Mega-Thread: Coronavirus Pandemic

[Edge-]

They still make good baseline data. California recorded 1,379 COVIDs among people considered fully vaccinated out approximately 1.4 million new cases since the start of the vaccination program. No cases of serious illness. We should have a detailed breakdown by the type of vaccine and variant next week. Preliminary data shows that 25% were J&J vaccine recipients which accounted for 14% of the vaccination in CA.

I had to double check because I thought there was one breakthrough death in my county, but it doesn't specify their cause of death an they were in hospice care prior to testing positive. The numbers on breakthrough cases are looking bloody great so far, feeling very confident that we'll be alright as long as we continue to not act like idiots while waiting for everyone to get vaccinated.

[ghotihook]

I had to double check because I thought there was one breakthrough death in my county, but it doesn't specify their cause of death an they were in hospice care prior to testing positive. The numbers on breakthrough cases are looking bloody great so far, feeling very confident that we'll be alright as long as we continue to not act like idiots while waiting for everyone to get vaccinated.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/04/...inated-people/

About 5,800 of more 78.5 million vaccinated Americans — 0.0074% — have become infected by the virus, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of these, 396 required hospitalization and 74 people died, the CDC said.

People have died, but the chance is insanely low. This was from a couple weeks ago.

[Forogil]

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/04/...inated-people/

People have died, but the chance is insanely low. This was from a couple weeks ago.

The low number of infections are good, but those relative death numbers are actually a bit worrying, and it still holds up with the latest number from CDC where about 112 deaths were due to covid-19 out of 9,245 cases - https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-1...ugh-cases.html (out of 95 million vaccinated).

If you compare with the US numbers as a whole it's about the same ratio of dead to infected (a bit above 1%), but all vaccines seem to pride themselves as being very good at protecting against serious disease and death (almost 100% against death) - even if are "only" 95% or 70% effective against infection. Since the number of cases are low in the US one would even think that more cases would be detected and more would survive (due to less overburdened health-care system).

It could be because people most at risk where the first to get the vaccine, but it's not clear that's the case. It might also be due to even greater under-reporting (since people don't realize that they can get infected).

[Rasulis]

The low number of infections are good, but those relative death numbers are actually a bit worrying, and it still holds up with the latest number from CDC where about 112 deaths were due to covid-19 out of 9,245 cases - https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-1...ugh-cases.html (out of 95 million vaccinated).

If you compare with the US numbers as a whole it's about the same ratio of dead to infected (a bit above 1%), but all vaccines seem to pride themselves as being very good at protecting against serious disease and death (almost 100% against death) - even if are "only" 95% or 70% effective against infection. Since the number of cases are low in the US one would even think that more cases would be detected and more would survive (due to less overburdened health-care system).

It could be because people most at risk where the first to get the vaccine, but it's not clear that's the case. It might also be due to even greater under-reporting (since people don't realize that they can get infected).

There are some statistical anomalies. Breakthrough cases in CA account for 14% of the US. Which is quite a bit higher than CA share of the US population. Yet, so far no death. Other than one in Northern California mentioned by Edge. However, the person was already in hospice care due to non-Covid related illness. Documented Covid related death in CA is currently at 1 death per 100k for 7 day average. It could just be a lucky roll of the dice. On the other hand, 112 deaths may sound a lot, but when we are talking about the mortality rate for a country the size of the US, it is a statistical blip.

[Rennadrel]

Dunno about @Endus or any of my other fellow users from Ontario here, but I just got booked for vaccination next week. Our rollout has been nothing short of an abject failure by some of the provinces. I'm in my 30's and work in a large congregate environment yet the provincial government thought it wise to vaccinate a portion of the population who could work from home rather than people who work in factories (like me) or warehouses. Yet next to long term care homes during the first wave, they've become some of the hardest hit work environments because of the variants being so easily spread. My workplace had an outbreak a few weeks back (just after Easter). A whole departments shift got sent home by the local health unit for two weeks as a few of the workers had all contracted COVID at the same time. One person from my department still hasn't returned to work after being diagnosed and he's an older fellow with diabetes and is on heart medication. I'd assume he is hospitalized at this point and hope he pulls through. From those I know who have gotten it, it doesn't sound like a fun experience, which is kind of why it irks me that our government has dropped the ball so badly on getting people vaccinated.

[Endus]

Dunno about @Endus or any of my other fellow users from Ontario here, but I just got booked for vaccination next week. Our rollout has been nothing short of an abject failure by some of the provinces. I'm in my 30's and work in a large congregate environment yet the provincial government thought it wise to vaccinate a portion of the population who could work from home rather than people who work in factories (like me) or warehouses. Yet next to long term care homes during the first wave, they've become some of the hardest hit work environments because of the variants being so easily spread. My workplace had an outbreak a few weeks back (just after Easter). A whole departments shift got sent home by the local health unit for two weeks as a few of the workers had all contracted COVID at the same time. One person from my department still hasn't returned to work after being diagnosed and he's an older fellow with diabetes and is on heart medication. I'd assume he is hospitalized at this point and hope he pulls through. From those I know who have gotten it, it doesn't sound like a fun experience, which is kind of why it irks me that our government has dropped the ball so badly on getting people vaccinated.

I'm on a couple pharmacy waiting lists for an appointment; I'm in the "over 40" category that they've worked their way down to. I haven't reached the point of stalking vaccine discords to try and snatch cancellations, but I'm also pretty darned low-risk, working from home.

I really can't say enough bad things about the Ford government here in Ontario. He seemed to start strong, rhetorically, and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he has by no means lived up to those promises.

On access, though, a lot of that's down to how these vaccines were ordered, and how they largely weren't being delivered early on as countries focused on their own needs first. Lacking local vaccine production capacity has turned out badly, but that's not down to the current federal government; it's been a slow systemic decline and it would've actually been just fine to handle any circumstance but a global pandemic like this, and these aren't exactly either common or predictable.

[Edge-]

https://tucson.com/news/local/politi...eb36292c5.html

Again, why the US is gonna be dealing with covid shit for a while. This is unhinged lunacy and completely retardation on so many levels. These people don't exist in reality.

[Rennadrel]

I'm on a couple pharmacy waiting lists for an appointment; I'm in the "over 40" category that they've worked their way down to. I haven't reached the point of stalking vaccine discords to try and snatch cancellations, but I'm also pretty darned low-risk, working from home.

I really can't say enough bad things about the Ford government here in Ontario. He seemed to start strong, rhetorically, and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he has by no means lived up to those promises.

On access, though, a lot of that's down to how these vaccines were ordered, and how they largely weren't being delivered early on as countries focused on their own needs first. Lacking local vaccine production capacity has turned out badly, but that's not down to the current federal government; it's been a slow systemic decline and it would've actually been just fine to handle any circumstance but a global pandemic like this, and these aren't exactly either common or predictable.

I felt the same way early on too, the messaging from the province was good but the last 4 months, the reaction has been pretty much at a snails pace (if at all) and it has cost lives, jobs and people's long term health as well. 2022 can't come soon enough so we can vote that dingus out of office.

I think one of the biggest issues with the vaccine distribution was that we weren't allowed access to the excess supply in the USA because Trump mandated it, which was such an idiot move as it effects America economically to not have their allies and closest neighbors running their economies at somewhere near full steam.

[lonely zergling]

Seems like my smart country is planing to remove many of the restrictions for people who already had covid or are fully vaccinated. I wonder if this will lead to people in general just ignoring the rules more or people intentionally getting infected with corona to get the "freedom"-card.

Only 7% had the 2nd shot so far and it will take like forever til everyone even had the chance to even get it. Isnt it proven by now that even fully vaccinated people can still infect others (much less likely tho)?

Some states already did remove some restrictions for fully vaccinated people.

[Felya]

Some states already did remove some restrictions for fully vaccinated people.

Quite a few states are already at around 50% fully vaccinated.

[Felya]

I thought the highest was barely scratching 40.

I thought I saw NY and around it at 50%...

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ine-doses.html

Edit: yeah, never mind, most are in the 30s for fully...

[lonely zergling]

Quite a few states are already at around 50% fully vaccinated.

Ah, I should have wrote "german states", our highest is 11% for fully vaccinated.

[Adam Jensen]

I thought I saw NY and around it at 50%...

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ine-doses.html

Edit: yeah, never mind, most are in the 30s for fully...

We could be done with all of this by July if it weren't for the anti-vaxxers and the anti-maskers and all the ignorant anti-science neanderthals.

[Tuor]

We could be done with all of this by July if it weren't for the anti-vaxxers and the anti-maskers and all the ignorant anti-science neanderthals.

Nah... Neanderthals were smarter then those guys...

[Rasulis]

It is a shame. While India is struggling for vaccines, the US vaccination program will run into vaccine hesitancy.

Even in CA, ranked 4th lowest in vaccine hesitancy (11% hesitant and 6% very hesitant per CDC), we are starting to see drops in the daily vaccination rate. The 10 counties with the lowest vaccination rate in CA (Lassen, Tehama, Kings, Yuba, Modoc, Shasta, Del Norte, Merced, Trinity and Kern) with 20% to 31% vaccination rate are all in the northeastern and eastern CA. Lucky for CA, those are all low population density counties.

The 10 with the highest vaccination rate, with the exception of Apline and Napa, are all coastal counties (Marin, SF, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Cruz) with vaccination rate of 56% to 70%). Alpine in the far east edge of CA has the highest rate at 70.7%. Keeping in mind that Alpine County is TINY. The county was only doing 7 vaccinations per day on average.

Highest hesitancy rate based on PPIC statewide survey – Republican 39%, Independent 19% and Democrats 10%.

By ethicity – Black 29% (down from a high of 55% in January), Latinos 22%, Whites 20% and Asian American 5%.

On a different note, this is how Singapore handles social distancing.

COVID-19: Nine more repeat offenders to be fined S$1,000 for breaching safe distancing rules

Another nine repeat offenders will face a S$1,000 fine for breaching safe distancing measures, said Minister for Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli on Monday (Apr 20).

"Today, our officers came across more than 200 people who did not comply with safe distancing measures, and 80 who did not wear a mask outside their home," said Mr Masagos in a Facebook post. "All of them face fines."

"Regrettably, nine will face a fine of S$1,000 for committing these offences a second time.

"If these are acts of defiance and irresponsibility, they clearly undermine the efforts that everyone else has been making. What will it take to get them to understand that they are putting everyone’s safety at stake?" he added.

The repeat offenders added to the more than 10 people who were fined for continued safe distancing offences on Sunday.

As a densely populated city with close social interaction, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, said Mr Masagos.

As such, safe distancing in public places has been enforced as part of the "circuit breaker" measures which came into effect on Apr 7 and are set to end on May 4.

ONE CAN INFECT 1,000

"If safe distancing measures are not put in place and strictly enforced, there will be widespread community transmission," said the minister as he urged people to muster the resolve to abide by the measures.

"They may entail some inconvenience, but the daily news reports of dire situations in other countries, including second wave infections, are sobering reminders of the risks and high stakes of this pandemic, as are surprising and worrying facts about the virus we discover on a daily basis from the global scientific community."

Mr Masagos highlighted how contagious COVID-19 is, saying that infected numbers can grow exponentially.

Citing a World Health Organization estimate, he said a COVID-19 carrier can infect two others, who each can go on to infect another two people.

"If unfettered, in 10 incubation cycles, or a month, that one person could potentially infect 1,000," he added.

"This is compounded by the fact that not everyone shows symptoms of the virus, and a good number only has mild symptoms.

"As such, in an uncontrolled situation, some of the thousand infected could spread the virus in their community unknowingly."

This means "staying home is still the best choice", said Mr Masagos.

Getting essential goods outside should also be done quickly while wearing a mask and observing safe distancing measures. When there are long queues, find another time during off-peak hours to visit the supermarket or market, or buy groceries at another store nearer to home, he added.

"Please do not linger outside. Staying out and meeting people puts you and your families at risk of contracting the virus."

ELDERLY WOMAN FINED FOR REFUSING TO LEAVE HAWKER CENTRE

One of those who refused to comply with the elevated measures over the weekend was a woman who insisted on having her meal at a hawker centre, even though dining in is not allowed under the tighter circuit breaker measures.

The woman was spotted by safe distancing enforcement officers on Saturday, eating at the Block 37A Teban Garden hawker centre.

"They advised her to return home, and that she would be fined if she continued to have her meal in the hawker centre," said the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in response to CNA's queries.

However she refused to comply, and the police were called in.

In a video circulating online, the elderly woman was seen sitting by herself at a table.

She was heard shouting, accusing them of "bullying" her. Not allowing people to leave their homes is tantamount to state bullying, she said in Mandarin.

When asked to produce her identity card, the woman tossed over a bus concession card. "Go ahead, I'm not afraid," she said, when by a person off-screen that the police would be called if she did not produce her identity card.

The woman was later issued with a fine by a safe distancing enforcement officer.

"Her son who was contacted subsequently took her home," added HDB.

[Spectral]

We could be done with all of this by July if it weren't for the anti-vaxxers and the anti-maskers and all the ignorant anti-science neanderthals.

The good news is that you can mostly elect to be done with it today in many areas. The county I live in is over 93% vaccinated among people 65+, every age group above 35 is at least 75%, and I'm vaccinated. Get vaccinated and move on with you life, you don't actually have to worry all that much about what Kansas is up to.

- - - Updated - - -

On a different note, this is how Singapore handles social distancing.

COVID-19: Nine more repeat offenders to be fined S$1,000 for breaching safe distancing rules

I've always been enthusiastic about the beatings that Singapore lays on graffiti "artists" and other anti-social troublemakers, so I can't say that I'm particularly surprised that they bring the same totalitarian fervor to bear here. What's weird is seeing people that never previously found much about the state of law in Singapore finding new appreciation for the lack of basic human rights there.

[Granyala]

We could be done with all of this by July if it weren't for the anti-vaxxers and the anti-maskers and all the ignorant anti-science neanderthals.

Not a chance in Germany. Vaccine is scarce and getting appointment is difficult. ._.

[Rasulis]

The good news is that you can mostly elect to be done with it today in many areas. The county I live in is over 93% vaccinated among people 65+, every age group above 35 is at least 75%, and I'm vaccinated. Get vaccinated and move on with you life, you don't actually have to worry all that much about what Kansas is up to.

- - - Updated - - -


I've always been enthusiastic about the beatings that Singapore lays on graffiti "artists" and other anti-social troublemakers, so I can't say that I'm particularly surprised that they bring the same totalitarian fervor to bear here. What's weird is seeing people that never previously found much about the state of law in Singapore finding new appreciation for the lack of basic human rights there.

Intellectually I understand that Singapore has a repressive government. On the other hand, one can't help marvel when you see people leaving their laptops on tables in the middle of Hawker Centers while ordering food or picking up orders, or people using their wallets to mark their bar seats while going to the bathroom.

[Adam Jensen]

The good news is that you can mostly elect to be done with it today in many areas. The county I live in is over 93% vaccinated among people 65+, every age group above 35 is at least 75%, and I'm vaccinated. Get vaccinated and move on with you life, you don't actually have to worry all that much about what Kansas is up to.

I have the first Pfizer shot, doing the 2nd on the 21st.

[Forogil]

I looked at India and on top of all the other problems, and I found two depressing stories:

https://time.com/5940963/india-covid...ccine-rollout/ reported in February that people were skipping vaccinations since "the worst was over".
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/01/i...hnk/index.html that currently all adult are eligible for the vaccines that have run out; indicating that the elderly and other risk groups aren't prioritized.