California now has its own mutant strain of Covid-19

[www.sfgate.com]

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Beast

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Hairball
Can't find a link to story, but last night on one of the news channels an expert was talking about the fact that some countries either haven't even begun the vaccination process,
or have very small amounts of the vaccine, and that those particular countries are basically breeding grounds (or "petri dishes" as he called them) for new mutations and variants to evolve continuously.
These mutations will undoubtedly circulate to other countries he said, and will continue to spread while new variants continue to evolve in the unvaccinated areas.

Of the 128 million vaccine doses administered so far, more than three quarters of those vaccinations are in just 10 countries that account for 60% of global GDP.

As of today, almost 130 countries, with 2.5 billion people, are yet to administer a single dose.

This self-defeating strategy will cost lives and livelihoods, give the virus further opportunity to mutate and evade vaccines and will undermine a global economic recovery.

COVID-19 has shown that our fates are inextricably linked. Whether we win or lose, we will do so together.

The above are extracts from this joint WHO/UNICEF statement issued on 10 February:

[www.who.int]

I don't mean to sound insensitive to the plight of the poor and I will apologize in advance if it sounds that way..

However...130 million doses divided across 7+ billion people....there's gonna be massive #s of unvaccinated people somewhere....whether that is NYC or Burkina Faso.

The goal is total vaccination as fast as possible, correct? Or is the goal distribution in the most ethical way possible?

I feel like the WHO is mixing the two in this statement.....

Just wondering: it seems to make sense to me that they start in countries w/ the best ability to get it to the most people, the fastest....that demands developed infrastructure, transportation and refrigeration systems....along w/ a ready-supply of needles....doesn't it?

Maybe it's a crappy analogy (maybe not): Airlines tell you to put your own mask on first before helping others...in other words, sometimes "selfishness" is the most logical path forward.

I'm not 100% sure that is the case here and am wondering others' thoughts.

Incidentally, Paul Farmer faces this dilemma in his work in Haiti...if you're interested read "Mountains Beyond Mountains"...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-02-23 22:14 by stickyfingers101.

I know of anybody who had covid 19. I work with over 50 people. Unreal

I don't know if his opinion means much but this week Fauci was reported to have said, “There are things, even if you’re vaccinated, that you’re not going to be able to do in society. For example, indoor dining, theaters, places where people congregate.”

Positive news for Ghana as it becomes the first country to receive vaccines (600,000) via COVAX.

[www.bbc.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-02-24 15:36 by Beast.

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terraplane
I don't know if his opinion means much but this week Fauci was reported to have said, “There are things, even if you’re vaccinated, that you’re not going to be able to do in society. For example, indoor dining, theaters, places where people congregate.”

Needs context and/or a link.
Clearly there is a time element factor to this statement, and clearly his opinion means much.

FDA staff endorses J&J’s single-shot Covid vaccine for emergency use — clearing way for third vaccine in U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration’s staff endorsed Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, a critical step in bringing a third shot to the U.S. marketplace.

The staff report released Wednesday is meant to brief the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which will meet Friday to review J&J’s request for emergency use authorization.

During similar requests by Pfizer and Moderna, the agency authorized those companies’ vaccinations one day after the committee of outside medical advisors backed emergency use authorization. The committee is expected to recommend J&J’s vaccine. The FDA doesn’t have to follow the committee’s recommendation, but it often does.

The FDA staff said it determined that the clinical trial results and safety data were “consistent with the recommendations set forth in FDA’s guidance Emergency Use Authorization for Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19.”

J&J submitted its Covid vaccine data to the FDA on Feb. 4. The vaccine’s level of protection varied by region, J&J said, with the shot demonstrating 66% effectiveness overall, 72% in the United States, 66% in Latin America and 57% in South Africa, where the B.1.351 variant is rapidly spreading. The company said the vaccine prevented 100% of hospitalizations and deaths.

As of Feb. 5, there were seven Covid-19 related deaths in the study in the placebo group and no Covid-19 related deaths in the vaccine group, the FDA said.
[www.cnbc.com]

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MisterDDDD

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terraplane

I don't know if his opinion means much but this week Fauci was reported to have said, “There are things, even if you’re vaccinated, that you’re not going to be able to do in society. For example, indoor dining, theaters, places where people congregate.”

Needs context and/or a link.

22-Feb-2022 - Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials - [www.WhiteHouse.gov] - "Because of the safety of society".

Fauci: Vaccinated people shouldn't dine indoors or go to the theater quite yet

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US's leading infectious-disease expert, is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but it seems unlikely that you'll find him dining in any restaurants or catching a movie in theaters just yet.

"There are things, even if you're vaccinated, that you're not going to be able to do in society," Fauci said on Monday during a White House COVID-19 press briefing. "For example, indoor dining, theaters, places where people congregate. That's because of the safety of society."

Fauci's comments came on the same day the US passed the grim milestone of 500,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths. He stressed that while being vaccinated dramatically increases one's "own personal safety," it's not a free pass to party as if it's 2019, at least not yet.

"Because the burden of virus in society will be very high — which it is right now," he said.
[www.businessinsider.com]

Our vaccination roll-out has been slow and, today, we finally have a rough, partial quideline of when vaccines will be scheduled...with luck I’ll have both shots sometime in August.

Ontario can start booking vaccine appointments for residents, who are more than 80 years old, starting March 15.

Those 75 and above, will start April 15.

Those 70 and above, will start May 1.

Those 65 and above, will start June 1.

Those 60 and above, will start July 1.

A little humor:





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-02-24 20:13 by kovach.

More about the California coronavirus strain from the L.A. Times:

The ‘nightmare scenario’ for California’s coronavirus strain: Here is what we know

- Even as California continues to see big declines in COVID-19 after the recent holiday surge, there is growing concern about another potential problem waiting around the corner. New research strongly suggests that the coronavirus strain now dominant in California not only spreads more readily than its predecessors, but also has the ability to evade antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines or prior infection. It’s also associated with more severe illness and death. Those attributes have some scientists worried that the homegrown variant could reverse the state’s recent progress in reducing new infections — especially if it’s able to swap mutations with other threatening strains.

- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, raised a further concern: A survival-of-the-fittest contest between the U.K. and California variants could accelerate the spread of the strain that’s best able to elude the effects of COVID-19 vaccines, he said.

More: Corona

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Finland has seen the situation get worse and the government just announced a three-week lockdown starting March 8.

This, along with the J&J one shot vaccine likely getting approval and distribution by next week, makes for a good week on the vaccine news front here.
And as the Us passed the 50 million vaccinations mark this week, this latest news should accelerate vaccinations rapidly from there.

Pfizer COVID vaccine no longer needs ultra-cold temperatures, FDA says
NEW YORK — U.S. regulators are allowing Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to be shipped and stored at less-frigid temperatures, which should ease distribution and administration of one of the two vaccines authorized for emergency use in the country.

The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that it’s allowing the additional option after reviewing new data from New York-based Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech.

The FDA said the vaccine, which is shipped in frozen vials, now can be transported and stored for up to two weeks at the temperatures of freezers commonly found in pharmacies. That’s after Pfizer provided the FDA with data on Feb. 19 that showed its vaccine remains stable for up to two weeks at those standard freezer temperatures.

Until now, the vaccine was required to be kept at ultra-cold temperatures — from minus 112 degrees to minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 80 degrees to minus 60 degrees Celsius) — so Pfizer ships the vials in a special thermal container packed with dry ice to maintain that temperature range. That requirement meant vaccination sites had to either obtain expensive ultracold freezers, keep adding dry ice to the shipping container to keep to the correct temperature range, or administer all the doses in each shipment quickly so none spoiled.
[www.king5.com]

Leeds and Reading Festivals going ahead in UK in August.Reading already sold out.Let’s rock out of this madness with caution of course.

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stargroover
Leeds and Reading Festivals going ahead in UK in August.Reading already sold out.Let’s rock out of this madness with caution of course.

With the terrific progress we’re making here in the U.K., why the hell not? If a vaccine passport scenario is in place, then there’s really no reason this shouldn’t happen. Everyone will have been afforded the opportunity to have the vaccine by the summer.

This thread was started a year ago on February 28. It’s been a long journey between then and now but everyone’s contributions here have been informative by way of sharing news and opinions from around the world. Thanks to BV for starting it but here’s hoping this thread will be long buried by its two year anniversary. May the good lord continue to bless our band and their fans!

I started this thread exactly one year ago. One of my comments Feb 28, 2020 was this:

Hopefully authorities and people understand how serious this is by now.

One year later, we have seen the pandemic going in a number of waves. Those who have not taken it seriously suffer large death tolls, also with larger losses in the economy, lock down actions and closed schools.

We are still 2-3 months away from better days. March and April will bring a new wave to many countries. Yesterday 1,200 people demonstrated against lockdown in Denmark. Sure the next two months will be tough, very tough, but just like fighting Ebola, this is not the time for stupidity and demonstrations.

Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-02-28 15:03 by bv.

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Big Al

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stargroover
Leeds and Reading Festivals going ahead in UK in August.Reading already sold out.Let’s rock out of this madness with caution of course.

With the terrific progress we’re making here in the U.K., why the hell not? If a vaccine passport scenario is in place, then there’s really no reason this shouldn’t happen. Everyone will have been afforded the opportunity to have the vaccine by the summer.

I think they’re jumping the gun to be honest. The vaccine programme is going very well here, one of the few things our government have done well but credit to them for it nonetheless. However, vaccination is not an instant green light for an immediate return to normality and too many fools think it is. The lights are about to change to amber. Things will certainly improve but note the sober tone struck at the Government Press conference on Friday - particularly the highly regarded Professor Jonathon Van Tam with his usual footballing metaphors. Proceed with caution. We all want a safe return to normality.

An article of interest:

[www.bbc.co.uk]

If vaccination isn’t the green light back to normality then what is?

Nate

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Nate
If vaccination isn’t the green light back to normality then what is?

Nate

It will eventually be the green light to return to normality but it won’t be instant. I said it wasn’t a green light for an INSTANT return to normality. Certainly it will lead to the more draconian rules being lifted then further rules being progressively lifted as we gain confidence that the COVID figures don’t go back up again. Hopefully it will all happen in accordance with the Government’s plan, though their track record is poor. The rest of the World is a long way behind the U.K. with vaccination and that will have an impact on international travel. There’s also vaccine resistant variants evolving all over the place which is a concern.

I’m still reasonably hopeful that day to day life in the U.K. will be relatively normal in most aspects by mid Summer.

I share your frustration and anger at those who refuse the vaccine for no good medical reason, as they are entitled to under U.K. Medical Law. Pretty selfish behaviour and that will hold the rest of us up.

Of course it’s not instant the vaccination programme started in December and is due to be completed by the end of July and no one with sense would suggest that large scale events should happen before it’s been completed.
After that has been accomplished then it should be nothing less than an immediate return to life as we knew it before with all Covid restrictions dropped.

Nate

UK seems to be doing great vs covid-19 vaccine because they rush the first shot only. So far 30% of the population in UK has got the first shot, but just 1% in UK are fully vaccinated with the 2nd vaccine shot.

Good news are that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was approved by FDA in USA yesterday. It will prevent hospitalization and deaths, and best of all, it is a one dose vaccine.

The next two months will be a race between vaccine speed and avoiding stupidity, we are there soon, summer should be much better than spring.

Covid-19: F.D.A. Grants Emergency Authorization for Johnson & Johnson Vaccine (New York Times Feb 28, 2021)

Across all trial sites, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine also showed 85 percent efficacy against severe forms of Covid-19 and 100 percent efficacy against hospitalization and death from the virus.

Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose vaccine might allow states to rapidly increase the number of people who have been fully inoculated. Unlike the other two vaccines, it can be stored at standard refrigeration temperatures for at least three months.

Dr. Danny Avula, the vaccine coordinator for Virginia, said the Johnson & Johnson shipments would increase the state’s allotment of vaccine next week by nearly one-fifth.

“I’m super-pumped about this,” he said. “A 100 percent efficacy against deaths and hospitalizations? That’s all I need to hear.”

Bjornulf

If you are in the Nevada(US), I am in Las Vegas, and your job has anything to do with agriculture. You can get the vaccine asap. I work for a cannabis cultivation company and we were greenlighted this past Friday.

Those who opted to get the vaccine filled out an online form and went to get their jab on fri or sat.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-02-28 19:02 by MingSubu.

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MingSubu
If you are in the US, I am in Las Vegas, and your job has anything to do with agriculture. You can get the vaccine asap. I work for a cannabis cultivation company and we were greenlighted this past Friday.

Those who opted to get the vaccine filled out an online form and went to get their jab on fri or sat.

That's great info, and good on Nevada, but there is no national policy on vaccine priorities.
Each state has its own guidelines. Washington for ex doesn't have agriculture workers in the highest priority.

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MisterDDDD

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MingSubu
If you are in the US, I am in Las Vegas, and your job has anything to do with agriculture. You can get the vaccine asap. I work for a cannabis cultivation company and we were greenlighted this past Friday.

Those who opted to get the vaccine filled out an online form and went to get their jab on fri or sat.

That's great info, and good on Nevada, but there is no national policy on vaccine priorities.
Each state has its own guidelines. Washington for ex doesn't have agriculture workers in the highest priority.

Sorry for the misinformation, ill edit my post.

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Nate
If vaccination isn’t the green light back to normality then what is?

Nate

The green light is Covid infections and spread is at or near zero. If not enough people get the vaccine WORLDWIDE there will be further mutations and the risk of a mutation that evades the vaccine will exist. There will be some degree of normalcy once one gets vaccines but thinking that if I get a vaccine the world will return to normalcy for me is not reality.

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daspyknows

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Nate
If vaccination isn’t the green light back to normality then what is?

Nate

The green light is Covid infections and spread is at or near zero. If not enough people get the vaccine WORLDWIDE there will be further mutations and the risk of a mutation that evades the vaccine will exist. There will be some degree of normalcy once one gets vaccines but thinking that if I get a vaccine the world will return to normalcy for me is not reality.

There is more than one set of traffic lights.If Covid is wreaking havoc in one country but a different country has completed its vaccine programme then there is no justification whatsoever for restrictions still being in place in that country.
Right now here in the U.K. we are not allowed to mix with other people.
It would be ludicrous to expect people in New Zealand to be living under the same restrictions.

Nate

Dr. Fauci Urges Americans To Take Any Vaccine Available To Them
WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that this weekend's emergency approval of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine now gives the nation three “highly efficacious vaccines” on the market that provide significant protection from Covid-19, and urged Americans to take whichever is available to them when they become eligible.

In an interview with "Meet the Press," Fauci said that he would take any of the three approved vaccines — from Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson — because all provide strong protection from severe disease related to the coronavirus. As director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci was vaccinated late last year amid an early push to inspire confidence in the vaccine rollout.

“All three of them are really quite good, and people should take the one that's most available to them,” he said.

"If you go to a place and you have J&J, and that's the one that's available now, I would take it. I personally would do the same thing. I think people need to get vaccinated as quickly and as expeditiously as possible.”

The Food and Drug Administration approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on an emergency basis on Saturday, a day after its advisory panel recommended that approval. The company expects to have 20 million doses available by March.
[www.nbcnews.com]

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Nate

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daspyknows

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Nate
If vaccination isn’t the green light back to normality then what is?

Nate

The green light is Covid infections and spread is at or near zero. If not enough people get the vaccine WORLDWIDE there will be further mutations and the risk of a mutation that evades the vaccine will exist. There will be some degree of normalcy once one gets vaccines but thinking that if I get a vaccine the world will return to normalcy for me is not reality.

There is more than one set of traffic lights.If Covid is wreaking havoc in one country but a different country has completed its vaccine programme then there is no justification whatsoever for restrictions still being in place in that country.
Right now here in the U.K. we are not allowed to mix with other people.
It would be ludicrous to expect people in New Zealand to be living under the same restrictions.

Nate

The stupidity here in New Zealand is that we got lockdown again for TWO community cases in the same family