Corona Virus, Covid and the future

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan Ok will they ever tell you which one you got? I'm not sure why it's a secret.

We can know anytime we want but their preference is for us to remain unblinded until the trial is over early next year.

We received a letter last week saying that if we wanted to be unblinded, for example because we wanted to travel abroad and so see what the 2nd vaccine was, then we just had to ask, but the longer we wait the more valuable the data is to the trial.

We also have known from the start that if the blood tests showed a significant waning of immunity that we would be unblinded and given a booster vaccine.

Being over 65 we may well be offered a booster anyway this Fall and we have already been told to accept it if this happens. The UK is still considering booster jabs.

[CardsFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan We can know anytime we want but their preference is for us to remain unblinded until the trial is over early next year. We received a letter last week saying that if we wanted to be unblinded, for example because we wanted to travel abroad and so see what the 2nd vaccine was, then we just had to ask, but the longer we wait the more valuable the data is to the trial. We also have known from the start that if the blood tests showed a significant waning of immunity that we would be unblinded and given a booster vaccine. Being over 65 we may well be offered a booster anyway this Fall and we have already been told to accept it if this happens. The UK is still considering booster jabs.

OK, that makes sense. I guess I missed this in the earlier posts.

[ivinsfan]

I haven't heard if the US is doing any trials like that but it seems like a good idea.. I'll take a booster anytime they offer us one particularly the way Covid is going lately.

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CardsFan OK, that makes sense. I guess I missed this in the earlier posts.

I talked about the trial in some detail in a dedicated thread back in April.

https://www.early-retirement.org/for...al-108890.html

[CardsFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan I talked about the trial in some detail in a dedicated thread back in April. https://www.early-retirement.org/for...al-108890.html

Ah, now I remember. It has been a while, so it slipped my (very poor) memory.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Closet_Gamer .. .... In fact, successful vaccination efforts will only accelerate variant production because the virus will work to evade the vaccines. Delta will be followed by Epsilon and Gamma. ....

Sorry, that is not how mutations work, it's not a conscious act.

With more vaccinated people, the virus will have less places to live, and there will be less virus.

Every time a virus replicates, it has the possibility to mutate, so the larger the pool of non-vaccinated people so there can be larger amounts of virus will mean more mutations.

It's purely a numbers game as mutations which happen all the time are random and most are not effective.

You are correct there will be more mutations, as there have already been 100's identified, but only the significant effective ones get famous.

[Alan]

The Delta variant is now about 98% of the cases in England and in our County and neighbouring Counties it is absolutely exploding. It almost exclusively in the younger age groups that have not yet been fully vaccinated and is much higher than either of the previous 2 waves.

[harllee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan The Delta variant is now about 98% of the cases in England and in our County and neighbouring Counties it is absolutely exploding. It almost exclusively in the younger age groups that have not yet been fully vaccinated and is much higher than either of the previous 2 waves.

Alan, do you know if these younger non vaccinated people who are infected with the Delta variant are getting sick? Many hospitalizations/deaths?

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harllee Alan, do you know if these younger non vaccinated people who are infected with the Delta variant are getting sick? Many hospitalizations/deaths?

Hospitalizations and deaths are also on the rise, albeit at a much lower rate, but still very worrying.

[Freedom56]

We are in the "thinning the herd" phase. There is absolutely no excuse for not being vaccinated if you live in an urban area in this country. Those that choose not to be vaccinated are doing so with their "eyes wide open". They are putting vulnerable people with compromised immune systems in danger and placing more burden on the healthcare system. What is even more appalling are the talking heads in the media spreading disinformation about vaccines. Right now it's a pandemic among the unvaccinated. Let's hope it stays contained to that segment of the population.

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freedom56 We are in the "thinning the herd" phase. There is absolutely no excuse for not being vaccinated if you live in an urban area in this country. Those that choose not to be vaccinated are doing so with their "eyes wide open". They are putting vulnerable people with compromised immune systems in danger and placing more burden on the healthcare system. What is even more appalling are the talking heads in the media spreading disinformation about vaccines. Right now it's a pandemic among the unvaccinated. Let's hope it stays contained to that segment of the population.

The trends are certainly disturbing to me. I live in a state that has 39% that is "fully" vaccinated and I don't see this number moving too much. The thing that annoys me is that these holdouts are making things worse for everyone else. I would love to stop wearing masks in the airports and in airplanes...but OH NO...not anytime soon.

DW would like to go to Mexico for a month in Oct/Nov but I am hesitant to pull the trigger on any travel plans because there is no telling where we will be in 3 months.

Unfortunately, the decision to not get vaccinated doesn't just affect them...it effects EVERYONE. It's damn selfish if you ask me. But, no one usually asks me.

[Chuckanut]

My state his 70% vaccinated this week. That means 70% of those age 16+ have had at least one shot. Full vaccination for age 18+ people - two shots and two weeks is estimated at 68%. Yes, I know. The best protection from Delta needs two shots. Well...... Never let the perfect become the enemy of the good.

Here is an interesting episode of the Post Corona podcast talking about the effect of corona virus on our need to be in groups. Are we getting too skilled at being alone for our own good?

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas...=1000528367796

Quote:

Social decay in American life - did the pandemic accelerate, arrest, or reverse the path we were on? And where do we go from here?

[audreyh1]

Plenty of horror stories for young people! Everyone in the family got vaccinated except this 24 year old who wanted to wait a few years. Got so sick from COVID-19 that he needed a double lung transplant to survive.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...id/7975676002/

There are apparently many folks who really believe that COVID-19 is over.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 Plenty of horror stories for young people! Everyone in the family got vaccinated except this 24 year old who wanted to wait a few years. Got so sick from COVID-19 that he needed a double lung transplant to survive. https://werww.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/07/15/man-undergoes-double-lung-transplant-covid/7975676002/ There are apparently many folks who really believe that COVID-19 is over.

And even now people are in denial. Family says he was a vaper, which we know is hard on the lungs. Also say he wanted to "wait" to get vaccinated but then threw in the comment "he wanted to wait for a few years", which really means he did not plan to get the vaccine.



This young guy's life will never be the same, but at least he has a life.


A 54 YO woman who grew up on a neighboring farm died from Covid. Organ failure from Covid. The obit said died from an "extended illness". I mentioned to 2 people that if they would have said died from Covid maybe it would encourage others to get vaccinated.


They both told me, She didn't die from Covid, her organs failed. Yep they failed after 3 weeks on a vent fighting Covid. I don't even know what to say to these people.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan A 54 YO woman who grew up on a neighboring farm died from Covid. Organ failure from Covid. The obit said died from an "extended illness". I mentioned to 2 people that if they would have said died from Covid maybe it would encourage others to get vaccinated. They both told me, She didn't die from Covid, her organs failed. Yep they failed after 3 weeks on a vent fighting Covid. I don't even know what to say to these people.

Truly banging your head against the wall! Can’t get through that kind of denial!

Were they some of the church members you have mentioned?

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 Truly banging your head against the wall! Can’t get through that kind of denial! Were they some of the church members you have mentioned?

One was and one wasn't..both unvaccinated though and liable to stay that way. My county has low rates. I've mentioned before that sometimes I feel like a fish out of water here. I'm realizing it's not me, it's them...


My DH was hauling corn and saw a 59YO member of church who was hospitalized with Covid in March. He said the guy sounded like a 4 pack a day smoker. (He doesn't smoke) This family had 2 brothers, a SIL and 90+ YO mom and dad catch Covid. No one in that family died, but come on at some point you all didn't think you should pay attention.

[audreyh1]

From what I read the lungs can be so ravaged it takes them a very long time to heal.

[brett]

The US Surgeon General issued a warning several weeks ago.

The increase in covid cases and deaths over the past week in certain areas prove his comments to be spot on. Places like MIssouri.

Why is it so difficult for people to follow his scientific advice in preference to the advice from their face book friends?

It may be too late for some who finally decide to follow science over conspiracy theories.

[ivinsfan]

We don't know if people's lungs will ever heal, that's the problem in a nutshell . Covid can ruin your life without killing you.

[Sunset]

I have a relative in Canada, he is old and totally convinced from reading weird websites that it's all just a flu, and the deaths are fake, etc..

I cannot even argue with him as he is so far out there in his belief.

It's very weird as in many other respects he is normal, so I feel a little sad/resigned that one day he will get sick from it.