On Friday, Patrick Lagacé wrote a message for his gang. A chronicle for people of good faith, for the vast majority of Quebecers who are doing everything to put an end to this pandemic. And who are fed up with it.
I want to go to the other gang. The one who uses and abuses sophisms to denounce the government’s so-called authoritarianism. As the Omicron wave threatens to engulf us, this gang is no longer just delaying the group, it is putting lives in danger.
Take Maxime Bernier. Reacting to the Prime Minister’s press briefing on Thursday, he wrote this on Twitter: “We don’t care about your new inconsistent and unscientific health instructions, François Legault. Quebecers are at their wit’s end. Stop your power trip. ”
Admit it is chic, from a politician who aspires to one day direct the destinies of Canada.
A few days earlier, Maxime Bernier had written: “Both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated can spread the virus. In principle, he was not wrong. That doesn’t mean he was right, either.
There was a false equivalence in this tweet, which Internet users had fun highlighting.
“Both Serena Williams and I can play tennis,” someone remarked.
“As much Keith Richards as I can play guitar,” said another.
“As much Jeff Bezos as I have the money,” added a third.
You understand the principle. Even vaccinated, you can transmit COVID-19. But we reduce the risk of doing so. And to fall seriously ill.
At the Palace of Westminster this week, an MP asked England’s Chief Public Health Officer Chris Whitty why COVID-19 should be prioritized over, say, cancer.
The answer was heard: those who ask for that do not understand anything about the health system. Or else, it’s pure bad faith …
The Dr Whitty recalled that it is COVID-19 that threatens the network’s ability to cure cancer, not the measures taken to break the wave. Without these measures, the network would collapse. To make it the source of the problem is a “complete reversal of reality.”
Of the 95 Montrealers then infected with Omicron, 90% were doubly vaccinated, announced on Wednesday the regional director of public health, the DD Mylène Drouin.
Reaction of Éric Duhaime, leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec, on Twitter: “As in Denmark, the Omicron variant seems to attack double-vaccinated more. Why then continue to discriminate against the unvaccinated and require a vaccination passport ??? ”
This is another fine example of the inversion of reality. Omicron does not attack “more” the doubly vaccinated. The logical flaw here comes from the fact that a crucial variable is missing in the equation: nearly 90% of Quebecers have received two doses.
Let’s say that 50% of motorists killed in traffic accidents had worn their seat belts. Does that mean that we have as much risk of dying, whether or not we buckle the said belt?
No, no. That would just mean that, nowadays, the vast majority of people wear this belt. The few who do not wear it are much more likely to end up in the morgue. Math 101.
It is true that Omicron was a game-changer. And unfortunately not for the best.
This variant considerably reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine. At 33% (compared to 80% for the Delta variant), according to a South African study published on Tuesday. Other preliminary studies are even more pessimistic.
According to the South African study, the vaccine prevents 70% of hospitalizations linked to Omicron, while it was 93% effective against severe forms of the disease.
Are we to conclude that we made all these efforts in vain? That we are back to square one? That this massive vaccination campaign will have been for nothing?
Especially not. Above all, we cannot claim that a vaccine which still prevents 70% of hospitalizations is useless. He continues to protect. And to save lives.
Here is another mental acrobatics, which has become a real classic since the start of the pandemic: “It’s like a big flu. It is said again, for Omicron. It’s not serious. It’s like a big flu.
But no. This is not the flu.
On Omicron, experts remain cautious. The first studies tend to show that it could indeed be less virulent than the Delta.
In Norway, 80 of the 111 diners contracted Omicron at a restaurant in Oslo. All were doubly vaccinated. All of them had mild symptoms: cough, lethargy, headache, sore throat.
However, that does not prove that it is “like the flu”.
What this proves is the meteoric spread of Omicron. In South Africa, it is transmitted twice as fast as Delta. In Denmark, the number of cases doubles every two days. In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks of a tidal wave.
The wave is approaching. She will strike soon. If we don’t reduce our contacts, it’s not going to go well.
And even if Omicron turns out to be less virulent, the virus will infect so many people that even a small proportion of severe cases are likely to overwhelm hospitals.
Math 101, once again.
“I need you guys,” François Legault said Thursday night.
He needs the rest of us, because this variant represents an urgent and collective threat. We will not get out of this by ignoring it or by acting as if our leaders took perverse pleasure in restricting our freedoms.
It seems to me, however, that it was clear Thursday: we must stop the bullshit. The enemy is the virus.
We have to believe that no, it was not so clear. On Radio X, Friday was business as usual. Jeff Fillion denounced the “madness” of the government. Eric Duhaime is sorry for the massive distribution of rapid tests, since we “will detect more people, that’s for sure”.
How to say…
These people, very listened to, can still make a difference. They have a responsibility for what happens next. They still have some time to tell their loyal listeners to take cover. Very little time.