Mega-Thread: Coronavirus Pandemic

[Gaidax]

You do have to consider that we were among the first worldwide to have vaccination drive and with Pfizer exclusively. It started as far as January if memory serves me right.

[Hollycakes]

Yay thank you @Shadowferal

[Shadowferal]

Images in scripts can be frustrating.

[Rasulis]

Big gap between Pfizer, Moderna vaccines seen for preventing COVID hospitalizations

Data collected from 18 states between March and August suggest the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces the risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19 by 91% in the first four months after receiving the second dose. Beyond 120 days, however, that vaccine efficacy drops to 77%.

Meanwhile, Moderna's vaccine was 93% effective at reducing the short-term risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and remained 92% effective after 120 days.

The study can be found here.

[Forogil]

Big gap between Pfizer, Moderna vaccines seen for preventing COVID hospitalizations



The study can be found here.

And even if we include confidence intervals that difference seem to hold (the 77% has confidence interval 67-84%).
I find two parts intriguing, but unfortunately both raise more questions:

There seems to be some difference in where vaccines are used, with Pfizer-BioNTech being used more in the south (42.7%) vs. Moderna (26.3%) - I don't know why. That makes it important how the numbers are adjusted for region in the model.

For the anti-body levels there wasn't a large difference between Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for median and quartiles (Janssen has significantly lower levels), but the minimum level is significantly lower for Pfizer-BioNTech - it could be due to chance, but it could also be that it doesn't work well for up to 15-20% of the vaccinated.

[Granyala]

It's not so much "trash" as "deeply, horribly problematic in ways that it's fucking weird people willfully overlook".

OT-Rant:
Dunno, I thought the movies were entertaining to watch. Could have done w/o the lame teenage love triangle drama though.
I'm not in the habit of deep-analyzing every literature/film I watch in search for some "meaning of life stuff".
I found that demand in German lessons in School annoying already and I still think it is. Sometimes entertainment is just that: entertainment.
If I want to read on "meaning of life stuff" I stick to scientific literature.

[Rasulis]

And even if we include confidence intervals that difference seem to hold (the 77% has confidence interval 67-84%).
I find two parts intriguing, but unfortunately both raise more questions:

There seems to be some difference in where vaccines are used, with Pfizer-BioNTech being used more in the south (42.7%) vs. Moderna (26.3%) - I don't know why. That makes it important how the numbers are adjusted for region in the model.

For the anti-body levels there wasn't a large difference between Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for median and quartiles (Janssen has significantly lower levels), but the minimum level is significantly lower for Pfizer-BioNTech - it could be due to chance, but it could also be that it doesn't work well for up to 15-20% of the vaccinated.

I do wish that we have more complete data on vaccine efficacy. At least the CDC study is corrected for underlying morbidities.

I remember reading one study that shows Moderna also has a much lower breakthrough death rate of breakthrough death also. In fact in the study sample it was zero. I'll find it later. We are heading the breakfast as soon as my wife finish her shower.

Back to Florida. The state death backlog is catching up. It broke 50k on Thursday. Then it broke 51k on Friday.

[Zan15]

https://www.esquire.com/news-politic...hington-state/

Once again, bad policies impact others.

Idaho hasn't taken covid very seriously, and consequently their hospitals are packed. The state is now beginning to start up close to death panels as its moving to Crisis Standards of Care. Now that would be one thing, but the problem is that folks from Idaho are either trying to get transfered to Washington hospitals next door, or are simply crossing the border to try to get care.

Which is causing issues with hospitals in Washington, as they're starting to fill and it's impacting Washingtonians seeking medical care.

I'm about completely out of empathy, sympathy, compassion, or care for these fucks, as they're not just killing themselves but they're actively harming others as a result of their own stupid, selfish decisions.

Well didn't those people on the boarder with Idaho want to vote to split from Washington and merge with Idaho. I guess they get to see what that would reward them with huh?

[Hollycakes]

Sarah Palin is at it again!
She went on the ever so popular Gutfeld! and had this to say:

'I am one of those white common sense conservatives,' she began, 'I believe in the science and I have not taken the shot.

'I do believe in science and the Faucism of the day back then was if you've had COVID, I've had COVID, well then mother nature was creating an immunity into me.'

Gonna leave this here in case any of our resident "science lovers" have questions:

[Twdft]

Sarah Palin is at it again!
She went on the ever so popular Gutfeld! and had this to say:

'I am one of those white common sense conservatives,' she began, 'I believe in the science and I have not taken the shot.

'I do believe in science and the Faucism of the day back then was if you've had COVID, I've had COVID, well then mother nature was creating an immunity into me.'

For six months after recovering she will be viewed the same as vaccinated in Germany.

[Deus Mortis]

Sigh. https://www.sfgate.com/bay-area-poli...9-16467024.php

On Thursday night, Mayor London Breed was in clear violation of the order as currently written while enjoying live music at the Black Cat nightclub in the Tenderloin.

Per the San Francisco Chronicle's Mariecar Mendoza, Breed was maskless for the duration of the indoor event, as were other attendees. (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another.)

The city's health order only allows for masks to be removed "while actively eating or drinking." It states, "People are urged to be seated at a table or positioned at a stationary counter or place while eating or drinking."

A video shows a maskless Breed — neither seated at a table nor positioned at a stationary counter — standing and dancing without any food or drinks in her hand. She also posed for photos while not wearing a mask.

This is the same person that attended the French Laundry one day after Newsom. These officials who keep doing rules for me but not for thee, only help to cause the lingering problems of people not getting the shot. It is frustrating to see because as someone from this state it does not help, especially since San Francisco is doing really good. This type of stuff just adds in a couple wrinkles to the last bit of people holding off on the shot.

[s_bushido]

Sigh.

People who refuse to get the vaccine are probably the same who already refused to wear masks anyway. The hypocrisy of a politician wasn't going to effect that. And any handwringing they could offer over the necessity of wearing masks if everyone in a particular place is already vaccinated would fall flat if they dispute the effectiveness of both measures.

[Edge-]

These officials who keep doing rules for me but not for thee, only help to cause the lingering problems of people not getting the shot. It is frustrating to see because as someone from this state it does not help, especially since San Francisco is doing really good. This type of stuff just adds in a couple wrinkles to the last bit of people holding off on the shot.

If anything, it highlights that you can gather safely with high vaccination rates and low transmission rates. We don't see outbreaks in CA because Newsom or Breed did indoor karaoke or had an indoor party, we're seeing them elsewhere where folks aren't vaccinated.

Is this good? No, they shouldn't be doing this. Is this as sensational as it's made out to be? Hardly, it's a gross overreaction that's blown out of proportion.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Took the second shot thursday. I felt the jab this time, unlike the first, and my arm feels like I've worked out way above my capacity but that's it for side effects. Not bad considering my autoimmune disease and other health issues.

Everyone I know said the same thing btw. They felt the second jab, not the first, on their upper arm.

I wonder what that's about.

As for anti-vaxx family members, we have 2 of them, they're going to get isolated from the rest of us because WE don't want to be the ones transmitting the virus TO THEM as we start living normally again. If their moronic ideas and right-wing propaganda is more important to them than family, so be it. They're grown-ups, we can't do more than that. It's disappointing though that people one used to view as level-headed and educated turn out to be suckers for US right-wing propaganda.

[s_bushido]

Took the second shot thursday. I felt the jab this time, unlike the first, and my arm feels like I've worked out way above my capacity but that's it for side effects. Not bad considering my autoimmune disease and other health issues.

Everyone I know said the same thing btw. They felt the second jab, not the first, on their upper arm.

I wonder what that's about.

As far as I know, it's because the first shot simply stimulates a weaker immune response than the 2nd. Which is why it's important to get the 2nd and not just leave it at one.

[Hollycakes]

Ugh my first shot wasn't fun.
Was around 2-3 days of aches which fucked up my sleep.
Haven't gotten the 2nd yet.
My uncle just had his 1st Pfizer and said it was nothing.
So if it's worse that won't be fun.
Mine was Moderna though so I'll take the % gains.

A bit worried though as we have family thing coming up next Saturday with my antivaxx fam.

[Santti]

Recently got my 2nd shot as well. Both Moderna.

No side-effects, on either times. The spot was just mildly sensitive to touch, for a day or two.

[Rasulis]

Sigh. https://www.sfgate.com/bay-area-poli...9-16467024.php

All those rule breakers and San Francisco has the lowest case rate of all US major cities. I think that should encourage people to get their vaccine. As for the remaining 18% of unvaccinated in San Francisco, they could either get the immunity the easy way or the hard way. Their choice. Picture from Labor Day Bottlerock festival. Three days, 40k attendants, 97% fully vaccinated and no mask in sight. Not a single Covid case traced to the festival.

[pathora44]

Recently got my 2nd shot as well. Both Moderna.

No side-effects, on either times. The spot was just mildly sensitive to touch, for a day or two.

I got the Pfizer vaccine back in April and then in May and I didn't get any of the arm pain. The worst reaction I had to either shot was the second one and I just got really tired on the drive home. So I went straight home, laid down in my bed, passed out for about 3 hours and woke up feeling fine. My best friend and his wife both got Covid from a mutual friend when they took her baby off her hands when she got Covid. They both got hit by the virus pretty hard, no hospitalization or lack of oxygen thank God, and were pretty messed up for about 1 week to 1 1/2 weeks. Well they got the vaccine and when they got the second one they both were down for the next 24 hours pretty hard. From what research they found supposedly those who had Covid before the vaccine the body can go into overdrive to fight off the vaccine.

[PhaelixWW]

CNN: Covid-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds is safe and shows 'robust' antibody response, Pfizer says

In a highly anticipated announcement, Pfizer said on Monday a Phase 2/3 trial showed its Covid-19 vaccine was safe and generated a "robust" antibody response in children ages 5 to 11.

These are the first such results released for this age group for a US Covid-19 vaccine, and the data has not yet been peer-reviewed or published. Pfizer said it plans to submit to the US Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization soon. FDA officials have said that once data is submitted, the agency could authorize a vaccine for younger children in a matter of weeks.

The trial included 2,268 participants ages 5 to 11 and used a two-dose regimen of the vaccine administered 21 days apart. This trial used a 10-microgram dose -- smaller than the 30-microgram dose that has been used for those 12 and older.

Participants' immune responses were measured by looking at neutralizing antibody levels in their blood and comparing those levels to a control group of 16- to 25-year-olds who were given a two-dose regimen with the larger 30-microgram dose. Pfizer said the levels compared well with older people who received the larger dose, demonstrating a "strong immune response in this cohort of children one month after the second dose."

"Further, the COVID-19 vaccine was well tolerated, with side effects generally comparable to those observed in participants 16 to 25 years of age," the company said.

A Pfizer spokesperson also confirmed that were no instances of myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation that has been linked with mRNA vaccines.

Pfizer said these data will be included in a "near-term submission" for EUA and the companies will continue to accumulate the data needed to file for FDA approval for people ages 5 to 11.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is currently approved for people age 16 and older, and authorized for use in people ages 12 to 15.

Pfizer said it is expecting trial data for children as young as 6 months "as soon as the fourth quarter of this year."

"Since July, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the U.S. -- underscoring the public health need for vaccination. These trial results provide a strong foundation for seeking authorization of our vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulators with urgency," Albert Bourla, chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer, said in the statement.


What happens next

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner and current Pfizer board member, has said a vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 could be available by Halloween.

"Pfizer could be in a position to file very quickly," Gottlieb said Monday on CNBC. "The data came a little earlier than some were expecting, and depending on how long the FDA takes to review the application, whether it's a four week review or a six week review, you could have a vaccine available to children as early as probably by the end of October, perhaps it slips a little bit into November."

Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock and Dr. Peter Marks, director of FDA's Center for Biologics Research and Evaluation, said in a statement this month that the agency would review data for a vaccine for younger children "as quickly as possible, likely in a matter of weeks rather than months," once it was submitted for authorization.

"However, the agency's ability to review these submissions rapidly will depend in part on the quality and timeliness of the submissions by manufacturers," they wrote.

Calls for a Covid-19 vaccine for younger children have grown louder in recent months as cases surged among children.

Coronavirus infections have risen "exponentially" among children across the United States, and now account for nearly 29% of all cases reported nationwide, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported last week.

Still, US health officials have emphasized that children are not just small adults, and even those approaching age 12 should not be given the larger vaccine dose available for older people.

"We don't want children to have adverse effects. Granted, we want them to be able to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, but let's do it right," FDA's Marks said in a fireside chat hosted by the ResearchAmerica Alliance last week.

"There is a difference here because they're not just getting the same-old, same-old dose as a 12 and up person will. They have to get a reduced dose. And that's why it's not a good idea for doctors to take things in their own hands at this point."


Millions more would be eligible for vaccination

If the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is authorized for children ages 5 to 11, more than 28 million additional people will be eligible to be vaccinated against Covid-19, according to a CNN analysis of data from the US Census Bureau.

Currently, about 85% of the US population is eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. But the 5 to 11 age group represents about 9% of the total United States population, which would bump it up to 94%.

According to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 63.8% of the total US population has received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine and 54.6% of the population is fully vaccinated.

Adolescents are the least vaccinated group. About 57% of adolescents age 12 to 17 have received at least one dose and 46% are fully vaccinated, according to a CNN analysis of CDC data. Children 16 and up were included in the initial emergency use authorization of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and children ages 12 to 15 were added in May, more than four months ago.

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll last month found that about a quarter of parents of children ages 5 to 11 say they will vaccinate their children "right away" once a vaccine is authorized. Four in 10 parents said they would "wait and see" how the vaccine is working before they get younger children vaccinated.

Meanwhile, one-quarter of parents in the poll said they would "definitely not" have their 5-to-11-year-old children vaccinated against Covid-19.

Sooner than expected. This might actually help prevent the almost-inevitable winter wave from devastating the world quite as badly.