and the beat goes on and on and on and

"Well that's an oldie but a goldie!"

 

Yeah, but that Sonny and Cher song just popped into my head while I was listening to Mayor Johnson's weekly update.

You know, it being Tuesday and all. 

This photo is actually from last week, when the Chief of Police was addressing the increase in gun violence.

 

"I thought you weren't doing that anymore, that it was out of your groove thing."

 

Forewarned is forearmed, right? 

I had expected an upturn in COVID cases after the holiday season, and the people hereabouts have been more than willing to comply, it would seem. 

 

"So, just how bad is it? Shouldn't it be on the down side now?"

 

On the contrary, it's rising even more.

This new strain, being called the omicron version, spreads as easily as the common cold.

Seriously.

Within three days of exposure to this rendition of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the patient is under the influence of the Coronavirus Infectious Disease, which the media refers to as COVID because they try to ignore the science.

I actually need to thank Paul for making me more aware of the change.

During our talk, he'd mentioned Dr. Fauci's Thanksgiving news about what the nation needed to expect from the new strain of virus.

It boiled down to the rate of infection was doubling every 2.5 days.

Doubling... every two and half days.

Paul had done the math and determined that the pandemic would have run its course by the end of January; i.e., infected everyone not taking precautions, at which point they would either be dead or would recover.

I had cautioned him about that, making sure he understood that would definitely be the case in places with large populations, but not in small towns and rural areas.

Those small towns would lag far behind the trend, as they have for these two years.

 

"Yes, but when it does spread to them, it'll take over their entire population."

 

That it will.

Savannah is just a medium-sized town.

What the Mayor said this week is daunting.

He said that at the end of December, our community transmission rate was 500 - and he reminded us that a rate of 100 led to the reinstatement of the mask mandate.

Currently, the community transmission rate is more than 2700.

That's not a typographical error.

Here's the important point.

On December 30, 2021, the CTR was FIVE TIMES GREATER than the minimum threshold set for activating extra health precautions. 

Now, a mere three weeks later, the CTR is more than FIVE TIMES GREATER than it was, which means the transmission rate is more than TWENTY-FIVE TIMES GREATER than the minimum threshold.

No wonder my first niece was infected, and then her mom, and then her girls and her man... and they are still working to get rid of it.

No wonder the school in Hinesville where she works and where her girls go is closed for the week - for the week! - while a professional team comes in to eradicate the virus.

No wonder I found on fb this weekend that at least eight of my contacts there have the virus, or have had it within the past few days and are trying to recover.

That includes Chris Adams, Joe Guy, Daniel Torres, Mark Ediss, Jason Congdon, Tyler Williams, Lynn Lee... just incredible.

 

"Wow. Glad to know they haven't been to the hospital."

 

Honestly, I don't know that for a fact.

I do know they are home now.

Let me give you some numbers from worldometers.com about COVID in the USA.

Back in early November 2021, which was the last time I'd checked, there were 46,986,842 confirmed cases of people infected, with the death total at 768,661.

In shorthand, that means almost 50 million people total infected with the disease and almost 3/4 million that had died from COVID, indicating that 1.6% of those infected died.

Now, two and a half months later, the total number of infected people in this country has climbed to 68,901,964 and deaths stand at 877,958; that indicates a slight decrease (to 1.3%) in the percentage of infected people who have died from COVID.

Yet, the number of infected people (21,915,122) is almost 50% higher over this short span of time.

Yes, the omicron variant is definitely more easily spread... but maybe is not as virulent.

"Not necessarily so. A lot of vaccinated folks are getting this new strain, but, thanks to the shots, they're having mild cases and recovering quickly. A lot of them are of the over-50 age, too, so having the vaccine definitely helped them survive, as well as keeping them off respirators in the hospital."

 

Yes, there are a lot of factors to be considered.

And, since I don't know how well folks are following the science, I've been abstaining from attending large gatherings.

By large, I mean more than ten people.

Seriously.

Last Saturday, I had invitations to two gatherings, but I declined for both.

Both were going to have people that I have not seen in at least two years - seriously - and I could not justify the risk.

Both were going to be food events, with everyone gathered around a table; I've measured, and those tables are only about four feet wide.

Four feet is not enough space for my six-foot alligator, not to mention the space needed for the rest of the congregation of those reptiles that travel by my side.

Same holds true as regards attendance at Asbury Memorial Church.

I have not physically been there since November.

That was a special communion and I was absolutely uncomfortable with the crowd level.

It didn't help that the pews were so full that I could not find a safe seat, even though the usher kept trying to push me to do so.

It didn't help that when I took a seat in the lobby, Hai Dang was there and was his usual, unwelcoming, self, eventually leaving rather than sit in that area with me.

Seriously.

So, now I try to check in on youTube for the live service.

That one wasn't hitting it for me this past Sunday, so I'd tuned in to the one from the week before, when Ernie Lee had spoken on behalf of the Health and Safety Committee.

That five minutes was well worth it!

It isn't that he said anything new.

The rules for safety (keep 6 feet distant from others, wash your hands, wear your mask, get vaccinated) have not changed; the choir needed to be hear him preach that gospel.

Much appreciated, Ernie!

"Yeah, he's a real asset to AMC."

 

Indeed, and he has been for years.

Anyway, I need to move along.

I'm to do 4th quarter payroll and December sales tax with Smitty and must get a shower beforehand.

 

"And what's with this shirt?"

 

I was clearing a closet and there it was!

What a blast from the past, right?

When I found it, I checked to see if Zach would like it, but he declined.

Smitty, on the other hand, jumped at the chance to have it.

So, it's his lucky day!

Later!

(smile!)