Balloon Juice | COVID-19 Coronavirus Archives

“COVID-19 is a novel disease for which treatment protocols are evolving and remain imperfect. With the internet’s eternal tropism towards bullshit, there will be plenty of false or misleading claims about ways of preventing, enduring or “curing” COVID-19 infections. Please don’t amplify them here. If you do have knowledge or experience you feel is of interest to the jackaltariat, please make sure you make it clear where that information comes from: sources, expertise, and so on. It’s easy to get stuff wrong in a crisis and mistakes can create real harm. So be careful out there…and in here.”

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Sept. 25-26

by Anne Laurie| September 26, 20216:19 am| 41 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

I’m in the shadow of the Washington monument looking out at 676,286 flags on the day this pandemic became the largest mass casualty event in American history. I didn’t realize families of those lost wrote personal messages on flags. It hurts to read. Here are some.THREAD pic.twitter.com/kEfgQHZnb0

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) September 21, 2021

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If you can get to DC to see this powerful installation, please do. The flags will be displayed until Oct 3. For those who can’t make it, I hope my photos give you a sense of its power. Think about those lost. Hold their memory close. Let prevent more Americans from dying.END pic.twitter.com/NxVT2w5EH2

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) September 21, 2021

(If you want to add the name of a loved one lost to COVID, here’s the website.)

Booster logistics: States begin the complex task of providing Pfizer booster shots to designated eligible groups. Among the challenges: making sure recipients of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines know they're not yet eligible https://t.co/fPnYKyk4B9

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 26, 2021

Billions more in profit are at stake for some vaccine makers as the U.S. moves toward dispensing COVID-19 booster shots to shore up Americans' protection against the virus. How much manufacturers stand to gain depends on how big the rollout proves to be. https://t.co/Synff6yfYq

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 25, 2021

… How much the manufacturers stand to gain depends on how big the rollout proves to be…

Wall Street is taking notice. The average forecast among analysts for Moderna’s 2022 revenue has jumped 35% since President Joe Biden laid out his booster plan in mid-August.

Most of the vaccinations so far in the U.S. have come from Pfizer, which developed its shot with Germany’s BioNTech, and Moderna. They have inoculated about 99 million and 68 million people, respectively. Johnson & Johnson is third with about 14 million people.

No one knows yet how many people will get the extra shots. But Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen expects boosters alone to bring in about $26 billion in global sales next year for Pfizer and BioNTech and around $14 billion for Moderna if they are endorsed for nearly all Americans…

Drugmakers are also developing COVID-19 shots that target certain variants of the virus, and say people might need annual shots like the ones they receive for the flu. All of that could make the vaccines a major recurring source of revenue…

This bodes well for future vaccine development, noted Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.

Vaccines normally are nowhere near as profitable as treatments, Gordon said. But the success of the COVID-19 shots could draw more drugmakers and venture capitalists into the field.

“The vaccine business is more attractive, which, for those of us who are going to need vaccines, is good,” Gordon said.

A patient in the ER just asked me for a booster shot.

Unfortunately she was very confused. Because her oxygen was low. Because she had severe Covid. Because she never had her first vaccine dose.

Our top priority must remain vaccinating those who haven’t yet gotten their shots.

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) September 25, 2021

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Impossible to read this as anything other than an utter failure. pic.twitter.com/oscif0YMsB

— Kevin 👐 Glass (@KevinWGlass) September 24, 2021

Everyone in my feed is chattering about who gets boosters first in the US but I'm just thinking about who in the world gets first doses last. https://t.co/GXzeUMcrWt

— Amy Maxmen, PhD (@amymaxmen) September 24, 2021

Health workers in India’s Himachal Pradesh overcome the challenge of steep topography, walking for hours or days to reach remote villages and administer COVID-19 vaccine doses https://t.co/1agNJELPEw pic.twitter.com/a2jjukUOSC

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

Vietnam delays reopening resort island over low vaccination rate https://t.co/5fxhTLLFZP pic.twitter.com/YLwZgC3Zjk

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

Australia's Victoria state records second-highest daily rise in virus cases https://t.co/oFXUeahCo5 pic.twitter.com/l8T2hOjNJu

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 26, 2021

Hope collides with doubt, while covid deaths soar, in the E.U.’s least-vaccinated country https://t.co/EVnp1bdP1b

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 26, 2021

Britain's Conservative government is hoping a combination of relatively high vaccination rates and common-sense behavior will keep a lid on coronavirus infections this fall and winter and avoid the need for restrictive measures. By @JillLawless https://t.co/r3sGNhR0iV

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) September 26, 2021

Covid-19: Ireland ends mandatory hotel quarantine for travellers https://t.co/PXadxYJJ3f

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 25, 2021

A train carrying COVID-19 vaccines along with doctors and nurses to administer them is on a three-month journey to small towns and poorer parts of South Africa, which has the continent’s highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases. https://t.co/CBYv8WowBk

— AP Africa (@AP_Africa) September 25, 2021

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A daily pill to treat Covid could be just months away. The short-term antiviral regimen in clinical trials is designed to begin right after diagnosis & could prevent symptom development. Antivirals are already essential for other infections, such as flu https://t.co/euNDw5ojTi pic.twitter.com/lwDIca6e6H

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 25, 2021

Tamiflu, but for Covid:

… “Oral antivirals have the potential to not only curtail the duration of one’s covid-19 syndrome, but also have the potential to limit transmission to people in your household if you are sick,” said Timothy Sheahan, a virologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who has helped pioneer these therapies.

Antivirals are already essential treatments for other viral infections, including hepatitis C and HIV. One of the best known is Tamiflu, the widely prescribed pill that can shorten the duration of influenza and reduce the risk of hospitalization if given quickly.

The medications, developed to treat and prevent viral infections in people and animals, work differently depending on the type. But they can be engineered to boost the immune system to fight infection, block receptors so viruses can’t enter healthy cells, or lower the amount of active virus in the body.

At least three promising antivirals for covid are being tested in clinical trials, with results expected as soon as late fall or winter, said Carl Dieffenbach, director of the Division of AIDS at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who is overseeing antiviral development….

Like the monoclonal antibodies, antiviral pills would be no substitute for vaccination, said Griffin. They would be another tool to fight covid. “It’s nice to have another option,” he said.

One challenge in developing antiviral drugs quickly has been recruiting enough participants for the clinical trials, each of which needs to enroll many hundreds of people, said Dr. Elizabeth Duke, a Fred Hutch research associate overseeing its molnupiravir trial.

Participants must be unvaccinated and enrolled in the trial within five days of a positive covid test. Any given day, interns make 100 calls to newly covid-positive people in the Seattle area — and most say no.

“Just generally speaking, there’s a lot of mistrust about the scientific process,” Duke said. “And some of the people are saying kind of nasty things to the interns.”…

Which doesn’t mean these same *still* unvaccinated people won’t demand a free lifetime supply of TamiCovid, the minute it should come on the market…

Another MS drug class causes concern for Covid vaccination. Vaccine effectiveness may be reduced in MS patients on S1P modulators. Earlier, reduced antibody responses were found for those treated w/ anti-CD20 therapies. No problems w/ Mavenclad or Aubagio https://t.co/kk0En9Dcxx pic.twitter.com/uxhs99hZyv

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 25, 2021

Very good Q&A on #Covid boosters with @celinegounder.
We got blinded by the ~95% VE the mRNA vaccines showed against all infection in the first couple of months. We're not going to hold that & chasing it with boosters isn't viable.
h/t @rkhamsi https://t.co/UPFgMt9Cjm

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) September 25, 2021

Is a cloth mask good enough to face #DeltaVariant? Some European airlines have banned cloth masks during air travel—favoring surgical masks. Infectious diseases expert, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong of UC San Francisco, also recommends them https://t.co/tGDHPv8wsJ pic.twitter.com/BfbYIM0Lta

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 26, 2021

Vaccine pioneers win 2021 #LaskerAward

The American "Nobel" prize given to scientists whose research is the basis of mRNA vaccines now used in #COVID19 vaccines by Pfizer & Moderna.https://t.co/inMoHfEGoK #Lasker2021

— MicrobesInfect (@MicrobesInfect) September 25, 2021

Familiar tactics to anyone who’s dealt with ailing, aging pets:

National Zoo’s covid-infected lions and tigers won’t eat their meat, so zookeepers are trying goat cheese and chicken broth https://t.co/flNwZfWqgj

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 25, 2021

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There are still plenty of eligible Americans who haven’t been able to get vaccinated, even if those people aren’t the white suburbanites getting so much media attention:

The unvaccinated but willing account for approximately 10% of the U.S. population, according to a report last month.

Immunizing this group could be critical to attaining herd immunity and protecting those disproportionately affected by the pandemic. https://t.co/19Qw8RybZt

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 25, 2021

Nearly 100 free and charitable clinics across the country, which services uninsured or underinsured people, have forged bridges with underserved communities in an initiative dubbed “Project Finish Line,” aiming to vaccinate 1 million hard-to-reach people. https://t.co/19Qw8RybZt

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 25, 2021

Yesterday we received a message from the hospital COO that the Indiana National Guard Crisis Response Team was deploying to my hospital. The message itself was written from a place of relief, of finally getting help.

— Dr. Hedrick (@DrHedrick) September 25, 2021

We can't and won't stop trying to save lives. But right now it's like being at a hospital at the bottom of a cliff that people keep driving over after ignoring reading the signs to stop.

— Dr. Hedrick (@DrHedrick) September 25, 2021

'A serious issue:' New Mexico health officials suspect 2 people are dead from ivermectin poisoning. Acting state Health Secretary Dr. David Scrase said the unnamed people died after taking the anti-parasitic, one of whom was already dealing w/ severe Covid https://t.co/WrTYSKxjWF

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 25, 2021

A U.S. appeals court temporarily blocked a New York City mandate requiring all school teachers and staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19 just days before it was to take effect https://t.co/SPjPZSfRnk pic.twitter.com/3RFjJHVafc

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 26, 2021

NY considers using National Guard & medical personnel from other states to replace anti-vaxxer healthcare workers who refuse state order to get vaccinated https://t.co/3hqFIHvj8a

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 26, 2021

Staten Island is the Trumpiest of all the boroughs by a long shot and even there 70% of adults are fully vaccinated. This isn't a movement, you're just spoiling the Saturday night of all the people who actually gave a fuck about your health. https://t.co/S0yqmtl6n3

— zeddy (@Zeddary) September 26, 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Sept. 25-26Post + Comments (41)

The Pandemic Will Remain A Hot Topic for the Foreseeable Future, Unfortunately

by Anne Laurie| September 25, 20214:41 pm| 130 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Excellent Links

At this point in the pandemic, this is what vaccine hesitancy looks like for a lot of people and @elspethreeve got to the heart of it in Missouri. Very worth the watch. pic.twitter.com/poubh6gpdV

— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) September 9, 2021

Think about it: That CNN piece about the Ozarks and the vaccine is heavily about peer pressure and community norms. If you *mandate* it, you might finally create an out for people who secretly want it to say: "Look, I'm with you, I don't want it, but it's required, so…"

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) September 9, 2021

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A quick thread:

⁰It’s hard to explain just how radicalized ivermectin and antivax Facebook groups have become in the last few weeks.

They’re now telling people who get COVID to avoid the ICU and treat themselves, often by nebulizing hydrogen peroxide.

So, how did we get here?

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) September 24, 2021

Facebook bans explicit antivaxx groups, but they don’t ban groups for quack “cures” that antivaxxers push instead.

So in the last couple of months, Ivermectin groups have become the new hubs for antivaxx messaging.

But there’s a problem: Ivermectin, by itself, isn’t working.

The number of people in these ivermectin groups have exploded.

So has the number of people in the groups who have contracted COVID, since the groups are largely filled with unvaccinated people seeking “alternative therapies.”

So they developed a makeshift “protocol.”

Obviously, keep taking the ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, the ivermectin groups say.

But also gargle iodine. Buy a nebulizer and inhale food-grade hydrogen peroxide.

Anything but the vaccine. pic.twitter.com/66ArbDcBXO

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) September 24, 2021

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They’ve developed elaborate conspiracy theories about doctors and nurses in the process.

They believe ventilators and remdesivir are secretly drowning patients’ lungs, not COVID itself.

QAnon boards have begun calling hospitals to harass workers for not prescribing ivermectin. pic.twitter.com/LysnALGTsm

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) September 24, 2021

Here's the full story about "vigilante medicine" on ivermectin Facebook.

Antivaxxers are starting to wrap doctors and ICUs into their dark conspiracy theories, as they suffer at home with ad-hoc COVID treatments that don't work.

I hope you read it.https://t.co/pgghH6WrBu

— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) September 24, 2021

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From a long, heavily annotated thread:

This is yet another game-changer in understanding origins of covid-19! https://t.co/DXhPae9Qhr

— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) September 18, 2021

Since the outbreak, & especially in the last few weeks/months after the @WHO origins report, there’s been a series of significant new papers/preprints/analyses supporting a “natural” origin of wildlife spillover, possibly via an intermediate mammalian host as per SARS. 3/

— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) September 18, 2021

2nd, new evidence that live animals of the type that carry CoVs were present in the Wuhan markets (including Huanan). Evidence not available at time of WHO report, but thankfully published here https://t.co/lFA3ueSjTr 5/

— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) September 18, 2021

….

In my opinion, the scientific evidence coming through is exactly what most of us in the field expected. We need to continue the hard work on all sides, but at the same time it should be “science not speculation” that leads us! https://t.co/Jw3aB4elcu 19/

— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) September 18, 2021

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my latest—this ain’t “vaccine hesitancy”; https://t.co/w8OZCTSlAM

— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) September 22, 2021

… The number of Americans who are dying every 36 hours from Covid now surpasses the total number of U.S. soldiers who were killed during 20 years of fighting in Afghanistan. It’s an entirely preventable crisis, yet it rages because we have people like the red state restaurant owner who is kicking out patrons if they refuse to take off their masks. It’s pure nihilism.

The mindless behavior is hard to describe, and the rest of the world must be looking on in slack-jawed astonishment as Trump voters lead a mad movement powered by Fox News. The network is doing what no other outlet has done in the history of television news — it’s deliberately getting people killed during a public health crisis by feeding eagerly gullible red state viewers a mountain of lies.

From PizzaGate, to QAnon, to the current anti-vaccine and anti-mask hysteria, the GOP has been brainwashed. It’s no secret — lots of victims openly admit it. Still, the press shies away, nervous about offending conservatives by portraying them as mindless zombies being easily duped about a miraculously safe and effective vaccine. (It’s the same reason news outlets refused to call Trump a “liar.”)

Instead of calling out the Covid zombies, the press coddles them, especially white, Southern ones, depicting them as merely “vaccine hesitant,” “vaccine-reluctant,” or “vaccine skeptics.”…

Within the media, there’s lots of tsk-tsking commentary about vaccine “misinformation.” But the press continues to look away from the consequences of mass brainwashing —millions of Americans believe the vaccine is more dangerous than the virus. And they’re lashing out in public, staging deranged acts of civil disobedience, often inside restaurants and at local school board meetings, where the white-rage screaming and name-calling commences…

Brainwashing itsn’t typically a topic that’s covered when dissecting mainstream American politics. Sadly, it needs to be. And fast.

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COVID Update: How big a problem will future variants be?

I got an update from several top scientists. 1/

— Andy Slavitt 🇺🇸💉 (@ASlavitt) September 7, 2021

Quick review. Viruses continually mutate but can only mutate when they replicate. And so far we’re giving SARS-CoV-2 plenty of opportunities to replicate. 2/

Most mutations aren’t worth noting. They don’t increase hospitalizations. They don’t increase infectiousness. And they don’t cause problems for prior immunity. 3/

A fallacy pushed by anti-vaxxers is that vaccinations cause mutations.

It’s false. The more unvaccinated people, the more replication within cells as people mount a slow immune response— the more chances for the virus to mutate. 4/

So far the variants of concern that have taken hold in countries around the world have followed 1 of 2 paths for more cell replication— either evading vaccines or spreading more easily.

But so far none of these variants have combined both problems— evasiveness & contagiousness.5

Think of one path as going broad to more people (a more contagious variant is harder to catch) and another path as going deep (within a single individual to more cells).

One that had mutations to be the most rapidly growing & most evasive would be the most concerning. 6/

The vaccines that have caused the most trouble for vaccines in vitro & in reality (Beta, Iota, Delta+, Mu) have so far been outcompeted by the variants that spread more rapidly (Alpha and now Delta). 7/

Problematic variants that can’t grow as fast as Delta will be only a limited problem.

When we read about a Mu (0.1%) being a problem for vaccines, if it can’t outcompete Delta, it won’t take hold. 8/

So Delta, oddly, is defeating variants that would be more challenging for vaccines (and also monoclonals).

And until a variant that causes problems for the vaccine also spreads faster than Delta, it won’t become dominant. 9/

As an aside, Delta causes some problems for the vaccine but in a different way— because it replicates more virus so quickly that w/ lower antibody levels, immune response often isn’t fast enough to prevent symptoms. Cellular immunity does kick if to prevent hospitalizations. 10/

So why hasn’t a variant come along that has both negative characteristics? Will it?

The answer to the first question is largely randomness. There’s no reason why both types of mutations can’t exist in the same virus variant. 11/

The more opportunity, the more random things will happen. So it’s also the length of time of the pandemic, the spread & the too slow, too low vaccination rates that increases the odds. 12/

Will it happen?

We don’t know but we do know that vaccinating the globe and the US more quickly will reduce the odds.

In the scheme of viruses Delta already replicates very fast. Not close to measles, but arguably comparable to chicken pox. That’s a tall order for a mutant. 13/

So we could expect to see a lot of “problematic” mutations for the vaccines that never amount to much because Delta crushes them.

But what happens if we do see one that’s vaccine evasive that Delta doesn’t outcompete— or at least leaves room for it in some regions? 14/

There are a few key ingredients that must be ready: surveillance, vaccine development, regulatory & scaled manufacturing/distribution. 15/

We’ve taken a big step forward in surveillance with the CDC’s new forecasting center. Genetic sequencing need to occur however in many more regions of the US than it does now.

Countries around the world are also improving their ability to spot variants quickly. 16/

Once we identify a new variant, we can test its effectiveness against vaccines in the lab. If one is an evasive mutation, within 100 days we should have the capability to develop a new specialized booster.

By that time we should know if the variant is outcompeting Delta. 17/

Over the course of the year the Biden Admin has put together a pandemic resiliency plan that should allow for the rapid production & distribution of vaccines for new variants & new viruses.

The aim is 100 days for a vaccine & 100 days for full production. 19/

200 days sounds like a long time but if we have good surveillance & begin right away, remember how long it could be before a mutation is discovered & its proliferation depending on the origin. 20/

If the original COVID started circulating in China in the 4th quarter last year, it months before it started to spread significantly around the Earth globe asia-australia .

If we are developing vaccines at pace, it could end up being only a short spike in most countries before a vax is ready. 21/

This will undoubtedly mean suffering in the place of the variant’s origin. And a lot of logistics (imagine a whole new global rollout). We will need to get better & better at it.

And of course each time face anew the challenges of vaccine hesitancy. 22/

Along with the development of an oral anti-viral, we are building the arsenal as a globe & as individuals to manage new variants but we have to use them.

Right now Delta is the devil we know. And while not our friend, it is at least the enemy of our enemy.

If we don’t want to deal with worse variants we know how to reduce the odds. Slow the spread. Accelerate global vaccinations. Take its potential seriously. /end

The Pandemic Will Remain A Hot Topic for the Foreseeable Future, UnfortunatelyPost + Comments (130)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, Sept. 24-25

by Anne Laurie| September 25, 20215:53 am| 47 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

Other 25% are still conducting research https://t.co/ldTuBv6Rz6 pic.twitter.com/97rBnt6y6P

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) September 24, 2021

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very awkward situation on The View as Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro appear to have tested positive for COVID pic.twitter.com/gyBF3CFRwX

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 24, 2021

The Way We Live Now, per NYMag:

… On Friday’s show, hosts Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, and guest host Ana Navarro were set to interview Vice-President Kamala Harris. That is until a producer asked Hostin and Navarro to “step off for a second” in the middle of the show…

… When they returned, Behar said, “Okay, since this is going to be a major news story any minute now, what happened is, Sunny and Ana both apparently tested positive for COVID.” She added that both hosts are “vaccinated up the wazoo” and “probably have a breakthrough case.” …

To make matters more uncomfortable, Harris was backstage while all of this was happening. According to a tweet from NBC White House correspondent Monica Alba, Harris “had no contact with hosts prior to the show,” and they planned to conduct the interview with the vice-president in a different part of ABC studios. With about ten minutes left in the show, Harris appeared remotely, per USA Today. “Sunny and Ana are strong women, and I know they’re fine, but it really does also speak to the fact that they’re vaccinated,” Harris said, “and vaccines really make all the difference, because otherwise we would be concerned about hospitalization and worse.”…

The US had +131,006 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total to over 43.5 million. The 7-day moving average fell to 126,124 new cases per day. pic.twitter.com/gJPU1eiQ8z

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) September 24, 2021

The US reported +2,017 new coronavirus deaths yesterday, bringing the total to 703,021. The 7-day moving average stands at 1,706 deaths per day. pic.twitter.com/TXPvJd1VsR

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) September 24, 2021

The majority of Americans who were fully vaccinated with Pfizer can receive a booster shot at least 6 months after their second shot. This includes people over 65, those with underlying medical conditions, and those in frontline jobs.

— President Biden (@POTUS) September 24, 2021

Boosters for Moderna & J&J haven't come up for discussion by federal health agencies, but experts say plans are on the agenda to consider a 3rd shot for Moderna recipients & a 2nd for those who received a J&J shot https://t.co/P5xrQDBS3o pic.twitter.com/jxo1FJafI4

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 24, 2021

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India reports 29,616 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours https://t.co/G9dWgPqwEe pic.twitter.com/7Rp5ueYU6J

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

S.Korea daily COVID-19 cases top 3,000 for first time after holiday https://t.co/z8QQsFaHQU pic.twitter.com/ORn84zMczl

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

Australia's Victoria state logs record infections ahead of key sporting event https://t.co/9YMYwCJ5Vd pic.twitter.com/LnDG2BszRZ

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

Australian rules:

… Authorities expect case numbers in the state to keep rising until mid November as it races to raise vaccination rates above the 70% double dose threshold, up from around 46% currently.

With the Australian rules football grand final, a major national sporting event, due to take place on Saturday evening, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton warned fans to stay home to avoid putting “you, your friends and your households at risk.”

The match, between two Melbourne teams, would usually be played in the city but has been moved to coronavirus-free Western Australia. However, authorities are still worried fans in Melbourne could gather in households to watch the broadcast game, breaching lockdown rules.

Anti-vaccination protests that hit state capital Melbourne this week spilled into the suburbs on Friday, with police arresting more than 30 people in the city’s inner north…

Elsewhere, New South Wales state logged 11 deaths and 1,007 new daily acquired coronavirus cases, government data showed.

Sixty people have died from the virus in the state this week, the highest weekly number since the pandemic began and more than the 58 deaths last week. New infections however show signs of stabilising at around 1,000 a day amid a state wide vaccination drive.

Around 85% of people over 16 years of age have had a first vaccination dose, while 58% of the population have had a double dose. Lockdown restrictions are set to ease when 70% and 80% of the adult population are fully vaccinated.

A doctor in Tahiti was arrested for attacking law enforcement officials, not for treating COVID-19 patients with ivermectin. Here are the facts. https://t.co/1Drsa5s446

— AP Fact Check (@APFactCheck) September 24, 2021

Israel is moving forward with its campaign to offer coronavirus boosters to almost anyone over age 12, even as some experts say more people in poorer countries should get their two doses first. By @IlanBenZion. https://t.co/rILsiRv3a1

— AP Middle East (@APMiddleEast) September 25, 2021

Russia posted an all-time record of 828 deaths from Covid-19 on Friday as hospitalizations shot up in Moscow and several regions began reimposing restrictions after nationwide elections last weekend https://t.co/bgKIGPBe2j

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) September 24, 2021

Covid vaccine booster programme to start in Republic of Ireland https://t.co/pbF6cFIp7v

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 24, 2021

UK's refusal to accept Covid vaccine certificates from Africa could increase hesitancy, says head of Africa's health agency https://t.co/qUvXyT0IMJ

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 23, 2021

El Salvador to begin giving third dose of COVID-19 vaccine https://t.co/5aQBLBlhx3 pic.twitter.com/r0ej89M2Hu

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

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The CDC says studies bolster its recommendation for masks in schools and in-person classes. One study found coronavirus cases in children and teens increased more in U.S. counties where public schools had no mask mandates than schools with a requirement. https://t.co/SX0HNihGFR

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 24, 2021

Every region of the world, except South America, is now showing >94% #DeltaVariant in new #COVID19 cases. Even in SoAmer, it's more than 86% Delta. This virus is the super-spreader, out-competing all other forms of #SARSCoV2 .https://t.co/BWsAWwMCmw

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) September 24, 2021

Nasal spray: Llama & camel antibodies can be used in a nasal spray to treat coronavirus infection. New peer-reviewed research builds on previous studies that confirm nanobodies—antibody fragments—from llamas,camels & alpacas show promise against SARS2 https://t.co/A6a7wnG6SJ

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 24, 2021

A WHO panel has endorsed treating high-risk Covid patients w/ monoclonal antibodies. The panel cited 3 studies showing the therapy lowers hospitalization risk in patients likely to worsen. It also has captured attn as an alternative among anti-vaxxers https://t.co/t0CvrU9x28

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 24, 2021

No, vaccinated people are not ‘just as likely’ to spread the #coronavirus as unvaccinated people. This has become a common refrain among the cautious—and it’s wrong https://t.co/5NomK1oRH8

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 24, 2021

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When people tell me California is overreacting to the COVID-19 pandemic, I look at this data & think, "Maybe we're doing relatively well *because* of how we're reacting." https://t.co/tPoJ3noI6l pic.twitter.com/eh8OtIFRcj

— Dr. Janet D. Stemwedel, PhD 🏳️‍🌈 (@docfreeride) September 24, 2021

New York races to avoid hospital staff shortages ahead of vaccine mandate deadline https://t.co/dJT3tTeax8

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 24, 2021

U.S. court upholds hospital employee COVID-19 vaccine rule in test case https://t.co/RqGHz87YcK pic.twitter.com/KCNxbgcG6L

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

… A federal judge on Friday ruled that a Cincinnati, Ohio-area healthcare provider could require its employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk losing their job, in what appears to be the first ruling of its kind for a private employer in the United States.

The employees of St. Elizabeth Healthcare failed to establish that their individual liberties were being violated by the vaccine requirement of the hospital operator, which has the right to set employment terms, said U.S. District Judge David Bunning in Covington, Kentucky.

St. Elizabeth employees must get vaccinated by Oct. 1…

Bunning’s ruling is the first involving a request for an injunction against a private employer’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, said Mark Guilfoyle, a lawyer who represented St. Elizabeth…

The class action on behalf of St. Elizabeth employees was based in part on concerns about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines, among other claims.

Those suspicions cannot override the law, said Bunning.

“If an employee believes his or her individual liberties are more important than legally permissible conditions on his or her employment, that employee can and should choose to exercise another individual liberty, no less significant – the right to seek other employment,” wrote Bunning.

Even here in the deep-blue Peoples’ Republic…

Horse-paste eaters live among us, like out in MetroWest https://t.co/I6Ycy1BUlM

— Adam Gaffin (@universalhub) September 22, 2021

Vaccine mandates are normal and good. A judge just slapped down a ludicrous effort by the State Police to delay their vax mandate. https://t.co/E0xku3pERp

— #AbolishICE #PassThePROAct (@joelpatt) September 25, 2021

Warriors' Wiggins denied religious exemption for COVID-19 vaccine https://t.co/MDHd26Xfjp pic.twitter.com/FoEJcLfXG4

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021

Sharing is caring! –

If you're claiming a religious exemption, what the chapter and verse? #p2 #tcot #prolife #Christian #Catholic pic.twitter.com/oTCIogZA5E

— Terrell D. Lewis (@TerrellDLewis) September 23, 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, Sept. 24-25Post + Comments (47)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday / Friday, Sept. 23-24

by Anne Laurie| September 24, 20216:23 am| 69 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

Best letter to the editor I’ve seen lately. Via ?@nytimes? pic.twitter.com/ME8qDC14kT

— David Wessel (@davidmwessel) September 21, 2021

A CDC advisory panel recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for Americans aged 65 and older and some adults with underlying medical conditions. But it declined to recommend boosters for younger adults, including healthcare workers https://t.co/9njymuImMs pic.twitter.com/yYmEhj3DeK

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

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I think today's ACIP is a good case study in the chaos that ensues when you are working w/ really inadequate data for key decisions (exception in older population) and are divided on why you would do something (are we boosting to prevent severe outcomes or simply any infection).

— Sarah Karlin-Smith (@SarahKarlin) September 23, 2021

The US timeline for boosters.
You'd have to work really hard to mess this up this badly and engender this much confusion. 😬 pic.twitter.com/KHNWEQJyLg

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) September 23, 2021

Preventing a single case of #COVID19 hospitalization w/3rd dose of #vaccine requires 19Xs more vaccinees in <25 yr olds compared to >65 yr olds. ACIP @CDCgov meeting, now live. pic.twitter.com/p8b1aQMmtj

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) September 23, 2021

Here's the problem the @US_FDA advisors faced last week & ACIP @CDCgov is mulling now: Nearly all data on safety & efficacy of @pfizer #COVID19 3rd dose from the company is from use in their 2020 adult vaccine trials, tracking same populations over time. And, since..
MORE pic.twitter.com/5LUXqMz1lc

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) September 23, 2021

3/ It seems that @pfizer shot itself in the foot by doing its only FDA studies to support 3rd doses on that very white, very old 2020 study population. Nobody wants to approve youth access if there's no youth data.
And meanwhile, millions of Americans have had zero vax doses. pic.twitter.com/Z88GEPCxS5

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) September 23, 2021

======

Much of the world is still waiting but Moderna’s chief expects enough vaccines for everyone by next year https://t.co/VbymYRXEb5

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 24, 2021

African leaders denounced the inequity of vaccine distribution at the U.N., with Namibia president Hage Geingob calling it “vaccine apartheid.” The leaders want intellectual property rights waived so more countries can produce COVID-19 vaccines. https://t.co/9sR91NbNIP

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 23, 2021

U.S. Vice President Harris welcomes India's resuming COVID exports https://t.co/yAafajvH0o pic.twitter.com/3Yll8R4GHr

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective against serious illness, although rival shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca showed better protection rates, a large real world study from Malaysia showed https://t.co/MG549fYYq2 pic.twitter.com/580HzLOwHR

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

Singapore migrant workers are still living in Covid lockdown https://t.co/MWAiYrpiNc

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 24, 2021

S.Korea reports record daily COVID-19 cases; planning how to live with COVID-19 https://t.co/m67YdWZ8Gt pic.twitter.com/oKzzhvxTOm

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

Japan approaching end of COVID-19 emergency in most areas – health minister https://t.co/ybbkHySp8u pic.twitter.com/Ie5fcSbkP2

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

Sri Lankan shaman dies of Covid after touting potion which he said could protect people from the disease https://t.co/ZWVKatHZVc

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 23, 2021

More than half of Australia's adult population were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, authorities said, as they step up inoculations in hopes of easing restrictions while cases linger near daily record levels in Victoria https://t.co/aYv0kgUAjX pic.twitter.com/MosPe74ncB

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

Today New Zealand had a total of 9 cases, the lowest since their outbreak started.
BTW they also donated a lot of vaccines today
🇳🇿👋👍 pic.twitter.com/tGYudd6tEq

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) September 24, 2021

Russia reported 820 deaths from Covid-19 on Thursday, equalling its highest number of daily fatalitieshttps://t.co/T8UUxnFDM7

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) September 23, 2021

Dutch boy wins court battle for right to Covid jab so he can visit his dying grandmother, despite father's objections https://t.co/kSxbSjiDa1

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 23, 2021

Brazil approaches 600,000 COVID deaths in second-deadliest outbreak https://t.co/HFoqyJvn0x pic.twitter.com/QY6yqXdP9L

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

Brazil's Bolsonaro in isolation after top aide tested positive at UN assembly https://t.co/0uePvH3QU5 pic.twitter.com/PP0Xp7Yx9Z

— The Hill (@thehill) September 23, 2021

Using their own vaccines, Cuba expects to reach “full immunization” against Covid by Dec. 31. Cuba has extended vaccinations to all age groups from 2 up. Cuban scientists developed their own vaccines. Announced Thursday at UN Gen'l Assembly meeting in NYC https://t.co/7WHuDgicLD

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 23, 2021

======

What are 'Crisis Standards of Care?' As #DeltaVariant continues to spread, public health officials have approved drastic rationing measures. Crisis standards allow doctors to allocate scarce resources—like ventilators—to patients most likely to survive https://t.co/pabA7EHzE1

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 23, 2021

Very well reasoned case here. This is such a complex problem and the analysis of the data is extremely difficult and subject to substantial confounding. Negative consequences may occur here from favoring precautionary principles too- boosters for all are not currently justified. https://t.co/3NFi3cJs5I

— Edward Nirenberg (@ENirenberg) September 23, 2021

4DMedical lung imagery sheds more light on 'long COVID' effects https://t.co/xsQYOWpisM pic.twitter.com/fxCoKDZM7M

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 24, 2021

======

Outbreak in Alaska may be late, but it is enormous. https://t.co/iTWlUGODio

— (((Howard Forman))) (@thehowie) September 22, 2021

Sad, terrifying and deeply reported ?@BuzzFeedNews? story on Idaho. Well worth your time to read.

“An Unprecedented Event In Modern Medicine”: What Happens When A State Fails To Flatten The COVID Curve https://t.co/zeePHYIw7t

— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) September 23, 2021

More than 50 UGA faculty members announce plans to mandate masks in their classrooms https://t.co/H2axYt6VGC

— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) September 23, 2021

Between this & yesterday’s report that the LDS now requires masking, sounds like Utah is taking the virus seriously:

VACCINE REQUIRED – The Utah National Guard announced Wednesday that members will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination and submit their vaccine card to officials. https://t.co/hjjwdktwWN

— FOX 13 News Utah (@fox13) September 23, 2021

I gotcha quarantine right here!…

I'm sorry but an unvaccinated Bolsonaro being denied entry into NYC restaurants and being forced to eat pizza outside is a gift from a very specific brand of New York comedy gods. https://t.co/SYS9Vypsjt

— Soo Youn (@lalasoo) September 22, 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday / Friday, Sept. 23-24Post + Comments (69)

For the Insatiably Curious: Quick Notes from Yesterday’s COVID Summit

by Anne Laurie| September 23, 202111:07 am| 73 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Proud to Be A Democrat

Today President Biden announced our donation of another half billion doses of Pfizer vaccines for low and middle-income countries, bringing our donation total to over 1.1 billion. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm, we’ve donated three shots globally. pic.twitter.com/bw720PATBH

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 22, 2021

What @JoeBiden promised at #COVID19 summit today
1. "donating 1.1 billion doses of COVID-19 #vaccines to the world, free of charge, no strings attached."
2. "for every one shot we have administered in this country to date, we are now donating three shots to other countries."
MORE pic.twitter.com/1dBgXSRBSq

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) September 22, 2021

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For the Insatiably Curious: Quick Notes from Yesterday’s COVID SummitPost + Comments (73)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, Sept. 22-23

by Anne Laurie| September 23, 20216:07 am| 78 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those 65 and older, all people at high risk of severe disease, and others who are regularly exposed to the virus https://t.co/0LkXeONqsJ pic.twitter.com/SZTk9LMQmR

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 23, 2021

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"This FDA panel's decision on booster doses only applies to people who have gotten two doses of the Pfizer vaccine," explains @IVACtweets's Bill Moss.

"This isn't about mixing and matching." https://t.co/TAZ9y40d1Y

— Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (@JohnsHopkinsSPH) September 22, 2021

The US administered 730,000 vaccine shots today, bringing the total to 387 million, or 116.7 doses per 100 people. The 7-day moving average declined to 751,000 shots per day. pic.twitter.com/6RhJX5PnC6

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) September 22, 2021

The U.S. is now averaging 2,031 Covid-19 deaths each day, according to The Johns Hopkins University. That's the highest it's been in six months.

— Wolf Blitzer (@wolfblitzer) September 22, 2021

The US had +132,269 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total to over 43.2 million. The 7-day moving average declined to under 135,000 new cases per day. pic.twitter.com/hvCrgGXT5X

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) September 22, 2021

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*Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The United States supports a waiver of intellectual property protections in the WTO TRIPS Agreement for COVID-19 vaccines in service of ending this pandemic."@GYamey
https://t.co/mP5tXyOM9V

— Dr Agnes Soucat (@asoucat) September 22, 2021

Are millions of Covid vaccine doses at risk of going to waste? https://t.co/vAYhM75gPM

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 22, 2021

India outcry over UK not recognising Covishield jab https://t.co/NiEzu0QKHo

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 22, 2021

A man claiming to be a part of an organized crime group threatened a "bloodbath" at a covid vaccination center in Tokyo this weekend, and did so in a decidedly Japanese way: via fax, with a cover page titled "Death Threat." From me & @juliaminuma: https://t.co/bzwJ3KhTX0

— Michelle Ye Hee Lee (@myhlee) September 22, 2021

AP PHOTOS: The roadblocks and barricades make the streets of Vung Tau, Vietnam look like they did during the war that ended almost 50 years ago. But this time, the battle is being fought against the rampaging coronavirus. https://t.co/aUu4tGGtFq

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 22, 2021

Melbourne anti-lockdown protests fizzle out as daily cases hit pandemic high https://t.co/YiSbLY3wCt pic.twitter.com/xLs2ZjAj2A

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 23, 2021

Russia on Thursday reported a jump in Covid-19 cases and 820 fatalities — the joint-highest since the start of the pandemichttps://t.co/6gtZAWgL5Y

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) September 23, 2021

Moscow's coronavirus hospitalizations have shot up in the past week, authorities said Wednesday after the Russian capital held three-day parliamentary and local assembly elections https://t.co/m2hUhGGXlK

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) September 23, 2021

Germany will stop paying compensation to unvaccinated workers who are forced into quarantine as it is unfair to ask taxpayers to subsidise those who refuse to get inoculated, Health Minister Jens Spahn said https://t.co/429k0wjPbn pic.twitter.com/How0F4uknd

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 22, 2021

As Portugal nears its goal of fully vaccinating 85% of the population against COVID-19 in 9 months, other nations want to know how it was able to accomplish the feat. A lot of the credit is going to a naval officer who took charge of the vaccine rollout. https://t.co/LgzRPtt1Re

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 23, 2021

The inequity of COVID-19 vaccine distribution will come into sharper focus as many of the African countries whose populations have little to no access to the life-saving shots step to the podium to speak at the U.N.’s annual meeting of world leaders. https://t.co/sgHtuDQ5zg

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 23, 2021

Uganda loosens anti-coronavirus restrictions as pandemic ebbs https://t.co/4KUMs13Uy8 pic.twitter.com/BrqBTncDpr

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 23, 2021

Pan-American Health Organization:

Americas health agency sees COVID outbreaks continuing into 2022 https://t.co/dOYICrxMyy pic.twitter.com/hKAXTwJDsr

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 23, 2021

======

Pressure is growing on US pharmaceutical companies to share technology for Covid vaccines. A lot of that pressure is on Moderna, an upstart biotech firm. Countries elsewhere in the world want Moderna's formula so they can make their own mRNA shots https://t.co/DXfrQZZ4KL

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 23, 2021

Severe COVID-19 may trigger autoimmune conditions; New variants cause more virus in the air https://t.co/xKxgVZMP89 pic.twitter.com/VDbj5Rjiq3

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 23, 2021

Evidence continues to accumulate: MMR & TDAP vaccines guard against severe Covid. Vaccines prompt strong immunity via memory T&B cells. Measles-Mumps-Rubella & Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis elicit potent responses & a bonus: cross-reactive memory T cells https://t.co/T1Y4xI41o7 pic.twitter.com/YTKHKolHxk

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 22, 2021

Looking for another reason to get a vaccine? Gathering scientific evidence shows that #COVID19 could cause erectile dysfunction and other male reproductive issues. One urologist doesn't mince words: “If they want to have sex, better to get the vaccine.” https://t.co/CBsywddVhi

— David Beard (@dabeard) September 22, 2021

Covid therapy derived from llama blood shows "significant potential" in early trialshttps://t.co/ffZplr0Cmz

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 22, 2021

Dangerous trend: Doctors who treat asthma warn against a social media trend of *inhaling hydrogen peroxide* to treat coronavirus using a nebulizer. The Asthma & Allergy Foundation calls the activity concerning & dangerous saying it can harm the lungs https://t.co/4HKZbobprT pic.twitter.com/1ctZHIoYRD

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) September 23, 2021

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Schools have welcomed students back to classrooms but face a new challenge: a shortage of teachers and staff. The stress of teaching in the COVID-19 era has triggered a spike in retirements and resignations. https://t.co/eBM7Ab2YBf

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 22, 2021

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced that masks will be required inside temples to limit the spread of COVID-19. The church is based in Utah, which saw a summer surge of the virus among unvaccinated residents. https://t.co/Y3gb0QFlql

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 23, 2021

After Maine implemented a statewide vaccine mandate, of the more than 33,000 healthcare workers employed at the 2 largest healthcare providers in the state, only 65 people quit over the mandate. That's 0.19%.

Vaccine mandates work.

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) September 22, 2021

Hey, remember Dr. Gokal?

A Texas doctor was fired after doling out expiring vaccine doses. Now, he's suing over the 'revenge campaign.' https://t.co/xXC5VIkudT

— Jeffrey Levin (@jilevin) September 22, 2021

How far does Ron DeSantis go to get his apogee?https://t.co/WTV3Axkxfm

— Warren Terra (@warren__terra) September 21, 2021

With hospitals full of unvaccinated Covid patients, surgeries are being delayed. A hospital in Medford, Ore., normally has no one waiting for open-heart surgery, but now 28 people are waiting. Their lives are at risk because of vaccination resistance. https://t.co/BR4OTuFqgW

— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) September 22, 2021

Worth the read. A band replies to fans complaining about vax requirements. https://t.co/LtWKnc1l6w

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) September 23, 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, Sept. 22-23Post + Comments (78)

Let them eat fruits and vegetables…

by Betty Cracker| September 22, 202110:45 am| 59 Comments

This post is in: 2024 Elections, COVID-19 Coronavirus, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity

In a ranty post yesterday, I mentioned that those of us who reside in red states are still living in a Trumpian nightmare. I have fresh evidence of that in the form of Florida’s new surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who was introduced by Florida’s Trump-wannabe governor yesterday.

Ladapo replaces Dr. Scott Rivkees, who chaired the pediatrics department at the state’s flagship university before he torched his professional reputation by remaining silent (as the state’s surgeon general!) while DeSantis downplayed the horrifying toll of the pandemic, harassed and obstructed local governments and schoolboards that are trying to mitigate the spread, and gave official imprimatur to the conspiracy theorists and COVID-denying crackpots who are indefinitely extending this public health crisis.

Ladapo also has an incredibly impressive CV. But he is a crank who is apparently all-in on DeSantis’s strategy of pretending the pandemic is a liberal hoax to ban red Solo cups and hamburgers at keggers, steal all the guns and bibles, abolish pickups and deprive us of Trump, DeSantis and freedom.

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How do we know Ladapo is a crackpot? We know this because he spoke at the Crackpot Doc Summit held on the steps of the US Supreme Court in the summer of 2020. The event was organized by the wingnut “Tea Party Patriots” group and featured a handful of doctors speaking out against masks and social distancing as the initial COVID surge raged.

Trump, who was both a sitting president and a person with a Twitter account back then, retweeted the Crackpot Doc video because one of the other participants, Dr. Stella Immanuel, was hyping hydroxychloroquine, the snake oil cure-all Trump himself was peddling at the time. (Later, Trump had to sort of walk back his praise for Dr. Immanuel when it was revealed that she is also a minister who believes infertility, impotence and other disorders are caused by people having sex with demons in their dreams.)

Anyhoo, if you’re someone who’s more concerned with addressing the fucking pandemic so you can get your fucking life back rather than being laser-focused on mitigating the threat COVID may pose to the highly ambitious DeSantis’s political career, Dr. Ladapo’s remarks at his introduction as the new surgeon general weren’t promising:

“Florida will completely reject fear as a way of making policies. That’s been something that’s been, unfortunately, a centerpiece of health policies.”

When asked about whether people should fear the vaccine, Ladapo said Tuesday those fears were driven by a “climate of mistrust” in the public about the nation’s coronavirus response. That sentiment is similar to those made by DeSantis since the start of the pandemic.

“That was a direct result of scientists, my colleagues, some of them, taking the science and basically misrepresenting it to fit their agendas,” Ladapo said. “This idea that people don’t get to make their own decisions on issues of health is wrong and it’s not something that we’re going to be about.”

When asked whether Florida should be promoting vaccines, Ladapo replied that too much emphasis had been placed on that approach.

“The state should be promoting good health, and vaccination isn’t the only path for that,” Ladapo said. “It’s been treated almost like a religion, and that’s just senseless.”

He said the state should be supporting many measures for good health: “vaccination, losing weight, exercising more (and) eating more fruits and vegetables.”

Sweet weeping Jeebus, we’re doomed. But here’s the thing: we have to push back about this “climate of mistrust” garbage. As Eric Boehlert put it in an excellent piece in Press Run today, people are still dying in huge numbers, even though effective vaccines are now available — for free! — because they’ve been “brainwashed by bad-faith partisan actors…”

Boehlert complains that MSM outlets are yapping about “vaccine hesitancy” while ignoring who created it, and he’s right. Our party, from the president on down to the newest commissioner on a board that governs the most podunk backwater in the US, should be relentless about calling those bad-faith partisan actors out BY NAME for the damage they’re doing to every single one of us.

I think it’s good politics too. I’m all the way across the country from California, so I don’t claim to have any special insight into how Governor Newsom curb-stomped the Trumpian clowns who came at him in the recall. But I’ve got to think regular old citizen disgust with these feckless anti-mask, COVID-denying cockwaffles had something to do with it. So let’s run with that.

Open thread.

Let them eat fruits and vegetables…Post + Comments (59)

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Good luck with your asparagus.

Everybody saw this coming.

They are all Michael Cohen now.

Women: they get shit done

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

This really is a full service blog.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

No one could have predicted…

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

We still have time to mess this up!

All your base are belong to Tunch.

This blog will pay for itself.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

What fresh hell is this?

I can’t take this shit today. I just can’t.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

I really should read my own blog.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Saturday / Sunday, Sept. 25-26

The Pandemic Will Remain A Hot Topic for the Foreseeable Future, Unfortunately

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, Sept. 24-25

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday / Friday, Sept. 23-24

For the Insatiably Curious: Quick Notes from Yesterday’s COVID Summit

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, Sept. 22-23

Let them eat fruits and vegetables…