Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #89

[SouthAussie]

A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel recommended frontline essential workers and persons 75 years and older should be next in line to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The frontline group includes 30 million workers in sectors such as emergency services, teachers, food and agriculture, manufacturing, the US Postal Service, public transport, and supermarkets.

The panel voted 13-1 in favour of the move that, in all, would make 49 million people eligible to receive the vaccine in the next round.

Frontline workers and elderly should be next in line for COVID vaccine, says US CDC

 

[SouthAussie]

The United States has started shipping doses of the second approved COVID-19 vaccine to thousands of healthcare facilities around the country.

Distributor McKesson Corp said it had begun shipping out Moderna's shots and ancillary supply kits to administer the vaccine.

The distribution of Moderna's vaccine to more than 3,700 locations in the US will vastly widen the rollout started last week by Pfizer.

The US Government plans to deliver 5.9 million Moderna shots and 2 million Pfizer shots this week.

But an ambitious target to get 20 million Americans started with their first shot of the two-dose vaccine regimen before the end of the year could slip into the first week of January, US Army General Gustave Perna said.

US starts shipments of second coronavirus vaccine after receiving emergency approval

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

COVID-19: Plan to allow UK traffic could come within hours, says France

France says it is working on a plan to "ensure that movement from the UK can resume" - after it banned travel including freight hauliers.

Transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari said cross-EU talks will take place within hours to "establish a solid health protocol" that could begin to unblock the port of Dover.

He added the priority will be "to protect our nationals and our fellow citizens".

 

[swedeheart]

Meanwhile, in brilliant Sweden (where I reside):

Första planet från Storbritannien har landat på Arlanda

"The first plane has landed
However, the exact time of the decision is unclear, and the first British plane of the day has already landed at Arlanda.

All passengers disembarked without being tested for corona.

- I have not heard anything about a quarantine, said passenger Stefan Lindblom.

Swedavia operates Arlanda Airport, and Fredrik Elgh at the company's press office announces that so far no special measures have been taken for passengers from the United Kingdom.

- We are prepared and working with planning. But there is still no entry ban, he tells TT."




Only 7 more planes from the UK left to land at the main Swedish airport, Arlanda.

 

[sds71]

https://twitter.com/KizzyPhD/status/1340977236233646080
@KizzyPhD
*Here is the context: you are going to read and hear about a million and one variant viruses, because viruses mutate by nature. It’s scary, I know. But, a couple of amino acids is not the same a whole whole new virus strain in the way that we’ve been taught to think about flu.

*What is happening, often times, is selective pressure. As the virus transmits it learns how to be better at transmitting. This is why you hear “circulating faster than last variant”...

*But, don’t get in a panic over it. There will take a large amount of genetic diversity to completely make the current vaccines useless... And, here is why:
*Unlike monoclonal antibody therapies, vaccines (especially those using the whole spike protein) make polyclonal antibody responses. This means that the antibodies your vaccinated body will make will be able to bind the coronavirus spike in multiple places... not just one.

*Remember in April when media had y’all scared over a mutation...
**APRIL 14TH TWEET: Taking into account this, based on previous knowledge obtained from our MERS work, we opted to target the whole spike protein and cloud that baby with antibodies from every possible angle (added to mRNA-elicited T cell responses).
The coronavirus mutation that threatens the race to develop vaccine

*Then here came the D614G mutation that had reviewers on our neck... and then boom... in the mouse paper we added results showing “mRNA-1273 induces potent neutralizing antibody responses to both wild-type (D614) and D614G mutant SARS-CoV-2”
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine design enabled by prototype pathogen preparedness | Nature
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2622-0
*In all, please don’t be alarmed any more than you have been through this pandemic.
The precautionary measures (ie. no travel) in the UK are in line with sensible measures following a regional virus spike.

Former M&I Graduate Student, Kizzmekia Corbett, Developing a Vaccine against the Coronavirus | Department of Microbiology and Immunology

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Dr. Campbell discusses the new bans/"mutant" virus variant one hour ago was uploaded.

• Was first ID's in September
• Appears to have been originated in Kent, although that's not necessarily the case, difficult to know where originated
• Characterized by 17 mutations in the virus (17 amino acid changes in the virus)
• Most significant is N501Y mutation
• This mutation is the 501st amino acid in the spike protein in the binding part that latches into the cells
• This has changed the potential infectivity of the virus
• As to how worried he is.. "we know this has been spreading in London. It was 25% of cases in November to 2/3 of cases now..."
• It does appear correlation because of the areas of most dramatic increases are where this mutation is
• That would increase the R value by 0.4
• He speaks to folks exiting London now... spreading it.
• ..or it could be that since London has such great surveillance, it was picked up first, not clear... but he is concerned more contagious and is the thinking of many scientists also.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

This was his video from yesterday.. posting before I listened to as I'm behind (gotta remember to speed up as suggested by a fellow WS'er!!! Thanks)

It may have more information than the above post? It may be outdated? Dunno but sharing and I'll do an ETA perhaps?


ETA:

Is there a new strain in UK - Yes
Is this spreading through parts of the UK - Yes
Is there evidence that is spreading overseas - Not yet
Has this got implications for restricting travel from UK - Yes, it has
Is this causing more severe disease than previous forms w/o this mutation - No, no evidence
Does this mean this mutated virus will be resistant to vaccine - I don't believe so at this time

Posting his notes below... sorry for the formatting on the cut/paste under his video.

Driving infections in the south east What do we know? VUI-202012/01 Variant Under Investigation Defined by a set of 17 mutations Most significant is an N501Y mutation Spike protein More infectious How was the variant detected? Genomics UK Public health agencies, Wellcome Sanger Institute, 12 academic institutions Random genetic sequencing of positive samples around the UK Set up in April 2020, sequenced 140,000 virus genomes Uses the data to track outbreaks, identify variant viruses, publish old weekly report https://www.cogconsortium.uk/data/ How common is it? As of 13 December 1,108, 60 different local authorities Sunday, 20th 60% of new cases in London South east of England, Scotland Seeded every part of Wales Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Belgium flight ban, Eurostar to Belgium France and Germany expected soon First spotted in late September Now 20% of viruses sequenced in Norfolk Essex 10% Suffolk 3% No data to suggest it’s imported Does this variant spread more quickly? Initially it was a correlation Up to 70% more infectious Raising R value by 0.4 Is the new variant more dangerous? Porton Down Will the vaccine still work? May have an effect on neutralising antibodies

 

[dmac55]

"Existing vaccines will be able to fight infection from new Covid variants because emerging strains are likely to be genetically similar to prior ones, said Vin Gupta of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation."

Experts expect vaccines to protect against the UK's fast-spreading Covid strain.
Experts expect vaccines to protect against the UK's fast-spreading Covid strain

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Posted 19 minutes ago. As always, Mondays (and these are one day back also) figures are down due to weekend.

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

COVID-19: New strain found in Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, Australia and Gibraltar

Cases of the new coronavirus strain spreading rapidly in the UK have been confirmed in Denmark, Italy, Gibraltar, the Netherlands and Australia.

France and South Africa also believe they have cases of the mutation - known as VUI-202012/01 - but these have not been confirmed.

 

[sds71]

Tony Aldapa was on the diverted United flight on Dec. 14 when the plane headed to Los Angeles International Airport was diverted during a medical emergency. A man suffered what was initially deemed a heart attack. Passengers say the man was displaying coronavirus-like symptoms, and his wife told airline staff that he had tested positive for COVID-19 the week prior.
Several passengers with medical experience stepped in to help resuscitate the man, including Aldapa who reportedly performed CPR for almost an hour....He has since tested negative once and is awaiting results from a second test.

Concern mounting after EMT who helped man with COVID-like symptoms on United flight to LAX falls ill - ABC7 Los Angeles

 

[Cryptic]

Warning: Don’t break the COVID protocol rules in the Cayman Islands. You could end up in prison.
Georgia college student sentenced to 4 months in prison for breaking Cayman Islands' Covid-19 protocol

Yikes, they dont mess around.

As a side note, the Cayman Islands are one of the United Kingdom's self governing over seas territories. As even more than a few UK citizens have found out, self governing territories play by their own rules on well, nearly everything.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Gov. Cuomo Presser starting in 10 minutes

 

[SassynOz]

Litterally Just hours after I posted in this thread last. I was informed my grandmother died from covid. She had been in the hospital for a couple weeks in icu. She was actually finally released but passed just days later. She wasn’t able to beat covid. What’s worse is we were so close my entire life. Until just a few years ago ., so I never really got to say goodbye or have any closeurs. Now it’s hit me Hard. I have no remaining grandparents that’s seems so unfair. When once I was surrounded by them. What’s it going to take to be rid of this for good. ? It’s beginning to feel hopeless

 

[FrostOwl]

Warning: Don’t break the COVID protocol rules in the Cayman Islands. You could end up in prison.
Georgia college student sentenced to 4 months in prison for breaking Cayman Islands' Covid-19 protocol

And she is a pre-med student! She must have missed all classes about how to prevent spreading infectious diseases. Perhaps medicine isn't the right field for her.

 

[branmuffin]

Doug Ford is putting Ontario back into a full lockdown starting Boxing Day at 12:01 am. It will remain in effect for 28 days in the southern portion of the province and 14 days for the northern areas.

Ontario will now begin province-wide lockdown on Dec. 26, sources say

Increase in cases are putting a strain on the ICU's. Here's a chart on the increases. I'm in Simcoe County.

Deaths related to COVID-19 in Ontario will increase and ICU capacity expected to soar, modelling suggests

 

[Cryptic]

And she is a pre-med student! She must have missed all classes about how to prevent spreading infectious diseases. Perhaps medicine isn't the right field for her.

One editorialist said it best: "When it comes to Covid restrictions, everyone exempts themselves to some degree."

California Governor Newsome got creative on what is "out door dining".

Doctor Brix of national disease control fame then gets creative on what constitutes a "single household" and "essential travel". Many of us can get creative on what is "essential" as well.

But... Dr. Brix can get creative and remain in her position, I don't see how this woman's actions disqualify herself from medicine. If I was her, I would just keep a low profile while in jail, apply for early release if possible, and stay out of the Cayman Islands.

 

[10ofRods]

And she is a pre-med student! She must have missed all classes about how to prevent spreading infectious diseases. Perhaps medicine isn't the right field for her.

Pre-meds don't get much of that type of education, sadly. They usually take a year of biology, a year of chemistry, a half year (or a year) of physics, calculus and certain classes in social science. None of these classes focus on prevention of anything, they're all the basics of how carbon-based lifeforms work.

You'd think, though, that she'd be paying attention to the news. But as I keep saying, students simply do not expose themselves to current events very much. And there's nothing on the MCAT (the medical school entrance exam) about how to prevent infectious disease. Practically speaking, that's introduced in a big way in the third year of medical school, when they do their rotations on the internal medicine wards and the ER.

 

[10ofRods]

Litterally Just hours after I posted in this thread last. I was informed my grandmother died from covid. She had been in the hospital for a couple weeks in icu. She was actually finally released but passed just days later. She wasn’t able to beat covid. What’s worse is we were so close my entire life. Until just a few years ago ., so I never really got to say goodbye or have any closeurs. Now it’s hit me Hard. I have no remaining grandparents that’s seems so unfair. When once I was surrounded by them. What’s it going to take to be rid of this for good. ? It’s beginning to feel hopeless

I'm so sorry to hear this, Sassy. Sincere condolences. The no goodbye thing is tragic and so harsh. There is light at the end of the long tunnel, though, with the vaccines well under way.

 

[Cryptic]

You'd think, though, that she'd be paying attention to the news.

Had she delayed her trip, she could have watched the news and heard about the famous Doctor Brix traveling to Delaware and Doctor Brix's creative uhmm…."spin" regarding following her own rules:

Birx travels, family visits highlight pandemic safety perils