Spreads so easily......

[tmm99]

Would you mind posting a source link. I think it's important to do that instead of saying I read somewhere. Thanks...

Man, people want proof!??

Here you go. I subscribe to Washington Post and this article may be behind the paywall, dunno. Anyway, I think this is where I read about it. The article was published yesterday. They weren't specifically trying to find out if the people who have had COVID were protected from the South African variant, but it was an incidental/accidental finding, is my understanding. I hope it's OK to give small excerpts from the article... If not, let me know and I will delete it.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/02/05/virus-variant-reinfection-south-africa/

"Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted that it appears a vaccine is better than natural infection in protecting people, calling it “a big, strong plug to get vaccinated” and a reality check for people who may have assumed that because they have already been infected, they are immune."

"On Tuesday, details of the Novavax trial were presented at the New York Academy of Sciences.

About 30 percent of the people in the South African trial had antibodies in their blood at the start of the trial showing they had recovered from an earlier infection.

But that previous exposure didn’t necessarily appear to afford protection. Among those who got saltwater shots, the people with a prior infection got sick at the same rate as study participants who had not been previously infected — a surprise because they would have been expected to have some immunity. Nearly 4 percent of people who had a previous infection were reinfected, an almost identical rate to those with no history of infection."

 

[JoeWras]

I see this here, there are shot centers and Walmart offering pharmacy shots in South Chicago. The politicians constantly talking about the under served community and at the same time the reluctance of this community to get the shots. That they need convincing.

So shots remain unused/available.

Bugs me, as I have 90+ yr old relatives that I cannot get a shot.

Yes. I'm glad he addressed this. It is politically hot to mention. His suggestion of a dual focus I think is fair.

 

[gayl]

Yes. I'm glad he addressed this. It is politically hot to mention. His suggestion of a dual focus I think is fair.

[emoji106]

 

[Koolau]

I just spoke with our local CVS (Longs Drugs to us). They don't even know if THEY (that store) will ever have the vaccine. There are many Longs stores and only a select number (apparently) will be set up to give the shots. "Check the website" the girl said. Thanks a lot!

I know it's not their fault. We are being given a relatively low number of doses to a state with a very high level of older folks. I can kind of see it as we are just about the lowest end of the infection spectrum. But it means we have the least amount of herd immunity - so there's that.

 

[gayl]

Did you check any in the Albertson chain? All of a sudden unless its nursing homes or assisted living, its Safeway here (Albertsons = Albertsons, Acme, Carrs, Haugen, Jewel-Osco, Luckys, Randalls, Safeway, Star, Shaw's, Tom Thumb, United, Vons, and Pavilions.)

 

[Koolau]

Did you check any in the Albertson chain? All of a sudden unless its nursing homes or assisted living, its Safeway here (Albertsons = Albertsons, Acme, Carrs, Haugen, Jewel-Osco, Luckys, Randalls, Safeway, Star, Shaw's, Tom Thumb, United, Vons, and Pavilions.)

Only one of these we have is Safeway. I THINK they may be a future vaccine provider as well but not certain. In any case, our number (under 75 yo) is supposed to come up by March1 or so. I hope they have more sites available by then. We've had "mass" (a misnomer when the Islands get 30,000 doses for 1.4 million people) inoculations at our main "event" hall. I think you STILL have to pay the $6 event parking fee! YMMV

 

[Chuckanut]

Where is the lack of second doses happening, now being pushed a few days while waiting for a second dose is not the same as an agonizing stressful search IMO..

Who said anything about a simple delay of a few days?

Here in Washington state. Some providers automatically setup the second dose. Others just point to a signup website and tell you to go find an available spot. But, there are none available. My friend is in that situation. He got the shot from a local med center, and cannot find a open slot for his second shot.

 

[ivinsfan]

Who said anything about a simple delay of a few days?

Here in Washington state. Some providers automatically setup the second dose. Others just point to a signup website and tell you to go find an available spot. But, there are none available. My friend is in that situation. He got the shot from a local med center, and cannot find a open slot for his second shot.

I simply asked if this was a big issue...most accounts I've seen are of whole days being cancelled and rescheduled in mass. If this kind stuff gets more widespread I'm going to make darn sure wherever I end up going schedules both shots when you get the first one.

Are any other posters seeing people simply being shut out of a second dose appointment? It seems like a good recipe for chaos.

 

[iloveyoga]

I simply asked if this was a big issue...most accounts I've seen are of whole days being cancelled and rescheduled in mass. If this kind stuff gets more widespread I'm going to make darn sure wherever I end up going schedules both shots when you get the first one.

Are any other posters seeing people simply being shut out of a second dose appointment? It seems like a good recipe for chaos.

It started out that way in my county in Iowa, but it looks like that part is under control now.

 

[W2R]

No super-spreader Mardi Gras (hopefully)

The Mayor of New Orleans has revealed extra restrictions for the five days before Mardi Gras (February 12-16). Here's what the new restrictions are (copied/paraphrased from this article ):

(1) All bars in New Orleans must close, including those who have permits to operate as restaurants.
(2) No go-cups
(3) No retail liquor sales in the French Quarter
(4) Entertainment destinations such as Bourbon Street, Frenchmen Street and Decatur Street will be closed to pedestrians as well as vehicles from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.
(5) The Claiborne Avenue corridor beneath Interstate 10 will be fenced from access.

This is in addition to the current restrictions, which include strict masking, social distancing, and limitations on group sizes, as well as a 10:30-11:00 PM curfew.

So basically in popular areas, no liquor is sold from any kind of establishment, whether a bar or not, you cannot even walk down the streets there, there's an early curfew, and she's promising huge law enforcement presence.

I know she is concerned about a super-spreader event, but wow. I wish she'd put the same energy into making the vaccinations that we have been allotted, more easily available. But then, I wasn't elected Mayor by popular vote, she was.

 

[JoeWras]

While it looks like things may go OK in New Orleans, we can't say the same about Chapel Hill. Last night UNC beats Duke, and all hell breaks loose. To heck with the pandemic. The authorities are unhappy. The kids are happy and don't care.

harllee? What's going on with your Tar Heel friends?

 

[harllee]

While it looks like things may go OK in New Orleans, we can't say the same about Chapel Hill. Last night UNC beats Duke, and all hell breaks loose. To heck with the pandemic. The authorities are unhappy. The kids are happy and don't care.

harllee? What's going on with your Tar Heel friends?

I was very happy to see my Tar Heels win over Duke but I was very unhappy to see the students celebrate on Franklin Street, no social distancing and from the video only about half wearing masks. In normal times, Chapel Hill's downtown is closed off for big sports celebrations--I have attended many of these myself. But this year the school and the town asked the students to stay home and not celebrate and the students ignored the request. The police finally used water hoses to break things up. The UNC Chancellor has said they are going to identify the students involved and that "there will be consequences." Not sure if that means the students will be expelled or what. It looked to me to be about 1,000 students involved.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Double secret probation, at least.

 

[skipro33]

Would you mind posting a source link. I think it's important to do that instead of saying I read somewhere. Thanks...

Last night, NBC nightly News with Lester Holt. They said the vaccine will at least provide a lesser reaction to the mutated African strain virus, making it likely less deadly so get a shot anyways. Reducing the infection to something that is just the typical flu symptoms instead of a death sentence was the gist of the story.

 

[harllee]

Double secret probation, at least.

Or notify their draft boards...

 

[Lsbcal]

Or notify their draft boards...

Or make them help people struggling with Covid.

 

[tmm99]

Last night, NBC nightly News with Lester Holt. They said the vaccine will at least provide a lesser reaction to the mutated African strain virus, making it likely less deadly so get a shot anyways. Reducing the infection to something that is just the typical flu symptoms instead of a death sentence was the gist of the story.

Maybe it's a different way different news media spin the same thing or what, but when I was watching CTV (Canada channel) from last night, the statement was that the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine was found to give minimal protection against the South African variant. They didn't get into the severity of symptoms, etc.

That in itself isn't encouraging news, but Fauci here is saying that it's easy to "retool" the mRNA info by swapping the code with the existing vaccine. They will need to do the Phase 1 trial for safety, but they won't need to do the 30,000+ people trial, so the vaccine can become available much quicker compared to the first vaccine. And multiple pharmaceutical companies are already working on this. I imagine a new vaccine that covers the South African variant will become available as a booster to the existing vaccine. (About 5 minutes into the video...)

 

[harllee]

Or make them help people struggling with Covid.

Yes, they should make them do something like that--help the elderly that cannot get out or volunteer at vaccination sites or something but because there were so many students involved (around 1000 I would guess from the videos) there may not be much of anything done. What would really get the students attention is to take away their free football and basketball tickets for next year but that won't happen...

 

[MichaelB]

Yes, they should make them do something like that--help the elderly that cannot get out or volunteer at vaccination sites or something but because there were so many students involved (around 1000 I would guess from the videos) there may not be much of anything done. What would really get the students attention is to take away their free football and basketball tickets for next year but that won't happen...

Or assign them all 8am class.

 

[harllee]

Or assign them all 8am class.

That would do it!

 

[Lsbcal]

I know. Hand those students over to us. The ER mob will take care of them.

 

[W2R]

Or assign them all 8am class.

My Freshman year I had to take a required history class called World Civilization (a.k.a. "Everything That Ever Happened") at 7:30 AM TThS.

I'll never forget the joys of class at that hour! Especially if I had been out late on Friday night. I think your idea of an 8 am class would do it.

 

[Lsbcal]

My Freshman year I had to take a required history class called World Civilization (a.k.a. "Everything That Ever Happened") at 7:30 AM TThS.

I'll never forget the joys of class at that hour! Especially if I had been out late on Friday night. I think your idea of an 8 am class would do it.

Who would have thought that W2R (the wee lass) led a wild young life.

 

[W2R]

Who would have thought that W2R (the wee lass) led a wild young life.

Oh you can believe I did! It was the 60's, after all, and I was young and adventurous and eager to see what life had to offer. After a few years I got a little smarter.

 

[Lsbcal]

Oh you can believe I did! It was the 60's, after all, and I was young and adventurous and eager to see what life had to offer. After a few years I got a little smarter.

I guess we all did a bit of that stuff. It's funny how our young people think they invented goofy behavior and risk taking. And funny that we oldies sit around shaking our heads at such things.

Of course, I was the exception.