Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #98

[weepingangel]

Mayo Clinic: COVID Breakthrough Risk May Be Much Lower With Moderna Than Pfizer
Much more at link
The risk of suffering a breakthrough COVID-19 infection with the delta variant after being fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine may be much lower than the risk for those who received the Pfizer vaccine, according to a new Mayo Clinic study that is awaiting a full review.

The study found that in July in Florida, where COVID cases are at an all-time high and the delta variant is prevalent, the risk of a breakthrough case was 60% lower for Moderna recipients as compared to Pfizer recipients.

 

[weepingangel]

US mulls COVID vaccine boosters for elderly as early as fall
much much more at link

 

[weepingangel]

Inside America’s Covid-reporting breakdown
More at link
Crashing computers, three-week delays tracking infections, lab results delivered by snail mail: State officials detail a vast failure to identify hotspots quickly enough to prevent outbreaks.




and some people are stillll ok with all this. I just don’t get it.
Florida
Florida changed how it reports COVID statistics. The result? The pandemic appears to look less severe, with fewer recent deaths

Only 30% of St. Petersburg fire rescue first responders have gotten COVID vaccine, division chief estimates | WFLA

29-year-old Citrus County EMT dies from COVID-19 | WFLA


‘I don’t care whether you’ve been vaccinated or not, because dead is dead’: Oak Hill Hospital CEO says beds, staff at breaking point
More at link
Mickey Smith, the CEO of Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville addressed the county commission and answered questions about how the hospital is faring during the latest COVID surge.

“We have 133 COVID-positive patients out of our 309 total patients in the hospital,” Smith said. “We’ve now had to dedicate five nursing units to COVID. We are very close to our ICU being filled with COVID patients.”

Smith told the county commissioners that 25 patients in the ICU have COVID-19, and 17 are on ventilators, ranging in ages from 25-75.

Of the patients on ventilators, 14 are under the age of 65.

Only one had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

 

[weepingangel]

Martha’s Vineyard
August Spike in Covid Cases Continues
(8/12)More at link
spike in Island Covid cases has closed a bevy of businesses at the peak of summer and left two patients hospitalized with the virus for the first time since early spring.

TestMV — the Island’s free testing site — has also received approval to move with the facility seeing a rise in test recipients in recent weeks.

Health agents have reported 54 new Covid-19 cases since Sunday, August 8. The 54 cases reported over the past five days come after case levels reached near-zero totals at the beginning of the summer.

But they have spiked in recent weeks, peaking during the traditionally busiest weeks on the Island.

At least four Edgartown restaurants — Alchemy, The Port Hunter, Covington and The Newes From America — have been closed at various points this past week due to Covid-19 cases among staff. The Port Hunter and The Newes From America pub have reopened; the Covington and Alchemy restaurants remain closed through next week.

Edgartown health agent Matt Poole said in an interview that the closures were part bad luck, part the unfortunate reality of working in the food service industry on Martha’s Vineyard, where employees often live in close quarters and work in multiple establishments.

“Part of what you’re seeing here are employees working in more than one establishment,” Mr. Poole said. “Employee housing is also a significant complicating factor. The transmission that you’re seeing is often happening in housing, not in the workplace.”

Two patients were hospitalized with Covid-19 at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital as of Thursday afternoon, according to hospital spokesman Marissa Lefebvre. A patient who was hospitalized over the weekend in serious condition remains hospitalized in the same condition. The patient had received only one vaccine dose.

The second patient was hospitalized Wednesday morning in fair condition, Ms. Lefebvre said. She said in an email Thursday that she could not share the patient’s vaccination status.

Concerns about the rising incidence of Covid cases, about half of which have occurred in fully vaccinated people, has boosted traffic at Test MV, which offers free testing for people without symptoms.

“We’ve been getting higher numbers, numbers that correlate with last summer,” she said. “A lot of this seems to be a direct result of cases at the restaurants.”

 

[Deleted member 39678]

US mulls COVID vaccine boosters for elderly as early as fall
much much more at link

Federal health officials have been actively looking at whether extra shots for the vaccinated may be needed as early as this fall, reviewing case numbers in the U.S. “almost daily” as well as the situation in other countries such as Israel, where preliminary studies suggest the vaccine’s protection against serious illness dropped among those vaccinated in January.

My 88 year old mom got her first Moderna shot in late January. I've already talked to her about getting a booster and she's all for it. Since there is no shortage of vaccine in the US these Federal heath officials need to stop looking and start acting to get these vulnerable people booster shots sooner rather than later. JMO.

US mulls COVID vaccine boosters for elderly as early as fall

 

[ilovewings]

My 88 year old mom got her first Moderna shot in late January. I've already talked to her about getting a booster and she's all for it. Since there is no shortage of vaccine in the US these Federal heath officials need to stop looking and start acting to get these vulnerable people booster shots sooner rather than later. JMO.

US mulls COVID vaccine boosters for elderly as early as fall

I agree- they need to stop mulling and start giving boosters to the elderly
unless there is a downside-which I doubt

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Fox News anchor laughs at Australia's 'insane' lockdown restrictions

A conservative American news anchor has mocked Australia's 'insane' Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and questioned why millions of Sydneysiders are forced to stay at home over a '0.004 case to population ratio'.

Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham ridiculed the drastic stay-at-home orders that have been enforced across the New South Wales capital for two months.
The news anchor held back her laughter as she poked fun at the 'whopping' rise in cases and mocked the state government's reaction to keeping the city locked down

'The population of New South Wales: 8.2million,' Ingraham said.

'Meaning a case-to-population ratio of .004 per cent. They locked down for that.'

She then turned her attention to Canberra calling the city 'insane' after the Australian capital announced it would enforce a seven-day lockdown.

The decision came after the city recorded its first Covid-19 case in a year.

'The capital city has a population of 400,000. They have just entered a snap lockdown over one case. A single case,' Ms Ingraham said before breaking into laughter.

Ingraham invited George Christensen, a Liberal-National MP for Dawson on the north Queensland coast, onto her show to discuss Australia's lockdown.

'We are suffering from what is pandemic policy insanity in this country,' the divisive MP said.

 

[SouthAussie]

Fox News anchor laughs at Australia's 'insane' lockdown restrictions

A conservative American news anchor has mocked Australia's 'insane' Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and questioned why millions of Sydneysiders are forced to stay at home over a '0.004 case to population ratio'.

Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham ridiculed the drastic stay-at-home orders that have been enforced across the New South Wales capital for two months.
The news anchor held back her laughter as she poked fun at the 'whopping' rise in cases and mocked the state government's reaction to keeping the city locked down

'The population of New South Wales: 8.2million,' Ingraham said.

'Meaning a case-to-population ratio of .004 per cent. They locked down for that.'

She then turned her attention to Canberra calling the city 'insane' after the Australian capital announced it would enforce a seven-day lockdown.

The decision came after the city recorded its first Covid-19 case in a year.

'The capital city has a population of 400,000. They have just entered a snap lockdown over one case. A single case,' Ms Ingraham said before breaking into laughter.

Ingraham invited George Christensen, a Liberal-National MP for Dawson on the north Queensland coast, onto her show to discuss Australia's lockdown.

'We are suffering from what is pandemic policy insanity in this country,' the divisive MP said.

I guess some people don't understand the concept of exponential spread.

Someone should tell them that Canberra has just extended their 7-day lockdown for 2 more weeks (then they could really be ROFL) and how even with lockdown their one case suddenly became 28 cases.

Without a lockdown, does anyone want to hazard a guess as to how many cases they would have had over the last 7 days? And then onwards from there? In a still-highly-unvaccinated population.

Canberra COVID-19 cluster grows to 28 as ACT records 19 new local cases

 

[Niner]

Question - I don't believe I've seen this posted or I have missed when someone did - but I would like to know if there is a test that "measures" how much antibodies are sill in your body? If you need to get a booster shot if not enough?
TIA!

 

[SouthAussie]

Question - I don't believe I've seen this posted or I have missed when someone did - but I would like to know if there is a test that "measures" how much antibodies are sill in your body? If you need to get a booster shot if not enough?
TIA!

I posted a couple of times before about them measuring antibodies - after vaccination - in immunocompromised people. So there must be a specific way of testing for this, but the FDA says not all antibody tests perform that function (perhaps they are a special high-level kind of lab test). So this is what they say .....

Antibody Testing Not Recommended to Assess Immunity After Vaccination

A COVID-19 vaccination may also cause a positive antibody test result for some but not all antibody tests. You should not interpret the results of your SARS-CoV-2 antibody test as an indication of a specific level of immunity or protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Currently authorized SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests are not validated to evaluate specific immunity or protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

COVID-19 vaccinated people who have not had previous natural infection will receive a negative antibody test result if the antibody test does not detect the antibodies induced by the COVID-19 vaccine.

 

[Niner]

Thank you @SouthAussie ! Much appreciated!

 

[WildOrchid]

You know what I truly don’t understand? I’m seeing memes and posts now about ppl in the northeastern US expecting another “lockup” instead of saying “lockdown”. Their actual (serious) argument is “Did masks work the first time? No. Did the vaccines work? No. Did lockdowns work? No. So why are we doing it again?” And my incredulous reply to that is that the *reason* that didn’t work is because those meme posters *didn't. do. it!* How can they feel like those precautions were a failure when those precautions were never truly tried by everyone all together in a group effort? The same people ridiculing efforts to get the spread under control are the same ones who posted pictures of themselves on fb wearing their masks as chin diapers, showing themselves at large group parties at each other’s houses. They told me how no one at their jobs wore masks until a customer came inside and then they threw them on to look like they were complying. The “I’m no guinea pig/what about my freedoms” people. You can’t say it didn’t work when you didn’t do it to begin with. They sound like children saying spinach is yucky when they never even took a bite. Who posted yesterday saying human brains are shrinking? Boy are you right.

 

[MimosaMornings]

No masks, no class. Clemson professors plan walkout over lack of COVID precautions — The State

Some Clemson University professors are planning to walk out of their classrooms Wednesday to protest the school administration’s decision to not require masks in classrooms.

Kimberly Paul, an associate professor of genetics and chemistry, announced the protest on Facebook.

“The lack of a mask mandate is endangering the health and lives of all of us. University leadership is not listening to us. It’s time to take action,” she wrote.

Andrew Pyle, associate professor of communication at Clemson, tweeted, “Struck by this right now - if @ClemsonUniv is unwilling to burn some political capital over a major public health issue, is there anything we’ll burn political capital for? I mean, what’s the point of having a huge amount of clout in the state if we won’t use it... to save lives?”

He also replied to a tweet from Clemson President James Clements, who said he was looking forward to the new student convocation. His tweet included two photos of a large student assembly in which no masks were apparent.

Pyle said, “Just to be totally clear - this [type of] gathering, w/o masks - this will be why we have to go online in a week. I hope, desperately, that none of our students, faculty, or staff contract long COVID - or, heaven forbid - die from this preventable illness.”

It will go back to full remote/virtual classes without mandated masks plus vaccinations. JMO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Like those people who say they hate brussel sprouts when they've never tried them.

How anyone can hate one of the most delicious vegetables I just don't know.

Just imagine If the majority of people did the right thing, masks, social distance, isolating, hand washing etc.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Good on them for taking a stand for common sense.

Some Clemson University professors are planning to walk out of their classrooms Wednesday to protest the school administration’s decision to not require masks in classrooms

 

[MimosaMornings]

COVID-19 live updates: Positivity rate climbs to 25% at children's hospital — ABC News

The positivity rate has climbed to 25% at Children's Hospital New Orleans, Dr. Mark Kline, the hospital's physician-in-chief, told ABC News on Sunday. The hospital had 12 pediatric patients on Sunday. Half of them were under 2 years old, Kline said. Five of the 12 patients in the hospital were in the ICU: an 8-week-old, a 3-month-old, a 13-month-old, a 23-month-old and a 17-year-old, Kline said. "As we see more children infected and ill with COVID-19, it occurs to me that our children have become the collateral damage of many adults who frame refusal of masks and vaccines as an issue of personal freedom rather than the common-sense public health measures that they are," Kline said. "Children currently have no way out of this pandemic other than through the advocacy and personal responsibility of their parents and all adults," Kline added. "So far, we are failing them miserably."

Children have become the collateral damage...

 

[MajorHoople]

Forget Beating Covid-19. Europe Is Preparing to Live With It.

"The battle against Covid-19 is shifting into long-term, low-intensity mode in Europe, as countries including Germany, Italy and France go from seeking to end the pandemic to preparing to live with it.

Governments are drawing up plans for campaigns of booster shots, mask wearing, frequent testing and limited social-distancing measures to keep the virus in check ahead of the region’s third pandemic winter.

They are aided by a public that has proved relatively tolerant of social curbs. Unlike in the U.S., where some states were quick to drop restrictions amid optimism the virus was in retreat, there was never much expectation that the pandemic was over in Europe, where infections have spiked sporadically through spring and summer."

 

[Cool Cats]

'Naked in the world of COVID': Some J&J vaccine recipients feel unprotected against delta and want mRNA shots

'Naked in the world of COVID': Some J&J vaccine recipients feel unprotected against delta and want mRNA shots
Mon, August 16, 2021, 7:19 AM

Kevin Rosengren stared at the piece of paper in disbelief. No antibodies.

The 46-year-old resident of Richmond, Virginia, received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in March. He was confident in the vaccine’s effectiveness and finally felt free to leave his house, travel and meet with friends.

But lately, news of the highly contagious delta variant driving a surge of COVID-19 cases worries him. He doesn’t want to bring the virus home to his unvaccinated 11-year-old son.

Rosengren confided in his pharmacist, who offered an antibody test to dispel his concerns. Unfortunately, the results only added to them.

“I had this coat of armor on before, and now I feel completely naked in the world of COVID,” he said.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Duggan rolls out plan to offer Detroiters third vaccine dose (detroitnews.com)

Detroit — The city's largest vaccination site, the TCF Center, will reopen its drive-thru operations beginning Tuesday to offer a third shot of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to residents who are immunocompromised, Mayor Mike Duggan announced.

Duggan said Detroit will offer the booster shot following new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Late Friday the CDC approved the use of third shots of Pfizer's and Modera's COVID-19 vaccines to Americans who may be more vulnerable to the virus. The one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine has not been approved for an additional booster dose.

Vulnerable patients have been shown to maintain a high level of immunity against the virus after receiving the third shot...

 

[Sundog]

Duggan rolls out plan to offer Detroiters third vaccine dose (detroitnews.com)

Detroit — The city's largest vaccination site, the TCF Center, will reopen its drive-thru operations beginning Tuesday to offer a third shot of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to residents who are immunocompromised, Mayor Mike Duggan announced.

Duggan said Detroit will offer the booster shot following new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Late Friday the CDC approved the use of third shots of Pfizer's and Modera's COVID-19 vaccines to Americans who may be more vulnerable to the virus. The one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine has not been approved for an additional booster dose.

Vulnerable patients have been shown to maintain a high level of immunity against the virus after receiving the third shot...

Interesting that they are not requiring any letter from a doctor or anything for people who request the booster shot, saying that they want to make it as easy as possible.