Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #100

[Cool Cats]

COVID-19 surge in the US: The summer of hope ends in gloom

WASHINGTON (AP) — The summer that was supposed to mark America’s independence from COVID-19 is instead drawing to a close with the U.S. more firmly under the tyranny of the virus, with deaths per day back up to where they were in March.

The delta variant is filling hospitals, sickening alarming numbers of children and driving coronavirus deaths in some places to the highest levels of the entire pandemic. School systems that reopened their classrooms are abruptly switching back to remote learning because of outbreaks. Legal disputes, threats and violence have erupted over mask and vaccine requirements.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. More than six months into the U.S. vaccination drive, President Joe Biden held a White House party on July Fourth to celebrate the country’s freedom from the virus, and other political leaders had high hopes for a close-to-normal summer.

Then the bottom fell out.

The summer wave was fueled by the extra-contagious delta variant combined with stark resistance to vaccinations that formed along political and geographic lines, said Dr. Sten Vermund, of the Yale School of Public Health.

“The virus was more efficient in spreading among the unvaccinated so that you blunted the expected benefit of vaccines,” Vermund said.

 

[musicaljoke]

As of September 22, 2021, Ontarians will need to be fully vaccinated (two doses plus 14 days) and provide their proof of vaccination as well as proof of identity (such a driver’s licence or health card) to access certain public settings and facilities.

An enhanced vaccine certificate, as well as a verification app to allow businesses to read the QR code, will be available beginning October 22.

What will the digital vaccine certificate look like?

Ontario will develop and implement an enhanced vaccine certificate with unique QR code and accompanying verification app that will allow users to securely and safely verify their vaccination status when scanned. This could be stored on a mobile device, such as Apple Wallet. The enhanced vaccine certificate, as well as a verification app to allow businesses to read the QR code, will be available beginning October 22.

What if I don’t want to disclose my vaccination status?

It is the discretion of the individual to determine whether they would like to disclose their vaccination status. Should they make the decision not to divulge this information, they will not be permitted to access settings that require proof of vaccination.

In settings where you have to be vaccinated to attend, is recent negative test sufficient to attend if you are unvaccinated?

A negative COVID-19 test or recent COVID-19 infection will not entitle a person to enter these settings, with narrow time-limited exceptions for testing. For the period between September 22 and October 12, 2021, it is intended that people attending wedding or funeral receptions at meeting or event spaces will be able to provide a negative rapid antigen COVID-19 test from no more than 48 hours before the event as an alternative to proof of vaccination. These rapid antigen tests would have to be privately purchased.The only exemptions are for unvaccinated people with medical exemptions and people under 12 years old will also be permitted to enter these settings.

More at: Ontario Newsroom

 

[Cool Cats]

‘If you don’t get vaccinated, you will get Covid at this point’: Doctor

Video Transcript
Dr. Lakshman Swamy, ICU Physician at Cambridge Health Alliance and Boston Medical Center, joins Yahoo Finance to discuss the latest on the coronavirus pandemic.

 

[SouthAussie]

In Ontario, medical exemption is given only if the person had an anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine or one of its ingredients, which must be confirmed by an immunologist, or if the person had myocarditis or pericarditis after the first dose of a vaccine.

There are no other medical exemptions.

Ontario confirms there are only two valid medical exemptions from COVID-19 vaccines

After reading your post, I looked up our vaccine medical exemptions. Ours (for the whole of Australia) seem to be the same as yours. And I notice ours says 'might' be able to get an exemption.


The only reasons you might be able to get an exemption from having a vaccine are if you:

• had anaphylaxis after a previous dose of a vaccine
• had anaphylaxis after a dose of any component of a vaccine

Immunisation medical exemptions - Services Australia

 

[SouthAussie]

“We initially thought that individuals with allergy to vaccine ingredients called polyethylene glycol, or polysorbate may have been those experiencing reactions because there are virtually no other components of the mRNA vaccines or Johnson & Johnson that are really identified as causes of allergic reaction.
But after investigation, these don’t appear to be the cause of this very rare anaphylaxis,” added Stukus.

To put this in context, the chance of getting an allergic reaction from a Covid-19 shot is similar to having been struck by lightning since the pandemic started, where the chances are 2 in a million, annually.

Most people are unlikely to ever meet or know someone with a health condition which might qualify them for a medical exemption from vaccination against Covid-19

What Are The Medical Exemptions For Not Getting A Covid-19 Vaccine?

 

[IceIce9]

I'm so thankful that we have vaccines available. With delta around us, I can't imagine what state we would be in if we didn't. So many lives were saved. We can even carefully and cautiously mingle with family and friends or venture out to stores(w/masks of course) since vaccines have our backs.

The current situation isn't perfect by any means but is so very much better than last year.

Actually in Indiana and Kentucky we are experiencing much higher COVID cases than at any time during the pandemic.

Ridiculous because vaccines are widely available now!

 

[sds71]

[URL='https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/09/politics/biden-pandemic-hard-truths-major-speech/index.html']President Joe Biden on Thursday will impose more stringent vaccine rules on federal workers, and take steps to encourage private businesses to do the same, during a major speech meant to lay out a new approach to combating the coronavirus.

Among the steps that the President will take is signing an executive order requiring all federal workers to be vaccinated, with no option of being regularly tested to opt out of the requirement, according to a source familiar with the plans.
The President will also sign an executive order directing that same standard be extended to employees of contractors who do business with the federal government. The Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Indian Health Service and National Institute of Health will also complete their previously announced vaccination requirements, which the White House estimates covers 2.5 million people.

[/URL]
Biden to announce that all federal workers must be vaccinated, with no option for testing - CNNPolitics

 

[SouthAussie]

Idaho public health leaders announced Tuesday that they activated “crisis standards of care” allowing health care rationing for the state's northern hospitals because there are more coronavirus patients than the institutions can handle.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare quietly enacted the move Monday and publicly announced it in a statement Tuesday morning — warning residents that they may not get the care they would normally expect if they need to be hospitalized.

The move came as the state's confirmed coronavirus cases skyrocketed in recent weeks. Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S.

Idaho Hospitals Begin ‘Crisis Standards of Care,' Rationing Health Care Amid COVID Surge

 

[SouthAussie]

An Australian study on pregnant women during the 2020 pandemic found a 30% reduction in babies born prematurely

“What we found was a 30% reduction in preterm births in women who were pregnant during lockdown as compared to women who were pregnant before.”

Rolnik said it was unclear why pregnancy during lockdown appeared to be associated with lower preterm births, especially in women with a history of preterm births.

... he said it was likely the lockdown was somehow having a protective effect.

“One of the theories is that women in lockdown were less stressed, not necessarily less stressed psychologically, but physically,” Rolnik said.

“They may have had a lower workload due to restrictions, or been able to work from home.

“The other very interesting hypothesis is that people are getting fewer infections by common pathogens during lockdowns and public health measures, so less influenza for example. Other children not going to school also protects against these infections being brought into the home. Infections can be a reason that someone goes into early labour.”

Melbourne’s Covid lockdown restrictions led to fewer preterm births, and researchers want to examine why

 

[margarita25]

I’m listening to Dr. Mike, and wow, we’ve talked about the dangers of future variants as related to vaccine efficacy, but it didn’t cross my mind that this can also apply to therapeutics as well, specifically monoclonal/polyclonal antibodies. Dr. Mike clearly says there is currently trouble with this:

 

[doublestop]

We can even carefully and cautiously mingle with family and friends or venture out to stores(w/masks of course) since vaccines have our backs.

The current situation isn't perfect by any means but is so very much better than last year.

But it isn't....
There were nearly 300% more new COVID cases on average this Labor Day than last year

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Covid: Pfizer and AstraZeneca approved as booster vaccines

 

[jjenny]

But it isn't....
There were nearly 300% more new COVID cases on average this Labor Day than last year

I am presuming the poster meant the situation is better for the vaccinated.

 

[Cool Cats]

But it isn't....
There were nearly 300% more new COVID cases on average this Labor Day than last year

Alot better because we have the vaccine now. Most deaths and hospitalizations are unvaccinated.

 

[sds71]

Aargh!

"We have no idea what to tell them": Americans with J&J vaccine left in the dark on boosters

 

[jjenny]

Aargh!

"We have no idea what to tell them": Americans with J&J vaccine left in the dark on boosters

Other countries are allowing mixing and matching. I have no idea why US isn't. But US isn't keeping that good a track of who got the vaccine, so I presume if J&J people show up and claim to be un-vaxxed they could get either Moderna or Pfizer shot-some are already doing that.
Also, it appears there is going to be a delay for a Moderna booster too.

 

[anneg]

Drive-through monoclonal antibody clinic…

This is my local area in Southern Oregon…low vax rate, high hospitalization numbers. I was among the first to receive the monoclonal antibody infusion here in January. This four shot method will allow many more to be treated and hopefully cut down on hospitalizations.

Very interesting article…
Drive-thru antibody clinic offers hope for COVID-19 patients

Asante opened the drive-thru clinic in Medford Aug. 30 after monoclonal antibodies became available through the four-shot process. Although it doesn’t take long to get the shots, medical workers keep an eye on patients for one hour in case of adverse reactions, such as an allergic reaction.

The drive-thru clinic can handle up to 80 people a day. They stay cocooned inside their cars, making the process safer for themselves and the medical workers wearing face masks, face shields, gloves and gowns.

Asante said the Medford monoclonal antibodies drive-thru clinic is one of the first in the nation.

Very interesting indeed! I didn't know about the option of 4 shots instead of an infusion. Going off to read more.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

So you can contact your healthcare provider to obtain a printout with your vaccination report. We receive calls all day with requests for vaccination reports.

Your healthcare provider will have a login ID and password to access the state registry site.

Michigan adults can now access immunization records through free online portal (clickondetroit.com)

Includes COVID-19 vaccination records, if you lose card

Michigan residents 18 and older and can locate their immunization records in the state’s medical record system through a new public portal.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has launched the Michigan Immunization Portal.

Michigan adults with immunization records posted in the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR), including COVID-19 vaccination, will be able to locate their own record online and download, save or print this information. The portal was funded through CDC grant dollars and was officially launched in mid-August...

 

[Teche]

I still haven't worked out what qualifies for a medical exemption.
I have two different friends who have cancer and both have been vaccinated (once they were out of one of their chemo regimes).
I have another friend who has had a double lung transplant (yep) within the last year. He recently got vaccinated.
All have been vaccinated on the advice of their doctors. And all did well with the vaccinations.

As far as allergies go ... with the different types of vaccines available, you would think there might be one that is more suitable. And that is why we wait around for 20-30 minutes after being vaccinated, because an allergic reaction hits fast and they can help those people.

My sister has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy and is immunized and got the booster the 1st day it was offered. She lives in the US.

 

[mickey2942]

I have noticed people are putting their passports in a carrier, and the United States CDC vaccination card fits nicely in the pocket. People are keeping those documents together. Makes sense, especially if you travel a lot.