Some researchers in California have discovered tentative links between the development of Omicron and HIV. Evidence out of South Africa hinted that the virus mutation resulted from a co-infection of an individual with both the Delta variant and another strain of conventional coronavirus. This theoretical finding at Stanford would seem to strengthen that theory. Of course, the NBC news people say that the vaccine is needed to "slow the spread", but the evidence for that viewpoint seems to be lacking as the Omicron variant seems to be spreading fastest in the areas with the highest rate of vaccination. link
From what I heard, I believe it was from the South African professional who first discovered it, the Omicron variant mutated multiple times in a patient with HIV. She didn't give a clear idea of what to make of that, but there was a connection.
I now have heard that the hospitals are filling up but not with Covid patients. The flu this year is particularly vicious and this year's flu vaccine missed the strain that is going around, so most of the hospitalizations are due to influenza but are being used to scare the public about Omicron. Propaganda galore. It would make the Nazis proud and the Chinese are smiling at the panic and fear.
From what the South African health minister said that this variant is very mild it is highly contagious but no worst that the common cold. No deaths in South Africa have been reported. This might be a God send virus because if infected you now have immunity to that and to the other variants.
And you gotta apply the proper frame of reference to "filling up." This just might be at their "we've lost our unvaxxed staff" diminished capacity. As an aside, I read that the travelling nurses who replaced the fired-for-refusing-the-shot nurses are not required to get the shot. Nice, huh?
I can't find direct-data, just anecdotal statements that it's still being reimbursed. I found a November 18 article at Health Leaders Media begging the White House to investigate related price gouging by the Temp Nursing industry (just another perverse incentive), and the article inferred that the program was active at that point in time. Maybe the Fed backing out of this in 2022 will end the program.
I don't know if it is still going on, but I met two of the temps who were assigned to a local hospital and were reimbursed by the Feds--one from Boston and one from Alabama.
So hospitals cut back their payroll by firing those who refuse to get the shot "for patient safety," then bring in taxpayer-funded resources who also do not have the shot to work with those same patients. This is on top of the practice of withholding COVID treatment until patients cross into a higher-dollar level of illness. I've read accounts of fired nurses who have been asked to come back to fill temporary needs. Those professionals who used to really take pride in what they did for the world have been beaten down into being cynics who would never come back no matter what. Another institution destroyed by "The Smartest People In The World," huh?
I was wondering if we could round up the good healthcare professionals who want to not work for the government and have them set themselves up in private clinics instead of wasteful industries. We had one old hold out years ago who charged reasonable fees for old fashioned doctoring, did not take insurance and did really well as far as number of patients. There are concierge clinics in bigger cities. These people would be honest healthcare professionals with integrity. They could prescribe antibiotics and ivermectin if wanted, dig out tick bites for less than $900!!! Set broken bones. diagnose diabetes. clean and sew up wounds...
A friend's father, who was an old family physician retired and wanted to maintain a limited practice for his old patients who had been with him for 40+ years. He wanted to charge them $5 a visit plus expenses, but the government stepped in and told him HE would be fined if he treated any patients who were on Medicare. That was a number of years ago, but I assume that regulation is still in place. If I remember right, the fine was $200 per patient. He decided he couldn't afford to practice, so he retired.