Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #106

[jjenny]

I have a question for those outside the US. Are you all experiencing longer wait times at pharmacies and for other services, too? And supply shortages?

And how is your population generally handling it?

I've been pretty zen about it because what else is there to do? But I know others are anything but zen while waiting in line and our workers are sorely mistreated.

I haven't had many issues in the US so far. I get my food delivered and order cat food on-line.

 

[jjenny]

I think the pandemic is far from over. BA.2 Omicron is increasing on a global level and replacing the now dominant in most places BA.1 Omicron. The idea is cases go up, peak, then go down....but in France cases keep going up...UK cases may start increasing again from a very high level...all I can say is PAY ATTENTION and don't get complacent. MOO

Josette Schoenmakers
@JosetteSchoenma
·
14h
BA.2 VUI in the UK! I hope the
@WHO
will follow soon. By the way, I just counted 395 BA.2 for the UK, many more than the 54 mentioned in this article. It seems to be growing fast in the UK as well, especially in England.

Covid is a gift that keeps on giving. I am so tired of it. And it's been six months from my booster. I want another one.

 

[weepingangel]

Sort of off topic
Monkeys on the loose in Pennsylvania following highway crash
but Outbreak is one of those movies that I’ll watch every darn time so almost sorta on topic I guess

Also, downloaded the book Premonition A pandemic story. I’ll be starting that later.

need to head down to the book/Netflix threads for some non pandemic/plague/apocalypse recommendations.
I have some unexpected free time so I should take advantage.

 

[LaborDayRN]

one more dated 21 Jan 2022~~from Fortune
What is 'stealth Omicron'?

BA.2 has gone from accounting for 20% of Denmark’s COVID-19 infections to making up 45%. Over that same period, Denmark's COVID infections have shot to record highs. Denmark is recording over 30,000 new cases per day this week, 10 times more cases than peaks in previous waves.

I haven't read any reports claiming that Covid is going away. What I have read is that instead of it being a "pandemic" it will instead being "endemic".
For example, each year (flu season) influenza is a completely different strain of the influenza virus. It's not the same exact strain of virus year to year. Many scientist believe that this is what is happening to covid.
I get my annual flu vaccine yearly to hopefully avoid whatever strain of the flu may hit. Sometimes scientist get the variant spot on, sometimes not so much. But it's the best we have so I get it.
I believe we will have an annual covid vaccine similar to influenza. MOO

 

[x_files]

Sort of off topic
Monkeys on the loose in Pennsylvania following highway crash
but Outbreak is one of those movies that I’ll watch every darn time so almost sorta on topic I guess

Also, downloaded the book Premonition A pandemic story. I’ll be starting that later.

need to head down to the book/Netflix threads for some non pandemic/plague/apocalypse recommendations.
I have some unexpected free time so I should take advantage.

I enjoyed that book but it scared me to realize how unprepared and disorganized America is regarding COVID. The CDC doesn't really know wth they are doing. They are way behind and not containing or controlling anything at this point.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Sort of off topic
Monkeys on the loose in Pennsylvania following highway crash
but Outbreak is one of those movies that I’ll watch every darn time so almost sorta on topic I guess

Also, downloaded the book Premonition A pandemic story. I’ll be starting that later.

need to head down to the book/Netflix threads for some non pandemic/plague/apocalypse recommendations.
I have some unexpected free time so I should take advantage.

I love outbreak! (the movie that is).
On a personal note......when my children were young we took many trips (driving) from So Cal to Oregon. On one trip we decided to stop in the little town Ferndale because we had read how cute it was with lot's of little Victorian style houses. When we got there we noticed tons of people. Turns out they were filming Outbreak! We were there when they flew a helicopter down the main street of town! It was awesome!

 

[ilovewings]

Covid is a gift that keeps on giving. I am so tired of it. And it's been six months from my booster. I want another one.

That is a long time since your booster --- I think I read the booster is most
Effective for about 10 weeks---perhaps you should have a discussion
With your physician about a 4th shot --- don't really know if 4 shots
Are even being given

 

[x_files]

I love outbreak! (the movie that is).
On a personal note......when my children were young we took many trips (driving) from So Cal to Oregon. On one trip we decided to stop in the little town Ferndale because we had read how cute it was with lot's of little Victorian style houses. When we got there we noticed tons of people. Turns out they were filming Outbreak! We were there when they flew a helicopter down the main street of town! It was awesome!

Contagion and 12 Monkeys (sci-fi/fantasy) are two other good pandemic films.

 

[ilovewings]

I enjoyed that book but it scared me to realize how unprepared and disorganized America is regarding COVID. The CDC doesn't really know wth they are doing. They are way behind and not containing or controlling anything at this point.

on one of the cable channels one of the experts stated that the CDC is an
Organization that was not set up to handle a crisis, but rather they are
Set up for other types of situations. I was surprised to hear that

 

[ilovewings]

Covid is a gift that keeps on giving. I am so tired of it. And it's been six months from my booster. I want another one.

It certainly is!!!! I see this virus almost as an entity, like a psychopathic killer

 

[x_files]

on one of the cable channels one of the experts stated that the CDC is an
Organization that was not set up to handle a crisis, but rather they are
Set up for other types of situations. I was surprised to hear that

Yes, I was SHOCKED! I feel like the movies make them out to handle pandemics where they sit back and study vs contain a virus. The local health dept. is supposed to do that but as we see failed.

 

[x_files]

on one of the cable channels one of the experts stated that the CDC is an
Organization that was not set up to handle a crisis, but rather they are
Set up for other types of situations. I was surprised to hear that

They study viruses but do NOT necessarily contain or even control them. I think they need to change their name or start working on CONTROL FEels like false advertising.

 

[x_files]

It certainly is!!!! I see this virus almost as an entity, like a psychopathic killer

A virus's main goal is to continue mutating. COVID Is far from done mutating with its new variants.

 

[ilovewings]

FDA Takes Actions to Expand Use of Treatment for Outpatients with Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19

Well, some welcome news! Remdesivir has just been approved by the FDA for outpatient use-- this occurred in light of the fact that two monoclonal antibody meds are not effective against Omicron, and the one that is effective, is in limited supply.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

DH went to Meijer (metro Detroit) earlier today where they were handing out packets of three N95 masks to customers. Presumably, these are masks that the government is distributing to grocery stores and pharmacies around the country.

 

[jjenny]

FDA Takes Actions to Expand Use of Treatment for Outpatients with Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19

Well, some welcome news! Remdesivir has just been approved by the FDA for outpatient use-- this occurred in light of the fact that two monoclonal antibody meds are not effective against Omicron, and the one that is effective, is in limited supply.

There is conflicting evidence on whether it even does anything to improve survival. It also needs to be administered via IV over multiple day period. It's not going to be a good solution as far as I can tell.

 

[indicolite22]

I have a question for those outside the US. Are you all experiencing longer wait times at pharmacies and for other services, too? And supply shortages?

And how is your population generally handling it?

I've been pretty zen about it because what else is there to do? But I know others are anything but zen while waiting in line and our workers are sorely mistreated.

Omicron cases are plateauing here, with about 5% of the population currently infected. That said, apart from the longer wait at Covid testing sites, I haven't seen any queues for basic services lately. Earlier in the pandemic there were longer queues outside of banks and post offices (at times also grocery stores) than pharmacies. Covid certificate (together with a valid ID) is required everywhere except at the grocery store and pharmacy.

 

[ilovewings]

There is conflicting evidence on whether it even does anything to improve survival. It also needs to be administered via IV over multiple day period. It's not going to be a good solution as far as I can tell.

I think the.medical establishment is desperate to find a way to minimize hospitalizations.

 

[CrimeAway]

TWIV'S weekly Clinical Update with Dr Daniel Griffin, (including discussions about Remdesivir and Tocilizumab):

ETA, there is also discussion of a paper out of Israel regarding vaccination status and long Covid:
Association between vaccination status and reported incidence of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms in Israel: a cross-sectional study of patients tested between March 2020 and November 2021

All show notes, with references and links to associated studies:
TWiV 856: COVID-19 clinical update #98 with Dr. Daniel Griffin | This Week in Virology

 

[MimosaMornings]

In Louisiana, a vaccine stalemate and a long road ahead — The Globe and Mail

“It is places such as East Feliciana that are increasingly suffering the consequences. The parish has seen 154 deaths in a population of 19,500, a per-capita rate more than double those of Los Angeles and Chicago, and triple that of New Orleans. Out of the 100 U.S. counties with the highest death rates, 95 have populations of fewer than 100,000 people. None contain major cities.”