gravity speedracing overflowing nature dark future: flash exit [#poetry ; #8wordpoet ; #poetrycommunity]

It bears repeating that the Webb telescope, which if it deploys right will transform astronomy, cost less to develop and launch than just the Orion space capsule, a piece of relaxed fit 1960's technology with no scientific value. We should really Webb it up more in space.

⚠️KIDS HOSPITALIZATIONS—The “highly transmissible” #Omicron variant is putting disproportionately large numbers of children under the age of 5 years old in hospitals, a top South African government medical adviser said Friday. #COVID19 🧵

1.Our research team have now analysed the ONS England November mortality data. We conclude that despite seeming evidence to support vaccine effectiveness this conclusion is doubtful because of a range of serious inconsistencies and anomalies. See:

1. A new sobering update on the #OmicronVarient (variant) from the HA in South Africa moments ago. Two main things stand out. The case numbers are growing much faster than before, and the demographics of hospital admissions is changing. #covid19bc

For so long grassroots groups such as @SafeEdForAll_UK have set out simple measures that would not only meet H&S legislation and mitigate risk of covid but would have legacy benefits for in-person education for the future.

[Thread] @nicd_sa, Michelle Groome and Waasila Jassat: 1. SA's 7-day moving average of new daily #COVID19 cases has increased from 332 on 16 Nov to 4,814 on 1 Dec (particularly high increase over the last 2 days) 2. This increase is unprecedented (higher than in any other wave)

A real federal pandemic response: - Remote work for non-essential business - Hazard pay for essential/frontline workers - Vax/testing req for airplanes - Masks & tests delivered to every home - Monthly survival checks - National testing program - Systematic ventilation upgrading

Preprint based on ~3 million people with laboratory-confirmed SARSCoV2 in South Africa. It reports 35,670 suspected reinfections throughout the pandemic. Risk of reinfection by the omicron variant was estimated to be ~3-3.5x higher than by alpha/delta. 1/