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You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Monday/Tuesday, Feb. 15-16

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Monday/Tuesday, Feb. 15-16

by Anne Laurie|  February 16, 20216:00 am| 41 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19, Foreign Affairs

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Mardi Gras parades got canceled by Covid-19. So people in New Orleans turned their houses into floats. Some 3,000 homes across New Orleans and its suburbs — even some as far away as Luxembourg — are dolled up for the inaugural Krewe of House Floats.https://t.co/iwCLYiFQzr pic.twitter.com/ThrsCflGsq

— CNN International (@cnni) February 15, 2021


The US had +52,785 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, the lowest number since October 18, bringing the total to over 28.3 million. The 7-day moving average fell to below 88,000 new cases per day, its lowest level since November 2. pic.twitter.com/KJ5lAYBsBA

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 16, 2021

We've finally met a healthcare problem that requires massive spending, complete saturation of infrastructure and a huge rollout of cutting-edge new drugs. We're like Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer stunting on all the Euro's who made fun of our healthcare system for decades.

— Sasho Todorov ?? (@SashoTodorov1) February 16, 2021

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, about 4 in 10 adults have reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder – 4 times pre-pandemic levels.

Our updated brief explores what’s known about COVID’s impact on people’s #mentalhealth and substance use: https://t.co/oQXuwB3IN1 pic.twitter.com/6koeiovmw4

— KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) (@KFF) February 15, 2021

======

China arrests leader of scam that passed off saline solution and mineral water as Covid-19 vaccines https://t.co/LQcH2tAoRO

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 16, 2021

South Korea reaches deals to buy more COVID-19 vaccines for 23 million people https://t.co/GR6lRteaLM pic.twitter.com/26pDnoqROq

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 16, 2021

North Korea made attempts to steal COVID-19 vaccine technology from Pfizer: Yonhap citing NIS https://t.co/yGjSzT49mf pic.twitter.com/4nkXktkSim

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 16, 2021

Syringe shortage hampers Japan's COVID-19 vaccination roll out https://t.co/LqJrLLdOPL pic.twitter.com/Uu2ROjVvZt

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 16, 2021

Manabu Yoneshima’s dream to cap his medical career by running in the Tokyo Olympics torch relay has been replaced by feelings of guilt as he and his colleagues battle the resurgent virus https://t.co/yNqJZ9X1xr pic.twitter.com/RvE4gHGKPg

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 16, 2021


(It would be the most Japanese event ever to hold the torch marathon, and then or (despite) cancel the Olympics themselves… )

Malaysia to kick off COVID-19 vaccination drive next week https://t.co/tB5WE1dopT pic.twitter.com/K3zuCwQn2f

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 16, 2021

When the pandemic took hold in India, there were fears it would sink the fragile health system of the world’s second-most populous country. But infections began to plummet, and the reasons for the decline are unclear. https://t.co/dJkhYc814L

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 16, 2021

France?? reports 21,231 new coronavirus cases over 24 hours. Government resists imposing new public health measures despite rapid spread of #B117 variant https://t.co/obZFGwQ5zp via @Reuters @DickZoutman #COVID19 #GlobalHealth

— André Picard (@picardonhealth) February 14, 2021

Not happy campers: Britain opens quarantine hotels to restrict travelers from 33 countries for 10 days at their own expense. It's part of a plan to try to block new virus variants. https://t.co/bRhN0uYX9x

— AP Europe (@AP_Europe) February 15, 2021

Ireland to set up 37 Covid-19 vaccination centres, with at least one in each countyhttps://t.co/ggI0vqXrB0

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 15, 2021

Russia confirmed 13,233 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, bringing the total caseload to 4,099,323https://t.co/3VdButOvpr

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) February 16, 2021

New Zealand recorded zero new COVID-19 cases on day two of a three-day lockdown in Auckland pic.twitter.com/PCCABteF8p

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 16, 2021

"I want protection!" Health care workers in rural South Africa are among those eagerly awaiting the first jabs of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is being rolled out to them starting this week. https://t.co/9JZTCrJoHU

— AP Africa (@AP_Africa) February 16, 2021

#COVID19: a multi-centre surveillance study has been implemented in 5 African countries. Coordinated by @institutpasteur, this cohort study aims to identify the contamination risk factors and understand the transmission of the virus. @MediLabSecure https://t.co/guVUPPEbDU

— INSTITUT PASTEUR (@institutpasteur) February 15, 2021

Optimism as Cuba set to test its own Covid vaccine https://t.co/PVlHN40vQ6

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 16, 2021

Brazil reports 528 new COVID-19 deaths, close to 10 million cases https://t.co/vm4eR1p568 pic.twitter.com/AGgE7N0hoH

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 16, 2021

Mexico begins rocky rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations for elderly https://t.co/Vy7JVIB80t pic.twitter.com/q4t46pQ4Uz

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 16, 2021

This shows that simple public health measures work against #COVID19, even in the presence of variants. What matters now is how we respond to this trend. The fire is not out, but we have reduced its size. If we stop fighting it on any front, it will come roaring back.

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 15, 2021

======

Scientists to the US: Act now to rein-in virulent COVID variant. The B117 SARSCoV2 variant, identified in 33 states so far, will dominate other strains in the coming weeks, triggering major surges unless surveillance & mitigation efforts are scaled up https://t.co/C4w3JoUYfh pic.twitter.com/1I6jsiyz3h

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 15, 2021

COVID19 vaccines can be tweaked if variant situation worsens. Makers of COVID19 vaccines are figuring out how to tweak their recipes against worrisome virus mutations—and regulators are looking to flu as a blueprint if and when the shots need an update https://t.co/Ec9hNYnyU7

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 15, 2021

As Americans anxiously watch variants first identified in the UK and South Africa spread in the U.S., scientists are finding a number of new variants that originated here. https://t.co/LzofnTAMaW

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 14, 2021

Pets & Covid19: Seoul offered free coronavirus tests for pets and soon found its 1st case in a lethargic, vomiting cat https://t.co/6MT2mzpgV7

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 15, 2021

======

In the race to increase Covid-19 vaccinations, states have opened mass inoculation sites and expanded eligibility.

But a big problem remains: The supply of shots isn’t increasing fast enough.https://t.co/znmxuMQNre

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 15, 2021

Child care workers are getting left behind in the vaccine rollout https://t.co/F3uKGgOG9V via @voxdotcom

— Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics (@bermaninstitute) February 15, 2021

Former CDC director says it's not vaccinations, so far, but distancing that is causing COVID-19 numbers to fall. https://t.co/GWulRGuDVL

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 15, 2021

NEW: Harris County hustles to distribute 8,400 COVID-19 vaccines after freezer loses power (w/ @zachdespart) https://t.co/QqVDGbOqYd

— St. John Barned-Smith ⚔️ (@stjbs) February 15, 2021

‘I accept responsibility,’ New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said as he acknowledged that his office should not have withheld data on COVID-19 nursing home deaths https://t.co/ULKxaelbU5 pic.twitter.com/o7BNDDOIvg

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 16, 2021

Strong 12 monkeys energy downtown. pic.twitter.com/T9hc4D73Hv

— Brian Degenhardt (@bmdhacks) February 12, 2021

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Reader Interactions

41Comments

  1. 1.

    NeenerNeener

    February 16, 2021 at 6:02 am

    Monroe County, NY yesterday: 142 new cases, 1069 reported deaths

    2.2% positivity
    323 people hospitalized, 74 people in the ICU
    40% available hospital beds, 35% available ICU beds

    After I read Central Planning’s post about getting vaccination appointments for her parents in Monroe County I went looking for the website. I tried for one of the two remaining appointments on 3/28 but by the time I answered all the questions the appointments were gone. I started the process all over and they had opened up a whole bunch of times on April 2nd so I did manage to get a spot that day. Then I texted one of my co-workers whose RA meds would qualify her as having a comorbidity, and by the time she got through the process they were filling up April 15th. I checked again at 5 pm today and whatever appointments they had are all gone for now.​​​​​​​​

  2. 2.

    YY_Sima Qian

    February 16, 2021 at 6:22 am

    On 2/15 China reported 0 new domestic confirmed & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases.

    Hebei Province

    Hebei Provincial Health Commission did not report any new domestic positive cases. There are currently 153 domestic confirmed cases (134 moderate and 19 mild) & 9 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province:

    • At Xingtai, there are currently 21 domestic confirmed cases in the city.
    • At Shijiazhuang, there are 132 confirmed cases & 9 asymptomatic cases. Gaocheng District remains at Medium Risk.

     

    Heilongjiang Province

    Heilongjiang Provincial Health Commission reported that 17 domestic confirmed cases recovered & 11 domestic asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently 75 domestic confirmed (51 moderate and 24 mild) & 82 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.:

    • At Suihua, 8 confirmed cases recovered & 8 domestic asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently 58 domestic confirmed & 53 domestic asymptomatic cases there. Wangkui County remains at Medium Risk.
    • At Harbin, 9 domestic confirmed case recovered & 3 domestic asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently 19 domestic confirmed & 29 asymptomatic cases there. 1 sub-district was re-designated from High Risk to Low Risk. 2 sub-districts remain at High Risk. 2 sub-districts were re-designated from Medium Risk to Low Risk. 1 sub-district & 1 townships remain at Medium Risk.

     

    Jilin Province 

    Jilin Provincial Heath Commission reported that 12 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There are currently 96 domestic confirmed (2 critical, 6 serious, 64 moderate and 24 mild) & 5 domestic asymptomatic cases:

    • At Songyuan, there are 2 domestic confirmed cases there.
    • At Tonghua, 5 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There are currently 78 domestic confirmed & 3 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 1 village, 9 buildings & 13 residential compounds were re-designated from High Risk to Low Risk. 3 buildings & 13 residential compounds within Dongchang District remain at High Risk.
    • At Changchun, 7 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There are currently 16 domestic confirmed & 2 domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. The Medium Risk township has been re-designated as Low Risk.

     

    Imported Cases

    On 2/15 China reported 16 new imported confirmed cases, 11 imported asymptomatic cases:

    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 7 confirmed cases, 2 Chinese nationals each returning from the DRC (via Nairobi), Nigeria (via Nairobi) & the UAE, and 1 from Canada; 3 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from the DRC (via Nairobi), the UAE & Malaysia
    • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a South African national coming from South Africa
    • Foshan in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from the UAE; 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Myanmar; both off flights that landed at Guangzhou
    • Shanghai Municipality – 5 confirmed cases, 2 Chinese nationals each returning from Japan & France, and 1 from the US
    • Xi’an in Shaanxi Province – 2 confirmed cases (1 previously asymptomatic), 1 Chinese national each returning from the UAE & Uzbekistan, both off flights diverted from Beijing; 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Algeria (via Frankfurt)
    • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Algeria; 2 asymptomatic cases, a Chinese national returning from Egypt, and an Indian national coming from India (via Kathmandu)
    • Changsha in Hunan Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, no information released
    • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Panama (via Amsterdam Schiphol)

     

    Overall in China, 48 confirmed cases recovered, 18 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation and 2 were reclassified as confirmed cases, and 828 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 605 active confirmed cases in the country (234 imported), 10 are in critical/serious condition (2 imported), 387 asymptomatic cases (286 imported), 1 suspect case (imported). 9,643 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.

    On 2/16 Hong Kong reported 8 new cases, 2 imported & 6 domestic (3 of whom do not yet have source of infection identified).

  3. 3.

    germy

    February 16, 2021 at 6:32 am

    Sometimes I feel like I must go mad.

    I’m always reading about the newer COVID strains, and all the hospitalizations and deaths…

    And then yesterday I visit the supermarket and see a customer come walking in with his mask down around his neck.  He seemed acquainted with some of the employees, because they were all talking and joking with each other.  (Employees were masked, fortunately)

    I’m at the checkout (self checkout was closed) and the cashier is telling me she was out for three months and on a ventilator.  Had to spend three weeks learning how to walk again.

    She rings me up and I swipe my credit card, and then she asks me if I’d like to round up the total and give the extra to charity.  “Yes,” I reply.  And then she spends fifteen minutes trying to figure out how to round it up.  No problem, but I’m sort of anxious to get out of there because the maskless dude is now in line with his two items.

    I told her nevermind if it was too difficult, but she was determined.  Apparently, she had to relearn a lot of her job, so I wasn’t going to be impatient with her.  But the dude made me nervous.

    But no one else seemed bothered by him.  Not the employees, managers, or cashier who’d spent months in the hospital.

    And then I come home and see this photo:

    https://dailygazette.com/2021/02/14/lennon-mohonasen-girls-basketballs-lone-senior-embracing-mentor-role-on-young-team/

    My news programs are full of impatient students and parents who want school sports again.  “We want to play sports!”  “My kids want to play sports!”  Everyone insists they’ll be safe.  Uh, okay.

    But am I the only one who sees a problem with the photo?

  4. 4.

    Amir Khalid

    February 16, 2021 at 6:42 am

    Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 2,720 new cases today at his media briefing, for a cumulative reported total of 269,165 cases. He also reports eight new deaths today for a cumulative total of 983 deaths — 0.37% of the cumulative reported total, 0.44% of resolved cases.
    There are currently 44,129 active and contagious cases; 253 are in ICU, 118 of them intubated. Meanwhile, a record 5,718 patients recovered and were discharged, again over twice as many as tested positive today, for a cumulative total of 224,053 patients recovered – 83.2% of the cumulative reported total.

    19 new clusters were reported today: Rawang Bestari, Jalan Lazuardi, Jalan Industri Dua Belas, and Jalan Industri Tiga in Selangor; Package Pengerang, Wawasan Kulai, Industri Cyber, and Jalan Pelepas Empat in Johor; Jalan Segambut building site in Kuala Lumpur; Kidurong Dua, Gelong, Univista, Kampung Sungai Maong, and Jalan Geronggang in Sarawak; Jalan Apas Empat and Simpang Tiga in Sabah; Jalan Kayu Manis in Perak; Jalan Day in Kedah; and Jengka Tujuh in Pahang.

    Gelong, Kidurong Dua, Univista, and Kampung Sungai Maong are community clusters. Jalan Geronggang is a high-risk group cluster. The rest are all workplace clusters.

    All 2,720 new cases today are local infections. Selangor reports 1,300 cases: 563 in older clusters; 82 in Rawang Bestari, Jalan Lazuardi, Jalan Industri Dua Belas, and Jalan Industri Tiga clusters; 422 close-contact screenings; and 233 other screenings. Johor reports 451 cases: 49 in older clusters; 316 in Package Pengerang, Wawasan Kulai, Industri Cyber, and Jalan Pelepas Empat clusters; 37 close-contact screenings; and 49 other screenings. Kuala Lumpur reports 318 cases: 49 in older clusters, 173 in Jalan Segambut building site cluster, 33 close-contact screenings; and 63 other screenings.

    Sarawak reports 193 cases: 14 in older clusters; 48 in Kidurong Dua, Gelong, Univista, Kampung Sungai Maong, and Jalan Geronggang clusters; 28 close-contact screenings; and 103 other screenings. Sabah reports 132 cases: 55 in older clusters; eight in Jalan Apas Empat and Simpang Tiga clusters; 56 close-contact screenings; and 13 other screenings.

    Penang reports 72 cases: 30 in existing clusters, 14 close-contact screenings, and 28 other screenings. Perak reports 69 cases: 58 in older clusters, three in Jalan Kayu Manis cluster, five close-contact screenings; and three other screenings. Negeri Sembilan reports 64 cases: seven in existing clusters, 44 close-contact screenings, and 13 other screenings. Kedah reports 38 cases: 24 in older clusters, two in Jalan Day cluster, six close-contact screenings; and six other screenings. Terengganu reports 26 cases: 20 in existing clusters, two close-contact screenings, and four other screenings.

    Pahang reports 19 cases: two in older clusters, 14 in Jengka Tujuh cluster, two close-contact screenings; and one other screening. Kelntan reports 17 cases: 15 close-contact screenings, and two other screenings. Melaka reports 14 cases: seven in existing clusters, four close-contact screenings, and three other screenings. Putrajaya reports six cases: one in an existing cluster, four close-contact screenings, and one other screening. And Labuan reports one case, found in other screening.

    Perlis reports no new cases today.

    The deaths reported today are an 84-year-old woman in Sarawak with diabetes and hypertension; a 74-year-old man in Selangor with Parkinson’s disease; an 84-year-old woman in Sabah with diabetes and hypertension;a 56-year-old man in Selangor with low immunity; an 81-year-old man in Kuala Lumpur with diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, heart disease, and a pulmonary embolism; a 76-year-old man in Kuala Lumpur with diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease; an 86-year-old man in Negeri Sembilan with chronic lung disease; and a 47-year-old non-Malaysian man with no co-morbidities listed.

  5. 5.

    satby

    February 16, 2021 at 6:56 am

    The weather is going to be a significant disruption to vaccine distribution, both in potential wastage of vaccine spoiled by power outages if not used, and in preventing people from getting to appointments. Disaster on top of disaster.

  6. 6.

    NeenerNeener

    February 16, 2021 at 6:58 am

    @germy: Nope, the picture with her mask under her nose bothers me too. And you know she’s breathing heavily from the exertion so if she’s got the ‘rona she’s spreading it all over the gym.

  7. 7.

    Amir Khalid

    February 16, 2021 at 7:08 am

    Other news:
    Senior Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced today that most of Malaysia will revert to the less restrictive conditional movement control order status from Thursday. The exceptions are Kuala Lumpur and the states of Selangor, Johor, and Penang, which remain under movement control order 2.0 status. The state of Perlis , which has reported no new cases for the past few days, will be under the least restrictive recovery movement control order status.

    The situation willl be evaluated again in two weeks, and any adjustments will be announced at that time.

    Also, Dr Noor Hisham stated that the first shipment of vaccines from Pfizer will arrive on the 21st of this month, five days earlier than previously announced, and vaccination of frontline health workers will begin on the 26th.

  8. 8.

    sab

    February 16, 2021 at 7:11 am

    What? Masks aren’t supposed to protect your chin?

    I had heart surgery. The whole surgical team wore masks. They danced around a lot (cold room to protect the surgical equipment.) Nobody fainted from lack of oxygen.

    My husband has had two brain surgery and one back surgery. Very intense. Whole team wore masks over their whole face. Nobody fainted.

    ETA reply to germy at #4.

  9. 9.

    sab

    February 16, 2021 at 7:18 am

    @Amir Khalid: Wow. Frontline workers vaccination starting February 25. And Americans (including me) complaining that frontline workers had to wait until early January or early February.

    And Malaysia has pretty much done everything right on quarantines and lockdowns. And most of America has done little if nothing. America is doing it’s alleged exceptionalism really bass ackwards.

  10. 10.

    Cameron

    February 16, 2021 at 7:25 am

    So….the mutant strains are running wild down here, and Governor DeCovid’s response is….open the schools in defiance of CDC guidelines.  Sounds like a plan!

  11. 11.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 16, 2021 at 7:25 am

    We’ve finally met a healthcare problem that requires massive spending, complete saturation of infrastructure and a huge rollout of cutting-edge new drugs. We’re like Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer stunting on all the Euro’s who made fun of our healthcare system for decades.

    Interesting brag in a do-or-die situation.

  12. 12.

    Cameron

    February 16, 2021 at 7:28 am

    @germy: Yeah, the chin mask is quite the hawt look down in my neck of the woods.  I’ve seen both men and women wearing them that way, and I’m stumped.  If you want to protest about wearing masks, don’t wear one at all.  I’m more than a bit annoyed with the folks who get on the bus with mask on (you’re not allowed on without a mask in Manatee County) and then promptly take it off as soon as they sit down.  FREEDUMB!

  13. 13.

    Cameron

    February 16, 2021 at 7:31 am

    @mrmoshpotato: Indeed.  No mention of the fact that such heroic mobilization was required due to the incompetence that caused us to have the worst stats in the world.

  14. 14.

    Amir Khalid

    February 16, 2021 at 7:52 am

    @sab: ​
     One thing that has hindered the US response, it seems to me, is that it is fragmented among the 50 states, with no coordination or help from DC until a few weeks ago. If our states and federal territories had been left to their own devices, Malaysia would probably be up the same creek right now.

  15. 15.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 16, 2021 at 7:54 am

    @satby: It’s currently 3 degrees colder in Dallas than it is in Chicago.

  16. 16.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 16, 2021 at 8:00 am

    @Cameron: Yup.  Or the fact that our death rate has left everyone else in the dust.  And this isn’t a “Woo!  We’re #1!” situation.

  17. 17.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 16, 2021 at 8:02 am

    @Amir Khalid: We essentially had 50 states and DC competing against each other for PPE, etc.

  18. 18.

    Sloane Ranger

    February 16, 2021 at 8:15 am

    Yesterday in the UK we had 9,765 new cases. This is about 1200 less than the previous day and a decrease of 29% in the rolling 7-day average. New cases by nation,

    England – 8609 (down @800)

    Northern Ireland – 234 (up @60)

    Scotland – 559 (down @350).

    Wales – 363 (down 31).

    Deaths – Yesterday, there were 230 reported new deaths within 28 days of a positive test. This is a decrease of 26.2% in the rolling 7-day average. New deaths by nation, England – 210, Northern Ireland – 4, Scotland – 0 and Wales – 16. In total there were 667 deaths reported yesterday where COVID was mentioned on the Death Certificate. 614 in England, 3 in Northern Ireland, 3 in Scotland and 47 in Wales.

    Testing – On Sunday, 14 February, 401,786 tests were conducted out of a capacity of 773,541. This is a decrease of 9.3% in the rolling 7-day average.

    Hospitalisations – As of Thursday, 11 February, 23,341 people were in hospital and 2943 were on ventilators as of Friday, 12th. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admissions has decreased by  25.5.%.

    Vaccinations – As of 14 February, a total of 15,300,151 people had received the 1st dose of a vaccine and 539,630 had received both doses.

    General – BoJo is expected to announce a “cautious but irreversible” plan for getting England out of lockdown next Monday and Nicola Sturgeon (First Minister, Scotland) has said she will be making an announcement about a staged re-starting in-person education in Scotland this afternoon.

  19. 19.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 16, 2021 at 8:18 am

    @Sloane Ranger:

    “cautious but irreversible” 

    Now there’s a phrase.

  20. 20.

    David Evans

    February 16, 2021 at 8:18 am

    @mrmoshpotato: The UK with its socialized medicine has been consistently ahead of the US in vaccination rates since the start of the year.

  21. 21.

    satby

    February 16, 2021 at 8:26 am

    @mrmoshpotato:  pretty wild, but not cold enough to keep vaccines stable for long if power fails. I believe the mRNA ones have a life of five hours once thawed?

  22. 22.

    Robert Sneddon

    February 16, 2021 at 8:37 am

    @David Evans: The UK’s head start and current performance in the race to vaccinate the population is mostly due to our early approval of the Pfizer and later the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines (we’ve also approved the Moderna vaccine but the first contracted deliveries of that product aren’t expected until March).

    Another factor is that the British government signed contracts with most of the promising vaccine manufacturers back in late Spring last year, guaranteeing first place in the queue for deliveries when the vaccines went into production which has also helped. We actually delayed starting up mass vaccination centres until recently, targetting the available vaccines at specific groups such as older people in care homes, healthcare professionals and the like. This actually slowed down the numbers of people getting vaccinated initially.

  23. 23.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 16, 2021 at 8:43 am

    @David Evans: Yup.  Should’ve used “absurd” instead of “interesting.” :)

  24. 24.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 16, 2021 at 8:44 am

    @satby: Not sure about the vaccine life span.

    ETA – just hoping for Texans’ safety.  (Open your doors, megachurches!)

  25. 25.

    Dan B

    February 16, 2021 at 9:35 am

    @germy: The parallels with AIDS are mind boggling. 1. People, medical professionals, politicians, and gay men denied it was dangerous, some for years. 2. Once the grim reality was accepted by most people there were those who rebelled. It kept spreading. 3. For most people AIDS was “other people”. Gay men and lesbians tried to get everyone’s attention but the sickness and death were kept from view or appeared sporadically in the media. 4. It became endemic and the responses became focused on spiritual healing, angry protests, and organizing to influence policy.
    Finally there were treatments but compassion for the Ill and the most vulnerable, instead of shame and demonization, couoled with acceptance that safe sex was necessary for a year or more during the early years, could have stopped AIDS before it was everywhere.

    We failed to realize that human behavior is often ignoble and short sighted. We don’t like listening to experts and we don’t like to be assertive when people behave irresponsibly. These make room for demagogues who preach blame instead of working for the pathways to solutions.

    Joe’s “unity – with everyone who wants to make things better” is a good path marker.

  26. 26.

    germy

    February 16, 2021 at 9:39 am

    @Dan B:

    Good points.

  27. 27.

    Dan B

    February 16, 2021 at 9:49 am

    @germy: Thanks.

    If human behavior were as well intentioned and noble as our mythos implies we would not have wars, pogroms, famine, and terrorism.

    If we were as logical and individuals were as self interested we would not be facing the climate crisis (and the polar vortex we are experiencing at the moment – ask me about the destruction if the circumpolar Jet Stream).

    Interesting times!

    Learn from the past and soldier on with making things better and making time for joy, as well as sorrow.

  28. 28.

    WaterGirl

    February 16, 2021 at 9:56 am

    @germy: No, you are not.

  29. 29.

    wenchacha

    February 16, 2021 at 10:34 am

    @NeenerNeener: Shoot. I’m 63, husband turns 65 in June. I hope the rationing of vaccines goes away as more vaccines get EUA.

  30. 30.

    Ivan X

    February 16, 2021 at 11:28 am

    So, my right leaning friends (yes, I have a couple; though none are full blown Trumpists) have been asking me, since I’m in California, why CA and FL have similar rates of infection and death by percentage of population, when CA has been highly restrictive of business, and FL has not. So I looked into it, and this is a story that’s making the rounds on the usual RWNJ media sources, to make the point, of course, that Democrats love to take away freedoms and destroy economies, for little or no benefit.

    But, I actually think it’s a question that I don’t have a good answer to — if CA’s lockdown measures were working, wouldn’t we be seeing better numbers? I hate to find myself asking whether it was worth it (and, selfishly, I’ve avoided COVID-19 thus far, so those results are hard to argue with), but the thought has now been planted in my head. Why *isn’t* CA doing better than FL?

  31. 31.

    NeenerNeener

    February 16, 2021 at 11:33 am

    @wenchacha: this is the only time having a chronic illness has worked in my favor. But I would gladly trade my MS for health and a vaccination spot next November.

  32. 32.

    Just One More Canuck

    February 16, 2021 at 11:38 am

    @mrmoshpotato: wouldn’t that require an act of Christian charity?

  33. 33.

    NeenerNeener

    February 16, 2021 at 11:46 am

    @Ivan X: Maybe because Californians are ignoring the lock down and acting like covid is over?

  34. 34.

    gvg

    February 16, 2021 at 11:48 am

    @Ivan X: ​
     From Florida-we know the govenor and allies tried to downplay the numbers. No idea how reliable are numbers really are. Two, Florida’s elderly population of retirees knew perfectly well they were the vulnerable ones and many of them took steps to protect themselves. they were also more able to do that by virtue of being retired, whereas the California problems seem to revolve around those who have to go to work, especially recent immigrants. I doubt that is all, but that is what I know off the top of my head.
    I also remeber driving by malls and seeing maskless idiots but seeing the parking lots weren’t as full as in the past, and realizing that the people who understood the science, stayed at home and didn’t call attention to themselves. So many people were smarter than the politicians gave us credit for wanting.

  35. 35.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 16, 2021 at 11:57 am

    @Just One More Canuck: Yes.  Which is why it’s not happening.

    ETA – didn’t see you’d mentioned Christian charity specifically.

  36. 36.

    Just One More Canuck

    February 16, 2021 at 12:11 pm

    @mrmoshpotato: I associate mega churches with ‘Christianity’ or at least the money-grubbing facsimile thereof

  37. 37.

    mrmoshpotato

    February 16, 2021 at 12:40 pm

    @Just One More Canuck: Well, yes.  Money is the point of megachurches.

  38. 38.

    VFX Lurker

    February 16, 2021 at 3:19 pm

    @Ivan X:

    Why *isn’t* CA doing better than FL?

    Define “better.” Looking at the Washington Post’s numbers, Florida is #25 for reported deaths per 100k and California is #33.

    California’s full of crackpots and idiots, but we’re doing a much better job keeping our COVIDiots alive than Florida.

  39. 39.

    charon

    February 16, 2021 at 4:00 pm

    @Ivan X:

    Why *isn’t* CA doing better than FL?

    Expensive housing.

    Crowded housing.

    Multigenerational households living in apartments.

    There was a piece in the LAT about how COVID is much more prevalent in places like East Los Angeles where there is a lot of high density housing occupancy.

  40. 40.

    Chris T.

    February 16, 2021 at 4:28 pm

    @charon: Yes, but VFX Lurker (at 38) is correct as well: California is doing better than FL. The hottest spots for problems in CA are where the population density is very high and there is a great deal of poverty.

  41. 41.

    Ivan X

    February 16, 2021 at 5:23 pm

    Thanks for the answers. Love you jackals.

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