Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Howard County has been in the "high" zone for most of the summer, so it was only a matter of time.

There herein lies the problem. When you claim a situation is dire (i.e., that we’re in the highest community risk category), and people can clearly see the situation is obviously not bad, then the health metrics and public health officials lose all credibility.

The current metrics may have made sense before Omicron, but they don’t make sense with BA5. The baseline level of covid cases has changed with this variant, and our metrics and expectations should change accordingly.

Howard county was "high" a lot earlier because they dropped their mask mandate a lot earlier, and non masking MoCo residents flooded over there.

Once MoCo dropped the mask mandate, it was only a matter of time before MoCo went to the 'high" level as well. Especially with all the traveling this summer; every single.ftiend I have who has flown has come back with Covid. And, it's hard to tell who will have a severe case and who will not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Howard County has been in the "high" zone for most of the summer, so it was only a matter of time.

There herein lies the problem. When you claim a situation is dire (i.e., that we’re in the highest community risk category), and people can clearly see the situation is obviously not bad, then the health metrics and public health officials lose all credibility.

The current metrics may have made sense before Omicron, but they don’t make sense with BA5. The baseline level of covid cases has changed with this variant, and our metrics and expectations should change accordingly.

My humble opinion is that available metrics should include tracking symptoms, including what "mild" COVID looks like. Without more than anecdotal evidence, individuals and even government officials can't make informed decisions. To be clear, I'm not talking about school closings or mandates. I'm talking about policies like whether to continue with five days of isolation or individual decisions on whether to mask in certain situations. It's easy to be "done with COVID" and to "move on," whatever that means, if you think COVID is the sniffles. What about the 30-50-year-olds who were incredibly sick for five days to a week or more, unable to work, and who struggled with fatigue weeks or months before it subsided? That's mild illness from a medical perspective, but if too many people are sick with that "mild" illness simultaneously, there will be severe disruptions in all areas of our lives.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. And the new scale is based on hospitalizations, not just cases. The new variant is more transmissible, and so many people just aren't even trying anymore. We are up to 400+ deaths a day from COVID, and people act like it's over.

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I question that number.

400+ a day is also as low as its been at any time since COVID started other than than summer of 2021. The tragic reality of COVID is that it's not going anywhere. and it kills a lot of people.

400 isn't really that many. Almost 3 million people die in the US each year. It's not like Covid robbed us of immortality.

That's a jumbo jet crash a day, in addition to the deaths that would normally have occurred.

Boomer remover, let nature do it's work

Anonymous wrote:Howard County has been in the "high" zone for most of the summer, so it was only a matter of time.

There herein lies the problem. When you claim a situation is dire (i.e., that we’re in the highest community risk category), and people can clearly see the situation is obviously not bad, then the health metrics and public health officials lose all credibility.

The current metrics may have made sense before Omicron, but they don’t make sense with BA5. The baseline level of covid cases has changed with this variant, and our metrics and expectations should change accordingly.

Howard County has been in the "high" zone for most of the summer, so it was only a matter of time.

Anonymous wrote:those people could have lived for years. And thousands suffer from long covid. And doctors now hate the populace in general. They have every right for that. You say Target customers do not wear masks? I believe you. We tried Costco for the first time in 2 yrs and it was packed with unmasked people, so we had to turn mid-air and flee for the exit. So glad every single person had KN95 at Whole Foods yesterday. You people.

right now, the covid strain is really no worse than a cold for *most* people. If you have that much fear, it's good you went back home.

those people could have lived for years. And thousands suffer from long covid. And doctors now hate the populace in general. They have every right for that. You say Target customers do not wear masks? I believe you. We tried Costco for the first time in 2 yrs and it was packed with unmasked people, so we had to turn mid-air and flee for the exit. So glad every single person had KN95 at Whole Foods yesterday. You people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. And the new scale is based on hospitalizations, not just cases. The new variant is more transmissible, and so many people just aren't even trying anymore. We are up to 400+ deaths a day from COVID, and people act like it's over.

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I question that number.

400+ a day is also as low as its been at any time since COVID started other than than summer of 2021. The tragic reality of COVID is that it's not going anywhere. and it kills a lot of people.

400 isn't really that many. Almost 3 million people die in the US each year. It's not like Covid robbed us of immortality.

400 people a DAY is not a lot?

You really want to keeping believing what you believe.

No, it isn't.

400 healthy kids dying each day would be a lot. But that isn’t who is dying. It is overwhelmingly the elderly, who die in large numbers from a variety of causes. 400 elderly deaths is not a lot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. And the new scale is based on hospitalizations, not just cases. The new variant is more transmissible, and so many people just aren't even trying anymore. We are up to 400+ deaths a day from COVID, and people act like it's over.

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I question that number.

400+ a day is also as low as its been at any time since COVID started other than than summer of 2021. The tragic reality of COVID is that it's not going anywhere. and it kills a lot of people.

400 isn't really that many. Almost 3 million people die in the US each year. It's not like Covid robbed us of immortality.

400 people a DAY is not a lot?

You really want to keeping believing what you believe.

No, it isn't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So MoCo DHHS said they’re High because they were counting covid patients at outpatient monoclonal antibody infusion centers? That’s ridiculous. Those patients obviously aren’t hospitalized.

Its pretty serious if they need infusions... but clearly you don't get that.

You don't seem to know how and when the monoclonal antibodies are used. They're used on people that are high risk for serious illness. They're hoping to prevent serious illness, not to treat it.

Extremely high risk. I called and asked and was denied and I am high risk and have now been sick for several weeks.

Sounds like you’re not as high-risk as you think you are. And there’s Paxlovid, which is still highly effective. Part of the issue is that some people, like those on immunosuppressants, can’t take paxlovid.

In any event, the people getting monoclonal antibodies at infusion centers do not have severe illness and do not meet inpatient criteria.

Anonymous wrote:Covid messaging: you’re a selfish moron for going to the beach

Monkeypox messaging: we humbly suggest you don’t French kiss at your orgy (that you definitely should still have)

Sorry if public health professionals don't think it is their job to dictate people's sex lives.

They are motivated by saving lives.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So MoCo DHHS said they’re High because they were counting covid patients at outpatient monoclonal antibody infusion centers? That’s ridiculous. Those patients obviously aren’t hospitalized.

Its pretty serious if they need infusions... but clearly you don't get that.

You don't seem to know how and when the monoclonal antibodies are used. They're used on people that are high risk for serious illness. They're hoping to prevent serious illness, not to treat it.

Extremely high risk. I called and asked and was denied and I am high risk and have now been sick for several weeks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that any different than past surges? Every time COVID numbers go up, they go up in the masked and vaccinated areas too. It's probable, I think, that they go up less than they would if we weren't as masked/vaccinated, but nothing we've done in Montgomery County has ever produced COVID numbers that weren't pretty high during these surges.

+1

I am a teacher. Everyone who masks and was really careful at my school in December and tons of people still got Covid. I just don’t see how you can argue masks prevent spread. Most people don’t wear masks correctly or tightly to their faces.

And cloth masks do not work for omicron. Keep up people.

Right— it’s good we finally got rid of silly mask mandates.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. And the new scale is based on hospitalizations, not just cases. The new variant is more transmissible, and so many people just aren't even trying anymore. We are up to 400+ deaths a day from COVID, and people act like it's over.

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I question that number.

400+ a day is also as low as its been at any time since COVID started other than than summer of 2021. The tragic reality of COVID is that it's not going anywhere. and it kills a lot of people.

400 isn't really that many. Almost 3 million people die in the US each year. It's not like Covid robbed us of immortality.

400 people a DAY is not a lot?

You really want to keeping believing what you believe.

DP, but it really isn’t when you compare covid death rates to other causes in similar populations (i.e., the elderly).