Canadian COVID-19 News

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

It's actually pretty simple. The key fact is that after someone gets sick with Omicron, they now have increased protection against Delta and the earlier variants of COVID. And Omicron, with its much higher contagiousness, is outcompeting Delta for the shrinking number of uninfected or unvaccinated hosts still available.

Originally Posted by Sailorman97

As far as I know there is no proof of this. At best this is a hope. Omicron seems to evade the vaccine pretty well. Delta not so much. If that is the case it is logical to assume that Delta will evade the Omicron antibodies.
Time will tell all but I am not holding my breath on this.

Timing is key for some Omicron immunity

A laboratory study from Japan [1] suggests that COVID-19 vaccination, followed by a breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection, months later, offers greater protection against the Omicron variant, than does vaccination, with infection soon after.
Vaccinated people, who have had an infection, are thought to gain strong immunity, at least for a time. The finding implies that countries that saw large numbers of non-Omicron infections, in late 2021, have an advantage, as 2022 rolls in, with the new variant. The study [1] has not yet been peer reviewed.
More about ➥ https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00004-x

Preprint - Not Peer Reviewed
[1] “Vaccination-infection interval determines cross-neutralization potency to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron after breakthrough infection by other variants" ~ by Sho Miyamoto et al
➥ https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...81v1.full-text

[sv_pelagia]

Quebec plans to impose a ‘health contribution’ tax on the unvaccinated

The tax comes amid a new wave of coronavirus in the province and would be for those who refuse the jab for non-medical reasons

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ed-coronavirus

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Quebec plans to impose a ‘health contribution’ tax on the unvaccinated

The tax comes amid a new wave of coronavirus in the province and would be for those who refuse the jab for non-medical reasons

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ed-coronavirus

Yikes!

In addition...

G&M: Quebec will require those who refuse COVID-19 vaccinations to pay a financial penalty, Legault says

About 10 per cent of adult Quebecers aren’t vaccinated, but they represent about half of all patients in intensive care, Legault said, adding that the unvaccinated should be forced to pay for the extra burden they are placing on the health-care system.

“I think right now it’s a question of fairness for the 90 per cent of the population who made some sacrifices,” Legault said. “I think we owe them this kind of measure.”

CBC: Unvaccinated Quebecers will have to pay a health tax, Legault says

Legault did not say when the payment would take effect or how much it would cost, but he did say he wanted it to be significant enough to act as an incentive to get vaccinated — more than $50 or $100, he added. Legault said details would be revealed "in the coming weeks."

He said the contribution could be included in people's provincial tax filings, but he did not say whether it would be in those for 2021, which are to be filed by April 30, 2022.

[sv_pelagia]

B.C.'s Minister of Health Adrian Dix just indicated (on CBC Radio) that BC will not be following Québec's lead (re: instituting a "health contribution tax"). We'll see....

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Yikes!

In addition...

G&M: Quebec will require those who refuse COVID-19 vaccinations to pay a financial penalty, Legault says

CBC: Unvaccinated Quebecers will have to pay a health tax, Legault says

Well, if anti-vaxers are fair game for additional tax because they put an additional burden upon the health care system then by the same logic we should also put an additional tax on;
The grossly obese, say over 40 BMI
Those who refuse to wear helmets while motorcycle riding
Addicts if all kinds; drug, alcohol, nicotine
Etc.

Personal responsibility and all that.

If you are going to do it make it fair.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Well, if anti-vaxers are fair game for additional tax because they put an additional burden upon the health care system then by the same logic we should also put an additional tax on;
The grossly obese, say over 40 BMI
Those who refuse to wear helmets while motorcycle riding
Addicts if all kinds; drug, alcohol, nicotine
Etc.

Personal responsibility and all that.

If you are going to do it make it fair.

Exactly! And what about those idiots who sail far from shore in tiny boats?!? Those people are clearly crazy, and are making poor personal choices that are costing everyone more when they need to be rescued and fixed up in our hospitals... .

I understand the reasoning and the drive to make those anti-vaxxers pay, but especially in a publicly funded system like ours, this is a very slippery slope.

I think this is a very bad idea; one I dearly hope the rest of the provinces don't follow.

[hpeer]

Mike,

We are well down several slippery paths already. What is one more? LOL

What is funny is that you and I are very similar but in another way polar opposites.

You are homeless because you can’t get to your boat.
We are trapped on our boat because we cant get to our home.

We have now moved her up to Delaware because the wife needs some treatment and this puts us close to the treatment center. Should take about a month if it ever gets started.

It is very nice to have a mobile home so we can adjust our location tk the circumstances.

I know you considered selling the boat. Maybe it is better to go the other way, go whole hog and make it your principal home. Being Canadian that may have some difficulties we don’t face. Just a thought.

You get the Lewisporte season schedule?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by hpeer

I know you considered selling the boat. Maybe it is better to go the other way, go whole hog and make it your principal home. Being Canadian that may have some difficulties we don’t face. Just a thought.

Yes, I've thought about this. In fact, this is why my long-term aspiration is to make it to the west coast. It's a lot easier to be a full-timer over there than in the Canadian Atlantic waters.

But the plan (as much as there is a plan) has always been to head south eventually. This would mean we're full time on the boat. But I really want to explore Newfoundland and the Maritimes more though -- which is what we were supposed to be doing this past couple of seasons. We'll probably pick up where we left off ... assuming the boat isn't completely trashed by the time we get back.

Originally Posted by hpeer

You get the Lewisporte season schedule?

You mean the fees increase notice ? Yeah... got it.

[N Coast Murray]

In Canada, don't smokers and drinkers pay a heavy tax on their drugs of choice, which in theory helps pay for their health care later?

I don't have a problem with Quebec's proposed tax.

If I had it my way (and there were enough health care workers to pull it off) hospitals would be running as normally as possible without other surgeries being cancelled, while unvaccinated Covid patients got cared for in Atco trailers in a back corner of the hospitals parking lot.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by N Coast Murray

In Canada, don't smokers and drinkers pay a heavy tax on their drugs of choice, which in theory helps pay for their health care later? ...

Indeed we/they do.

At the federal level, Alcohol Taxes and Duties are levied under the Excise Act, 2001 [which covers bulk alcohol sales, spirits, and wines]; and the older Excise Act [which covers beer, malt liquor, and distillery operations].
Various licences are also required, to authorize certain alcohol operations, under both the Excise Act, 2001, and the Excise Act.
Additionaly, the Provinces [Ontario* for instance] impose a direct tax on tobacco products, which is payable by consumers.

Excise duty on spirits ➥ https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-age...#_Toc527013619
Excise duty on stamped tobacco products ➥ https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-age...#_Toc527013626

* Currently, in Ontario, the Provincial tobacco tax on a pack of 20 cigarettes equals $3.70, on a pack of 25 cigarettes equals $4.62 and on a carton of 200 cigarettes equals $36.95.

[Mike OReilly]

True. But then we should have a tax on sugar, and red meat, and parachuting. So far, all the sin-taxes are assigned to intoxicants. The problem is, where do start, or stop, this approach?

Obese people are a large causal drain on our system. I bet risk takers, like those that sail off on small boats, are higher per-cap users.

I just think this is a dangerous path to go down. We have other means of coercing vaccinations. But you're never going to get everyone. This is true for all public health policies. Rich societies like ours can accommodate the free riders without selling part of our collective soul.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Yikes!

In addition...

G&M: Quebec will require those who refuse COVID-19 vaccinations to pay a financial penalty, Legault says

CBC: Unvaccinated Quebecers will have to pay a health tax, Legault says

Under normal circumstances this would not fly as it violates the Canada Health act

"Primary objective of Canadian health care policy

3 It is hereby declared that the primary objective of Canadian health care policy is to protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers."


BUT as its Quebec 2 things will happen

1. the federal government will pretent to be outraged but do nothing about it
2. if the Feds actually do something Quebec will figure out a way to use the "not withstanding clause" as they seem to like that option.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

... Rich societies like ours can accommodate the free riders without selling part of our collective soul.

Evocative phrasing.

[hpeer]

Well then, how come all the angst over insufficient health care facilities?

It is not that I disagree, I am trying to point to the cognitive dissonance.

We ARE a rich society and can afford much. But we squander much on baubles, shiny things. Then get pissed when necessities become short.

This is human nature. Not much we can do about it. It is in our genes.

But by it will be real fun when climate change and resource depletion start to bite.

The good news is we (Western culture) have much non-necessary “stuff” we can give up easily. Much of the world does not.

Anyway, if you are worried about nursing shortages then advocate for plans to resolve the problem. It would take a few years or a decade to implement. Too late for this go round.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Sailorman97

As far as I know there is no proof [that infection with Omicron gives some protection against Delta and earlier variants]. At best this is a hope. Omicron seems to evade the vaccine pretty well. Delta not so much. If that is the case it is logical to assume that Delta will evade the Omicron antibodies.

Time will tell all but I am not holding my breath on this.

You can exhale. It hasn't been front-page, but there are already a number of reports and preliminary studies that confirm this. Here's a good summary.

And we already know that vaccination reduces the severity of Omicron infections.