onthedarkside

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As there is considerable debate about the validity of the Florida study cited in the OP, this thread and topic is --CLOSED--.

Cetylpyridinium chloride mouthwashes: Potential role in COVID-19 control 2022 Mar "although there is sufficient in vitro evidence [1,7], it is necessary that the scientific community, in addition to the pharmaceutical industries, carry out more observational and experimental studies, which allow strengthening the evidence of the virucidal effect of CPC against SARS-COV-2, complementing and correcting the limitations of preliminary studies [1,2,5,8]; in order to reduce the impact of this disease on our society." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8492611/

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(CNN) — US firearm homicide and suicide rates each increased by more than 8% from 2020 to 2021, according to data published Thursday in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CDC researchers estimated that there were over 20,000 firearm homicides and over 26,000 firearm suicides in the United States in 2021. The firearm homicide rate was 8.3% higher in 2021 than it was in 2020. ... The percentage of homicides attributed to firearm injuries rose from 79% in 2020 to 81% in 2021, the highest percentage in more than 50 years. For suicides attributable to firearm injuries, the percentage rose from 53% in 2020 to 55% in 2021, the highest percentage since 2001. “The overall U.S. firearm homicide and firearm suicide rates in 2021 were the highest documented since 1993 and 1990, respectively,” the report said. (more) https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/06/health/firearm-homicide-suicide-rates-increase-2021-cdc/index.html From the source report: Notes from the Field: Increases in Firearm Homicide and Suicide Rates — United States, 2020–2021 "The firearm homicide rate in the United States increased nearly 35% from 2019 to 2020, coinciding with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic (1). This increase affected all ages and most population groups, but not equally: existing disparities, including racial and ethnic disparities, widened. The firearm suicide rate was higher than the firearm homicide rate in 2020 and remained consistent with recent years overall; however, increases were observed in some groups (1). ... The overall U.S. firearm homicide and firearm suicide rates in 2021 were the highest documented since 1993 and 1990, respectively. Some racial and ethnic groups experienced substantially higher rates in 2021, and among some groups, disparities continued to widen. This analysis cannot explain the reasons for the increases; however, multiple social and structural conditions are associated with risk for homicide and suicide. Systemic inequities (e.g., in economic, educational, housing, and employment opportunities) and structural racism have contributed to disparities in outcomes, and the COVID-19 pandemic could have worsened these conditions, especially in some racial and ethnic communities (1,2). https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7140a4.htm

The district has faced withering criticism over its police department’s actions. The Uvalde, Texas, school district -- still facing withering criticism over its police department's failings both during the May 24 elementary school massacre and since -- announced the suspension of the entire district police force on Friday. Hours later, Uvalde school district Superintendent Hal Harrell announced he would be retiring. There was no timeframe given for Harrell's retirement, but the transition will be discussed in a closed session of the school board on Monday. The district said it's requested more Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to be stationed on campuses and at extracurricular activities amid the police department suspension, adding, "We are confident that staff and student safety will not be compromised during this transition." ... Lt. Miguel Hernandez, who was tasked with leading the department in the fallout from the shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers, and Ken Mueller, the UCISD's director of student services, were placed on administrative leave. (more) https://abcnews.go.com/US/uvalde-school-district-suspends-entire-police-force-fallout/story?id=91172897

A strong fall COVID booster campaign could save 90,000 U.S. lives and avoid more than 936,000 hospitalizations, study finds A strong fall COVID booster campaign could save about 90,000 people living in the U.S. from dying of the virus and avoid more than 936,000 hospitalizations, according to a new study by the Commonwealth Fund. As immunity wanes and new variants that can evade protection from early vaccines emerge, surges in hospitalizations and deaths are increasingly likely this fall and winter, the authors wrote. That makes it important that people get the bivalent boosters recently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and help stop transmission, they wrote. ... As of Oct. 3, some 68% of the U.S. population has had primary shots, but fewer than half of those have received a booster dose, and only 36% of those aged 50 and older have had a second booster." https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/a-strong-fall-covid-booster-campaign-could-save-90000-us-lives-and-avoid-more-than-936000-hospitalizations-study-finds/ar-AA12D110 And from the source report: "If vaccination continued at its current pace through the end of March 2023, a potential winter surge in COVID-19 infections could result in a peak of around 16,000 hospitalizations and 1,200 deaths per day by March 2023. Under both scenarios modeled, we found an aggressive fall booster vaccination campaign could prevent COVID-19 deaths from exceeding 400 per day." https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2022/fall-covid-19-booster-campaign-could-save-thousands-lives-billions-dollars

And a parallel discussion regarding the U.S.'s prospects from Johns Hopkins: "FALL/WINTER SURGE POTENTIAL Experts are keeping an eye on whether the United States will experience a surge in SARS-CoV-2 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths during the fall and winter seasons, a potential that looks increasingly likely. Several factors point to a forthcoming wave: the number of new cases is rising in Europe, and the US historically has followed that region’s trend; several emerging SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineages appear to be more capable of evading immune system protection and therapies...; individual immunity—from vaccination or prior infection—continues to wane, primary vaccinations have stalled, and booster uptake is slow; and policy and behavioral changes have limited the positive impact of previously implemented mitigation measures, such as mask use and physical distancing." AND "WHO officials recently indicated that they are currently monitoring more than 300 Omicron sublineages. Several of these sublineages are particularly concerning, including BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 that evolved from BA.5 and BA.2.275 and XBB that evolved from BA.2. ... All 4 of these sublineages exhibit resistance to existing treatments and vaccines, and the XBB sublineage, in particular, threatens to render existing vaccines ineffective." https://myemail.constantcontact.com/--COVID-19-Updates---October-6--2022.html

Interesting additional chart included in this HHS report... By my tally, the six least vaccinated states in the U.S., as of the end of 2021, for their entire adult populations, not just Medicare recipients: Source: CDC COVID Data Tracker – Vaccine Distribution and Coverage, https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccine-delivery-coverage

Several off-topic and diversion posts have been removed. Continue with off-topic rants, and you'll face a suspension.

Covid vaccines prevented at least 330,000 deaths and nearly 700,000 hospitalizations among adult Medicare recipients in 2021, the Health and Human Services Department said in a new report published Friday. The reduction in hospitalizations due to vaccination saved more than $16 billion in medical costs, according to the HHS report. A 10% increase in vaccination coverage was associated with a 12% and 15% decline in the chances of hospitalization and death, respectively, among adult Medicare recipients, according to the study. The HHS study looked at county-level data on vaccination rates and changes in hospitalization and death among a sample of Medicare beneficiaries ages 18 and older. Texas and Hawaii were not included in the study due to incomplete vaccination data. ... Despite the vaccine coverage within the highest risk group, more than 300 people are still dying each day on average [nationwide] from Covid, while more than 3,300 are hospitalized daily, according to CDC data." (more) https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/07/covid-vaccines-prevented-at-least-330000-deaths-among-us-seniors-in-2021.html Also from the report: "Our model results indicate that COVID-19 vaccinations were associated with an estimated 670,000–680,000 fewer hospitalizations and 330,000–370,000 fewer deaths among all Medicare beneficiaries through the end of 2021. This represents a 39–47 percent reduction in these outcomes. • Reductions in COVID-19 hospitalizations were associated with an estimated savings of $16.3–16.5 billion in direct hospitalization costs, a 6-fold increase in savings compared to our earlier study through May 2021. • In the absence of any COVID-19 vaccinations in 2021, we estimate that there would have been more than 1.7 million COVID-19 hospitalizations and 700,000 deaths among the 64 million Medicare beneficiaries in 2021." https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/21a637373ccaf4c66f934bdbbb23ad5c/covid-19-medicare-2021-lives-saved.pdf

Rising COVID levels in Europe especially affect seniors Oct 07, 2022 "COVID activity continued to rise in many European countries last week, up 14% compared to the previous week in people ages 65 and older, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said [Friday] in a regular update. In the United States, COVID indicators continue to fall, with the BA.5 Omicron variant still dominant, but newer subvariants are slowly making more of a mark. The pooled rate in Europe for all age-groups has been rising for the past 3 weeks, and the impact on seniors is leading to rising hospital indicators. However, deaths—often a lagging indicator—continue to fall, and the ECDC noted that deaths declined 10% last week compared to the week before. The agency said forecasts predict that deaths will start showing an increasing trend in the middle of October." (more) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/10/rising-covid-levels-europe-especially-affect-seniors

From the third news report linked above: "HOW ARE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES REACTING? Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland began turning away Russians holding tourist visas issued by any of the EU's Schengen states on Sept. 19. Finland followed suit on Sept. 30. Norway's Arctic border with Russia is the last direct route into Europe open to Russian Schengen tourist visa holders. Norway's justice minister said on Sept. 30 the government could ban further arrivals from Russia at short notice if necessary." and "A French minister said France would also be selective on who was allowed to remain in the country, taking into account a person's situation and the security risk. "We will make sure dissident journalists, people who fight the regime, artists and students can still come here," Junior Minister for European Affairs Laurence Boone said on Oct. 5."

KYIV, Ukraine — A giant explosion ripped across the Crimean Bridge, a strategic link between mainland Russia and Crimea, in what appeared to be a stunning blow early Saturday morning to a symbol of President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions to control Ukraine. The damage to the bridge, which provided a road and rail connection from Russia to the Ukrainian peninsula the Kremlin illegally annexed in 2014, marks another serious setback to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine by disrupting a crucial supply route. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the government had no timeline for repairing the 12-mile bridge. Russia’s Investigative Committee, a top law enforcement body, said a truck explosion had ignited fuel tankers as a freight train crossed the bridge. The cause of the truck blast was not immediately clear. After the explosion, thick plumes of smoke and flames could be seen from a distance. (more) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/explosion-hits-crimean-bridge-damaging-russian-supply-route-to-ukraine/ar-AA12Jj2L

Moscow has denied reports that 700,000 Russians have fled the country since Vladimir Putin last month announced a mobilisation order to increase the numbers fighting in Ukraine. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov conceded he did not have an exact figure for how many people had left since the announcement on 21 September. ... Within a week of the call-up, it was reported that at least 260,000 people had crossed the country’s border to avoid fighting on the front line. Hundreds of thousands of Russians, mostly military-age men, are said to have crossed neighbouring borders including those of Finland, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Mongolia. (more) https://news.yahoo.com/moscow-denies-700-000-fled-125130597.html Also: Russians fleeing draft challenged in Kazakhstan https://news.yahoo.com/russians-fleeing-draft-challenged-kazakhstan-090314914.html Where have Russians been fleeing to since mobilisation began? https://news.yahoo.com/factbox-where-russians-fleeing-since-101636193.html

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A series of off-topic posts have been removed. The topic here is a mass killing -- not monks and ATM machines.