Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2251

Post by dryrunguy »

MJ2004 wrote: Tue Mar 22, 2022 10:48 pm Dry, I want to thank you for continuing to post the Situation Reports. They've been a source of invaluable information all along for those of us who are too lazy to look them up ourselves. :)

Especially now that Covid news stories have fallen by the side.
I'm glad you said that, MJ, because I've been toying with the idea of not posting them anymore. But the news of the past few days underscores why they may still be valuable--at least for now. :)
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2252

Post by ponchi101 »

No, please post them. We have no access to this info other than you. I have thanked you about it in all the posts, but MJ's words speak for many of us.
---0---
So the new variant is even more transmissible than the original Omicron. So eventually what will these variants be like? You can catch it from a person in the other side of town?
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2253

Post by Suliso »

China still fighting windmills. Now Shanghai will be locked down in two stages...
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2254

Post by ponchi101 »

I am still in Colorado and should be going back home soon. I have to look up the requirements for entry to Colombia, as I am not sure anymore if a negative test is required. By now, I just see all this as some sort of exercise; with the people that still refuse vaccination going around as if this never happened, our efforts to get the vaccine and practice some semblance of responsible behavior has gone for nothing.
It is truly despairing.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2255

Post by ti-amie »

“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
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

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Post by dryrunguy »

It's not difficult to dupe people who don't understand the fundamental difference between an antiviral and an anti-parasitic.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2257

Post by ponchi101 »

I don't think they were even looking at that level of technicality. They just heard that people were taking it, they were feeling well, and bingo, it caught fire.
My crazy friend gave his 28 & 26 yo sons their dose of Ivermectin and "they got cured". The entire issue that they are young, sporty kids simply did not enter the equation. The reality is that "he is not being fooled by 'them'", and he reads and listens to the real doctors. It is a deep rabbit hole, and once you go in, it is almost impossible to come out.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2258

Post by dryrunguy »

Here's the latest Situation Report. I hadn't received one in over a week, which makes me wonder if they are starting to wind these things down. Have not read it yet.

::

US COVID-19 FUNDING US Congressional negotiators on April 4 reached a deal for US$10 billion in additional funding for the federal COVID-19 response. The bipartisan legislation, if passed, would provide less than half of the US$22.5 billion initially requested by US President Joe Biden for current and future pandemic response and preparedness. Notably, the compromise does not include US$5 billion for global vaccination efforts, funding that was dropped last month from a large omnibus spending package because legislators could not agree on where that money would come from. In a statement, USAID warned that additional funding for international efforts is needed to help prevent the emergence of new variants and move the world beyond the pandemic. Domestically, the Biden administration has cautioned it is out of money to pay for the purchase of additional COVID-related treatments, vaccines, and diagnostics, as well as reimburse providers for services for those without insurance. The compromise package would provide at least US$5 billion to purchase and develop COVID-19 treatments and US$750 million for the development of variant-specific vaccines and the future expansion of vaccine manufacturing. The US$10 billion would come from repurposed unspent funds from previous stimulus packages from the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Transportation, and Treasury, as well as the Small Business Administration.

The White House urged the US Congress to move quickly to approve the funding and said it will continue to seek additional aid for domestic and global COVID-19 efforts. The US Senate could vote on the measure as soon as this week, and if approved, the bill would move to the US House. Notably, the legislation’s lack of funding for international aid could stymie progress in the House, where some Democrats already have raised objections. Negotiators could not agree on how to pay for that aid and said they intend to work toward proposing separate legislation that would provide funding for the global COVID-19 response.

US SECOND BOOSTER Health officials in the US have authorized a fourth dose, or second booster dose, of mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for certain segments of the population. Individuals are now eligible for a second booster dose (fourth total dose) of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine if their first 3 vaccines were either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, it has been at least 4 months since their initial booster, and they are aged 50 years and older. Individuals also are eligible for a second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine if their first 3 vaccines were either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna and they are aged 12 years and older with an immunocompromising condition. Additionally, individuals are now eligible for a second booster dose (fourth total dose) of the Moderna vaccine if their first 3 vaccines were either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, it has been at least 4 months since their initial booster, and they are aged 50 years and older. Individuals also are eligible for a second booster dose of the Moderna vaccine if their first 3 vaccines were either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna and they are aged 18 years and older with an immunocompromising condition. Additionally, individuals who received J&J-Janssen for their initial and booster doses are eligible for a booster dose of either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna if at least 4 months have passed since their last booster.

The complex second booster dose guidelines have led to widespread confusion among patients and primary care physicians alike. In response, the US FDA released a vaccine eligibility chart and simplified guideline breakdown in an attempt to make the recommendation easier to understand. However, the situation is further complicated by debate surrounding the potential risks and benefits of a second booster dose. The risks, in many cases, appear minimal and have little scientific support. The known risks include symptoms such as fever and body aches that are common adverse events of the currently approved vaccines and the costs that some individuals might have to pay to receive an additional booster due to a lack of federal funds to reimburse providers to administer the shots to uninsured patients. Other risks that are often discussed but remain unproven include: immune exhaustion from multiple vaccinations, vaccine imprinting that could leave individuals susceptible to a SARS-CoV-2 variant, and missing out on a variant-specific vaccine if one is released shortly after receiving a second booster of the original vaccine design. These risks are of relatively low concern because vaccinations are unlikely to cause immune exhaustion since they do not cause chronic exposure to an antigen; imprinting for current SARS-CoV-2 vaccine designs is not currently supported by scientific evidence; and most variant-specific vaccine designs do not appear to offer better protection than the original formula. The benefit of a fourth mRNA-based vaccine dose includes a small boost in immediate protection that may fade over time. That small benefit may be greater in the populations approved under the new guidelines. Many public health experts, including the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security’s Dr. Amesh Adalja, have recently warned that repeatedly boosting immunity with the same vaccine design is not a viable strategy to end the pandemic.

J&J-JANSSEN VACCINE A new report from the US CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) examined the impact of receiving booster doses from various SARS-CoV-2 vaccines among individuals who originally received the J&J-Janssen (Ad.26.COV2) vaccine. The single-dose, adenovirus vector-based vaccine has been the subject of many studies since its authorization in 2021, with data initially suggesting that it may offer slightly less protection than the mRNA-based vaccine candidates produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. More recent data counter these claims, showing similar levels of effectiveness in preventing infection, hospitalization, and death. The MMWR report acknowledges the vaccine’s effectiveness and provides data suggesting that a mixed-dose booster regimen using an mRNA vaccine performs better at preventing severe disease than a vaccine-booster regimen of only the J&J-Janssen vaccine, particularly during Omicron predominance. The study examined 80,287 emergency department/urgent care visits and 25,244 hospitalizations that occurred across 10 US states between December 16, 2021, and March 7, 2022. According to the data, vaccine effectiveness against preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations was 24% after 1 dose of the J&J-Janssen vaccine, 54% after 2 J&J-Janssen doses, 79% after 1 J&J-Janssen plus 1 mRNA dose, and 83% after 3 mRNA doses. The WHO on April 4 updated its Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of the J&J-Janssen vaccine to recommend the shot as both a prime and homologous or heterologous booster vaccine candidate for adults aged 18 and older.

OMICRON SUBVARIANTS Public health officials in the UK recently identified a new subvariant of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern (VOC). The subvariant, called XE, is a recombinant variant that includes genetic material from both the original BA.1 strain of Omicron and its subvariant BA.2. The emergence of the recombinant subvariant is not particularly surprising, considering the high transmission rates of both BA.1 and BA.2, and scientists so far have expressed little concern over the subvariant’s potential impact. In a WHO epidemiological update published last week, the agency shared that XE may be slightly more transmissible than BA.2, suggesting that the subvariant may have a growth rate advantage of around 10%. To date, the subvariant makes up a small proportion of the samples sequenced in the UK, and the WHO said more data are needed to provide definitive statements on XE’s overall risk. One potential pitfall to collecting more data is the recent announcement that the British government is scaling back its COVID-19 surveillance programs. The UK has submitted more than 1 million sequenced Omicron samples to GISAID—a global repository of SARS-CoV-2 genetic information—a key factor in the identification of the XE subvariant. Other nations, including Denmark, also are scaling back their sequencing efforts, potentially creating blind spots in the early identification of newly emerging variants and limiting the speed at which countries will be able to respond to new threats.

Chinese public health officials also recently reported the identification of a new Omicron subvariant amid an increase in daily case numbers. According to an in-country report, the subvariant stems from the original BA.1 Omicron and was isolated in a mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patient. The report adds that sequencing of the subvariant does not match other cases in the country nor any variants listed on GISAID. The Chinese government has been working to contain a recent surge in new COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron VOC as well as low vaccination coverage among the elderly population.

SHANGHAI China’s largest city and a global financial center is experiencing a record number of daily COVID-19 cases, driven by the Omicron BA.2 subvariant. Over the weekend, Shanghai entered an indefinite citywide lockdown, the latest example of the government’s efforts to adhere to its “zero COVID” strategy. All 26 million Shanghai residents were tested for SARS-CoV-2 in 24 hours, with many strictly confined to their homes and unable to leave even to obtain essentials. Some residents are reporting difficulties ordering food and water online due to restrictions and supply and delivery staff shortages. A policy to separate children who test positive from their families is drawing fierce criticism from city residents as well as Western diplomats. Isolation facilities are overflowing with patients, with some mixing symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, and people with non-COVID illnesses are being turned away by hospitals. The government has sent more than 2,000 military medical personnel and at least 30,000 healthcare providers to Shanghai to assist in the “dynamic clearing” of cases. China recorded about 16,400 new local COVID-19 cases on April 4—the highest daily total in 2 years—with more than 80% of those cases in Shanghai. Other provinces and cities, including Guangdong, Jilin, and Shandong, are recording medium or high risk of transmission and are required under official guidance to enter some form of lockdown. Nationwide, nearly 25 cities are under total or partial lockdown, impacting about 193 million people in areas accounting for nearly 14% of the country’s gross domestic product and causing widespread disruptions.

COVID-19 THERAPEUTICS The US FDA on March 25 amended the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab, limiting its use to treat COVID-19 only in US regions where the Omicron BA.2 subvariant is not predominant. Recent data show that the authorized dose of sotrovimab is unlikely to be effective against BA.2. As of April 2, the US CDC estimates BA.2 is responsible for approximately 72% of new COVID-19 cases nationwide. The FDA noted that several other treatments—including Paxlovid, Veklury (remdesivir), bebtelovimab, and Lagevrio (molnupiravir)—are expected to remain effective against BA.2. GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology, which manufacture sotrovimab, said they plan to submit data supporting the use of a higher dose of the therapy to treat Omicron BA.2.

Several studies set to be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Lisbon, Portugal, later this month suggest that the oral antiviral molnupiravir can reduce symptoms of COVID-19 by day 3 of administration, clear active SARS-CoV-2 virus equally well in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients, and lower viral load by day 3 of treatment. The results, which are based on findings from the MOVe-OUT clinical trial, were collected throughout 2021 and are not yet peer-reviewed. Molnupiravir is authorized for use in the US, UK, Australia, Japan, and 12 other jurisdictions.

The results of a randomized clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) show that high-titer convalescent plasma administered within 9 days after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms helped to reduce disease progression leading to hospitalizations in a largely unvaccinated population. COVID-19-related hospitalization or death within 28 days occurred among 2.9% of patients who received the high-titer plasma compared with 6.3% of those who received control plasma (P=0.005), for a 54% relative risk reduction that was entirely accounted for by hospitalization. The researchers, led by Dr. David J. Sullivan of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, encouraged the use of high-titer convalescent plasma in early outpatient treatment when other therapies are unavailable or ineffective, including in low- and middle-income countries. Under an amended FDA EUA, high-titer convalescent plasma is authorized in the US for the treatment of COVID-19 in patients with immunosuppressive disease or receiving immunosuppressive treatment, in either outpatient or inpatient settings.

COVAXIN The WHO on April 2 suspended the supply of the Covaxin SARS-CoV-2 vaccine produced by India-based Bharat Biotech and available under WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL), after an inspection found good manufacturing practices (GMP) deficiencies. The suspension will result in an interruption of Covaxin supply for export through UN procurement agencies, as Bharat addresses the deficiencies and upgrades its facilities. The WHO noted that the suspension does not affect the vaccine’s efficacy or safety and asked countries that received the vaccine to take appropriate actions, though no details on those actions were given. Last week, Bharat indicated it is slowing production of Covaxin due to decreasing demand, a fall in COVID-19 cases, and wider vaccination coverage in India.

WHO COVID-19 RESPONSE PLAN Last week, the WHO published a new strategic plan outlining several key objectives meant to bring the world out of the global COVID-19 pandemic emergency. The organization said if efforts to reduce infections and diagnose and treat cases are implemented at national, regional, and global levels, the acute phase of the epidemic can come to a close. Those activities include increasing surveillance and monitoring, improving vaccine equity, strengthening healthcare systems, and fortifying research and data analyses activities. In a forward to the plan, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted “the equitable use of vital COVID-19 tools” as a key factor in ending the pandemic and making COVID-19 a “manageable disease.”

The WHO acknowledged that vaccines are proving to be less effective than hoped in reducing infection with and transmission of the predominant Omicron variant of concern but maintained that a goal of vaccinating 70% of the world’s population by the middle of 2022 remains relevant, particularly if national programs prioritize vulnerable populations, including elderly individuals, healthcare workers, and those with underlying health conditions. The report also conceded that adjustments to the 70% goal are under consideration. While some experts argue that altering the target could leave low- and middle-income countries open to greater impacts from future surges or SARS-CoV-2 variants, other global health organizations say focusing on vaccinating 90% of vulnerable populations in every country would help focus short-term goals and makes more sense in terms of resource allocations. Only 14.7% of people in low-income countries have received at least 1 dose of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, according to Our World In Data. Additionally, 21 of WHO’s 194 Member States have vaccinated less than 10% of their population, and 75 have vaccinated less than 40%, meaning the goal of reaching 70% in the next few months remains far out of reach for many.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2259

Post by ponchi101 »

dryrunguy wrote: Tue Apr 05, 2022 6:25 pm Here's the latest Situation Report. I hadn't received one in over a week, which makes me wonder if they are starting to wind these things down. Have not read it yet.

::

US COVID-19 FUNDING US Congressional negotiators on April 4 reached a deal for US$10 billion in additional funding for the federal COVID-19 response. The bipartisan legislation, if passed, would provide less than half of the US$22.5 billion initially requested by US President Joe Biden for current and future pandemic response and preparedness. Notably, the compromise does not include US$5 billion for global vaccination efforts, funding that was dropped last month from a large omnibus spending package because legislators could not agree on where that money would come from. In a statement, USAID warned that additional funding for international efforts is needed to help prevent the emergence of new variants and move the world beyond the pandemic. Domestically, the Biden administration has cautioned it is out of money to pay for the purchase of additional COVID-related treatments, vaccines, and diagnostics, as well as reimburse providers for services for those without insurance. The compromise package would provide at least US$5 billion to purchase and develop COVID-19 treatments and US$750 million for the development of variant-specific vaccines and the future expansion of vaccine manufacturing. The US$10 billion would come from repurposed unspent funds from previous stimulus packages from the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Transportation, and Treasury, as well as the Small Business Administration.

The White House urged the US Congress to move quickly to approve the funding and said it will continue to seek additional aid for domestic and global COVID-19 efforts. The US Senate could vote on the measure as soon as this week, and if approved, the bill would move to the US House. Notably, the legislation’s lack of funding for international aid could stymie progress in the House, where some Democrats already have raised objections. Negotiators could not agree on how to pay for that aid and said they intend to work toward proposing separate legislation that would provide funding for the global COVID-19 response.

...
But right on cue, the GOP did not approve it.
But honestly, it seems to me as if one of the reasons (at least partially) is that there is no money for this. An interesting point: the USA finally reached a point in which it could not pay for something.
(I know, if it had been a new weapons' system the money would have been there, but I still find it interesting).
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2260

Post by ti-amie »

After Gridiron Dinner, a covid outbreak among Washington A-list guests
Raimondo, Schiff, Castro, Garland and several other officials or journalists tested positive after the elite Gridiron dinner
By Paul Farhi, Roxanne Roberts and Yasmeen Abutaleb
Today at 1:11 p.m. EDT|Updated today at 5:29 p.m. EDT

More than a dozen guests who attended Saturday night’s Gridiron Club dinner — including two Cabinet members, two members of Congress and a top aide to Vice President Harris — have since tested positive for coronavirus, sending ripples of anxiety through a city on the cusp of restarting its traditional social whirl after a two-year pause.

A-list guests were asked to show proof of vaccination but not negative tests, and many mingled freely without masks at the dinner at the downtown Renaissance Washington Hotel.

But by Wednesday, Reps. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) and Joaquin Castro (D-Tex.) and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo had announced they had tested positive. They were soon followed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, who requested a test Wednesday afternoon after learning he may have been exposed — and discovered that he, too, carried the virus. Thus far, none have reported serious illness.

Jamal Simmons, the communications director for Vice President Harris, said later Wednesday he, too, had tested positive and is now isolating at home. But since he had been in close contact with Harris, she would also be consulting with a physician, her press secretary said.

The Washington Post has learned of about a half-dozen journalists as well as members of the White House and National Security Council staffs who said they tested positive after the event. Their names are being withheld because they have not announced their status publicly.

Tom DeFrank, a contributing columnist for National Journal and president of the Gridiron Club, said that as of Wednesday afternoon, the group knew of 14 guests who had tested positive.

“There is no way of being certain about when they first contracted covid,” he said in a statement. “But they did interact with other guests during the night and we have to be realistic and expect some more cases.”

About half of the cases appeared to have been clustered at three tables, he said, and the club was taking steps to notify anyone who sat next to or across from the infected guests.

How many of the infections began at the dinner and how serious the outbreak will prove to be remains unclear. Many of the guests have jobs that require regular testing that catches some asymptomatic cases. Castro and Raimondo said they are suffering only mild symptoms while Schiff said he is “feeling fine” — and touted the value of vaccinates and boosters.

But the outbreak at the Gridiron — where some of the comic skits featured actors dressed as the coronavirus, like large, green bouncing balls with red frills — highlights the personal risk-benefit balancing act much of the country will be negotiating as the pandemic subsides.

Administration officials and many experts have said that, more than two years into the pandemic, individuals now have the tools they need to decide what level of risk they’re willing to tolerate — and that every social interaction, large or small, comes with a nonzero risk of covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

“The virus isn’t going to go anywhere. There’s not going to be any activity that isn’t going to have some level of covid risk associated with it,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease doctor and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “People are out at bars every day. People are having dinners, watching sports games, doing whatever they want but when it happens to a celebrity or politician, then it becomes something you have to talk about.”

Several of the White House aides who tested positive did so after traveling to Poland last week with President Biden and before the Gridiron dinner. White House press secretary Jen Psaki — who attended the Gridiron dinner — reiterated Wednesday that all White House employees who come in proximity to Biden are regularly tested.

Biden didn’t attend the dinner but appeared via video.

The white-tie-and-gowns dinner attracted about 630 guests, including members of Congress, the Cabinet, diplomatic corps, military and business.

Among those in attendance were Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert and Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other guests included Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.); Reps. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.); Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and special presidential envoy John F. Kerry; Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell; Govs. Larry Hogan (R-Md.) and Chris Sununu (R-N.H.); and New York Mayor Eric Adams (D).

The possibility that senators at the dinner were infected could conceivably delay a Senate vote to confirm Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson. A vote could come later this week; no delays have been announced.

The dinner’s guest list also included former NFL great Emmitt Smith; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver; CBS host Jane Pauley and her spouse, “Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau; Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova; “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan, PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff; ABC chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl, and Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan and editor Sally Buzbee.

After a predinner cocktail reception, guests sat together at long, narrow tables for hours and watched satirical skits and songs performed by members. At the event’s conclusion, guests joined hands for the traditional singing of “Auld Lang Syne.”

The dinner was supposed to reflect a return to normalcy after being canceled the past two years because of the pandemic. Few guests wore masks or observed social distancing, according to people in attendance. Only the serving staff was consistently masked throughout the evening. While organizers asked attendees to show their vaccination cards at the door, there was no requirement to be tested.

(...)

The Gridiron dinner is a smaller, more elite precursor to the better-known White House Correspondents’ Association gathering in late April. That organization’s president, Steven Portnoy, said earlier this week that it will require its dinner’s 2,600 guests to show a same-day negative coronavirus test, which they will be able to upload to an app.

The president typically attends the WHCA dinner, though Trump never did during his years in the White House. Biden has not yet announced his plans.

The Gridiron Club dinner appears to have been conducted with respect to the latest official guidelines for covid safety.

The CDC updated its guidelines on Feb. 25 to ease mask recommendations for the vast majority of the country, and all 50 states have lifted their mask mandates in recent weeks. More than 95 percent of the country, including D.C., is classified by the CDC as having a low burden of disease, meaning the agency does not recommend a mask mandate.

But some experts have cautioned that the new CDC guidelines could leave the country unprepared in the event of another wave. The BA.2 variant caused a sharp rise in cases in Europe and has become the dominant strain in the United States, although cases have not yet begun rising nationally. Some parts of the country, including the Northeast, are beginning to experience a modest increase in infections.

Outbreaks from events such as the Gridiron dinner could signal what is to come, said Abraar Karan, an infectious-disease physician at Stanford University. “You’ll have these big outbreaks that start slowly and then you’ll notice more of them. It’s not surprising to me there was this big outbreak at a gathering where people were testing afterward,” Karan said.

“We’re constantly testing the boundaries. Everybody is testing the boundaries a little bit. … We’re trying to see what’s a tolerable level of risk, but when you have a big outbreak, that makes everybody pause,” Karan said.

Fauci, who said he has not tested positive, said he abided by CDC guidelines when deciding to attend the dinner. He said he made a personal decision that the risk of attending was low for three reasons: He is vaccinated and boosted, there was a requirement for proof of vaccination to enter the dinner, and D.C. is classified as having a low burden of disease by the CDC’s metrics. That classification also means individuals can go unmasked in indoor settings.

Fauci said he wore his mask during the reception but took it off to eat.

“We are in a situation where, as a population, we need to make a decision that is based on data as well as our own individual willingness to take whatever level of risk happens to be present that you’re making the decision about,” Fauci said. “I followed the CDC guidelines, which says it’s okay to be in an indoor setting without a mask. But if cases go up and CDC says now wait a minute, you’re in a red zone, you can be darn sure I won’t be going to any dinners. You go with what the situation is.”

Staff writer Tyler Pager contributed to this report.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/20 ... rspreader/
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2261

Post by dryrunguy »

This morning's NY Times e-newsletter dedicated its opening section to, basically, "Why is the latest variant leading to increasing caseloads in Europe and not the U.S.?"

I think we have part of the answer to this question. The variant is omnipresent in the U.S. But only certain folks are getting tested. Plus, lots of free testing sites have shut down in the U.S., and many poor folks have to pay for their own tests if they want one.

Meanwhile, based on the CDC's most recent guidance, I'm eligible to get my second booster (because I am over 50) the next time I'm in Chambersburg. Looks like that will be April 14.

I'm not wild about the idea of having to get vaccinated every 4 months--especially since my first booster wasn't particularly nice to me. Not to mention, I have some questions (please don't take that the wrong way!) about the effectiveness of existing vaccines when it comes to the latest (and future) variants and some evidence suggesting that we may actually be over-vaccinating ourselves.

I'm so sick of this.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2262

Post by MJ2004 »

I haven't seen compelling evidence that this fourth booster is necessary just yet. Just because you're eligible doesn't mean you should get it right away.

The efficacy of the fourth shot was lower than the third shot with the Israeli study. I've heard it might be better to wait until fall to be vaccinated before the winter when there's a higher incidence of infections and to plan on once per year. I know they're experimenting with a combined flu/covid vaccine, I don't think it's quite there yet, but it would be great if that could happen.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2263

Post by Deuce »

Anyone who has thought for one second that COVID-19 is over, or that we are well on our way out of it should read this, and/or who feels that we no longer need masks or vaccines... should read this below, written by a medical doctor and scientist.

While it is convenient and comforting to believe that this virus is on its way out of our lives, and/or that it will soon be rather insignificant, the scientific facts show otherwise. Illusions - no matter how pretty and comfortable they may be - can be hazardous to our health.
As some scientists and medical people are saying: Complacency could well end up being the most dangerous element of all...

The Epidemic of COVID Complacency...

.
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
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2264

Post by ponchi101 »

MJ2004 wrote: Thu Apr 07, 2022 12:30 am I haven't seen compelling evidence that this fourth booster is necessary just yet. Just because you're eligible doesn't mean you should get it right away.

The efficacy of the fourth shot was lower than the third shot with the Israeli study. I've heard it might be better to wait until fall to be vaccinated before the winter when there's a higher incidence of infections and to plan on once per year. I know they're experimenting with a combined flu/covid vaccine, I don't think it's quite there yet, but it would be great if that could happen.
Together with Dry, I don't know what to do with the 4th shot (I have my 3rd). Your post makes me wonder even more. I don't know if to rush to the drugstore here while I am in the USA and get it, or wait some more and get it in Colombia . I am just past the 4th month deadline (by days) so, again, I am not sure what to do.
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Re: Covid-19 Updates & Info

#2265

Post by dryrunguy »

Meanwhile, my new gas stove was supposed to be delivered and installed this afternoon. They called this morning to reschedule because the person who was supposed to install it (it's a propane stove) called in sick... You guessed it... COVID. Now we rescheduled (again) for April 13 (different installer).

So, yeah... That bug is still very much around and quite alive and well.
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