Mega-Thread: Coronavirus Pandemic

[PhaelixWW]

You may say that, but you will.

If there is anyone who knows what will be next it's Professor Ash - he's the one who said this about the current booster too, of all people - he actually has the data, because he's actual C19 Commissioner here and leads the vaccination efforts.

If he says there will be 4th vaccination - there will be.

Again, the rest of the world isn't going to follow suit with Israel on this "just because". We didn't follow Israel on the first booster, either.

You can kid yourself all you want, though.

[Gaidax]

Again, the rest of the world isn't going to follow suit with Israel on this "just because". We didn't follow Israel on the first booster, either.

You can kid yourself all you want, though.

We are the lab rat country for Pfizer, it's nothing about kidding or not, it's simply a fact in writing and how we got a head start on mass vaccination in the first place - by giving the vaccination campaign data back to Pfizer. We're basically several months ahead of the curve.

Me posting that is basically a courtesy of heads up for those curious what is going to be next. You can disregard all you like, I don't give 2 fucks about that.

[PhaelixWW]

We are the lab rat country for Pfizer, it's nothing about kidding or not, it's simply a fact in writing and how we got a head start on mass vaccination in the first place - by giving the vaccination campaign data back to Pfizer. We're basically several months ahead of the curve.

I have no doubt that Pfizer wants lots and lots of boosters to go out. Only a fool would think that that's the most important consideration here, let alone the only one.

Me posting that is basically a courtesy of heads up for those curious what is going to be next.

Nobody here thinks that you're posting this just as a "courtesy" or "heads up".

You can disregard all you like, I don't give 2 fucks about that.

All evidence to the contrary, I'd say.

[Twdft]

WTF did I just watch?

I only watched the very beginning because I don't have that kinda time.

What I don't understand about people like her... she's shouting that it should be everyones own choice to not get vaccinated and at the same time cussing out everyone who chose to do it. Wtf is she listening to herself? :-D

[Biglog]

We are the lab rat country for Pfizer....

It's not March 2020 anymore. 410,000,000 doses have been given in the US, and over 3,700,000,000 doses globally. The vaccines are long past testing and are FDA and CDC approved. I know anti-vaxxers used the 'guinea pig' excuse early on, but we're long, long, past that.

It goes to the heart of the issue though, which is that for anti-vaxxers admitting they were wrong all along is simply something they can't do after alienating friends and family by clutching to a false anti-vaxx conspiracy theories for 2 years. So all they are left with is parroting the same old lines even after they don't apply anymore. If conservative media was around and told it's subjects 100 years ago that driving cars would make them grow a 2nd head, they'd still be riding horses today saying that cars are too new and can't be trusted. That's the wacky world we're in.

[Poopymonster]

I only watched the very beginning because I don't have that kinda time.

What I don't understand about people like her... she's shouting that it should be everyones own choice to not get vaccinated and at the same time cussing out everyone who chose to do it. Wtf is she listening to herself? :-D

It is their choice to vax or worship Nurgle.
If they chose right, she wouldn't have to yell at them.
They're making her do it for Christ's sakes.
Probably a lesson she learned after she forgot the mayo.

[Edge-]

https://www.businessinsider.com/anti...vid-19-2021-10

Fuck man, even getting covid isn't enough to get people to stop believing conspiracies. Lady thinks that getting tested is what cause her covid. Jesus christ.

I won't be sad if she never finds her joy again. These dangerous lunatics are doing incomprehensible harm to others by spreading malicious misinformation.

[PhaelixWW]

https://www.businessinsider.com/anti...vid-19-2021-10

Fuck man, even getting covid isn't enough to get people to stop believing conspiracies. Lady thinks that getting tested is what cause her covid. Jesus christ.

I won't be sad if she never finds her joy again. These dangerous lunatics are doing incomprehensible harm to others by spreading malicious misinformation.

Man, this line gets me:

Lauren Witzke, a self-styled "Christian nationalist" who embraced QAnon and support from white supremacists

So, like... "Christian nationalist"...

Can we just start shortening that to "chrazi"? Because I'm okay with that.

[Masark]

Man, this line gets me:

So, like... "Christian nationalist"...

Can we just start shortening that to "chrazi"? Because I'm okay with that.

What, you don't like calling them a NatC?

[Rasulis]

So how is your region recovering from Covid?

The Bay Area is pretty much back to normal. Offices downtown started to reopen this week. Cruise ships are back. Starting next month, international tourists from EU will be back. Unemployment is down to 4.2%. Still a long way from 1.7% pre-pandemic.

Workers shortage galore. The word is that wait time to get a table at one of the many Michelin restaurants in San Francisco is around 3 - 6 months. Not enough waiter/waitresses.

A lot of mom & pop restaurants have decided to stay take out only. Those that do sit down services have long lines. I think standing in line to eat is the norm here even before the pandemic.

Most of the grocery stores are short on staff. The most common conversation thread at the check out counters is not enough people to unload the trucks. Especially with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming.

The shipping crisis does not affect San Francisco. Nearly all the shipping activities have moved to East Bay.

So far we don’t notice any shortage. Prices are pretty low in my opinion. Last week we bough 3 lbs of organic sun-dried figs from Turkey for $9.99. Which is cheaper than anything than what we could find on the internet. Same with sun-dried peaches & mangos & jackfruits. Pretty much any nuts and dried fruit products we can find cheaper here than anywhere else. Meat and produce are comparable to just about anywhere in the US. Our biggest problem here is cat food. The store shelves in San Francisco are bereft of Frisky. Plenty of paper products for butt, nose, etc. Just no Frisky cat food.

[Edge-]

The shipping crisis does not affect San Francisco. Nearly all the shipping activities have moved to East Bay.

It's hitting parts of the bay. Some of my local Safeways have had some surprisingly sparse shelves due to the shipping/transportation delays with goods. It's not "bad" yet, just some brands clearly haven't gotten their goods offloaded from ships/delivered to distributors yet.

[Rasulis]

It's hitting parts of the bay. Some of my local Safeways have had some surprisingly sparse shelves due to the shipping/transportation delays with goods. It's not "bad" yet, just some brands clearly haven't gotten their goods offloaded from ships/delivered to distributors yet.

I was talking more in term of the log jam at Long Beach and Los Angeles ports. Not sure if Oakland is having the same log jam. Not seeing the scarcity here yet. Except for Frisky cat food.

BTW, how do you like the rain? I thought we were the only crazy ones when we went for a run this morning. Turned out a lot of people were out enjoying the rain. People were acting like they have never seen it rain before.

Charts of the U.K.’s COVID surge hold lessons for how California has kept cases low

As COVID-19 continues to subside in California, a part of the world that had charted a similar course for much of the pandemic is seeing a very worrisome new coronavirus surge.

The United Kingdom had seemed like it was recovering from a delta wave in July, with its coronavirus case rates converging with California’s once more. But since the beginning of September, cases have diverged dramatically, spiking in the U.K. and diving in California.

Why are things going the wrong direction in the U.K.? Experts say the country’s path now differs from California’s in several ways — some involving timing, some involving health policies, some involving the evolution of the coronavirus itself — that are fueling the new rise in cases.

Experts say the United Kingdom’s current struggles are an instructive contrast with California, which has one of the lowest case rates among U.S. states — while the U.K., meanwhile, has one of the world’s worst case rates.

“California is doing great,” said UC Berkeley infectious disease expert Dr. John Swartzberg. With some local exceptions, he said, “We’re the poster child of how a pandemic should be, and how people both in public health and the public should conduct themselves, not just now with the delta surge but during the entire pandemic.”

One factor in the U.K.’s surge is vaccinations — with that country’s strong start possibly now working against it, experts say.

In the U.K., which comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Island, vaccinations launched in early December 2020. The aggressive approach prioritized getting first shots in as many arms as possible, rather than reserving shots for second doses.

Now, nearly a year later, 68% of the U.K. population of 67 million is fully vaccinated, compared with 60% of California’s 39 million people — but according to experts, declining immunity after the U.K.’s early vaccine launch could be contributing to a spike in case rates there.

“The U.K. ironically did a good job of getting at-risk people vaccinated faster than the rest of western Europe, which is great, but they may be paying the price now in terms of waning immunity,” Swartzberg said.

The AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are the two most widely used in the U.K., according to Reuters. A recent U.K. study of more than 1 million people fully vaccinated with those two brands found that AstraZeneca’s effectiveness fell from 77% one month after vaccination to 67% after four to five months. By comparison, the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness showed 88% protection after one month, falling to 74% after five to six months.

Another U.K. study in August found that the AstraZeneca vaccine was 69% effective against a high viral load two weeks after the second dose, falling to 61% after 90 days.

Coronavirus cases in U.K. schools have also escalated, with more than 8% of children ages 11 to 16 in English secondary schools testing positive for the virus the week ending Oct. 9, according to Bloomberg. The publication reports that the figure is eight times higher than the rate for adults.

“England has suboptimal vaccination rates for kids compared to ... Western European countries that are not having the surge the U.K. is having,” Swartzberg said.

In the U.S., the Pfizer vaccine was given emergency use authorization for children ages 12 to 15 in May. The U.K. didn’t start its campaign for 12- to 15-year-olds until late September, and they were authorized to receive only one dose of the Pfizer vaccine. By that time, children were not required to self-isolate if they were exposed to the virus.

Currently in the U.S., about 46% of children ages 12 to 15 are fully vaccinated, compared to just 18% partially vaccinated in the U.K. In California, 58% of eligible 12- to 17-year-olds have been fully vaccinated, according to statewide data.

The U.K. and California also differ in their school mask policies. In the U.K., masks are not required for any students or staff, and are recommended only when in contact with strangers in enclosed spaces.

California requires all K-12 students and adults in school settings to wear masks indoors, with a few exemptions. Masking outdoors is optional.

“It’s a terrible mistake that they’re not requiring masking in schools,” Swartzberg said of the U.K. “We have really good data in the U.S. that those K-12 schools that mask have far fewer problems than those that don’t mask.”

The U.K. and California also have diverged on general public health restrictions.

When the alpha variant fueled the winter surge in the U.K., which at the time had one of the highest death rates in Europe, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Christmas was essentially canceled by not allowing households to mix over the holidays.

But that cautious approach is no longer part of the country’s strategy.

On July 19, despite surging cases from the delta variant, England lifted remaining COVID restrictions including mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing in what was dubbed “Freedom Day.” Cases began falling, but shortly after started to zig-zag and gradually increase through early September. After another drop in mid-September, cases made a turnaround and have been on the rise ever since.

“The U.K. relaxed their restrictions back in July, and a lot of people are just not following the regular recommended mitigation practices,” said UC Berkeley infectious disease expert Lee Rile. “Most people are probably not wearing masks.”

This week scientists urged government officials to tighten COVID restrictions, which have not been reimposed since July. The U.K.’s health secretary declined Wednesday to implement a contingency plan that includes mask-wearing and working from home, but also warned that cases could rise to 100,000 per day.

Instead, the country is banking on its vaccine booster campaign, with government leaders urging people to get their third shots. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said the upcoming fall break in schools could help lower high case rates among children.

An increase of cases from a delta variant descendant known as AY.4.2 may also be contributing to the spike in case rates in the U.K., experts say — though they add that it is too soon to tell for sure. The subvariant currently accounts for about 7-8% of genetically sequenced coronavirus cases in the country.

Only nine total sequenced cases of the sublineage have been recorded in the U.S. so far, including one in California. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday that there is no current cause for concern in the U.S.

Swartzberg said the bump in cases related to AY.4.2 “feels like deja vu” after what happened with the delta variant, and that it should continue to be monitored. He said it’s not yet clear how big of a role the AY.4.2 sublineage is playing in the U.K.’s COVID resurgence.

“That should be on the list, but I don’t know if I would put it on the top,” he said.

Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UCSF, said the world is keeping a watchful eye on this variant, and that it could possibly be increasing infections in the U.K.

“The rise in cases is not yet accompanied by a rise in hospitalizations, however, so that has to be tracked carefully if the virus is just outcompeting delta but not causing severe disease in the vaccinated,” she said in an email.

Riley also noted that the U.K. is a world leader in genomic sequencing of the COVID-19, which is why it usually catches worrisome variants early and quickly.

Experts point to one encouraging indicator in the U.K.’s surge: While coronavirus cases are rising quickly, hospitalizations and deaths are not on a similarly sharp trajectory.

That suggests that even if immunity is waning, the vaccines are still protecting people from severe illness and death, Riley said — as they are in California as well.

The Financial Times reported that more than 8,000 people are in U.K. hospitals with COVID-19 for the first time in more than a month, and COVID deaths have increased more than 10% this past week compared with the previous week.

According to the New York Times COVID tracker, the U.K. has a rate of 0.2 deaths per 100,000, compared with 0.27 in California. The U.K.’s hospitalization rate was 116 hospitalizations per 1 million people on Oct. 19, versus 93 in California.

Swartzberg urges everyone in the Bay Area and California to “hurry slowly” in returning to more pre-pandemic activities and habits so we don’t see a big COVID spike in the coming months.

“We’re all anxious to take our masks off, we’re anxious to be with our loved ones and travel, we’re anxious to do a lot of things,” he said. “But we have to be cautious over the next three months and that will really pay off for us going into the late winter and spring.”

[Edge-]

Except for Frisky cat food.

Yes, my brother is not happy about this.

People were acting like they have never seen it rain before.

Seems like a Bay Area tradition, especially on the roads. I swear, every time I drive in the rain it's everyone else's first time behind the wheel.

Man am I happy to see those numbers going down for CA, especially knowing that many of them are clustered in specific counties while other counties are doing fantastic.

[Yunru]

4.669 dead on 2 milion population is starting to look pretty bad.

1.1 milion so far is vaccinated.
And we are also on record 1439 cases. (i blame cold weather and no sun to kill the virus for last 2 weeks)

I have a felling we gona get another full lockdown soon and no1 going to jobs.

[PhaelixWW]

Seems like a Bay Area tradition, especially on the roads. I swear, every time I drive in the rain it's everyone else's first time behind the wheel.

It sure is. Nobody's used to driving in the rain there.

I once got passed by CHP on 101 during a torrential downfall where visibility was practically nonexistent, and they didn't even have their headlights on. And this was less than a year after the headlight law went into effect, so there's approximately zero chance that the CHP officer didn't know the law, as there was a media campaign and push to enforce it.

I may or may not have screamed (in the safety of my own cabin) that they should fucking pull themselves over. Didn't do any good, though.

Back on topic...

It sure looks to me like the world as a whole is starting to ramp up for a winter wave.



I guess we'll see in the next few weeks.

[Iliena]

I do hope they bring back the mask mandate and social distancing for the UK, for the sake of the NHS if nothing else! they haven't anywhere near caught up with backlog of missed appointment and new referrals, so the new variant and increase in numbers should be setting off the alarm bells in the government. but Javid appears to be tone deaf to the extra work GP's are still under with having to pick up the slack and backlog caused by nearly all route specialist hospital care being shifting onto Covid for such a extended period.

We went out for a walk and lunch yesterday, it was quite a nice day, so there was a lot of people around, we wore mask's in busy places, the number of people who were not and also not following social distancing (including many seniors) was concerning to see, seeing it has been reported in the press quite a lot this week about the rise in numbers.

I have not been able to see my neurologist face to face since late 2019, I have spoken to him on the phone a couple of times,but doesn't help him that much when he can't examine me, the last time I spoke to him he was hoping to be getting back to seeing people in person again in later summer... not got an appointment yet!

[Rasulis]

Yes, my brother is not happy about this.

My old maine coon cat will only eat certain flavors of Frisky. So this is challenging. We ended up having to go through Chewy to source his food.

Seems like a Bay Area tradition, especially on the roads. I swear, every time I drive in the rain it's everyone else's first time behind the wheel.

Heh! This is probably true in all the mountain west states. Every time water touched the ground, all the freeways in San Diego turned red.

It was fun running in the rain. Especially because it was on the warm side. I could have sworn my wife made a point of stepping in every puddles.

- - - Updated - - -

Back on topic...

It sure looks to me like the world as a whole is starting to ramp up for a winter wave.

[IMG][/IMG]

I guess we'll see in the next few weeks.

It is really tough trying to get the rate down consistently. Orange County and Santa Cruz are now back in orange again. The rates kept going up and down. Hopefully we are only seeing a blip.

[PhaelixWW]

Heh! This is probably true in all the mountain west states. Every time water touched the ground, all the freeways in San Diego turned red.

No, it's definitely a dry climate (read: California) west coast thing. I mean, part of it is the fact that a lot of oil accumulates on the roads during the dry spells, and the first rain in a long while tends to make the roads really slick. The rest is just idiot drivers not remembering that they should maybe drive differently when the conditions merit it.

The (maybe-not-so-) weird thing is that it's the opposite in Seattle. There are a higher percentage of people who tend to drive like psychopaths when it's not raining.

[Rasulis]

Covid vaccine advertisement in MUNI train. And we both got our booster shots today. The pharmacy texted my wife that the booster shot was available. We walked there. The pharmacist asked me if I want to get the booster shot also. I said "yes", and that was that.

[Santti]

Covid vaccine advertisement in MUNI bus.

What... what is that even supposed to mean? I guess it's trying to say that getting the virus is worse, but it could be interpreted the other way as well.