Wednesday, December 22, 2021

The Variant That Stole Christmas

 Maybe the key story this week is Dhruv Khullar’s short essay in The New Yorker summarizing what we know and don’t know about Omicron.

This variant appears to be much more transmissible than Delta, which of course was more transmissible than the original variant.

Omicron also may cause more people to get ill but with milder symptoms and fewer deaths. This would be a good thing, presumably, although it’s too early to draw conclusions. It would be ideal if the disease has mutated to the extent that its impacts would be more like the flu — seasonal and largely preventable by shots — but we don’t know that yet.

In fact we don’t know much — which is the point of Khullat’s essay — and that it a bummer given the imminent holiday gatherings we’re looking forward to. Because we aren’t going to know what we are dealing with Omicron until Christmas has passed.

For now the best policy is to get vaccinated — only 60 percent of Americans have done that to date — as well as to get the booster, which only a quarter of adults have done. We still have so many unvaccinated people in the U.S. and overseas that the virus can and will continue generating new variants and therefore dominate our lives as it has over the past two years.

In this context, the ongoing politicization of the vaccines is a pity and contributes to the overall sense of confusion about what we are facing and what we can do about it. That most certainly is something to not celebrate the holiday season.

Rather it is something to regret. How great our collective regret become may not be known until this Christmas is a distant memory. 

***

In better news, 48 Hills is reporting that the judge whose remarks had been taken out of context to smear San Francisco D. A. Chest Boudin in his recall fight, more recently has praised Boudin for his transparency and his ethics.

The reform-minded D.A., who is committed to attacking the root causes of crime and reforming the criminal justice system, has been targeted by right-wing extremists nationally and faces a tough recall election as a result.

Street crime in the city and elsewhere may be up or it may be down — the statistics are confusing, but to hold a D.A. responsible for short-term variations in street crime is absurd. Those trends have more to do with economic conditions, drugs and poverty than long-term initiatives to reduce cash bail, increase restorative justice and reform the overall system.

In any event, the judge’ comments are reprinted in the 48 Hills piece, which is a refreshing update to Boudin’s record.

TODAY’s HEADLINES:

  • High praise for Boudin from judge whose words have been used to attack him (48 Hills

  • Robotic Fish Frighten Aquatic Pests To Death (The Onion)

LYRICS

“I'm Over You”

Keith Whitley

Songwriters: Tim Nichols / Zack Turner

Where there's a cloud, don't mean there's rain
Tears in my eyes, don't mean there's pain
Don't flatter yourself
I'm over you

Things aren't always what they seem
You can't believe everything you read
On my face
I'm over you

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