So the thing about this new strain being detected in the US in a few states: that means it's all over the fucking place. We do not have the monitoring system the UK does. We will prob now scramble to track this, but we don't have the infrastructure to suddenly crank out a map.

The new strain was first detected in the UK in September. I saw one expert say to expect a similar trajectory, in terms of how the new strain is now dominant in the UK. I expect it will happen faster here tbh bc I think it's already been here a while without us knowing.

We already needed to be vaccinating about two million people a week in the U.S. to rescue our medical system from the current surge. We've vaccinated about 2 million total so far. Add the new strain to that, and we are in an even more fucked up movie.

It's 70% more transmissible. We need to double down on safety measures, recommit to distancing where it has faltered, demand MEANINGFUL financial relief, and y'all, officials like Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is trying to reopen public schools Jan. 11, MUST BE STOPPED.

.

I was right when I said she needed to shut shit down last winter and I'm right now. People died bc she did not listen to well researched organizers & city council members who raised our concerns. Lori Lightfoot must not reopen the schools. We must assume the new strain is here.

The worst case of keeping students home a bit longer than we needed to is a lot less disturbing than the worst case of sending teachers back into those buildings on Monday if the new strain is present. Until we have more data, this is reckless endangerment.

Chicago teachers are expected to return to work Monday, even as officials and experts issue a new wave of warnings about the new strain. I talked to one of those teachers last week. https://truthout.org/audio/chicago-teachers-pledge-collective-action-as-january-reopening-approaches/