Tag: Omicron

As Restrictions Continue to Be Lifted, the COVID-Zero Crowd Don’t Want to Let Go

Commentary Most mask mandates in Ontario were lifted on March 21, with the exception of places such as public transit, retirement homes, and shelters. In his statement announcing the move, Premier Ford described the day as an “important milestone in our fight with COVID” and thanked Ontarians for their “hard work, sacrifice, and willingness to…


Victoria Pushing Autumn Pop-Up Blitz as COVID-19 Cases Surge

The Victorian Labor Government has announced more than 120 pop-ups COVID-19 vaccination hubs across March to increase booster vaccination rates in the lead up to winter as new COVID-19 cases increase. “Don’t rely on two doses to get you through this winter. If you are due, make March the month you get your third,” the…


The Holy Covid Trinity Unravels

Commentary 1) Vaccines do next to nothing to curb Omicron transmission Remember in the good old altruistic days, vaccines were not primarily for self-protection, but for the safety of others? “Your actions have consequences for other people’s health,” was the undefeatable argument. Failing to contribute to community health and safety was a socially criminal offense. It often sowed…


CDC No Longer Recommends Universal Contact Tracing, Case Investigation

The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) no longer recommends universal COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing, instead saying health departments should direct those efforts to specific high-risk settings. The Feb. 28 update to the CDC guidance comes nearly two years after Robert Redfield, the agency’s previous director, told Congress that America needed…


Pandemic Lessons Learned: Omicron Vs Bill Gates

Commentary At the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 18, Bill Gates was asked to assess where we are at in beating the pandemic. He replied: “Sadly, the virus itself, particularly the variant called Omicron, is a type of vaccine. That is, it creates both B-cell and T-cell immunity.” Maybe Mr. Gates read my Jan. 5…


Pandemic Lessons Learned: Omicron Versus Bill Gates

Commentary At the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 18, Bill Gates was asked to assess where we are at in beating the pandemic. He replied: “Sadly, the virus itself, particularly the variant called Omicron, is a type of vaccine. That is, it creates both B-cell and T-cell immunity.” Maybe Mr. Gates read my Jan. 5…


Reinfections With Subvariant of Omicron Are Rare, Danish Researchers Find

People who contract cases of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron virus variant are unlikely to get re-infected by a subvariant of the variant, researchers in Denmark found. Emerging data indicate BA.2, a subvariant of Omicron, is more transmissible—possibly 30 percent more, according to the World Health Organization. But an analysis of data from national surveillance…


Australian State Tasmania Drops Vax Mandates

Tasmania has joined the ranks of other Australian states that have decided to scrap virtually all vaccination requirements amid the spread of the milder Omicront variant of the CCP virus. From Feb. 25, proof of vaccination will no longer be required to visit the state and will be removed for venues such as bars, restaurants,…


End Vax Mandates in Western Australia Says Former National Deputy Chief Medical Officer

Australia’s former chief health adviser has criticised Western Australia (WA)—the state which proclaims to have the “broadest proof of vaccination requirements in the nation”—for continuing to force people to choose between getting vaccinated and losing their job. WA has mandated the vaccine for health, mining, and police workers; staff and visitors to all hospitality, entertainment,…


New Study Finds COVID-19 Vaccines Offer ‘Virtually No Protection’ Against Omicron

Individuals who are double-vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 have “virtually no protection” against the Omicron variant, according to a peer-reviewed study. The research, led by Rudolf Valenta of the Medical University of Vienna, found that only people who had received the third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine can form antibodies that could partially block Omicron,…