Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #98

[JDG]

dbm

 

[MajorHoople]

Here's a tragic report of a breakthrough case from the State of Georgia:

Beloved coach, teacher dies of COVID-19 at 36 despite being vaccinated

"A popular teacher and coach in Henry County died of COVID-19 despite being vaccinated.

Walter Kearse IV, who taught at Luella Middle School, was just 36 years old.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones talked to his wife, Quinyonia Kearse, who still believes everyone should get vaccinated.

Kearse said her husband called her from the hospital to tell her he had COVID-19. Walter Kearse died on Aug. 13. His wife said he tested negative for the virus three times before he went back to the doctor and finally tested positive.

While he was in the hospital, he posted a video to social media. “COVID is real, y’all. Been here since Friday,” Walter Kearse said. “Fully vaccinated. Please man, take care of yourself. This thing is not fun.”

Walter Kearse had some underlying health issues, but those had improved to the point that his doctor was weaning him off medication, his wife said."

 

[Estelle]

What do you think of this report from the UK?

Fully vaccinated adults can carry the same amount of coronavirus as those who are unvaccinated, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Oxford found the viral load reduction can be wiped out by the Delta variant which is now dominant in the UK.

While evidence demonstrates that vaccines significantly reduce hospitalisations and deaths, scientists now believe those infected by the Delta variant can still harbour similar levels of virus to those who are unvaccinated.

Previous research found that double jabbed people with the Alpha variant had far lower viral loads than un-vaccinated people, stoking hopes that the virus would spread less the more people were vaccinated.

However this has been thrown into doubt and raises questions about vaccine passports and recent changes to the NHS app, which work on the assumption that double-jabbed people are less likely to spread the virus.

Double jabbed carry same viral load of Covid as unvaccinated

 

[KALI]

Well, here in the USA, we've now run out of monetary assistance from our government.
Now we have Delta. Absolutely not one financial contingency plan to deal with this new wave for our citizens. Maybe they'll stop trying to force a 3 Trillion infrastructure and global warming bill down our throats and keep the money they are printing for helping our citizens and our businesses. I can only hope.

That's a good point--where we messed up in the US was in implementing fake little "feel good" lockdowns that weren't lockdowns at all. People never stopped shopping at the supermarkets and home improvement centers--they were always packed with shoppers. Costco and Sams were considered "essential" and open.

And, the govt. assistance didn't go to those who needed it, so they risked opening back up. It was just ridiculous and still is.

 

[SouthAussie]

Shocking Image Reveals Suffering of Patients Waiting for Florida's Monoclonal Antibody Treatments - News & Guts Media

Well, this is an important thing for the governor to relay to the Floridians ....

BBM
"But many people only get tested because they’ve already exhibited symptoms. If those symptoms are severe, monoclonal antibodies won’t work. This is all to say: timing the treatment is tricky, especially since Florida doesn’t require a doctor’s referral."

Hopefully he is making this clear when he is busy promoting the treatment.

 

[KALI]

Are they illegal? Are they afraid of deportation? What could be their stubbornness about being vaccinated? Do you know?

I work in long term care, and I will say with 100% certainty that a vaccine mandate in this setting will be catastrophic for staffing. The bulk of staff who refuse to be vaccinated are CNAs who make $10-16/hr. They can just as easily go work for fast food places for the same wages without a vaccine. We already have near zero applicants for these jobs. It did get better when Texas opted out of the additional federal unemployment money, but the struggle is still very real with staffing these positions. The bulk of them refusing the vaccine are absolutely not going to be swayed to do so in order to keep their job. There is A LOT of panic going on right now about how on earth we will even begin to care for our elderly with 60-70% of our CNAs falling into the unvaccinated category.

 

[SouthAussie]

All health workers in our state of NSW will be required to have mandatory covid vaccines. A public health order is going to be signed within the next few days.

First shots to be had by 30th September.
Second doses to be had by 30th November.

Hopefully, the rest of Australia will soon follow suit.

NSW COVID: NSW Health workers ro receive vaccination mandate

 

[KALI]

Why do you think that getting the first vaccine, is your biggest regret?
That's really an intense statement.
You say you did your own research.
Would you share what your research revealed, and why getting your first vaccine is your biggest regret?
Seriously asking. TIA

Yes ur right I got the first dose from pressure to be able to fly. Once I did my own research I never went back for the second. Biggest regret is getting the first dose and caving to pressure.

 

[MajorHoople]

Melissa Joan Hart tests positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated | Daily Mail Online

It's Hard To Breathe': Melissa Joan Hart Tests Positive For Covid-19 Despite Being Vaccinated And Fears One Of Her Three Sons Has Also Contracted The Virus

"The actress, 45, revealed the news in a two-minute long Instagram video on Thursday, adding that she thinks one of her three sons may have also contracted the virus.

'I got Covid. I am vaccinated and I got Covid and it's bad,' began Melissa, who broadcasted her message from bed. 'It's weighing on my chest it's hard to breathe.'

The Sabrina The Teenage Witch star shares three children, sons Mason, 15, Braydon, 13, and Tucker, eight, with husband Mark Wilkerson, 44.

Protect your families, protect your kids, it's not over yet. I hoped it was, but it's not. So stay vigilant and stay safe,' she concluded.

Taking to her post's caption, the Melissa & Joey star stressed that she 'is not posting this to be political or gain pity.

'I just want to share my journey. This isn't up for debate, it's just how I feel today on my page."

 

[ZoriahNZ]

Here is an update from NZ:

Covid-19 Live: NZ stays at alert level 4 until midnight Tuesday, after three Wellington cases confirmed

National lockdown extended to 7 days. We got a lot of online mockery/disbelief at our locking down due to detecting only one case. But now we have 31 and we know exactly how it got here. The genome and contact tracing is going well.



Please remember that being vaccinated greatly helps reduce the chance of hospitalization and death. So while there will still be some break through cases, it's better to be vaccinated than vulnerable (just like the flu jab) because if you do get it, it will be much less severe.

From the CDC:

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Key Points

• All COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized in the United States are effective against COVID-19, including serious outcomes of severe disease, hospitalization, and death.
• Available evidence suggests the currently authorized mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) are highly effective against hospitalization and death for a variety of strains, including Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), and Delta (B.1.617.2); data suggest lower effectiveness against confirmed infection and symptomatic disease caused by the Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants compared with the ancestral strain and Alpha variant. Ongoing monitoring of vaccine effectiveness against variants is needed.
• A growing body of evidence indicates that people fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) are less likely than unvaccinated persons to acquire SARS-CoV-2 or to transmit it to others. However, the risk for SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection in fully vaccinated people cannot be completely eliminated as long as there is continued community transmission of the virus.

Scroll down and you will see some data tables regarding their effectiveness against various outcomes.

 

[Lilibet]

Continuing my rant…

345 cases reported for my rural Southern Oregon county (Jackson) today…by far the most in the state. We are rated “high risk.”
U.S. COVID Risk & Vaccine Tracker

Details from the Governor’s news conference today…
https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ERD/Docu...1.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Much of the help to be provided by the Oregon National Guard, EMT paramedics from FEMA, extra medical personnel requested from other states and eight nurse crisis teams will be deployed to Southern and Central Oregon. That’s how bad it is here.

Info on break-through cases and miscellaneous…
Oregon Coronavirus Update

I don’t have a link handy, but we are able to see cases and vaccination rates in our county by zip code. It appears to me that lower income and more rural zip codes have the lowest vax rates and highest case numbers in general. I don’t know if low income/rural living is what influences the angry anti-government attitudes I described in my post to KALI, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

I could go on and on…but you get the picture.

 

[MajorHoople]

What do you think of this report from the UK?

Fully vaccinated adults can carry the same amount of coronavirus as those who are unvaccinated, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Oxford found the viral load reduction can be wiped out by the Delta variant which is now dominant in the UK.

While evidence demonstrates that vaccines significantly reduce hospitalisations and deaths, scientists now believe those infected by the Delta variant can still harbour similar levels of virus to those who are unvaccinated.

Previous research found that double jabbed people with the Alpha variant had far lower viral loads than un-vaccinated people, stoking hopes that the virus would spread less the more people were vaccinated.

However this has been thrown into doubt and raises questions about vaccine passports and recent changes to the NHS app, which work on the assumption that double-jabbed people are less likely to spread the virus.

Double jabbed carry same viral load of Covid as unvaccinated

What do you think of this report from the UK?

I find this report discouraging. I find it very, very discouraging. It seems like nothing we do will solve this Covid plague.

Some things we do may help, but nothing solves the problem. It goes on and on.

 

[Lilibet]

What do you think of this report from the UK?

I find this report discouraging. I find it very, very discouraging. It seems like nothing we do will solve this Covid plague.

Some things we do may help, but nothing solves the problem. It goes on and on.

For some reason, this wasn’t news to me, but I don’t know where I’d already heard that those of us who are vaxxed can be just as contagious as the unvaxxed. But yes, it’s very discouraging and disheartening.

 

[GRT]

Well, here in the USA, we've now run out of monetary assistance from our government.
Now we have Delta. Absolutely not one financial contingency plan to deal with this new wave for our citizens. Maybe they'll stop trying to force a 3 Trillion infrastructure and global warming bill down our throats and keep the money they are printing for helping our citizens and our businesses. I can only hope.

Around here, very few business that took a financial hit the first time ever saw any contingency money. Many closed their doors permanently. My niece struggled to pay the rent and utilities on he yoga studio while she was forced to close. She applied for help but didn't get a dime. The only small business I know that got money was a local contractor who was considered "essential," and his crew was working constantly.

Perhaps some of the saddest stories are from people who were renting out a house to someone else and were not allowed to evict the tenants who didn't pay rent. That happened to a gal with whom I work closely. When she and her husband married, they moved into his house and rented hers out. The family that lives there stopped paying rent, but the gal had to keep paying the mortgage. The state of Kansas claims it's "slow" to get the rent-assistance money to landlords, but in reality, I don't think they ever intended to distribute the money. Meanwhile, the gal actually cried once on a Zoom meeting because the money was so tight, they were having a hard time just putting food on the table.

 

[GRT]

I wish we'd get some advice on boosters for those of us who had the J&J shot.

What to Know About Boosters if You Got the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

 

[jjenny]

For some reason, this wasn’t news to me, but I don’t know where I’d already heard that those of us who are vaxxed can be just as contagious as the unvaxxed. But yes, it’s very discouraging and disheartening.

They have done a similar study in US. With delta, vaccinated have the same virus load as unvaccinated when infected.

 

[GRT]

Are they illegal? Are they afraid of deportation? What could be their stubbornness about being vaccinated? Do you know?

Here, I think most of them are legal citizens, but those who won't get the shot are adamant about it. I think they truly believe that it will hurt them or make them infertile or something.

The messaging behind the vaccines has been awful from day one. Once the vaccine (and the virus, itself) became politicized, it became an uphill battle.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Vaccine Effectiveness Declines Overall, Remains Strong in Preventing Hospitalization

 

[SouthAussie]

He had tested positive for the coronavirus 10 days ago. He was under 50, mildly hypertensive but otherwise in good health. Eight days earlier he started coughing and having severe fatigue. His doctor started him on antibiotics. It did not work.

Fearing his symptoms were worsening, he started taking some hydroxychloroquine he had found on the internet. It did not work.

He was now experiencing shortness of breath while doing routine daily activities such as walking from his bedroom to the bathroom or putting on his shoes. He was a shell of his former self.

He eventually made his way to a facility where he could receive monoclonal antibodies, a lab-produced transfusion that substitutes for the body’s own antibodies. It did not work.

He finally ended up in the ER with dangerously low oxygen levels, exceedingly high inflammatory markers and patchy areas of infection all over his lungs. Nothing had helped. He was getting worse. He could not breathe.

His wife and two young children were at home, all infected with COVID. He and his wife had decided not to get vaccinated.

Last year, a case like this would have flattened me. I would have wrestled with the sadness and how unfair life was. Battled with the angst of how unlucky he was. This year, I struggled to find sympathy. It was August 2021, not 2020.

Outside his hospital door, I took a deep breath — battening down my anger and frustration — and went in.

Shouting through my N95 mask and the noise of the HEPA filter, I introduced myself. I calmly asked him why he decided not to get vaccinated.

“Well, I’m not an anti-vaxxer or anything. I was just waiting for the FDA to approve the vaccine first. I didn’t want to take anything experimental. I didn’t want to be the government’s guinea pig, and I don’t trust that it’s safe,” he said.

As a doctor in a COVID unit, I’m running out of compassion for the unvaccinated. Get the shot.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Double posted. But while I’m here I will admit it seems a lot of people are running out of compassion for the wilfully unvaccinated who get ill. There are plenty of people who cannot have the shot, for medical reasons, full sympathy goes out to them. Every other adult in the UK and US has had plenty of chances to protect themselves.