General COVID-19 Topic

[iacas]

23 minutes ago, Billy Z said:

This is not a good thing:

What you need to know about COVID-19 variant first identified in South Africa and now in Michigan

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The variant is more contagious, but vaccines should work against it.

 

It says: "The variant is more contagious, but vaccines should work against it."

It also says: "The variant doesn’t make people more ill, but it does appear to be roughly 50% more transmissible than other variants."

Meh. I mean, it's not good, but… More and more people are being vaccinated every day.

Plus we've known this for quite awhile, I think. Surprised that article was dated two days ago.

[Billy Z]

Quote

One of the most worrisome aspects of the South African strain is the number of reinfections reported by people who already have had COVID-19, which suggests the natural immunity from the original strain is not effective against B.1.351.

What I think this is saying is that if you have already had Covid19 you are more "likely" to get the variant virus than those who haven't had the virus previously, this is the part that is a bit unnerving. 

Quote

“One of the things they found in South Africa and -- in Brazil, they’re seeing this as well -- is the variants are causing higher levels of reinfection among people who’ve been infected previously,” said Dr. Liam Sullivan, infectious disease specialist for Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids. “So that’s another reason to get a vaccine even if you’ve already had COVID-19, because it’s going really significantly boost your antibody production.”

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by iacas
cleaned up formatting

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, Billy Z said:

What I think this is saying is that if you have already had Covid19 you are more "likely" to get the variant virus than those who haven't had the virus previously, this is the part that is a bit unnerving. 

That's not what that says.

It says that if you previously had COVID-19, it's more likely that you can get the SA strain than getting one of the more "original" strains for a second time.

In other words:

• Person A had COVID-19 in May.
  • 50% chance that if exposed to SA strain, he gets infected.
  • 10% chance that if exposed to a more normal strain, he gets infected.
• Person B hasn't had COVID-18 yet.
  • 80% chance if exposed to SA strain…
  • 50% chance if exposed to normal strain…

[Billy Z]

First Michigan case of South African COVID-19 variant identified in Jackson County boy

Edited March 12, 2021 by iacas
cleaned up formatting, again.

[dennyjones]

I can't speak for all nursing homes in Michigan because most are independently owned and operated but the one where my MIL lives has had zero cases of Covid-19 among the residents.   They are very stringent with the protocols. 

[Billy Z]

21 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

I can't speak for all nursing homes in Michigan because most are independently owned and operated but the one where my MIL lives has had zero cases of Covid-19 among the residents.   They are very stringent with the protocols. 

That shows that with intelligent operations it can be done. My MIL passed away from C19 in a nursing home just a while back.

[iacas]

Biden to direct states to make all adults eligible for COVID vaccines by May 1, official says

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Biden will say America will start getting closer to normal by the Fourth of July if 'we all do our part' in the coming weeks.

 

All adults eligible by May 1, supposedly.

[boogielicious]

13 hours ago, Billy Z said:

That shows that with intelligent operations it can be done. My MIL passed away from C19 in a nursing home just a while back.

So sorry to hear that. Two close friends both lost their moms to COVID. The retirement homes here in MA did not do well either.

[Ole Duffer]

self-delete

Edited March 12, 2021 by Ole Duffer

[The Flush]

Both of my kids got their first Pfizer shots yesterday.

[dennyjones]

Walgreens in Michigan are starting to distribute the moderna vaccine.   I was able to sign up for my first vaccine next week.  Our second with be the second week of April.   There were almost 50 available times!

[Braivo]

On 3/10/2021 at 1:28 PM, Double Mocha Man said:

I saw a guy interviewed last night on TV.  His words: "So I got a shot and still have to wear a mask.  What's the point of the shot?!"  I tell ya, these people walk among us...

This is ignorance. However, they should market the vaccine as our ticket to freedom. I have yet to see explicit marketing stating that it's our way out. They say "Even if you get the shot, you still must wear a mask and social distance!" That doesn't sell it very well to the skeptics. The data shows that fully vaccinated people are no longer a threat to others, even unmasked. They should explain the real reason why vaccinated people still need to mask up (because it's just too hard to track those who have and have not been vaccinated). 

On 3/10/2021 at 10:30 PM, iacas said:

We've known the virus doesn't last long on surfaces for about eight months now. I think when people talk about tgetting sick from dirty masks they're talking about bacteria, etc. Not COVID-19.

I think they finally stopped sanitizing the flagsticks at PGA Tour events. The theater surrounding sanitizing everything got out of hand for awhile. I still see a lot of it. Simply over the top measures for a virus we have known for months doesn't really spread on surfaces. 

 

[DeadMan]

My wife got her second dose of Moderna on Thursday. She was not feeling great on Friday. Didn't sleep great the night after the shot, and then was achy and tired most of the day Friday. She took ibuprofen on Friday, and that really helped. She was back to normal on Saturday.

[Double Mocha Man]

36 minutes ago, Braivo said:

However, they should market the vaccine as our ticket to freedom. I have yet to see explicit marketing stating that it's our way out. They say "Even if you get the shot, you still must wear a mask and social distance!" That doesn't sell it very well to the skeptics.

Excellent point.

[Billy Z]

53 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Excellent point.

The reason I like to see masks 'still' being worn is for the sake of other people, not necessarily for myself. Sure, an n95 mask will help protect the wearer, but I don't see a lot of them being worn. At least a homemade mask will stop spit from being spewed out into the air upon coughing/sneazing, thereby not infecting others as likely. Getting the vaccine, continuing with the masks, social distancing when possible, washing hands, and not touching a facial orifice are all good practices. I believe we will be in pretty good shape come summer time, I hope.

[iacas]

4 hours ago, Braivo said:

This is ignorance. However, they should market the vaccine as our ticket to freedom. I have yet to see explicit marketing stating that it's our way out. They say "Even if you get the shot, you still must wear a mask and social distance!" That doesn't sell it very well to the skeptics.

If you told people they could stop wearing the masks when they got a vaccine, all the idiots who only begrudgingly wore masks (not to mention those who still think it’s a “fake flu” or something) would go around pretending they got the vaccine just so they didn’t have to wear a mask.

Plus, again, the CDC just said in company of vaccinated people, they can congregate without masks.

We’re so close to the finish line here. Let’s not Leon Lett this thing.

4 hours ago, Braivo said:

They should explain the real reason why vaccinated people still need to mask up (because it's just too hard to track those who have and have not been vaccinated).

I get what you’re saying, but I don’t think people who are opposed to getting the vaccine are going to get it just because they’re “marketed” to that it’s our “ticket to freedom.” I think they understand that it is, but it’s just not above a threshold where we can all stop wearing masks yet.

Soon. Not yet.

4 hours ago, Braivo said:

I think they finally stopped sanitizing the flagsticks at PGA Tour events. The theater surrounding sanitizing everything got out of hand for awhile. I still see a lot of it. Simply over the top measures for a virus we have known for months doesn't really spread on surfaces. 

Theater is exactly it. Like the security theater at the airports.

[DeadMan]

For everyone who is really excited to get rid of masks, don't get too excited. I'd guess that masks will be the last restriction to be lifted. Masks are so easy and cheap, and they don't really have economic impacts. For example, I would expect masks to be a requirement for a lot of (most?) schools in the fall still. 

Personally, I don't see mask wearing as that big of a deal. I'd much rather have things open sooner with a mask requirement than vice versa. 

[Billy Z]

52 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

For everyone who is really excited to get rid of masks, don't get too excited. I'd guess that masks will be the last restriction to be lifted. Masks are so easy and cheap, and they don't really have economic impacts. For example, I would expect masks to be a requirement for a lot of (most?) schools in the fall still. 

Personally, I don't see mask wearing as that big of a deal. I'd much rather have things open sooner with a mask requirement than vice versa. 

I agree, and we may never see a total 'maskless' society because of people's choice.