Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #94

[Deleted member 158085]

I hugged my parents today for the first time in 14 months! We've all been one month past our second doses.

 

[margarita25]

I hugged my parents today for the first time in 14 months! We've all been one month past our second doses.

(Omggggggg!!!!!)

 

[ilovewings]

I hugged my parents today for the first time in 14 months! We've all been one month past our second doses.

So happy for you!!!!!!

 

[margarita25]

‘Out of control’: Brazil’s COVID surge sparks regional fears

“Much of the fear is being directed to the P1 variant, linked to the Brazilian Amazon. If Brazil cannot control its high transmission rate, experts fear the country’s healthcare tragedy could endanger the world. If the virus is left to circulate freely, it could create the ideal breeding ground for new and even more deadly variants.”

—

Chinese COVID-19 vaccine maintains protection in variant-plagued Brazil

 

[Cool Cats]

Anthony Fauci predicts the US will 'approach some degree of normality' by the end of summer

It's the million-dollar question: When can life go back to normal?
Anthony Fauci gets asked this a lot.

"It's very difficult to predict, but I would think that we would approach some degree of normality as we get towards the end of the summer and into the fall, and a considerable degree of normality as we get into the winter of this coming year."

"If we get the overwhelming majority of the population vaccinated, and it turns out how I suspect: that vaccinated people don't transmit."
"I think ultimately, that's going to be the case," Fauci said.

Both of these variables are trending in a positive direction. Growing evidence shows that US-authorized shots do indeed keep vaccinated people from readily transmitting the virus, thereby stymieing its spread.

As for the number of Americans getting vaccinated, and how quickly, the ramp-up has been impressive. Vaccination rates in the US doubled from February to March, then again from early March to early April. More than 3 million doses are now given daily in the US, on average, and 20% of Americans are fully vaccinated.

 

[margarita25]

Frequent seasonal coronavirus reinfections hint at possibility of endemic COVID-19
March 25, 2021

“Reinfections of seasonal coronaviruses are frequent, according to new research that suggests that the coronavirus behind the current pandemic could also produce reinfections.

The study by researchers at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health and collaborators at the National Institutes Health and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

“There’s a hint that there could be SARS-COV-2 reinfections in the future, whether that’s because enough time is passed that your immunity has dropped off or that the virus has changed enough that it can escape your immune system,” said first author Joshua Petrie, research assistant professor in the U-M Department of Epidemiology.

“The frequency of reinfections with the different seasonal coronaviruses suggests that SARS-COV-2 is not going to completely disappear.”“

 

[TravelingBug]

A friend who has been designing rapid Covid tests (and thus obviously really pays attention to all the Covid news) just shared this.

It's a pretty small sample b/c there's not much of it in Israel, but they're finding those double vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine actually have a HIGHER rate of prevalance of the South African variant than those who aren't vaccinated.

The coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa can “break through” Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine to some extent, a real-world data study in Israel found, though its prevalence in the country is low and the research has not been peer reviewed.

<snip>

But among patients who had received two doses of the vaccine, the [South African] variant’s prevalence rate was eight times higher than those unvaccinated - 5.4% versus 0.7%.

<snip>

“We found a disproportionately higher rate of the South African variant among people vaccinated with a second dose, compared to the unvaccinated group. This means that the South African variant is able, to some extent, to break through the vaccine’s protection,” said Tel Aviv University’s Adi Stern.

South African variant can 'break through' Pfizer vaccine, Israeli study says

 

[margarita25]

I have a question, something I’ve been wondering about.

Are mutations always unique to a single individual source when they originate? Does a particular variant always start in a single individual, and then spread from that one person? Or can more than one person undergo the exact same mutation separately, therefore a new variant originating in multiple sources? I would guess the first, but idk. Dr. Ding mentioned that a mutation can occur within someone who may be elderly and be immunocomprosed, and the virus may stay longer in his/her body, therefore having more time to replicate and undergo a mutation.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I hugged my parents today for the first time in 14 months! We've all been one month past our second doses.

Hurrahhhh! I bet your dog was overjoyed too

 

[ilovewings]

If We Act Like We Already Beat the Coronavirus, That’s How It Wins

Don't know if you can read this behind a paywall ( like most on line newspapers these days) but it is so true, so sad, and so scary. People are living their lives like we already beat the virus

 

[GRT]

Anybody watch nightly news on NBC tonight? I think I must be dreaming.
The last segment was about all the things that people are doing now THAT HE PANDEMIC IS ENDING-- you know, like going to the dentist (that one is ok), planning weddings and other events involving lots of people-- I was screaming at the TV-- THE PANDEMIC HAS NOT ENDED YOU FOOLS--- The reporter actually said "now that the pandemic is ending"---- That is such irresponsible reporting I could hardly believe it.

Those who watched the segment will likely be out today celebrating, mask-free. And, who can blame them after watching that?

I'm really discouraged that we've never had a full-out public service campaign carried by all media outlets.

 

[SouthAussie]

This is not particularly good news, considering the millions of people who have had this vaccine.

I have a feeling that it is going to take a considerable amount of time for all of the wonderful scientists and researchers all over the world to nut out a really good solution to this virus and its variants. No wonder they say that it usually takes about 10 years to develop vaccines.

We have had to rush the process and now all the weaknesses are starting to show.
What we have is better than nothing, that's for sure - but I suspect we don't yet have the comprehensive solution.


In a rare admission of the weakness of Chinese coronavirus vaccines, the country's top disease control official says their effectiveness is low and the government is considering mixing them to give them a boost.
The effectiveness rate of a coronavirus vaccine from Sinovac, a Chinese developer, at preventing symptomatic infections has been found to be as low as 50.4 per cent by researchers in Brazil.

Chinese official says local vaccines' effectiveness is low

 

[ilovewings]

This is not particularly good news, considering the millions of people who have had this vaccine.

I have a feeling that it is going to take a considerable amount of time for all of the wonderful scientists and researchers all over the world to nut out a really good solution to this virus and its variants. No wonder they say that it usually takes about 10 years to develop vaccines.

We have had to rush the process and now all the weaknesses are starting to show.
What we have is better than nothing, that's for sure - but I suspect we don't yet have the comprehensive solution.


In a rare admission of the weakness of Chinese coronavirus vaccines, the country's top disease control official says their effectiveness is low and the government is considering mixing them to give them a boost.
The effectiveness rate of a coronavirus vaccine from Sinovac, a Chinese developer, at preventing symptomatic infections has been found to be as low as 50.4 per cent by researchers in Brazil.

Chinese official says local vaccines' effectiveness is low

Kati Kariko Helped Shield the World From the Coronavirus

Please read this article - this vaccine was not rushed- the technology was being developed for years, though it was not developed specifically for coronavirus.
Most people who think it was rushed ( like I thought as well), are not familiar with the history of its development. No vaccines are 100% effective. For example, the flu isn't even as effective as the vaccine for Covid-- The Covid vaccine's purpose is to prevent death and severe illness.

 

[SouthAussie]

Kati Kariko Helped Shield the World From the Coronavirus

Please read this article - this vaccine was not rushed- the technology was being developed for years, though it was not developed specifically for coronavirus.
Most people who think it was rushed ( like I thought as well), are not familiar with the history of its development. No vaccines are 100% effective. For example, the flu isn't even as effective as the vaccine for Covid-- The Covid vaccine's purpose is to prevent death and severe illness.

Yes, I know the mRNA technology was developed years ago. But it is just the means of delivering the vaccine to our bodies. In the same way that the AstraZeneca vaccine uses a chimpanzee adenovirus vector to deliver the vaccine.

I think it is the negating/deadening of the virus receptors which we haven't got a complete handle on yet. Especially with the virus chopping and changing constantly ......

 

[ilovewings]

Blood Clots Linked to AstraZeneca Vaccine Stem From Rare Antibody Reaction

Blood clots linked to AstraZeneca vaccine stem from a rare antibody reaction.
The article states that in young people the benefit may not be greater than
the risk- that is because the blood clot is on the brain and has resulted in some fatalities.

 

[musicaljoke]

Those who watched the segment will likely be out today celebrating, mask-free. And, who can blame them after watching that?

I'm really discouraged that we've never had a full-out public service campaign carried by all media outlets.

Yes, a united voice from all media and all levels of government is essential when the goal is so critical. How do we get there? How do we make the media accountable for the damage the create?

 

[Sundog]

The Meaning of Mutations: Will Your Vaccine Still Work? | Aspen Ideas

Good interview with Scott Gottlieb, former director of the FDA, sits on the board of Pfizer. He addresses what Pfizer and Moderna are working on, both (1) the possibility of developing a booster shot (this would be a third shot for those who have had the two shots of Pfizer and Moderna) that would be ready in 6 months, and (2) the development of a vaccine that would be effective for multiple mutations/variants - designed to address the likely possible mutations of the coronavirus, as they study the possible mutation patterns.

 

[ilovewings]

The Meaning of Mutations: Will Your Vaccine Still Work? | Aspen Ideas

Good interview with Scott Gottlieb, former director of the FDA, sits on the board of Pfizer. He addresses what Pfizer and Moderna are working on, both (1) the possibility of developing a booster shot (this would be a third shot for those who have had the two shots of Pfizer and Moderna) that would be ready in 6 months, and (2) the development of a vaccine that would be effective for multiple mutations/variants - designed to address the likely possible mutations of the coronavirus, as they study the possible mutation patterns.

I think a booster shot is inevitable

 

[CrimeAway]

A friend who has been designing rapid Covid tests (and thus obviously really pays attention to all the Covid news) just shared this.

It's a pretty small sample b/c there's not much of it in Israel, but they're finding those double vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine actually have a HIGHER rate of prevalance of the South African variant than those who aren't vaccinated.



South African variant can 'break through' Pfizer vaccine, Israeli study says

That makes sense, IMO.

If the vaccine is slightly less effective against the South African varients, those varients will have a larger potential pool of people to infect. Therefore, those varients will be at an advantage. IMO

 

[margarita25]

According to the doctor in this video, MIS-C can occur up to 6 months after having covid. Until this point, I’ve heard only “weeks” post covid, (that I recall):