What Virus is Ravaging The Country? Is It Covid? Like Again, Again? Definitely Probably Maybe Is.
WebMD April 4, 2022 – While coronavirus cases continue to decline across the U.S., another virus is climbing to its pre-pandemic levels, according to NBC News. Outbreaks of the norovirus, which causes stomach flu, have increased dramatically since the beginning of January. As COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, people are gathering more, which has likely led to an uptick in infections. Since early January, the number of weekly outbreaks has risen from fewer than 10 to more than 50, according to the latest CDC data. The data is based on reports from health departments in a dozen states across the country: Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Norovirus outbreaks appear to be returning to pre-pandemic levels after declining during most of the pandemic. Between August 2021 and early March, the CDC reported 448 norovirus outbreaks. During the same time period the previous year, only 78 outbreaks were reported. This year’s norovirus outbreak levels are still below or within the typical range seen since 2012. Norovirus outbreaks tend to peak between November and April and begin declining in the spring, reaching low levels throughout the summer and early fall. The data doesn’t suggest that norovirus outbreaks are directly linked to coronavirus outbreaks, NBC News reported. But this year’s increase is likely related to the overall reduction in public health measures aimed at COVID-19, which has allowed other viruses to spread. For instance, flu cases have increased this year but remain lower than pre-pandemic levels, according to CDC data.
A virus has been going around the Tri-State and New England area the past month. This virus has made people very sick. Your own Timmy DeVito happened to come down with this virus and let me tell you, it wasn‘t chill. Not chill at all. This virus was like no other. I had a lot of mucus, a cough, no taste or smell, tremendous sinus pressure, and a fever. My body ached as I sweated bullets. But when I stuck the Q-Tip up into my nostril, so graciously provided by my Lord & Savior Joe Biden, I was shocked to see a negative result on my test. I thought to myself, how could this be? What did people used to get sick with before Covid? And why do I have the same symptoms so eloquently written and informed to me by The CDC (The Most Trusted Name in News) as Covid? Could there be more to this story? What was I; supposed to not trust the greatest Chinese made Corona Virus at home rapid test deployment of all time? Not a joke.
My next stop was the urgent care in my town. I thought if anyone has a pulse on what's going on with the viruses in this country it's most likely my local Urgent Care in the plaza next to Home Depot. I have the Gold Plan for Connecticare so I knew I should have no co-pay. After waiting 30 minutes for them to find my insurance I began to ponder why they called this place Urgent Care. I seemed to be the only one inside. Although everyone was masked so I knew it was a safe space. Full of people who cared about my Grandmother's well being. I was puzzled by the $50 co-pay they asked for once they told me they were able to run my insurance, but I thought to myself they're first responders & essential workers. They obviously know better than me, and I respect them for their bravery and heroism. I mean they showed up today to work, looked Covid directly in the mask and said, "Not today covid, not today."
As I got into the room to be viewed by a Dr. I was taken by surprise once again. The Doctor was Black and White. In fact, the Dr. was no more than a QR-Code on the wall. I thought, "Huh, I wonder what that $50 co-pay was for exactly?" I got my phone out and began to FaceTime with the Doctor. I was connected with a Doctor in India who was wearing blue scrubs with New York Giants insignias. I live in the Tri-State area, and I can tell you no patient ever wants the NY Giants logo anywhere near their Doctor.
First this dude tells me that actually what I have is allergies, despite the fact I've never had allergies for as long as I've been on the planet in this form. I said, "Well Sir, I threw up yesterday and my head feels like it's going to explode. Can you have one of your brave nurses slum it over here and check my ears." Now I don't know if you know this, but I'm not a Doctor. The talking face on my phone enlightened me that perhaps it was my fault for taking DayQuill instead of other counter medications. God I wish I weren't a simpleton. He exclaimed, "Dude...Take Mucinex! The pills. It's viral, so antibiotics won't do anything. I'm going to prescribe you an antibiotic and Flonase." Now I knew what the $50 co-pay was for. Invaluable insight about how everything I thought I ever knew about my own body and brain was wrong. I didn't go to school for that.
But perhaps everything we're being told is absolute bullshit? Perhaps what's really going around is a new variant of Covid-19. One that is not detected by the greatest Chinese made Corona Virus at home rapid test. It could even be Covid-18 or Covid-20 for Christ’s sake! Could it be that Democrats know that shutting down the country again will lose them the election in November, and not shutting the country down over a Covid outbreak will enrage their base? The Left does love political violence, except for those Tweets littered with hate speech about men getting pregnant. I mean Hitler anyone? It’s 2022 of course men can get pregnant. I saw a man transform into a Tiger on Nat Geo. Now the benevolent Left is doing what they should have done all along and are letting people make their own health related decisions, but only because it makes them look bad otherwise.
Why does it seem like no one is sounding the alarm on this? The entire country is sick again with what they call Norovirus and they have the balls to blame us for getting sick, stating that we didn't focus hard enough on flu prevention. It's so very strange that the flu is spiking dramatically and a mysterious virus with the same symptoms is ravaging the country. I looked at the stats the other day and the Norovirus is killing .4 - 3.2 people in 100,000. For all of the .4 people out there I want to apologize for that bigoted and racist hate speech. I know you prefer 4/10 when referenced.
The Fact remains this "flu" and "Norovirus" have all the same charactheristics as Covid. It has almost the exact mortality rate if not greater than Covid. I was sick as hell with it and had Covid around December, and I thought the experiences were identical. It seems to me that the News, White House, and Left won't talk about the "Norovirus" nor give us stats on it. This virus also seems wildly contagious as if it were made in a lab. These are really the days I wish I were an Epidemiologist. Then I could have an opinion on matters such as these. Alas, I was owned by man in NY Giants scrubs and my privilege was checked. As it should be along with my vaccine card.
Sources: COVID-19 Cases Remain Low, Stomach Flu Outbreaks Rise By Carolyn Crist, April 4, 2022 https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20220404/covid-19-cases-remain-low-stomach-flu-outbreaks-rise
Ohfuji, S., Kondo, K., Ito, K. et al. Nationwide epidemiologic study of norovirus-related hospitalization among Japanese older adults. BMC Infect Dis19, 400 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-019-4007-2
TY - JOUR
AU - Ohfuji, Satoko
AU - Kondo, Kyoko
AU - Ito, Kazuya
AU - Kase, Tetsuo
AU - Maeda, Akiko
AU - Fukushima, Wakaba
AU - Masuda, Taisei
AU - Kano, Munehide
PY - 2019
DA - 2019/05/09
TI - Nationwide epidemiologic study of norovirus-related hospitalization among Japanese older adults
JO - BMC Infectious Diseases
SP - 400
VL - 19
IS - 1
AB - Older adults are vulnerable to hospitalization or death from norovirus infection, but the actual disease burden remains unknown. Therefore, we conducted a nationwide survey to estimate the number of inpatients with norovirus gastroenteritis and associated deaths among Japanese older adults.
SN - 1471-2334
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-019-4007-2
DO - 10.1186/s12879-019-4007-2
ID - Ohfuji2019