Worried—Freshman GOP Kansas Congressman Jake LaTurner tests #COVID19 positive. Is 11th House member of 117th Congress—all of the same party.
But what worries me is MOCs were all holed up together yesterday during the siege. Many maskless. He was likely infectious.
2) Supposedly MOCs started getting vaccinated. But all the Freshmen MOCs yet? They just got sworn in. Also nobody has had 2nd shot yet. First shot partial protection only
3) Not just members of Congress, but also staffers and people across the US exposed to these people who are likely superspreading it as we speak as they return home.
JUST IN—we can expect 405,000–438,000 total #COVID19 deaths in the United States **by January 30 alone** if current models hold. They don’t fully account for the more contagious B117 variant though, with 40-80% greater transmissibility.
➡️I think 500,000 by end of Feb possible.
2) Feb could be a LOT LOT worse. Death surges lag cases by 3 weeks. And we will see the spikes from the #CapitolRiots in coming weeks.
⚠️POTENTIALLY WORST MASS SPREADER EVENT—This #CapitolRiots could be worse than Sturgis—indoors, almost no masks, no distance, lot of shouting—worst of all scenarios.
➡️I dread the #COVID epidemic curves in 2-3 weeks after these MAGA rioters return home.
2) Here is why it is gonna be critical to stop the pandemic and hold the R<1 in the next few weeks. We are in the most critical crisis time. For both democracy and the pandemic. 👇 please read.
3) can we give a standing ovation for @WinMc for his heroic photo journalism on the front lines yesterday? He also photographed tons of dangerous photos during the storming of the Capitol.
DON’T PACIFY A BEAST THAT CANNOT BE PACIFIED. We did so so so many things wrong with #COVID19 response. We were sadly reactive when when should have been proactive. We fiddled while Rome burned. If we don’t stop virus this month—we are screwed. The epidemiology models are dark...
2) The Denmark 🇩🇰 CDC released this model yesterday. They are now so certain the new virus B117 strain will take over the country (and the world) by Feb and March that they show what currently happens will longer work unless we have epic suppression now!