Esteban Colbert
Stephen Colbert observed another bleak milestone in Covid’s two-year saga of bleak milestones for the US: On Monday, the US scored a record 1.5 million new covid infections due to the emergence of the Omicron variant. “That’s terrible,” said the Late Show host, “but kinda sweet that we all gave each other the same for Christmas.”
The United States also saw a record 145,000 hospitalizations for covid, with experts predicting a peak in the 300,000 range, though the CDC has offered clarification on that statistic. Its director, Rochelle Walensky, Estimate that 40% of hospitalized patients with covid do not present due to covid symptoms, but enter for something else and then the virus is detected.
“Okay, sure, but even if people are not initially admitted for Covid, hospitals are still overwhelmed,” Colbert noted. “That’s like saying ‘hey, technically, up to 40% of the people who drowned on the Titanic were already soaked because they were in the bathtub when the ship sank, so it’s not that bad.’
Meanwhile, US-resident covid expert Dr. Anthony Fauci finally reached the end of his rope with antagonistic Republican lawmakers on Tuesday. During a congressional hearing, the White House’s top immunologist criticized Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky for misleading and unsubstantiated allegations.
“What happens when he comes out and accuses me of things that are completely false, is that suddenly that turns crazy and I have threats against my life, I harass my family with obscene calls, because people are lying about me,” he said. Fauci.
“That’s terrible. Dr. Fauci should not receive obscene phone calls from violent madmen, ”Colbert said. “You should get them from lonely singles who saw your InStyle magazine cover. “
Pointing to Paul’s campaign website, in which a donation tab is accompanied by a “Fire Dr Fauci banner,” Fauci also criticized Paul for “creating a catastrophic epidemic for his political gain.”
“A pretty damning accusation,” Colbert said. In response, Rand Paul sent an email: ‘Dr. Fauci tried to smear me by saying that I am profiting from the pandemic. Show him wrong by donating $ 10, $ 20, or $ 100 today! ‘”
Jimmy Kimmel
And in Los Angeles, Jimmy Kimmel lamented the pandemic fatigue, which has forced health officials to urges Americans not to catch Covid on purpose. “Do you have to tell us that? ‘Please don’t intentionally catch a fatal disease,’ ”Kimmel joked.
“Here’s the thing: There are so many doctors, and there are only so many nurses, and there are only so many hospital beds,” he added. “When everyone tries to get something at the same time, it is a disaster. Did we learn nothing from the great toilet paper crisis of 2020? ”
In non-Covid news, the treasury department has predicted a “frustrating” tax season to the overwhelmed IRS, “which is a shame, because it’s usually very homey and warm,” Kimmel said without expression.
“It’s fun, you know, when the IRS is late getting your refunds to us, they take all the time they need,” he continued. “When we are a day late in paying them, they say ‘which prison would you like to go to?’
According to the New York Times, the beleaguered department had fewer than 15,000 employees to handle more than 240 million calls, or 16,000 calls per person, during the 2021 filing season that left more than 35 million returns unprocessed. . “That’s why Trump never pays taxes,” Kimmel joked. “He knows how overworked these people are. It’s called being considerate.
www.theguardian.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism