• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Republicans in disarray!

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

I did not have telepathic declassification on my 2022 bingo card.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

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

A Senator Walker would be an insult to the state and the nation.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Americans barely caring about Afghanistan is so last month.

Consistently wrong since 2002

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

Mobile Menu

  • Winnable House Races
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Balloon Juice 2023 Pet Calendar (coming soon)
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • War in Ukraine
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • 2021-22 Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, April 14-15

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, April 14-15

by Anne Laurie|  April 15, 20215:49 am| 48 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

FacebookTweetEmail

‘Jen Psaki retweeted’ –

A quick check-in with U.S. adults reveals that contrary to the prevailing view on Twitter, the decision to pause the J&J vaccine?? due to a small number of blood clotting issues actually makes Americans more, not less, confident in the COVID-19 vaccines. pic.twitter.com/S8KtiVyOXR

— Echelon Insights (@EchelonInsights) April 14, 2021


24 hours ago I wasn’t thrilled with the pause on the J&J vaccines. Now at least I appreciate where regulators are coming from. https://t.co/mmw28xhFvx

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) April 14, 2021

A federal vaccine advisory committee -ACIP- says it needs more data before deciding whether Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot Covid vaccinations should resume. Panelists want data on risks, cause & frequency of a rare & severe type of blood clot https://t.co/7hRhxjgkQ8 pic.twitter.com/SmbeF4tAdl

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

But the practical importance of this pause – and how it was messaged, with a focus on informing providers – was huge. And really responsible.

I was in the ER today. One of the first patients I saw after getting briefed on the J&J decision was a young woman in her 30s.

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) April 14, 2021

She got the J&J vaccine a week ago. She had symptoms that overlap with those we were told to look out for. Today’s announcement changed my differential diagnosis & impacted my clinical management.

That’s exactly what it was meant to do. It’s also how we’ll get the data we need.

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) April 14, 2021

But more importantly, it should drastically improve our faith in the public health institutions tasked with protecting us. With how they had been politicized & over-ruled by the previous admin, this is critical.

And that’s exactly why I think today’s decision was the right one.

— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) April 14, 2021

ACIP @CDCgov mtg on #JohnsonAndJohnsonVaccine — they just said NONE of the women who suffered blood clotting events were on oral contraceptives.
There goes that theory for causation.

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 14, 2021

My take on J&J: The FDA/CDC had a legitimate concern and to protect the public a pause was the right thing to do. But, it's also true that the US Govt for the last decade (despite my pleas) has refused to confront and knock down antivaccine aggression..and now we have a monster.

— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) April 14, 2021

new Monmouth University poll:

proportion who say they'll never get covid vaccine if they can avoid it

5% of Democrats
22% of independents
43% of Republicans

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) April 14, 2021


‘If they can avoid it’ is doing some heavy lifting here; IMO it means ‘I’ll get the shot(s) as soon as it’s more inconvenient to defend my FREEDUMB! against pressure from my family / boss / friends than otherwise.’ Maybe the vaccine sites could hand out stickers that say I’M ONLY HERE UNDER PROTEST?

======

New: Track #COVID19 variants across the globe on CDC’s COVID Data Tracker. Understanding variants and their spread can help us stop the virus. Learn more: https://t.co/qw5SWo5t9u. pic.twitter.com/96bdf9Ynnd

— CDC (@CDCgov) April 13, 2021

India reported more than 200,000 new coronavirus cases, skyrocketing past 14 million overall as an intensifying outbreak puts a grim weight on its fragile health care system. https://t.co/XuPrcWU18E

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

India's #Covid19 cases plummeted earlier this year, but new infections are growing at an alarming rate now. Deaths are on the rise too. What happened?@BBCVikas and @Anshul_Verma__ report.https://t.co/7r0HWkUZlN pic.twitter.com/7otryMZfgN

— BBC News India (@BBCIndia) April 15, 2021

Hundreds test positive for Covid at Kumbh Mela in India's Haridwar cityhttps://t.co/yS7jgSErqo

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 14, 2021

1,543 new cases have been confirmed in Thailand, taking the total to 37,453, with 97 deaths. While that is much better than most other countries, Thailand's cases in the first three months of this year were triple what the country had all of last year. https://t.co/OMOqPzJgym

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen orders a strict stay-at-home two-week lockdown in the capital Phnom Penh to slow a surge in coronavirus cases, warning “we will die unless we act responsibly.” https://t.co/hctY5t07ZT

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

Russia on Thursday confirmed 8,944 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of reported infections to 4,675,153 https://t.co/AVEcHRHPma

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) April 15, 2021

New coronavirus cases in Russian-annexed Crimea have nearly doubled in recent days as authorities on the Black Sea peninsula anticipate a tourist influx caused by flight restrictions to Turkey https://t.co/DCnlcNFsoN

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) April 14, 2021

German COVID-19 cases jump by most since early January https://t.co/a53N8DXseE pic.twitter.com/Lvs9T7whgv

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2021

Mix & match: Germany to give different second vaccine to AstraZeneca recipients under age 60 https://t.co/xaqg3S8N76 via @FRANCE24

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) April 14, 2021

Sweden flirted w/#COVID19 herd immunity in 2020.
Now the country, "has a 7-day average of 625 new infections per million people."
Compares with
– 521 in Poland
– 491 France
– 430 Netherlands
– 237 Italy
– 208 Germany
– 132 Norway
– 111 Denmark
– 65 Finlandhttps://t.co/ghoEu01N37

— Laurie Garrett (@Laurie_Garrett) April 14, 2021

Australian doctors urge government to rethink mass vaccination hubs https://t.co/vL1z5KNWP0 pic.twitter.com/we9IodiNXc

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2021

<2% of 690m #COVID19 vax doses administered globally were given in Africa.
African health workers left without Covid jabs as paltry supplies dwindle https://t.co/j4RmpKxMTD

— kateelder (@kateelder) April 14, 2021

Brazil registers 3,459 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday https://t.co/ArGhl5DIan pic.twitter.com/VaIg6KVpMJ

— Reuters (@Reuters) April 15, 2021

Why is Covid killing Brazilian babies? https://t.co/B7jfInfaBq pic.twitter.com/AhbduCBLJl

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

A new @CDCMMWR finds leaving the middle seat vacant on airplanes could reduce exposure to #COVID19 infections up to 57% compared to full occupancy. Learn more: https://t.co/hF2bCx3WBg. pic.twitter.com/tAHgf7rVQj

— CDC (@CDCgov) April 14, 2021

======

Scientists haven’t figured out long Covid. Here are 5 of their best hypotheses: One involves disturbances to the gut microbiome; another hypothesis suggests a lingering impact on the brain https://t.co/01Rv4vTNjv pic.twitter.com/I90WYZUvcJ

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

SARSCoV2 is viable for 21 days in blood, mucus, semen and urine, but just 24 hours in breast milk. It also remains infectious longer during winter, spring, and fall conditions than in summer. New research https://t.co/IX7sNfc5el pic.twitter.com/ihbrO2nv2C

— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) April 14, 2021

======

A top health official’s suggestion to reimpose shutdowns as COVID-19 cases spike in some states is falling flat, even among Democratic governors who took tough measures during earlier virus surges. By @DavidALieb. https://t.co/daQq0ZBmZa

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 14, 2021

Homeless Americans who have been left off priority lists for coronavirus vaccinations – or even bumped aside as states shifted eligibility to older age groups – are finally getting their shots as vaccine supplies increase. https://t.co/8SGn1hCLr7

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2021

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: «On The Road - Kody Kastel - California Photos 11 On The Road – Kody Kastel – California Photos
Next Post: Thursday Morning Open Thread: President Biden, History’s Least Probable Trickster Figure »

Reader Interactions

48Comments

  1. 1.

    mrmoshpotato

    April 15, 2021 at 6:01 am

    Maybe the vaccine sites could hand out stickers that say I’M ONLY HERE UNDER PROTEST?

    VACCINATED, BUT STILL A SELFISH SLAPDICK

    Oh, and a lollipop because they’re CHILDREN!

  2. 2.

    rikyrah

    April 15, 2021 at 6:05 am

    If they can avoid it.

    I will say it again
    Time for employers to drop the vaccine hammer

    No vaccine, no job.

    It’s that simple

  3. 3.

    NeenerNeener

    April 15, 2021 at 6:07 am

    Monroe County, NY stats:

    New cases = 257
    Confirmed active cases = 3460.

    3.2% test positivity now. Deaths at 1211 now

    42.9% of Monroe County has had at least 1 vaccine dose.
    29.99% are totally vaccinated.

  4. 4.

    NotMax

    April 15, 2021 at 6:19 am

    So much still to learn. Worth a full read.

    Coronavirus vaccines should provide protection against COVID-19 for at least nine months, but booster shots might become necessary after that, especially among the elderly, a top Food and Drug Administration scientist said.
    [snip]
    “We’re believing that it’s probably going to last at least nine months, but we’re going to be checking this,” Marks said in a call hosted by the American Medical Association. “We need to be careful that in more immunocompromised individuals, particularly older individuals — the oldest individuals who are vaccinated — that we don’t see that drop off more quickly.”

    “It is possible — we don’t know for sure — that somewhere at nine months, a year, we may need to have boosters,” Marks said. “But we’ll get a better sense of that, probably with each month, we’ll get more certainty about when that might be necessary.”
    [snip]
    In recent weeks, the FDA has issued guidelines for vaccine manufacturers on how to submit applications for the approval of vaccine booster shots.

    But neither private companies nor the federal government have decided whether to create boosters that modify the existing vaccines to target new, emerging variants, or to essentially develop boosters based on the original vaccines.
    [snip]
    Scientists only know with confidence that a vaccine works for six months, for example, if they have six months of data proving it, Modjarrad said.

    Pfizer and Moderna, which both use the same biological technology in their vaccines and were first to complete their clinical trials, have recently published findings that show their vaccines remain over 90% effective after at least six months of data collection. Source

  5. 5.

    Chyron HR

    April 15, 2021 at 6:19 am

    proportion who say they’ll never get covid vaccine if they can avoid it
    5% of Democrats
    22% of independents
    43% of Republicans

    Overheard at the Catskills an Applebee’s salad bar–
    First Republican: “The Covid vaccine is full of poisonous 5G microchips!”
    Second Republican: “Yes, and they don’t give Trump enough credit for it!”​

  6. 6.

    lowtechcyclist

    April 15, 2021 at 6:25 am

    @rikyrah: ​
     

    Time for employers to drop the vaccine hammer

    No vaccine, no job.

    It’s that simple

    Well, time for them to say they’re going to drop that hammer, sometime this summer.

    After all, there’s still a shit-ton of people who want to be vaccinated that haven’t had their first shot yet. But in a few months, we’ll hit that point where if you want to be vaccinated and haven’t yet, you can just walk right in, no waiting.

  7. 7.

    Chris T.

    April 15, 2021 at 6:33 am

    A quick check-in with U.S. adults reveals that contrary to the prevailing view on Twitter, the decision to pause the J&J vaccine due to a small number of blood clotting issues actually makes Americans more, not less, confident in the COVID-19 vaccines.

    Yes, this is exactly the tricky bit. You have to make it clear that you’re paying attention (this probably requires a pause) but not take so long that everyone gets worried (how long is that?!?). EDIT: and, if at all possible, figure out for whom this is actually a concern, which also takes time (and lots of statistics).

  8. 8.

    raven

    April 15, 2021 at 6:37 am

    Risk of blood clot from J&J comparison.

  9. 9.

    Geminid

    April 15, 2021 at 6:37 am

    @NeenerNeener: Thank you for your regular reports on Covid in Munroe County, NY. As I can see, vaccination of an ever-larger portion of residents has not yet brought down the case load.

  10. 10.

    Amir Khalid

    April 15, 2021 at 6:40 am

    Malaysia’s Director-General of Heath Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reports 2,148 new Covid-19 cases today in his media statement, for a cumulative reported total of 367,977 cases. He also reports 10 new deaths today, for a cumulative total of 1,363 deaths — 0.37% of the cumulative reported total, 0.39% of resolved cases.

    There are currently 17,575 active and contagious cases; 212 are in ICU, 82 of them intubated. Meanwhile, 1,259 patients recovered and were discharged, for a cumulative total of 349,039 patients recovered – 94.85% of the cumulative reported total.

    15 new clusters were reported today: Kampung Bunut Sarang Burung, Kampung Domis, Kampung Labok, and Kok Lanas in Kelantan; Jaya Setia and Perabot Olak Lempit in Selangor; Lorong Megah Jaya, Jalan Labuk Tiga, Biah Skim, and Melangkap Tomis in Sabah; Jalan Radin in Kuala Lumpur; Kampung Bechah Semak in Kelantan; Jalan Cempaka Putih in Johor; Taman Rakyat in Trenggany; and Kampung Pokok Machang in Kedah.

    Biah Skim, Melangkap Tomis, Kampung Bechah Semak, Jalan Cempaka Putih, Taman Rakyat, and Kampung Pokok Machang are community clusters. The rest are workplace clusters.

    2,129 new cases today are local infections. Sarawak reports the most cases today, 512: 122 in existing clusters, 298 close-contact screenings, and 92 other screenings. Next is Selangor with 459 cases: 81 in older clusters, 16 in Jaya Setia and Perabot Olak Lempit clusters, 264 close-contact screenings, and 98 other screenings.

    Kelantan reports 221 cases: 20 in older clusters; 70 in Kampung Domis, Kampung Bechah Semak, Kampung Bunut Sarang Burung, Kampung Labok, and Kok Lanas clusters; 97 close-contact screenings; and 34 other screenings. Sabah reports 202 cases: 64 in older clusters; 32 in Biah Skim, Jalan Labuk Tiga, Lorong Megah Jaya, and Melangkap Tomis clusters; 76 close-contact screenings; and 30 other screenings.

    Johor reports 182 cases: 127 in older clusters, two in Jalan Cempaka Putih cluster, 24 close-contact screenings, and 29 other screenings. Kuala Lumpur reports 152 local cases: six in older clusters, three in Jalan Radin cluster, 96 close-contact screenings, and 47 other screenings. Penang reports 134 cases: 65 in existing clusters, 23 close-contact screenings, and 46 other screenings.

    Terengganu reports 57 cases: 42 in older clusters, and 15 in Taman Rakyat cluster. Melaka reports 53 cases: 46 in existing clusters, four close-contact screenings, and three other screenings. Perak reports 51 cases: 33 in existing clusters, 11 close-contact screenings, and seven other screenings. Negeri Sembilan reports 34 cases: 27 in existing clusters, four close-contact screenings, and three other screenings. Pahang also reports 34 cases: 22 in existing clusters, four close-contact screenings, and eight other screenings. Kedah reports 26 cases: five in older clusters, seven in Kampung Pokok Machang cluster, seven close-contact screenings, and seven other screenings.

    Putrajaya reports eight cases: five in existing clusters, and three close-contact screenings. Labuan reports three cases, all close-contact screenings. And Perlis reports one case, a close-contact screening.

    19 new cases today are imported, all in Kuala Lumpur.

    The deaths reported today are a 63-year-old woman in Kuala Lumpur with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke; a 97-year-old woman in Selangor with no co-morbidities listed; a 70-year-old man in Selangor with heart disease and gout; a 74-year-old man in Kuala Lumpur with diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and heart disease; a 64-year-old man in Selangor with diabetes and chronic kidney disease; a 62-year-old man in Kuala Lumpur with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease; a 62-year-old man in Sarawak with hypertension and tuberculosis; an 82-year-old woman in Johor with hypertension and stroke; a 72-year-old man in Sarawak with hypertension; and a 54-year-old non-Malaysian woman in Sabah, DOA with no co-morbidities listed.

  11. 11.

    satby

    April 15, 2021 at 6:52 am

    @rikyrah: as someone who’s been trying to do just that, it’s NOT that easy. If I could do it, I would; but I’d immediately lose 1/2 the staff in a small office. I’ve hired 3 people to replace them, but two are just average workers and will not be ready to replace 3 people with years of experience in just a couple of months.

    Yeah, maybe of the three a couple might capitulate, but it’s possible none will. Multiply by that 43% number for bigger businesses and you have a problem. People aren’t widgets, you can’t just switch them out. Edit: in the end, we will require it when it’s finally off the EUA, and my new staff will be up to speed enough to assume all the duties of the possible departures. But assuming that requiring it will lead to immediate compliance is incorrect, because it may for only some people.

  12. 12.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 15, 2021 at 6:54 am

    @raven: Yep.

  13. 13.

    YY_Sima Qian

    April 15, 2021 at 6:56 am

    On 4/14 China reported 0 new domestic confirmed & 0 new domestic asymptomatic cases all in Yunnan Province. 3 domestic confirmed recovered & 1 domestic asymptomatic case was released from isolation. There are currently 84 domestic confirmed & 21 domestic asymptomatic cases in Yunnan Province.

    • Ruili in Dehong Prefecture did not report any new positive cases. 3 domestic confirmed recovered & 1 domestic asymptomatic case was released from isolation. There are currently 81 domestic confirmed & 19 domestic asymptomatic cases there. 3 communities remain at High Risk. 3 residential compounds, 1 factory & 2 villages remain at Medium Risk.
    • Gengma County in Lincang City did not report any new positive cases. There is 1 domestic asymptomatic case there.

    Imported Cases

    On 4/14 China reported 10 new imported confirmed cases, 15 imported asymptomatic cases, 1 imported suspect case:

    • Shanghai Municipality – 3 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese nationals each returning from France, Gabon (via Paris CdG) & Qatar (via Colombo); 1 suspect case, no information released
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 3 confirmed cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Thailand; 6 asymptomatic cases, 2 Chinese nationals each returning from Myanmar & Malaysia, & 1 each from Turkey & Egypt
    • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Indonesia
    • Foshan in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed & 1 asymptomatic cases, both Chinese nationals returning from Iraq, off a flight that landed at Guangzhou
    • Taiyuan in Shanxi Province – 1 confirmed & 3 asymptomatic cases, all coming from Poland
    • Wuhan in Hubei Province – 1 confirmed case, coming from Pakistan
    • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Nigeria (via Amsterdam Schiphol)
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 2 asymptomatic cases, 1 each coming from Nigeria & Mexico
    • Nanning in Guangxi Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from overseas, no further information released
    • Xiamen in Fujian Province – 1 asymptomatic case, coming from Hungary

     

    Overall in China, 11 confirmed cases recovered, 8 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation & none were reclassified as confirmed cases, and 893 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 297 active confirmed cases in the country (216 imported), 5 in critical/serious condition (all imported), 300 asymptomatic cases (280 imported), 3 suspect cases (both imported). 10,503 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.

    As of 4/14, 179.216M vaccine doses have been injected in Mainland China, an increase of 3.593M doses in the past 24 hrs.

  14. 14.

    Rusty

    April 15, 2021 at 6:58 am

    @NeenerNeener: Our Monroe county school was planning 4 or 5 days in school for the final quarter, but the rising numbers mean they will stay hybrid for the rest of the school year.  Our youngest was particularly devastated, he has struggled more and more with the remote days.  It’s depressing.

  15. 15.

    Barbara

    April 15, 2021 at 7:02 am

    @Rusty: ​Our district made the final decision to stay hybrid for the rest of the school year and I think it’s better to do that than create false hope or backtrack again. A few other districts are going to full in-person for those who want it but need to meet the metrics.

  16. 16.

    Central Planning

    April 15, 2021 at 7:10 am

    @Rusty: same with my youngest. Our district here in Monroe County has done a decent jib, but we did fully remote this year. Being able to talk to friends and teachers in person is much better. My district also has/had a bunch of nut jobs demanding we fully reopen since September.

  17. 17.

    debbie

    April 15, 2021 at 7:12 am

    @raven:

    Great illustration of the real problem: Too many people not taking the virus seriously.

  18. 18.

    raven

    April 15, 2021 at 7:17 am

    @raven: Oops, not J&j

  19. 19.

    Mousebumples

    April 15, 2021 at 7:21 am

    @rikyrah: we’re looking for a new nanny, and I’m asking about vaccine status. For those in the *trying to find an appointment* category, I’m still open to hiring. Others don’t really seem interested in the vaccine, so I’m less interested in hiring them and more likely to think of them as candidates of last resort.

    @raven: that image is actually for the A/Z vaccine, i think. And those are background numbers, not looking at the specific younger female subset that had the blood clots. And apparently none of the impacted women were on oral contraception, so that theory is gone?

    Max Kennerly (@MaxKennerly) tweeted at 7:35 AM on Tue, Apr 13, 2021:

    2) That said, “6 in 6 million” is not the right way to think about it. It’s 6 reported, which might not be all, and it’s specific to women 18-48, with a specific timeframe after vaccination. This is a small risk, well under 1-in-10,000 but the specific who-and-when matters. https://t.co/euE1qCSBfd

    (https://twitter.com/MaxKennerly/status/1381949172983664647?s=03)

    I’ve also seen speculation that one of the reasons for the pause is that one or more of the cases was made worse by giving anticoagulants.

    I half expect this vaccine to be directed at older or male patients if they don’t have the same risk level for the J & J. But we’ll see – looking like ACIP wants more data before unpausing.

  20. 20.

    eclare

    April 15, 2021 at 7:27 am

    @raven:  Still very useful, since AZ uses the same platform as J&J.

  21. 21.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 15, 2021 at 7:35 am

    @raven: Astra Zeneca has a rate of 4 per million. J&J is at 6 per 7 million. People can do the math.

    ETA @Mousebumples: And yes, it seems to by only women between 18 and 48. If one did the math for just that sub population, the benefits still far outweigh the negatives. They are right to tell Docs to watch out for it and prescribe best procedures and figure out what is going on, but the pause seems an over reaction to me.

  22. 22.

    Mousebumples

    April 15, 2021 at 7:35 am

    New thread I just found with good numbers and data analysis –

    Jeremy Faust MD MS (ER physician) (@jeremyfaust) tweeted at 10:30 PM on Wed, Apr 14, 2021:
    Let’s talk about the background risk of CVST (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis) versus in those who got J&J vaccine.

    We are going to focus in on women ages 20-50.

    We are going to compare the same time period and the same disease (CVST).

    DEEP DIVE? KEY NUMBERS!
    (https://twitter.com/jeremyfaust/status/1382536833863651330?s=03)

  23. 23.

    Baud

    April 15, 2021 at 7:38 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    People can do the math.

    50% Fatality Rate /antivaxxers

  24. 24.

    Princess

    April 15, 2021 at 7:40 am

    You cannot/should not require people to get vaccines that are only authorized under emergency use. What is happening with J&J tells us why that’s the case.

    Once they have been approved for general use, then let fly. That should be in a few months for Moderna/Pfizer.

  25. 25.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 15, 2021 at 7:40 am

    @Baud: Yep.

  26. 26.

    MattF

    April 15, 2021 at 7:41 am

    I got my J&J shot at CVS about a month ago— last night I got a text from CVS directing me to a web page describing the symptoms of that possibly dangerous side effect. Mixed feelings, but CVS is certainly doing the right thing. And sending a text like that would be a disaster for CVS if the CDC hadn’t taken action.

  27. 27.

    Sloane Ranger

    April 15, 2021 at 7:42 am

    Wednesday in the UK we had 2491 new cases. This is an increase of 19 from Tuesday’s number but a decrease of 11.5% in the rolling 7-day average. New cases by nation,

    England – 2054 (down 16)

    Northern Ireland – 97 (down 15)

    Scotland – 278 (up 57)

    Wales – 62 (down 7).

    Deaths – There were 38 deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday. This is an increase of 9.3% in the rolling 7-day average. Not sure why there is an increase in deaths at this stage, when COVID related hospitalisations still seem to be reducing, unless we are now seeing those who were most seriously ill and in hospital for a long time finally giving up the fight. New deaths by nation, England – 34, Northern Ireland – 1, Scotland – 3 and Wales – 0.

    Testing – On Tuesday, 13 April, a total of 679,109 tests were administered. This is an increase of 9.8% in the rolling 7-day average. The PCR testing capacity estimated by labs on that date was 655,245.

    Hospitalisations – On Monday, 12 April, 2481 people were in hospital. On Tuesday, 13 April, 370 people were on ventilators. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admissions was down by 15.5% as of 10 April.

    Vaccinations – On 13 April, a total of 32,326,604 people had received the 1st dose of a vaccine and 8,170,081 had received both. This means that, as of this date, 61.4% of adults in the UK had had 1 shot and 15.5% had had both.

  28. 28.

    rikyrah

    April 15, 2021 at 7:49 am

    @Barbara: 
    I am so hoping that we can go back to in-person instruction in the Fall.??

  29. 29.

    Chief Oshkosh

    April 15, 2021 at 7:51 am

    @Mousebumples: I understand that point, but I don’t think it’s useful to apply it here and in this manner. The concern about side effects is a concern held by the general population, even if some large proportion might not be affected at all. In that sense (and if the data hold), a more useful way to take into consideration the existence of a sensitive subpopulation is to stress to the wider, unaffected population that there essentially is no risk for that type of reaction while also presenting a very directed message at the subpopulation and to physicians.

  30. 30.

    JoyceH

    April 15, 2021 at 7:56 am

    How about this? Businesses could declare that masks and social distancing is required in every facility that isn’t 100% vaccinated. Let peer pressure do the rest.

  31. 31.

    Chief Oshkosh

    April 15, 2021 at 8:02 am

    @MattF:

    And sending a text like that would be a disaster for CVS if the CDC hadn’t taken action.

    I think that that is an excellent point. More broadly, I agree with other posters in thinking that the approach taken by FDA/CDC/Biden, if continued for Covid response and for other areas of government interaction with the citizenry, will get people back to a more healthy, mature view of the role of government and society.

  32. 32.

    Wag

    April 15, 2021 at 8:08 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: 
    A pause for a week or so to figure out how much of a problem it is is exactly the right thing to do. The key word is pause. It all depends on messaging.

  33. 33.

    Mousebumples

    April 15, 2021 at 8:10 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: i think the pause was also in part a call for more information, in case there were other cases of clots that hadn’t been identified or tied to J&J initially. I’m hoping it’ll be short (and over soon), and while it may have been an overreaction, I’m hoping the pause will give some vaccine hesitant individuals more trust in the science of the Biden administration.

    I agree with the admin wanting to pause to allow ACIP to meet (last night). The pause is continuing as they want more data. Their next scheduled meeting seems to be in May, and I hope this pause won’t last until then, given the low or lack of risk for older individuals (who are more at risk with covid) and males.

    I look forward to more news on this topic.

  34. 34.

    Ken

    April 15, 2021 at 8:46 am

    Anecdata: When I was going to get my shot yesterday, the FM morning radio crew mentioned the J&J pause. They were in favor of it, and mentioned the very low incidence of clotting cases — one even said “How often does this happen normally, you have to compare to that”.  It was kind of strange, since this was a music station and the crew normally spends their time on prank calls, weird news, and quizzes.

  35. 35.

    Uncle Cosmo

    April 15, 2021 at 9:00 am

    @raven: Oops, not J&j

    Don’t beat yourself up too much. J&J would actually fall to the left of AZ (6 cases per 6.85M shots vs 4 cases per 1M) on that chart. (Unless there are additional instances of blood clots as side effects in the J&J-inoculated that fall outside the parameters for the initial 6.)

  36. 36.

    Uncle Cosmo

    April 15, 2021 at 9:04 am

    @Mousebumples: I’ve also seen speculation that one of the reasons for the pause is that one or more of the cases was made worse by giving anticoagulants.

    It’s not speculation; Dr Fauci said as much in the news conference the other day. I.e., the standard treatment for blood clots (administering heparin) worsens this particular condition, and they want MDs to be aware of this in order to avoid it.

  37. 37.

    Ivan X

    April 15, 2021 at 9:05 am

    @MattF: I think that CVS — who were already well practiced at dispensing millions of flu shots a year, as well as other vaccines — has been an unsung hero in the rollout. Prior to their involvement, It was a shitshow of supermarkets who weren’t well set up for it, badly organized county events, bureaucratic and overrun hospitals, and semi-random individual health care providers. Even Rite-Aid had a more opaque and less available web sign up process (maybe it’s improved), and when I got my first dose a week ago at a CVS it was extremely efficiently administered.

  38. 38.

    Scout211

    April 15, 2021 at 9:09 am

    The California My Turn sign-up website is upgrading today with everyone aged 16 and over eligible starting today.  The state taking over the sign-up process has really been helpful in my rural county. Our original county sign-up was a phone number and a voicemail. You left you name and information and they would call you back, eventually.

    https://www.kcra.com/article/changes-californias-myturn-vaccination-sign-up-website/36125905

    Starting on Thursday, April 15, state officials said the website will display language settings clearer on the front page, and offer translations in 14 languages, from Tagalog to Japanese. There will only be two choices for age range — “16 to 17,” and “16 and older.” People selecting from the 16 or 17 category will only be shown Pfizer clinics through MyTurn. Right now, Pfizer is the only vaccine approved for those 16 and older.

    As an additional security measure, people will be asked to enter in a one-time passcode, which will be sent via phone or email, to prevent bad actors from auto booking appointment times.

     

  39. 39.

    VOR

    April 15, 2021 at 9:13 am

    My son’s college just announced they will return to full campus for Fall 2021 and will require proof of COVID vaccination. There is an exception process.

  40. 40.

    Mousebumples

    April 15, 2021 at 9:40 am

    @Uncle Cosmo: Fair enough, thanks for the info. I’ve been short on time between work and the new nanny search, so i apparently missed that confirmation.

  41. 41.

    Robert Sneddon

    April 15, 2021 at 10:02 am

    Scotland — the Scottish Government has reported 237 new cases of COVID-19 today (Thursday 15th) and one death. Tomorrow there is going to be a partial opening-up of the country with travel outside local areas permitted as well as more non-essential stores and the like re-opening. There are still restrictions on pubs, restaurants etc. and a general call for people to remain cautious.
    The vaccination operation is shifting to supplying people (like myself) with their delayed second dose of the approved COVID-19 vaccines (which does not yet include the J&J vaccine here in the UK) as well as providing younger people with their first vaccination. I got my first jab of AstraZeneca over nine weeks ago and the promise is that no-one should have to wait more than twelve weeks for the second shot. Yesterday 13,700 first doses and 25,500 second doses were administered.
    Schools are now back to 100% attendance after a gradual easing-in over the past few weeks.

    There are plans being made to hold at least some large events during the Edinburgh Festival in August, located in large open-sided tents with limited and distanced seating. The classic Fringe is unlikely to go ahead though as its events tend to be held in small venues with limited ventilation and crowded access.​

  42. 42.

    realbtl

    April 15, 2021 at 10:10 am

    I’ve said all along it won’t be employers driving vaccination rates it will be insurance companies.

  43. 43.

    different-church-lady

    April 15, 2021 at 10:38 am

    A quick check-in with U.S. adults reveals that contrary to the prevailing view on Twitter, the decision to pause the J&J vaccine?? due to a small number of blood clotting issues actually makes Americans more, not less, confident in the COVID-19 vaccines

    Which is pretty much exactly what I was trying to say back on Tuesday. The battle for trust is entwined with the battle for speed of stabs.

  44. 44.

    different-church-lady

    April 15, 2021 at 10:43 am

    proportion who say they’ll never get covid vaccine if they can avoid it

    5% of Democrats
    22% of independents
    43% of Republicans

    You know, it strikes me that if we’re willing to put herd immunity on pause for a bit we could be solving two problems at once here…

  45. 45.

    Suzanne

    April 15, 2021 at 11:29 am

    UGHHHH. Allegheny County is still at about 400 new cases every day. Is this ever going to decline?!

  46. 46.

    J R in WV

    April 15, 2021 at 12:15 pm

    @rikyrah: ​

    I will say it again

    Time for employers to drop the vaccine hammer

    No vaccine, no job.

    I agree, and will go farther:

    No vaccine:

    • no travel,
    • no school,
    • no dinners out,
    • no hair cuts,
    • no shopping,
    • just self-quarantine and grocery deliveries
    • or police enforced quarantine if you get caught out without being vaccinated.
  47. 47.

    frosty

    April 15, 2021 at 12:52 pm

    @different-church-lady: I like the way you think!

  48. 48.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    April 15, 2021 at 2:42 pm

    I admit, I’m fascinated by how Covid-19 is viable for an (in context, I must say) ungodly amount of time in various bodily fluids *except* breast milk.

    But part of me wants to look up to the sky and say “Okay, G-deity (can’t call God a G-man, unless you’re talking about his kid), now you’re just messing with our heads, right? You want 50 feet of shoreline, to help you install the diesel spark plugs, and you want a left handed smoke shifter, just in case one of them spark plugs overloads and lets the magic smoke out… right?”

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

2023 Pet Calendars

Pet Calendar Preview: A
Pet Calendar Preview: B

*Calendars can not be ordered until Cafe Press gets their calendar paper in.

Recent Comments

  • Baud on Monday Morning Open Thread: Go, Team Biden! (Feb 6, 2023 @ 6:58am)
  • Baud on Monday Morning Open Thread: Go, Team Biden! (Feb 6, 2023 @ 6:56am)
  • Baud on On The Road – cope – Grand Junction and Beyond, Part II (Feb 6, 2023 @ 6:46am)
  • eschneider on Medium Cool – Who Almost Got the Part Instead? (Feb 6, 2023 @ 6:31am)
  • raven on Medium Cool – Who Almost Got the Part Instead? (Feb 6, 2023 @ 6:28am)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
We All Need A Little Kindness
Favorite Dogs & Cats
Classified Documents: A Primer

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)

Front-pager Twitter

John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
TaMara
David Anderson
ActualCitizensUnited

Shop Amazon via this link to support Balloon Juice   

Join the Fight!

Join the Fight Signup Form
All Join the Fight Posts

Balloon Juice Events

5/14  The Apocalypse
5/20  Home Away from Home
5/29  We’re Back, Baby
7/21  Merging!

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!