Pandemic Planning: Omicron

 As usual I am interested in planning for the Omicron variant. I was interested in how long it takes for a new variant to take over. The NYT has some interesting graphs for the USA 

Coronavirus Variants and Mutations

Looks life for both Alpha and Delta that it took about two months for the new variant becoming present in our population to becoming the majority variant and then another two months before it dominated all other variants.

It is a little more difficult to estimate how long it will take for the new variant to become present in our populations. 

Currently it looks like the Delta variant is going to have another surge, probably through Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It the Omicron variant gets here during that time, the present Delta surge could develop into a very nasty Omicron surge that could linger from January through April.

On the other hand, if Omicron takes several months to get here we could have a short pause as the Delta Holiday surge declines in January through March. So there might be a break during April and May, and then an Omicron surge starting in the Summer like Delta gave us this past year.  The Omicron surge whenever it comes could be very bad if it is a vaccine resistant variant. 

For those who like colored graphs the following website gives the details about all the variants. It is interesting that both the variants and the waves play out differently in different countries.

Overview of Variants in Countries

Why We Can't Have Quality News Journalism

 The Omaha World Herald, a regional daily newspaper, is owned by Lee Enterprises.  A number of other Nebraska-based daily newspapers are also owned by Lee.

On November 24, the following article came out: Lee Enterprises approves 'poison pill' in face of buyout offer | Omaha State and Regional News | omaha.com:  

Lee Enterprises said Wednesday that it had approved what’s known as a “poison pill” to guard against a hostile takeover as it considers New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital’s unsolicited purchase offer....The plan approved by Lee Enterprises’ board would kick in if Alden gets control of 10% or more of Lee’s stock in the next year. At that point, other shareholders could buy shares at a 50% discount or get free shares for every share they already own. Flooding the market with additional shares would dilute the stock, making it more expensive for Alden to acquire a controlling stake. Alden said in a filing Tuesday that it owns 6.1% of Lee."

"...Lee Chairman Mary Junck said the plan would give the board and shareholders time to consider Alden’s proposal “without undue pressure while also safeguarding shareholders’ opportunity to realize the long-term value of their investment.... Alden, which has become one of the country’s largest newspaper publishers through a series of acquisitions in recent years, offered Monday to buy Lee for $141 million, or $24 per share. That was 30% higher than its value at market close Friday.""...Alden’s titles include the Chicago Tribune and the Baltimore Sun, which it acquired this summer in its takeover of Tribune Publishing." (maybe Jim P. has heard more about the acquisition of the Chicago Tribune?)

Read on for more information on the secretive, pervasive hedge fund, Alden Global Capital:

Happy Thanksgiving !

 

Headlands Beach November 8, 2011 5:57pm

On my computer at least if you click on the image, you get a big image.

Archbishop Gomez's Madrid speech

Earlier this month, Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), gave a controversial speech to a conference in Madrid.  Let's take a look at what he said and what it may indicate about our church leaders.

Francis's beatitudes for bishops

 At America, Gerard O'Connell reports that Francis has given the Italian bishops cards with eight beatitudes for bishops.  O'Connell reports that Francis has "borrowed" them from Domenico Battaglia, the archbishop of Naples. In the same spirit, I hope O'Connell and America don't mind if I paste them here, after the break.

Weaponizing Virus Mandates

Republicans fighting President Joe Biden's coronavirus vaccine mandates are wielding a new weapon against the White House rules: natural immunity.

GOP embraces natural immunity as substitute for vaccines

Florida wrote natural immunity into state law this week as GOP lawmakers elsewhere are pushing similar measures to sidestep vaccine mandates. Lawsuits over the mandates have also begun leaning on the idea. Conservative federal lawmakers have implored regulators to consider it when formulating mandates.

The Great Resignation?

The Great Resignation is being driven entirely by this one demographic