Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #94

[Inthedetails]

"Thousands of college students in the U.S. may soon help answer one of the world’s most pressing questions about COVID-19 vaccines: Can these shots, which protect against serious symptoms, also prevent those who might still get infected from silently spreading the disease to others?"

College students muster for big COVID-19 vaccine study

Lots of interesting info at the link about the study regarding what info researchers are looking for and how they will gather the info.

 

[margarita25]

Canada’s variant-fueled covid-19 surge prompts new restrictions
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/04/03/canada-coronavirus-restrictions-variants/

“Several Canadian provinces are imposing new restrictions on social gatherings and businesses in a bid to blunt a resurgence of the coronavirus that is hitting more young people with severe illness than before and straining some health-care systems.“

[...]

““As the new variants spread, you will see that covid-19 is killing faster and younger,” Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of a panel of scientists advising Ontario Premier Doug Ford, said Thursday as he unveiled new modeling for the province. “It’s spreading far more quickly than it was before, and we cannot vaccinate quickly enough to break this third wave.”“

 

[weepingangel]

The Biden administration launches a $500,000 contest to improve face mask designs - CNN
more at link
We all know face masks can be troublesome to wear. They can irritate your skin, hurt your ears and fog up your glasses.

That's why the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched the $500,000 "Mask Innovation Challenge" to find new and effective masks people will find more comfortable to wear.
Contest participants have until April 21 to submit innovative ideas that would help eliminate common concerns that come with wearing masks while making sure they effectively protect against the coronavirus.
More than 165 million vaccines have been administered in the United States so far, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But masks remain a serious priority.
"We know that properly and consistently worn face masks help reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory infections, but many people are reluctant to wear them for a variety of reasons," Nikki Bratcher-Bowman, the acting assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said in a press release. "With this mask challenge, we want to get people across the country involved in developing new masks that are both effective and comfortable. This will help us control COVID-19 and be better prepared for future public health emergencies."

 

[Inthedetails]

Seems that some/all (?) of them already have vaccination requirements in place for other contagious diseases/illnesses.

snipped

This article from Arizona explains what I thought the situation is:

"Colleges and universities already require some vaccines for new students, including those living in their dorms, but that doesn’t include COVID-19 vaccines. That’s because the vaccines have not yet been officially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...

'Because the vaccine is under an emergency use authorization, we can’t mandate it,' ...

'We’re strongly encouraging, pleading, we’re groveling, we’re begging please, please do the things that we’re asking you to do.'

Once the FDA fully approves COVID-19 vaccines, the university may be able to require them, if it wishes, but officials anticipate there may be legal challenges if it passes such a policy. "

Colleges Unclear On Whether They Can Require COVID-19 Vaccine For Students, Staff

Will be interesting to watch this topic.

jmo

 

[Inthedetails]

Florida:
"...Nova Southeastern University [NSU], the largest private nonprofit in Florida, which announced it will return to full in-person learning but with this caveat – faculty and students must be vaccinated by Aug. 1, with some limited exemptions....NSUFlorida is the only institution currently requiring vaccines for students."

Rhode Island:
"Roger Williams College in Rhode Island also jumped on board Friday, requiring students to be vaccinated while also urging all faculty members to have their shots, as well. "

These 4 colleges will require vaccines for fall semester |

 

[Cool Cats]

AstraZeneca kicked out of US factory over mix-up 'that ruined 15m vaccine doses'

Sun, April 4, 2021, 11:11 AM

AstraZeneca has been kicked out of a production plant in Baltimore after a mix-up is thought to have contaminated 15 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson.

The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab has yet to obtain approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, but production of the vaccine has started in anticipation of a green light.

It was being produced by a sub-contractor at a plant operated by Emergent BioSolutions in Baltimore.

The plant was also manufacturing Johnson & Johnson's vaccines and workers at the factory mistakenly mixed the ingredients.

As a result 15 million doses of the vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson, which has been given FDA approval, had to be destroyed.

Johnson & Johnson will now assume full responsibility for the production of its vaccine at the plant.

(They should have been doing that already, not a great vote of confidence)

 

[Inthedetails]

North Dakota:
"Dickinson State University in North Dakota has a plan to encourage students to get their Covid-19 vaccinations: Students who have been fully vaccinated will receive a pin or a bracelet that will exempt them from the campuswide mask mandate, university administrators announced this week."

Will Covid vaccinations be required for college students? Young adults drive rise in cases

 

[MimosaMornings]

North Dakota:
"Dickinson State University in North Dakota has a plan to encourage students to get their Covid-19 vaccinations: Students who have been fully vaccinated will receive a pin or a bracelet that will exempt them from the campuswide mask mandate, university administrators announced this week."

Will Covid vaccinations be required for college students? Young adults drive rise in cases

“Death is not the only outcome for Covid-19," Rasmussen said. "There are a number of other very unpleasant outcomes that can have lasting impacts on your health.”

 

[weepingangel]

New COVID-19 variant in Mass. spikes after Cape Cod outbreaks | Boston.com
More at link
Of the 58 known positive cases of the P.1 variant in Mass., 50 have been identified in Barnstable County, according to the CDC.
Massachusetts has reported more cases of the new P.1 COVID-19 variant — which has been associated with increased transmissibility and possible re-infection — than anywhere else in the U.S., and local researchers said the spike is concerning.

The bulk of those cases, they added, are linked to a cluster on Cape Cod.

Of the 58 known positive cases of the P.1 variant in Mass., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 have been identified in Barnstable County.

 

[Niner]

My nephew goes to UCLA - they also need to have the vaccine.

I like the idea of a contest for "better masks" - I'd like to see the outcome - when you see an article about it!

 

[Inthedetails]

My nephew goes to UCLA - they also need to have the vaccine.

I like the idea of a contest for "better masks" - I'd like to see the outcome - when you see an article about it!

Doesn't seem like the vaccine is currently required at UCLA, but perhaps it's in the works. Planning for a fall return to campus - COVID-19 and vaccine resources

Young people are not eligible for the shots in every state yet. My state of NY lowers the age to 18 starting tomorrow. So far we have one college in the state requiring the shot, but I'm expecting other campuses to follow suit soon.

jmo

 

[Niner]

Doesn't seem like the vaccine is currently required at UCLA, but perhaps it's in the works. Planning for a fall return to campus - COVID-19 and vaccine resources

Young people are not eligible for the shots in every state yet. My state of NY lowers the age to 18 starting tomorrow. So far we have one college in the state requiring the shot, but I'm expecting other campuses to follow suit soon.

jmo

Nephew is 28 going for law degree. So not sure what the age is in California. Don't live there anymore....

 

[Inthedetails]

Nephew is 28 going for law degree. So not sure what the age is in California. Don't live there anymore....

I'm interested if places will require the vaccines and I started going through every state last night. I am expecting both requirements and lawsuits....and hopefully control of the virus, which is the ultimate goal.

jmo

 

[NoClouseau]

North Dakota:
"Dickinson State University in North Dakota has a plan to encourage students to get their Covid-19 vaccinations: Students who have been fully vaccinated will receive a pin or a bracelet that will exempt them from the campuswide mask mandate, university administrators announced this week."

Will Covid vaccinations be required for college students? Young adults drive rise in cases

BBM
Is this not ringing alarm bells for anyone else? Fair enough if not !!! But.....

 

[Inthedetails]

BBM
Is this not ringing alarm bells for anyone else? Fair enough if not !!! But.....

Yes, it's ringing alarm bells. It's the dumbest campus policy I've seen, imo.


jmo

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I can't wait for the "step back" retraction statement.

The cruise lines, feel like a "Vaccine Passport" will be the only thing to save their business. And cruiselines were BIG business in Florida.

What is a vaccine passport?

LYep.... my very thought as well. When the numbers of cases were SO high in the early days, down in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.......... there was constant reporting on how many cases were employees of the cruise industry..... If THEY wants their jobs back, and the execs want their business back.... DeSantis will have to give in to this.......

Oh I get so confused..... aren't we requiring people in a number of states to have to go through great hoops to essentially provide "voting passports to be able to vote".... very confusing how one passport is "bad" and other passports are "good". Well, just guess I will stay confused..

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I just don't understand the US at times. It is as if many don't want to get rid of the virus. They just want things to be 'normal' and if people keep keeling over and dying from the virus, and keep getting very, very sick, it is no big deal.

The US is still experiencing over 1,000 covid deaths every day. That is hugely significant.
In one day the US is still having more covid deaths than we have had during the entire pandemic. It has been absolutely ages since we have had a covid death.

I just can't get my head around the mentality.

‘Vaccine passport’ idea causes political uproar in the US

It is kindof like the "new US".............. lots of new normals here when you really stop to think about it....
I think much of the country just wants to normalize covid misinformation, insurrection misinformation, mass shootings, and voting fraud.

hmmm I KNOW we have truth out there...... but misinformation truly is a new normal.
Thank God, its a foreign language to me.. (but definitely not foreign as in Australian .... ha ha ha )

 

[nhmemorymaker]

I’d love to know what Dr O has to say about surface transmission! We’ve eased up on wiping down our Instacart groceries and other items like mail after having Covid and the monoclonal antibodies. I hope we’re not taking a huge risk. Of course, we still wash our hands after handling those things.

I discussed with our doctor his thoughts on how we got it after being SO careful. I assumed it was surface transmission from a rare trip to a store by my dh. I figured I touched something he brought from the store that we forgot to wipe, came down with it first and gave it to my husband. Our doctor said it was more likely airborne and that he got it first asymptomatically, gave it to me and then developed symptoms a few days later. He could be right, since surface transmission is more rare, but the airborne route theory just seems awfully circuitous to me. We’ll never know.

I always do consider your case ...just so weird. I am careful, but no where as careful and cautious as you are..... But am sure you are right, you just have to live with the "we'll never know"....

 

[nhmemorymaker]

best of luck scoring those @Lilibet

Walgreens in Mass apparently are getting the j&j now so they had increased availability recently I guess.
So dh will need to make an account and check in there (@7am ) daily if he wants. I’d love him to get that, one and done. One less to worry about. I’m soooo done worrying.




This is just practice before the “kids” get eligible in two weeks. One will need the Pfizer and a site that does under 18s (some don’t)
I’ll try and channel some patience. But we have a new baby in the family anydaynow, one now back in school part time (after much angst, more anxiety and not up for debate) and a high risk essential in da house.
I’m not so much worried about running out, moreso just selfishly hoping for ASAP ( me and millions of others I know )

WeAngel.... I just "feel" for ya............ Busy lives, and living with children, living in colder climates... is just a whole different story than many of us......
The anxiety just must be awful. I do hope you keep sharing your experiences.... so we all can see just how hard it is out there for so many.
When I think about how it has been for me............. I am really pretty d**n lucky.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1378479376946315272?s=21

“VERY ILL”—many players of the NHL Vancouver @Canucks are “very ill” with #COVID19, some confirmed to have the aggressive Brazil #P1 variant. The 14-player outbreak is “unexpected” and the team is in “tough shape”. Practices & games cancelled. BC has huge #P1 outbreak.

This is just awful.......... The Brazil variant is just so deadly....
I hope some of you Canadians, or others, will keep us updated on this..........