Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #94

[FrostOwl]

A man on Mallorca deliberately infected others, and have been arrested by Spsnish police.
Mallorca man arrested for infecting 22 people with Covid

 

[SouthAussie]

To date, Anand said Canada has already procured 2.7 billion items of PPE, 1.5 billion of which have already been delivered.

“Every hospital is running out (of oxygen). We are running out,” Dr. Sudhanshu Bankata, executive director of Batra Hospital, a leading hospital in India's capital city, told New Delhi Television channel.

When asked what happens when a hospital issues an SOS call, he replied: "Nothing. It's over. It's over."

The situation is so dire, a high court in Delhi even warned it would “hang” anyone who tries to obstruct the delivery of emergency oxygen supplies.

As COVID-19 cases explode in India, Canada ready to help with medical supplies: Anand

So good to see countries rallying to help India.

China, France, Pakistan, Australia, Russia, the US, the UK, Singapore, and the EU have also offered their assistance.

It is not only watching the horror that is happening in India, it is also an understanding that with a massive population like the one in India, it is only a matter of time before we are all affected by their covid explosion.

India has just had its 3rd day in a row of the biggest covid numbers ever (new cases), anywhere in the world.

 

[SouthAussie]

India ...


Hospital sign

The oxygen pressure had been dialled down in critical care and many patients were being given oxygen manually, the hospital said.
There's a photograph of two men and a woman sharing a cylinder on the front page.

The 40-year-old son of one of the men, a report says, died outside the same hospital a few days ago, waiting for a bed.

Medicines are still scarce and on the black market. There's hoarding and panic buying as if we are in a war.

Oxygen tankers are not making it in time to the city to save patients. There are no beds, few medicines.

Even India's privileged have no privilege left: a magazine editor called me in the afternoon, looking for an oxygen cylinder for a sick patient, whom he knows.

India Covid: Families appeal for help in Delhi's oxygen shortage

 

[10ofRods]

wow I hope your son recovers quickly
such a crap deal for him to get it twice

That's terrible. How many days after his vaccine did he travel? I'm not too surprised that, as a young person, his antibodies waned after a mild course of COVID. What I'm reading says that getting COVID after the vaccine helps produce a stronger antibody response (sounds like he had little to no adaptive immunity after his own course of COVID). 2 weeks after his first Pfizer shot, he would have been at about 50% immunity - but very unlikely to get a severe case.

At any rate, this should definitely be the last time he gets it (we will probably all need booster shots in about a year).

It still makes me so irritated that travelers are not wearing masks, airlines are packing people into planes again, etc., etc.

For the record, the vaccines do keep most people from getting the virus - just not all people.

The way I'm looking at it is that if I get COVID now (5% chance if I am exposed to enough virions - which could only happen under very unusual circumstances), my course will be mild and my immunity after will be boosted, just as with a booster shot (and if it's a new variant, I'll gain immunity to that). So I no longer fear COVID.

Now, it's true that the mDNA vaccines are responsible for that 95-96% immunity rate. AstraZeneca - well, let's just say it may be 80% immunity (75% 86%?...so many different papers say different things on AZ) and J&J is only 75-76%. Since it's mostly younger people in the US who are ending up with J&J, that's concerning - as they are the most likely to circulate and give it to each other. I do believe that young people who live on their own or mostly in dorms don't care if they get COVID right now (on the theory that at least then, they'll be immune for a while and can go about their lives and even see their elderly relatives).

But for most people, the vaccines do confer immunity - at least for 6-8 months.

 

[SouthAussie]

Reading about the dire situation in India just makes me shut up about our relatively small inconveniences.

Inconveniences like people from Perth (which is in a snap lockdown) not being able to fly out yesterday to come to a little party we had for my terminally ill good friend, who is well enough at the moment to want to gather his friends and family for some smiles.

Or inconveniences like the stag party and hens party being cancelled again for my DD's good friends who flew over from Perth to pre-celebrate their wedding with all of their friends.
Instead they had to go for covid testing and isolate. (2nd time they have had to cancel, last year they had to cancel their whole wedding due to covid).

Big disruptions, but small inconveniences. For many people, I am sure.

 

[10ofRods]

Since the business travelers aren’t flying - it’s the vacation/pleasure travelers keeping the airlines afloat? Airlines have reduced some of the pre-pandemic business routes due to lack of business travelers and added/increased routes to vacation spots.
JMO

And in some cases, offered really low fare deals. Fares to Vegas were extraordinarily low from the East Coast and the South, last time I checked. One way fares were as cheap as the round trip fares. This led to a lot of people getting 1 way tickets to Vegas, on the view that they could basically go from casino to casino, sleeping in random places. Or maybe they thought they'd win money.

At any rate, the number of people sleeping on the streets (not on the strip of course) is enormous in Vegas. And it's true that people can often find a free drink or snack if they still have a few coins.

I just checked and fares are back up - a whopping $50 to fly from Atlanta to Vegas. If you can make a friend in Vegas and couch surf, that's a viable new way of life. Hotel rooms go for as low as $20. Tons of low paying jobs, too (including gig work).

Fortunately, Nevada has fairly low COVID rates right now. But I do have to wonder if most of the cases they're seeing are coming from places with lots of COVID...

 

[LadyL]

‘I couldn’t take it anymore’: Why some medical staff are calling it quits amid COVID-19

 

[Cool Cats]

Insider
Business Insider News Website

A man who got his first COVID-19 vaccine a year ago in Moderna's clinical trial just received his third shot — and he's feeling great

Ian Haydon was one of the first people to try out Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, as part of the company's phase 1 trial, with first and second doses administered in April and May of 2020.

In the first trial, Haydon got an experimental high dose vaccine.
On April 8, 2020, Haydon received his first shot of an experimental vaccine dose that's notably higher than what's currently authorized for use. He was enrolled in a Phase 1 safety trial, meaning that all participants got an active dose and were monitored for side effects.

"My first shot was quite uneventful," Haydon told Insider. "I remember I had arm pain, soreness at the injection site that came on the next day and then faded pretty quickly."

The second shot was a different story. Haydon experienced similar arm pain that came on more suddenly than the last time, and about 12 hours after the shot, the chills started. When he took his temperature in the middle of the night, it was over 103 degrees Fahrenheit.

His side effects were bad, but helped inform Moderna about dosing
After waking up in the middle of the night with a high fever, nausea, headache, and muscle aches, Haydon called the 24-hour hotline set up for trial participants — which was open "in case anything got bad, and this was kind of bad."

He was advised to go to urgent care, where he received IV fluids and Tylenol to bring his fever down. Haydon said he felt "a lot better" after the two hours he spent at urgent care. He was eventually discharged and went home to catch up on the sleep he missed.

But Haydon still felt ill when he woke up in the middle of the next day. At home, he threw up and fainted shortly after, but opted not to return to urgent care. By that evening, his fever was climbing down and the headache and nausea were getting less intense. And when he woke up the next day, he was "basically fully recovered."

The Moderna researchers would later decide that a medium dose provided the same protection with less severe side effects than what Haydon experienced. Even after the brutal 24 hours, Haydon said he didn't regret participating in the trial.

"As bad as it was to go through, it still is comforting to me to know that it wasn't for nothing," Haydon told Insider. "We learned about the dose of the vaccine that's most effective and what dose is too high, and that's going to go on to benefit a lot of people who end up taking a safer dose of the vaccine."

Haydon got an experimental third shot this month

About three months ago, Haydon was contacted by the team running the Phase 1 trial. The researchers were looking into the safety of a possible booster shot, and the early trial participants were their best hope for a long-term study.

"There are two questions that the researchers are looking at: we don't know whether it's safe to take a booster at all, and we also don't know what the effect of taking a slightly modified version of the vaccine is going to be," Haydon said.

He got an experimental booster made up of 25 micrograms of the Moderna vaccine that's currently in use and 25 micrograms of a new vaccine tailored to the B.1.351 variant that was first spotted in South Africa.

Haydon got the shot on April 1, nearly a year after his first dose of the vaccine. Fortunately, his reaction wasn't nearly as severe as his second-shot side effects — probably similar to what most people are experiencing after their second dose of the vaccine nowadays.

He had some arm pain the day he got the booster shot, as well as a low-grade fever, nausea, aches, and fatigue that lasted into the next day. Again, he recovered after about 24 hours of side effects.

 

[SouthAussie]

<RSBM>
He got an experimental booster made up of 25 micrograms of the Moderna vaccine that's currently in use and 25 micrograms of a new vaccine tailored to the B.1.351 variant that was first spotted in South Africa.

Good to see that they are actively now testing a varied vaccine for the mutated virus.

 

[Cool Cats]

Good to see that they are actively now testing a varied vaccine for the mutated virus.

Good News yes!

 

[weepingangel]

MIT Researchers Say You're No Safer From Covid Indoors at 6 Feet Or 60 Feet in New Study Challenging Social Distancing Policies
More at link

• An MIT study showed that people who maintain 60 feet of distance from others indoors are no more protected than if they socially distanced by just 6 feet.
• According to the researchers, other calculations of the risk of indoor transmission have omitted too many factors to accurately quantify that risk.
• "We need scientific information conveyed to the public in a way that is not just fear mongering but is actually based in analysis," the author of the study said.

The risk of being exposed to Covid-19 indoors is as great at 60 feet as it is at 6 feet — even when wearing a mask, according to a new study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers who challenge social distancing guidelines adopted across the world.

MIT professors Martin Z. Bazant, who teaches chemical engineering and applied mathematics, and John W.M. Bush, who teaches applied mathematics, developed a method of calculating exposure risk to Covid-19 in an indoor setting that factors in a variety of issues that could affect transmission, including the amount of time spent inside, air filtration and circulation, immunization, variant strains, mask use, and even respiratory activity such as breathing, eating, speaking or singing.

 

[Yesiamapirate]

That's terrible. How many days after his vaccine did he travel? I'm not too surprised that, as a young person, his antibodies waned after a mild course of COVID. What I'm reading says that getting COVID after the vaccine helps produce a stronger antibody response (sounds like he had little to no adaptive immunity after his own course of COVID). 2 weeks after his first Pfizer shot, he would have been at about 50% immunity - but very unlikely to get a severe case.

At any rate, this should definitely be the last time he gets it (we will probably all need booster shots in about a year).

It still makes me so irritated that travelers are not wearing masks, airlines are packing people into planes again, etc., etc.

For the record, the vaccines do keep most people from getting the virus - just not all people.

The way I'm looking at it is that if I get COVID now (5% chance if I am exposed to enough virions - which could only happen under very unusual circumstances), my course will be mild and my immunity after will be boosted, just as with a booster shot (and if it's a new variant, I'll gain immunity to that). So I no longer fear COVID.

Now, it's true that the mDNA vaccines are responsible for that 95-96% immunity rate. AstraZeneca - well, let's just say it may be 80% immunity (75% 86%?...so many different papers say different things on AZ) and J&J is only 75-76%. Since it's mostly younger people in the US who are ending up with J&J, that's concerning - as they are the most likely to circulate and give it to each other. I do believe that young people who live on their own or mostly in dorms don't care if they get COVID right now (on the theory that at least then, they'll be immune for a while and can go about their lives and even see their elderly relatives).

But for most people, the vaccines do confer immunity - at least for 6-8 months.

He was 10 days post #1 Pfizer vaccine. He reports today that he feels better. So it seems to be a mild case.
He said he is worried about those he was near. He always wears his mask properly.
As to your comment regarding being vaccinated, Mr Pirate and I no longer fear Covid, either. We feel the risk is acceptable.
We do always wear our masks where required, of course.

 

[LadyL]

At least 27 dead in fire at Baghdad hospital for COVID patients- medical sources

 

[Yesiamapirate]

I just want to give a sincere thank you to all of my fellow WS’ers for your posts regarding my son. Your positive thoughts and well wishes meant the world to me. He is feeling a little better. That vaccine may have helped. He is counting the days until he can get shot 2 and be fully protected and protect those around him.

 

[LadyL]

Costa Rica hits new daily record of COVID-19 infections

 

[ilovewings]

COVID-19 Vaccination

A comprehensive list of what fully vaccinated people should and should not do, based
on CDC guidelines.

 

[ilovewings]

Bodies pile up as vaccine campaigns sputter and COVID-19 variants spread

This is a good article about the rise of cases in India. What you begin to realize as you read about spread of the virus in India and globally, is that ignorance is not just rampant in the United States. India seemed to have the virus under good control until the powers that be opened everything up, weddings and religious gatherings apparently increased that resulted in the rampant spread of the virus like wildfire in India. What is it with people, apparently universally, that they don't seem understand how this virus spreads-it is so simple really: anywhere where lots of people congregate, especially indoors and without masks and social distancing- results in exponential spread of the virus. It seems as soon as cases go down and we begin to get the virus under control, people decide they can do whatever the hell they want, whether it is travelling for spring break, dining with lots of people indoors with no masks, going to large gatherings and also having small gatherings and parties with people in homes- that also spreads the virus. It is disheartening.

 

[GRT]

Poor India. They're struggling so.

I understand the desire to make sure enough Americans have the vaccine, but the lines are really slowing down at the clinics now.

I think we need to share our resources with those who are facing a very difficult situation.

U.S. Is Under Pressure to Release Vaccine Supplies as India Faces Deadly Surge

 

[SouthAussie]

Poor India. They're struggling so.

I understand the desire to make sure enough Americans have the vaccine, but the lines are really slowing down at the clinics now.

I think we need to share our resources with those who are facing a very difficult situation.

U.S. Is Under Pressure to Release Vaccine Supplies as India Faces Deadly Surge

From what I have read, the US has a ban on exporting raw materials for making the vaccines (sounds as if it is still "America First" in this regard ... not sure that Ned Price's answer is the right one, sounds a bit self important).

India is also running low on vaccines and has asked the US to lift an export ban on the raw materials needed to make them, but Washington declined saying it had a responsibility to look after the American people first.

“It is, of course, not only in our interest to see Americans vaccinated, it’s in the interests of the rest of the world to see Americans vaccinated,” said the US State Department spokesman Ned Price on Thursday.
China offers to help India tackle Covid-19 outbreak

But the US is helping (so far) by working to provide a 'small supply' of supplies to help India make their own vaccines, to help overcome the bottlenecks in Indian production of the vaccines.

“a small supply of inputs and components from US companies for production of COVID-19 vaccines in India”
US to send support as India battles devastating COVID surge

While possibly sending some actual vaccines later on.

"Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Biden administration’s top medical adviser on the pandemic, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with its counterpart agency in India to provide technical support and assistance. White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients says the U.S. is “committed to sharing vaccine supply” and “as our confidence around our supply increases, we will explore those options.”
US is trying to help India in COVID crisis, White House officials say 'committed to sharing vaccine supply' - The Economic Times Video | ET Now

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Reading about the dire situation in India just makes me shut up about our relatively small inconveniences.

Inconveniences like people from Perth (which is in a snap lockdown) not being able to fly out yesterday to come to a little party we had for my terminally ill good friend, who is well enough at the moment to want to gather his friends and family for some smiles.

Or inconveniences like the stag party and hens party being cancelled again for my DD's good friends who flew over from Perth to pre-celebrate their wedding with all of their friends.
Instead they had to go for covid testing and isolate. (2nd time they have had to cancel, last year they had to cancel their whole wedding due to covid).

Big disruptions, but small inconveniences. For many people, I am sure.

Stags and Hens.... haven't heard that in a long time....

You are right, though... thinking about India is just so gruesome... I remember way back---at some pointy last year... we were thinking it was like a miracle there with the absense of cases...