Emergence of a Deadly Coronavirus

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The most commonly reported side effects from the Pfizer vaccine, which typically lasted several days, were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, and fever. Of note, more people experienced these side effects after the second dose than after the first dose, so it is important for vaccination providers and recipients to expect that there may be some side effects after either dose, but even more so after the second dose. I believe the side effects of the Moderna vaccine are very similar.

I have also heard that older people tend to experience less side effects than the younger crowd.

Fauci did an interview on 7 January. He said - one COVID vaccine side effect that's been seen in a handful of individuals so far: severe allergic reactions. "There have been 21 cases of severe allergic reactions, which brings it to an incidence of about 1 every million…almost invariably in people with a history of severe allergic reactions," Fauci explained. "So yes, there is an adverse event, but it is easily manageable."

Thanks.

Don’t you guys think that the WHO and CDC were extremely slow to admit that the coronavirus is airborne? (debating over the definition of airborne is pointless; what matters that aerosols can remain in air for hours in non-ventilated indoors; and you can breath them into your lungs). A non-airborne virus wouldn’t have spread that quick, China and Japan’s researchers concluded so like 9 months before CDC admits its airborne property; as if CDC/WHO were more worried on mask shortage rather telling the ugly truth to their peoples (and many counties in the world follow their guidelines) - they stupidly advised in the first wave of pandemic that only health workers should wear masks as if non workers are immune.
Now it is too late for most countries; the vaccines are the only hope to stop it; if they are effective enough.

U.S. Records More Than 4,000 Dead In 1 Day From COVID-19, A Grim New Record

Due to the insurrection COVID-19 is now the second biggest story.

I have been saying that from almost the beginning of this thread. But it seems to go on deaf ears. But there is plenty you can do. For starters wear an N95 mask when you are enclosed indoor spaces like offices, factories, stores, buses, subway trains, aircraft, elevators, etc. They are available. You can find them in home improvement stores like Lowes. Protect yourself.

Also there are a variety of ways to keep your home relatively virus free. These include installing UVC sanitizers in your HVAC systems (such as the REME-HALO unit) or using stand-alone UVC air recycling units, or HEPA filters, or increasing ventilation and humidifying your home above 40% RH during the dry months.

New York to begin scheduling COVID-19 vaccines for seniors, first responders next week

New York will begin scheduling coronavirus vaccines for first responders, people age 75 and older, educators and others who are part of the state’s Phase 1b distribution plan on Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

The update comes amid a rift between Cuomo and Mayor Bill De Blasio, who for the last several days pleaded with the governor to allow New York City to distribute vaccines to the senior population.

Beginning Monday, the state will bring pharmacies and other physician networks online to begin scheduling vaccines, which Cuomo said likely will be set for weeks from now. "Monday, basically is when the registration website will open to make an appointment," he said. "We’re talking about 4 million people, and even though there are thousands of centers, you don’t want to have 4 million people descending on any center, and we want to do it by reservation."

One day has passed and I we have new numbers:

Progress of COVID inoculations

According to the coronavirus vaccine tracker, the U.S. has now administered 8.99 million vaccine doses.

Globally 28.15 million vaccinate doses have been given with the U.S., China and U.K. in the top three positions. The U.S. and China are vying for first place.

Source: Coronavirus vaccine tracker

[The number of doses given does not equate to the number of people vaccinated because several of the vaccines require 2 doses.]

Vaccine Distribution Plan

There is a major problem with the current plan, the "U.S. has distributed over 25.4 million doses of vaccine, but only administered 8.9 million".

As a result the Administration is is asking States to widen distribution to include people ages 65 and older, and others who are at high risk for severe illness.

The shift in guidance comes after Azar said it was determined that the government had distributed more vaccine than necessary for health care workers and people in nursing homes and that the next level of distribution must also include pharmacies and community health centers in order to speed along the process.

Source: Trump administration wants to widen COVID-19 vaccine distribution, release 2nd doses

Vials of Vaccine Being Tossed in the Trash

Across New York state, medical providers in recent weeks had the same story: They had been forced to throw out precious vaccine doses because of difficulties finding patients who matched precisely with the state’s strict vaccination guidelines — and the steep penalties they would face had they made a mistake.

On Saturday, state health officials responded to the outcry over discarded vaccines by again abruptly loosening guidelines as coronavirus cases continued to rise.

Now, medical providers can administer the vaccine to any of their employees who interact with the public if there are extra doses in a vial and no one from “the priority population can come in before the doses expire,” the new guidelines read. A pharmacy’s “store clerks, cashiers, stock workers and delivery staff” could qualify, the guidelines said. California last week took a similar step.

This is the second time in two days that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration has loosened the restrictions around who can get vaccinated in New York state. On Friday, the governor announced that medical providers could vaccinate a wider range of essential workers, including teachers, as well as New Yorkers 75 years and older starting as early as Monday. That same day, the governor also expanded the types of medical professionals that can administer vaccines to include licensed practical nurses, pharmacists, dentists and podiatrists.

Source: After Vaccines Are Thrown in Trash, New York Loosens Rules

Intestinal bacteria may affect severity of coronavirus

The Chinese University of Hong Kong team studied samples from 100 patients treated at two Hong Kong hospitals to see how the so-called microbiome in the digestive system might affect recovery from the deadly bug. "Gut microbiome composition was significantly altered in patients with COVID-19 compared with non-COVID-19 individuals irrespective of whether patients had received medication," they wrote in the British Medical Journal’s publication Gut.

The researchers said patients with severe illness exhibit high blood plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory markers — and that there is "substantial involvement" of the GI tract during infection, given "altered gut microbiota composition in SARS-CoV-2 infected subjects." Cytokines, which are molecules that allow your cells to talk to each other, play a crucial role for healthy immune function. Too many cytokines, however, can result in what’s known as a "cytokine storm."

"These results suggest that gut microbiota composition is associated with the magnitude of immune response to COVID-19 and subsequent tissue damage and thus could play a role in regulating disease severity," they wrote. he scientists also found that because a small subset of patients showed gut microbiota dysbiosis, or imbalance, even 30 days after recovery, this could be a potential explanation for why some symptoms persist in what is known as long COVID.

Vials of Vaccine Being Tossed in the Trash

I came across some more details about this problem.
It primarily involves the Pfizer vaccine which requires ultra-cold storage between -80°C and -60°C (-112°F to -76°F)
Each vial of the Pfizer vaccine contains five doses.
The Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine, once thawed and diluted, is stable for only six hours in the refrigerator. It cannot be refrozen.

So primarily 5 doses must be injected into 5 different people within a 6 hour time window.

Here is the latest updates:

Progress of COVID inoculations

According to the coronavirus vaccine tracker, the U.S. has now administered 10.28 million vaccine doses.

Globally 29.78 million vaccinate doses have been given with the U.S., China and U.K. in the top three positions. The U.S. and China are vying for first place.

Source: Coronavirus vaccine tracker

[The number of doses given does not equate to the number of people vaccinated because several of the vaccines require 2 doses.]

There are several vaccines in the pipeline. This link provides the latest status on these vaccines.
The top contenders to stop the novel coronavirus



jimmy m. is now registered to receive the first dose of the vaccine on 27 January 2021.

Aerosol Transmission

The following paper was published in The Journal of Hospital Infections on 12 January 2021.
Dismantling myths on the airborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

The conclusions read in part:

There is mounting evidence to support the presence and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 through inhalation of airborne viruses. Exposure to small airborne particles is just as - or even more - likely to lead to infection with SARS-CoV-2 as the more widely recognized transmission via larger respiratory droplets and/or direct contact with infected people or contaminated surfaces.

Aside from the obvious benefits of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the existing evidence is sufficiently strong to warrant engineering controls targeting airborne transmission as part of an overall strategy to limit the infection risk indoors.

These would include sufficient and effective ventilation, possibly enhanced by particle filtration and air disinfection; and the avoidance of systems that recirculate or mix air. Opening windows, subject to thermal comfort and security, provides more than a gesture towards reducing the risk of infection from lingering viral particles.

Measures to control overcrowding in both healthcare and confined indoor environments in the community, including public transport, are also relevant. There exist a range of cost-effective measures aimed at diluting infectious airborne particles in homes and hospitals that are easily implemented, without major renovation or expenditure.

An Interesting Phenomena: The Young'uns to the Rescue

The various State governments have begun the process of lowering the age to qualify for the coronavirus vaccine. Indiana lowered their requirements to "70 years old and above" yesterday. And then the atmosphere changed to a Black Friday Sales event. Tens of thousands of individuals began to sign up, trying to get close to the front of the line.

Now the elderly are the most vulnerable to getting seriously sick and dying from COVID. But is some cases they are the most illiterate in the use of computer technology.

I was playing video games, when my daughter called my wife and said I need to get on my states website and register for the shots. I continued playing and said I will get on the computer in a few hours after I finish this battle. A half hour later she called again. Tell dad he need to get on it right now. She sense this registration was turning into a Black Friday type event. So I stopped and saved the game and went to the computer. I got on the computer and clicked on the register for the vaccine tab. And my computer just showed a moving bar that indicated it was loading. Five minutes went by and I went back to the original screen and read the introductory text. Ah!, there was an alternate approach. All I had to do was dial 2-1-1. So I picked up the phone and dialed. I received an automated computer response which said "the wait time is longer than one hour". So I didn't hang up, put the phone on speaker phone and waited. I wondered how long the batteries on my phone would last before the phone went dead. I took the phone off speakerphone, to save a little more battery juice. At the same time I tried the computer link again. It was a waiting game, which approach would work the fastest. Now I live in the boonies and my internet connection is really slow and that is an understatement. It is one of the things you sacrifice for the privilege for living in the boonies. A half hour went by and the phone again said "You're wait time is greater than an hour."

Now my daughter called for the third or fourth time. Dad, what year were you born? She lives over 500 miles away and two states over. She was on the website [using a fast internet connection] and was doing the finishing touches on registering me. So I gave her my birthdate and a couple seconds later, there I was registered for the coronavirus shot. So the young'uns to the rescue!

I called a friend Stan. Now he is in his 80's. I told him the registration just began for the vaccine. He said, "Where is it given". I said, "At the health clinic, a couple blocks from your home". He said, "I was thinking about going there tomorrow." I said, "That will not work, it is controlled at the State level, you need to register on-line. You need to do it now because the slots are filling up fast." I gave him the Internet link and he fumbled with his iPad for a few minutes. Then he said, "Here, let me pass you off to my son. He is a little more computer literate than me." And his young'un began walking him through the registration process.

Now for all you young'uns out there. Your parents are the most vulnerable to dying from this virus. They may not be the most computer literate. They need your help at the moment. Will you help them?

Slang and Off Terms Used:

Young'uns = slang for "young ones" or children.

Boonies = the most rural part of rural areas. The place most Aspies dream about living in. A physical place that is isolated from the rest of civilization.

Black Friday Sale = [Pre-COVID] This initially started out as the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. It was the bargain day to shop for Christmas presents. Many stores would put out special items at unbelievably low prices. People would stand in line the whole night in order to be the first one inside the store. It was a mad rush, a mad dash. People would literally physically fight for the last item, such as the latest Star Wars fad or the latest smart phone. A thousand dollar widescreen TV might sell for $200 at Best Buy. But there were only a limited quantity of 5 in the store. Thus the importance of being the first in line.

juice = energy

In the State of Indiana, they opened up the registration yesterday to get the COVID vaccine for those 70 years old and older. This population of 70 and older account for only 12% of the state’s population but nearly 80% of COVID-19 deaths in Indiana. As of today over a quarter of million seniors in our state have now registered for the shot.

Mass Vaccinations

I read an article about improving the efficiency of vaccinations and increasing the speed of throughput. It was a long article, but I thought I might concentrate on one element.

What We Can Learn From Israel's COVID Vaccination Plan

While we have vaccinated 1.38% of our population, Israel has vaccinated 15.83% of theirs – twice that of its closest competitor (the United Arab Emirates) and 11-fold greater than our rate in the U.S. What can we learn and do?

Reduce the Number of Overseeing bureaucracies

While we have States, Israel has geographical districts. Both the US and Israel have national guidance in prioritizing the vaccination queue. We differ primarily because we have turned oversight to the States while Israel has not done the same with their districts. (A quick aside, I have written that healthcare is better served locally, States are better at implementation than the Feds; and localities would be far better than States.) Unfortunately for us, in some instances, such as in New York, the Governor has overruled well-prepared plans previously developed by counties for mass immunization.

Israel's bureaucratic oversight involved three groups, hospitals, institutions, and health plans. Institutions are the Israeli term for our long-term care facilities. Despite a slow start, they have the resources to provide mass vaccinations. But unlike in Israel, our hospitals and long-term care facilities are not empowered to act independently, and centralized state government determines their allocations and how they may proceed.

But a more significant difference lies in US and Israeli health plans. First, there are only four plans, creating a small but manageable competitive marketplace. Our top ten plans combined cover ONLY 52% of the population. And the Israeli health plans provide both coverage and care, like Kaiser-Permanente, or Geisinger, unlike United Healthcare or Aetna, which pay but rarely offer care. As a result, medical information is divided into separate proprietary "silos" of information. We cannot streamline care to the same degree because our information systems cannot digitally talk to one another. In much of US medicine, the fastest way to move medical information is by walking it from one place to another - we have a sneakernet, not an Internet.