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The virus isn't winning. Everyone who wanted to be is vaccinated. The thing to track now is severe reactions, not positive tests. The government in Taiwan has a

The virus isn't winning. Everyone who wanted to be is vaccinated. The thing to track now is severe reactions, not positive tests. The government in Taiwan has already acknowledged that they're probably undercounting cases. Meanwhile, they are reducing restrictions, and less rigorous contact tracing, except for arrivals on the small chance they bring in a new variant.

modeless 4y ago
The virus is clearly winning, it just matters less now. But if it matters less now, it mattered less months ago too. Vaccines have been available for a long time. It seems to me that restrictions since then have been and continue to be a waste.
- unityByFreedom 4y ago
  Are you in Taiwan and able to assess the situation in person? Restrictions have been small relative to the rest of the world, with the exception of last summer during a Delta outbreak that was later brought down by effective contact tracing. Context and time are relevant. Both Delta and an undervaccinated population were issues months ago. I would not say the virus is winning, nor would I call the response here a shit show. The CDC here has been saying since late last year that we will eventually need to live with Covid when it arrives.
  - modeless 4y ago
    I'm specifically taking issue with the linked article's description of their specific experience in the last month as "not a shitshow", when it is pretty clear to me that in the specific timeframe of last month almost everything they went through, however well executed it might be, is pointless and ultimately a waste.
    - unityByFreedom 4y ago
      Okay. Well I'm in Taiwan and it's all no big deal. Certainly not a shitshow.
      - modeless 4y ago
        Okay. Being in Taiwan doesn't necessarily mean you've experienced the process of traveling to Taiwan described in the article. Ten days of imprisonment even in a hotel room can't be fairly described as "no big deal", especially if it is unnecessary.
        unityByFreedom 4y ago
        We've done it. Not fun with a family, but understandable given the times, and that policy is going away this summer. A related response: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31189893 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31189893
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
xyzzy_plugh 4y ago
> Everyone who wanted to be is vaccinated. No. I'm saddened that you believe this. There are plenty of people ineligible for the vaccine, and many of them are age 5 and under. The virus is most certainly winning, at least in it's current form. The direction we're all headed right now is that vaccinated or not you'll get it and we must assume everyone will because we stopped measuring. A more lethal variant would be catastrophic right now, as if the past two years haven't been enough of a catastrophy.
- unityByFreedom 4y ago
  Children have far more success fending off all variants of Covid. It really is more like a flu for them. Nonetheless, some are still worried about them since some vaccines do give children less risk than catching the virus itself. If you read HN, then I assume you read the science, so there is no reason to peddle fear about kids and Covid.
  - xyzzy_plugh 4y ago
    Children are also eligible for flu vaccines within their first year of life. A flu can be very dangerous for a young child. This isn't peddling fear. Why have we normalized illnesses that we can otherwise prevent or avoid?
    - unityByFreedom 4y ago
      > Children younger than 6 months old have the highest risk for being hospitalized from flu compared to children of other ages but are too young to get a flu vaccine. Because flu vaccines are not approved for use in children younger than 6 months old, protecting them from flu is especially important. [1] Parents of newborns must be vigilant, even against the flu. We cannot prevent Covid forever, just like we cannot erradicate the flu. [1] https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/infantcare.htm#:~:text=Children%20younger%20than%206%20months%20old%20have%20the%20highest%20risk,from%20flu%20is%20especially%20important https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/infantcare.htm#:~:text=Chil....

modeless 4y ago

The virus is clearly winning, it just matters less now. But if it matters less now, it mattered less months ago too. Vaccines have been available for a long time. It seems to me that restrictions since then have been and continue to be a waste.

unityByFreedom 4y ago
Are you in Taiwan and able to assess the situation in person? Restrictions have been small relative to the rest of the world, with the exception of last summer during a Delta outbreak that was later brought down by effective contact tracing. Context and time are relevant. Both Delta and an undervaccinated population were issues months ago. I would not say the virus is winning, nor would I call the response here a shit show. The CDC here has been saying since late last year that we will eventually need to live with Covid when it arrives.
- modeless 4y ago
  I'm specifically taking issue with the linked article's description of their specific experience in the last month as "not a shitshow", when it is pretty clear to me that in the specific timeframe of last month almost everything they went through, however well executed it might be, is pointless and ultimately a waste.
  - unityByFreedom 4y ago
    Okay. Well I'm in Taiwan and it's all no big deal. Certainly not a shitshow.
    - modeless 4y ago
      Okay. Being in Taiwan doesn't necessarily mean you've experienced the process of traveling to Taiwan described in the article. Ten days of imprisonment even in a hotel room can't be fairly described as "no big deal", especially if it is unnecessary.
      - unityByFreedom 4y ago
        We've done it. Not fun with a family, but understandable given the times, and that policy is going away this summer. A related response: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31189893 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31189893
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

xyzzy_plugh 4y ago

> Everyone who wanted to be is vaccinated. No. I'm saddened that you believe this. There are plenty of people ineligible for the vaccine, and many of them are age 5 and under. The virus is most certainly winning, at least in it's current form. The direction we're all headed right now is that vaccinated or not you'll get it and we must assume everyone will because we stopped measuring. A more lethal variant would be catastrophic right now, as if the past two years haven't been enough of a catastrophy.

unityByFreedom 4y ago
Children have far more success fending off all variants of Covid. It really is more like a flu for them. Nonetheless, some are still worried about them since some vaccines do give children less risk than catching the virus itself. If you read HN, then I assume you read the science, so there is no reason to peddle fear about kids and Covid.
- xyzzy_plugh 4y ago
  Children are also eligible for flu vaccines within their first year of life. A flu can be very dangerous for a young child. This isn't peddling fear. Why have we normalized illnesses that we can otherwise prevent or avoid?
  - unityByFreedom 4y ago
    > Children younger than 6 months old have the highest risk for being hospitalized from flu compared to children of other ages but are too young to get a flu vaccine. Because flu vaccines are not approved for use in children younger than 6 months old, protecting them from flu is especially important. [1] Parents of newborns must be vigilant, even against the flu. We cannot prevent Covid forever, just like we cannot erradicate the flu. [1] https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/infantcare.htm#:~:text=Children%20younger%20than%206%20months%20old%20have%20the%20highest%20risk,from%20flu%20is%20especially%20important https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/infantcare.htm#:~:text=Chil....