Pandemic updates 2.0

SamIAm2

Grateful that wife and I both got our second Moderna Covid-19 vaccination today at our county health department drive thru location in Viera. A very busy place, two lanes and just over an hour to complete. Those in line included snow birds from various states.

Second shot does not hurt at my injection site as did the first. Took photos of our CDC Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card and also made scans of our cards. 

Driving down this afternoon to our appointment we were both struck by the number of out of state personal vehicles on I-95. We currently do not meet the guidelines to move to the next level of opening but that does not mean much to our Governor. "Come On Down" seems to be the underlying message from state legislators. 

Canugghead

Ontario gov't sucks, 80+ about to start, 65+ vaccination eta June!

Gulfcoastguy

Canugghead said:

Ontario gov't sucks, 80+ about to start, 65+ vaccination eta June!

I heard that Novavax is going to produce their vaccine in Canada. They had good test results in the UK.

Canugghead

Gulfcoastguy said:

Canugghead said:

Ontario gov't sucks, 80+ about to start, 65+ vaccination eta June!

I heard that Novavax is going to produce their vaccine in Canada. They had good test results in the UK.

Yes, but not any time soon, eta probably end of year at the earliest.

Gulfcoastguy

JohnInCarolina

The latest podcast from CIDRAP is worth your time:

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/podcasts-webinars/episode-45

He covers the emergence of the variants, a recent study recommending just one dose for everyone until we're past a potential March surge, and what we know and don't know regarding what vaccinated people can do.  Tagging @lousubcap as I know he's been interested in these in the past. 

Gulfcoastguy

My objection to switching to single shots with a much delayed second shot is simple. We finally got vaccinations clicking along like a moderately well run factory. Making a change would just gum up the works. There would be Twitter fights, dueling doctors, and antivaxxers would have giggle fits. Just keep on approving and making vaccines and give them out as fast as possible.

lousubcap

@JohnInCarolina - thanks for the tag as I do appreciate those podcasts.  This time around I found the general message and delivery to be more political than fact/data driven like his prior presentations. He makes a good case for the initial solo shot but later defers to the science for support of other positions.  I can see both sides of this issue but who's the one who makes the call and gonna be willing to take the heat from one side or the other??  I don't believe the single shot (when two are prescribed) will happen, especially when J&J just rolled out the game changer vaccine, single shot and standard fridge storage.  
Related, Friday night there was Zoom conversation about having been fully vaccinated and wearing masks-my hard over position was that at that point the mask is to help assuage the concerns of others who you may be around since you likely don't have a "I've been covid vaccinated tattoo on your forehead. "
Yup- quite the follow-on dialog.  Thanks again.
Stay healthy and safe out there-

HeavyG

Last I heard the thinking was that for those that have been vaccinated a mask should still be worn. While you would be protected by the vaccine you can still pick up the virus and spread the virus thru coughing/sneezing/breathing so until enough people have gotten their jabs the current precautions should still be utilized.

JohnInCarolina

HeavyG said:

Last I heard the thinking was that for those that have been vaccinated a mask should still be worn. While you would be protected by the vaccine you can still pick up the virus and spread the virus thru coughing/sneezing/breathing so until enough people have gotten their jabs the current precautions should still be utilized.

That's correct.  Some of the early data is indicating that people who have been vaccinated aren't vectors for the disease, at least not in large percentages.  But it's early - we still don't have enough data to make a public policy recommendation, and this is one of the issues he discusses in the podcast.

JohnInCarolina

Gulfcoastguy said:

My objection to switching to single shots with a much delayed second shot is simple. We finally got vaccinations clicking along like a moderately well run factory. Making a change would just gum up the works. There would be Twitter fights, dueling doctors, and antivaxxers would have giggle fits. Just keep on approving and making vaccines and give them out as fast as possible.

Did you listen to the CIDRAP podcast?

Gulfcoastguy

JohnInCarolina said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

My objection to switching to single shots with a much delayed second shot is simple. We finally got vaccinations clicking along like a moderately well run factory. Making a change would just gum up the works. There would be Twitter fights, dueling doctors, and antivaxxers would have giggle fits. Just keep on approving and making vaccines and give them out as fast as possible.

Did you listen to the CIDRAP podcast?

No I relied on your recap. My opinion remains tthe same as to what would happen. Hopefully with the Johnson & Johnson now coming on board things will speed up. The big hang up is people refusing to take the vaccine even once though. Our state Covid website covidvaccine.umc.edu has the available first shots. Washington county, a minority majority county in the Delta is not used up even last weeks appointments before more were made available today. Appointments in the more educated, suburban, and Caucasian counties tend to be taken within 2 hours of posting. 

JohnInCarolina

Gulfcoastguy said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

My objection to switching to single shots with a much delayed second shot is simple. We finally got vaccinations clicking along like a moderately well run factory. Making a change would just gum up the works. There would be Twitter fights, dueling doctors, and antivaxxers would have giggle fits. Just keep on approving and making vaccines and give them out as fast as possible.

Did you listen to the CIDRAP podcast?

No I relied on your recap. My opinion remains tthe same as to what would happen. Hopefully with the Johnson & Johnson now coming on board things will speed up. The big hang up is people refusing to take the vaccine even once though. Our state Covid website covidvaccine.umc.edu has the available first shots. Washington county, a minority majority county in the Delta is not used up even last weeks appointments before more were made available today. Appointments in the more educated, suburban, and Caucasian counties tend to be taken within 2 hours of posting. 

So you are saying that your opinion is impervious to the input of experts?  Good to know I suppose.  Dunning-Kruger appears to be a very real thing.  

Gulfcoastguy

JohnInCarolina said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

My objection to switching to single shots with a much delayed second shot is simple. We finally got vaccinations clicking along like a moderately well run factory. Making a change would just gum up the works. There would be Twitter fights, dueling doctors, and antivaxxers would have giggle fits. Just keep on approving and making vaccines and give them out as fast as possible.

Did you listen to the CIDRAP podcast?

No I relied on your recap. My opinion remains tthe same as to what would happen. Hopefully with the Johnson & Johnson now coming on board things will speed up. The big hang up is people refusing to take the vaccine even once though. Our state Covid website covidvaccine.umc.edu has the available first shots. Washington county, a minority majority county in the Delta is not used up even last weeks appointments before more were made available today. Appointments in the more educated, suburban, and Caucasian counties tend to be taken within 2 hours of posting. 

So you are saying that your opinion is impervious to the input of experts?  Good to know I suppose.  Dunning-Kruger appears to be a very real thing.  

Actually I look at several online including many who agree with the one shot regime. I don’t even disagree with its effectiveness in an ideal world. This is a far from ideal world. As a former civil servant in the state government, I stand by my opinion on the results of changing procedures and the chaos that would result. Pfizer and Moderna are doubling their production rate. J & J will have 20 million doses( enough to fully vaccinate 20 million people) with about that many to follow each month. Novavax will be ready for use by April. AstraZeneca could already be in use if we used British studies but it looks likely to be available in April . 

Vaccine available will not be the problem soon. The problem is some states couldn’t lead a platoon of Marines into a bar.

Gulfcoastguy

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-covid-vaccine-supply-to-be-boosted-by-merck-helping-make-j-j-vaccine-11614699160?siteid=yhoof2

lousubcap

Good read but may be too late in many places-We've stumbled along to this point-time to tighten up and punch it home to the extent we can.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/01/cdc-chief-covid-us-coronavirus-cases-potential-fourth-surge?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

dmchicago

Meanwhile, in Texas...

https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/gov-abbott-to-share-exciting-news-at-130-p-m-press-conference-tuesday/

JohnInCarolina

dmchicago said:

Meanwhile, in Texas...

https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/gov-abbott-to-share-exciting-news-at-130-p-m-press-conference-tuesday/

Sofa king dumb.

HeavyG

dmchicago said:

Meanwhile, in Texas...

https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/gov-abbott-to-share-exciting-news-at-130-p-m-press-conference-tuesday/

"Shortly after the news broke, “RIP Texas” trending nationally on Twitter."

LOL

dmchicago

“What power grid problem?”

-Governor Abbott probably. 

dmchicago

TEXAS: If our deregulated electric grid won't kill you, our science-denying governor will

Gulfcoastguy

lousubcap said:

Good read but may be too late in many places-We've stumbled along to this point-time to tighten up and punch it home to the extent we can.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/01/cdc-chief-covid-us-coronavirus-cases-potential-fourth-surge?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

Nope, not time to let up on mask wearing yet. But the article that I posted was dated March 2cnd, the one you posted was dated March 1st thus it's projections on J & J production are obsolete. Moderna and Pfizer have doubled their production, Pfizer has cut their production time from 110 days to 60 for instance. Unlike Early January when med crew were standing around without vaccine to use soon the limiting factor will be med staff to give the vaccines. And of course, vaccine refusers but Darwin always gets his cut.

fishlessman

if you enjoyed the virus before, seems theres a real chance to get it again with the brazil variant. guess time will tell if the vaccine takes this one out

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/01/health/covid-19-coronavirus-brazil-variant.html

dmchicago

My 87 yo Dad finally got his 1st shot on Monday. He's in Houston, TX.

JohnInCarolina

dmchicago said:

My 87 yo Dad finally got his 1st shot on Monday. He's in Houston, TX.

Have you heard about the center in Amarillo or thereabouts?  My understanding is that they're vaccinating just about anyone who shows up, assuming they have enough supply that day. 

Gulfcoastguy

When I finally got my mother her first Pfizer shot 10 days ago, I admit that I had to kind of press the issue. I manage to show her the state website for vaccine reservations. With her arthritic deformed hands she couldn't register in the allowed time before it timed out, she has to use a touch pad as she can't handle a mouse. Fortunately they website had a phone number. She called and let the robot her number and within an hour a human called back and scheduled her appointment. Having all of her descendants who lived locally come down with Covid2 days before her vaccination kind of drove the point home. 
Now having my worse than useless governor copy the Texas ahat doesn't help. Fortunately all local business are ignoring his lifting of the mask mandate, all doors still have mask required on them.

dmchicago

JohnInCarolina said:

dmchicago said:

My 87 yo Dad finally got his 1st shot on Monday. He's in Houston, TX.

Have you heard about the center in Amarillo or thereabouts?  My understanding is that they're vaccinating just about anyone who shows up, assuming they have enough supply that day. 

Texas is a big state. I couldn't even make Amarillo by morning.

frazzdaddy

Got my first Pfizer pop today.

JohnInCarolina

dmchicago said:

JohnInCarolina said:

dmchicago said:

My 87 yo Dad finally got his 1st shot on Monday. He's in Houston, TX.

Have you heard about the center in Amarillo or thereabouts?  My understanding is that they're vaccinating just about anyone who shows up, assuming they have enough supply that day. 

Texas is a big state. I couldn't even make Amarillo by morning.

Well, maybe get off your bidet and learn to drive a little faster or something.  

JohnInCarolina

http://twitter.com/deadeyebrakeman/status/1367193351955488770?s=20