Omicron Hasn't Hit Rural Communities Yet

[applegrove]

Omicron Hasn’t Hit Rural Communities Yet

January 16, 2022 at 4:53 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 5 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2022/01/16/omicron-hasnt-hit-rural-communities-yet/

"SNIP.......

NBC News: “Since it arrived in the United States, the Covid-19 virus has been a national story that is felt at the local level. Different communities have experienced the worst of the pandemic at different times. The pandemic started as a coastal story back in 2020, but it wasn’t long until it moved into the country as the virus spread.”

“Now, the omicron variant could take those local differences to new heights, driven by discrepancies in vaccination rates and hospital availability, and the data suggests that rural communities, in particular, could be headed for some hard weeks ahead.”

New York Times: U.S. surgeon general warns that Omicron has not yet peaked.

.......SNIP"

[Funtatlaguy]

1. Would it be bad if I was now rooting for it to go to red rural areas.

[OnDoutside]

9. You don't have to root for it, they're not going to escape Omicron.

Interesting fact, in Ireland where 94% of the adult population is fully vaccinated, the rate of people in hospital is about 50-50 with unvaccinated, so 6% are accounting for 50% of the Covid hospital cases. That's the sort of number coming to red States.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. 94% is about 15 times 6%, so at 50-50 the unvaxed are 15 times more likely to go to hospital. nt

[OnDoutside]

26. For sure.

[xmas74]

17. Please don't

I'm in a rural area. My surgery has already been postponed due to no rooms available. I need this surgery asap. (Ovarian mass that is suspected cancer.)

Rooting for it means you're cheering on my lack of ability to get the care I already need. Too many around me already don't care. I don't need others adding to it.

[Funtatlaguy]

19. I definitely am rooting for it to stay away from you. Good luck 👍🏻

[MichMan]

21. There are always some people that get great pleasure out of others misfortune & misery

I don't what causes something like that, but I generally feel sorry for them

[Maru Kitteh]

22. I put in 68 hours last week. Taking care of Veterans and their families,

and testing more people than I've been able to count. My body screams in pain when I go to bed, my face hurts all the time now. My neck is covered with a painful rash from the N95 straps.

I guess I deserve it? I guess the 7 vets we have on the COVID ward now, all vaxed and boosted deserve it too?

Go on ahead with your rooting "Fun guy." Real people who have done everything right out here are hurting, but you enjoy yourself.

[DemocraticPatriot]

29. Let it. Nature has a remedy

for "voter suppression".... its own form of 'voter suppression' will help level the playing field.


I hope it runs rampant on the red Trump-humping anti-vaxxers. If fewer of them are able to vote (because they are dead), it is a boon to democracy and the future of our country.

They have done it to themselves. I have no sympathy, or even empathy. Even if President Biden and the Democratic party were telling me not to get vaccinated, I would still be fully vaccinated. Basing health decisions on politics is incredibly stupid and non-sensical.

"Let's Go Darwin!"

[Budi]

2. Rural communities of Red States are Joe Rogan cults.

The ones I know of, live & breathe by his words.
They believe they've been spared by the advice of Rogan & his guests.

[BGBD]

23. Well....do you

Remember this board when Rogan said he'd vote for Bernie?

[Budi]

24. Quite the blowback from that endorsement. Wasn't that on the heels of

...that ol' libertarian, antisemetic & mysogonist Cenk as well?
I recall that time as a big embarassing cf.

Rogan is poison. I never saw how Sanders' political ideology meshed at all with Rogan.
Quite the opposite so why would either think that was a good idea?

ick.

[roamer65]

3. It's coming.

[TexasTowelie]

4. I'm in Bryan/College Station with a population of a quarter million,

but we are surrounded by mostly rural counties. Omicron is here, the number of cases within the county has climbed back to near record levels, and my brother is setting up more patients on ventilators and oxygen concentrators nearly every day. I'm also reading numerous reports in the Texas newspapers about rural schools closing.

On my last grocery trip, I would estimate that only about 40% of the shoppers were wearing masks and at times I have to show some aggressiveness in order to maintain social distancing. I expect that the numbers will continue to climb for a few more weeks before we see any sign of relief here.

[Claustrum]

6. Social distancing is completely gone from what I observed.

I was on a line for my booster a few weeks ago and somehow people on line wanted to be right next to each other. There was another line also for people trying to test for COVID. But people has consistently lined up at the wrong line. I was like, stay away from me since I have no idea if you are here for testing or vaccine. But either way, keep socially distanced......

[RKP5637]

13. I was at UPS recently, no social distancing and no masks, line filled with people. I was the

only one with a mask. I have no idea how people think they are escaping Omicron. I guess only democrats can get it ...

[Claustrum]

15. No. They think they will survive COVID even if they get it.

My dad is still saying daily that Omicron is weaker than flu. No matter how many people are dying in the hospital daily, you can't convince him otherwise.

[RKP5637]

25. I just don't get it. I don't understand the misconception of what Omicron is about, and that many

dig in and deny the seriousness of Covid-19. One of my friends got only the first shot. She's insistent that is all she needs, because her immune system will take care of everything. WTF! Like she is impervious to disease. ... like it's some kind of badge of honor ... that only the weak need vaccines. More WTF's.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

32. Not JUST question of survival. Long Covid can kill way-of-life, make work difficult. nt

[NutmegYankee]

28. For an airborne virus, it's pointless

Social distancing was based on the concept that it spread by droplets heavier than air. That was proven incorrect.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

31. Not entirely aerosol (which is the word you are looking for). And social distancing still helps!

Social distancing still helps with aerosols. Nothing is perfect, not masks even N95, not vaccines, not social distancing.

But it all helps.

Please don't spread misinformation.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Respiratory illnesses so much worse in cold weather.

Pride goeth before the fall.

[2naSalit]

7. Well it sure is blazing through this end of ruralwerld...

A whole bunch of businesses are temporarily closed, hospitals overrun, it's a mess.

[RKP5637]

8. Well, I guess they'll have to start drinking their own piss with Clorox chasers, that ought

to work real well ... according to the expert medical advice by the delusional stupid ignorant factor of the US that some prefer to the outstanding medical advice in the US.

[Lovie777]

10. Rural areas in California are hit hard . ..

[druidity33]

11. It is here in rural MA...

and we are swamped. I counted 4 stores closed on Main st today that aren't normally closed on Sunday. My little coop doesn't have enough staff to keep the kitchen open in the evenings. We're working with half the staff...

[CanonRay]

12. Not true.

I live in a town of 9000, and we're getting 10-20 cases a day.

[Runningdawg]

14. Tulsa hospitals are filled with rural folk with omicron

there are even more in circulation on the streets - no one here tests unless they are forced to by their employer.

[empedocles]

16. 'The bell tolls'

[wiggs]

20. Saw today that, for the first time I recall, our 14 day new case rate in

Orange County CA is higher than the national average. In general, we had been doing OK...

Half of people at farmer's market this morning unmasked. Stores and markets mostly masked. But lots of activity going on as normal.

[ForgedCrank]

27. I'm guessing this

is regional, but seems like dang near half the people I know have caught this crap over the past 2 months, and I live in a rural area.

[LeftInTX]

30. I'm pretty sure it is. It spreads like wildfire!