Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #96

[weepingangel]

Let’s do this.....build a better variant ugh
For some of us “normal” is still a ways off. If we ever get there.
Though mass is one of the safest states Massachusetts is the 2nd safest state amid the COVID pandemic. It really doesn’t ease my mind much re the big picture.

Five undervaccinated clusters put the entire United States at risk — CNN

Places to avoid!

 

[weepingangel]

Rhode Island launches COVID-19 incentive program to benefit charities
More at link
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The more people in Rhode Island who get vaccinated against COVID-19, the more charities in the state stand to benefit under a program announced Tuesday by Gov. Daniel McKee.





Under the COVID-19 Vaccination Incentive Fund, for every 5,000 additional people who get a first dose of a vaccine, an increasing amount of money will be granted to nonprofits in the state.





It starts with $100,000 after the first 5,000 shots, up to $200,000 for the fifth round of 5,000 shots, officials said.





Other states have vaccine incentive programs, but they usually benefit individuals in the form of cash prizes or scholarships, not nonprofits.


The $750,000 program is funded by $500,000 from the state and $250,000 from the Rhode Island Foundation.





“We did intentional research and reflection to create a program that celebrates the spirit of Rhode Island, sustains the importance of getting all Rhode Islanders vaccinated over time, and provides support back to the organizations that are getting our most vulnerable neighbors through the pandemic,” the Democratic governor said in a statement.





Eligible nonprofits based in the state can apply starting immediately through the Rhode Island Foundation’s website. Applications will be accepted through July 30.





Eligible organizations must provide services or direct assistance in response to the pandemic.

 

[SouthAussie]

I'm not all that impressed by a second Daszak letter to the Lancet. At least not after what we found out about the first one.

I noticed that this latest letter has fewer signatories than the first one, which prompted me to find out why.

I didn't do a lot of research, but I find this:

"Peter Palese, the virologist who wrote about the 1977 flu pandemic, said that “a lot of disturbing information has surfaced since The Lancet letter I signed” and that he wants an investigation to come up with answers.

Other scientists have also said they have changed their minds.

Ian Lipkin, the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University and a co-author of an influential article in Nature Medicine that argued in favor of a natural origin in March 2020, is also now more skeptical. “People should not be looking at bat viruses in BSL-2 labs,” he told the science reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr. last month. “My view has changed.”
​

Opinion | Where Did the Coronavirus Come From? What We Already Know Is Troubling.

I was relieved to read that Daszak is now off the WHO Investigative Committee. He never should have been on it.

I really hope Covid is found to be zoonotic, because that would ease a lot of angst. But, it's a sad thing that we have some scientists recruiting other scientists in an effort to control a narrative. It damages the public's faith in science as a whole, and that's not fair to the vast majority of scientists who don't have an agenda.

It is interesting to read some of the (new) independent peer reviewed research that is linked in the article. The research can be found via the blue reference numbers that are prevalent through the article.

 

[musicaljoke]

Five undervaccinated clusters put the entire United States at risk — CNN

Places to avoid!

Oh crap! And some of the most vulnerable people live there. How does the medical system reach out to them?

 

[LadyL]

Pfizer and BioNTech have released initial data from a study on booster shots for their COVID-19 vaccine, saying a third dose delivered about six months after the second shot has shown neutralization titers are five to 10 times higher than after two primary doses.

Study shows booster shot after 6 to 12 months likely to provide best protection from COVID-19, Pfizer says

 

[weepingangel]

Bring it on. I’m ready for #3

Pfizer and BioNTech have released initial data from a study on booster shots for their COVID-19 vaccine, saying a third dose delivered about six months after the second shot has shown neutralization titers are five to 10 times higher than after two primary doses.

Study shows booster shot after 6 to 12 months likely to provide best protection from COVID-19, Pfizer says

 

[weepingangel]

American Indians have the highest Covid vaccination rate in the US
pretty long article /much more at link
According to CDC data, Indigenous people are getting vaccinated quicker than any other group. Here are the successes—and challenges—of getting vaccines to urban Native American communities.

 

[SoCalDavidS]

Bring it on. I’m ready for #3

How exciting! We get Three.....Four.....Five injections, primarily because somewhere around 30-40% of this country refuse to get even 1.

 

[musicaljoke]

Bring it on. I’m ready for #3

Oh my. I would get another shot if needed, but I just can't be thrilled about the work needed to vaccinate everyone again. I am so looking forward to being done with the mass vaccinations, and soaking my sore feet.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Oh my. I would get another shot if needed, but I just can't be thrilled about the work needed to vaccinate everyone again. I am so looking forward to being done with the mass vaccinations, and soaking my sore feet.

Same. I just want this to go away. I cannot deal with the idea of another lockdown. JMO

 

[weepingangel]

Um. No. It most certainly isn’t imo child abuse
‘Child Abuse': Parents Sue 3 NH School Districts Over Mask Policies
More at link
A group of parents in New Hampshire is suing three school districts for making children wear masks.

This is the third lawsuit of its kind filed by Attorney Robert Fojo, who says making kids wear face coverings at this point in the pandemic is “child abuse.”

Christopher Grout’s nine-year-old son goes to Londonderry South, where he’s had to wear a mask since the coronavirus pandemic started.

“I don’t think it’s okay for people to tell another person what they have to do medically,” Grout said during an interview Thursday. “I think that’s tyranny, quite frankly.”

Grout is one of 17 plaintiffs in a recently filed lawsuit alleging that the Londonderry, Epping, and Timberlane school districts are violating a New Hampshire statute that prohibits child restraints.

“It even includes placing any kind of covering on a child’s face, any kind of material,” explained Fojo.

 

[GRT]

It is interesting to read some of the (new) independent peer reviewed research that is linked in the article. The research can be found via the blue reference numbers that are prevalent through the article.

Thanks for that suggestion. I did browse some, and yes, it is interesting!

To me--and, obviously, I know nothing about the science--it looks more and more like covid passed from an animal, and I sure wish they'd pinpoint that animal and put an end to the speculation.

But, given the number of lab leaks in the US over the past few years, we know leaks are distinct possibilities. I think if it's ever determined that covid leaked, it would lead to restrictions and new regulations on some of the more dangerous virus research. That might actually be a good thing for the future of our world.

Daszak is a supporter of gain-of-function virus research, but I still think it's too dangerous. I feel as though his efforts to silence other opinions are so he can continue backing GoF research. And, he may even think he's doing the right thing. But, as a president of a company that backs the research, he never should have instigated the first letter nor the second. Nor should he have been on the WHO team. Such a conflict of interest. But, to be fair, I've also wondered if Daszak is trying to protect the woman scientist at the WIV. If it's ever shown that covid leaked, China will likely execute her.

I used to think humanity would eventually be (to an extent) destroyed by nuclear weapons. Now, after seeing what covid did, I feel as though it's more likely to be by a very dangerous virus.

 

[Lilibet]

How exciting! We get Three.....Four.....Five injections, primarily because somewhere around 30-40% of this country refuse to get even 1.

OT: Thanks a lot @SoCalDavidS …please forgive my fatalistic sense of humor at 2:30 a.m., but upon reading your “Three…Four…Five injections,” the chorus to the Country Joe and the Fish classic Vietnam War protest song “Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag” started a flashback ear worm going in my brain…

And it's five, six, seven
Open up the pearly gates
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die

Country Joe and the Fish – I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

But wait..there’s more! While googling, hoping (Navy veteran) Country Joe McDonald had come up with a Covid parody spin-off, I found this sarcastic parody by Bob Rivers that nails your original point about 30-40% of the country.

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Insomnia is a terrible thing to waste!

 

[SouthAussie]

Thanks for that suggestion. I did browse some, and yes, it is interesting!

To me--and, obviously, I know nothing about the science--it looks more and more like covid passed from an animal, and I sure wish they'd pinpoint that animal and put an end to the speculation.

But, given the number of lab leaks in the US over the past few years, we know leaks are distinct possibilities. I think if it's ever determined that covid leaked, it would lead to restrictions and new regulations on some of the more dangerous virus research. That might actually be a good thing for the future of our world.

Daszak is a supporter of gain-of-function virus research, but I still think it's too dangerous. I feel as though his efforts to silence other opinions are so he can continue backing GoF research. And, he may even think he's doing the right thing. But, as a president of a company that backs the research, he never should have instigated the first letter nor the second. Nor should he have been on the WHO team. Such a conflict of interest. But, to be fair, I've also wondered if Daszak is trying to protect the woman scientist at the WIV. If it's ever shown that covid leaked, China will likely execute her.

I used to think humanity would eventually be (to an extent) destroyed by nuclear weapons. Now, after seeing what covid did, I feel as though it's more likely to be by a very dangerous virus.

I agree that viruses are a very scary thing ... I just think we all need to be very careful who we accuse of what.
Because when we do this, we shut down communications ... communications that scientists desperately need in order to find the deadly source.


When HIV/AIDS emerged in the 1980s, it was alleged, with a little Soviet help, that the virus had been developed in an American lab.
After many early cases of tick-borne Lyme disease were first identified around Long Island Sound, it was deemed too much of a coincidence that the U.S. military’s Plum Island animal research lab sat on an island in the sound itself.
And in recent years, efforts to eradicate Ebola have been hobbled by attacks on health care workers motivated, at least in part, by a belief that the virus is man-made.

Blaming humans for disease is as old as time itself.
Without firm answers, humankind loves to invent stories, from the Black Death of the 14th century to the 2009 H1N1 outbreak.
When infectious diseases can be explained, however, nature is almost always the culprit.
The Lab Leak Theory Doesn’t Hold Up

 

[weepingangel]

Oh bless this is why we can’t have nice things
And of course most headlines I’ve seen leave off the “not needed at this time” part
Pfizer says it's time for a Covid vaccine booster; FDA and CDC say not so fast - CNN

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Students don't need masks at school if they are fully vaccinated, CDC says (nbcnews.com)

The new guidance from the CDC falls in line with its previous advice on masks for vaccinated adults.

Fully vaccinated students do not need to wear masks in classrooms this fall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The guidance, which goes beyond mask-wearing, is aimed at kindergartners through high school seniors, and is meant "to help keep kids in classrooms, as well as participating in any sports or extracurricular activities," said Erin Sauber-Schatz, who heads the CDC's Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force.

The recommendation for fully vaccinated students mirrors the CDC's previous guidance for fully vaccinated adults: no masks needed when indoors...

 

[GRT]

I agree that viruses are a very scary thing ... I just think we all need to be very careful who we accuse of what.
Because when we do this, we shut down communications ... communications that scientists desperately need in order to find the deadly source.


When HIV/AIDS emerged in the 1980s, it was alleged, with a little Soviet help, that the virus had been developed in an American lab.
After many early cases of tick-borne Lyme disease were first identified around Long Island Sound, it was deemed too much of a coincidence that the U.S. military’s Plum Island animal research lab sat on an island in the sound itself.
And in recent years, efforts to eradicate Ebola have been hobbled by attacks on health care workers motivated, at least in part, by a belief that the virus is man-made.

Blaming humans for disease is as old as time itself.
Without firm answers, humankind loves to invent stories, from the Black Death of the 14th century to the 2009 H1N1 outbreak.
When infectious diseases can be explained, however, nature is almost always the culprit.
The Lab Leak Theory Doesn’t Hold Up

I totally get that. We can't go off and accuse others, willy-nilly without at least some evidence. I also agree that virtually all of the viruses that have caused trouble are zoonotic in nature.

There's actually two different factors to what's being considered. One is whether Covid could be the result of gain of function research, and the other is if it escaped from the lab. It could very well be a zoonotic virus that arose in nature and still have escaped from a lab.

We've had many lab "accidents," including some really scary ones with smallpox that shouldn't have happened. And, smallpox is a virus that arose in nature.

My problem with Daszak is that he pressured scientists and manipulated media outlets in a very unscientific way. That reduces society's faith in the scientific process. The question is, why? My guess--just my opinion, nothing more--is that he doesn't want any restrictions of the study of viruses. He's been a fan of GoF for years.

My opinion is that it's too dangerous. If Covid, whether or not it's a natural virus, it would likely lead to restrictions on GoF, because lab leaks are common and GoF could result in one that wipes out literally billions.

At the prodding of dozens of scientists, the Obama Administration paused funding of GoF in the US. That ban was lifted under Trump.

China could put this all to bed by releasing the early data, although to date, they've refused. If it was any other nation, well, except for Russia and the US, we'd probably already know the source. One way or the other, we need to get to the truth of this virus' origins.

 

[SoCalDavidS]

As the saying goes.....Nothing To See Here, Move Along.

Florida sees 48 percent jump in weekly coronavirus infections as delta variant spreads

In the past two weeks the number of COVID-19 cases reported has nearly doubled.

The coronavirus is quickly rising again in Florida.

There were 23,697 new COVID-19 infections in Florida over the past seven-day period from July 2 to July 8, according to the weekly report released Friday by the Florida Department of Health. That’s an average of nearly 3,400 cases a day.

It’s also a 48 percent rise in COVID-19 infections — or 7,719 more infections — from the previous seven-day period from June 25 to July 1.

It’s the second consecutive jump in weekly coronavirus cases reported in Florida. In the past two weeks the number of weekly COVID-19 cases have nearly doubled from just under 12,000 cases reported from June 18 to June 24.

Florida sees 48 percent jump in weekly coronavirus infections as delta variant spreads

 

[SouthAussie]

As the saying goes.....Nothing To See Here, Move Along.

Florida sees 48 percent jump in weekly coronavirus infections as delta variant spreads

In the past two weeks the number of COVID-19 cases reported has nearly doubled.

The coronavirus is quickly rising again in Florida.

There were 23,697 new COVID-19 infections in Florida over the past seven-day period from July 2 to July 8, according to the weekly report released Friday by the Florida Department of Health. That’s an average of nearly 3,400 cases a day.

It’s also a 48 percent rise in COVID-19 infections — or 7,719 more infections — from the previous seven-day period from June 25 to July 1.

It’s the second consecutive jump in weekly coronavirus cases reported in Florida. In the past two weeks the number of weekly COVID-19 cases have nearly doubled from just under 12,000 cases reported from June 18 to June 24.

Florida sees 48 percent jump in weekly coronavirus infections as delta variant spreads

I think that it is going to take people a while to realise that we are not done with this pandemic yet.

It took over three years for the 1918 pandemic to die down. While we have some people in the world vaccinated, the great majority of the world is unvaccinated.

 

[SouthAussie]

Just putting this info here, because I think people need to take heed ....

Although our Aussie covid numbers are small (relatively speaking) they are big for us, and 10% of Delta-infected people are now in hospital.
With a good two handfuls in ICU, and 4 are on ventilators.


“We have 14 people admitted to hospital at the moment with Covid-19 under the age of 55, and of those, seven are under the age of 35 and I’m just going to read this next piece very slowly,” she said on Friday.

“Of the 10 people in ICU, one is in their 20s. One is in their 30s. One is in their 50s. Five are in their 60s and two are in their 70s.
Scary change in Sydney’s Covid outbreak