Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #111

[ArianeEmory]

It's not about how many people are currently in the store, it's how many people have BEEN in the store the hours before IMO. The aerosols remain in the air for hours. Also a place with better circulation is better than a place with bad circulation.

Snipping because:

I've had covid once, late 2021, and I'm 99% confident I got it while grocery shopping (masked, although it wasn't a great mask--I have better ones now). At that time, I was the only person working at my physical office, everyone else was working from home. My spouse already worked from home since before the pandemic. We hadn't seen anyone in person but each other for the prior week, other than my 15 minute shopping trip to a Trader Joe's. I also used their restroom, which may have been my downfall. I am fanatic about hand cleanliness, but I bet the air just wasn't circulated well enough in the restrooms. After having successfully avoided it for two years, needless to say I was kicking myself.

(Didn't have a terribly intense illness; I was vaccinated although I'm pretty sure Omicron was dominant in my state by then. I did have tinnitus for two months afterwards.)

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

FDA could green light new Covid boosters as early as Friday

The shots could become available next week, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also signs off.

www.nbcnews.com

The Food and Drug Administration plans to greenlight updated versions of the Covid booster as early as Friday, according to four people familiar with the agency’s plans.

The latest shots are designed to target the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant. Though this particular strain is no longer dominant, the boosters should still provide protection against current circulating subvariants, which are closely related, the drugmakers and experts say.

The Friday timeline for authorization is not firm and could slide into early next week, two of the sources said...

 

[charminglane]

FDA could green light new Covid boosters as early as Friday

The shots could become available next week, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also signs off.

www.nbcnews.com

The Food and Drug Administration plans to greenlight updated versions of the Covid booster as early as Friday, according to four people familiar with the agency’s plans.

The latest shots are designed to target the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant. Though this particular strain is no longer dominant, the boosters should still provide protection against current circulating subvariants, which are closely related, the drugmakers and experts say.

The Friday timeline for authorization is not firm and could slide into early next week, two of the sources said...

Thank you, @BetteDavisEyes!
I will be having foot surgery on the 22nd, and I would LOVE to get the booster for myself and my 80+ parents before I go in.

 

[Teche]

Thank you, @BetteDavisEyes!
I will be having foot surgery on the 22nd, and I would LOVE to get the booster for myself and my 80+ parents before I go in.

I hope everything goes well for your surgery and recovery.

 

[charminglane]

I hope everything goes well for your surgery and recovery.

Thank you so much!
I will be solving crimes along with y’all while recuperating.
Off today. I’m going to be masking at work tomorrow until my last day.
We are a Special District Library, so we were not in the County handout of free Covid tests. The opportunity came for us to participate in the latest giveaways, and we have gone through a case of 90 since last Monday. The new shipment have arrived, and we have already ordered more. I think the local drug store near the library has run out, as we had several people come in in a panic looking to acquire some. I suppose they had family at home with symptoms that needed testing before school and work, stat.

 

[Teche]

Thank you so much!
I will be solving crimes along with y’all while recuperating.
Off today. I’m going to be masking at work tomorrow until my last day.
We are a Special District Library, so we were not in the County handout of free COVID tests. The opportunity came for us to participate in the latest giveaways, and we have gone through a case of 90 since last Monday. The new shipment have arrived, and we have already ordered more. I think the local drug store near the library has run out, as we had several people come in in a panic looking to acquire some. I suppose they had family at home with symptoms that needed testing before school and work, stat.

In the midst of the pandemic and a week before I was eligible for the vaccine, I broke my femur and had to have emergency surgery which involved placing a rod due to a traumatic break. I wore my mask for the duration of my hospitalization and upon discharge. I left the hospital, rolled into my local pharmacy, and received my 1st vaccine. I had therapy 3 days a week for a month. My fear was everyone breathing in my space. Luckily, I did not get Covid.

 

[cujenn81]

In the midst of the pandemic and a week before I was eligible for the vaccine, I broke my femur and had to have emergency surgery which involved placing a rod due to a traumatic break. I wore my mask for the duration of my hospitalization and upon discharge. I left the hospital, rolled into my local pharmacy, and received my 1st vaccine. I had therapy 3 days a week for a month. My fear was everyone breathing in my space. Luckily, I did not get Covid.

My goodness, that sounds horrible. I’m so sorry that happened to you but glad you were able to dodge COVID!

 

[Mo Thuairim]

Covid-19 linked to elevated risk of type 1 diabetes in young children

Children between the ages of 4 months and 2 years seem more likely to have antibodies that attack insulin-producing cells, a feature of type 1 diabetes, if they have had covid-19, which may show how viral infections can lead to this type of diabetes...

(...)

Insulin, an essential hormone that regulates the body’s blood sugar levels, is produced in the pancreas by islets of Langerhans, which are areas mainly made up cells called beta cells. In some cases, however, the body can develop an autoimmune response to these islets and produce autoantibodies against them.

Too many of these autoantibodies being created over time will kill enough islets to trigger the onset of type 1 diabetes, where the body is unable to produce its own insulin. “The presence of these autoantibodies more or less means that there’s a 100 per cent path to [type 1 diabetes],” says Anette-Gabriele Ziegler at the Technical University of Munich in Germany.

One of the risk factors for type 1 diabetes is thought to be some viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19. A rise in diabetes cases linked to covid-19 has been reported, but the mechanism behind it isn’t known, although some have been proposed.

(...)

Covid-19 linked to elevated risk of type 1 diabetes in young children

Children between the ages of 4 months and 2 years seem more likely to have antibodies that attack insulin-producing cells, a feature of type 1 diabetes, if they have had covid-19, which may show how viral infections can lead to this type of diabetes

www.newscientist.com

 

[IceIce9]

Republicans introduce legislation to ban federal mask mandates in schools, on airplanes

Republicans are offering legislation to ban federal mask mandates in schools, airplanes and forms of public transportation amid a new surge of coronavirus cases that has led to the reinstatement of…

thehill.com

Republicans are offering legislation to ban federal mask mandates in schools, airplanes and forms of public transportation amid a new surge of coronavirus cases that has led to the reinstatement of mask mandates in a handful of places.

Why??

 

[IceIce9]

The lawmakers said they were offering the bill to push back at the imposition of new mask mandates at both the local and federal levels.

“We’re not going to go back to the top-down government overreach we saw during COVID,” Braun said in a statement Wednesday. “Congress needs to say forcefully that these ineffective, unscientific mask mandates are not coming back in any way, shape, or form.”

Braun among GOP lawmakers sponsoring bill to ban federal mask mandates - Indiana Capital Chronicle

Indiana Sen. Mike Braun and a handful of other Republican lawmakers are pushing a bill to ban federal mask mandates.

indianacapitalchronicle.com

 

[Mo Thuairim]

This headline made me chuckle. It broadly reflects the findings of a Swedish study but seems a little on the nose and provocative.

Smart people first in line for COVID-19 vaccines, study suggests

Intelligent people get their COVID-19 vaccines much faster, suggests a study of more than 750,000 people in Sweden published in the Journal of Health Economics.

Uppsala University researchers assessed the relationship between cognitive ability and prompt COVID-19 vaccination among 750,000 men and 3,000 women who registered for military service in Sweden from 1979 to 1997. The team used intelligence-test data from the Swedish Military Archives.

(...)

Smart people first in line for COVID-19 vaccines, study suggests

A total of 80% of the most intelligent people were vaccinated within 40 days of vaccine availability, compared with 180 days for those with the lowest cognitive ability.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

The actual study is called 'Cognitive ability, health policy, and the dynamics of COVID-19 vaccination'. It addresses the fact that there can be a lot of conflicting variables to weigh up in deciding to get a vaccine and the process of getting an appointment can be overcomplicated, so those with lower cognitive ability can take longer or perhaps end up going without.

Cognitive ability, health policy, and the dynamics of COVID-19 vaccination

We examine the relationship between cognitive ability and prompt COVID-19 vaccination using individual-level data on more than 700,000 individuals in …

www.sciencedirect.com

 

[Sundog]

Republicans introduce legislation to ban federal mask mandates in schools, on airplanes

Republicans are offering legislation to ban federal mask mandates in schools, airplanes and forms of public transportation amid a new surge of coronavirus cases that has led to the reinstatement of…

thehill.com

Republicans are offering legislation to ban federal mask mandates in schools, airplanes and forms of public transportation amid a new surge of coronavirus cases that has led to the reinstatement of mask mandates in a handful of places.

Why??

Our Senator's position is that any masking recommendations should be made at the local level if warranted. I don't think we will go back to federal mandates, with or without the proposed legislation. JMO.

 

[IceIce9]

A nearby hospital began offering drive through vaccination clinics today. They have flu shots and COVID vaccination with the new Pfizer vaccine.

The COVID vaccine isn’t free though. They are charging $40 per shot for those without insurance, but they will bill insurance if you bring your insurance card.

 

[charminglane]

A nearby hospital began offering drive through vaccination clinics today. They have flu shots and COVID vaccination with the new Pfizer vaccine.

The COVID vaccine isn’t free though. They are charging $40 per shot for those without insurance, but they will bill insurance if you bring your insurance card.

I went to a drive thru flu clinic at Santa Anita Racetrack a long time ago.
It was so convenient, with the gigantic parking lot and multiple lines.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

At-home Covid tests can now be ordered for free: What you need to know

Here’s what you should know as you break out those rapid tests again.

www.nbcnews.com

With Covid on the rise once again, you may find yourself reaching for an at-home test for the first time in months.

Covid activity is picking up, with hospitalizations increasing in recent weeks, wastewater tracking picking up the virus in samples, and a good chance someone you know having tested positive recently.

Here’s a refresher on how and when to test for Covid, and what your at-home results really mean...

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

A nearby hospital began offering drive through vaccination clinics today. They have flu shots and COVID vaccination with the new Pfizer vaccine.

The COVID vaccine isn’t free though. They are charging $40 per shot for those without insurance, but they will bill insurance if you bring your insurance card.

Sadly, this does not bode well for widespread Covid shots this season. I'm sure the injections will be free to Medicare/Medicaid recipients, and most insurances would cover it, particularly for seniors and those with preexisting medical conditions, but those who have to pay for the shot probably won't get it.

DH stopped at Rite Aid yesterday to pick up a prescription. He said that there is a lot of signage inside and out that appointments are now being scheduled for flu, Covid, and RSV shots. We'll get out flu shots in mid-October, Covid shots, in mid-December. I am leaning towards getting the RSV vaccination - maybe in December.

 

[sds71]

Tammy Duckworth

@SenDuckworth

After experiencing mild symptoms, I tested positive for COVID-19 today. I will continue working for the people of Illinois in isolation and follow medical guidance on when to return to the Senate chamber.

 

[IceIce9]

Sadly, this does not bode well for widespread Covid shots this season. I'm sure the injections will be free to Medicare/Medicaid recipients, and most insurances would cover it, particularly for seniors and those with preexisting medical conditions, but those who have to pay for the shot probably won't get it.

DH stopped at Rite Aid yesterday to pick up a prescription. He said that there is a lot of signage inside and out that appointments are now being scheduled for flu, Covid, and RSV shots. We'll get out flu shots in mid-October, Covid shots, in mid-December. I am leaning towards getting the RSV vaccination - maybe in December.

Back in 2021 in inner- city Indianapolis they were offering $50 gift cards to people who got COVID vaccinations. I am sure many people decided to get the vaccination so they could get a $50 gift card.

If people have to pay for a COVID shot I am sure many won’t get them

 

[Gemmie]

A nearby hospital began offering drive through vaccination clinics today. They have flu shots and COVID vaccination with the new Pfizer vaccine.

The COVID vaccine isn’t free though. They are charging $40 per shot for those without insurance, but they will bill insurance if you bring your insurance card.

Not sure how your area got them before anyone else. Everything I've read said they could be out as early as next week so not sure how your hospital got their hands on it on the Saturday before the week in which they could be out.

COVID-19 booster shots expected as early as next week​

Dated 9/7 - COVID-19 booster shots expected as early as next week

 

[Stunned]

I have Covid again now. Not as bad as the first go around, but still. Alls I’ve done is sleep and taken Tylenol. Bones ache that I didn’t know I had! So I guess it’s just the flu shot for me when I’m over this.