… And it is awesome!
This is a real thing that exists at an NJ mass vaccination site. pic.twitter.com/CWWLVEBKJo
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) February 25, 2021
The US administered 1.8 million vaccine shots today, bringing the total to 68.3 million, or 20.6 doses per 100 people. The 7-day moving average rose slightly to 1.31 million shots per day. 13.9% of Americans have received at least one shot; 6.5% are fully vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/febz6YfGIu
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 26, 2021
President Joe Biden marks the 50 millionth vaccine dose administered since he was sworn in. Four front-line workers received shots on live TV as part of the White House’s efforts to build confidence in the vaccination program. https://t.co/zK4oNZoVJ6
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 25, 2021
UPS expects a 40% jump in vaccine shipments next week https://t.co/6HRXckkXea
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) February 25, 2021
The US had +77,377 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total to over 29.0 million. The 7-day moving average rose to over 71,000 new cases per day. pic.twitter.com/s2Tn5Yu84f
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 26, 2021
US to distribute 25 million cloth masks to help combat COVID19. "In the month of March, we will begin to deliver millions of masks to food banks and community health centers around the country," said White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients https://t.co/eVXVXEynDD
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 25, 2021
US COVID case declines have paused. Hospitalizations are still coming down steadily.
This isn't over yet. Don't eat the marshmallow. We still need masks and distancing. We still need to accelerate vaccinations. pic.twitter.com/dLxRHSZUpn
— Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) February 25, 2021
======
Governments say getting vaccinated and having the proper documentation to prove it will smooth the way to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. But that also raises the prospect of further dividing the world along the lines of wealth and access to vaccines. https://t.co/LUEei9u67w
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 26, 2021
Left out? Israeli vaccine refuseniks fear exclusion as economy reopens https://t.co/Eog3MrvTip pic.twitter.com/A3LM34xyC7
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 26, 2021
EU urged to adopt joint 'vaccine certificates' https://t.co/lYalVGMH6t
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 25, 2021
At least 4 countries have met the challenge of the B.1.1.7 strain and 2 things work: mitigation and vaccination.
The UK combined these 2 highly effectively. pic.twitter.com/AWALQhDNAi— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) February 25, 2021
The Queen has taken part in a video call with health officials leading the deployment of Covid vaccination across the four nations of the UK
The monarch said her own vaccination "didn't hurt at all"https://t.co/os5PSyPfO3 pic.twitter.com/rVJceg30Vy
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) February 25, 2021
Germans clamor for Covid vaccines, but shun AstraZeneca’s offering. Hundreds of thousands of AstraZeneca doses are going unopened as many Germans reject the vaccine over fears it's “second-class” compared with the mRNA vax developed by BioNTech & Pfizer https://t.co/3j2PB6UzDM
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 26, 2021
Russia on Thursday confirmed 11,198 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total caseload to 4,212,100https://t.co/MQGenZjl7H
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) February 25, 2021
South Korea has administered its first available shots of coronavirus vaccines to people at long-term care facilities, launching a mass immunization campaign. https://t.co/tSsnCDCXOl
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 26, 2021
Covid-19: Sri Lanka reverses 'anti-Muslim' cremation order https://t.co/selEbjmzVQ
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 26, 2021
A resurgence of COVID-19 cases is hitting Somalia hard, straining one of the world’s most fragile health systems, while officials await test results to show whether a more infectious variant of the coronavirus is spreading. https://t.co/KPqo9sEORI
— AP Africa (@AP_Africa) February 26, 2021
Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll has passed 250,000, the second highest total in the world after the U.S., where more than half a million people have died. The grim milestone comes as cases and deaths have fallen in other Latin American countries. https://t.co/7d7EmbZFXU
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 25, 2021
Rich countries should tithe their vaccines. Of the nearly 200 million vaccinations administered, 75% occurred in only 10 countries. Game theory suggests that donating doses can help nations of all income levels https://t.co/NIBb4EfXsD pic.twitter.com/3bJc9F4HWF
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 25, 2021
======
Seems like an important update:
The FDA says it's OK to store vials of the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine at normal freezer temperature https://t.co/LYBv3xCyii pic.twitter.com/MVDtBVaOxi
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 25, 2021
… “Pfizer submitted data to the FDA to support this alternative temperature for transportation and storage. This alternative temperature for transportation and storage of the undiluted vials is significant and allows the vials to be transported and stored under more flexible conditions. The alternative temperature for transportation and storage will help ease the burden of procuring ultra-low cold storage equipment for vaccination sites and should help to get vaccine to more sites,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
Pfizer Inc. submitted data to the FDA to demonstrate that their COVID-19 vaccine remains stable after storage of the undiluted vials for up to two weeks at standard freezer temperature. The alternative temperature for storage of frozen vials is not applicable to the storage of thawed vials before dilution (which can be held in the refrigerator for up to 5 days), or on the storage of thawed vials after dilution (which can be held at refrigerator temperature or room temperature for use within 6 hours)…
AstraZeneca, Sputnik vaccines face hurdles if COVID shots become annual affair https://t.co/I2TlRBADYj pic.twitter.com/x6Ow0Wc5sF
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 26, 2021
New findings on 2 ways children become seriously ill from coronavirus infection. A large study found that youngsters hospitalized with acute Covid19 have symptoms & characteristics that differ from those with a pediatric Covid-linked inflammatory syndrome https://t.co/3JlBe4Y2yn
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 25, 2021
Nursing homes, once hotspots, now far outpace the U.S. in Covid declines. SARSCoV2 had raced through ~31k long-term care facilities in the US, killing >163k people. But for the 1st time in roughly a year — the threat may have reached a turning point https://t.co/sAsGv3nUpU
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) February 25, 2021
======
The joy of vax: The people giving the shots are seeing hope, and it’s contagious https://t.co/5r4t6O94wq
— Sara Benincasa (@SaraJBenincasa) February 25, 2021
Front-line workers breathe a sigh of relief as the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 decreases. Hospitalizations are down 80,000 in six weeks in the U.S. following a surge in cases and deaths in December and January. https://t.co/t9F8rSlWCu
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 25, 2021
Pew survey finds low-income, minority respondents overwhelmingly support keeping schools closed until teachers vaccinated. Upper-income, white, and Republican respondents more likely to want schools reopened as soon as possible. https://t.co/ItYTtznm73 pic.twitter.com/I77J0ivt0g
— Andrew Kreighbaum (@kreighbaum) February 24, 2021
kids can get together and play music and not get each other and their family members sick. this rules. https://t.co/yqo2cgkn87
— Peloton InfoSec Analyst (Incident Response) (@CalmSporting) February 25, 2021
these ghouls administered a passive eugenics plan & still sit in office praising their work https://t.co/DzeSv6qSHc
— kilgore trout, ted’s travel agent (@KT_So_It_Goes) February 24, 2021
NeenerNeener
Monroe County, NY yesterday:
New cases = 195. Reported deaths at 1137, up from 1124.
Positivity at 2.1%
224 cases in the hospital, 64 in the ICU
41% hospital beds available, 37% ICU beds available.
Since our new cases are headed back up I’m assuming this spike is from Superb Owl parties.
p.a.
Someone has to disinfect the musicians’ pods after use, yes?
Baud
Vaccine envy.
Mary G
Second Moderna shot today. No reaction so far. Every single person I saw in Anaheim had a mask on properly covering nose and mouth. OC only had 174 new cases today and all measures are in range to go down to Tier 2 except for new cases per 100K per day, which is 11.9 and needs to be under 7. Much closer!
rikyrah
I am Black.
To a person, personally and at work, I haven’t found anyone who wants to open schools before every adult in the school building is fully vaccinated.
I think our Mayor truly doesn’t understand the ill will she is creating by pushing schools to open before full vaccination.?
scott (the other one)
Those selfie stations are a good thing. The reason they exist is because for privacy reasons you can’t take photographs in the rest of the area. And having people post on social media that they got their shots is a very good thing.
rikyrah
@Mary G:
Yeah?????
rikyrah
Β@Mary G:
Yeah?????
rikyrah
@scott (the other one):
The more people that share-good thing
Gvg
@p.a.: probably not. Just wait a few days and the virus would be dead, or the kids take their own with them and bring it back, or have them clean their own.
leaving it alone would be easiest. Put a name tag on them and use the same one the next days practice.
Betty Cracker
I am pleased to report that three of my 65+ relatives were able to get vaccinated this week. Five more of my eligible kin are still awaiting shots, including my dad, who says he’ll wait for the J&J vax because he doesn’t want to have to get two shots. [insert eye-roll emoji here] My stepmom will go along with his dumbassery because she always does.
Anyway
@rikyrah:
To me, wait to open schools until after. all school staff are vaccinated is a no-duh situation. Especially with vaccine availability on the rise. Prioritize school and child-care workers. Don’t understand the resistance to this.
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 2,253 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 295,951 cases. He also reports 11 new deaths today, for a cumulative total of 1,111 deaths — 0.38% of the cumulative reported total, 0.41% of resolved cases.
There are currently 27,994 active and contagious cases; 201are in ICU, 93 of them intubated. Meanwhile, 3,085 patients recovered and were discharged, for a cumulative total of 266,846 patients recovered – 90.1% of the cumulative reported total.
10 new clusters were reported today: Persiaran Freesia building site, Teknologi Emas, Jalan Jenjarum, and Bukit Putra in Selangor; Simpang Tiga Muar and Jalan Mega Satu in Johor; Merotai Besar in Sabah; Genting Terang in Penang; Kampung Telekong in Kelantan; and Kampung Columbia in Perak.
Kampung Telekong and Kampung Columbia are community clusters. The rest are all workplace clusters.
2,246 new cases today are local infections. Selangor reports 631 local cases: 108 in older clusters; 35 in Persiaran Freesia building site, Teknologi Emas, Jalan Jenjarum, and Bukit Putra clusters; 377 close-contact screenings; and 111 other screenings. Perak reports 545 cases: 538 in older clusters, one in Kampung Columbia cluster, two close-contact screenings, and four other screenings. Johor reports 275 local cases: 63 in older clusters; 64 in Simpang Tiga Muar and Jalan Mega Satu clusters; 75 close-contact screenings; and 73 other screenings. Sarawak reports 250 cases: 83 in existing clusters, 113 close-contact screenings, and 54 other screenings.
Sabah reports 129 cases: 43 in older clusters, six in Merotai Besar cluster, 56 close-contact screenings, and 24 other screenings. Kuala Lumpur reports 118 local cases: 17 in existing clusters, 46 close-contact screenings, and 55 other screenings.
Penang reports 93 cases: 28 in older clusters, five in Genting Terang cluster, 19 close-contact screenings, and 41 other screenings. Kelantan reports 73 cases: 29 in older clusters, four in Kampung Telekong cluster, 25 close-contact screenings, and 15 other screenings. Negeri Sembilan reports 68 cases: 38 in existing clusters, 10 close-contact screenings, and 20 other screenings. Kedah reports 25 cases: two in existing clusters, five close-contact screenings, and 18 other screenings. Pahang reports 21 cases: 15 in existing clusters, two close-contact screenings, and four other screenings.
Melaka reports 13 cases: nine in existing clusters, three close-contact screenings, and one other screening. Perlis reports four cases, all found in other screening. And Terengganu reports one case, in an existing cluster.
Labuan and Putrajaya report no new cases today.
Seven new cases today are imported: four in Kuala Lumpur, two in Selangor, and one in Johor.
The deaths reported today are a 68-year-old man in Sabah with hypertension and chronic obbstructive pulmonary disease; a 55-year-old man in Sabah with diabetes and hypertension; a 72-year-old man in Selangor with no co-morbidities listed; a 78-year-old man in Selangor with diabetes and hypertension; a 40-year-old woman in selangor with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, asthma, and obesity; a 61-year-old man in Selangor, DOA with diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and heart disease; a 78-year-old man in Johor with hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and gout; a 59-year-old man in Sarawak, DOA with diabetes, hypertension, gout and chronic kidney disease; a 61-year-old non-Malaysian woman in Kuala Lumpur, DOA with no co-morbidities listed; a 44-year-old non-Malaysian man in Kuala Lumpur, DOA with no co-morbidities listed; and a 36-year-old non-Malaysian man in Kuala Lumpur, also DOA with no co-morbidities listed.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
Israeli vaccine “refuseniks” whining about being left out when the economy reopens?
That’s a feature, not a bug you assholes.
satby
@Betty Cracker: Well, at least he’s agreeable to getting a vaccine and isn’t intent on refusing it because it’s slightly less effective at preventing any illness at all (even though it’s highly effective against severe illness and death). That’s better than what I’m still dealing with in my workplace. Vaccine picky-ness is weird though.
Even a low level bribe of a bonus hasn’t moved the vaccine laggards into getting one. I just hired a new woman, and told her she would be eligible early as a health care workers and she was excited to be able to get it. Right now, I would have to fire 1/2 the staff. I think they’re thinking safety in numbers.
Betty Cracker
@satby: True — I worried that he wouldn’t get a vaccine at all because he’s a Fox News viewer who thinks the media and Dems played up the danger of virus to get rid of Trump. But he knows enough people who’ve had COVID to grasp that it’s real, and he has diabetes so understands the personal danger. That said, the positivity rate in our county is 11%, so I wish he’d just get the damned thing already, but he’s a stubborn old coot.
Good luck with your crew!
satby
@Anyway: A lot of people just don’t have the imagination to think they or their families could get seriously ill, and a lot of essential working people have been juggling e-learning and childcare chaos for a year. These families just want some stability and regularity back, and they think the trade-off of a probably asymptomatic or flu like illness is worth it. At least the single parents who work here express that daily. I don’t agree with it, but I don’t have to live their lives either.
Amir Khalid
How do those kids breathe, let alone play wind instruments, in those little one-person tents?
And have State Rep Grendell’s monstrous words been denounced in Ohio, or do people there see nothing wrong with them?
satby
I’m actually going to have to fire someone for refusing to get it. And if I fire one, and not the other two, that won’t hold up. But I am slowly lining up replacements, so if they push me I will. Mama’s not here for stupid*
(*and I’m not their mama anyway).
Amir Khalid
Some more news: The Health Ministry reports that as of 3pm Malaysian time, about five hours ago, over one million Malaysians have signed up for Covid-19 vaccinations since registration opened two days ago.
satby
@Amir Khalid: That’s because you live in a country with smart people. Color me jealous.
mrmoshpotato
This is the greatest and best rocked sousaphone in the world.
-Jack Black (probably)
Ken
That must be that “herd mentality” I heard about.
I’m half-expecting a push from the insurance companies within a couple of months; say, making vaccination a requirement for companies purchasing group health plans. That could help with your staffing issues.
Princess
Noah Rothman is such a jerk.
Sloane Ranger
Yesterday in the UK we had 9985 new cases. This is slightly higher than the day before, but a 15.7% decrease in the rolling 7-day average. New cases by nation,
England – 8623 (down @20)
Northern Ireland – 281 (up @20)
Scotland – 769 (down @30)
Wales – 312 (up @75).
Deaths – There were 323 deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday. The rolling 7-day average has decreased by 30.4%. Deaths by nation, England – 266, Northern Ireland – 5, Scotland – 31 and Wales – 21.
Testing – 740,717 tests were conducted on Wednesday, 24 February out of a capacity of 782,602. This is an increase of 10.8% in the rolling 7-day average.
Hospitalisations – There were 16,059 people in hospital as of Tuesday, 23 February and 2118 people on ventilators as of Wednesday, 24th. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admissions is down 20.2%.
Vaccinations – As of 24 February, a total of 18,691,835 people had received their 1st shot of a vaccine and 700,718 had received both shots.
Zzyzx
So yesterday, it took the three South Sound Rite Aids until like 3-4 PM to fill up their slots for next Wednesday. Today they have new slots for next Thursday. How long will that take?
WA is reaching the point where the frustration is that there are tons of appointments but people with comorbidities can’t sign up yet. It’s still just health care workers and 65+ which is causing people to start to bend rules.
YY_Sima Qian
On 2/25 China reported 0 new domestic confirmed & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases.
Hebei Province
Hebei Provincial Health Commission reported that 17 domestic confirmed cases recovered & 1 domestic asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently 46 domestic confirmed cases (41 moderate and 5 mild) & 3 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province:
Heilongjiang Province
Heilongjiang Provincial Health Commission reported that 3 domestic asymptomatic cases were released from isolation. There are currently 3 domestic confirmed (all moderate) & 10 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.:
Jilin Province
Jilin Provincial Heath Commission reported that 2 domestic confirmed cases recovered & 1 domestic asymptomatic case was released from isolation. There are currently 18 domestic confirmed (1 critical, 10 moderate and 7 mild) & 2 domestic asymptomatic cases:
Imported Cases
On 2/25 China reported 6 new imported confirmed cases, 6 imported asymptomatic cases:
Overall in China, 43 confirmed cases recovered, 14 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation & 1 were reclassified as confirmed case, and 496 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 244 active confirmed cases in the country (156 imported), 1 is in critical/serious condition (none imported), 270 asymptomatic cases (252 imported), 1 suspect case (imported). 7,828 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.
On 2/26 Hong Kong reported 24 new cases, 6 imported & 18 domestic (1 of whom do not yet have source of infection identified).
Robert Sneddon
Scotland — There have been 27 Covid-related deaths registered in the past 24 hours and another 581 new cases of the virus confirmed, representing 3.3% of tests carried out. Hospitalisations are down a little. Note that these numbers are a bit more up-to-date than the ones Sloane Ranger reports as that’s based on yesterday’s statistics for the entire UK. Scotland reports the basic numbers for the past 24 hours every lunchtime around 12:30 local time.
The Scottish health secretary says the target to finish vaccinating everyone over 50 is 15 April after which people in Scotland aged 40-49 will be next in line to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The latest figures show 1,542,929 people have received their first dose of the vaccine with 26,949 people getting vaccinated since yesterday. Scotland’s total population including children is about 5.6 million.
The vaccination rate has fallen in Scotland over the past week or so from a high of about 40,000 a day. The authorities did warn this was going to happen as a bottleneck in supply was on the horizon but they claim supply levels will increase again soon.
A number of special-interest groups such as police officers and schoolteachers are asking for priority access to vaccination but the Scottish government is resisting this, insisting the age-related and medically-vulnerable cases priority system is in place and working and trying to arrange for some people to go to the head of the appointments queues will mess things up.
There is still no news when the operation to deliver second booster vaccinations will get under way. Scotland like the rest of the UK is working on getting as many people as possible vaccinated with a first dose with only a fraction of the current population having received the supposedly-necessary second dose for full immunisation.
Suzanne
@Betty Cracker: My uncle and aunt in Sarasota got their first shots this week. SuzMom and SuzAunt got their second shots yesterday and Wednesday, respectively. The storm slowed us down, but it’s picking back up….. fingers crossed.
Soprano2
I’m glad to see that the CDC is working on their extremely pessimistic messaging around vaccination. They need to give people positive things they can do after they’re vaccinated, not make it sound like you’re going to be masking and social distancing forever anyway!
Then I read on TPM that there’s an epidemiologist, Dr. Cindy Prins, who says this:
To me this is completely insane, because it would result in everyone having to wear masks, social distance, and stay in their houses FOREVER, because there is never going to be a time when people are “unlikely” to ever come into contact with COVID. It’s a completely unrealistic goal for getting back to some semblance of normal. The goal is to prevent death, hospitalizations and severe illness, not to completely prevent people from getting COVID. She might as well advocate for the eradication of the common cold!
Jim Appleton
@Mary G: “… no reaction so far…”
Touch wood and don’t push your luck.
Five out of five of us who got second Moderna last Friday had notable side effects about 36-48 hours later, unpleasant enough to limit activity. If what I experienced is at all preview of wild infection, …
bluefoot
Selfie stations are a great idea. It will help with vaccine uptake, and provides a place in-clinic that won’t violate privacy laws.
Our ridiculous governor here in MA is reopening indoor performance venues at half-capacity, and end capacity limits for indoor dining. Also gyms, theaters, arcades, gyms, etc. While at the same time has completely botched vaccine rollout. What the everloving fuck? Is he trying to kill people? We are only back to where we were prior to the winter surge, not back down to, say levels in July 2020. This is crazy. Especially since it the people who work in these types of places that haven’t been able to get vaccinated. I already have seen restaurants with people crowded together without masks. And just in time to spring break and St Patricks Day. Yay?
We are so close to getting this under control, and Baker is going to throw it away.
I would be happy to be proven wrong about this.
grandmaBear
Ohio opened shots to 70 & above plus K-12 teachers & staff on Feb 1. I believe all who want it will be 2 weeks past the 2nd shot by Biden’s 100th day.
Uncle Cosmo
Gee, and why might that be? I look back to growing up a working-class kid in the 50s just outside the big city. My folks were the kind who’d pulled up stakes in The Sticks toward the end of the 30s and followed the jobs. They wanted better for themselves – and hoped for even better for their kids. And they knew the way to “even better” was education – and teachers were key. And I doubt it’s all that different for those “low income, minority respondents.”
Meanwhile the parents who are already near the top of the economic heap look down their noses at the teachers and figure they can put in the fix for their offspring without much more than glorified babysitting from those who were too stupid or lazy to claw their way up. (Those who can, do, those who can’t, teach, amirite?)
bluefoot
@Uncle Cosmo:
Wow, that is a great and insightful quote re “the hope” vs “the help.”
My sister is a public school teacher in a predominantly Republican school district and the superintendent has been insistent the schools be in person, “no matter what.” So she’s been teaching in person for several months. It’s hugely risky, especially since her husband is in a vulnerable population. So she has a HEPA filter in her classroom that she bought, double masks, and has the windows cracked open in upstate NY in winter. She’s even bought extra jackets for her students so they can stay warm.
Ohio Mom
grandmaBear:
In Ohio, 65 and above as of February 8th: Got my first jab last Thursday, will get my second March 11th.
Now if they would just open it up to 60 and above so Ohio Dad could get in line..
Ruckus
@Jim Appleton:
I got Pfizer, have had both shots, the first, a sore arm for about 10-12 hrs. The second hit a lot harder, arm a lot sorer and after that I felt like a truck ran over me. Again. (And yes, I’ve actually been personally hit by a truck, so I do know what I’m talking about…) Then woke up on the third day and felt fine. Actually feel better than I have in about oh, a year. That relief of knowing I got the shots and they are having the proper effect is amazing. I hope everyone gets to feel this bad/good, and real soon.
Robert Sneddon
@Soprano2:
It’s not masks (which do less to protect than people think, at least among the general public) and distancing and lockdowns the epidemiologists are looking to to drive the number of cases of coronavirus down to insignificance, it’s a lot of people having immunity from pre-exposure and/or vaccination so they don’t pass the disease on to those of us who still lack immunity.
Right now a crowd of a thousand random people anywhere in the USA or Europe will have a dozen infected and infectious individuals in their midst spreading the disease to others they come in contact with. Most of that thousand people are not immune to the disease. With widespread vaccination the number of infectious individuals in a crowd that size will be one or two, not a dozen or more and nearly all of the crowd will be immune so the disease can’t spread widely through them as it can right now.
Until the number of immune people gets to be significant, hygiene, distancing and lockdowns will keep the case numbers under control and nothing else. Once we do get to the point where most folks are immune (the fabled ‘herd immunity’) then the onerous restrictions on meetings, travel etc. can be done away with although expect tripwire reimpositions if case numbers soar in particular locations due to superspreader events.
grandmaBear
@Ohio Mom: I think they’ll go to 60 pretty soon. The previous two cohorts were much larger than what they could get through in a couple of weeks, but from what I hear things are moving pretty efficiently now.
Soprano2
@Robert Sneddon: I understand how that works. What I’m saying is that their “even if you’re vaccinated nothing in your life can change for months and months and months yet” is counter-productive. I read a thread on Twitter today that perfectly illustrates what I’m talking about. A man says his dad, who’s in his 70’s and retired, is afraid to play bridge with his friends once a week now EVEN THOUGH ALL OF THEM ARE COMPLETELY VACCINATED. This is because he heard that you can still get COVID even if you’re vaccinated. He didn’t hear all the nuance about how it won’t kill you or put you in the hospital even if you get it once you’re vaccinated all he heard was “It’s still too dangerous to do anything differently no matter what the circumstances are”. The son said his dad is getting extremely depressed from the isolation, and desperately needs to be able to do SOMETHING. This negative messaging about the vaccines is, IMHO, going to a) inhibit people from getting the vaccine, because a lot of people will have the attitude that if nothing can change for them why should they do it and b) contribute to even more of an attitude of “Fuck it, if nothing is going to change until almost everyone in the world is vaccinated, I might as well just do what I want”. It seems to me that if you are vaccinated, and you’re getting together with people who are also vaccinated, you should be able to do it safely without everyone having to wear masks and stay 6 feet apart!!! That’s the kind of thing they need to be telling people, not “Nothing is going to change for months and maybe even years, we might still be wearing masks in 2022”.
Platonicspoof
The modeling results of being patient and continuing masking can be illustrated by these Feb. 20 interactive NYT graphs, meaning you can adjust preventative measures, etc. (“Choose a Scenario”):
SteverinoCT
CT is banking on there being a good supply and just saying fuckit: now it’s healthcare and 65+ , starting March 1, it will be just by age: 55+ (and teachers, caregivers). Then the next younger chunk, and so on. Eliminate the complications of calculating comorbidities and ram it to all.