Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #101

[ilovewings]

The immunity elderly got from the vaccine is going to be a lot lower by now if they didn't get a booster. As outbreak begun in September it was before boosters got approved.

That is true: but additionally, I am sure a lot of these elderly that were in a nursing home had some serious health issues. I am getting my booster this coming week (it has been 8 months since my 2nd Moderna shot): I would have had it sooner but I developed an infection requiring antibiotics and I wanted to be over that and off antibiotics.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Covid is surging in Europe. Experts say it’s a warning for the U.S. (nbcnews.com)

U.S. states could look at Europe and take it as “a sign that the U.S. might still see resurgences as well,” evolutionary biologist Tom Wenseleers said.

As Europe finds itself at the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic once again, experts say it should serve as a “warning” to the U.S. and other countries about the virus’ “unremitting” nature.

Countries across the continent have seen cases soar. October saw a rise of more than 50 percent, and the worrying trend has continued this month as winter begins to bite.

Dr. Hans Kluge, the director of the World Health Organization’s Europe region, on Nov. 4 warned the region was "back at the epicenter of the pandemic," and his words proved prescient.

On Friday, the World Health Organization said nearly 2 million cases were reported across Europe in the week prior — the most the region has seen in a single week since the pandemic began...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

That is true: but additionally, I am sure a lot of these elderly that were in a nursing home had some serious health issues. I am getting my booster this coming week (it has been 8 months since my 2nd Moderna shot): I would have had it sooner but I developed an infection requiring antibiotics and I wanted to be over that and off antibiotics.

DH and I had our second Pfizer injections on March 23-24, so we are nearly at the 8-month mark, as well. We're getting our boosters on Tuesday - just in time for Thanksgiving.

 

[jjenny]

DH and I had our second Pfizer injections on March 23-24, so we are nearly at the 8-month mark, as well. We're getting our boosters on Tuesday - just in time for Thanksgiving.

I already got boosted. I wish we knew how long booster is going to last.

 

[CrimeAway]

I already got boosted. I wish we knew how long booster is going to last.

It seems that protection against infection has waned (fewer antibodies circulating in the upper respiratory tract?), but protection against severe illness and death is still high for most people. All JMO for now, but if I find some good links, I will share.

I have read and listened to some scientists who pondered that the initial first 2 doses were too close together to produce an optimal, robust, and durable immune response. Hopefully, a third or booster dose, will provide more durable protection against infection, as well as severe illness and death.

 

[jjenny]

It seems that protection against infection has waned (fewer antibodies circulating in the upper respiratory tract?), but protection against severe illness and death is still high for most people. All JMO for now, but if I find some good links, I will share.

I have read and listened to some scientists who pondered that the initial first 2 doses were too close together to produce an optimal, robust, and durable immune response. Hopefully, a third or booster dose, will provide more durable protection against infection, as well as severe illness and death.

We also have promising meds coming up.

 

[CrimeAway]

It will be interesting if an intranasal vaccine might offer greater mucosal immunity in the upper respiratory tract.
Obviously, there is a nasal spray influenza vaccine, and canine kennel cough vaccines used to be intranasal, but are now usually administered orally, in the buccal space, so the vaccine touches the oral mucosa.

 

[ilovewings]

DH and I had our second Pfizer injections on March 23-24, so we are nearly at the 8-month mark, as well. We're getting our boosters on Tuesday - just in time for Thanksgiving.

Let's hope we won't have too many side effects from this booster: with the 2nd shot i had a low grade fever for less than a day and felt a little under the weather and a sore arm, but nothing that made me nonfunctional.

 

[LadyL]

Unvaccinated people will only be able to leave home for a limited number of reasons, like working or buying food.

About 65% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated, one of the lowest rates in western Europe.

Covid: Austria orders nationwide lockdown for unvaccinated

 

[ilovewings]

Unvaccinated people will only be able to leave home for a limited number of reasons, like working or buying food.

About 65% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated, one of the lowest rates in western Europe.

Covid: Austria orders nationwide lockdown for unvaccinated

Can you imagine if they tried to do that here in the United States---- we would have a revolution!!!

 

[LaborDayRN]

I'm in the cough club, too, with cough-variant asthma. I always have a rescue inhaler in my purse and Jolly Ranchers that work better than cough drops. In indoor venues like a theatre, a tiny bottled water comes in handy whenever the HVAC is running. I immediately start to feel that tickle in my throat and do my best to quell it.

You and I have the same thing. I always try to be prepared with lozenges or hard candy when I'm out an about. I also keep one inhaler at home and one in my purse.
I was actually at the theater last night. (proof of vaccination required along with masks worn during the show. (I did need to slip it off once in a while for a sip of water). I received my booster 2 weeks ago.
The performer jokingly asked someone in the front row, "Did you just COUGH?"
I had my booster 2 weeks ago.

 

[CrimeAway]

Here's a paper about immune responses to Sars-Cov-2 in rhesus macaques, over the course of one year, following vaccination (at weeks 0 & 4):

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.23.465542v1

Discussion of the paper here (at around 50:00).

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Of course, humans aren't the same as macaques, and this is just a pre-print, but I thought it was interesting.

Edited to clarify wording.

Just re-listened.
IG-A are antibodies in the mucosa.
After infection challenge, vaccinated macaques rapidly cleared viral RNA (within 4 days, but levels dropped drastically after 1-2 days).
The level of antibodies varies between the upper and lower respiratory tract.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Let's hope we won't have too many side effects from this booster: with the 2nd shot i had a low grade fever for less than a day and felt a little under the weather and a sore arm, but nothing that made me nonfunctional.

My parents had a Pfizer booster on the Saturday and felt unwell until the Wednesday - headaches, aches, tiredness.

But their previous were Zenecas. We're mixing it up here. Not sure if that would affect the side effects.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Covid vaccine mandates push some holdouts to get the shot — and then 'detox' (nbcnews.com)

As mandates spread, anti-vaccine groups have been trafficking in pseudoscience treatments meant to remove or counteract the vaccines. Experts say it's like trying to "unring a bell."

In a TikTok video that has garnered hundreds of thousands of views, Dr. Carrie Madej outlined the ingredients for a bath she said will “detox the vaxx” for people who have given into Covid-19 vaccine mandates.

The ingredients in the bath are mostly not harmful, although the supposed benefits attached to them are entirely fictional. Baking soda and epsom salts, she falsely claims, will provide a “radiation detox” to remove radiation Madej falsely believes is activated by the vaccine. Bentonite clay will add a “major pull of poison,” she says, based on a mistaken idea in anti-vaccine communities that toxins can be removed from the body with certain therapies.

Then, recommends adding in one cup of borax, a cleaning agent that’s been banned as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration, to “take nanotechnologies out of you.”...

"Then, recommends adding in one cup of borax, a cleaning agent that’s been banned as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration, to “take nanotechnologies out of you.”

Sooooo, Borax has been banned as a food additive but she suggests soaking the largest organ of the body in it.
"The skin is the largest organ of the body. The skin and its derivatives (hair, nails, sweat and oil glands) make up the integumentary system. One of the main functions of the skin is protection. It protects the body from external factors such as bacteria, chemicals, and temperature."
Skin layers: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Image

 

[ilovewings]

Delete

 

[weepingangel]

we’ve been plateaued mostly this wave as well. Decreasing slowwwly for a while but As of now I think MA and most other NE states are increasing. Along with some of the other parts of the US.
I mean better than the last wave I guess right? (Ma is more vaxed and probably has more masks and mandates than other places)
We’ll see what winter /holidays bring.

AZ's third wave has been strange. The first two were high, narrow spikes. This one peaked on August 16 and then never receded. Case counts at end of August were the same as end of October, and now they are reported to be rising. This is the time of year when the weather is cool enough to do more outside, so that doesn't seem to be a factor. I haven't seen any changes - the same small percentage of people wearing masks, and a booming hospitality trade.

Our weather was also odd this year, with a record hot June and a lot of late summer rain, so everyone is sneezing and coughing in public saying "my allergies came late."

 

[CrimeAway]

It seems that protection against infection has waned (fewer antibodies circulating in the upper respiratory tract?), but protection against severe illness and death is still high for most people. All JMO for now, but if I find some good links, I will share.

I have read and listened to some scientists who pondered that the initial first 2 doses were too close together to produce an optimal, robust, and durable immune response. Hopefully, a third or booster dose, will provide more durable protection against infection, as well as severe illness and death.

Here's a paper about immune responses to Sars-Cov-2 in rhesus macaques, over the course of one year, following vaccination (at weeks 0 & 4):

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.23.465542v1

Discussion of the paper here (at around 50:00).

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Of course, humans aren't the same as macaques, and this is just a pre-print, but I thought it was interesting.

Edited to clarify wording.

Just re-listened.
IG-A are antibodies in the mucosa.
After infection challenge, vaccinated macaques rapidly cleared viral RNA (within 4 days, but levels dropped drastically after 1-2 days).
The level of antibodies varies between the upper and lower respiratory tract.

I have just listened to this episode again to better understand the results of the pre-print study in rhesus macaques.

This was a small study (the study animals are expensive to aquire and care for), and whether humans would produce similar immune responses is unclear (no challenge studies in humans due to ethical concerns AFAIK).

However, after 1 year, the 2 groups of macaques, were infected ("challenged") with the Delta variant.
One group had received 2 (Moderna) vaccines (at week 0 & 4). The second group was unvaccinated.

There was less viral titer (measure of virus) in the vaccinated animals, and it declined faster, compared to the unvaccinated. The viral titer cleared faster in the lower respiratory tract, than the upper.
(I am paraphrasing, so JMO).

Link to the original paper, and TWIV discussion are in the quoted post above.

Edited for typo

 

[jjenny]

My parents had a Pfizer booster on the Saturday and felt unwell until the Wednesday - headaches, aches, tiredness.

But their previous were Zenecas. We're mixing it up here. Not sure if that would affect the side effects.

We are now allowed to mix it in US as well (for those who want to mix). I got my Moderna booster to follow my two Moderna shots. There seems to be no need to mix with Moderna.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

"Then, recommends adding in one cup of borax, a cleaning agent that’s been banned as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration, to “take nanotechnologies out of you.”

Sooooo, Borax has been banned as a food additive but she suggests soaking the largest organ of the body in it.
"The skin is the largest organ of the body. The skin and its derivatives (hair, nails, sweat and oil glands) make up the integumentary system. One of the main functions of the skin is protection. It protects the body from external factors such as bacteria, chemicals, and temperature."
Skin layers: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Image

Borax and sugar make a great ant killer. So yeah, why not bathe in it?

 

[musicaljoke]

I already got boosted. I wish we knew how long booster is going to last.

Did you have protesters at your clinic? We have one protester who shows up for all our clinics. He used to show up with a billboard about his rights, but he has escalated to using a megaphone and spewing the most outrageous nonsense.

He doesn't show up for our flu clinics.