Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #96

[ilovewings]

Maybe some schools will, but it's getting crazy here--I see very few masks on anyone, and people are out and about. Kids are at the pool, running, wrestling, playing. Kids are already back on their sport teams without masks, high-fiving each other and my niece's daughter just hosted a huge slumber party. When I asked my niece about it, she said "Everything's back to normal now."

There's no possible way we can stop new variants unless we start being responsible. I can't believe the CDC's advice. We depend on them for guidance, and they dropped the ball. Now, Delta is surging and much longer can it be before a newer, and much more dangerous variant, shows up?

But here's the thing--the vast majority of Americans aren't even paying attention anymore. They think it's over and they're not taking any precautions.

This does not bode well.

I hear ya! I just into a heated discussion with my husband who does not want to wear a mask to the grocery store and when he goes by himself, he does not wear it. I told him when he goes with me, he has to wear it. In spite of the news of this surge, he thinks because we are vaccinated, we can do whatever we want. I told him if he won't wear a mask (when he goes to the store by himself), he is sending me a message that he doesn't care about me- I told him I do not want to get even a mild case of Covid since it is avoidable if you wear a mask. He wore a mask throughout the pandemic (because I convinced him to do that), but now, because of the CDC's awful advice, he thinks the danger of the pandemic is over, you know, people who are vaccinated don't need to wear masks. The CDC has been absolutely awful with their messaging from the beginning of the pandemic to the president time. Very very disappointing.

 

[mickey2942]

meanwhile we were sent a memo today that "there is no work from home policy" meaning show up at the office or you will have no job....

Yeah. I sort of "like" that twist. When the pandemic started, people were basically "strong armed" or guilt tripped to do telework from home. I don't like to work from home, but was pretty much told I had to...until they realized someone did actually have to show up every day, and no one else would.

Now, it is "telework flexibilities" are subject to review and approval. What a bait and switch technique!

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Anyone thinking of going to the Carribean? Maybe read this first ....


Covid-19 cases are increasing in many Central American and Caribbean countries .... World Health Organization warned on Wednesday as they called on richer nations to step up vaccine donations to a region where immunization rates remain perilously low.

Cases in Martinique, for example, have tripled over the past week, many involving “young people in their 20s,” Dr. Etienne said.

World health officials call for urgent vaccine donations to stem Covid in Central America and the Caribbean.

There are MANY great quick-read articles embedded in this single NYT article....

I didn't know about the falling out between Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's former key advisor.....

In the interview, Mr. Cummings said the prime minister’s attitude about the pandemic last fall “was a weird mix of, partly ‘It’s all nonsense and lockdowns don’t work anyway’ and partly ‘Well this is terrible but the people who are dying are essentially all over 80 and we can’t kill the economy just because of people dying over 80.’”


AND my chances of running to Canada in September are probably going to be squashed...

The United States will keep its land borders with Mexico and Canada closed for all nonessential travel for at least another month, the Department of Homeland Security said on Wednesday, extending the travel restrictions just days after Canadian officials announced they would soon reopen to U.S. travelers.

And South Aussie.... this is still disheartening news for you....
About 29 percent of Australia’s population has received at least one vaccine dose and 11 percent are fully vaccinated, according to a New York Times database.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Again... Florida's lack of transparency is NOT allowing us to really know what is going on within assisted living facilities..... The elderly will STILL suffer greatly....

Seventy percent of nursing home residents in the state had been vaccinated as of July 4, according to federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid data. But Florida has one of the lowest vaccination rates among nursing home staffers in the country, lagging every state but Louisiana, according to that data.

For nursing homes, some data is available through the federal government, which requires skilled nursing facilities to self-report cases and vaccination rates for residents and staffers. But that data is updated only biweekly, creating a significant lag between available information and the current situation.

Assisted-living facilities are even more of a “black box” when it comes to coronavirus reporting, according to Johnson.

Florida not sharing which nursing homes have COVID-19 as overall cases rise

 

[SouthAussie]

And South Aussie.... this is still disheartening news for you....
About 29 percent of Australia’s population has received at least one vaccine dose and 11 percent are fully vaccinated, according to a New York Times database.

We are at 14.98% fully vaccinated, as of yesterday (official record).
36.61% with first dose only.

All vaccinations are uploaded to a central govt site (Australian Vaccination Register), and we can all see our individual private record (on a system called myGov) and the vaccine dept can keep an eye on total progress.



Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout
FIRST LOOK: Aussies start to receive the COVID vaccination certificates

 

[303gmf]

I totally get where you're coming from. Here in the US, we were not prepared for the demographic challenges. So much of our food is shipped by air and truck all over the nation and "essential" workers commute long distances.

But, I think we're learning from our mistakes--both our very early ones, and the ones we continue to make because we so badly want to be out from under the masking and lockdowns.

My hope is that analysts around the world will study this pandemic very carefully and then come up with some work-arounds in the case we ever see another one (fingers crossed-we don't).

Just watching the economic and industrial changes has been fascinating. Virtually everything can be delivered--no one shakes hands anymore--commercial offices are sitting empty and workers are now remote.

Today, I was in Manhattan, KS., and I saw one of those new Segway scooters traveling along the sidewalk all by itself. I think I squealed, "What the heck?" Of course that embarrassed my son who told me I needed to educate myself better because everyone knows about those.

We live in a quickly changing world, and this pandemic will leave a deep imprint on our collective souls.

MHK here too at the moment, not much masking and everything wide open, college students returning in droves soon and so many anti-science and government mistrust and or ignorance of health precautions
Beam me up to a wiser state!

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I hear ya! I just into a heated discussion with my husband who does not want to wear a mask to the grocery store and when he goes by himself, he does not wear it. I told him when he goes with me, he has to wear it. In spite of the news of this surge, he thinks because we are vaccinated, we can do whatever we want. I told him if he won't wear a mask (when he goes to the store by himself), he is sending me a message that he doesn't care about me- I told him I do not want to get even a mild case of Covid since it is avoidable if you wear a mask. He wore a mask throughout the pandemic (because I convinced him to do that), but now, because of the CDC's awful advice, he thinks the danger of the pandemic is over, you know, people who are vaccinated don't need to wear masks. The CDC has been absolutely awful with their messaging from the beginning of the pandemic to the president time. Very very disappointing.

I personally know people who are positive right now, and who have been fully vaccinated. They are doing ok, but it is definitely happening.

 

[WichitaFalls]

I can't believe that I'm watching coverage of First Lady Jill Biden arriving in Tokyo for the Olympics! I'm a huge supporter of the First Lady but IMO this is such a bad decision. I hope she manages to stay safe, what a mess this visit could turn into if by chance she doesn't. Mixed messages reign.

 

[ilovewings]

I can't believe that I'm watching coverage of First Lady Jill Biden arriving in Tokyo for the Olympics! I'm a huge supporter of the First Lady but IMO this is such a bad decision. I hope she manages to stay safe, what a mess this visit could turn into if by chance she doesn't. Mixed messages reign.

Holy moly: I am shocked- she of all people should know better!!!!

 

[WichitaFalls]

Over 600,000 Brits Ordered to Self-Isolate in Delta-Fueled ‘Pingdemic’

If you stick your head out of a window in England right now, the chances are you’ll hear a notification alert followed by a bellowed expletive.

A staggering 618,903 people in England and Wales—that’s around one in every hundred people—were told to isolate last week after coming into suspected contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The alerts, sent out by the U.K. government’s bluetooth-powered contact tracing app, advise users not to leave their homes for 10 days.

More at link . . . Over 600,000 Brits Ordered to Self-Isolate in Delta-Fueled ‘Pingdemic’

 

[SoCalDavidS]

I can't believe that I'm watching coverage of First Lady Jill Biden arriving in Tokyo for the Olympics! I'm a huge supporter of the First Lady but IMO this is such a bad decision. I hope she manages to stay safe, what a mess this visit could turn into if by chance she doesn't. Mixed messages reign.

I agree completely about the mixed messages. Although, it's not really different than the message being sent here in America.

As for her safety, I hope they limit her contacts. I don't know what protocols they have for people meeting with her or the President. It might be limited to those who are vaccinated. In any case, I don't think she is necessarily more at risk there than she is here.

Honestly, I have no idea what the plan is if things do not improve. For now, it seems to be letting things deteriorate amongst the unvaccinated, while evidence mounts as to the effectiveness of the vaccines against hospitalization or death for those vaccinated who contract the virus. If that doesn't work, and we're still out of control come Labor Day, not sure what Plan B is.

 

[MimosaMornings]

I personally know people who are positive right now, and who have been fully vaccinated. They are doing ok, but it is definitely happening.

Wonder if they knew where they contacted it? I’d be curious to know if they discontinued mask wearing or social distancing, trying to identify how/when could be important clues!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

What breakthrough infections mean for the Covid vaccines (nbcnews.com)

As coronavirus cases once again rise in the U.S., experts say breakthrough cases will also go up, but that doesn't mean the vaccines aren't working.

A series of recent coronavirus infections among vaccinated athletes and government staffers has focused attention on an apparent rise in so-called breakthrough infections. But while cases involving fully vaccinated people have increased in recent weeks, experts say there's little reason to worry.

A game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox on July 15 was postponed because of multiple confirmed breakthrough cases. A few days later, Kara Eaker, an alternate on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team who was vaccinated in May, tested positive at an Olympics training camp in Japan. And this week, government officials announced that a White House staffer and a senior communications aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had tested positive even though they had been fully vaccinated. The cases came on the heels of positive tests for six members of a delegation of Texas Democrats in Washington, D.C. ...

 

[LadyL]

Over 600,000 Brits Ordered to Self-Isolate in Delta-Fueled ‘Pingdemic’

If you stick your head out of a window in England right now, the chances are you’ll hear a notification alert followed by a bellowed expletive.

A staggering 618,903 people in England and Wales—that’s around one in every hundred people—were told to isolate last week after coming into suspected contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. The alerts, sent out by the U.K. government’s bluetooth-powered contact tracing app, advise users not to leave their homes for 10 days.

More at link . . . Over 600,000 Brits Ordered to Self-Isolate in Delta-Fueled ‘Pingdemic’

what the heck?

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Wonder if they knew where they contacted it? I’d be curious to know if they discontinued mask wearing or social distancing, trying to identify how/when could be important clues!

Well one works in catering, serves food behind a counter. Wears a mask, but comes into contact with hundreds every day. They all wear masks. I honestly think wearing a mask has v limited protection, although I agree we should continue with them because any is better than none.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

what the heck?

Oh yes. And the media are running photos of empty supermarket shelves because truck drivers are affected. So now people are panic buying again. One major fuel (i.e.gas in your lingo) depot was impacted so there was a fuel pump panic briefly too.

I know people who are calling it ping kerching. Because their workmates are getting pinged and they are being offered overtime to cover their shifts.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

This is a graph of U.K. cases vs deaths during our second (January) and third (current) waves. Hope it gives some reassurance that the vaccines do work - we are now at the same numbers of cases but nowhere near the deaths:



Who has been hit hardest by the UK’s third wave of Covid-19?

 

[CSIDreamer]

I can't believe that I'm watching coverage of First Lady Jill Biden arriving in Tokyo for the Olympics! I'm a huge supporter of the First Lady but IMO this is such a bad decision. I hope she manages to stay safe, what a mess this visit could turn into if by chance she doesn't. Mixed messages reign.

That's incredibly irresponsible of her. JMO.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Wonder if they knew where they contacted it? I’d be curious to know if they discontinued mask wearing or social distancing, trying to identify how/when could be important clues!

I've suddenly became a fan of social distancing again.

 

[weepingangel]

nope not here. not at this time anyway. Let’s wait until it gets worse
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says he doesn’t plan on changing mask guidance for schools
More at link
Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday his administration has no plans to reinstate a mask mandate for schools this fall, one day after a dozen lawmakers urged him to revive the policy in early education and elementary school settings amid the spread of the more infectious Delta variant of COVID-19.

I wonder if the schools will pay heed to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued recommendations Monday for the 2021-22 school year that include everyone older than age 2 wearing masks, regardless of vaccination status.
Pediatrics experts recommends kids wear masks in schools: COVID news