Winter COVID surge is upon us -- Trump and the Republicans are just ignoring it

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Last summer, Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota welcomed bikers from across the country to the annual rally in the town of Sturgis. Hundreds of thousands showed up and they partied like there was no tomorrow. Noem, a rising Republican star, didn't cancel the state fair and refused to issue much guidance on how to avoid spreading COVID-19. As the state's caseload rose quickly throughout the fall, Noem spent $5 million of federal COVID relief money creating ads to encourage tourism.

She has rejected all advice from the CDC and has made it clear that she will defy any mandates coming from the new administration as well. She says she leaves it up to her people to do what's best for their families because she values freedom. Apparently, she believes these people should have the freedom to infect innocent bystanders as well.

Tomorrow has arrived. The state is now considered to be one of the worst COVID hotspots in the world and hospitals are in a desperate situation. Over the weekend a South Dakota nurse wrote this disturbing dispatch on Twitter:

I have a night off from the hospital. As I'm on my couch with my dog I can't help but think of the Covid patients the last few days. The ones that stick out are those who still don't believe the virus is real. The ones who scream at you for a magic medicine and that Joe Biden is going to ruin the USA. All while gasping for breath on 100% Vapotherm. They tell you there must be another reason they are sick. They call you names and ask why you have to wear all that "stuff" because they don't have COViD because it's not real. Yes. This really happens.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/winter-covid-surge-upon-us-131232656.html

[likesmountains 52]

1. In the past 24 hours 4 people i know have come down with it.

All hospital workers (RNs) I might add.

[abqtommy]

2. I really don't understand anyone who's willing to be complicit in their own death. I don't

understand it at all.

[The Genealogist]

4. Drunk on right wing propaganda

gluing yourself to propaganda all day, every day, for 30 years makes people's brains turn to mush.

[underpants]

5. You can't understand it

You aren’t in a cult.

[Crunchy Frog]

7. It's not uncommon in cults. Remember Jonestown?

I think they need to look at some financial sanctions for states that won't take this seriously. Otherwise they'll just revel in their defiance of an "illegitimate" president, and people will die just to "own the libs".

[underpants]

3. I saw an interview of the nurse who wrote that

Truly amazing. These people refuse to admit they were lied to even on their deathbed.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. how can they believe both of these - that their orange savior had COVID, and that COVID is a hoax

the only reasoning is that they are a fact-impermeable cult that simply wants to "own the libs"

[NotASurfer]

8. Look at it this way

They're one COVID-positive COVID-denier and a few closed-door Repub-only partisan sabotag...I mean, "planning", meetings away from decimating their own caucus.

Depressingly, Democrats could get a majority in the Senate by way of self-inflicted Repub attrition