NIH director: 'We want to avoid lockdowns at all costs'

[nitpicker]

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/02/nih-director-avoid-lockdowns-502090

NIH director: ‘We want to avoid lockdowns at all costs’
By Quint Forgey 2 hrs ago

One of the nation’s top public health officials said Monday that the Biden administration was seeking “to avoid lockdowns at all costs” amid a precipitous rise in cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant that has prompted a reversal of federal masking guidance and resulted in more stringent coronavirus-related orders across the country.

Urging greater numbers of people to get vaccinated, Francis Collins — director of the National Institutes of Health — reported that “most of the projections say we’re in for a really tough August, September, October,” and warned Americans would be forced to adopt unpopular mitigation measures to stave off the widespread lockdown directives that the country endured earlier in the pandemic.


“We want to avoid lockdowns at all costs,” Collins told ABC’s “Good Morning America” in an interview. “But that means we’re going to have to do some other things that won’t necessarily be welcomed by people, such as the new recommendation of wearing masks in indoor gatherings, even if you're vaccinated.”

Skirting new shutdowns will also “mean schools really need to have kids masked, so that they’re protected from being the source of spreading, as well,” Collins said, adding: “But if we want to avoid a more severe outcome that might lead to more extreme measures like lockdowns, we know what to do. We just need to do it.”
(snip)

[ansible]

1. Another lockdown would be politically devastating to Biden

It's just not gonna work anymore, Trump would just love it to happen though.

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. Then millions will die for certain, and it may be the beginning of the end for everyone.

[nitpicker]

5. I'm afraid people's behaviors won't change

And then we might be back to virtual schooling, re-restrictions, etc. by the end of this month.

Extrapolating from the CDC report of week--after-week increases in daily cases, a 64% w-o-w 7-day average increase IF continued would lead to 2.69 times increase by week 2, 7.25 times increase by week 4 over the latest report.

That could pack beds full and hinder people needing other care from getting treatment.

Maybe this is just a result of anything-goes 4th of July behavior and things will calm back down, but...

[33taw]

3. I think it is time do self imposed lockdowns and return to curbside pick-up...

Those who choose to continue to gather without out masks and not get vaccinated are also those who are unlikely to make any choices to protect themselves. Darwins will be Darwins.

[Claire Oh Nette]

8. We had a nice respite during spring

No place was ever locked down. Newsom was the first to call for a "Shelter in Place." No one was locked down.

That said, the hope and joy of a springtime vaccine, a trip to visit the Bestie and see her younger daughter graduate, all before things began to get dicey around 4th of July.

Media broadcasts the numbers of "Breakthrough infections" without context, failing to note that vaccinated people are NOT coming down with life threatening Delta Covid. We fell short of 70% for herd immunity, and our window closed.

We will likely need boosters, and I'm ok with that. I get a flu shot every year, and it's no different that getting that shot.

Had we instituted Proof of vaccination for entry to public places, we'd be on the other side. If the NIH or CDC or Surgeon General were able to call bullshit on the blatantly false RW News, we'd be through this. If the big, tough, mucho macho Magats were not so afraid of needles or having someone "tell them what to do," we'd be through this.

The RW politicized COVID just like they did HIV/AIDS during Reagan's administration. They think a single cell virus gives a shit about American Political posturing.

I can only hope the Unvaccinated are registered GOP voters, so we will outnumber them for generations to come.

(rant off)

[Deminpenn]

4. That ship has sailed

Walensky has done a poor job of messaging during her tenure. The problem is unvaccinated people, not vaccinated people. Unvaccinated Americans need to be held responsible and suffer the consequences of their actions whether it's being asked to provide proof of vaccination from their doctor/medical provider/pharmacy or insurance company or told to stay home or told that they could be fired by their employer or what have you.

Punishing a group for the actions of a few doesn't work.

[Tetrachloride]

6. At least myself and my aunt are in high isolation

[Xoan]

7. At all costs ...

is a rather STUPID philosophy.