Coronavirus Covid-19

rbkwp

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rbkwp

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working at it,good for them


How COVID-19 vaccines can adapt to new variants


The coronavirus vaccine from the manufacturer Pfizer-BioNTech. Photo by Friso Gentsch/picture alliance via Getty Images




About 1.5 million people in the United States are getting a COVID-19 shot each day, and the White House has said it’s on track to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of vaccinating 100 million people during his first 100 days in office. Biden announced Thursday that the country had purchased another 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which he said could be enough to cover 300 million people by the end of July. But the administration is still working to get shots into arms at a faster pace, since a speedy nationwide vaccination effort is key to getting the pandemic under control.

New, more transmissible variants of the coronavirus — some of which have been shown to affect the performance of COVID-19 vaccines — highlight the need for mass vaccination. That’s because studies have shown that these vaccines can prevent severe disease, hospitalization and death even against some of these newer variants. Drugmakers are evaluating how they can modify existing vaccines to target variants, but it will take time to both develop those shots and present them to the Food and Drug Administration with the hope of securing emergency use authorization.

Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are working on booster shots that could be given to people who have already received their vaccines. AstraZeneca, whose shot has not yet been authorized in the U.S., has said it’s in the process of developing a new version of its vaccine that will target a coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa. The company’s first vaccine, which has been recommended for use by a group of independent advisors to the World Health Organization, was found to have lower efficacy against the variant.

Wearing two masks at the same time offers more protection from the coronavirus, according to recent research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Associated Press reported that wearing a surgical mask under a cloth mask blocked around 80 percent of viral particles. That’s twice the percentage of particles that were blocked by a single mask, either cloth or surgical. Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday that the American public will need to continue masking up for “several, several months” as the vaccination effort carries on.





Baltimore City Public Schools have started to reopen, but only a fraction of students are in attendance so far. Out of roughly 80,000 students who go to public schools there, 2,000 have returned for in-person learning, and an expanded reopening was recently delayed for the youngest students to address concerns over health and safety. This school system’s approach is a reflection of the broader debate playing out in communities across the country as the national push to reopen public schools intensifies, even as educators, parents and school officials disagree over the risks involved.

The CDC released safety guidelines Friday that schools can use to craft their reopening strategies, adding that there’s “strong evidence now that in-person schooling can be done safely,” according to the Associated Press.

Native communities have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus. Indigenous people are around twice as likely to die from COVID-19 compared to white people, and when the disease infects elders, communities risk losing valued “keepers of tribal history and culture,” Kaiser Health News reported. The pandemic has “accelerated” the threat to Indigenous languages, which are often spoken by elders, as well as the passing down of traditions that must be shared orally. Still, community members are using technology to facilitate communication and preserve cherished aspects of their culture.

Being reinfected with COVID-19 — contracting the disease more than once — is a possibility that’s been confirmed by scientists. It’s also a phenomenon that occurs “regularly” with the common cold, which is caused by four other coronaviruses. But according to Kaiser Health News, “many states aren’t rigorously tracking or investigating suspected cases of reinfection” when it comes to the novel coronavirus. Researchers are also not entirely sure how long a person who’s been infected with the virus may maintain natural immunity after their initial infection.

Have a burning science question — pandemic related or otherwise — or a favorite science story from this week? Email us at sciencedesk@newshour.org

Ask the science desk


Different countries have different procedures and standards when it comes to evaluating the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. The United Kingdom approved AstraZeneca’s vaccine back in December, but it did not approve Moderna’s until early January, a little less than a month after it was authorized for emergency use in the U.S.

While approval in one country doesn’t mean a vaccine will inevitably be authorized in the U.S., it is a good indicator of which vaccines — of the many in development across the globe — are considered safe and effective, according to other governments and researchers. As vaccines like AstraZeneca’s are approved in more and more countries, that wider use generates valuable data that can be used by all nations that are deciding whether or not to authorize it within their own borders.
 

rbkwp

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rbkwp

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Why the U.S. Is Struggling to Track Coronavirus Variants

A scattered and underfunded effort at genomic sequencing has hindered the country’s ability to detect different forms of the virus
sequencing-graphic-2.jpg

An analysis of the genome of the B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus overlaid on the CDC's map of different states' genome sequencing rates. Darker-shaded states have processed more genomes (relative to their total case count) than lighter, greener states. (CDC; Sebastian Gollnow / Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
Why the U.S. Is Struggling to Track Coronavirus Variants | Science | Smithsonian Magazine


certainly hope you get into geae ,now USA
 

rbkwp

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Liselotte Sabroe/EPA/AAP
Herd immunity is the end game for the pandemic, but the AstraZeneca vaccine won’t get us there

Zoë Hyde, University of Western Australia

Australia should pivot to a high-efficacy vaccine like Pfizer or Novavax to give us the best chance of achieving herd immunity.

how we all differ re our approach to CV
Australia/NZ have not even taken receipt of any vaccines

Australa pretty busy with virtal instant lockdowns with a few cases
Victoria x 1 case,5 day lockdown curtrently
 

rbkwp

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S6UEFuZZ8unUUlpdYNwDWcnd_YHSkffOWddK9ScYs_AoDdAEIqTBFtGNOLMTSlr9EPIsaj65CouKY_YFSHGm-lkUN6C8t1CD1XmGwZHwau3cJHiE0oBMbhscMNsKEPYypN_R407E4lz2hMI9ywVyQTT846NsfQCPxOJ9rQ=s0-d-e1-ft




geuss
even with this distance between us,still be susceptible to those unvaccinated
not that we would know,unfortunately

sorry about negativity,despite being factual/reality
but then,we have always had similar amongst us huh
perhaps,not as bad as this is percieved to be
 

rbkwp

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rbkwp

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and why not a bit of now we are faring in our region



Erik Anderson/AAP
Tier 1, tier 2, tier 3? Victoria’s COVID exposure sites explained
Meru Sheel, Australian National University; Charlee J Law, Australian National University

During the current COVID outbreak in Melbourne, the state government has been listing exposure sites as tier 1, tier 2, or tier 3. So what's the difference between each level, and why does it matter?


AAP/AP/Francois Mori
The COVID vaccine is here. When and to whom will we need to prove we’ve had it?
Rick Sarre, University of South Australia; Sarah Moulds, University of South Australia

With the COVID-19 vaccine soon to be rolled out in Australia, there are situations where proof of vaccination may be required.


www.shutterstock.com
Would ‘COVID loans’ be a more affordable and sustainable way to support national economies?
Richard Meade, Auckland University of Technology

Instead of wage subsidy and business loan schemes, allowing households, workers and employers to borrow against future income could be more efficient and equitable in the long run.


Shutterstock/Lightspring
Why more contagious variants are emerging now, more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic
David Welch, University of Auckland; Jemma Geoghegan, University of Otago; Joep de Ligt, ESR; Nigel French, Massey University

The rapid increase in the number of infections is the most obvious reason why new variants of the virus have been emerging recently. Case numbers doubled in just two months at the end of 2020.
 

rbkwp

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Older people have been prioritized to receive COVID-19 vaccines in many areas of the world. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty)
More evidence for COVID vaccine safety
It is clear that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective. But as more are rolled out, researchers are learning about the extent and nature of side effects.

  • The two messenger-RNA (mRNA) vaccines, made by Moderna and Pfizer–BioNTech, seem to cause similar reactions. A significant portion of people experience non-serious reactions, such a sore arm or a headache. That proportion is larger than the one for the annual flu shot — perhaps because the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines generate a particularly strong immune response.
  • A tiny number of people have experienced severe allergic reactions to the vaccines. These are extremely rare and no one has died. Fewer than five people per million doses administered of the Moderna or Pfizer–BioNTech experienced anaphylactic reactions. That is based on self-reported data from health-care workers and vaccinated individuals. For the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine, 30 cases of anaphylaxis have been confirmed so far, out of a little more than 3 million administered doses.
  • Some researchers have had their eye on polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the anaphylaxis-causing agent in the mRNA vaccines. More research is needed.
  • No deaths have been directly attributed to a COVID-19 jab. But it’s very hard to definitively link a death that happens days or weeks after the vaccine — especially among recipients who are very old or have serious health conditions.
  • Safety data for some other widely used shots, such as the Chinese CoronaVac vaccine or the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, are harder to come by.
Nature | 8 min read
Europe seeks ‘parastronauts’
The European Space Agency (ESA) is recruiting astronauts — including, for the first time, people with restricted growth, a leg-length difference or a lower-limb deficiency. The agency says it must first scope out what kind of safety and technical support such an individual would need. Eventually it hopes to send someone with a disability to space, who will have a role like any other astronaut. "We did not evolve to go to space, so when it comes to space travel, we are all disabled," says ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. "What brings us from being disabled to go to space to being able to go to space is just technology.”

BBC | 5 min read
Reference: ESA Parastronaut Feasibility Project
Behind India’s COVID case drop
Reported COVID-19 infections in India have dropped from a record-breaking high of nearly 100,000 cases per day in September to around 10,000 cases per day now. Many explanations have been suggested, but the most likely are that cases are being missed because testing is patchy and many people have only mild symptoms, and that public-health interventions, such as mask-wearing, are working. "There's nothing unusual about infections dropping in India. There's no miracle here," says virologist Shahid Jameel.

BBC | 6 min read
 

NCbear

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The fucking mutations are even more infectious than the original! And possibly even more fucking deadly!

The way this whole thing has been handled has really been the most vivid example of the fecal matter hitting the rotary air impeller—and then being splashed all over all of us, for fuck’s sake—that I’ve seen in my lifetime. Even the AIDS epidemic was a pale shadow of this.

NCbear (who can’t help but be full of anger at the jackasswipes who, via lies and bullshit and complete ignorance of basic science, have enabled this monstrous, egregious tragedy that we somewhat ingenuously and daintily refer to with the single relatively nondescript term “pandemic”—as though thousands of people hadn’t died struggling for breath, separated from their loved ones, while many of the brainwashed masses claimed the whole thing was a “hoax” :teeth gnashing emoji:)
 

Industrialsize

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Massachusetts opened eligibility to people 65+ and those with 2+ comorbidities. This is what you get when you go to the State's site to sign-up.
Screen Shot 2021-02-18 at 10.11.22 AM.png

This is what happens when 1,000,000 people try to access a website at the same time.................
 

rbkwp

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GOOD LUCK with that and rightly so

More vaccines are on the way

Vaccine administration will soon overtake vaccine supply as the country’s inoculation challenge; Biden reengages Iran on a nuclear deal.
Tonight's Sentences was written by Gabby Birenbaum.

TOP NEWS
America's vaccine supply surges

Eddie Seal/Bloomberg/Getty Images
  • Enhanced production among manufacturers and officials means the American Covid-19 vaccine supply should double within a month. [Bloomberg / Drew Armstrong and Tom Randall]
  • The US is currently administering 1.6 million vaccine doses per day. That should rise to 4.5 million by the summer — and White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients’s estimate that all Americans can get vaccinated by the end of July could happen even sooner. [Axios / Caitlin Owens]
  • So far, with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, 1.1 million shots are being delivered per day. Between increased production and the inclusion of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, that figure is expected to be 3 million by the end of the month and 3.3 million by April. [New York Times / David Leonhardt]
  • Thus far, about 42.6 million Americans, or 12.9 percent of the population, have received at least one shot — 16.6 million are fully vaccinated. [Washington Post]
  • Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he expects most Americans to have vaccine access by late April or early May, depending on the speed with which the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine gets authorized and distributed. [CNBC / Noah Higgins-Dunn]
  • Federal vaccine distribution is already ramping up. This week, the White House increased states’ weekly supply by 20 percent and doubled the number of shots going to pharmacies. [NPR / Vanessa Romo]
  • In addition to administration, vaccine confidence will now become a greater challenge. Vaccine doubt is greater among Republicans — only 51 percent say they would get the vaccine if it became immediately available, compared to 91 percent of Democrats. [CNN / Harry Enten]
 

Scarletbegonia

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Vaccine trip report.
(Erowid, anyone?)

Pfizer-BioNTech
Dose 1
No food prior to jab (12 hrs)

I’m taking it easy this weekend. I often work on Sundays, but I got the jab Friday morning.
Now, I am a big baby about shots. A little phobic about needles.
I didn’t feel a thing.
The flu shot is a pinch and stinging liquid. Not this. today I’m feeling the spot, plus some surrounding heat and swelling. It’s a bit in the way/achy when lifting above my head.
and joint aches (randomly) with low energy.

I understand jab 2 is more intensity of this.
I’ll take that weekend off, too. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In three weeks.
 

DiamondJoe

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Vaccine trip report.
(Erowid, anyone?)

Pfizer-BioNTech
Dose 1
No food prior to jab (12 hrs)

I’m taking it easy this weekend. I often work on Sundays, but I got the jab Friday morning.
Now, I am a big baby about shots. A little phobic about needles.
I didn’t feel a thing.
The flu shot is a pinch and stinging liquid. Not this. today I’m feeling the spot, plus some surrounding heat and swelling. It’s a bit in the way/achy when lifting above my head.
and joint aches (randomly) with low energy.

I understand jab 2 is more intensity of this.
I’ll take that weekend off, too. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In three weeks.
Erowid is an excellent source but I would also counsel that science is based on an average rather than the anecdotal.

Many people, including now my parents, have taken the Pfizer vaccine without any side effects :)
 
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Scarletbegonia

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Erowid is an excellent source but I would also counsel that science is based on an average rather than the anecdotal.

Many people, including now my parents, have taken the Pfizer vaccine without any side effects :)
So you got my joke.
I’m a supporter.
 

Scarletbegonia

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Maybe the 'rents were sold some duff gear :eek:
Not at all.

as for erowid’s value, in a world of the unresearched, these renegades giving their experience is A) front line, real world experience, complete with screw ups, and B) all we have.
When I forgot the average dosage of psilocybin, trip reports helped me zero in on it. As a lightweight doing lemon tea, it was imperative. I still slightly goofed and had a rough real estate appointment the next day. But overall, I was well within range of what I was after. Isolation depression relief.
 
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DiamondJoe

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Not at all.

as for erowid’s value, in a world of the unresearched, these renegades giving their experience is A) front line, real world experience, complete with screw ups, and B) all we have.
When I forgot the average dosage of psilocybin, trip reports helped me zero in on it. As a lightweight doing lemon tea, it was imperative. I still slightly goofed and had a rough real estate appointment the next day. But overall, I was well within range of what I was after. Isolation depression relief.
No no - I agree - it's an excellent resource that I have used and once contributed to. :)
 
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