John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center 1-04-22
Totals: Confirmed Infections 57,048,792 | Confirmed Deaths 830,067

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“Omicron variant up to 3 times more infectious than Delta, CDC says.
Fox News

“Recent COVID spike causing shortage in Kansas City area First Responders. One and 10 are out sick”
Fox News

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Researchers in Missouri say COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing.

"’COVID is skyrocketing. It's going through the roof,’ said Marc Johnson, of the University of Missouri. Johnson runs Missouri's wastewater testing program. The state monitors more than 100 sites. ‘Wastewater is the most unbiased surveillance system. It is the most comprehensive system," he said. "It isn't measuring just those that are getting tested, this is measuring all those that use the toilet. Across the state, red up arrows indicate alarming increases. Everyone is going to be around someone who's been infected. It's inevitable,’ Johnson said.”
KMBC News

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If you’re out & about, there seems to be no escaping the virus… Old proven methods of protection don’t seem to be as effective with this new variant. Even being fully vaccinated isn’t foolproof to prevent infection.
Many of our friends and close acquaintances have now been infected. Some with milder cases; some with severe infections where the outcomes aren’t so good. All have been vaccinated. Most boostered.
However, most people hospitalized are unvaccinated.

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“On the day Missouri COVID-19 cases spiked to record levels, Governor Mike Parson announced the pandemic was no longer a state emergency. Governor Mike Parson apparently stumbled upon a genie to end the year 2021. After two years of trying next to nothing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 16,000 Missourians, the governor pivoted to a new strategy: wishing it away. Parson rang out the old and rang in the new — on New Year’s Eve, to be precise — by declaring that the pandemic was no longer an emergency in the state of Missouri. Even the skeletal measures enacted by state government to resist COVID-19 would no longer be necessary.

Mike Parson is the man who coined the phrase “dang masks” as in the public-health advisory, “You don’t need government to tell you to wear a dang mask."

There was one line in the governor’s news release that positively popped out: “Thanks to the effectiveness of the vaccine, widespread efforts to mitigate the virus, and our committed health care professionals, past needs to continue the state of emergency are no longer present.”
Riverfront Times

Missouri ranks near the very bottom for state population vaccination rates. Some Missouri counties have a vaccination rate as low as 27%.

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Frankly, I’m having a lot of trouble getting my mind to accept
that 2 Million new COVID infections have been confirmed in the USA in 2 straight days
bringing the total today up to 57 Million, confirmed infections.
The USA only has a total population of just over 332 Million.

I’ve grown so very weary from keeping this photo diary of a seemingly never-ending pandemic. New (undesirable) milestones seem to be occurring every day lately.

It is obvious that COVID will never go away.

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