Friday, November 26, 2021

Remember this moment when the Nu variant starts rampaging.

Eh, let's wait and see about a travel stop from South Africa, says "America's Doctor."

Why? Because it's still early:

Only a few cases of the B.1.1.529 “Nu” variant have been detected [outside of South Africa] so far. By the logic of March 2020, that should make this an opportune moment to slap a travel ban on southern Africa. We might not be able to stop Nu from reaching the U.S. but we can limit the number of travelers bringing it in, slowing the spread. And the slower the spread is, the fewer people will be infected while the country waits for Pfizer and Moderna to produce an updated vaccine, if need be.

I have an idea: tell him he's acting like a fellow over-rated egomaniac when the latter was too late about stopping travel from Europe.

That might do it.

The UK has already issued a travel stop. 

Meanwhile, the stock market dropped like a stone today--maybe that will wake up a caretaker or two at the White House.

Here's some more data about the variant that's giving some epidemiologists the sweats.

It's rampaging through the South African province that includes Pretoria and Johannesburg, and has surpassed Delta in the course of three weeks.

[Update: mirabile dictu, someone is awake in DC: travel ban begins Monday, which I hope means we test everyone in the meantime and then citizens and legal residents who return, too. Good on the Administration for acting quickly.]

2 comments:

  1. Well we'll test them as long as they are obeying the rules...
    https://issa.house.gov/media/press-releases/issa-amendment-apply-cdcs-covid-rules-migrants-unanimously-blocked-judiciary

    Otherwise it doesn't matter apparently.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yep. And we're not testing for Nu-Xi-mocron from people returning from the travel-ban nations, so yeah.

    I guess we'll see what this variant can do, just in time for all the States north of the Ohio to button down for the winter.

    ReplyDelete

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