Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

We still have time to mess this up!

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

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Bark louder, little dog.

This blog will pay for itself.

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

No one could have predicted…

Come on, man.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

The GOP is a fucking disgrace.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday / Friday, Oct. 21-22

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Thursday / Friday, Oct. 21-22

by | 60 Comments

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End of a fifty-plus (meaty!) thread live-blogging the booster meeting:

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Reader Interactions

60Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    Honestly cannot understand how someone can become an EMT and not voluntarily get the coronavirus vaccine and then also be like “public-health measures should be voluntary.”

    It’s a paycheck.

  2. 2.

    YY_Sima Qian

    On 10/21 China reported 28 new domestic confirmed & 7 new domestic asymptomatic cases.

    Inner Mongolia “Autonomous” Region reported 11 new domestic confirmed cases. There currently are 25 active domestic confirmed cases in the region.

    • Ejina Banner in Alxa League reported 9 new domestic confirmed cases (8 residents at Dalaihob Township & 1 tourist from out of region), all found via mass screening of all residents. There currently are 14 active domestic confirmed cases there. The Dalaihob Township has been elevated to High Risk.
    • Alxa Left Banner in Alxa League reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (at Bayanhot), found via mass screening of all residents, a truck driver who has been hauling coal from Ejina Banner. 1 sub-district of Bayanhot Township has been elevated to Medium Risk
    • Erenhot in Xilingol League reported 1 new domestic confirmed case, a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine. There currently are 10 active domestic confirmed cases there. 3 communities are at Medium Risk.

    Xi’an in Shaanxi Province reported 3 new domestic confirmed cases, 1 a traced close contacts & 2 tourists returning from travel in Gansu (took the same high speed rail train as previously identified domestic confirmed cases). There currently are 11 active domestic confirmed cases in the city.

    Ningxia “Autonomous” Region reported 2 new domestic confirmed cases. There currently are 8 active domestic confirmed cases in the region.

    • Wuzhong reported 1 new domestic confirmed case, a traced close contact. There currently are 4 active domestic confirmed cases in the city.
    • Yinchuan reported 1 new domestic confirmed case, a traced close contact. There currently are 4 active domestic confirmed cases in the city.

    Gansu Province reported 9 new domestic confirmed cases (6 mild & 3 moderate). There currently are 18 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.

    • Lanzhou reported 5 new domestic confirmed cases, all tourists traveling through Gansu & Ejina Banner in Inner Mongolia. There currently are 13 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases. 2 residential compounds are at Medium Risk.
    • Zhangye reported 3 new domestic confirmed cases, 2 are traced close contacts & 1 was found via voluntary screening. There currently are 4 active domestic confirmed cases in the city.
    • Jiayuguan reported 1 new domestic confirmed case, a traced close contact of the domestic confirmed case reported by Changsha in Hunan Province.

    Hebei Province reported 2 new domestic asymptomatic cases. There currently are 4 active asymptomatic cases in the province.

    • Xingtai did not report any new domestic positive cases. There currently are 2 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city.
    • Baoding reported 2 new domestic asymptomatic cases, both tourists returning from travel across Gansu & Ejina Banner in Inner Mongolia.

    Zunyi in Guizhou Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed (moderate) & 2 new domestic asymptomatic cases, all traced close contacts already under centralized quarantine since 10/20 (played mahjong w/ a confirmed case on 10/10). There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed & 3 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 2 residential compounds have been elevated to Medium Risk.

    Beijing Municipality reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (mild), a traced close contact already under centralized quarantine since 10/19. There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed & 1 asymptomatic cases in the city. 4 more domestic positive cases have been identified on 10/22. 1 community has been elevated to Medium Risk.

    Haidong in Qinghai Province – 1 confirmed case (moderate), a person who recently traveled through Gansu.

    Tianmen in Hubei Province did not report any new domestic positive cases, both tourists who had visited Gansu & Ejina Banner in Inner Mongolia in the 1st half of Oct., & were driving through Hubei on their way home in Guangdong.

    Changsha in Hunan Province did not report any new domestic positive cases. There currently are 1 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city, both tourists who had recently returned from travel across Gansu & Ejina Banner in Inner Mongolia.

    Dehong Prefecture in Yunnan Province reported 3 new domestic asymptomatic cases (2 at Ruili & 1 at Longchuan County, all found via screening of persons under lockdown or quarantine). There currently are 1 active domestic confirmed & 16 active domestic asymptomatic cases at the prefecture.

    At Fujian Province there currently are 21 active domestic confirmed cases remaining in the province, all at Xiamen.

    At Heilongjiang Province there currently is 1 active domestic confirmed case remaining in the province, at Harbin.

    At Ürumqi in Xinjiang “Autonomous” Region there currently is 1 active domestic asymptomatic case remaining.

    At Henan Province there currently are 5 active domestic confirmed cases remaining, all at Shangqiu.

    Imported Cases

    On 10/21, China reported 15 new imported confirmed cases (1 previously asymptomatic), 19 imported asymptomatic cases:

    • Ruili in Yunnan Province – 4 confirmed & 2 asymptomatic cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Myanmar
    • Guangxi “Autonomous” Region (location not specified) – 3 confirmed cases, no information released
    • Shanghai Municipality – 2 confirmed cases, 1 Chinese national each returning from Georgia & the UK (both via Helsinki) 
    • Qingdao in Shandong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Japan
    • Rizhao Port in Shandong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese crew member off a cargo ship w/ last port of call in the Philippines
    • Weihai in Shandong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from South Korea
    • Shenzhen in Guangdong Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Indonesia; 1 asymptomatic case, a South Korean national coming from South Korea
    • Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Singapore
    • Foshan in Guangdong Province – 3 asymptomatic cases, 2 coming from Turkey & 1 from the UK, off a flight that landed at Guangzhou
    • Zhengzhou in Henan Province – 1 confirmed case (previously asymptomatic), no information released
    • Xi’an in Shaanxi Province – 1 confirmed case, a Chinese national returning from Pakistan; 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Uzbekistan
    • Shenyang in Liaoning Province – 1 confirmed & 3 asymptomatic cases, no information released
    • Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province – 3 asymptomatic cases, 1 each coming from Cameroon, South Sudan & Russia
    • Chengdu in Sichuan Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Cambodia
    • Tianjin Municipality – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Singapore
    • Deyang in Sichuan Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Azerbaijan; the case had arrived at Xi’an in Shaanxi Province on 10/5, passed through the 14 days of centralized quarantine & tested negative multiple times, upon release from quarantine on 10/19 the case returned to Deyang via high speed rail & re-entered centralized quarantine, testing positive on 10/21
    • Baishan in Jilin Province – 1 asymptomatic case, a Chinese national returning from Pakistan; the case had arrived at Wuhan in Hubei Province on 10/5, passed through the 14 days of centralized quarantine & tested negative multiple times, upon release from quarantine on 10/20 the case flew to Changchun in Jilin Province & was transferred to Baishan & re-entered centralized quarantine, testing positive on 10/21

    Overall in China, 17 confirmed cases recovered (all imported), 13 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation (all imported) & 1 was reclassified as confirmed case (imported), & 1,414 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 518 active confirmed cases in the country (419 imported), 3 in serious condition (all domestic), 384 active asymptomatic cases (357 imported), 1 suspect case (imported). 24,473 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.

    As of 10/21, 2,240.55M vaccine doses have been injected in Mainland China, an increase of 2.225M doses in the past 24 hrs.

    On 10/22 Hong Kong reported 2 new positive cases, both imported (from the Maldives & the Philippines; both fully vaccinated, 1 each w/ AZ-Oxford & Sinovac).

  3. 3.

    NeenerNeener

    Monroe County, NY:

    Monroe County website says 228 new cases yesterday.
    NYSDOH says we had 252 new ones yesterday.

  4. 4.

    Kalakal

    Meanwhile the UK government demonstrates it’s world beating communication skills

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/21/tory-mask-converts-and-holdouts-witness-an-object-lesson-in-disinformation?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

    On a personal note I finally gave up on waiting for Novavax to do anything about boosters and as I’m over 60, spend everyday amongst the unmasked public, work itself has lifted the staff mask mandate because Florida went along to Walgreens and got the first shot of the Pfizer course. So far achey arm but not too much worse than my bimonthly fix of hornet venom ( allergy shots)

    Also helping me make up my mind was DeathSantis’ latest quality hire spewing this unmitigated crap

    https://www.baynews9.com/fl/orlando/partner-content/2021/10/21/florida-surgeon-general-ladapo-questions-covid-19-vaccine?firebaseString=true&cid=app_share

  5. 5.

    JMG

    Alice and I both got the Pfizer booster this week. Stronger reaction than to the first two shots, arm much sorer and very much out of it the next day, but fine the day after that.

  6. 6.

    Baud

    I’m still debating whether to mix and match. I hate agonizing over decisios that really probably won’t make that much of a difference in the end.

  10. 10.

    Amir Khalid

    Malaysia’s Ministry of Health reports 6,630 new Covid-19 cases today in its media statement, tfor a cumulative reported total of 2,429,222 cases. It also reports 96 deaths as of midnight, for an adjusted cumulative total of 28,234 deaths – 1.17% of the cumulative reported total, 1.21% of resolved cases.

    Based on cases reported yesterday, Malaysia’s nationwide Rt is at 0.86.

    521 confirmed cases are in ICU, 230 of them on ventilators. Meanwhile, 7,630 more patients have recovered, for a cumulative total of 2,311,213 patients recovered – 95.5% of the cumulative reported total.

    12 new clusters were reported today, for a cumulative total of 5,717 clusters. 580 clusters are currently active; 5,137 clusters are now inactive.

    6,615 new cases today are local infections. 15 new cases today are imported.

    The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) administered 256,607 doses of vaccine on 20th October: 30,198 first doses, 186,362 second doses, and 19,047 booster doses. As of midnight yesterday, the cumulative total is 48,673,215 doses administered: 25,317,072 first doses, 23,451,810 second doses, and 66,672 booster doses. 77.5% of the population have received their first dose, while 71.8% are now fully vaccinated.

  11. 11.

    Kalakal

    [email protected] Jay:  It’s quite impressive in a way, everytime I think I’ve managed to decide what it is I most despise about them, is the dishonesty? the cruelty? the stupidity? the corruption? etc etc. ad bloody nauseam they manage to shift it by being giving an outstandinding demonstration of how utterly vile they are in a different way.

  12. 12.

    New Deal democrat

    Good news: I can’t find a single State with any significant uptrend in cases. Also, by contrast, last October cases doubled from 40,000 to 80,000/day.

    Noteworthy that treatment continues to give better outcomes, as “only” 1650 deaths from over 110,000 cases 3 weeks ago.

    Bad news: 80,000 cases a day is still awful.
    Caveat: while there are breakthrough cases, it continues mainly to be a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

    The big issue: will there be another winter wave this year, or will vaccinations plus resistance from the recent Delta outbreak allow the downward trend to be maintained?

  15. 15.

    Chetan Murthy

    @New Deal democrat:

    The big issue: will there be another winter wave this year, or will vaccinations plus resistance from the recent Delta outbreak allow the downward trend to be maintained?

    It feels like there *will* continue to be a wave among the unvaxxed.  I don’t know how many of them have got the bug and recovered.  But also, I feel like, somehow it just doesn’t matter what happens to them: they’re like a population of dogs, some rabid, running around town, and we can’t catch ’em or do anything about ’em.  So we just gotta keep from getting bitten, and we seem to be pretty good at that.

    What’s gonna happen, is gonna happen.

    To me, the really important question is what long covid symptoms occur after breakthrough infections.  I’m far, far, far more concerned about that, than whether we have a winter wave among the unvaxxed.  Again, only b/c ….. there’s nothing I can do about the latter.  Whereas, for the former, I can change my behaviour and affect that.

  16. 16.

    Mousebumples

    @Baud: I’m probably just going to try to walkin sometime next week, and if they only have Pfizer (eg the half dose Moderna isn’t ready yet), I’ll take that. I’m almost at 7 mo since my 2nd shot and would prefer the protection boost.

  17. 17.

    NeenerNeener

    @debbie: Moderna shots have more vaccine by volume than Pfizer shots, at least as I understand it. Somehow, they’re stronger than Pfizer. The booster shot for Moderna will be half of the regular shot. When I got my third Moderna back in late August, though, it was another full dose.

  18. 18.

    Mousebumples

    @debbie: the Moderna (regular dose) is 100 units. The requested and approved booster is 50 units. Pfizer is 30 units across the board.

  19. 19.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @Chetan Murthy:

    That little show you put on last night with Soprano2 was genuinely assholish and unkind. You owe her an apology.

    Thanks in advance.

  20. 20.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes: Soprano2 has several times now slagged workers.  I don’t see how that’s called-for, either, and I’ll note that I started off solely pushing back on their points; this elicited more and more vociferous anti-worker comments.

    ETA: I’ll apologize when it’s explained to me how comment #4 of that thread last night was acceptable commentary about workers.  This isn’t the first time, either.

  21. 21.

    mrmoshpotato

    The “Spectrum of the Seas” ship was scheduled to begin a “cruise to nowhere” journey in nearby waters, restricted to half capacity and only for fully vaccinated residents who tested negative for the virus 48 hours prior to the trip.

    Boardroom: How do we make cruises even more senseless?

  23. 23.

    Mousebumples

    For those in need of a Moderna or J&J booster, I just checked the Walgreens app, and you can schedule booster doses as soon as today. Costco’s app is not updated yet to allow non – Pfizer appointments to be scheduled. Walmart wanted me to create a pharmacy account and login but their FAQ did not mention booster doses at all that I saw.

  24. 24.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @Chetan Murthy:

    Y’know, I know it feels great in your little “I can work from home and everybody I know votes and thinks exactly like me” privilege cocoon in SF, but for those of us not similarly situated among the like-minded, the world is much much worse, particularly when financial ruin and soul-crushing penury is around the corner.

    Check your fucking privilege and engage some goddamned empathy about her reaction to her personal situation. I’m just happy that my little insomnia bout let me see you for what you are – a sad, malicious “I’m oh-so-public-spirited” troll.

    You and I are done with this conversation.

  25. 25.

    Reboot

    @Chetan Murthy: Slagged workers? Because (paraphrase) she said ghosting an interview was rude? ? Which I think you argued against, if I recall. I pretty much read all the comment threads, and I can’t recall her “slagging” workers, rather the opposite is my impression.

    Went back and read comment 4: all it basically said was ghosting interviews was rude.

  26. 26.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    So if we got the Pfizer vaccine and want to mix and match, is it better to get the Moderna booster or the J&J shot? Is the J&J shot even available as a booster for those who got the mRNA vaccines? I got Pfizer and am leaning toward the Moderna booster when I’m eligible (technically I’m still not 6 months from being fully vaccinated, that will happen mid-November, and also I’m not technically eligible because although I’m 52 I don’t have any comorbidities. But, my wife works in health care so I feel like I’m as exposed as she is and therefore probably won’t wait until I’m actually declared eligible since it doesn’t appear that pharmacies are asking questions about eligibility.

  27. 27.

    Another Scott

    @New Deal democrat: I’m seeing R tick up above 1 again here in NoVA.  It’s not good.  And it’s getting worse around the world as temperatures drop in the north.

    We **should** be doing better, much better, but I have a feeling that it’s the hope over experience thing all over again.  The virus doesn’t care, and there’s far too much community spread to be sanguine.

    Meanwhile, in the UK…

    Just popped in to the shop for food, most of the people not wearing masks, couple of people coughing the whole way round, feels February 2020 all over again

    — HappyToast ★ (@IamHappyToast) October 21, 2021

    :-(

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  30. 30.

    Dan B

    @Mousebumples:   I had the same strong reaction to the Pfizer booster as several others.  It really felt like my body was very upset by this poisonous stuff it had been given.   Not everyone has the same vigorous response so the Moderna may be better for some.

  31. 31.

    Dagaetch

    I got the JnJ back in March; getting a Moderna booster shot this afternoon. Along with flu shot, so I’m sure I’ll be hurting tomorrow, but oh well. CVS is now scheduling boosters FYI.

  32. 32.

    Dan B

    @Dan B: I feel like the Pfizer booster gave my immune system a very strong workout and the Miderna would not have been better for me.  Next time (yes, fatalism here) I’d be happy to have Moderna but that’s at least six months out.  There is evidence that you can overload the immune system.  It’s as though you got extremely ill several times in a year.  The stress becomes too much to fully recover from.

  34. 34.

    Robert Sneddon

    Scotland — 2,902 new COVID-19 cases reported today. The test positivity rate is 8.8%. There were 19 new deaths reported (noting that Register Offices are now generally closed at weekends). ICU bed occupancy numbers are 60, up two from yesterday while hospitalisations are 894, down 23.
    There were approximately 4,800 vaccinations carried out in Scotland yesterday (Thursday) with about 55% of these being first vaccinations. 91.9% of 16+ adults are now vaccinated with their first dose and 85.4% are fully vaccinated. 74.5% of 16 and 17-year-olds have now received their first vaccination, up 0.2% from yesterday. 50.2% of 12-15 year olds have now received their first vaccination, up 0.6% from yesterday.
    There were about 29,000 booster vaccinations carried out yesterday in Scotland with a total of just over 430,000 boosters to date.​

  36. 36.

    New Deal democrat

    @Another Scott:

    I just checked Fairfax and Prince William Counties on Covidactnow. The former looks flat, the latter in a downtrend. If you are uncertain, give it a couple more days because the failure to report over the Columbus Day weekend messed with the 7 day averages earlier this week. VA as a whole is down over 10% in the past week.

  37. 37.

    Scout211

    We got the original Moderna shots at our doctor’s office in February and March. We plan to go back there for our Moderna booster. My husband had an appointment with her on Monday and she said they will start making appointments as soon as the state public health gives the go ahead. The pharmacies are federal so they usually start a few days earlier. I checked the state site this morning and they hadn’t updated to the new CDC guidelines yet.

    We are retired so we can wait a week or two. But we will definitely stick with Moderna. our youngest got the J&J through her school district so she and most of her coworkers are needing a booster right away. I hope she can schedule that soon.

  38. 38.

    Kayla Rudbek

    Well, I got the Pfizer booster in my left arm and the flu shot in my right arm yesterday, so I have both arms sore today.  I was very tired, some queasiness, and foggy thinking yesterday but today I am feeling a bit better (still tired and arms still sore).

  39. 39.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Kalakal: In the US, the FDA and CDC approved using any currently administered vaccine as a booster (Pfizer, Moderna or J&J), if you’re eligible for a booster, regardless of which one you got originally. That’s what usually gets referred to as “mixing and matching” over here. Pfizer and Moderna are mRNA vaccines, the J&J (Janssen) is a viral-vector vaccine similar to the AstraZeneca but originally administered as a single shot.

  40. 40.

    Matt McIrvin

    @What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:

    So if we got the Pfizer vaccine and want to mix and match, is it better to get the Moderna booster or the J&J shot? Is the J&J shot even available as a booster for those who got the mRNA vaccines?

    Honestly, I think any differences here are too slight to worry about much. If you’re going to get a booster, get whatever’s available.

  41. 41.

    smith

    Here in Chicago, Advocate Aurora Health Care has fired 440 employees for not getting vaxxed. That’s .6% of  their workforce, most of them per diem employees. Of course, local news headlines are blaring that the state is losing hundreds of health care workers, not that systems like Advocate are losing only a tiny fraction, and probably not the most essential.

  42. 42.

    Nicole

    I got a Pfizer booster on Tuesday morning.  Had vaccination regret yesterday when the mix-and-match decision was handed out, but as I’ve had Covid prior to vaccination, I’ve already got the vaunted hybrid immunity, so I guess it doesn’t matter if I stick with the same vaccine.

    I woke up Wednesday with one side of my face swollen right below my eye- I think I must have a mild sinus infection and my immune system, being woken up by the booster, decided to go to town on that, too.   I didn’t suspect I had a sinus infection when I got the shot as I am not prone to them and not congested, but I did a neti pot Wednesday and my ears popped several times after so I guess there’s something going on in there.  The swelling was pretty alarming to look at, but it’s mostly settled down now.  Still a little bit swollen on the left, but not too bad.  No regrets, though.  Glad to be boosted in time for the cold weather.

  43. 43.

    Another Scott

    @New Deal democrat: I check several areas on CovidactNow daily.  There’s obvious noise in the data, but the downward trend of the summer has stopped and maybe reversed.  National death rates are inching up from the lows as well.  It’s not over, as we all know.

    Fairfax County

    It’s all so senseless. :-(

    Hang in there, everyone.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  44. 44.

    Kalakal

    @Matt McIrvin: Thanks for clearing that up. I originally got Novavax ( protein subunit ) but that’s yet to approved here in the US. I went and got the first part of a pfizer course yesterday

  45. 45.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Another Scott: Looks to me like a bunch of Virginia’s lower-vaccinated Southern and Appalachian counties are having another spike up and it’s affecting the rest of the state to a lesser degree. Kind of like the situation here where we have a big outbreak in northern New England that is spilling over a bit.

  46. 46.

    Robert Sneddon

    @Dagaetch: Anecdotal but I saw one report of someone who got two Moderna vaccines at different locations on the same day “to save them time”. It apparently incapacitated them. Like I say, anecdotal but the Moderna vaccine’s dosage is reportedly at the high end of the range of active ingredient for adults which can make it more effective than an individual dose of, say, the Pfizer vaccine.

    I’d go with CDC advice if you’re in the market for a booster in the US rather than taking advice from random posters on an almost-a-top-10,000-blog.

    Here in Scotland the booster vaccinations are being offered by appointment only to over-50s, people with immune system issues or other medical issues, healthcare workers, care home workers etc. The booster shots are universally Pfizer regardless of the original vaccines people were dosed with (AstraZeneca, Pfizer and a few Moderna). AFAICT they are full-strength single doses although that’s not clear from the published information.

  47. 47.

    Sloane Ranger

    Thursday in the UK we had 52,009 new cases. The rolling 7-day average has increase by 17.9%. New cases by nation,

    England – 44,363

    Northern Ireland – 1051

    Scotland – 2355

    Wales – 4240.

    Deaths – There were 115 deaths within 28 days of a positive test yesterday. This is an increase of 10.8% in the rolling 7-day average. 66 were in England, 4 in Northern Ireland, 32 in Scotland and 13 in Wales.

    Testing – 1,103,117 tests were administered on Wednesday, 20 October. The rolling 7-day average is up by 1.2%. The PCR testing capacity reported by labs on that date was 862,743.

    Hospitalisations – There were 8142 people in hospital and 872 on ventilators on Wednesday, 20 October. The rolling 7-day average for hospital admissions is up by 15.4%.

    Vaccinations – As of 20 October, 49,554,407 people had had 1 shot of a vaccine and 45,460,122 had had 2. In percentage terms, this means that 86.2% of all UK residents aged 12+ have 1 shot and 79% have had 2.

  48. 48.

    Ken

    @Robert Sneddon: Anecdotal but I saw one report of someone who got two Moderna vaccines at different locations on the same day “to save them time”.

    I wonder if that person would also think “The prescription says take one a day for four weeks, but if I swallow the whole bottle now…”

  49. 49.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @Mousebumples: Thanks for this!  J&J here and as of this morning my RiteAid still hadn’t updated their app to allow me to make an appointment.  I’ll make one at Walgreens instead (only 5 minute drive)

  50. 50.

    bluefoot

    @Chetan Murthy: ​
      I have similar concerns about long COVID with a breakthrough infection. My brother-in-law has long COVID. He got sick last year, took about 6 months to recover. Then about 2 month ago, relapsed and is still having problems. He’s fully vaccinated so the long COVID relapse is troubling. Interesting from a scientific mechanism point of view, but troubling.

    A fully-vaccinated (Moderna) friend of mine just had a breakthrough infection. She presumes it was exposure at her gym, where many people don’t mask. It was only her second week back at the gym. I just got my negative test result since we had lunch together (outside) the day before she started showing symptoms. It’s made me go back to being super cautious, despite being in an area of MA where the vaccination rates are high.

  52. 52.

    Nicole

    @bluefoot: I’m sorry your friend had an infection, and I hope that it’s a mild case for her. Glad you tested negative. I have a friend who also had a breakthrough infection and realized she was sick while visiting her elderly parents. Fortunately, although she had symptoms and was feeling pretty punk for a while, neither of her parents ever tested positive. I think the data is starting to show that even with breakthrough infections, while it’s possible to transmit the virus, vaccinated people really just aren’t shedding as much of it as unvaccinated people with active Covid. That’s what I hope will turn out to be the case anyway.

  53. 53.

    Ohio Mom

    Ohio Dad and I are getting Pfizer boosters tomorrow. Like some of you others, I mulled over whether we should wait a while more and switch to Moderna for our boosters but convenience and simplicity won in the end.

    We’ll be going back to the university health system’s drive through. It’s fast, and you don’t get out of your car, unlike waiting around at the drugstore with who knows who walking around unmasked the next aisle over.

    An added bonus is that all the batch info goes directly into our regular patient accounts.

  55. 55.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    @Kalakal: As a Canuck who mixed and matched, that’s what we are doing in Canada for the most part (except for those who were brand shopping). Brand doesn’t matter, but the recommendation is to get at least one mRNA doseage.

    Older family members who are booster eligible are getting whichever one is available at their pharmacy (these days Pfizer).

  56. 56.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Nicole:
    I think the data is starting to show that even with breakthrough infections, while it’s possible to transmit the virus, vaccinated people really just aren’t shedding as much of it as unvaccinated people with active Covid. That’s what I hope will turn out to be the case anyway.

    The reports from early in the Delta wave were misleading because they focused on peak viral load, which is just the presence of viral RNA. Later studies that actually examined viral cultures determined that vaccinated infected people don’t emit as much live virus that is actually capable of infecting somebody. Also, they don’t remain infectious for as long. And, of course, they are several times less likely to be infected in the first place. All that means that the vaccines are still cutting down significantly on transmission.

  57. 57.

    Matt McIrvin

    In Massachusetts’ patient-breakdown stats, available here, it’s striking how the case rates for the 5-9 and 10-14 age brackets are about twice what they are for most other groups. Some in the 10-14 bracket are already eligible for vaccination but many aren’t. That says to me that the schools are a significant contributor to our current local difficulty in shaking this, and I’m hoping the coming pediatric vaccines will make a big difference.

    https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting

  58. 58.

    bluefoot

    @Nicole: ​
      Thanks! My friend says neither her husband nor her kids have tested positive nor have any of her close contacts. Except her kids, we’re all fully vaccinated so I think it speaks to the efficacy of the vaccines to reduce transmission. Even so, I’m still holding off on going back to the gym.

    My friend has had a pretty mild case so far; pretty much like a bad cold.

  59. 59.

    J R in WV

    @NeenerNeener: ​
    &nbsp

    When I got my third Moderna back in late August, though, it was another full dose.

    Wife and I also too, health dept had vaccines that were expiring, they decided to do their best to put those doses into arms rather than a medical waste incinerator. So we just got a third Moderna full-size dose. Was OK. No major side effects, just a sore arm for 3 or 4 days. Glad to have it also too!!

  60. 60.

    J R in WV

    @Chetan Murthy: ​
     

    You were so over the top to be attacking Soprano2 in that thread. I normally enjoy your commentary and admire your positions, but that was totally uncalled for. I agree with Le Comte that you owe her an apology, several, actually.

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