Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #97

[Cubby]

92% of people in UK have antibodies from either vaccine or infection. So at this point UK might have reached that "herd" immunity, at least to variants circulating so far. We haven't reached that in US, but the way this is going, our natural infection rate is going to get us there sooner rather than later.

Is UK testing for antibodies in unvaccinated people?

 

[Cubby]

Yes. I am watching what is happening around the world pretty closely.

I am just hoping that we can get ahead of Delta a bit, and get ourselves vaccinated pretty quickly (now that we have vaccines). It might help save our kids.

I am also interested to see what happens when schools reopen in the northern hemisphere, and hope that the children aren't too affected. That enough adults are protected that they don't pass Delta to their kids, who then pass it to other kids.

When I looked tonight, by my calculations based on govt figures, we now have 52.9% of people aged 16 and over vaccinated with one dose at least (25% fully vaccinated).

I'm mostly concerned for the kids bringing it back home and affecting immune compromised family members. Especially with parents who insist students not be required to wear masks at school.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

This Website Sends You an Alert Every Time a Pfizer Vaccine Appointment Becomes Available in Sydney

t's pretty simple, really. The website continuously runs through available Pfizer vaccine appointments at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown, St Vincent Hospital in Darlinghurst, Westmead Hospital, and the vaccination hub at Sydney Olympic Park.

It will sound off with a bell (it's pretty loud) when one Pfizer appointment is available and you'll hear a double ding when there are two vaccine appointments three weeks apart ready for you to book.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Offspring drummer says he's been booted from band for not getting vaccinated

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Fit and healthy man, 42, from Southport, who rejected vaccine, dies of Covid

A fit and healthy 42-year-old who loved climbing mountains and lifting weights has died of Covid after refusing to get the vaccine, leaving his twin sister and mother heartbroken and warning others not to think they are immortal to the dangers of the virus.

The father of one, John Eyers, a construction expert from Southport in Merseyside, was described by his sister Jenny McCann as “the fittest, healthiest person I know”.

 

[musicaljoke]

Fit and healthy man, 42, from Southport, who rejected vaccine, dies of Covid

A fit and healthy 42-year-old who loved climbing mountains and lifting weights has died of Covid after refusing to get the vaccine, leaving his twin sister and mother heartbroken and warning others not to think they are immortal to the dangers of the virus.

The father of one, John Eyers, a construction expert from Southport in Merseyside, was described by his sister Jenny McCann as “the fittest, healthiest person I know”.

Oh my that's awful. A lot of healthy people will die before people stop believing that only the weak and aged will die.

 

[margarita25]

Offspring drummer says he's been booted from band for not getting vaccinated

“You’ve got to keep em separated!!”

(Offspring lyrics)

—

Eta:

“But in any case, he contends his lifelong history with Guillain-Barré Syndrome puts him at greater risk for side effects from a vaccination..”

 

[margarita25]

Jennifer Aniston says she's dropped people from her 'weekly routine' who are anti-vaxxers

 

[JerseyGirl]

Jacksonville hospitals now report more than 260 COVID-19 patients in ICUs

The much more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus continues to rage across Florida, sending another 526 people to the hospital and increasing the state’s record-setting total of hospitalizations to 12,041.

Of those, 135 are pediatric patients statewide.

Florida, Texas hospitals swamped by younger, unvaxxed COVID patients

 

[margarita25]

Aug. 2

Aug. 3

Aug. 4

 

[weepingangel]

Massachusetts/more at links

COVID vaccine will be mandated for staff at Massachusetts long-term care facilities
The administration of Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday announced the COVID-19 vaccine will be mandated for staff at long-term care facilities.
There are 378 skilled nursing facilities and two Soldiers’ Homes in Massachusetts. As of Aug. 2, 155 facilities had less than 75% of their staff fully vaccinated
The requirement will provide exemptions for those with medical restrictions or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent them from receiving the vaccination.




UMass Memorial Health plans to make COVID vaccine mandatory in the fall
The mandatory vaccination program will include guidelines for exemptions for medical and religious reasons, according to the memo, which was shared with MassLive.
Worcester-based UMass Memorial Health is the region’s largest employer and is the state’s third-largest health care system.

 

[Skigh]

16 and 17 year olds will NOT need parental consent to get Covid vaccines, health chiefs reveal | Daily Mail Online



16 and 17 year olds will NOT need parental consent to get Covid vaccines: 1.4million teenagers to get Pfizer jab 'as soon as possible' as health chiefs open door to inoculating all over-12s

• JCVI today recommended that 16 and 17-year-olds should receive the Covid vaccine after reviewing the data
• Officials close to the programme said children would be able to give consent without parental approval
• Boris Johnson today called on families to listen to the advice from No10's top scientists

 

[mickey2942]

Oh my that's awful. A lot of healthy people will die before people stop believing that only the weak and aged will die.

From what I have read about Covid, the danger is very real, especially for people who are super healthy and fit. Because their immune system response is so robust to the Covid pathogen, it actually does an overload to the point of death. Strange disease.

COVID-19 Cytokine Storm is Different From Other Respiratory Infections

 

[GRT]

Jennifer Aniston says she's dropped people from her 'weekly routine' who are anti-vaxxers

I think a lot of us have. I have an elderly mother who's now in a step-down unit with a broken hip, and I can't afford to bring the virus to her.

Of course, I've cut back again on being around people in general, but if I know someone isn't vaccinated, I'll go out of my way to avoid contact.

We're all more than tired of this virus, but we can't afford to let our guard down now.

 

[GRT]

27 is old compared to some we've lost. We've lost kids to covid and people minimize the loss due to pre-existing conditions.

That's how they explain it away. But, people with pre-existing conditions are still people.

Dehumanizing them by reducing them to specific diseases or conditions is cruel and unnecessary.

 

[anneg]

Opinion | The C.D.C. Needs to Stop Confusing the Public

Great article by Prof. Zeynep Tufekci of UNC. She discusses various CDC-related issues in communications about Covid.

“Be first, be right, be credible,” are among the most important principles for health authorities to follow in a crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared in a pamphlet on crisis communication in 2018.

To meet those goals, the report advises, avoid sending mixed messages from multiple experts, releasing information too late, taking paternalistic attitudes, failing to counter rumors and myths in real time and engaging in public power struggles and causing confusion.

Last week, as agency officials announced new mask guidelines and set the nation on edge, I had to wonder if they had swapped their “do list” and their “avoid list.”

IMO, well worth reading!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Unvaccinated Americans not changing their behavior, report finds (nbcnews.com)

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds wide differences in attitudes about the Covid-19 vaccines.

Unvaccinated Americans believe the vaccines are more dangerous than Covid-19, while vaccinated Americans believe the delta variant is worrisome enough that they continue to mask in public and avoid large gatherings. And even though almost 165 million people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated and the delta variant is raging across the country, the percentage of U.S. adults who say they oppose the Covid vaccines has remained unchanged since December, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The survey's findings, published Wednesday, show some of the striking differences between the two groups and the challenges facing public health officials...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Delta and vaccinated parents: What people with kids under 12 need to know (nbcnews.com)

Children are heading back to school soon, forcing parents to make tough decisions on how to handle a different kind of risk environment.

With coronavirus cases rising across the country and the highly contagious delta variant spreading in every state, many parents have been left wondering how best to keep their children safe, particularly when it comes to kids under 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccination.

Most schools are set to welcome students back in person in the coming weeks, but many aren't requiring them to wear masks. And as people look to plan last-minute vacations, set up play dates for their kids or attend other events, weighing the potential risks is challenging because many families are juggling different vaccination statuses within their own ranks.

"There are no easy answers, only tough trade-offs in so many situations," said Lindsey Leininger, a public health scientist and clinical professor at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business.

She said the best way to protect kids who are currently too young to get vaccinated is for everyone else in the household who is eligible to get the shots. After that, decisions should be guided by what's happening in individual communities and each family's comfort level, she added...

 

[GRT]

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/04/who...cine-boosters-at-least-through-september.html

 

[ilovewings]

Michigan health officials recommending masks in K-12 schools

DeSantis should look to the North to see where intelligent and common sense leadership is recommending masks for K thru 12 schools.