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WSJ: America to reach herd immunity in April


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We’ll Have Herd Immunity by April

Covid cases have dropped 77% in six weeks. Experts should level with the public about the good news.

 
 
By Marty Makary
Feb. 18, 2021 12:35 pm ET
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ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN KOZLOWSKI
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Amid the dire Covid warnings, one crucial fact has been largely ignored: Cases are down 77% over the past six weeks. If a medication slashed cases by 77%, we’d call it a miracle pill. Why is the number of cases plummeting much faster than experts predicted?

In large part because natural immunity from prior infection is far more common than can be measured by testing. Testing has been capturing only from 10% to 25% of infections, depending on when during the pandemic someone got the virus. Applying a time-weighted case capture average of 1 in 6.5 to the cumulative 28 million confirmed cases would mean about 55% of Americans have natural immunity.

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Part of the current Covid situation is that no one in Government (both current & previous administration, nor NIH & CDC (or WHO for that matter)) have defined what parameters signal the end of the pandemic. 

I suspect it will be some combination of % vaccinated & number of cases/day, but if no one with some degree of authority states what the measurable end goal is then the goalposts will keep moving.  

What it will NOT be is 100% vaccinated & zero cases - that was achieved when smallpox was eradicated & took a massive worldwide effort over several decades.

If you are on a trip & you don't know where you are going, how do you know when you get there?

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39 minutes ago, MikeRapp said:

We’ll Have Herd Immunity by April

Covid cases have dropped 77% in six weeks. Experts should level with the public about the good news.

 
 
By Marty Makary
Feb. 18, 2021 12:35 pm ET
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ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN KOZLOWSKI
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Amid the dire Covid warnings, one crucial fact has been largely ignored: Cases are down 77% over the past six weeks. If a medication slashed cases by 77%, we’d call it a miracle pill. Why is the number of cases plummeting much faster than experts predicted?

In large part because natural immunity from prior infection is far more common than can be measured by testing. Testing has been capturing only from 10% to 25% of infections, depending on when during the pandemic someone got the virus. Applying a time-weighted case capture average of 1 in 6.5 to the cumulative 28 million confirmed cases would mean about 55% of Americans have natural immunity.

Mike, brought up my dissenting thoughts in another thread but will repeat here. Full article has 150 million people (40% of population) fully vaccinated by end of April. Also 10-25% cases reported means 4 to 10 times the number of cases than reported. Both seem optimistic to me but I’m no expert.

Finally the 70% drop totally ignores that this is comparing to the horrible spike we had due to holiday travel. So was 70% drop due things being so much better now or due to how horrible things were 6 weeks ago. Key point to me yet not mentioned at all.

I do hope what is reported comes true but still in wait and see mode. 

And expecting the laughing icon for whatever reason 🙄

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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Lol, Not the person I expected 😆 from so 😆 right back.... 😝

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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14 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

 

Oy... college roomie was big MPFC fan. Never knew they did record albums until then...

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8 minutes ago, rpbobcat said:

Our Governor here in N.J. is now warning about potential surges in new cases due to Covid  "variants".

There are also cases of variations of the virus "merging."  Could go either way, peter out the virus of create a new "Colossus-Guardian" version.

I'm sure few will get the Colossus reference (the Forbin Project movie from a long time ago). 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/two-variants-merge-to-form-first-recorded-recombinant-virus-1.5312679

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