[www.startribune.com]

We just postponed our trip south for a month, not so much for us but we thought we should stick close to home for our daughter who has a kidney transplant. She is double boosted and we are single boosted.

---

Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2021 09:08AM by Speedy.

I think so, if not slightly before.

---

Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

Two weeks after the New Years Gatherings. seems about right.

---

San Antonio, TX (in the old city)


"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Eli Weisel

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Theodore Roosevelt (1918)

"I don’t want to see religious bigotry in any form. It would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalists and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it." - Billy Graham 1981

"Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise" - Barry Goldwater

...a flash flood more than a wave....


"The South African government said Thursday that data from its health department suggested that the country had passed its Omicron peak without a major spike in deaths, offering cautious hope to other countries grappling with the variant.

“The speed with which the Omicron-driven fourth wave rose, peaked and then declined has been staggering,” said Fareed Abdullah of the South African Medical Research Council. “Peak in four weeks and precipitous decline in another two. This Omicron wave is over in the city of Tshwane. It was a flash flood more than a wave.” The rise in deaths over the period was small, and in the last week, officials said, “marginal.”
NY Times

I would put the peak maybe being a bit farther into the year, late January or early February. My reasoning is that is when the millions of students will have finished going back to their colleges and universities, spread COVID and other seasonal flus and colds to their fellow students and surrounding college town populations. They will continue the spread from all of the family get togethers for the holidays.

Quote
Lemon Drop
...a flash flood more than a wave....


"The South African government said Thursday that data from its health department suggested that the country had passed its Omicron peak without a major spike in deaths, offering cautious hope to other countries grappling with the variant.

“The speed with which the Omicron-driven fourth wave rose, peaked and then declined has been staggering,” said Fareed Abdullah of the South African Medical Research Council. “Peak in four weeks and precipitous decline in another two. This Omicron wave is over in the city of Tshwane. It was a flash flood more than a wave.” The rise in deaths over the period was small, and in the last week, officials said, “marginal.”
NY Times

Let's hope so, but the issue there is that it's a very different demographic, where vaccination levels have been low because the vaccines haven't been available... and so the population has already been exposed to a number of different variants. And of course there could be genetically-based differences too.

---

Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

Quote
JoeH
I would put the peak maybe being a bit farther into the year, late January or early February. My reasoning is that is when the millions of students will have finished going back to their colleges and universities, spread COVID and other seasonal flus and colds to their fellow students and surrounding college town populations. They will continue the spread from all of the family get togethers for the holidays.

Not according to the most recent advice which is to isolate for 5 days instead of 10 days, because your infectious period is much shorter for this variant.

Um. South Carolina cases today 8,882. 10% over prior record a year ago.

Dec. 21: 933 cases.

Director of SCDHEC, apparently unafraid of Ted Cruz, says don't go dancing tonight.

Quote
JoeH
I would put the peak maybe being a bit farther into the year, late January or early February. My reasoning is that is when the millions of students will have finished going back to their colleges and universities, spread COVID and other seasonal flus and colds to their fellow students and surrounding college town populations. They will continue the spread from all of the family get togethers for the holidays.

I think that we're going to see a "surge" from that, but fewer cases than the peak.

---

some articles are suggesting even-worse-than-before supply chain disruptions as well...better stock up now...

Seems to be MASSIVELY more contagious than earlier variants, but not as virulent. The number of breakthroughs seems to be huge.

Local tire place called me yesterday evening and asked me to leave my car rather than wait during today's appointment because they were down to 3 installers.

By this morning, there were 2.

California just extended it's indoor mask requirement to mid-February, the Grammy show was postponed and they're trying to figure out what to do about the Super Bowl so we're a long way from relief.