Coronavirus thread

[Mirror Image]

The talk from Health authorities here is that booster shots might be considered for immuno-depressed people (chemotherapy, leukemia etc) but not for the general population.

Ah, this makes sense. I guess we'll just have to continue to read updates about it. If this is the case, my dad would most definitely benefit from the booster since he has an auto-immune disease.

[krummholz]

But note that André is in Québec - the news about boosters being authorized soon for the general public applies to the US.

[T. D.]

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/17/covid-vaccine-booster-shots-nih-director-says-new-israel-data-is-building-case-in-the-us.html

NIH director says new Israeli Covid data is building case for booster shots in the U.S.

[T. D.]

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/17/texas-gov-abbott-who-banned-mask-mandates-tests-positive-for-covid.html

[Holden]

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/17/covid-vaccine-booster-shots-nih-director-says-new-israel-data-is-building-case-in-the-us.html

NIH director says new Israeli Covid data is building case for booster shots in the U.S.

I don't know if it's a media issue but there are things that seem to have happened with the Israeli vaccination program that don't appear to be happening anywhere else.

[JBS]

I don't know if it's a media issue but there are things that seem to have happened with the Israeli vaccination program that don't appear to be happening anywhere else.

Possibly a result of Israel rolling out its vaccinations before a lot of other places? So it's experiencing the same thing as other countries with similar vaccination rates but (in terms of waning effectiveness) a certain number of weeks or months earlier.
That would be my guess.

[T. D.]

I don't know if it's a media issue but there are things that seem to have happened with the Israeli vaccination program that don't appear to be happening anywhere else.

Strongly agreed. There was a story some weeks ago (I'm sure I posted it far above) about an Israeli study showing that Pfizer (2 doses) had only 40% efficacy at preventing infection with Delta.
All subsequent releases from other sources have given much higher numbers, but I never saw any official rebuttal of the Israeli study.

[Holden]

 I was wondering if it was an interpretation of data issue. That's the only thing that makes sense to me.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Just heard on the news that the state of Alabama has negative eleven ICU beds!  Which means, apparently, that they are having to stay in the ERs.  How long can that last?!   

PD

[T. D.]

(emphasis added)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/18/covid-booster-shots-us-to-begin-wide-distribution-of-third-vaccine-doses-next-month.html

The United States will begin widely distributing Covid-19 booster shots next month as new data shows that vaccine protection wanes over time, top U.S. health officials announced in a joint statement Wednesday.

It's now "very clear" that immunity starts to fall after the initial two doses, and with the dominance of the delta variant, "we are starting to see evidence of reduced protection against mild and moderate disease," according to the statement signed by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and other U.S. health leaders. "Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout."

As a result, U.S. agencies are preparing to offer booster shots to all eligible Americans beginning the week of Sept. 20, starting 8 months after their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna's vaccines, officials said. While they said recipients of Johnson & Johnson's single-shot vaccine will likely need boosters, they are awaiting more data in the next few weeks before making a formal recommendation.

[Karl Henning]

Just heard on the news that the state of Alabama has negative eleven ICU beds!  Which means, apparently, that they are having to stay in the ERs.  How long can that last?!   

PD

Ghastly! I think, "what if that had been me when I suffered my stroke?"

[Mandryka]

Just heard on the news that the state of Alabama has negative eleven ICU beds!  Which means, apparently, that they are having to stay in the ERs.  How long can that last?!   

PD

There was a time when this was happening in some European countries -- in  Alsace France for example. They moved them to another region where there was some spare capacity. Why can't this happen in Alabama? Find an ICU bed in another state and put them on a plane and get them there fast! Or is there something fundamental about the States which I've not understood?

https://www.lexpress.fr/actualites/1/societe/coronavirus-aide-militaire-sans-precedent-pour-les-patients-en-alsace_2121313.html

[VonStupp]

There was a time when this was happening in some European countries -- in  Alsace France for example. They moved them to another region where there was some spare capacity. Why can't this happen in Alabama? Find an ICU bed in another state and put them on a plane and get them there fast! Or is there something fundamental about the States which I've not understood?

https://www.lexpress.fr/actualites/1/societe/coronavirus-aide-militaire-sans-precedent-pour-les-patients-en-alsace_2121313.html

I wonder if it is a health insurance issue. I have pretty universal coverage but my wife has an HMO and is limited in where she can have health care and by whom, and so too our children through her insurance. I would assume that bringing medical assistance into a state alleviates some of those issues, although I don't pretend to be an expert on this issue.

[T. D.]

There was a time when this was happening in some European countries -- in  Alsace France for example. They moved them to another region where there was some spare capacity. Why can't this happen in Alabama? Find an ICU bed in another state and put them on a plane and get them there fast! Or is there something fundamental about the States which I've not understood?

https://www.lexpress.fr/actualites/1/societe/coronavirus-aide-militaire-sans-precedent-pour-les-patients-en-alsace_2121313.html

It's been happening in USA.
I saw a story yesterday.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-16/u-s-lowers-india-advisory-mgm-s-vaccine-mandate-virus-update

Mississippi, Alabama Hospitals Divert to Kentucky (4:17 p.m. NY)
Hospitals in Mississippi and Alabama are sending patients across their borders to Kentucky even as Bluegrass State officials warn their hospitals are running short on available staff and beds.

"We're very close to having all of our hospitals full," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, said Tuesday in Frankfort. "By the end of this week we expect to have more people in the hospital battling Covid than we've ever had in this pandemic."

New infections in Kentucky, population 4.5 million, have risen to 2,000 or more per day from a low of fewer than 150 cases per day in June, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Helping other states' overwhelmed hospitals no longer may be possible, because this week Kentucky will exceed its record for intensive care unit patients, around 1,200 patients, and several Kentucky hospitals are deciding to limit or stop non-emergency care to preserve stretched staff, Beshear said.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

There was a time when this was happening in some European countries -- in  Alsace France for example. They moved them to another region where there was some spare capacity. Why can't this happen in Alabama? Find an ICU bed in another state and put them on a plane and get them there fast! Or is there something fundamental about the States which I've not understood?

https://www.lexpress.fr/actualites/1/societe/coronavirus-aide-militaire-sans-precedent-pour-les-patients-en-alsace_2121313.html

I wonder if it is a health insurance issue. I have pretty universal coverage but my wife has an HMO and is limited in where she can have health care and by whom, and so too our children through her insurance. I would assume that bringing medical assistance into a state alleviates some of those issues, although I don't pretend to be an expert on this issue.

Good question Mandryka.  And good point V.S.  I wonder if it will get to the point at which the US government will have to enact some kind of emergency edict/legislation....not certain what to call it so that people, if necessary, can and will be covered by their insurance even if it is at a place outside of their currently allowable places?

Currently, I've been hearing about more and more states (particularly in the south) setting up field hospitals/tents, etc.....trying to use their creativity and available resources to make things work.

PD

EDIT: 

It's been happening in USA.
I saw a story yesterday.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-16/u-s-lowers-india-advisory-mgm-s-vaccine-mandate-virus-update

Mississippi, Alabama Hospitals Divert to Kentucky (4:17 p.m. NY)
Hospitals in Mississippi and Alabama are sending patients across their borders to Kentucky even as Bluegrass State officials warn their hospitals are running short on available staff and beds.

"We're very close to having all of our hospitals full," Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, said Tuesday in Frankfort. "By the end of this week we expect to have more people in the hospital battling Covid than we've ever had in this pandemic."

New infections in Kentucky, population 4.5 million, have risen to 2,000 or more per day from a low of fewer than 150 cases per day in June, according to the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Helping other states' overwhelmed hospitals no longer may be possible, because this week Kentucky will exceed its record for intensive care unit patients, around 1,200 patients, and several Kentucky hospitals are deciding to limit or stop non-emergency care to preserve stretched staff, Beshear said.

Just read your posting T.D.  I'm glad that they're helping each other, but also have been wondering how things will work when/if other states start saying "Sorry, we have no room."

[aligreto]

Ireland is only a small nation but we have always punched well above our weight, internationally. And so it is with Covid vaccinations. We currently stand second, behind Malta, in the EU in terms of uptake rate: https://www.irishpost.com/news/ireland-has-2nd-best-vaccine-uptake-in-european-union-218416

Good for Malta 

[Karl Henning]

Garth Brooks cancels Gillette Stadium show due to COVID-19

[T. D.]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-18/covid-vaccines-are-less-effective-against-delta-in-u-k-study

Large study finds Pfizer-BioNTech efficacy ebbed over time
Data show vaccines didn't diminish viral load of delta cases

Vaccines against Covid-19 are less effective against the delta variant, a large U.K. study showed in results that may fuel a push for booster shots for fully vaccinated people.

You can probably use Google to sidestep paywall.

[Que]

Ireland is only a small nation but we have always punched well above our weight, internationally. And so it is with Covid vaccinations. We currently stand second, behind Malta, in the EU in terms of uptake rate: https://www.irishpost.com/news/ireland-has-2nd-best-vaccine-uptake-in-european-union-218416

Good for Malta 

It is an confusing (sloppy) article....
It keeps talking about vaccine acceptency, while in a actual fact these are the numbers for full vaccinations.

But god job, Ireland! 

[Florestan]

(emphasis added)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/18/covid-booster-shots-us-to-begin-wide-distribution-of-third-vaccine-doses-next-month.html

The United States will begin widely distributing Covid-19 booster shots next month as new data shows that vaccine protection wanes over time, top U.S. health officials announced in a joint statement Wednesday.

It's now "very clear" that immunity starts to fall after the initial two doses, and with the dominance of the delta variant, "we are starting to see evidence of reduced protection against mild and moderate disease," according to the statement signed by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and other U.S. health leaders. "Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout."

Hah! My twaddle is vindicated by none other than Dr. Fauci.

As a result, U.S. agencies are preparing to offer booster shots to all eligible Americans beginning the week of Sept. 20, starting 8 months after their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna's vaccines, officials said. While they said recipients of Johnson & Johnson's single-shot vaccine will likely need boosters, they are awaiting more data in the next few weeks before making a formal recommendation.

And then come the epsilon variant and they'll have to boost the booster; and after that, come the lambda variant, and the boost will need its own booster, aso asf. This looks more and more like a worldwide-scale vaccinological experiment in a constant state of tweaking and less and less like the tested, safe and efficient vaccines we were supposed to believe we have.