No question that this latest Omicron BA.2 subvariant is increasing COVID-19 cases in the U.S.  There is a one week delay before hospitalizations increase, but early signs indicate that this effect will be minimal, and maybe not even that, for a combination of vaccinations and past infections have resulted in few serious illnesses.  From the   New York Times   this morning: About that Federal mask mandate: It was stricken down by Florida federal judge Kathryn Mizelle ( right ).  She was appointed to this position by Donald Trump after he had lost re-election, and she snuck through the Senate on a party-line vote before the Democrats assumed leadership.  She clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and at the age of 33, is now in a lifetime judgeship role. You would think that this decision was typically partisan, and that it would be a simple matter for the White House to appeal that decision.  Eventually the Supreme Court would uphold Mizelle's judgement, but the whole po

  Here is a portion of an email I sent to a friend this morning: I've been trying to find out for almost two years now what the asymptomatic rate for COVID-19 is.  These are the individuals who are going around innocently infecting people.  The CDC and Fauci seem to think 40-45%.  I have read reports ranging from 20% to 90%.  I think this figure is closer to 90% than 45%.  When China shut down Shanghai these past two weeks they tested everyone.   Here is an article indicating that the asymptomatic rate is 97% !!! Shanghai counted more than 20,000 new cases on April 7, but the asymptomatic rate has stood at around 97%, far higher than anywhere else in the world, where it has been closer to 50%. The resultant sense is that this 97% rate is so high because those suffering from only mild COVID symptoms were placed into that category.  This Omicron BA.2 subvariant is relatively benign compared to Delta and other wave-producers.  But what, then, what is the true asymptomatic rate??? If i

      From  Worldometer  (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):            DAY    USA    WORLD      Brazil      India      South Africa June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82 July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572 Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130 Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82 Oct     21      1225      6849         571        703       85 Nov    25       2304    12025        620        518      118 Dec     30       3880    14748       1224       299      465 Jan      14        4142    15512         1151        189       712 Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398 Mar     2        1989     9490        1726       110      194 April   6         906     11787         4211       631       37 May    4         853    13667        3025      3786      59   June   1         287    10637         2346      3205      95  July   7          251      8440        1595         817     4