1000's of variants have been waxing & waning in North America for MANY, MANY months.
This is normal & EXPECTED in error-prone RNA replication.
...BUT, BUT BUT!!! It is MUCH more academically fascinating than clinically significant.
Too bad the #OST hasn't figured that out!
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@LysanderMurphy@DonaldWelsh16 He is indeed a hero!
But,...I try understand where they are are coming from. Misappropriation of Apartheid does a disservice to those who suffered through it & were deprived of basic human dignity via Gov't policy - far surpassing the Civil Rights Mov. My family was there.
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@LysanderMurphy@DonaldWelsh16 Misappropriation of the Civil Rights movement does a disservice to those that were (earlier) literally enslaved & then still denied human dignity and rights.
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@LysanderMurphy@DonaldWelsh16 Misappropriation of the Holocaust does a disservice to people who were specifically targeted for total eradication simply due to both their race & religion - and was a culmination of centuries of progroms and blood libels.
Given that...I can see where they are coming from.
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Excellent, realistic analysis of COVID-19 stats, etc.: @rubiconcapital_
Journalist that has consistently held the gov't to account for their draconian restrictions, the damage they are inflicting, & the lack of science to back them up: @anthonyfurey facebook.com/AnthonyFureyWr…
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"Hospitalizations", "ICU admissions", & "deaths" attributed to COVID-19 are all a subset of the total # of "cases" - and as such are subject to the case definition which only requires a "+" test result (with or WITH symptoms) usually within previous 30 days.
So, if you had a "positive" test result on admission to hospital for emergency heart surgery, etc. - and NEVER had or developed symptoms during your entire hospital stay - you would be classified as a "COVID-19 Hospitalization".
If you had a "+" test result & then died of traumatic injuries after an accident, committed suicide, or were already on death's doorstep & were expected to die imminently from cancer - yet had absolutely NO symptoms of COVID-19 - you would still be classified a "COVID-19 death".
@fordnation & @celliottability
You need to provide some #perspective
You have only found less than 300 cases of the "Oh-so-scary" UK variant from Dec. 26 to today....
...out of over 130,000 positive tests in that same time period.
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You have stated that you are testing the sickest as you feel that those are more likely to give positive test results for variants - BUT still have come up with less than impressive numbers.
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The Ontario Ministry of Health's own report on variants does not show any alarming trends either - as shown below and here: