Some public health experts said the guidance was long overdue and doesn't go far enough.

"We really need to go a step further and say this is the standard we should be aiming for," said Dr. Ranu Dhillon, a global health physician at the Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

He said it should be easy for most people to find comfortable "N95-caliber" masks so they can wear them in high-risk indoor settings, such as crowded shops and hospitals.

"CDC should have come out in front of this two years ago," he said. "The science was clear two years ago."

Tara Smith, a professor of epidemiology at the Kent State University College of Public Health in Ohio, said that while the CDC guidance is welcome, she has concerns about how people who need high-quality masks such as N95s would have access to them.

"Is there a plan to distribute them, especially for folks who can't afford them or can't easily find them? This was something I hoped would be done earlier this year, but still nothing," she wrote in an email. "Recommendations are great, but without access, especially for those at highest risk, it's not enough."

What is already known about this topic?

COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against COVID-19–associated hospitalization and death.

What is added by this report?

Among 1,228,664 persons who completed primary vaccination during December 2020–October 2021, severe COVID-19–associated outcomes (0.015%) or death (0.0033%) were rare. Risk factors for severe outcomes included age ≥65 years, immunosuppressed, and six other underlying conditions. All persons with severe outcomes had at least one risk factor; 78% of persons who died had at least four.
COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against COVID-19–associated hospitalization and death.

here is what the cdc actually stated

The CDC said that a new study found that 75% of such deaths among “FULLY VACCINATED “ individuals involved people with four comorbidities.

http://www.snopes.com/fact-check/covid-deaths-4-comorbidities/

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not say that all COVID-19 deaths involved people with four comorbidities. The CDC said that a new study found that 75% of such deaths among fully vaccinated individuals involved people with four comorbidities. Contrary to the posts above, this study supports the idea that vaccinations are quite effective against COVID-19.

The claim stems from remarks made by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky about a recent COVID-19 study during an appearance on the television show “Good Morning America.”
Here’s a transcript of this exchange:

“Good Morning America” host: “I want to ask you about the encouraging headlines that we’re talking about this morning, a new studying talking about just how well vaccines are working to prevent severe illness. Given that, is it time for us to start rethinking how we’re living with this virus if it is potentially here to stay?”

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky: A really important study if I may summarize it. A study of 1.2 million people who are vaccinated between December and October and demonstrated that severe disease occurred in about 0.015% of the people who receive their primary series. And death in 0.003% of those people.

The overwhelming number of deaths, over 75%, occurred in people who had at least four comorbidities. So really these are people who were unwell to begin with.

Exposure to the rhinovirus, the most frequent cause of the common cold, can protect against infection by the virus which causes COVID-19, Yale researchers have found.

In a new study, the researchers found that the common respiratory virus jump-starts the activity of interferon-stimulated genes, early-response molecules in the immune system which can halt replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus within airway tissues infected with the cold.

Triggering these defenses early in the course of COVID-19 infection holds promise to prevent or treat the infection, said Ellen Foxman, assistant professor of laboratory medicine and immunobiology at the Yale School of Medicine and senior author of the study. One way to do this is by treating patients with interferons, an immune system protein which is also available as a drug.

“But it all depends upon the timing,” Foxman said.

According to Walensky, CDC data shows that a whopping 75% had not just one, or two, or even three, but actually had four or more comorbidities when they were recorded as a Covid-19 death.

Walensky acknowledged the number during an interview with Good Morning America.

“The overwhelming number of deaths – over 75% – occurred in people who had at least four comorbidities, so really these are people who were unwell to begin with.”

they want to get laid

Here in the UK

Omicron stats are huge, but look beyond them

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59862568

"Covid infections have risen to unprecedented levels in recent weeks because of the Omicron variant.

But, as early evidence suggested it would, this variant is causing milder illness, for now at least.

A fall in the proportion of detected cases ending in hospital, shows this. It is now five times lower than it was a year ago."

The short answer is yes.

“We are counting those people who are admitted for COVID-related illness and people who are admitted for other illnesses who happen to test positive. This has been going on throughout the pandemic,” Dr. Desmar Walkes, the local health authority, said in a joint Austin City Council, Travis County Commissioners meeting Tuesday.

Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) admitted Monday that hospitalizations in New York are likely being over counted by as much as 50%.

Speaking in Rochester, the Democrat noted that people who are admitted to a hospital for something like a car accident might test positive for COVID. These people are not being treated for the virus, but for their injuries from the accident, yet they are being counted in their COVID hospitalization totals.

“Someone is in a car accident they go to the emergency room they test positive for COVID while they’re there, they’re not they’re being treated for COVID,” Hochul explained, reported News 10’s Jennifer Lewke.

How is that different from a friend? Is it like local proximity or what?

I haven't gotten where I had hoped to be by now, but the thing is, you can always start again, every day :)
I have done that, started again. And currently also doing exercises with my physio and Cesar therapist to strengthen certain muscles. So far only very very basic things as due to my neck injury these muscles have lost a great deal of strength required for stabilisation. But I've made a start and if I build up strength again it opens the door to more.

At the same time I've changed my habit of snacking. I still like to nibble on things in the evening, but the things I was eating weren't healthy. That was because I daren't really go for harder things like nuts anymore because to my teeth. Softer things are usually crap things. Now I'm nibbling cashews like I did before. Cashews are softer and not all that bad to eat either.

So slowly changing my diet, also less bleep-ping meals but things I make myself.
I'm hoping all this will slowly begin to shift my weight to where I want it to be. Slow is good. I don't believe in fast weight loss.

all I want is to meet One real lady here. so why is that so difficult?

hey, I'm trying to find a real woman in Oregon. so any of you out there hit me up.

i am also starting this journey with new year resolution, so need continuous support and motivation from this forum.

http://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-says-14-deaths-129-hospitalised-by-omicron-2021-12-22/

that OMI
LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - There are currently 129 people in hospital with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and so far 14 people have died with it, junior health minister Gillian Keegan told Sky News on Wednesday.

Uncertainty remained around how likely people were to need hospital treatment after being infected with Omicron, compared to previous variants, as well as the impact of booster doses of vaccines, which are being rolled out rapidly.

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/232698/modelling-suggests-rapid-spread-omicron-england/amp/

Omicron largely evades Immunity from past infection or two vaccine doses .