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TED CRUZ versus BIG BIRD

From the New York Times this morning:

The optimism we had with the decline in September into October, with the expectation for more into the later fall and even winter, is turning into pessimism with another wave of new cases.  

  • One specific danger is of children infecting grandparents.  The 0-4 age group is still not vaccinated, and the rate of 5-11 year olds being vaccinated is not particularly high at this time.  Evidence shows that the vaccinated youth transmit far few infections than the non-vaccinated.  How many families do the above at Thanksgiving, when eating and drinking occurs?
  • Sure, colder weather is one reason, for the north is being hit more than the south, but there is something about this virus that is confounding the experts.  
  • Looking ahead to Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday, the elder most definitely should get booster shots, and so should anyone eligible.
  • Before the family gathering take a home test.
  • Get vaccinated, take a test as necessary and enjoy your holiday seasons.
European countries are getting hit by another wave even worse than the U.S.  Governments are invoking stricter measures, and mandates are being protested by the masses, especially in Austria.  German health minister, Jens Spahn, warned that by the end of winter:
     Just about everyone in Germany will probably be either vaccinated, recovered or dead.
A little more than a year ago, there were essentially zero cases of the Delta variant.  
  • Today, 99.5% of all COVID-19 cases are of this specific virus.  Compared with the original SARS-CoV-2 strain, people infected with Delta carry approximately 1,200 TIMES more viral particles in their nose.  
  • Alpha is SARS-CoV-2B.1.1.7, the first serious variant, around 50% more transmissible than the original.  
  • There seems to be a consensus that Delta should be the final serious strain.  However, the worry is that a variant of this variant, like Delta Plus can still take over.  The Plus, for example, is 10-15% more transmissible.  
  • One advantage is that once a vaccine is optimized for Delta, chances are the variants should be covered.
  • More effective vaccines continue to be developed.
    • At some point Novavax should be approved, and the reason this vaccine is important is that it only needs to be stored in a common refrigerator.  Thus, this appears to be the ideal solution for developing countries.
  • A pound is $1.35, so Modern's cost $37.80/dose.
  • Note that these vaccines are FREE to everyone eligible, worldwide.
  • Even if another Greek letter becomes a problem:
Pfizer’s chief executive, Albert Bourla, made a bold promise in June (2021). Standing next to US President Joe Biden at a press conference in St Ives, UK, just before the G7 summit meeting, Bourla said that should the need arise for a new COVID-19 vaccine, his company could get one ready within 100 days.

Also from the New York Times, during a typical week in the U.S., nearly 3 people per 100,000 visit an emergency room because of a bicycle crash. The rate for vehicle crashes is about 20 per 100,000.  Here is the comparison with COVID-19 hospitalization rates from Minnesota:

To summarize:

  • If you're 65 and older, and NOT vaccinated, the chances of your being hospitalized from COVID-19 are around 20 times higher than for those in that age category who ARE vaccinated.
  • Older people have a lot more pre-conditions, so are prone to be hospitalized.
  • Age therefore makes a huge difference for hospitalization and death rates.
  • For the elderly, be careful with grandchildren and wait a bit longer for long trips.

Now on to the hot topic of this month:

Did you watch Saturday Night Live's version of Ted Cruz vs Big Bird?  How did this all start?

Who is Big Bird?
  • Claims to be six years old, even though he has been with Sesame Street for  more than half a century.
  • A Muppet character created by Jim Henson and Kermit Love.
  • Is 8 feet  2 inches tall.
  • An anthropomorphic bird.
  • Noted to be a skater, dancer, poet and all around good guy.
  • Lives in a large nest behind the 123 Sesame Street brownstone, right next to Oscar the Grouch's trash can.
  • Played by Caroll Spinney (to the right) from 1969 to 2015, and now by Matt Vogel.
  • Has a grandmother and eight foreign cousins.
  • The Library of Congress named him a Living Legend.
  • Had his own film, Follow the Bird in 1985 with Sally Kellerman and Waylon Jennings.  Rotten Tomatoes reviewers gave it a 92 rating.
  • Performed the memorable It's Not Easy Being Green at Jim Henson's Memorial in 1990.
Who is Ted Cruz?  Who cares.

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