More than a billion Covid vaccine doses have been administered globally. But that's not enough to achieve herd immunity https://t.co/RmNsoG9iFI pic.twitter.com/pgM7TIfVzV
— delthia ricks ?? (@DelthiaRicks) April 24, 2021
Milestone numbers:
More than one billion doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered worldwide, less than five months after the first mass inoculation programs began to be rolled out, according to an AFP tally at 17:45 GMT on Saturday.
At least 1,002,938,540 doses have been administered in 207 countries and territories, according to the tally compiled from official sources.
More than half, or 58 percent, have been given in three countries: the United States with 225.6 million doses, China with 216.1 million doses and India with 138.4 million…
While the majority of poor countries have also started to vaccinate, mainly thanks to the Covax program, inoculation is still largely a privilege of high-income countries, as defined by the World Bank, which are home to 16 percent of the world’s population but have administered 47 percent of vaccine doses…
Despite the troubles that has plagued it since it was approved for use, the jab developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University is the most widely used so far, and has been administered in three-quarters or 156 of those countries and territories that have started vaccinating.
A rival jab developed by Pfizer and BioNTech has been administered in 91 countries, or 44 percent of the total. Another shot developed by Moderna has been administered in 46 countries or 22 percent. Sinopharm’s jab has been administered in at elast 41 countries or 20 percent of the total, Sputnik V in at least 32 countries or 15 percent, and Sinovac in at least 21 or 10 percent.
More specifics at the link. (Read the whole thing, it’s not long!)
53.6% of all American adults have received at least one vaccine shot; 36.5% are now fully vaccinated.
81.5% of Americans age 65 or older have received at least one shot; 67.5% are now fully vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/mjy4Nm93XM
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 26, 2021
A top European Union official said that Americans who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 should be able to travel to Europe by summer, easing existing travel restrictions https://t.co/SRozfmovGH pic.twitter.com/jo84pbu8bQ
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 26, 2021
The US had +34,736 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total to over 32.8 million (9.9% of the US population). The 7-day moving average declined to below 58,000 new cases per day. pic.twitter.com/S5XPuGjBfE
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 26, 2021
74% of Democrats say they are already vaccinated, and 8% more say they plan to ASAP. Only 40% of Republicans say they are already vaccinated, and 5% more say they plan to. 24% of Republicans say they won't get vaccinated, and another 10% will only if required. pic.twitter.com/Aec5spqgIS
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 25, 2021
======
India reported over 2,800 new coronavirus deaths today, a new record, bringing the official total to 195,116, though many believe the real total may be 2-5 times this figure. pic.twitter.com/83z3MU9jX5
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) April 26, 2021
If I recall correctly, IHME has a reputation for choosing the most pessimistic numbers, but…
The mid-May peak translates to estimated need of
•33,77,700+ beds
•3,44,400+ ICU beds
The humanitarian crises in 20ish days can only be mitigated by health systems preparedness & global solidarity. This is an?to the world from ?? pic.twitter.com/uoFGrWcZGE— Soumyadeep Bhaumik | সৌম্যদীপ ভৌমিক (@DrSoumyadeepB) April 24, 2021
For anyone who missed Cheryl’s post Sunday afternoon:
Spoke today with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval about the spike in COVID cases in India and we agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days. The United States stands in solidarity with the people of India and we are deploying more supplies and resources: pic.twitter.com/yDM7v2J7OA
— Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) April 25, 2021
UK sends supplies to India amid record virus surge https://t.co/9ii53Eftuv
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 25, 2021
Germany preparing 'urgent support' for Covid-hit India: Angela Merkel https://t.co/tlLMiD0zPY pic.twitter.com/sfpQ4BpXBG
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) April 25, 2021
Summary worth reading:
Detailed breakdown of where all those promised #COVID19 supplies for India's fight against the disease will come from.https://t.co/G7x3HJczsp
— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 25, 2021
BREAKING: The Philippines hits a grim milestone of over a million COVID-19 cases today, more than a year into quarantine restrictions https://t.co/sDo55hwVGt pic.twitter.com/M5BID5bgV8
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) April 26, 2021
Laos has closed its borders and announced a two-week lockdown in the capital, Vientiane, as the country weathers a rare outbreak of COVID-19.https://t.co/FMBsuu9GSb
— The Diplomat (@Diplomat_APAC) April 25, 2021
Iraq Covid hospital fire: At least 23 dead after 'oxygen tank explodes' https://t.co/pcSdRDixcO
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 25, 2021
Russia on Monday confirmed 8,803 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of reported infections to 4,771,372 https://t.co/0HRnU8BKjj
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) April 26, 2021
UK denies report that PM Johnson said 'let the bodies pile high' https://t.co/A5Hm2OHFYe pic.twitter.com/gJeHFu4lte
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 26, 2021
France to ease its curfew & travel limits on May 2. The measures were instituted to help fight a devastating 3rd #coronavirus wave https://t.co/uwIvvx0QBK pic.twitter.com/COujbDIYlO
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) April 25, 2021
Italy embarks on a partial reopening today, but no one is fully happy. While business owners say it's too little, too late, health care professionals fear it is still too much and invites a free-for-all that risks a new virus surge. @CollBarry https://t.co/1zplGjy2gP
— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) April 26, 2021
J&J vaccine study to resume in South Africa on Wednesday, ministry says https://t.co/Ea00Ojuowp pic.twitter.com/jW0Y475rZS
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 26, 2021
Costa Rica hits new daily record of COVID-19 infections https://t.co/XKeEikksMg pic.twitter.com/Vnkuk1GPad
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 25, 2021
Health Canada finds Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccines from Baltimore plant safe, of high quality https://t.co/HKLYeiMLVO pic.twitter.com/K22xrFQcZg
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 26, 2021
It’s not an IP issue or a manufacturing capacity issue, or a technology transfer issue. It is all of those things at once. And while boosting capacity in “developed” world is great, we should be working w fierce urgency to do the same in “developing” world.
— Jeneen Interlandi (@JInterlandi) April 26, 2021
======
India's #coronavirus variant—B.1.617—now found in Switzerland. Previously, it was identified in the U.S., Australia & Israel https://t.co/KiAYFRFnoG via @medical_xpress
— delthia ricks ?? (@DelthiaRicks) April 24, 2021
======
After months of not having enough COVID-19 vaccines to meet demand, Texas suddenly appears to have plenty of shots but not as many people lining up to receive them.
More than three quarters of the state still isn’t fully vaccinated. https://t.co/aFQGxHCLhC
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) April 23, 2021
In Anderson Country where Dr. Carolyn Salter works, less than 11% of residents have been vaccinated compared to the statewide tally of 24%. She says part of the reason is lack of broadband access, technology and transportation in rural areas. https://t.co/4XGRJEk9YU pic.twitter.com/TlMMd7n3oR
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) April 25, 2021
Michigan’s Covid hospital beds are filling up w/ younger patients. Even as vaccines roll out, more younger people in Michigan are being hospitalized than at any other point in the pandemic. And they’re coming in sicker https://t.co/36dkpgTQHI
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) April 25, 2021
Alaska Airlines has banned Alaska Senator Lora Reinbold for her "continued refusal" to follow mask rules https://t.co/BDCtmjdTI5
— KTLA (@KTLA) April 25, 2021
More like this, please:
… Reinbold has been a vocal opponent to COVID-19 mitigation measures and has repeatedly objected to Alaska Airlines’ mask policy, which was enacted before the federal government’s mandate this year.
Last year, she referred to Alaska Airlines staff as “mask bullies” after being asked by flight attendants to wear a mask aboard a flight, the newspaper reported. After the incident, she reportedly sent a cake to some flight attendants bearing the inscription: “I’m sorry if I offended you.”
Alaska Airlines has banned over 500 people…
It wasn’t immediately known how Reinbold, who was in southcentral Alaska this weekend, would be able to get to Juneau where the legislative session resumes Monday. No other airline has scheduled flights between Anchorage and Juneau, and a ferry trip could take several days…
YY_Sima Qian
On 4/25 China reported 0 new domestic confirmed & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases. There are currently 46 domestic confirmed & 11 domestic asymptomatic cases in Yunnan Province. 3 communities remain at High Risk. 3 residential compounds, 1 factory & 2 villages remain at Medium Risk.
Imported Cases
On 4/25 China reported 11 new imported confirmed cases, 18 imported asymptomatic cases:
Overall in China, 8 confirmed cases recovered, 14 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation & 1 was reclassified as a confirmed case, and 1,017 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 311 active confirmed cases in the country (265 imported), 4 in critical/serious condition (all imported), 325 asymptomatic cases (314 imported), 6 suspect cases (all imported). 8,810 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.
As of 4/25, 224.901M vaccine doses have been injected in Mainland China, an increase of 4.592M doses in the past 24 hrs.
On 4/26, Hong Kong reported 4 new case, all imported (from the US, Japan, India & Kenya).
OzarkHillbilly
Maybe she can hitch a ride from a grizzly.
Cermet
The fact that, unlike all other countries, the US makes makes and distributes well over a hundred million flu vaccines every year to our population. Having this infrastructure (paid for by the Gov and to a lesser extent, our med system) allowed us to quickly shift gears to manufacture covid vaccines in mass and give people shots right away. Britain has learned this lesson and has started building just an infrastructure, too.
NeenerNeener
Monroe County, NY stats:
232 new cases – 25 of them under age 10, 180 between the ages of 10 and 59. The 20 year olds are still leading the pack in infections, as they have since this wave started last fall.
4406 active cases
1226 deaths
2.9% test positivity
213 people in the hospital, 49 people in the ICU.
47.9% with at least 1 vaccination
35.4% totally vaccinated
NotMax
One day’s change does not a trend make, however disheartening to see triple digit numbers again. Easter gatherings fallout?
April 25, 2021 COVID-19 Update: 122 Cases (98 O‘ahu, 12 Maui, 6 Hawai‘i Island, 3 Kaua‘i, 3 Out-of-State)
Matt McIrvin
The number of people asserting in strange moralistic terms that diet or exercise is somehow a substitute for COVID vaccination is really getting me down.
rikyrah
Some are beautiful
Others are haunting
Geo Wilcox
@OzarkHillbilly: She’s got feet, let her use those.
rikyrah
@OzarkHillbilly:
Good for Alaska Airlines????
Nelle
@Geo Wilcox: There are no roads to Juneau. One arrives by water or by air. She’ll have to charter a flight.
rikyrah
I saw my first COVID antibody treatment commercial last night.
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s Director-General of Heath Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 2,776 new Covid-19 cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 395,718 cases. He also reports 13 new deaths today, for a cumulative total of 1,449 deaths — 0.37% of the cumulative reported total, 0.39% of resolved cases.
There are currently 24,713 active and contagious cases; 300 are in ICU, 133 of them intubated. Meanwhile, 1,803 patients recovered and were discharged, for a cumulative total of 369,556 patients recovered – 93.39% of the cumulative reported total.
12 new clusters were reported today: Pondok Belaga, Jalan Sebauh-Bintulu, and Sungai Senibung in Sarawak; Kampung Batu Sembilan in Selangor; Tanjung Kupang building site, Jalan Raja Bukit Pasir, and Jalan Impian Emas 17 in Johor; Jalan Aramugam Pillai and Kampung Selamat in Penang; Kota Syahbandar and Jalan Kesidang in Melaka; and Kampung Pangkal Chuit in Kelantan.
Pondok Belaga, Kampung Batu Sembilan, Tanjung Kupang building site, and Jalan Raja Bukit Pasir are workplace clusters. Sungai Senibung is an education cluster at a Ministry of Education school. Kampung Pangkal Chuit is also an education cluster. Kampung Selamat is a prison cluster. Jalan Sebauh-Bintulu, Jalan Aramugam Pillai, Kota Syahbandar, and Jalan Kesidang are community clusters.
2,773 new cases today are local infections. Selangor reports 761 local cases: 15 in older clusters, 52 in Kampung Batu Sembilan cluster, 510 close-contact screenings, and 184 other screenings. Sarawak reports 615 cases: 69 in older clusters; 22 in Jalan Sebauh-Bintulu, Pondok Belaga, and Sungai Senibung clusters; 427 close-contact screenings; and 97 other screenings.
Kelantan reports 343 cases: 42 in older clusters, 25 in Kampung Pangkal Chuit cluster, 213 close-contact screenings, and 63 other screenings. Johor reports 309 cases: 1 in older clusters; 192 in Jalan Impian Emas 17, Jalan Raja Bukit Pasir, and Tapak Bina Tanjung Kupang clusters; 65 close-contact screenings; and 33 other screenings.
Kuala Lumpur reports 253 local cases: six in existing clusters, 149 close-contact screenings, and 98 other screenings.
Penang reports 123 cases: 10 in older clusters, 20 in Jalan Arumugam Pillai and Kampung Selamat clusters, 60 close-contact screenings, and 33 other screenings. Negeri Sembilan reports 112 cases: 39 in existing clusters, 37 close-contact screenings, and 36 other screenings.
Sabah reports 87 local cases: 11 in existing clusters, 61 close-contact screenings, and 15 other screenings. Perak reports 45 cases: six in existing clusters, 28 close-contact screenings, and 11 other screenings. Kedah reports 39 cases: 21 in older clusters, one in Kampung Selamat cluster, 10 close-contact screenings, and seven other screenings. Melaka reports 34 cases: three in older clusters, seven in Jalan Kesidang and Kota Syahbandar clusters, 17 close-contact screenings, and seven other screenings. Pahang reports 34 cases: 12 in existing clusters, 17 close-contact screenings, and five other screenings.
Terengganu reports nine cases: four in existing clusters, three close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. Putrajaya reports seven cases: two in existing clusters, three close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. And Labuan reports two cases: one close-contact screening, and one other screening.
Perlis reports no new cases today.
Three new cases today are imported: one in Kuala Lumpur, one in Selangor, and one in Sabah.
The deaths reported today are a 70-year-old man in Selangor with hypertension, heart disease, and dyslipidaemia; a 40-year-old man in Selangor with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity; a 71-year-old woman in Selangor with diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, and chronic kidney disease; a 49-year-old woman in Sarawak with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease; an 82-year-old woman in Johor with diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease; a 75-year-old man in Sarawak with hypertension; a 73-year-old woman in Sarawak with diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia; a 34-year-old woman in Sarawak, DOA with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity; a 61-year-old man in Sabah, DOA with diabetes and hypertension; a 59-year-old woman in Saeawak with diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease; a 32-year-old woman in Sarawak with obesity and obstructive sleep apnoea; an 84-year-old woman in Kelantan with hypertension and heart disease; and a 38-year-old non-Malaysian man in Sabah with hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and gout.
debbie
@NotMax:
There were 820-something new cases reported yesterday in Ohio. I’m hoping that’s not because it was Sunday. My county’s at the highest level (purple), and they’ve opened up walk-in vaccinations at all of the major sites. Even the public schools are holding clinics.
Wag
Good for Alaska Airlines for sticking to their policies.
Mousebumples
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/04/23/israels-covid-deaths-hit-zero-with-almost-60-of-population-vaccinated/?sh=2cea28bb498f
Ken
I wonder if the airline deliberately waited until she was away from Juneau.
Ken
That seems particularly unsuited for the usual “Ask your doctor about Xyzzy” pitches.
NorthLeft12
@Cermet: Up here in Canada our government [believe it was Conservative at the time] let our vaccine manufacturing capability dwindle to nothing expecting to rely on foreign suppliers [free trade!].
We are feeling the consequences of that decision now. It is humbling to be at the mercy of other countries who rightly put the interests of their citizens first.
WereBear
It’s that general WOO trend where happy thoughts and a colon cleanse will fix ANYTHING and it drives me around the bend.
rikyrah
When I say that if Dolt45 had won we would be Brazil or India, that is not an exaggeration ???
Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) Tweeted:
Horrible—India ?? government **will not import #COVID19 vaccines** itself, but expects states and companies to acquire them on their own—a “recipe for disaster”.
Having spoken to J&J, Moderna, Pfizer—my India source says “there is no way this will work”!
https://t.co/wResncJ7CC https://t.co/ZsBc20Q3IN https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1386633914400268290?s=20
Soprano2
That’s been driving me crazy, too. How can it be after all this time that people don’t understand that our immune systems don’t have experience with something like Covid-19, so it doesn’t matter how “strong” your immune system is? I agree in general that being healthier is better than not if you get Covid, but it’s not a substitute for getting vaccinated.
Lacuna Synecdoche
Patrick Chovanac via Anne Laurie @ Top:
Republicans: The New Biological Suicide Bombers (Virucide Bombers?).
So. That’s 45% of Republicans vaccinated or planning to be vs. 82% of Democrats vaccinated or planning to be. I’m just wondering what kind of impact this will have on the political make-up of the 2022 and 2024 electorates.
schrodingers_cat
@rikyrah: what is unfolding in India the moral catastrophe which dwarfs anything that the ? ? pulled. The man in charge of India has been a lifelong number of an organization that drew its inspiration from the Nazis.
Incompetence alone doesn’t explain the what we are seeing in India right now.
Taken4Granite
@Ken: I presume that she lives somewhere in south central Alaska, where she at least has the option of driving home. As noted upthread, Juneau is not accessible by road, so if she were in Juneau she would have to either charter a flight or take a ferry, either of which would expose innocent third parties to unnecessary risk.
Lacuna Synecdoche
@Amir Khalid:
See, this is what I’m talking about when I complain that America is falling behind other countries. I mean, seriously, why don’t WE have a Director-General of Heath?
I don’t see how we’re ever going to cope with the climate crisis when we don’t even have anyone in the government tasked with figuring out how to efficiently deploy our precious heath.
Cermet
@schrodingers_cat: Glad the US is removing export controls on the critical materials needed for the India vaccine production; as well as supplying some critical materials for hospitals. Yet this is far too late to help many millions and will take time that is in such short supply. A year wasted by Indian leaders and millions of Indians will pay the price. Tragic is an understatement. And still, I bet racism will enable that leader to survive this disaster.
As the US learned over and over, racism is a power that even exceeds self interest for many people.
JML
I hate this idiot state senator and her bullshit “apology”. It’s not that you “offended” anyone (although you are very offensive you ginormous assclown) it’s that you broke the rules and put other people’s health & wellness (and potentially their lives) at risk because you’re a selfish twat.
I hope she’s banned for life.
matt
What fraction of the unvaccinated have already had Covid-19?
Barbara
@rikyrah: My understanding is that Indian companies working in India have developed two vaccines but because data has not been made transparent and they were approved prior to original projected date many Indians have resisted taking them. This is similar to Russia. After reading an article in which Russian scientists working on the vaccine were interviewed, I was convinced that the cloak and dagger was even more stupid than I originally thought. As they said, they had developed many vaccines and unlike the mRNA vaccines, the technology that they used (similar to J&J vax) is a standard vaccine development platform.
So the secrecy is probably just another manifestation of their leader’s relative lack of scientific knowledge, and a projection of their own tendency to misrepresent data onto scientists working in good faith. In other words, “everyone lies so they must by lying too.”
Barbara
@matt: We’ll never know because many people were asymptomatic or had very mild cases or just never got tested because our testing regime was just absolutely abysmal.
matt
@Barbara: specifically, I was wondering, in that survey by party, how many of those who “won’t get vaccinated” feel they already have immunity. It would be a bit more understandable.
Peale
@Matt McIrvin: I think we’re going to crap out at 57% of the population. The internet is a horrible invention. Dealing with 3 co-workers who a month ago who were complaining that they couldn’t get a vaccine appointment, now telling me that they aren’t going to get one because of something they saw on Reddittubebuzzkilltok.com called “28 reasons not to get a vaccine”.
I think I wrote a couple of months ago wondering where the liberal woo pitchers have been during the crises. The conspiracies and woo cures were all on the right, which was unusual. Its not like left isn’t immune to the idea that COVID can be cured by “10 jumping jacks and the smell of boiling potatoes that costs a nickel but evil big pharma and industrial beef doesn’t want you to know.” Its just been muted for the past 12 months. But that stuff appears to be floating around my personal liberal spaces. Not surprised that we’re going to cap out willing arms soon, and far lower than is needed.
Sloane Ranger
Sunday in the UK we had 1712 new cases. This is a decrease in the rolling 7-day average of 4.6%. This and subsequent figures should be treated with caution due to weekend reporting delays. New cases by nation,
England – 1401 (down 43)
Northern Ireland – 73 (down 7)
Scotland – 176 (down 1)
Wales – 62 (up 62, but may include Saturday where Wales showed 0 cases).
Deaths – There were 11 deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday. This is a decrease of 12.6% in the rolling 7-day average. Deaths by nation, England – 7, Northern Ireland – 0, Scotland – 1 and Wales – 3.
Testing – Not updated at weekends.
Hospitalisations – Not updated at weekends.
Vaccinations – As of 24 April, a total of 33,666,638 people had received 1 shot of a vaccine and 12,587,116 had received both. In percentage terms this means that 63.9% of all adults in the UK had received 1 shot and 23.9% were fully vaccinated.
General – AL’s post about our favourite Prime Minister is all part of the fall out from the sacking of Dominic Cummings. Remember him? He was previously BoJo’s Senior Policy Advisor and the guy himself gave cover for when it was discovered he’d broken the 1st lockdown to take his COVID infected self, his wife and son to their family estate near Durham and later drove with his son to Barnard’s castle to “check his eyesight.”
Anyway, they had some sort of falling out a few months ago and he got sacked. Just recently, Cummings has gone public with all sorts of juicy revelations about dodgy goings-on in No 10. As well as this one, there’s the getting Tory donors to pay for re-decorating the PM flat (BoJo’s significant other apparently thinking the previous decor was “too John Lewis” and a text where Boris promised to help fix a tax issue for vacuum cleaner entrepreneur Sir James Dyson. Cheering for injuries to all concerned.
Barbara
@matt: Yes, agreed. It’s confounding to me that the vaccine might confer immunity in ways that the disease would not, but the effect of the vaccine on “long haul” Covid symptoms suggests that it does. It had always been my understanding that having the disease and surviving it (as I did for measles, mumps and chicken pox) would confer the strongest kind of immunity. But it’s possible that this class of viruses, and maybe others, are different.
Barbara
@Peale: This is where employer mandates, however obnoxious, are going to kick in. Making vaccine refusal inconvenient usually brings along at least half of the remaining refusers. At least. Before it changed the law, California implemented a public health policy that if a case of measles was documented in a school district anyone without vaccine confirmation would have to stay home for 21 days. Within days of such confirmed cases, upwards of 80% of those without documentation provided it. Free riding is an expression that is even truer than you realize. Once the riding is no longer free, they are no longer interested. Some people are motivated purely by self-interest, and they place such a high value on themselves that any inconvenience — in one direction or the other — is the decisive factor in whether they are willing to do something to benefit someone else. Literally, using up 10 minutes of my time is more important than the fact that your life will be upended by a communicable disease.
Peale
@Sloane Ranger: I like John Lewis. I’m sure she means “this decor is just not tacky enough.”
mrmoshpotato
@rikyrah: All the facepalms.
Matt McIrvin
@Barbara: Chickenpox is an interesting case, in that surviving it can mean there’s virus still resident in you that can cause shingles decades later (and there are vaccinations against that now). Getting the chickenpox vaccine seems to reduce the likelihood of that, too. I’ve heard speculation that long COVID might be something like that, though nobody is sure.
My vague understanding is that the vaccines have the ability to deliver a gigantic amount of COVID spike protein without making you mortally ill. Just intuitively, I could see that producing stronger immunity later on than a mild infection that gets beaten down quickly.
Matt McIrvin
@Peale: Political tribalism cuts both ways. When Trump was gunning for a vaccine before Election Day, there was a lot of skepticism on the left–as Kamala Harris said, if nobody but Donald Trump was telling me to get a vaccine, I wouldn’t take it. But a lot of that skepticism evaporated once we were rid of Trump.
J R in WV
Here are my thought about not getting vaccinated:
Get vaccinated, or STAY HOME FOREVER~!!!~
gvg
@matt: latest data I read was that natural immunity from having had COVID only lasts about 3 to 6 months. The vaccines last longer, but still that is why the manufacturers think there will be boosters needed. Other diseases don’t have such a short memory. 1 report, that I didn’t save disclaimer
Uncle Cosmo
Goddamnit, I knew that name sounded familiar! More on that below, but first – RANT INCOMING!
I’m totally fed up with my home town getting shat upon for things it has precious little to do with.
No one said a word when the Emergent Solutions plants in Baltimore were manufacturing tens of millions of perfectly OK vaccine doses and shipping all of them out to practically everywhere on the frackin’ planet while the good people of Baltimore City (and surrounding ‘burbs) – probably including their own employees – were screaming for vaccination but couldn’t get a jab for love or money. “Fuck it, Jake, they’re Baltimorons, screw ’em!” – amirite?
But as soon as the manufacturing plant screws up, it’s the BALTIMORE plant. Not “the Emergent Solutions plant” – which corporation is headquartered in Gaithersburg (suburb of Washington DC) and has fuck-all to do with Baltimore except for locating 2 of its 8 manufacuring plants within the city limits (just north of the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus). (NB Corporate Fact Sheet in PDF form is here.) “Fuck it, Jake, LET’S BLAME BALTIMORE!”
RANT ENDS
Disclaimer: In 1998-99 I spent most of two years as a biostatistical consultant to Emergent Solutions (under its previous name, BioPort). Mostly nice, decent folks. They never asked me to do anything illegal, immoral, unethical or fattening – but did pull a couple of maneuvers that could be classified as “Abuse of Hired Hand.” (NB I am not including in the latter having to drag my butt to BWI at 6 AM on Monday to ride a 737 to Cleveland & a 19-seat puddle jumper to Lansing, & being told on my way out the BioPort portal Friday afternoons that I’d have to do it again the next Monday. Nor routinely working & charging 13-hour days & being paid for 8 while my company pocketed the rest for upper management bonuses. Ask me about the thrill and glamor of the consulting life sometime whydoncha…grrr.)
Soprano2
Someday number crunchers are going to try to figure this out. That’ll be the closest we ever get to knowing. I personally know of 3 people who told me they had Covid symptoms last summer, including losing their sense of smell/taste, but never got tested for various reasons. Any time I see the official percentage of those who’ve had Covid in the U.S., I double it. I think it’s at least 20% if not higher.
Soprano2
I just saw some discouraging news about my city. Our vaccinations are above 30%, which is good, and the 7-day average of cases is at 17.71, which is also a lot better, but our hospitalizations are up to 41 from 26 last Thursday, which is a big jump. I’m not sure what’s causing it; lots of the smaller towns around here have gotten rid of their mask mandates in the past couple of weeks, but that wouldn’t account for the sudden jump in hospitalizations; there hasn’t been enough time for that yet. I dread seeing what’s going to be happening by next week. I’m hopeful that the relatively high number of people over 65 who’ve been vaccinated with keep the death toll down. Last week they announced zero Covid deaths in my county, which was a good sign, but now the most serious cases are going in the opposite direction.
dnfree
@Sloane Ranger: amazing how, when loyalty is withdrawn one direction, it sometimes disappears the other direction as well.
Mel
@J R in WV:
What you said, screamed from the hilltops!!
I went to a lab, located inside a medical office building, to get bloodwork this morning. Signs are posted everywhere, noting that masks must be worn at all times, and staff and patients must socially distance whenever possible.
This same health system has oncology, rheumatology, and endocrinology offices in the same medical complex. In other words, lots of people in vulnerable and / or immunosuppressed populations (myself included), will be getting blood drawn at the lab.
Walked in, and three techs were in the front office, practically shoulder to shoulder, one with her nose hanging out of her mask, another completely unmasked, chatting and looking at the computer. The completely unmasked tech looked up and told me to “come on and sign in.” The sign up sheet was less than a foot and a half from her unmasked face, with no safety glass or partition in place. I told both unmasked techs to put on their masks b/c they were putting everyone, including themselves, at risk.
Then, the tech who was doing the draws cane out with a ratty looking, clearly well-used paper mask on, with it hanging down below her nose and upper lip, laughing loudly and open-mouthed at something another tech had said.
I am sick beyond belief of these selfish idiots. I refused to let her near me until she had masked properly and washed her hands, but then while I was captive in the chair with a tourniquet on and the needle in my arm, she started ranting about how “schools shouldn’t be closed, it’s a government plan“, “people with small heads can’t wear masks”, (?) and, “They teach kids to do witchcraft and devil things at those colleges”.
WTF?! I proceeded to inform her that that was ridiculous on all counts, and informed her that as a former college instructor and someone with a Wiccan friend, I didn’t enjoy hearing her nonsense.
I have to say, it was unnerving to be trapped there, needle in my arm, having tests that are vitally important and had to be done stat, and knowing that people like that are in control of my safety and of my personal health information.
I tried to call the customer service line for the medical group, to try to notify someone in charge about the mask issue, and ended up on hold for over 25 minutes, three separate times.
I am not surprised about the sheer selfishness and lack of concern in the general public, but to see and hear that nonsense in a medical facility?!?
There was an elderly woman alone in the waiting room when I was leaving. She had a bag with an oncology group’s logo on it, and unfortunately I recognize that bag – it contains the info kit that they give to people who are starting chemo or immunosuppressant therapy.
I hope against hope that those morons stayed masked and didn’t expose her to Covid.
Chris T.
@Uncle Cosmo:
Oooh, G’burg. Almost my old stomping grounds, but only “almost”. Let’s just say “adjacent”. (Bawmer was a bit further away.)