seem to choose ignorance over knowledge. I honestly don't get it.

I mean... I do understand the tribalism behind most of the mis and disinformation silos. But why make this a cornerstone of your tribe?!? What purpose does it serve, other than some sort of short-term wedge/differentiation. Why choose ignorance?

[Nord Sal]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

If Omicron is more transmissible, but results in less serious disease and not a huge increase in hospitalization, maybe it's just what we need to get Immunization levels up.

Just sayin'

Originally Posted by Nord Sal

Did you mean immunity levels up?

Originally Posted by Scorpius

Yup. I guess I did.

I had to clarify what you meant, but, yes, I think this is what we'll see. Variants with increasing transmissibility and decreasing virulence portends well for natural immunity winning the war -just as it has for millennia.


Natural immunity worked well for the Spanish flu pandemic a century ago which, incidentally, was much much more lethal (well over 10X) than Covid19 . No vaccine was ever developed for the Spanish flu and we still see variants of that virus though they're not a huge concern these days.

[Montanan]

Canada will re-tighten its border starting Dec. 21 and will require travelers who are returning to the country to show proof of a negative PCR test, the government announced on Friday.

Driving the news: Canada's testing requirement was eased on Nov. 30, but will return now that the Omicron COVID-19 variant is spreading extremely quickly across the globe.


The big picture: Travelers must obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test result in the visiting country within 72 hours before the scheduled departure time back to Canada.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/canada-re...233010910.html

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Nord Sal

... Variants with increasing transmissibility and decreasing virulence portends well for natural immunity winning the war -just as it has for millennia...

A rapidly spreading variant could dangerously strain health-care systems, even if the risk of severe disease or death is relatively low, for any individual.
A small fraction, of a very large number, is still a large number.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by GordMay

A rapidly spreading variant could dangerously strain health-care systems, even if the risk of severe disease or death is relatively low, for any individual.
A small fraction, of a very large number, is still a large number.

Indeed . This is the very real concern right now. Doesn't much matter if Omicron is less virulent. If its infection rate is sufficiently high(er), it could still overwhelm our healthcare systems.

The UK study is not a good sign, but it is still early days. We'll all know soon enough.

[Nord Sal]

Originally Posted by GordMay

A rapidly spreading variant could dangerously strain health-care systems, even if the risk of severe disease or death is relatively low, for any individual.
A small fraction, of a very large number, is still a large number.

The thing is, that "very large number" ,whatever it is -you do not say, is not so large now after two years of the pandemic.

Individuals have either had covid-19 and recovered (natural immunity), been inoculated (You're not suggesting those shots don't work are you?) or, a small fraction, have died. The remaining population is no longer a "a very large number."

And if hospitals weren't overwhelmed before when the virus was more virulent and that "very large number" was indeed, much larger, why would they now be overwhelmed from this new less-virulent variant when that "very large number" is not as large?

[Nord Sal]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

. . .Doesn't much matter if Omicron is less virulent.

. . .

On the contrary, virulence matters a great deal. It's madness, paranoia or fear mongering to suggest it doesn't.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

.......
........................


This question is at the heart of my honest beffuddlement around this, and a number of other science-based issues. We've never lived at a time when access to quality, credible information is higher. Yet we see the apparent increase in people who seem to choose ignorance over knowledge. I honestly don't get it.

I mean... I do understand the tribalism behind most of the mis and disinformation silos. But why make this a cornerstone of your tribe?!? What purpose does it serve, other than some sort of short-term wedge/differentiation. Why choose ignorance?

Mike, good questions.

I think that "they" were always there, just hiding under the rocks that were pulled back in 2016.

Now that they're out, what seems to be happening in MSM is that "conflict" "sells." Kinda an extension of "If it bleeds, it leads." We get a Seattle "news" station that always starts out with "today's shooting." I avoid it like the plague.

But the formerly "under the rock folks" as the minority that they are here, and even in the States, now say crazy things that get reported. It's an extension of bothsiderisms.

Ignorance? Because the rock folks got nuttin' else.

[hpeer]

Stu/Mike;

You can not get 100% of the population to agree the world is round.

Roughly speaking about 40% of the voting population will vote their party, no matter what. Only 60% of the population are in play.

It is a bell curve and the tailings, on any given topic, are real. Just human nature.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

... what seems to be happening in MSM is that "conflict" "sells." Kinda an extension of "If it bleeds, it leads." We get a Seattle "news" station that always starts out with "today's shooting." I avoid it like the plague...

If you commit a 1st degree murder in Canada ...
... is it a 34 degree murder in the US?

Cloning yourself, and pushing your clone off a cliff, to its death, is probably a crime, but what crime is it?
Is it murder?
Suicide?
Or, making an obscene clone fall?

It was on this day, in 1978, that cult leader, Jim Jones, carried out a mass murder/suicide of over 900 of his followers, in Jonestown, Guyana. Horrifying.
There's a joke about it, but it's wildly inappropriate.
And anyway, the punchline's too long.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

We've never lived at a time when access to quality, credible information is higher. Yet we see the apparent increase in people who seem to choose ignorance over knowledge. I honestly don't get it.

Perhaps it is as simple as information overload!

Too much, too fast, too cynical are the sound bite presentations that many feel forced to choose sides, rather than study the sciences.