A second snowfall – Encouraging prognostics from some quarters – A strange labor dispute – Evening statistics
We received an additional snowfall last night, but this one was only an inch or two. As before, the day after the storm was beautifully clear, but very chilly, especially on account of a wind that was continually blowing. Happily, however, there was no reprise of the massive traffic jam that occurred earlier this week. Even the side streets were completely plowed by mid-morning.
According to at least one medical expert, the pandemic is already over. Sir John Bell has said that the omicron variant is “not the same disease that we were seeing a year ago” and that the pandemic death rates are “now history.” Certainly it is true that, despite its high degree of transmissibility, the omicron variant has been less severe in its effects than its predecessors; for example, hospitalization stays now average about three days in length, far less than those of patients stricken by earlier variants. Bell’s comments certainly cannot be dismissed lightly. He is one of the foremost medical researchers in the U.K. and was awarded a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire back in 2015 for his significant contributions to the industry of life sciences and medical science. Still, our own country lost over 2,000 people yesterday as a result of the virus, and it will, I believe, take some time before the mortality rate goes down to a level that will justify downgrading the virus to the endemic status. The U.S. has seen over a million new cases on some days, and three states have declared a state of emergency this week on account of the increased hospitalizations: Maryland, Delaware, and Kansas.
Another expert, an infectious disease modeler at Columbia University, has predicted that the omicron variant will peak about January 21st. It is encouraging news, although his surname is somewhat unfortunate for a reputable expert in medical matters: his name is Jeffrey Shaman.
The Department of Labor is currently prosecuting a rather unusual case in Georgia against a firm called A OK Walker Autoworks, an automobile repair shop. Andreas Flaten, an employee of the firm, complained that he had not been paid overtime that was due to him, a sum amounting to more than $900. He awoke one morning in March, 2021, to find the sum dumped on his driveway, all in pennies – and coated in oil to boot. The Department of Labor did not take this prank in a laughing spirit; it is suing Mike Walker, the firm’s owner, for “repeatedly and willfully” failing to pay time-and-a-half for overtime for numerous employees, relying instead on a flat rate of pay regardless of whether someone worked more than 40 hours in a week. I was curious enough to take a look at the Google reviews for the company. They are largely negative, with an average rating of 1.3 on a 1-to-5 scale. One reviewer in particular left a rather provocative comment: “Don’t be a weenie; go anywhere else. It’ll save you a pretty penny or two.”
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 303,550,670; # of deaths worldwide: 5,496,545; # of cases U.S.: 60,381,310; # of deaths; U.S.: 858,105.