Omicron: The most contagious virus to ever exist?

Plus: Why this round of book-banning fever is different none Your daily update from [Salon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0QWaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL1cDc3BjQgph4NLa82FuVteDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). Written by [Brett Bachman](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0QhaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9CcmV0dEFCYWNobWFuVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). none Omicron may be most contagious virus to ever exist For decades, measles was the gold standard for virus contagiousness, measured by a statistic called the "reproductive number." Measles has a reproductive number (R0, if you're a scientist) that varies between 3.7 to 203.3 — meaning that one infected person is apt to infect between 3.7 and 203.3 other people, Salon's Matt Rozsa reports. While it's still too early to have official numbers on omicron, scientists are already estimating that it may end up blowing measles out of the water. According to Dr. Roby Bhattacharyya, a physician and infectious disease expert at Massachusetts General Hospital: "One case of measles would cause 15 cases within 12 days. One case of omicron would give rise to another six at four days, 36 cases at eight days and 216 after 12 days. This makes omicron unusually infectious even when compared to the measles — and certainly quite infectious if compared to the previous SARS-CoV-2 viruses that caused COVID-19." This gets especially grim when looking at omicron's reproductive number in relation to past variants: - R0 for the original strain of SARS-CoV-2: 2.5 - R0 for delta: 5 - Estimated R0 for omicron: 10 [Learn more](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0R-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvb21pY3Jvbi12YXJpYW50LW9mLW1heS1iZS10aGUtbW9zdC1jb250YWdpb3VzLXRvLWV2ZXItZXhpc3Qtc2NpZW50aXN0cy1zYXkvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). none none Why this round of conservative book-banning fever is different In case you missed it: a Tennessee school district [pulled the acclaimed graphic Holocaust novel "Maus" from its eighth-grade curriculum](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0SRaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvb3J3ZWxsaWFuLXRlbm5lc3NlZS1zY2hvb2wtYm9hcmQtc3BhcmtzLW91dHJhZ2Utd2l0aC12b3RlLXRvLWJhbi1ob2xvY2F1c3QtZ3JhcGhpYy1ub3ZlbC1tYXVzLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NLa82FuVteDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~), sparking a firestorm of criticism from angry liberals who accused school board members of engaging in censorship and whitewashing historical atrocities. But is there any difference between this choice and a similar decision to stop teaching Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn," over those books' depictions of racism? Salon's Jon Skolnik writes that this comparison ignores the fact that vastly more money and manpower is being marshaled by conservative groups right now than liberals have ever had at their disposal — and that the majority of book bans happening right now across the country are being leveled against LGBTQ+ authors, authors of color, and books that deal frankly with race, sex, and gender. Key quote: "The challenge right now is to recognize that the weight of the momentum here is so very clearly swinging in one direction," Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education at PEN America, told Salon. [Hear from more experts on the issue](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0SGaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvd2h5LWV4cGVydHMtc2F5LXRoZS1iYW5uaW5nLW9mLW1hdXMtaXMtbm90LWxpa2UtdGhlLWNlbnNvcnNoaXAtb2YtaHVja2xlYmVycnktZmlubi8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeDS2vNhblbXg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo). (Photo via Getty Images) none - Joe Rogan made anti-vax Dr. Robert Malone [a right-wing media star](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0SRaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvam9lLXJvZ2FuLW1hZGUtYW50aS12YXgtZHItcm9iZXJ0LW1hbG9uZS1hLXJpZ2h0LXdpbmctbWVkaWEtc3Rhci13YXMtdGhhdC10aGUtcG9pbnQtYWxsLWFsb25nLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NLa82FuVteDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~): Was that the point all along? - The coming Supreme Court battle is [a moment of reckoning](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0RsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvY29taW5nLWJhdHRsZS1tb21lbnQtb2YtcmVja29uaW5nLWZvci1iaWRlbi0tYW5kLWFtZXJpY2EvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) for Biden — and America, our White House columnist Brian Karem writes - Janet Jackson is finally back in control of her rightful legacy in [must-see docuseries](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0RRaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvamFuZXQtamFja3Nvbi1yZXZpZXctbGlmZXRpbWUvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~), Salon TV critic Melanie McFarland writes - Texas redistricting broke voting rights laws, GOP state senator [admits in sworn court statement](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0SIaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvdGV4YXMtcmVkaXN0cmljdGluZy1icm9rZS12b3RpbmctcmlnaHRzLWxhd3Mtc3RhdGUtc2VuYXRvci1hZG1pdHMtaW4tc3dvcm4tc3RhdGVtZW50Lz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NLa82FuVteDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes had [network of "escape tunnels"](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0ScaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvb2F0aC1rZWVwZXJzLWxlYWRlci1zdGV3YXJ0LXJob2Rlcy1oYWQtbmV0d29yay1vZi1lc2NhcGUtdHVubmVscy1pbi1iYWNreWFyZC1lc3RyYW5nZWQtd2lmZS1zYXlzX3BhcnRuZXIvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) in backyard, estranged wife says - Rep. Cori Bush's parked car [hit during St. Louis shooting](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0SQaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvcmVwLWNvcmktYnVzaHMtcGFya2VkLWNhci1zdHJ1Y2stYnktYnVsbGV0cy0tYnV0LWx1Y2tpbHktc2hlLXdhc250LWluLWl0LWF0LXRoZS10aW1lX3BhcnRuZXIvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - Could [a super-deadly flu](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0RxaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvY291bGQtYS1zdXBlci1mbHUtbGlrZS10aGUtb25lLWluLXN0YXRpb24tZWxldmVuLXJlYWxseS1leGlzdC8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeDS2vNhblbXg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) like the one in "Station Eleven" really exist? - Why Medicare [doesn’t pay](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvd2h5LW1lZGljYXJlLWRvZXNudC1wYXktZm9yLXJhcGlkLWF0LWhvbWUtdGVzdHNfcGFydG5lci0yLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NLa82FuVteDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) for rapid at-home Covid tests - And, finally, try this ["no-cry" French onion soup](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0R2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvdGhpcy1jaGVlc3ktbm8tdGVhci1mcmVuY2gtb25pb24tc291cC1pcy1yZWFkeS1pbi11bmRlci0zMC1taW51dGVzLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NLa82FuVteDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) that's ready in under 30 minutes Not a subscriber yet? [Sign up](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0QgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tL25ld3NsZXR0ZXJXA3NwY0IKYeDS2vNhblbXg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) to receive Crash Course. none none Right-wing media is already freaking out about Biden's Supreme Court choice Wednesday morning gave us news of Justice Stephen Breyer's upcoming retirement from the Supreme Court — and just a few hours later, Fox News and the right-wing outrage machine [had their narrative set](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0R0aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvZm94LW5ld3MtbWVsdHMtZG93bi1vdmVyLWJpZGVuLXBpY2stLWJlZm9yZS1oZXMtbm9taW5hdGVkLWFueW9uZS8_dXNlcl9pZD0qfEVNQUlMfCpXA3NwY0IKYeDS2vNhblbXg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo): President Joe Biden's nomination is proof that white men just can't catch a break. Salon's Amanda Marcotte writes: One way or another, what's clear is that right-wing media sees the upcoming Supreme Court battle as a golden opportunity to advance their already ridiculous narratives about how white men are being oppressed by women and people of color. On Fox News, this narrative has merged neatly with ideas drawn directly from neo-Nazis and other white nationalists. It really doesn't matter who the nominee is, or how qualified they are. Fox News will demonize this person to whip their audiences into a fascistic frenzy. None of this is to say that Biden should break his promise to nominate a Black woman. Fox News has its narrative built in without even knowing who the nominee is. There is nothing Biden can say or do that will mollify them. Any nominee — even the blandest white guy — would be spun as a secret agent of antifa and Black Lives Matter and a communist plant. Biden should simply go forward with his promise. Let the Republican reaction expose them as the racist misogynists they are. In case you were wondering: Of the 115 justices that have sat on the Supreme Court, none have been Black women. 107 of them have been white men. [Read the full commentary](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0RzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvd2h5LXRoZS1yaWdodC1zZWVzLWJpZGVucy1wcm9taXNlLW9mLWEtYmxhY2std29tYW4tb24tdGhlLWFzLWFuLz91c2VyX2lkPSp8RU1BSUx8KlcDc3BjQgph4NLa82FuVteDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~). (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) none - "The secret lives of baby teeth," [Vox](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0RKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudm94LmNvbS90aGUtaGlnaGxpZ2h0LzIyODc2NTMwL2JhYnktdGVldGgtc2NpZW5jZS1hbnRocm9wb2xvZ3lXA3NwY0IKYeDS2vNhblbXg1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luODVAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAo) - "Do I Really Need a Toilet? And other questions you can’t believe you ask yourself when you’re looking for an apartment in New York," [The New York Times](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0RIaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMi8wMS8yNy9yZWFsZXN0YXRlL255Yy1hcGFydG1lbnRzLXRvaWxldC5odG1sVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "The very real shortcomings plaguing the next-generation internet," [Casey Newton via Substack](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucGxhdGZvcm1lci5uZXdzL3AvdGhyZWUtdGhpbmdzLXdlYjMtc2hvdWxkLWZpeC1pbi0yMDIyVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) - "What It’s Like To Live With Fungus In Your Brain," [BuzzFeed News](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0R8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6emZlZWRuZXdzLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlL3R5c29uYm90dGVudXMvYmxhY2stbW9sZC1ncm93aW5nLXRveGljLWJyYWluLXZhY2F0aW9uP2JmdHduZXdzJnV0bV90ZXJtPTRsZHFwZ2MjNGxkcXBnY1cDc3BjQgph4NLa82FuVteDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~) - "Searching for Susy Thunder," [The Verge](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0RdaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhldmVyZ2UuY29tL2MvMjI4ODk0MjUvc3VzeS10aHVuZGVyLWhlYWRsZXktaGFja2Vycy1waG9uZS1waHJlYWtlcnMtY2xhaXJlLWV2YW5zVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) none none Meghan McCain fumes at Sarah Palin Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin dined out in New York City this week — not once, but twice — while knowingly positive for COVID-19. It was a decision that didn't sit too well with Meghan McCain, whose words of criticism were especially biting given the fact that her late father, Sen. John McCain, had chosen Palin as his running mate during the 2008 presidential election. "Is she crazy? Day two?" McCain ranted to The Daily Mail Thursday. "I haven't seen her or talked to her for many years, aside from some short emails when my father passed, so I can't imagine what she is thinking but this is highly irresponsible." "This was selfish, reckless and stupid. Just because it's not illegal doesn't mean it is not unethical." "This is why she shouldn't be in politics anymore. You have to lead by example. I'm embarrassed to have once known her." [Read McCain's full comments](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0SNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2Fsb24uY29tLzIwMjIvMDEvMjcvbWVnaGFuLW1jY2Fpbi1mdW1lcy1hdC1zYXJhaC1wYWxpbi1mb3ItZGluaW5nLW91dC13aGlsZS1wb3NpdGl2ZS1zdHVwaWQtcmVja2xlc3MtYXJyb2dhbnQvP3VzZXJfaWQ9KnxFTUFJTHwqVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~). (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images) Have a tip for Salon? Feedback on this newsletter? [Let us know](mailto:brett.bachman@salon.com). Our mailing address: 1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200 Wilmington, 19801 DE [Unsubscribe from this list](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9yZWFkLmxldHRlcmhlYWQuZW1haWwvY3Jhc2gtY291cnNlL3Vuc3Vic2NyaWJlP2lkPUAzNTQzOTUyVwNzcGNCCmHg0trzYW5W14NSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg1QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAKA~~) Copyright © 2022 Crash Course, All rights reserved. [Made with Letterhead [Letterhead logo]](~/AASU4wA~/RgRj1l_QP0QiaHR0cHM6Ly9saW5rLndoZXJlYnkudXMvbmVwbm83czh5c1cDc3BjQgph4NLa82FuVteDUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW44NUBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAACg~)