Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #97

[ilovewings]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...a-hospitals-delta-variant-vaccine-resistance/

Good article from a physician treating patients in Alabama, where they have the lowest compliance with the vaccine

 

[GRT]

The postal workers union is pushing back against regulations that they have to be vaccinated. This will be interesting because postal workers are not classified as "federal workers," although they must usually abide by federal regulations.

APWU Statement on Mandatory Vaccination for Federal Employees

 

[nhmemorymaker]

This new strain has arrived in Florida.

Florida, Florida..... it is starting to feel like the Wild West here... county and city officials taking things into their own hands. .... But we have heard about this possible new strain, and here it is.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/28/colombia-variant-coronavirus-florida/[/URL]

A coronavirus variant discovered in Colombia is showing up among patients in South Florida, increasing infections and putting health officials on alert as calls grow louder for unvaccinated individuals to get inoculated.

Carlos Migoya, CEO of Jackson Health System, told WPLG in Miami earlier this week that the B.1.621 variant has accounted for about 10 percent of coronavirus patients, trailing behind delta, the now-dominant variant in the United States that has been ravaging the nation’s unvaccinated, and the gamma variant. B.1.621 has yet to receive a Greek-letter designation as more prominent variants have.

Migoya told the news station that he speculated B.1.621 is rising in South Florida because of international travel between Colombia and Miami, which serves as a gateway to Latin America.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/28/colombia-variant-coronavirus-florida/

The Washington Post is providing this important information about the coronavirus for free. For more free coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter where all stories are free to read.

 

[SouthAussie]

Our National Cabinet met again yesterday. ScoMo announced their plan today.

Essentially we are going to hold as is until we get a 70% fully-vaccinated rate, then we will only lockdown in specific required zones (with the state of Western Australia reserving the right to do full state/city lockdowns when it feels it is needed).
This is likely to take up until the end of the year, if all goes well.

Then once we reach an 80% fully-vaccinated rate, vaccinated Aussies will be allowed overseas travel again.

Our international border will not reopen until some pre-determined time after that, once they are able to see how the plan (and world) is going.

PM says timeline for reaching vaccination goal is 'up to us as Australians'

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Countries across the globe say they've been let down by broken promises and stalled deliveries of Russia's Sputnik V Covid vaccine.

• One of the countries hit hardest by late deliveries is Iran. Tehran ordered 60 million doses, only a fraction of which have arrived.

• Guatemala was one of the first countries to complain that deliveries were not being fulfilled.

• Authorities in Honduras say they were working on a contingency plan following delays

• Bolivian media say the country had only received 745,000 doses of a promised 5.2 million

• Mexican media reports, the country has so far received only 4.1 million of 24 million doses

• Argentina was still waiting for 5.5 million first doses and 13.1 million second doses of Sputnik V

• Only 20,000 of Ghana's 3.4 million doses delivered

• African Union's (AU) vaccine task team said Russia had offered it 300 million doses .... However, in early July, few doses were reported to have arrived

Covid: Stalled Russian vaccines cause global anger

Well, this from the article, is not very good news. Do we know if Delta has arrived and living in Russia....?

"Despite ambitious plans to roll out Sputnik V across the world, Russia is finding it difficult to produce enough for its own citizens.

This is despite only 15% of Russians - wary of new drugs and government programmes - having one shot of the vaccine by the end of June."

 

[mickey2942]

The postal workers union is pushing back against regulations that they have to be vaccinated. This will be interesting because postal workers are not classified as "federal workers," although they must usually abide by federal regulations.

APWU Statement on Mandatory Vaccination for Federal Employees

I must be missing something, because I just don't understand why people are so resistant to getting this vaccine. I am old enough to remember getting a vaccine for polio. We were so happy to get the vaccine! I don't remember people being resistant.

The reasons these folks have for not getting a vaccine are ludicrous.

 

[SouthAussie]

I must be missing something, because I just don't understand why people are so resistant to getting this vaccine. I am old enough to remember getting a vaccine for polio. We were so happy to get the vaccine! I don't remember people being resistant.

The reasons these folks have for not getting a vaccine are ludicrous.

I don't get it either.

I know we are a lot different from the US, but I was just reading this article about one of our largest supermarket chains setting up pop-up clinics in Sydney for their workers to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
The clinics are for their workers only. The workers will be given up to 8 hours of paid leave for their effort.
Their CEO mentions that he has been fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca, to encourage the workers and reassure customers.

All large companies - everywhere - should be making this kind of effort. IMO

Woolworths sets up pop-up vaccination clinics in Sydney

 

[Sundog]

The postal workers union is pushing back against regulations that they have to be vaccinated. This will be interesting because postal workers are not classified as "federal workers," although they must usually abide by federal regulations.

APWU Statement on Mandatory Vaccination for Federal Employees

Same with state employees if they have a collective bargaining agreement (unionized), you can't mandate the vaccine, it has to be negotiated (as are all conditions of employment). So at our university, for example, only at-will employees can be mandated to take the vaccine, as well as students. Faculty and unionized staff have collective bargaining agreements at the university where I work. Only professional staff are at-will employees that aren't unionized/represented by a bargaining unit.

 

[Sundog]

I must be missing something, because I just don't understand why people are so resistant to getting this vaccine. I am old enough to remember getting a vaccine for polio. We were so happy to get the vaccine! I don't remember people being resistant.

The reasons these folks have for not getting a vaccine are ludicrous.

The union representing postal workers may want to negotiate the working conditions and terms of the employees who don't get vaccinated, for example how many times a week they are tested, what are the quarantine conditions if people test positive, how will they be paid, etc. Any working condition changes have to be negotiated when you are represented by a union/collective bargaining agreement, so this is pro forma for unionized federal and state employees.

ETA: Other issues might include paid leave, impact on benefits/hours, etc. and policy details around exemptions, etc.

 

[WichitaFalls]

Good morning, so we start today with the stress level amped up regarding COVID. Sigh.
I'm not sure if Twitter posts are allowed?

Jonathan Reiner, MD
@JReinerMD
In February 1777 George Washington ordered a mass vaccination of the Continental Army for smallpox. President Biden should immediately order the 1.5 million members of the US armed forces to be vaccinated. It needs to be done now.

 

[jjenny]

I must be missing something, because I just don't understand why people are so resistant to getting this vaccine. I am old enough to remember getting a vaccine for polio. We were so happy to get the vaccine! I don't remember people being resistant.

The reasons these folks have for not getting a vaccine are ludicrous.

They got all kind of conspiracy theories going.

 

[weepingangel]

I was actually looking for an article I saw in June that did mention that military vaxes had increased a good bit since early spring

My military family member was offered it early - January/maybe February I think ?


Alabama military base orders troops to show vaccination proof as Covid-19 concerns mount - CNNPolitics

Marine Corps the Least Vaccinated Military Service, New Data Shows


Many Soldiers Still Aren’t Vaccinated; What’s The Army’s Plan?

Military and V.A. Struggle With Vaccination Rates in Their Ranks

 

[weepingangel]

Massachusetts
CDC mask decision followed stunning findings from Cape Cod beach outbreak
More at link
A week after the crowds descended upon Provincetown, Massachusetts, to celebrate the Fourth of July -- the holiday President Joe Biden hoped would mark the nation's liberation from COVID-19 -- the manager of the Cape Cod beach town said he was aware of "a handful of positive COVID cases among folks" who spent time there.

"We are in touch with the Health Department and Outer Cape Health Services and are closely monitoring the data," Alex Morse told reporters.

The announcement wasn't unusual with roughly half of the country still unvaccinated and flare-ups of the virus popping up in various states.

But within weeks, health officials seemed to be on to something much bigger. The outbreak quickly grew to the hundreds and most of them appeared to be vaccinated.

As of Thursday, 882 people were tied to the Provincetown outbreak. Among those living in Massachusetts, 74% of them were fully immunized, yet officials said the vast majority were also reporting symptoms. Seven people were reported hospitalized.

The initial findings of the investigation led by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seemed to have huge implications.

 

[Warwick1991]

Here in Florida, cases are increasing. Florida virus cases soar, hospitals near last summer's peak

The state has also stopped publishing daily Covid statistics, and has allowed long term care facilities to stop reporting cases. Florida no longer tracking COVID-19 nursing home data

 

[Midgie2]

Thank You katydid and socalDavidS. The surgery center has excellent reviews. You brought up some really good points! I will plan on having the surgery.

 

[weepingangel]

The state has also stopped publishing daily Covid statistics, and has allowed long term care facilities to stop reporting cases. Florida no longer tracking COVID-19 nursing home data

.

 

[WildOrchid]

How are they allowed to just arbitrarily stop reporting during a time like this? Do we not deserve to know the risk of visiting? Do residents not deserve to know the risk of venturing out? Witah!! This whole virus is maddening! I work with people medically for a living and I do not, for the life of me, understand. *screams and rips hair out*

Here in Florida, cases are increasing. Florida virus cases soar, hospitals near last summer's peak

The state has also stopped publishing daily Covid statistics, and has allowed long term care facilities to stop reporting cases. Florida no longer tracking COVID-19 nursing home data

 

[MimosaMornings]

Massachusetts
CDC mask decision followed stunning findings from Cape Cod beach outbreak
More at link
A week after the crowds descended upon Provincetown, Massachusetts, to celebrate the Fourth of July -- the holiday President Joe Biden hoped would mark the nation's liberation from COVID-19 -- the manager of the Cape Cod beach town said he was aware of "a handful of positive COVID cases among folks" who spent time there.

"We are in touch with the Health Department and Outer Cape Health Services and are closely monitoring the data," Alex Morse told reporters.

The announcement wasn't unusual with roughly half of the country still unvaccinated and flare-ups of the virus popping up in various states.

But within weeks, health officials seemed to be on to something much bigger. The outbreak quickly grew to the hundreds and most of them appeared to be vaccinated.

As of Thursday, 882 people were tied to the Provincetown outbreak. Among those living in Massachusetts, 74% of them were fully immunized, yet officials said the vast majority were also reporting symptoms. Seven people were reported hospitalized.

The initial findings of the investigation led by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seemed to have huge implications.

Wow.
I’m guessing very few wore masks or social distanced in a very crowded atmosphere.

 

[ilovewings]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/30/provincetown-covid-outbreak-vaccinated/

CDC study shows three fourths of people infected in Massachusetts Covid outbreak were vaccinated.- This was a party atmosphere at Provincetown- partying down---Some positive takeaways are that the vaccine prevented severe disease in most vaccinated people- and here for me is the key takeaway: " IF YOU ARE VACCINATED REFRAIN
FROM LARGE GROUP GATHERINGS AND MASK UP. CHANCES ARE YOU WILL BE OKAY-THIS IS NOT 2020-BUT WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS.

I guess many people who were vaccinated feel invincible--- I know I would not go into large crowds even vaccinated. If people would use some common sense, we would not where we are now and I blame a lot of this on the media and news reporters who cheerily and happily reported how things were so great, people dancing in the streets, going to crowded events for the fourth of July. SMH

 

[weepingangel]

Wow.
I’m guessing very few wore masks or social distanced in a very crowded atmosphere.

I’m guessing most of them felt safe/vaccinated. Unmasked Indoor things and any type of crowds aren’t in my comfort zone.
I probably would have felt ok on a non crowded beach situation. (My cape beach vaca was rained out in June so didn’t even have to worry was supposed to try again in sept
)