Covid-19 Updates & Info

All the other crazy stuff we talk about. Politics, Science, News, the Kitchen, other hobbies.
User avatar
ponchi101 Venezuela
Site Admin
Posts: 14722
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:40 pm
Location: New Macondo
Has thanked: 3857 times
Been thanked: 5567 times
Contact:

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2326

Post by ponchi101 »

My sister tested positive again. FOR THE THIRD TIME.
She simply has built no immunity to it. Fortunately, she is vaccinated and boosted. Her symptoms are minor (not like when I had to go to Caracas to help her and my mom).
Ego figere omnia et scio supellectilem
User avatar
ti-amie United States of America
Posts: 22996
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 4:44 pm
Location: The Boogie Down, NY
Has thanked: 5304 times
Been thanked: 3292 times

Honorary_medal

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2327

Post by ti-amie »



This is not much different from what the snake oil salespeople were promoting here though.
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
User avatar
ti-amie United States of America
Posts: 22996
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 4:44 pm
Location: The Boogie Down, NY
Has thanked: 5304 times
Been thanked: 3292 times

Honorary_medal

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2328

Post by ti-amie »



There are no words.
“Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” Albert Einstein
User avatar
Deuce Canada
Posts: 4531
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 5:52 am
Location: An unparallel universe
Has thanked: 336 times
Been thanked: 977 times

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2329

Post by Deuce »

ti-amie wrote: Thu May 19, 2022 2:38 am

There are no words.
^ This is why I am doing everything I can to protect myself from contracting this virus... and why I feel that the growing number of people who have the attitude of "Whatever - I'm going to live my life normally, and if I get it, it's no big deal" are both downright stupid and quite selfish.
R.I.P. Amal...

“The opposite of courage is not cowardice - it’s conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow.”- Jim Hightower
User avatar
mmmm8
Posts: 1342
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:21 pm
Location: NYC
Has thanked: 829 times
Been thanked: 855 times

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2330

Post by mmmm8 »

I have two colleagues with completely different backgrounds (woman in early 20s with British roots and man in 40s from LatAM) with very similar and scary long COVID symptoms (inner ear problems, heart palpitations, fatigue, brain fog). The woman had it at the start of the pandemic and the issues still continue. The man's brother, in his early 60s, died suddenly from a heart issue they linked to COVID. Another totally healthy colleague had a mysterious blood clot form 2 years ago that they're now linking to the mild form of COVID he may have had at the very start of the pandemic. Another friend has smell issues now.

I've been a little more relaxed about socializing (maybe more than I should) but am still masking in stores and on transportation.
User avatar
atlpam United States of America
Posts: 393
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 5:32 pm
Location: GA
Has thanked: 28 times
Been thanked: 239 times

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2331

Post by atlpam »

Getting ready to take a commercial flight for the first time since Dec 2019. Excited about my trip but not the air travel. I really wish the mandatory masking in airports & on planes was still in effect. We will be masking, but based on feedback from friends who traveled recently, most people were not.
Wish me luck!
dmforever
Posts: 823
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2020 7:16 pm
Has thanked: 377 times
Been thanked: 319 times

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2332

Post by dmforever »

i'm not planning on getting on an airplane this summer for the reasons that you've stated here. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Kevin
Owendonovan United States of America
Posts: 1002
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2021 3:08 am
Location: NYC
Has thanked: 941 times
Been thanked: 713 times

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2333

Post by Owendonovan »

The dropping of mask mandates was as stupid a move with this pandemic as any. I have certainly hardened my feelings towards those not willing to participate in solutions in ending it who contract it. I can't bring myself to hope for the best for those folks, quite the opposite.
User avatar
Suliso Latvia
Posts: 4405
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2020 2:30 pm
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Has thanked: 274 times
Been thanked: 1453 times

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2334

Post by Suliso »

"Funny" how politicised this issue still is in US. Here we all masked half a year ago, but now we have stopped. Point is not that the latter is right or wrong, but that it's not strongly tied to someone's political spectrum.
User avatar
ponchi101 Venezuela
Site Admin
Posts: 14722
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:40 pm
Location: New Macondo
Has thanked: 3857 times
Been thanked: 5567 times
Contact:

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2335

Post by ponchi101 »

I can still report that people in enclosed spaces (supermarket, shopping malls, etc) are wearing their masks. When we go outside and, for example, are walking towards those places, we don't wear it (at least I don't). 50 Meters before the entrance, I put it on.
My mother is on her way to Buenos Aires today (CCS-Panama-Baires) and she will wear her mask all the way. She can still remember how she felt when she got the virus.
My sister is doing better, but has felt pretty bad for a couple of days.
Preaching to the choir. It is NOT the flu.
Ego figere omnia et scio supellectilem
Owendonovan United States of America
Posts: 1002
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2021 3:08 am
Location: NYC
Has thanked: 941 times
Been thanked: 713 times

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2336

Post by Owendonovan »

Over 1,000,000 Americans have now died from COVID.
User avatar
ponchi101 Venezuela
Site Admin
Posts: 14722
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:40 pm
Location: New Macondo
Has thanked: 3857 times
Been thanked: 5567 times
Contact:

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2337

Post by ponchi101 »

I can still remember that criminal saying it would "just go away, like magic".
That is what happens when you enter a cult. The consequences can be deadly.
Ego figere omnia et scio supellectilem
User avatar
atlpam United States of America
Posts: 393
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 5:32 pm
Location: GA
Has thanked: 28 times
Been thanked: 239 times

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2338

Post by atlpam »

I would be surprised if 15% of people in the airport and on the flight were wearing masks. So now the CDC is “recommending” testing before domestic travel. Considering they are also “recommending” masking, I have low expectations that it will have any impact.
Completed an amazing hike in the Columbia River Gorge today in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society after being postponed for 2 years. Planning to enjoy our trip with lots of outdoor activities as we work our way back to Colorado before braving the airports again for our flight home.
User avatar
mmmm8
Posts: 1342
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2020 8:21 pm
Location: NYC
Has thanked: 829 times
Been thanked: 855 times

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2339

Post by mmmm8 »

atlpam wrote: Mon May 23, 2022 4:03 am I would be surprised if 15% of people in the airport and on the flight were wearing masks. So now the CDC is “recommending” testing before domestic travel. Considering they are also “recommending” masking, I have low expectations that it will have any impact.
Completed an amazing hike in the Columbia River Gorge today in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society after being postponed for 2 years. Planning to enjoy our trip with lots of outdoor activities as we work our way back to Colorado before braving the airports again for our flight home.
Thanks for the warning - we are flying this weekend for the first time since the mandate was lifted (short distance so at least we can keep the masks on for the duration of the flight).

LLS is a great organization!
User avatar
dryrunguy
Posts: 1532
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 6:31 am
Has thanked: 693 times
Been thanked: 1155 times

Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2340

Post by dryrunguy »

Here's the latest situation report. Haven't read it yet. (I'm pretty sure I forgot to post the one from Friday. My apologies.)

::

SARS-COV-2 VACCINE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine were 80.3% effective at preventing infection among children 6 months to under 5 years of age when the Omicron variant was predominant, according to preliminary data. The companies cautioned that the data are based on only 10 cases diagnosed among the 1,678 study participants by the end of April, a number lower than the study’s 21-case threshold for analysis. The dose for the youngest children is at the 3 mcg level, one-tenth the adult dose, chosen for its tolerability and safety data. The companies plan to complete their submission for emergency use authorization (EUA) of the vaccine for children under age 5 this week.

Hours after the companies released the preliminary data, the US FDA announced its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will meet on June 14 and June 15 to review EUA requests from both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. On June 14, the committee will discuss Moderna’s request for EUA of its SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine for older children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years, and on June 15, the committee will review the companies’ data on the youngest children. Moderna is requesting EUA for its vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years and Pfizer-BioNTech for its vaccine for children aged 6 months to 4 years. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is currently authorized for use among individuals aged 5 years and older and Moderna’s is available for adults aged 18 and older.

Children under 5 are the last group for which the FDA has not yet authorized a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and the agency is under increasing pressure to do so. Some parents are eager to vaccinate their children, although many do not plan to vaccinate their children unless required to do so, according to polls. As of May 18, about 35% of US children ages 5 to 11 years had received at least 1 dose of vaccine and 28% had completed the 2-dose series. If the VRBPAC recommends either or both vaccines for young children, the FDA could quickly authorize the vaccines, making it possible toddlers and kindergartners could be eligible to begin receiving their shots by the summer.

US CDC BOOSTER RECOMMENDATIONS Last week, the US CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded SARS-CoV-2 vaccine booster eligibility to include everyone aged 5 years and older. The CDC recommends that children ages 5 to 11 should receive a Pfizer-BioNTech booster, or third, shot 5 months after completing the 2-dose primary series with the same vaccine, the only one currently authorized for use among that age group. In its announcement, the CDC noted that more than 4.8 million children in this age group have been diagnosed with COVID-19, 15,000 have been hospitalized, and at least 180 have died of the disease. The agency said a third dose would help enhance immunity among this age group to help protect against severe disease. Notably, many ACIP members acknowledged that data suggest mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are really 3-dose primary series vaccines versus 2-dose primary series plus a booster dose.

However, some parents have hesitated to get their children vaccinated, arguing that children have a lower risk of severe disease, despite record numbers of children being hospitalized during the height of the Omicron surge. Additionally, nearly 4,000 children have been diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), a rare but potentially severe condition, since the start of the pandemic. Altogether, less than one-third of children in this age group have both doses of the vaccine, leaving them vulnerable to serious illness, according to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. Dr. Walensky also announced the CDC strengthened its recommendation that people aged 50 and older and immunocompromised people aged 12 and older “should,” instead of “may,” get a second booster shot (fourth dose) to remain current on their vaccinations and help protect themselves from severe disease as the US experiences a sixth wave of COVID-19.

US MASK RECOMMENDATIONS/MANDATES As of May 19, at least 45% of the US population lived in areas experiencing medium-to-high COVID-19 community levels, meaning people should be wearing masks or considering masking based on their personal risk. COVID-19 community levels are calculated using new COVID-19 hospital admissions and percent of inpatient beds occupied by patients with COVID-19, both lagging indicators of COVID-19 transmission. But the agency’s data on community transmission shows more than 75% of the country is experiencing high or substantial numbers of new cases, suggesting much of the nation should be wearing masks in indoor public spaces and prompting some experts to recommend localities, businesses, and other entities reinstate mask mandates. The 7-day moving average of new daily cases is at 102,940 as of May 22, rising over 100,000 cases for the first time since February.

While no states have reissued mask mandates, the CDC on May 13 reissued its recommendation that people ages 2 and older wear masks while on public transportation and in transit stations, after the federal mandate was struck down by a judge on April 18. Additionally, some school districts are reinstating mask mandates as the number of cases increase among students and staff. Mask mandates have returned to schools in Philadelphia, PA, Brookline, MA, and Providence, RI, in recent days. New York City and most school districts in the Washington, DC-region are not bringing back mask mandates despite having high levels of community transmission. Despite the nationwide increase in cases, many US residents feel the country has moved beyond the pandemic being a crisis, making the reinstatement of public health measures difficult for local and national leaders.

TRAVEL GUIDANCE Ahead of the summer travel season, the US CDC has added new advice regarding testing to their domestic travel guidance page. The agency now recommends that all individuals get tested for COVID-19 3 days or less prior to domestic travel, regardless of vaccination status. Prior to this change, CDC only recommended testing prior to domestic travel for individuals who were not up-to-date on their SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations (ie, primary series and booster if eligible). CDC also now recommends testing after travel if the traveler engaged in higher risk activities, such as being in a crowded space without a well-fitting mask.

In addition to recommendations for domestic travel, CDC requires that individuals aged 2 years and older flying from international locales to the US show documentation of a negative COVID-19 test within 1 day of departure or proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the last 90 days. However, there is massive public pressure, particularly among travel industry businesses, for CDC to remove the international requirement due to the agency’s inability to fully articulate the rationale behind the rule. Attendees of a recent side event at the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF)—including representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Migration Policy Institute, governments, and non-governmental partners—called for the establishment of common appropriate standards for international travel to reduce confusion and impediment of cross-border mobility while supporting equitable pandemic recovery among nations.

PAXLOVID Following multiple anecdotal reports of symptoms and positive SARS-CoV-2 test results returning among some people who take a 5-day course of the COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, the US NIH announced last week it in talks with manufacturer Pfizer to study a longer course of the antiviral. More than 660,000 courses of Paxlovid have been administered in the US, and it is unclear how often patients who take the drug experience so-called “Paxlovid rebound.” Experts from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) briefed reporters on May 20 about the rebound effect and potential drug interactions, with information on the latter also contained in the organization’s recently updated guidance. While access to Paxlovid has increased in the US over the past several months, some physicians remain reluctant to prescribe the pills. Additionally, access to the treatment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains scarce due to limited production and affordable pricing. Experts hope that Pfizer’s licensing agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and supply agreement with UNICEF will improve access in LMICs later this year and into next.

ASTRAZENECA-OXFORD VACCINE The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has authorized the AstraZeneca-Oxford SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to be used as a booster (third) dose among adults who have completed the primary 2-dose course or the primary series of an approved mRNA vaccine, according to a company statement. The authorization is based on review by the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, branded as Vaxzevria and Covishield, has received conditional marketing or emergency use authorization (EUA) in more than 125 countries, as well as emergency use listing (EUL) from the WHO, allowing it to be distributed through the COVAX initiative. The vaccine was AstraZeneca’s second bestseller last year, but sales are expected to fall in 2022 due to setbacks in production, rare but potentially serious adverse events, limited shelf life, global oversupply, and preferences for the mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. AstraZeneca never filed for EUA in the US, and the White House quietly canceled its contract with the company in December. The cancellation, though it saved the government some money, could hurt its global vaccine donation program, which was expected to give tens of millions of those doses to low-income countries.

WHO EUL FOR 11TH SARS-COV-2 VACCINE The WHO last week issued an emergency use listing (EUL) for CONVIDECIA, a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine made by China’s CanSino Biologics. In clinical trials, CONVIDECIA had 58% efficacy against symptomatic infection and 92% efficacy against severe COVID-19, and the single-dose vaccine can be used in adults aged 18 years and older, according to the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE). The vaccine is the 11th SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to receive WHO EUL.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Ahrefs [Bot] and 3 guests