This is Just Cringeworthy

Cringeworthy, are the numbers of people who still are unvaccinated and believe they will not be stricken by Covid. Hospitals, doctors, nurses and the staff are at critical mass again. Meanwhile courts continue to block mandatory vaccinations on the premise it is their right to become infected and endanger others. And Republicans are cheering on their supporters to resist anything which may prevent Covid.

Cringworthy; VP Kamala Harris In an Interview, LA Times,

“‘We didn’t see Delta coming. I think most scientists did not — upon whose advice and direction we have relied — didn’t see Delta coming,” she said. ‘We didn’t see Omicron coming. And that’s the nature of what this, this awful virus has been, which as it turns out, has mutations and variants.'”

Prof. and Geneticist Joel Eissenberg on Omicron

I’m sure most scientists foresaw COVID variants. I know I did. I’m neither a virologist nor an epidemiologist. As a geneticist, I’m a student of population biology and evolution. During a pandemic, viral populations are immense. Variation occurs with each generation, and the larger the population, the larger each generation and the higher the probability of variants that affect infection rates and/or virulence. The driver of evolution is selection acting upon natural variation.

Ultimate cringeworthy . . . It was completely predictable that variants such as Delta and Omicron would appear, and will continue to appear until the pandemic abates.