Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #62

[Tippy Lynn]

Melinda Gates: These people deserve to get coronavirus vaccine first

Health care workers should get access to a coronavirus vaccine first, Melinda Gates said during a virtual appearance at the Forbes philanthropy summit with husband Bill Gates.

"One of the reasons we are so involved in this is that you don't want the first vaccines to go to the highest-bidding countries," Melinda Gates said. "There are 60 million healthcare workers [around the world]. They deserve to get the vaccine first, they're the ones dealing with this on the front lines, trying to keep us all safe."

"Then you have to start to tier from there, based on the countries and the populations," Melinda Gates continued. "Here in the United States, it's going to be black people who really should get it first and many indigenous people, as well as people with underlying symptoms, and then elderly people."

Bill Gates accused the U.S. of turning "inward" instead of embracing collaboration with other countries to find solutions to the pandemic. "Usually the United States plays a role in global problem-solving, so rather than withdrawing from WHO, they'd be involved, collaborating with other countries, not just trying to cast blame," Gates said. For example, President Trump said in April that he would halt U.S. funding to the World Health Organization over “mistakes” he said helped the coronavirus spread.

It will likely be a mandatory vaccine for many healthcare workers.

 

[tresir2012]

Melinda Gates: These people deserve to get coronavirus vaccine first

Health care workers should get access to a coronavirus vaccine first, Melinda Gates said during a virtual appearance at the Forbes philanthropy summit with husband Bill Gates.

"One of the reasons we are so involved in this is that you don't want the first vaccines to go to the highest-bidding countries," Melinda Gates said. "There are 60 million healthcare workers [around the world]. They deserve to get the vaccine first, they're the ones dealing with this on the front lines, trying to keep us all safe."

"Then you have to start to tier from there, based on the countries and the populations," Melinda Gates continued. "Here in the United States, it's going to be black people who really should get it first and many indigenous people, as well as people with underlying symptoms, and then elderly people."

Bill Gates accused the U.S. of turning "inward" instead of embracing collaboration with other countries to find solutions to the pandemic. "Usually the United States plays a role in global problem-solving, so rather than withdrawing from WHO, they'd be involved, collaborating with other countries, not just trying to cast blame," Gates said. For example, President Trump said in April that he would halt U.S. funding to the World Health Organization over “mistakes” he said helped the coronavirus spread.

I am sure there will be plenty of doses for everyone. Possibly the manufacturing country should get it first. I thought that was what was going to happen with the Oxford vaccine as it was to be manufactured in India IIRC and probably they would get it first. Haven't heard about plans for others.

This one is getting pretty close.

Human trial of new coronavirus vaccine starts in UK

"Volunteers have begun being immunised with a new UK coronavirus vaccine.

About 300 people will have the vaccine over the coming weeks, as part of a trial led by Prof Robin Shattock and his colleagues, at Imperial College London.

Tests in animals suggest the vaccine is safe and triggers an effective immune response.

Experts at Oxford University have already started human trials.

The trials are among many across the world - there are around 120 vaccine programmes under way.

• Does the UK have coronavirus under control?
• Is it safe to relax the 2m rule?
• How close to developing a vaccine are we?

'I volunteered to help beat the virus'

Image captionKathy, 39, is among the first of 300 volunteers who are taking part in this phase of the trial
Kathy, 39, who works in finance, is one of the first volunteers taking part in the Imperial trial.

She said she volunteered because she wanted to play a part in fighting the virus.

"I think it came from not really knowing what I could do to help, and this turned out to be something that I could do.

"And understanding that it's not likely that things will get back to normal until there is a vaccine, so wanting to be part of that progress as well."

After this first phase, another trial is being planned for October, involving 6,000 people.

The Imperial team hopes the vaccine could be distributed in the UK and overseas from early 2021."

This bit is interesting-

"Because only a tiny amount of genetic code is used in the Imperial vaccine, a little goes a very long way. The Imperial team says one litre of its synthetic material will be enough to produce two million doses.

Those doses have been produced in the US, but later this year manufacturing is switching to the UK, so that if and when it needs to be mass produced, it can be done here."

 

[margarita25]

It will likely be a mandatory vaccine for many healthcare workers.

Here's another concern that keeps me up at night—-the element of virus mutation as related to the effectiveness of vaccines.

There are reports out there, as we’ve seen posted here, re: mutations that have already potentially occurred.

Additionally, the coexistence between this and flu come fall....

Please see comments here re: influenza if you missed the first post:

WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 15 June 2020
15 June 2020

“Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.

Globally, more than 7.8 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and more than 430,000 deaths.

It took more than 2 months for the first 100,000 cases to be reported. For the past two weeks, more than 100,000 new cases have been reported almost every single day.

Almost 75% of recent cases come from 10 countries, mostly in the Americas and South Asia.

However, we also see increasing numbers of cases in Africa, eastern Europe, central Asia and the Middle East.

Even in countries that have demonstrated the ability to suppress transmission, countries must stay alert to the possibility of resurgence.

Last week, China reported a new cluster of cases in Beijing, after more than 50 days without a case in that city. More than 100 cases have now been confirmed.

The origin and extent of the outbreak are being investigated.

===

Despite the ongoing global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot lose sight of other significant public health issues, including influenza.

Influenza affects every country every year, and takes its own deadly toll.

As we enter the southern hemisphere influenza season and begin planning for the northern hemisphere season, we must ensure that influenza remains a top priority.

(BBM
Co-circulation of COVID-19 and influenza can worsen the impact on health care systems that are already overwhelmed.

More than 500 million people are vaccinated against flu every year, based on recommendations from WHO on the composition of flu vaccines.

These recommendations are based on data and virus samples collected and analyzed by WHO’s Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, or GISRS.

The GISRS system has been functioning since 1952 and I would like to thank the more than 125 countries that participate in it.

Over the past 8 years, significant strengthening of the system has been made possible through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework, and I would also like to thank the public and private sector partners that participate in this global system.

The infrastructure, people, skills and experience built up through GISRS, WHO Collaborating Centres, and national influenza centres have been the foundation for detecting COVID-19.

However, this well-established system is now seeing significant challenges.

Influenza surveillance has either been suspended or is declining in many countries, and there has been a sharp decline in sharing of influenza information and viruses because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Compared with the last three years, we’ve seen a dramatic decrease in the number of specimens tested for influenza globally.

We’ve also seen a 62% decrease in the number of virus shipments to WHO Collaborating Centres, and a 94% decrease in the number of influenza viruses with genetic sequence data uploaded to the GISAID database.

These decreases are due to a combination of issues, including the repurposing of staff and supplies, overburdened laboratories, and transport restrictions.

These disruptions may have short- and long-term effects, such as the loss of capacities to detect and report new influenza viruses with pandemic potential.

As many of you know, twice a year WHO convenes a group of experts who together analyze the circulating flu strains. Based on their analysis they select the viruses that should be targeted by flu vaccines for the upcoming season in each hemisphere.

To know which viruses are circulating, WHO relies on information from countries reported through GISRS, which we use to make recommendations for the composition of influenza vaccines.

This will help us to prevent more severe cases of flu and more deaths.

WHO has published guidance on how to integrate surveillance for COVID-19 into routine influenza surveillance as an efficient way to track both of these important respiratory viruses.

This is not only cost-effective, it’s also essential for protecting the world against the next flu season.

The Southern Hemisphere flu season is already underway. There is no time to lose.

I thank you.”

 

[tresir2012]

The governors of New Jersey and Connecticut are also in agreement with New York's Cuomo. That's 3 states, don't wanna let Cuomo get all the credit:

Conn., NY, NJ Announce Joint Travel Advisory Requiring Self-Quarantine of Visitors

How are you going to work out what state visitors are from?

And what about snow birds?

 

[10ofRods]

Bilingual is not a requirement for all contact tracing jobs.

I have officially been a contact tracer for some weeks now.

Imagine how a contact tracer feels, spending their time trying to help break the chains of transmission, advising people to stay home and wear a mask, when top leadership says and does otherwise. Imagine the kick in the face and the gut and the heart it is to us and our work, and the resistance we feel.

Thank you for your service in this extremely important area. I'm teaching 60 students how to contact trace (beginning level) right now, but my county is not actually doing very much contact tracing. We of course had a spike over the past 4 days, so now they're activating the few professionals they already have (public health researchers). But there's a call out for 200 more. Those are jobs that can transition into other areas of public health work after the next year of contact tracing.

Our job listing here says "bilingual preferred," but they really need to hire more and train more people and there will be many non-bilingual people hired as well.

I can't even imagine how hard your work is right now. No one wants to talk about CoVid much, and to have a stranger pop up to tell you that you've been in contact with someone who has CoVid (and want to know lots more about you) is definitely alarming to many people.

We need a nationwide campaign that hits so many strands of MSM and SM that people cannot escape hearing about masks, physical distancing - and contact tracing.

Since this is clearly going to drag on for quite some time, maybe that can happen. At the same time, I don't now what people are thinking. Reopening isn't going to work if people see the case numbers and all stay home...while others go out and maintain the circulation of the virus. Coronavirus is going to continue to run laps around our economy, whacking away. We apparently can't be sane and sensible like other nations are doing. And I'm not advocating the stern Chinese approach, that wouldn't work in the US. But Italy, Spain and France have models we could follow.

Coronavirus deaths per million by country | Statista

 

[MrX]

Too bad other states didn't get on the same page. Then, states like Montana, Utah, Idaho, would not have rates rising daily, due no doubt to travel from other "hot spots".

Part of the American Experiment was that people had the choice of where to live and States would reflect their constituencies. The States you list are populated by folks who don't like being told how to live. Rates are rising in those places because they are going at the Honky Tonk on a Saturday night and meeting for Breakfast on Sunday morning. There really isn't any mystery - whether it's a rally or a riot or church or spring break or lunch - viruses spread between people.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Bilingual is not a requirement for all contact tracing jobs.

I have officially been a contact tracer for some weeks now.

Imagine how a contact tracer feels, spending their time trying to help break the chains of transmission, advising people to stay home and wear a mask, when top leadership says and does otherwise. Imagine the kick in the face and the gut and the heart it is to us and our work, and the resistance we feel.

I’m glad you are a contract tracer! I can’t imagine how it feels though - it must be so hard to deal with the conflicting information given out and then get resistance to your help.
I had looked for ones in my area since I thought it would help to be knowledgeable about the geography, I spent some time this morning and found some other options!
Hang in there ((hugs))

 

[margarita25]

Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, Utah, and Texas --- NY, NJ and CT say quarantine or stay away!

Travelers arriving to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut from regions with spiking Covid-19 infections rates will be subject to a 14-day quarantine, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday.

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut impose 14-day quarantine on travelers from coronavirus hotspot states

"As of today, the states that are above that level are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, Utah, Texas," he said. "That's as of today. The states themselves can change as the infection rate changes and we will update daily what states are above that infection rate."

New York City began its phase two reopening on Monday, which allowed for in-store retail, outdoor dining and hair salons and barbershops to reopen with modifications.

On Tuesday, Cuomo said the city reported 1.2% of all tests conducted were positive. New York state reported a positivity rate of 1.1%.

Cuomo noted that coronavirus cases are rising across 27 states in the U.S. "Nationally, we should admit the reality. Denial is not a life strategy. It never is. Those 27 states are going up. More people are being infected and more lives will be lost," he said.

Again, this man has worked so tirelessly and proactively...words can not express my gratitude and admiration for this man who really took the bull by the horns and made a huge difference in the trajectory, moo.

 

[10ofRods]

Here's another concern that keeps me up at night—-the element of virus mutation as related to the effectiveness of vaccines.

There are reports out there, as we’ve seen posted here, re: mutations that have already potentially occurred.

Additionally, the coexistence between this and flu come fall....

Please see comments here re: influenza if you missed the first post / in progress/ grabbing link

While I share your concern, I'm optimistic about the vaccine - as long as people understand that it will be a lot like the flu vaccine and not at all like the small pox vaccine.

Even if the virus mutates (and coronaviruses are slow-mutating, thankfully), the vaccines should confer a better course of illness, even if not complete immunity. For some, their bodies will react by creating sufficient antibodies to be completely protective, but not everyone's body will do that. And yes, the virus could change a little, but I think scientists are very hopeful that the fatal part of CV (those spike proteins) will be held at bay.

The scary thing is that global research on emerging coronaviruses is slacking. There are many places where another one could arise and obviously, defunding WHO by the US is not helping. Let's say the next one came from, oh I don't know - some smaller place in Central America. It could get really out of hand quickly without any researchers noticing right away. There could be many reasons why we're seeing more CV's around the world - or they could have been there all along, and we're just so far into densely populating the entire world that we can't evade them.

In the olden days, entire groups of people died out due to viruses, but there were not other groups close enough for the people to flee to a new group and infect them. Today, of course, we circulate all these viruses pretty well.

 

[tresir2012]

It will likely be a mandatory vaccine for many healthcare workers.

That's what happens in the UK. As a First Responder I had to ensure all my jabs were current and they are given free to all those in NHS and then the young and elderly. Certainly it is never done by race unless the disease itself is race specific.

 

[SoCalDavidS]

As a Californian, I'm glad that it appears I get to be the one to break this news.

CA just announced a new All Time Record with 7,149 New Cases yesterday.

 

[JerseyGirl]

How are you going to work out what state visitors are from?

And what about snow birds?

Who knows, obviously this is the busiest area in the world, right smack between Boston and Washington DC. There is no way to shut down this corridor. It's not like we can have police camp out on I-95 and hassle/pull over drivers from NJ & NY (looking at you Florida and Texas).

Anyway, my own daughter from Florida just called in a panic because she has a wedding here in August. In the meantime, she's on vacation in the Keys and dining out. I'm self-isolating, working with a mask, and going home soon to stare at the same 4 walls.

 

[margarita25]

I’m glad you are a contract tracer! I can’t imagine how it feels though - it must be so hard to deal with the conflicting information given out and then get resistance to your help.
I had looked for ones in my area since I thought it would help to be knowledgeable about the geography, I spent some time this morning and found some other options!
Hang in there ((hugs))

Hugs backatcha.

Yes, some (not all), departments/agencies even REQUIRE that you are local for exactly this reason, familiarity with the geography.

 

[CeeCeeCat]

I'm going out on a limb now, and predict that Britain's re-opening is not going to go well in the coming weeks. We'll be on something like Thread 65 by then.

Catching up on 20+ pages and wanted to say how much I agree with you. IMO, we in England are rushing headlong into this lifting of lockdown as if the virus is no longer any danger. I have been saying for weeks, the second wave will be a tsunami and I don’t believe we are prepared for just how bad it will be.
The PM as far as I can tell and in spite of his brush with death, is devoid of empathy and is driven by desperately wanting to save the economy, rather than lives.

My family and friends are thankfully as cautious as I am and none of us is taking any risks. I’m lucky enough to be able to continue to work from home and stay in my safe little bubble. I’m so grateful for my garden!
Thinking ahead, I’m already rebuilding stocks of the essentials (cat food and litter, mainly) - not hoarding, just making sure I have a cushion of supplies if the tsunami hits sooner rather than later.

I would say one thing that’s changed significantly with me. At the start of this and well into lockdown, I was scared. Really scared. Now, I’m just angry. So angry at the steps we could’ve taken earlier, that would’ve saved countless lives. It would appear to me that our leaders have learned nothing and are dragging us blindly into a second wave.

 

[margarita25]

I'm going out on a limb now, and predict that Britain's re-opening is not going to go well in the coming weeks. We'll be on something like Thread 65 by then.

I saw an astounding graph yesterday of the US vs. the EU. That picture painted a thousand words, as far as the strategy and approaches vs. the resulting outcome to date. I’ll see if I can find it.

 

[tresir2012]

Again, this man has worked so tirelessly and proactively...words can not express my gratitude and admiration for this man who really took the bull by the horns and made a huge difference in the trajectory, moo.

He seems to be forgetting when other states were helping him out with ventilators though.

 

[KALI]

THANK YOU for sharing this great news!!!

Clay Travis

✔@ClayTravis

Coronavirus deaths are down 90% since late April. This should be the number one story tomorrow for every national news show. Will any news station make it the number one story? I promise it will be the first thing I say on @outkick, but I bet I’m the only one. Here’s chart:

 

[MimosaMornings]

Group of Ohio teens return from Myrtle Beach trip with COVID-19

“91 people went to Myrtle Beach.
45 are Belmont County residents.
Already 14 have tested positive.”

Sigh.....

 

[SoCalDavidS]

I saw an astounding graph yesterday of the US vs. the EU. That picture painted a thousand words, as far as the strategy and approaches vs. the resulting outcome to date. I’ll see if I can find it.

That was my post. I think it was sometime late afternoon/early evening.

 

[KALI]

Good news does not equate to "clicks" = no advertising dollars. Moo

To clarify:
On Sunday , coronavirus deaths declined by 90% in this country from the high set on April 21st.

On Monday deaths were also down 90% from the April 21st peak, meaning there were two straight days this occurred, again, with almost zero media coverage.


On April 21st 2,693 people died of the coronavirus. Yesterday 267 died.

That^^^ seems like good news. Why aren't we seeing this as good news?