Written by Steven Hansen

The U.S. new cases 7-day rolling average are 53.6 % HIGHER than the 7-day rolling average one week ago and U.S. deaths due to coronavirus are now 15.2 % HIGHER than the rolling average one week ago.

Today’s posts include:

• U.S. Coronavirus New Cases are 23,139
• U.S. Coronavirus deaths are at 63
• Scientists suspect Lambda SARS-CoV-2 variant most dangerous
• COVID Is Spreading Like Wildfire in ICE Facilities
• Antibody responses following SARS-CoV-2 infection more potent than vaccine-elicited ones
• Study examined 1,497 full-vaccinated healthcare workers for breakthrough infections
• UK scientists believe it is ‘almost certain’ a coronavirus variant will emerge that beats current vaccines
• The U.K.’s Delta Surge Is Collapsing. Will Ours?
• Can Masturbation Boost Your Immune System to Fight COVID?
• Twitter Suspends Science Writer After He Posts Results Of Pfizer Clinical Test
• Colleges using pandemic funds to clear outstanding student balances
• There’s an unemployment cliff coming. More than 7.5 million may fall off.
• Why Are Globalists And Governments So Desperate For 100% Vaccination Rates?
• Delta variant fears could slow labor market recovery, Kashkari says
• New mask guidelines trigger backlash
• Plus many more headlines …

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Hospitalizations Are The Only Accurate Gauge

Hospitalizations historically appear to be little affected by weekends or holidays. The hospitalization growth rate trend continues to improve.

source: https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/covidnet/COVID19_3.html

Historically, hospitalization growth follows new case growth by one to two weeks.

As an analyst, I use the rate of growth to determine the trend. But, the size of the pandemic is growing in terms of real numbers – and if the rate of growth does not become negative – the pandemic will overwhelm all resources.

The graph below shows the rate of growth relative to the growth a week earlier updated through today [note that negative numbers mean the rolling averages are LOWER than the rolling averages one week ago]. As one can see, the rate of growth for new cases peaked in early December 2020 for Thanksgiving, and early January 2021 for end-of-year holidays – and it now shows that the coronavirus effect is improving.

In the scheme of things, new cases decline first, followed by hospitalizations, and then deaths. The potential fourth wave did not materialize likely due to immunizations.

Coronavirus and Recovery News You May Have Missed

Antibody responses following SARS-CoV-2 infection more potent than vaccine-elicited ones – News-Medical

Researchers in the United States have conducted a study showing the difference in antibody evolution following vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) between people who have not previously been infected with the virus and those who have.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has now claimed the lives of more than 4.2 million people globally.

The team – from The Rockefeller University in New York – found that between a first (prime) and second (booster) shot of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, the memory B cells of infection-naïve individuals produced antibodies that evolved increased neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2.

However, no additional increase in the potency or breadth of this activity was observed thereafter.

“Memory antibodies selected over time by natural infection have greater potency and breadth than antibodies elicited by vaccination,” says Michel Nussenzweig and colleagues.

The researchers say the findings suggest that boosting vaccinated individuals would elicit a quantitative increase in neutralizing activity, but not the qualitative advantage against SARS-CoV-2 variants produced when convalescent individuals are vaccinated.

Why Are Globalists And Governments So Desperate For 100% Vaccination Rates? – ZeroHedge

I don’t think I am the only person that has noticed it – There has been a sudden deluge of covid vaccination propaganda and vaccine passport propaganda in the past month, more so than I think we have seen since the beginning of this year. I am speaking of the US in particular, but it is important to point out that in the US the establishment is still desperately clamoring for a much higher vaccination rate. In places like Europe, the UK and Australia vaccinations rates are higher and governments have moved on to the vaccine passport phase of their agenda.

Some people may be confused by the obvious lockstep that most nations are moving in as far as covid mandates and restrictions are concerned. How is it possible that almost all the governments on the planet are in agreement on medical totalitarianism? Well, it’s rather easy to understand when you realize the majority of them are linked together through globalist institutions like the World Economic Forum, which has repeatedly called the pandemic a “perfect opportunity” to push through their plans for a “Great Reset”.

The “Great Reset” is a long term ideological usurpation of what’s left of individual freedom and free market economies, and it’s goal is the imposition of a global socialist/communist dictatorship. Globalists wrap these objectives in pretty sounding words and humanitarian sounding aspirations, but at bottom the “Reset” is about an end to liberty as we know it. This is not an exaggeration, this is reality; this is what these people desire above all else. But how to achieve such a goal?

Well, interestingly enough the WEF and the Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation described exactly how they planned to do it during a “simulation” they held in October of 2019 called “Event 201”. During the event, they imagined a massive coronavirus pandemic, spread supposedly from animals to humans, which would facilitate the need for pervasive restrictions on individual liberties, national economies as well as the internet and social media. I’m sure it’s all a coincidence, but the exact same scenario the globalists at the WEF played out during Event 201 happened in the real world only two months later.

In any case, the pandemic itself has been a boon for the globalists. We have not seen a far reaching government power and corporate power grab since the rise of the National Socialists in Europe and the spread of communism in Russia and China almost a century ago. In fact, I would say that what humanity as a whole is facing today is much worse than what those wretched empires ever could have produced.

There is no doubt; globalist institutions and their government “partners” are the greatest beneficiaries of the covid crisis. They stand to gain ultimate social and political power if their agenda to exploit the pandemic succeeds.

COVID Is Spreading Like Wildfire in ICE Facilities – MedPage

In recent months, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reported higher-than-ever rates of COVID-19 among people in its custody. Since February, the COVID-19 positivity rate among those held by ICE has doubled. Today, according to our tracking of the outbreaks, the positivity rate among people in ICE detention is more than 50 times the positivity rate of the U.S. population at large.

What is underlying this surge?

For one, ICE is finally testing its detained population more widely, so it’s possible that what appears to the outside as a surge is actually just a clearer picture of what’s been happening all along. Since the start of the pandemic, the agency has been severely under-testing, in some cases deliberately, and thus obscuring the true extent of COVID-19 spread among both detained people and staff. In May 2020, the agency was only testing roughly one in five detained individuals; a year later, testing has improved fourfold.

But it’s likely that the apparent surge in COVID-19 infections is driven at least in part by skyrocketing numbers of people being held in ICE detention. Even while the positivity rate has continued to grow, the agency is returning to pre-pandemic detention levels, nearly doubling the number of people in its custody to over 27,000 in just a few months. In doing so, ICE has dramatically increased population density inside its facilities, with the primary source of the increase being growing transfers from Border Patrol custody. On top of this, more transmissible variants may be contributing to the rapid spread.

There’s an unemployment cliff coming. More than 7.5 million may fall off. – CNBC

• Federal unemployment programs that have paid jobless benefits since March 2020 are poised to end Sept. 6. It doesn’t appear Congress will extend them again.
• Roughly 7.5 million people will lose benefits entirely at that time, per one estimate.
• Those eligible to collect state unemployment insurance may continue to receive weekly payments past Labor Day. They would get $300 less per week.

Delta variant fears could slow labor market recovery, Kashkari says – The Hill

The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis said on Sunday that fears regarding the highly transmissible delta variant could slow the labor market recovery.

Neel Kashkari, when asked during an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation” what effect the delta variant is having on the economy, said the strain is “creating a bunch of caution.”

“Right now we have seven [million] to nine million Americans who are still out of work that we need to get back into the job market. We believe that they’re out of work because they’ve been nervous about COVID, because of childcare issues, because of these enhanced unemployment benefits. So I was very optimistic the fall would be a very strong labor market, with many of those Americans coming back to work,” Kashkari told host John Dickerson.

“[I]f people are nervous about the delta variant, that could slow some of that labor market recovery and therefore be a drag in our economic recovery,” he added.

Kashkari also argued that the quicker Americans get vaccinated, the “better off” the economy will be.

‘I wasn’t expecting this’: Colleges using pandemic funds to clear outstanding student balances – Washington Post

Trinity Washington is among more than a hundred colleges and universities using federal pandemic relief aid to reset the ledger for students in arrears. The move is making it possible for thousands to register for the upcoming semester, get their diplomas or transfer elsewhere. It is a recognition of the financial strain students still face in the wake of the public health and economic crisis.

While the Education Department could not provide a list of colleges clearing outstanding balances, The Washington Post reached out to higher education associations for an informal tally. Those organizations collectively identified about 150 schools, but there are likely many more.

In all, The Post found colleges across the country giving students a second chance. Some are small private institutions like Trinity, which is providing a clean slate to nearly 400 undergrads owing more than $1.8 million. Others are large public systems like the City University of New York, where at least 50,000 students will have up to $125 million in past-due bills forgiven.

At least two dozen of the schools identified are historically Black institutions, including Norfolk State University in Virginia and Tougaloo College in Mississippi. Another 18 are Tribal institutions, such as Little Big Horn College in Montana and Northwest Indian College in Washington.

And there are dozens of community colleges on the list. Howard Community College in Maryland spent $1.4 million to clear outstanding balances for 1,574 students, while Connecticut State Colleges and Universities will alleviate about $17 million in debt accumulated by 18,161 current and former community college students during the pandemic.

Schools are only forgiving debt owed directly to them, balances that students amass for unpaid tuition, parking or library fees.

All of this was made possible by three rounds of federal stimulus dollars. Congress has provided a total of $76.2 billion since last year for colleges and universities to pivot online, stave off steep financial losses and help students weather the crisis.

Inconsistent and unclear guidance from the Education Department on how to spend the money created confusion in the initial rollout, but the agency has since clarified the parameters of the funding.

Can Masturbation Boost Your Immune System to Fight COVID? – ZeroHedge

With COVID-19 and the Delta variant spreading worldwide, people have been exploring ways to boost their immune systems. Immunity-boosting supplements, exercising, eating healthy, reducing stress, and quitting smoking are some common strategies to boost the immune system, but now masturbating could be added to the list, according to The Sun.

Jennifer Landa, M.D., a specialist in hormone therapy, has said masturbating might strengthen the body’s natural defense forces.

Men’s Health also cited a 2004 study that showed men had more white blood cells 45 minutes after they had a solo orgasm. For those who don’t know, white blood cells are part of the body’s immune system that help fight infection and other diseases.

According to the study by the Department of Medical Psychology, University Clinic of Essen, Germany, “these findings demonstrate that components of the innate immune system are activated by sexual arousal and orgasm.”

Touching oneself might not prevent infection, but orgasms generally help people relax and elevate mood that is key to a healthy immune system.

Dr. Felice Gersh, a gynecologist and obstetrician who specializes in women’s health, said chronic masturbation might not prevent COVID, but “it’s not going to create harm.”

“I think the takeaway message is that there are no negatives from it,” Gersh said.

Further research needs to be done to see if masturbation can supercharger the immune system and provide an extra layer of defenses against viruses.

New mask guidelines trigger backlash – The Hill

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new mask guidance is spurring confusion and backlash as the country tries to respond to the shifting threat of the delta variant.

Many public health experts called the CDC prudent for recommending that even fully vaccinated Americans should wear masks in indoor public places in areas of the country with high amounts of transmission.

“With cases of COVID-19 continuing to increase in the United States and a significant number of people who remain unvaccinated, the CDC’s updated mask guidance is needed to help curb the spread of COVID-19 — particularly the Delta variant, which we know is much more contagious,” said Gerald Harmon, president of the American Medical Association.

But a range of Republican lawmakers outright blasted the change, saying the CDC was flip-flopping and unnecessarily intruding in the lives of people who had already gotten the vaccine.

“President Biden‘s CDC can’t make up its mind,” tweeted House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.). “One mask. Two masks. No masks. Back to one mask.”

Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) wrote that the “CDC is putting Washington back into the middle of your lives.”

The CDC said it based the decision on new data showing that in rare instances even vaccinated people could spread the virus to others, while stressing that the vaccines still overwhelmingly protect against getting sick, especially against severe illness, and that the most important thing is getting more people vaccinated.

The U.K.’s Delta Surge Is Collapsing. Will Ours? – Intelligencer/NY Mag

On Thursday night, with the equivalent of a five-alarm siren, the Washington Post and New York Times, along with other media outlets, blared the major bullet points of an internal CDC slide presentation explaining a recent shift in mask guidance: The Delta variant was “as contagious as chicken pox,” according to the presentation, and “may be spread by vaccinated people as easily as the unvaccinated,” as the Times put it. “The war has changed,” the presentation declared, and public-health officials needed to acknowledge it.

To those who’d been following the science of Delta closely, the slides didn’t break much news. We’ve known for a while that Delta is dramatically more transmissible than the “wild” strain of SARS-CoV-2 and much more transmissible than even some of the earlier variants, also distinguished by their transmissibility. And there’d been signs for a week or so that, while vaccines were doing remarkably well protecting against severe disease, hospitalization, and death, and pretty well protecting against symptomatic disease, they were doing less well in protecting against transmission.

On this point, the CDC slides — or rather, the coverage of them — elided some very important context. There are two sides to transmission: getting infected and infecting others. And it is very clear, as even the CDC slides emphasize, that the vaccinated are much, much less likely to get infected than the unvaccinated — about eight times less. That’s very good protection, even if those who do get an infection turn out to transmit the virus at rates roughly comparable to the unvaccinated (a proposition supported by suggestive rather than definitive evidence, at this point). And while there has been a fire hose of criticism since the leak, of both the emphasis of the slides themselves and the fear-mongering tone of the press coverage, the central proposition — that breakthrough cases may be capable of prolifically spreading the disease — would deserve serious and widespread attention, if it proves out.

The most hopeful and encouraging facts about the Delta surge were even harder to find in the coverage. The first is that, thanks to widespread vaccination of the elderly, however fast this disease spreads it will ultimately inflict a much, much smaller death toll than earlier waves, because vaccination has probably eliminated 90 percent or more of the country’s total COVID-19 mortality risk. The second is that, in those countries with roughly comparable vaccination rates to the U.S., the surge has already peaked and begun a rapid decline, suggesting that such a turn here is possible — or even quite likely — within a few weeks. In the U.K., the Delta surge began in mid-May and peaked in mid-July; in the Netherlands, it began at the beginning of July and has already peaked. If the U.S. followed the British trajectory, our Delta surge, which began about a month ago, would peak by September 1; if it followed the Dutch course, even sooner, perhaps even imminently. And while there still may be some rise in deaths in both the U.K. and the Netherlands, given the lag between infection and ultimate outcomes, in neither country have deaths reached even one-fifteenth of the level of the local winter surge. In the U.K., they had almost as many new daily cases as they’d had in January; in the Netherlands, even more.

UK scientists believe it is ‘almost certain’ a coronavirus variant will emerge that beats current vaccines – CNN

An analysis by British academics, published by the UK Government’s official scientific advisory group, says that they believe it is “almost certain” that a SARS-Cov-2 variant will emerge that “leads to current vaccine failure.” SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes Covid-19.

The analysis has not been peer-reviewed, the early research is theoretical, and does not provide any proof that such a variant is in circulation now. Documents like it are released “as pre-print publications that have provided the government with rapid evidence during an emergency.”

The paper is dated July 26, and was published by the British government on Friday.

The scientists write that because eradication of the virus is “unlikely,” they have “high confidence” that variants will continue to emerge. They say it is “almost certain” that there will be “a gradual or punctuated accumulation of antigenic variation that eventually leads to current vaccine failure.”

They recommend that authorities continue to reduce virus transmission as much as possible to reduce the chance of a new, vaccine-resistant variant.

They also recommend that research focus on new vaccines that not only prevent hospital admission and disease, but also “induce high and durable levels of mucosal immunity.”

Twitter Suspends Science Writer After He Posts Results Of Pfizer Clinical Test – ZeroHedge

Now, a former New York Times science reporter, Alex Berenson, has been suspended for simply quoting the results from a clinical trial by Pfizer and raising questions over any vaccine mandate. In the meantime, the White House accused both the Washington Post and New York Times of irresponsible reporting on Covid, but surprisingly Twitter has not suspended those accounts. It is the license of the censor. Twitter is unwilling to let people read or discuss viewpoints that it disagrees with as a corporation. Many on the left, however, have embraced the concept of corporate speech and censorship. It turns out that the problem with censorship for many was the failure to censor views that they opposed. With the “right” censors at work, the free speech concerns have been set aside.

The CDC’s Delta Variant Panic – The agency spreads needless worry about vaccinations. – Wall Street Journal

As the coronavirus evolves, so does the science. The Delta variant is creating uncertainty about how much vaccines prevent transmission, but the overwhelming evidence shows they are highly protective against severe illness. Please get vaccinated if you aren’t already.

That should have been the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s straightforward message to Americans this week, along with a candid analysis of its evidence.

Instead, the CDC on Tuesday issued murky new guidance, without backup evidence, recommending that vaccinated people resume wearing masks indoors in some cases because unpublished studies suggest they could transmit the virus. But on Thursday the Washington Post ran an alarmist story on an internal CDC slide presentation with the unpublished evidence, which triggered a media panic that could undermine vaccinations. Only on Friday afternoon did the agency release some of its evidence and offer a calmer explanation.

Now, let’s go to the slide deck, please. The CDC estimates there are about 35,000 symptomatic infections among 162 million vaccinated Americans a week. As cases have increased nationwide, so have breakthrough infections. This is to be expected. But recent studies show that vaccines are still 88% protective against symptomatic illness and 96% against hospitalization and death.

Next slide. Vaccinated people are making up a larger share of the hospitalized population and deaths than in the winter. That’s because most older people who are at higher risk have been vaccinated, and vaccines aren’t 100% effective. This doesn’t mean that vaccines don’t prevent severe illness, and the vast majority of people who are hospitalized are unvaccinated.

Real-world evidence from hospitals indicates that vaccines are only about 87% preventive against hospitalizations. That’s lower than published studies, but this may be because vaccines are less protective for some groups. For instance, vaccines are only about 59% protective against Covid hospitalization among the immuno-compromised and only 85% against severe illness among nursing home residents.

[editor’s note: interesting article which deserves a full read]

Study examined 1,497 full-vaccinated healthcare workers for breakthrough infections – News-Medical

As vaccination efforts against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continue globally, scientists and public health officials are dealing with the threat of breakthrough infections. Scientists call such cases “breakthrough” infections because the virus has broken through the protective barrier provided by the vaccine.

A new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that in a very small number of cases, people with breakthrough infections might suffer long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms.

Researchers at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan in Israel and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston revealed that although the BNT162b2 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective (94% efficacy), rare breakthrough infections carry an infectious potential and pose a unique challenge. Since these infections are mostly asymptomatic, they may increase the risk of viral spread to vulnerable populations.

… The study findings also revealed that among the vaccinated health care workers in the study, only 39 were infected despite being vaccinated. Of these patients, 19 percent developed symptoms that lasted for at least six weeks, also called long-COVID. The symptoms include fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and loss of smell and taste.

The following are foreign headlines with hyperlinks to the posts

In Sydney’s sprint against a delta outbreak, outcome rests on the young

GOP Report Says Wuhan Lab Leak Source of CCP Virus

Military Joins COVID-19 Lockdown Enforcement in Sydney, Australia

Chaos Erupts On The Streets Of Berlin As Police Attack Anti-Lockdown Protesters

Millions Locked Down As China Battles Worst COVID Outbreak Since Wuhan

Sky News Australia Suspended by YouTube

Cargo Vessel Expelled From US Waters After Discovery Of Chinese Invasive Insects

A pre-print from Singapore found that in breakthrough infections involving Delta, viral RNA declined faster compared to unvaccinated people.

UK eases travel restrictions for vaccinated Americans, Europeans

The following additional national and state headlines with hyperlinks to the posts

Thousands flee Dixie Fire in California as it races toward Paradise.

More than one million vaccine doses have gone to waste in the U.S.

Coronavirus infections from the Delta variant and a seasonal flulike illness are rising among children.

Short on doses and struggling to deliver them: This is where Covax, the global vaccination program, went wrong.

The White House is enlisting YouTube and TikTok personalities to persuade young people to get vaccinated.

A tsunami of deferred debt is about to hit homeowners no longer protected by a foreclosure moratorium

Senators finished writing a 2,702-page bipartisan infrastructure bill. It could pass within days.

Fauci: US Likely Won’t Go Into Lockdown Over COVID-19 Delta Variant

FDA Signals It Will Expedite Full-Approval Process for COVID Vaccines.

Welfare rolls decline during the pandemic despite economic upheaval

SEC Charges Ernst & Young, Three Audit Partners, and Former Public Company CAO with Audit Independence Misconduct

Two-Thirds of Democrats Want Mandatory Masks, Even After Vaccination

Sources say the White House is frustrated over the media‘s “hyperbolic” and “irresponsible” coverage of breakthrough COVID infections, claiming this will lead to more vaccine hesitancy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine now recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for all pregnant women.

Former President Obama is planning a 60th birthday party outdoors with 500 guests on Martha’s Vineyard, with the help of a “COVID coordinator” and the requirement that everyone be vaccinated.

The Delta variant has thrown a wrench into many businesses’ plans to return to the office in the fall.

In Missouri, nobody showed up to a 2-day mobile vaccination clinic set up at a county fair.

A high school in suburban Atlanta will start the year virtually, as a number of staff members are quarantining.

Only 99.99% of everyone who was fully vaccinated has not had a deadly breakthrough infection, CDC data said. [editor’s note: since February 2021, according to CDC data 97.3 % of the unvaccinated have not had a COVID infection]

FDA Okays Regeneron COVID-19 Antibody as Preventive in High-Risk Settings

COVID-19 an Independent Driver for Heart Attack and Stroke

Oh deer! Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 detected in 40% of wild white-tailed deer in four U.S. states

White House says CDC can’t renew eviction ban

Lindsey Graham Has COVID-19, Says He’s Grateful He Got Vaccinated

2 Florida Counties Lead All of US in New COVID Hospitalizations

U.S. reaches 70% Covid vaccine milestone for adults about a month behind Biden’s goal

It’s Time for Dr. Fauci to Retire

Home Depot, SoulCycle and other businesses tighten pandemic restrictions

California’s Bay Area counties reinstate indoor mask requirement

One of the largest US law firms will deactivate ID cards of non-vaccinated staff in September

This North Carolina school requires masks after more than 150 were quarantined after first week of class

Federal assistance arrives at Louisiana’s largest hospital to support influx of Covid-19 patients

Today’s Posts On Econintersect Showing Impact Of The Pandemic and Recovery With Hyperlinks

July 2021 ISM and Markit Manufacturing Surveys Continue To Show Strong Growth

June 2021 Headline Construction Spending Marginally Improves

Drawing Further Apart: Widening Gaps In The Global Recovery

Infographic Of The Day: 1.6 Billion Disposable Masks Entered Our Oceans In 2020

Inflationary Pressures Aren’t Easing

Pfizer Seeks To Legalize ‘Kickbacks’ At Medicare’s Expense

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