Slouching Into Christmas

As we go into Christmas, the Omicron variant now accounts for nearly three out of every four COVID cases in the United States.

Cases are rising rapidly, and based on the latest numbers but of South Africa, they could fall just as rapidly.  But the doomsayers - you know they're out there - dismiss this development, insisting that South Africa has a younger population than North America or Europe (where COVID is also skyrocketing), and in South Africa, it's summer.  And meanwhile, regarding monocleomal antibody treatments, or monoclamiral antibody treatments or mononuclear antibody treatments or whatever the hell it's called . . . yeah, well, it doesn't matter what they're called, as they don't work against Omicron.  Well, except for one of them.  And while Moderna insists that two vaccinations and a booster are effective against Omicron, a doomsayer - not Michael Osterholm - say the two vaccinations and a booster of Pfizer are worthless against Omicron after three months.  And what does Michael Osterholm think?  He's one of the people offering hope - hope - that Omicron rates in the U.S. could fall as quickly as the rise.

Ugh.

As today is Festivus, I'm going to try to perform the superhuman strength of just staying out of bed - I haven't been feeling well lately, though I don't think it's COVID because I can still smell things - and I am very disappointed in what's going on.  But I'll still try to have a good Christmas, once I put my cardboard pole away.   

Yes, a cardboard pole, taken from a just-finished roll of Christmas wrapping paper.  I can't afford an aluminum one.