Pandemic updates 2.0

nolaegghead

No chance.  The more incompetent you are in Florida the more likely you are to win elections.  Didn’t Jones get arrested because she was using her credentials on the computer to do some whistle blowing at some point?

EggaddictArnold

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2792524

SamIAm2

nolaegghead said:

No chance.  The more incompetent you are in Florida the more likely you are to win elections.  Didn’t Jones get arrested because she was using her credentials on the computer to do some whistle blowing at some point?

On January 16, 2021, an arrest warrant was issued for Jones by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement claiming she illegally breached state systems and downloaded the confidential contact information for nearly 20,000 people and sent a message to state employees telling them to "speak out."

Edit - This article shows some of the public tactics Governor Desantis is using to discredit Jones:

https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2021/05/28/former-health-department-employee-rebekah-jones-granted-official-whistleblower-status/

Gulfcoastguy

Sticking to the theme, the Novavax Covid vaccine has been approved as a two shot series. The company is asking for approval as a booster for other vaccines but that hasn’t been approved yet. They also say that they are working on a modified vaccine for variants.

EggaddictArnold

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/majority-mumps-cases-are-vaccinated-cdc-finds-rcna6482

JohnInCarolina

EggaddictArnold said:

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/majority-mumps-cases-are-vaccinated-cdc-finds-rcna6482

@Eggjlmh ... is that you?   

JohnInCarolina

By the way, the finding is not at all surprising.  It's just basic math/statistics.  Being vaccinated against a disease is not 100% effective.  But when you have an overwhelming majority of the population vaccinated, it is simply going to be the case that most of the people who get the disease just happen to be the same people for whom the vaccine wasn't effective.  That's not an argument against vaccines.  

nolaegghead

EggaddictArnold said:

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/majority-mumps-cases-are-vaccinated-cdc-finds-rcna6482

What's the point?  This is a covid thread.

Mumps cases went from nearly 100% (almost every single person would catch it) to almost complete eradication when the MMR vaccine was routinely given to all infants.  Most people now never get exposed to it.  91% of the country has at least one of the two vaccinations.  A small but significant percent of the population has problems producing antibodies and it's just a "no sh!t" observation that the tiny fraction of the entire US population of 330 million between 50 and 3000 people a year get it, and most of those are vaccinated, and have mild symptoms.  Breakthrough infections, the vaccine is 88% effective, but that's herd immunity at work.

Good primer on MMR vaccines, so there was value in that post.  thanks

Legume

Gulfcoastguy said:

Sticking to the theme, the Novavax Covid vaccine has been approved as a two shot series. The company is asking for approval as a booster for other vaccines but that hasn’t been approved yet. They also say that they are working on a modified vaccine for variants.

It’s not been approved, it’s been recommended for authorization by the vaccine advisory committee.  It will likely be given the nod by FDA, but they didn’t submit any data on this vaccine vs variants, so it’s basically shown to be effective as Pfizer and Moderna’s were, originally.

For the vaccine resistant who were skeered of the mRNA vaccines changing their DNA (total bs), it might have some appeal as it isn’t mRNA based.  If 5G is your conspiracy of choice, sorry, it’s not clear if Bill Gates has had his hand in this or not.

I think it’s probably going to be more me too unless 1) it shows longer effectiveness, but that’s hard to judge with new variants flying around, 2) shows greater effectiveness vs newer variants, or 3) easier to store and transport which is one of the many logistical challenges to be getting the rest of the world vaccinated.

nolaegghead

Legume said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

Sticking to the theme, the Novavax Covid vaccine has been approved as a two shot series. The company is asking for approval as a booster for other vaccines but that hasn’t been approved yet. They also say that they are working on a modified vaccine for variants.

It’s not been approved, it’s been recommended for authorization by the vaccine advisory committee.  It will likely be given the nod by FDA, but they didn’t submit any data on this vaccine vs variants, so it’s basically shown to be effective as Pfizer and Moderna’s were, originally.

For the vaccine resistant who were skeered of the mRNA vaccines changing their DNA (total bs), it might have some appeal as it isn’t mRNA based.  If 5G is your conspiracy of choice, sorry, it’s not clear if Bill Gates has had his hand in this or not.

I think it’s probably going to be more me too unless 1) it shows longer effectiveness, but that’s hard to judge with new variants flying around, 2) shows greater effectiveness vs newer variants, or 3) easier to store and transport which is one of the many logistical challenges to be getting the rest of the world vaccinated.

I couldn’t have said it better myself, me.

Gulfcoastguy

From what I remember it doesn’t require anything more than basic refrigeration so it will be easier to distribute. 

I never said that they had claimed effectiveness against variants, merely that they like Moderna and Pfizer are currently working on new variants specific vaccines. None of the new variants specific vaccines seem likely before the end of the year. They seem to be on Impulse Drive rather than Warp Speed.

Legume

Gulfcoastguy said:

From what I remember it doesn’t require anything more than basic refrigeration so it will be easier to distribute. 

I never said that they had claimed effectiveness against variants, merely that they like Moderna and Pfizer are currently working on new variants specific vaccines. None of the new variants specific vaccines seem likely before the end of the year. They seem to be on Impulse Drive rather than Warp Speed.

Moderna just filed today with FDA for a new booster targeted to omicron.

Gulfcoastguy

Legume said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

From what I remember it doesn’t require anything more than basic refrigeration so it will be easier to distribute. 

I never said that they had claimed effectiveness against variants, merely that they like Moderna and Pfizer are currently working on new variants specific vaccines. None of the new variants specific vaccines seem likely before the end of the year. They seem to be on Impulse Drive rather than Warp Speed.

Moderna just filed today with FDA for a new booster targeted to omicron.

Well whenever they get around to approving and distributing it I might just get my second booster.

JohnInCarolina

This isn’t based on anything I’ve heard or read by any of the experts, but my overall sense is that the virus is evolving the way it’s supposed to.  It’s becoming more contagious, but also less deadly. Take it for what it’s worth, which isn’t much.

Botch

My sorta-buddy attended the NAMM (Nat'l Ass. of Music Merchants) in Anaheim last weekend, they had no mask/card/testing requirements whatsoever.  
Four days later, it sounds like a lot of them are sick (and remember, COVID is asymptomatic for over half of us).  Yay.  At least the pre-sick vaccines/ boosters, and the post-sick pills, are doing a pretty good job at preventing hospitalizations/deaths.  Until the next Variant comes along.     Yay.  

fishlessman

JohnInCarolina said:

This isn’t based on anything I’ve heard or read by any of the experts, but my overall sense is that the virus is evolving the way it’s supposed to.  It’s becoming more contagious, but also less deadly. Take it for what it’s worth, which isn’t much.

still luck of the draw though, a friend just did 3.5 days in the hospital with it, he had it last summer as well but this time was way worse. wasnt able to head out with us for the annual fish trip which says alot for this guy. its still a luck of the draw gamble

JohnInCarolina

fishlessman said:

JohnInCarolina said:

This isn’t based on anything I’ve heard or read by any of the experts, but my overall sense is that the virus is evolving the way it’s supposed to.  It’s becoming more contagious, but also less deadly. Take it for what it’s worth, which isn’t much.

still luck of the draw though, a friend just did 3.5 days in the hospital with it, he had it last summer as well but this time was way worse. wasnt able to head out with us for the annual fish trip which says alot for this guy. its still a luck of the draw gamble

For sure, although I’m not sure that’s all that different from the way the flu can present.  We’re getting pretty close to that.

fishlessman

JohnInCarolina said:

fishlessman said:

JohnInCarolina said:

This isn’t based on anything I’ve heard or read by any of the experts, but my overall sense is that the virus is evolving the way it’s supposed to.  It’s becoming more contagious, but also less deadly. Take it for what it’s worth, which isn’t much.

still luck of the draw though, a friend just did 3.5 days in the hospital with it, he had it last summer as well but this time was way worse. wasnt able to head out with us for the annual fish trip which says alot for this guy. its still a luck of the draw gamble

For sure, although I’m not sure that’s all that different from the way the flu can present.  We’re getting pretty close to that.

do people still get the flu.....i dont think i know of anyone thats had the flu in two years but then flu shots were given with covid shots

JohnInCarolina

fishlessman said:

JohnInCarolina said:

fishlessman said:

JohnInCarolina said:

This isn’t based on anything I’ve heard or read by any of the experts, but my overall sense is that the virus is evolving the way it’s supposed to.  It’s becoming more contagious, but also less deadly. Take it for what it’s worth, which isn’t much.

still luck of the draw though, a friend just did 3.5 days in the hospital with it, he had it last summer as well but this time was way worse. wasnt able to head out with us for the annual fish trip which says alot for this guy. its still a luck of the draw gamble

For sure, although I’m not sure that’s all that different from the way the flu can present.  We’re getting pretty close to that.

do people still get the flu.....i dont think i know of anyone thats had the flu in two years but then flu shots were given with covid shots

Yes, people do still get the flu.  The numbers have gone way down the past two years because it turns out masking and social distancing make a difference on virus transmission.  More people getting vaccinated helps too, although our flu vaccines tend not to be as effective as some of the covid ones have.  

As we transition more and more out of covid and it becomes more endemic, you can expect flu cases to start to come back up. Long term I wouldn't be surprised if they turn out to be about the same every year.

fishlessman

JohnInCarolina said:

fishlessman said:

JohnInCarolina said:

fishlessman said:

JohnInCarolina said:

This isn’t based on anything I’ve heard or read by any of the experts, but my overall sense is that the virus is evolving the way it’s supposed to.  It’s becoming more contagious, but also less deadly. Take it for what it’s worth, which isn’t much.

still luck of the draw though, a friend just did 3.5 days in the hospital with it, he had it last summer as well but this time was way worse. wasnt able to head out with us for the annual fish trip which says alot for this guy. its still a luck of the draw gamble

For sure, although I’m not sure that’s all that different from the way the flu can present.  We’re getting pretty close to that.

do people still get the flu.....i dont think i know of anyone thats had the flu in two years but then flu shots were given with covid shots

Yes, people do still get the flu.  The numbers have gone way down the past two years because it turns out masking and social distancing make a difference on virus transmission.  More people getting vaccinated helps too, although our flu vaccines tend not to be as effective as some of the covid ones have.  

As we transition more and more out of covid and it becomes more endemic, you can expect flu cases to start to come back up. Long term I wouldn't be surprised if they turn out to be about the same every year.

had my first flu shot last year because it was convenient to get with the covid shot, i wouldnt go much out of my way for it. hoping covid becomes the same sooner than later

nolaegghead

Estimated Range of Annual Burden of Flu in the U.S. from 2010 –  2020

nolaegghead

So a fraction of Covid.  Fortunately there’s no long haulers syndrome from flu.  Millions of people have long term symptoms from Covid - limp dicks, nerve and brain damage, lung damage, etc.

fishlessman

thats going to drop for a while as the weaker and older people have been culled

nolaegghead

Maybe so, but there’s a whole new crop of people with lung damage that wouldn’t otherwise have it without Covid.

SamIAm2

Episode 106 - COVID Meteorology podcast has been released.  Assesses the state of the pandemic in the US and around the world, discusses the data on the Novavax vaccine, and provides updates on monkeypox and influenza.  Que dislike in 5,4,3,....

SamIAm2

"Ahead of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meeting later this month to discuss updated COVID-19 vaccine strategies, Moderna today announced that its bivalent COVID booster candidate prompted higher antibody response against the Omicron variant than the current version of the company's mRNA vaccine." 

https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2022/Moderna-Announces-Omicron-Containing-Bivalent-Booster-Candidate-mRNA-1273.214-Demonstrates-Superior-Antibody-Response-Against-Omicron/default.aspx 

"A 50 µg booster dose of mRNA-1273.214 met all pre-specified endpoints including superior neutralizing antibody response (geometric mean ratio) against the Omicron variant one month after administration when compared to the original mRNA-1273 vaccine."

Gulfcoastguy

Moderna also worked on a vaccine that targeted both the Omicron and Beta variants. But eventually decided to focus on adding Omicron protection to the original vaccine. Maybe because Beta never really became a problem outside of South Africa. 

I know the usual progress of a virus becoming more contagious and less deadly in the Long run is typical. But mutation can be random and a short term contagious and deadly form is always a possibility.

nolaegghead

It's hard to hit a moving target.

EggaddictArnold

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abq1841

EggaddictArnold

https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/10/7/1538/htm