Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

This really is a full service blog.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

No one could have predicted…

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Everybody saw this coming.

I really should read my own blog.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, March 12-13

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Friday / Saturday, March 12-13

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YOUR circus, your monkeys –

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… Virologists expected SARS-CoV-2 to mutate more slowly than influenza, and between its emergence and November 2020, the virus did seem remarkably stable…

But in the past several months, different variants have surfaced almost simultaneously in Britain, South Africa, Brazil, and now in California and New York. Each of these variants has independently developed similar and in some cases identical mutations and achieved greater transmissibility by binding more efficiently to human cells…

There is not enough data to evaluate the variants first identified in South Africa and Brazil, but whether or not they are also more lethal, one thing is certain — more variants will arise. Mutations are random. Most either make the virus so defective it can’t function or have no impact at all. But this virus has already demonstrated that it can become more deadly and evade some immune protection, making vaccines less effective. If we allow the virus additional opportunities to mutate, it will have more opportunities to become the worst version of itself.

There is no reason to expect that this virus will suddenly turn into 1918. There are limits as to how far it can mutate. But the more people who abandon masks and social distancing, the more infections can be expected — and the more variants will emerge…

We know masks decrease transmission. Lifting a masking order not only means more people will get sick and die. It also gives the virus more rolls of the dice. That is a fact.

The variants we have seen so far do not worry me much. The variants we have not yet seen . . . yes, they worry me. To increase our risks is, simply, foolish.

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Reader Interactions

32Comments

  1. 1.

    NeenerNeener

    Monroe County, NY yesterday:

    New cases = 100. Now at 1174 deaths.
    Positivity at 1.5%
    153 cases in the hospital, 38 in the ICU
    42% hospital beds available, 38% ICU beds available.

  2. 2.

    Amir Khalid

    Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 numbers. Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 1,470 new cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 322,409 cases. He also reports three new deaths today, for a cumulative total of 1,206 deaths — 0.37% of the cumulative reported total, 0.39% of resolved cases.

    There are currently 16,711 active and contagious cases; 162 are in ICU, 72 of them intubated. Meanwhile, 1,830 patients recovered and were discharged, for a cumulative total of 304,492 patients recovered – 94.4% of the cumulative reported total.

    Two new clusters were reported today: Jalan Mega Cemerlang in Johor, and Jalan Pria in Kuala Lumpur. Both are workplace clusters.

    1,458 new cases today are local infections. Selangor reports 542 local cases: 61 in existing clusters, 412 close-contact screenings, and 69 other screenings. Sarawak reports 222 cases: 39 in existing clusters, 123 close-contact screenings, and 6o other screenings.

    Penang reports 178 cases: 61 in existing clusters, 37 close-contact screenings, and 80 other screenings. Kuala Lumpur reports 156 local cases: 85 in older clusters, five in Jalan Pria cluster, 43 close-contact screenings, and 23 other screenings. Johor reports 101 cases: 23 in older clusters, 17 in Jalan Mega Cemerlang cluster, 43 close-contact screenings, and 23 other screenings.

    Perak reports 72 cases: 64 in existing clusters, three close-contact screenings, and five other screenings. Sabah reports 71 cases: seven in existing clusters, 54 close-contact screenings, and 10 other screenings. Kelantan reports 40 cases: two in existing clusters, 34 close-contact screenings, and four other screenings. Perlis reports 29 cases, all in an existing cluster.

    Terengganu reports 14 cases: 12 in existing clusters, and two other screenings. Kedah reports 13 cases: one in an existing cluster, seven close-contact screenings, and five other screenings. Pahang reports eight cases: three in existing clusters, and five other screenings. Negeri Semilan reports six cases: two in existing clusters, three close-contact screenings, and one other screening. Putrajaya reports four cases: one in an existing cluster, and three other screenings. And Melaka reports two cases, both close-contact screenings.

    12 new cases today are imported: nine in Selangor, two in Kuala Lumpur, and one in Labuan.

    The deaths reported today are a 53-year-old man in Selangor with diabetes; an 83-year-old man in Selangor with diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and heart disease; and a 73-year-old man in Terengganu with diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and anaemia.

  3. 3.

    YY_Sima Qian

    On 3/12 China reported 0 new domestic confirmed & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases.

    Imported Cases

    On 3/12 China reported 7 new imported confirmed cases, 17 imported asymptomatic cases:

    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 2 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Bangladesh & Saudi Arabia; 2 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Turkey & Sri Lanka
    • Foshan in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Saudi Arabia; 6 asymptomatic cases, 3 Chinese nationals returning from Saudi Arabia, 2 from Bangladesh & 1 from Tanzania; all cases off flights that landed at Guangzhou
    • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from the US
    • Shanghai Municipality – 2 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Spain & the US
    • Tianjin Municipality – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Mali (via Paris CdG); 2 asymptomatic cases, 1 Chinese national returning from France & the US; the case from the Us had arrived at Shanghai on 2/1, passed through the 14 days of centralized quarantine and tested negative on RT-PCR multiple times, after being released from quarantine on 2/24 the case traveled by high speed rail to Tianjin and entered home quarantine, the cases tested positive for IgM & IgG antibodies but negative for RT-PCR on 3/3, home quarantine was extended for 7 days and the case tested positive for RT-PCR on 3/10 and again on 3/11
    • Changsha in Hunan Province – 1 confirmed case, no information released
    • Yunnan Province (location not specified) – 2 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning from Myanmar (via land border crossing)
    • Xi’an in Shaanxi Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning from Uzbekistan , off a flight diverted from Beijing
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, both coming from Ghana

     

    Overall in China, 5 confirmed cases recovered, 6 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation & none were reclassified as confirmed cases, and 249 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 184 active confirmed cases in the country (179 imported), none in critical/serious condition, 255 asymptomatic cases (all imported), 0 suspect cases. 4,646 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.

    On 3/13 Hong Kong reported 47 new cases, 4 imported & 43 domestic (4 of whom do not yet have source of infection identified, 35 are from the fitness club cluster). 

  4. 4.

    evap

    It feels like the tide is turning at last, this combined with beautiful spring weather has really cheered me.

    Georgia governor lowered the age for vaccines to 55+ and added a long list of medical conditions for 16+.  Combined with a bunch of mass vaccination sites that have opened recently, or will open soon, it looks like the pace of vaccinations here will pick up.  My spouse and several other relatives who just became eligible were able to get vaccine appointments for the week after next.

    I have booked a trip to NYC to visit my daughter at the end of July!!  The hotel I booked costs about a third of what it cost the last time I stayed there, with free cancellation up to two days before arrival.

  5. 5.

    raven

    @evap: I bet those rates don’t last! We’re going to book a week at the beach in May and they are filling up fast! Go Dawgs!

  11. 11.

    Amir Khalid

    @rikyrah:

    Vaccinations began on 24th February. The current first phase is dedicated to frontline workers. As of yesterday, 275,851 of them had been vaccinated. Sometime next month, phase two will start, covering high-risk groups.

  12. 12.

    JPL

    @rikyrah: That was one of the companies that benefited from Operation Warp speed.   They are hoping to have a vaccine on the market in May, but results when using variants are poor.   At least that is my understanding.

  13. 13.

    arrieve

    At the beginning of this week, I thought I might have to wait until I turned 65 in June to get a vaccine. I was hoping it would be sooner, but not counting on it. Then NY made 60+ eligible as of Wednesday. I got an appointment for mid-April at the Javits Center, which still felt like forever from now.

    I decided to try Walgreen’s/Duane Reade, and got an appointment for Sunday on the third try. Then yesterday afternoon I got a phone call. “We’re really crowded on Sundays. Any chance you can come in now?”

    So I’ve had the first Moderna, and second is scheduled for April 11th.  Spring came early this year. (Arm is a little sore and I fell asleep before ten pm last night, but otherwise feel normal.)

  16. 16.

    Amir Khalid

    @rikyrah:
    Mostly Pfizer, I ​would think. Maybe some SinoVac. The Ministry hasn’t released a breakdown of vaccines used by maker so far.

  17. 17.

    J R in WV

    O. T. Our daffodils are starting to bloom, saw the  new bright yellow flowers yesterday along the drive as I approached the house around 3:30 after a short trip to Kroger’s!

    So, frog eggs in the tiny pond, Lenten rose in bloom,  now daffydils are out! Looks like Spring is about to be sprung!!

    This is my Happy face:    ;-)

  18. 18.

    Matt McIrvin

    While the vaccines will help with the variants, certainly to keep them from killing so many people, it sure sounds to me like we’re going to need a booster shot down the line to deal with some of these mutations in earnest. Maybe a multivalent one. Maybe yearly shots.

    I hope that now that the mechanisms are in place to create and distribute all of these vaccines, it’ll be faster to get the new ones out, so that we can get inside the loop and chase down these mutations before new ones can defeat the existing vaccines. Presumably minor variations on existing vaccines won’t need quite the level of field testing of the first versions?

    We complain but the US is actually pretty good at distributing vaccines, as countries go. It’s a matter of having the supply in the first place.

  19. 19.

    Sloane Ranger

    So, I had my 1st shot yesterday. It was the AstraZeneca one. Once I reached the centre it was all very smooth and efficient. The queue moved very fast and, when I got to the front, I was asked for my appointment registration and NHS numbers. Then I was asked if I was displaying any symptoms and when I said “No”, I was told to go in where I was met by another worker, who confirmed my details and asked me some medical questions. After I’d answered these, I was handed off to someone else who took me into a large hall filled with small cubicles. She re-checked all my details, asked if I’d ever had an allergic reaction to an injection and confirmed that I wanted to have the vaccine. Then it was just a question of rolling up my sleeve and getting jabbed. Then I was given a card with the vaccination details on it and a piece of paper listing possible side effects and was told to go sit in the waiting area for 15 minutes before leaving. While I was there, a volunteer came up and talked me through the possible side effects, and what to do if I had them. I am pleased to report that, except for a slight ache in my arm, I seem fine so far.

    While I was waiting, there was a lady who had an anxiety attack. She was taken out of the cubicle and a volunteer sat with her, reassuring her. Plus there was another person who said they had had an allergic reaction to a previous vaccine. They were taken to a private room, which seemed to be full of medical equipment,accompanied by several members of staff. I left before she came out so I don’t know what happened to them after that.

    My big complaint was the journey back home. The journey to the centre had gone exactly as planned and I really enjoyed seeing the new sights. I hadn’t realised how starved I was for new experiences until then but the return journey was a nightmare. First off, the bus from the centre into town didn’t come so I had to wait over 30 minutes for the next one, which was, obviously, crowded as it was picking up the people who had been waiting for the previous one as well as it’s normal load, then, when I got into town, I found that the dual carriageway was closed and the Express bus I had planned to take home would have to go by what the driver euphemistically described as “the scenic route.” It was after 5pm by the time I walked into my home. Still, it’s done. I go back for my 2nd shot in late May.

    Now, to yesterday’s figures from the UK where there were 6609 new cases. This is a decrease of about 150 from the day before and a reduction of 7.3% in the rolling 7-day average. It should be noted that case number for the UK have been slowly creeping up over the last 4 days so this small reduction is welcome. Cases by nation,

    England – 5529 (down @220)

    Northern Ireland – 208 (down 15)

    Scotland – 682 (up @90)

    Wales – 190 (down 5).

    Deaths – There were 175 deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday. This is a decrease of 35.4% in the rolling 7-day average. Deaths by nation, England – 145, Northern Ireland – 1, Scotland – 17 and Wales – 12. during the week ending Friday, 26 February a total of 3196 people had COVID listed as a cause of death on their Death Certificate.

    Testing – On Thursday, 11 March 1,614,145 tests were conducted. The testing capacity estimated by the labs was 734,609. This is an increase of 73.5% in the rolling 7-day average.

    Hospitalisations – On Wednesday, 10 March there were 8404 people in hospital and 1194 people were on ventilators on Thursday, 11 March. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admissions is down by 27.5%.

    Vaccinations – As of 11 March, a total of 23,314,525 people had received the 1st shot of a vaccine and 1,445,078 had received both shots.

  21. 21.

    Robert Sneddon

    @Matt McIrvin: ​
      The senior health officials in the UK are already talking about booster immunisations for everyone in the autumn after nearly all of the population will have had their first series of vaccinations. The aim is, I think, to improve the outcomes for people infected with the newer variants of coronavirus which have slightly different spike proteins compared to the Mk 1 version that spread early last year. The current vaccines are ‘tuned’ to create antibody reactions to the original proteins and it may be necessary to manufacture Mk 2 versions of the vaccine specifically for the new variants.

  22. 22.

    Catherine D.

    I got my first shot yesterday, and since I deliberately had it in the arm with tendonitis, I can’t really tell if it’s sore ? No fever or headache.

  24. 24.

    Suzanne

    Mr. Suzanne got his second shot yesterday! He is usually a night owl, but he was very sleepy yesterday. Other than that and some soreness at the injection site, no problems so far.

    I get #2 on Friday. Woohoo!

  26. 26.

    Bruce K in ATH-GR

    Greece: 2405 new cases for the 24-hour period ending 3pm Athens time Saturday, 49 dead. Vaccination is still limited to health care workers, and 60-64 for Oxford/AstraZeneca and 75-and-older for Pfizer and Moderna.

    Down from the peak of 3181 earlier in the week, but the numbers are still worrying and the hard lockdowns continue.

    I’m 50 with a comorbidity, and I’m starting to wonder if it’d be faster to fly to New York to get my vaccination taken care of, while my parents are putting their affairs in order there before returning to Greece for good.

  27. 27.

    Carlo

    “Some good COVID news – research shows the @Novavax jab is:

    100% protection against severe disease”

    Goddamit, this is a statistically illiterate statement. There were 5 severe cases in the placebo group and zero in the vaccine group. The severe disease efficacy could be as low as 40% with these small numbers. Why do “experts” believe every word they read in a pharma press release?

    I put an analysis of the (very little) actual data in that position press release at https://wordpress.cels.anl.gov/covid-vaccine-efficacy/2021/03/12/novavax-nvx-cov2373-vaccine-trials-complete-partial-data-released/.

  28. 28.

    Tern

    I was just able to schedule my 79 year old mother’s 1st shot down in Florida. She’s computer literate but has just been overwhelmed trying to figure out where/how to get one. She started crying when I called her to let her know to be prepared to go to her local pharmacy on Tuesday, so then I started crying. Tears of joy though for both of us.

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