.@WhipClyburn releases information from briefing with FDA’s Dr Peter Marks on #covid19 vaccines for kids <5:
-advisory mtgs could be moved up if reviews are done sooner
-FDA won’t wait for Pfizer to review Moderna
-won’t hold to 50% VE vs symptoms if similar to adult efficacy pic.twitter.com/wGNE5ZNWyI— Meg Tirrell (@megtirrell) May 9, 2022
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China's tough zero-COVID measures remain essential to defeat the pandemic and buy time to improve vaccination rates and develop new treatments, senior health advisers wrote in recently published reports. https://t.co/3Nr5sb7Rby
— Reuters Health (@Reuters_Health) May 10, 2022
Tesla stutters under Shanghai lockdown; Beijing keeps hunting COVID https://t.co/HYE9oLFn29 pic.twitter.com/Rxv9OyIxpv
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 10, 2022
After six weeks of strict lockdown, Shanghai officials are again tightening Covid restrictions amid a renewed push by the central government to eradicate the virus, sparking a new wave of frustration in the city of 25 million.@caocli @yifanxie @xinwenfanhttps://t.co/oPiUBOXF0x
— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) May 9, 2022
Teams in white protective suits are going into the homes of coronavirus-infected people to spray disinfectant as China's Shanghai tries to root out an omicron outbreak. The last two subway lines that were still operating have been shut down. https://t.co/tQuDiZe69N
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 10, 2022
Taiwan is moving away from 'Zero Covid' but Beijing is doubling down. China & Taiwan were among the last places on earth to pursue “zero Covid.” Then came the highly transmissible Omicron variant & Taiwan has decided to cope w/ it https://t.co/j02LWEwNB7
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) May 10, 2022
Women who've lost spouses to COVID-19 in Africa say they've been denied homes, support and family while in traditional periods of mourning. The pandemic has increased an already sizeable population of widows, as men are more likely to die of the virus. https://t.co/D3ZGVGAm4E pic.twitter.com/Ttga60w6le
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 10, 2022
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In the lab: Scientists are settling a question every boosted person has asked: Does it matter in which arm you get your shot? Here are results from animal studies—booster shots in the same limb as the 1st shot yielded stronger adaptive immunity in mice https://t.co/yhY34HuA4x pic.twitter.com/0GDWNETCl0
— delthia ricks ? (@DelthiaRicks) May 9, 2022
Scientists around the world are investigating how a dwindling number of people have managed to dodge the coronavirus for more than two years, even after the highly transmissible omicron variant drove a record-shattering surge in cases this winter. https://t.co/v56knNTG6p
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 9, 2022
Health officials in some countries are questioning the merits of repeated, mass testing when it comes to containing COVID infections, considering the billions it costs https://t.co/MvZKa9KHq1 pic.twitter.com/yh5Q3y4m4P
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 10, 2022
Cancer diagnosis a year before infection not linked to worse outcomes; air travel carries COVID risks https://t.co/gQSVKGqJ62 pic.twitter.com/rzKlEFdgxJ
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 10, 2022
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Read the whole (not long! very good!) thing:
… Every time I got a new consult for the ICU, I would routinely check their vaccination status. Whenever I saw the red unvaccinated mark, I felt my disappointment growing. I started asking every patient the same question every time: Why did you not get the vaccine? There was no answer that would have satisfied me, but I continued to ask the question anyway. I was getting more frustrated as I tried to put myself in my patients’ shoes, but I struggled to understand them.
This sentiment was changed by an elderly African American woman who was hypoxic and required intubation. She started crying as soon as I questioned her about the vaccine and asked me whether it was too late to get it. She had heard of it but thought it was harmful because a distant friend had received it and died shortly afterward.
For the first time in a long time, I found myself disheartened by the response. Here she was, fighting for her life, when only a few weeks ago she had refused the vaccine that would have saved her. I looked at her and saw remorse and desperation as she tried to convince me that the vaccine had killed her friend as if my believing it would make it true. For the first time, I no longer felt anger; I felt empathy. I empathized with the patients who I thought I resented. I felt bad for them as I imagined them in the ICU, regretful with no other option but to have faith in the doctors and health care workers that they did not trust.
That day, I cried with my patient as she asked me what her chances were. I did not have to answer because I knew she could see it on my face. Like many of the unvaccinated patients who made it to the ICU, she was going to die. I knew she was oblivious of the fact that she had most likely infected at least five more people with her carelessness, but there was no reason to tell her that now. I held her hand as she made a video call to her family for the last time, and I promised them I would do my best to save her. My encounter with that patient helped me realize that my unconscious vaccine bias may not have affected my clinical work, but it robbed me of my compassion—and, as a doctor, compassion is vital. I wondered whether my insensitivity had contributed to the cycle of physician distrust and lack of medical care that these patients continued to suffer…
NeenerNeener
Monroe County, NY:
354 new cases yesterday.
Vaccinations still at 72.1%
Deaths went up by 8 last week, now at 1847.
New Deal democrat
Cases in the US increased to 73,800, a 20% increase from 7 days ago, vs. 25% in the previous 7 days. Hospital admissions increased to 18,805, a 20%+ increase from one week prior. Deaths declined slightly to 598.
In bellwether NJ, cases are up 15% from one week ago, vs. a 40% increase one week ago. In NY, cases are up almost 30% from one week ago, vs. 15%+ in the prior week. The increase is being driven almost entirely by the NYC area; all areas of Upstate except for Albany are flat or declining.
The CDC will update its variant surveillance later this morning.
YY_Sima Qian
On 5/9 Mainland China reported 349 new domestic confirmed (172 previously asymptomatic), 3,077 new domestic asymptomatic cases, 0 domestic suspect cases, & 6 new deaths.
Guangdong Province reported 15 new domestic confirmed (3 previously asymptomatic) & 6 new domestic asymptomatic cases. 7 domestic confirmed & 2 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 197 active domestic confirmed & 47 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
At Guangxi “Autonomous” Region 8 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 63 active domestic asymptomatic cases (55 at Fangchenggang & 8 at Baise) in the province.
Hunan Province did not report any new domestic positive cases. 4 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 1923 active domestic confirmed & 1 domestic asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
At Inner Mongolia “Autonomous” Region 6 domestic confirmed cases recovered. There currently are 19 active domestic confirmed (18 at Manzhouli in Hulun Buir & 1 at Chifeng) cases in the province. All areas in the region are now at Medium Risk.
At Tianjin Municipality there currently is 1 active domestic asymptomatic case remaining.
Shandong Province did not report any new domestic positive cases. 3 domestic confirmed & 37 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 51 active domestic confirmed cases & 399 active asymptomatic cases in the province. As not all of the administrative divisions in the province provide data on recoveries, I cannot track the count of active cases in all of the administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
At Taiyuan in Shanxi Province 1 domestic confirmed & 7 domestic asymptomatic case recovered. There currently are 12 active domestic confirmed & 33 active domestic asymptomatic cases remaining.
Hebei Province reported 1 new domestic asymptomatic case, at Qinhuangdao, a person coming from elsewhere. 1 domestic confirmed & 40 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 9 active domestic confirmed & 278 active asymptomatic case in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
Liaoning Province reported 2 new domestic confirmed (both previously asymptomatic) & 53 new domestic asymptomatic cases. 10 domestic confirmed & 102 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 20 active domestic confirmed & 966 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
Heilongjiang Province did not report any new domestic positive cases. 11 domestic confirmed & 9 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 50 active domestic confirmed & 50 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.
Jilin Province reported 6 new domestic asymptomatic cases. 54 domestic confirmed & 113 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. As the province does not consistently break down recoveries by confirmed & asymptomatic cases or by jurisdictions, I can no longer track the count of active case counts in the different jurisdictions.
Beijing Municipality reported 61 new domestic confirmed (3 previously asymptomatic, all mild) & 13 new domestic asymptomatic cases. Of the 59 domestic positive cases reported between 3 PM on 5/7 & 3 PM on 5/8, 50 traced close contacts under centralized quarantine or residents under movement control & 9 via community screening. The increase in new cases is driven by a new cluster centered at a bank data center, caused by sporadic community transmission chains that have not yet been cut. As the city does not break down recoveries by imported vs. domestic cases, I cannot track the count of active domestic cases there. 21 sites are currently at High Risk. 35 sites are currently at Medium Risk.
Shanghai Municipality reported 234 new domestic confirmed (156 previously asymptomatic) & 2,780 new domestic asymptomatic cases. 2,853 of the new domestic positive cases were already under quarantine & 5 via screening of persons deemed at risk of exposure. There were 6 deaths (avg. 79.5 y.o., youngest at 65 y.o. & oldest at 90 y.o., all w/ a range of underlying conditions, 1 vaccinated). 847 domestic confirmed & 7,672 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 6,012 active domestic confirmed (401 serious & 77 critical) & 55,332 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. 13 sites are currently at Medium Risk.
At Hubei Province 1 domestic confirmed & 3 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 1 active domestic confirmed (mild, at Wuhan) & 22 active domestic asymptomatic (7 at Wuhan, 10 at Ezhou, 2 at Xiangyang, & 1 each at Enshi Prefecture, Huanggang & Xianning) cases in the province.
Jiangsu Province reported 55 new domestic asymptomatic cases. 1 domestic confirmed & 27 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. The currently are 13 active domestic confirmed & 450 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in each administrative division, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
At Anhui Province 1 domestic confirmed & 12 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 4 active confirmed & 63 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.
Zhejiang Province reported 9 new domestic asymptomatic cases. As the province does not break down recoveries by imported versus domestic cases, I cannot track the count of active domestic cases there.
Fujian Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed case, at Ningde, a person returning from Zhengzhou in Henan on 5/1, last tested negative on 5/4 & tested positive on 5/8. There currently are 7 active domestic confirmed & 9 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
At Ürumqi in Xinjiang “Autonomous” Region 2 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 11 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city.
Guizhou Province reported 1 new domestic confirmed case (moderate), at Qiandongnan Prefecture, a person returning from Shanghai & tested positive upon arrival. There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed (both at Qiandongnan Prefecture) & 2 active domestic asymptomatic (both at Tongren) cases remaining.
Jiangxi Province reported 35 new domestic asymptomatic cases. 15 domestic confirmed & 79 asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 50 active domestic confirmed & 404 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the city. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
Henan Province reported 25 new domestic confirmed (7 previously asymptomatic) & 98 new domestic asymptomatic cases. 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 156 active domestic confirmed & 439 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
Sichuan Province reported 3 new domestic asymptomatic cases, all at Guang’an, a taxi driver that commutes to Chongqing daily & 2 traced close contacts. As the province does not break down recoveries by imported vs. domestic cases, I cannot track the count of active domestic cases there.
Chongqing Municipality did not report any new domestic positive cases. 2 domestic confirmed & 1 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 6 active domestic confirmed & 1 active domestic asymptomatic cases remaining in the city.
Qinghai Province reported 10 new domestic confirmed (1 previously asymptomatic) & 17 new domestic asymptomatic cases, 26 at Xining & 1 at Huangnan Prefecture, all are persons under centralized quarantine or residents under movement control, & 2 via community screening. 1 domestic confirmed case recovered. There currently are 23 active domestic confirmed & 38 active domestic asymptomatic cases in the province.
At Yunnan Province 16 domestic asymptomatic cases recovered. There currently are 2 active domestic confirmed & 40 active domestic asymptomatic cases remaining in the province. As the province does not break down recoveries by administrative divisions, I cannot track the count of active cases in administrative divisions, given the multiple simultaneous outbreaks.
Imported Cases
On 5/9, Mainland China reported 8 new imported confirmed cases (1 previously asymptomatic), 41 imported asymptomatic cases, 0 imported suspect cases:
Overall in Mainland China, 1,019 confirmed cases recovered (12 imported), 8,215 asymptomatic cases were released from isolation (62 imported) & 173 were reclassified as confirmed cases (1 imported), & 45,375 individuals were released from quarantine. Currently, there are 8,068 active confirmed cases in the country (154 imported), 511 in serious/critical condition (all domestic), 87,294 active asymptomatic cases (452 imported), 1 suspect case (imported). 394,649 traced contacts are currently under centralized quarantine.
As of 5/9, 3,354.196M vaccine doses have been injected in Mainland China, an increase of 1.174M doses in the past 24 hrs.
On 5/10 Hong Kong reported 273 new positive cases, 27 imported & 246 domestic (111 via RT-PCR & 135 from rapid antigen tests), 5 deaths (1 fully vaccinated).
On 5/10, Taiwan reported 50,828 new positive cases, 28 imported & 50,780 domestic. There were 12 new deaths (ages ranging from 20+ to 90+, actual dates of death between 5/6 & 5/8, 10 having a range of underlying conditions, 9 partially/fully vaccinated).
OzarkHillbilly
Good thing I’m not a doctor.
Amir Khalid
Malaysia’s Ministry of Health reported 2,246 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, for a cumulative reported total of 4,461,135 cases. It also reported one death for an adjusted cumulative total of 35,584 deaths – 0.80% of the cumulative reported total, 0.80% of resolved cases.
There were 22,368 active cases yesterday, 188 fewer than the day before. 1,065 are in hospital. 69 confirmed cases are in ICU; of these patients, 39 confirmed cases cases are on ventilators. Meanwhile, 2,433 more patients have recovered, for a cumulative total of 4,403,183 patients recovered – 98.7% of the cumulative reported total.
2,241 new cases reported yesterday were local infections. Five new cases were imported.
The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) administered 27,286 doses of vaccine on 9th May: 8,290 first doses, 16,207 second doses, and 2,789 booster doses. The cumulative total is 70,4446,288 doses administered: 27,800,885 first doses, 26,812,809 second doses, and 16,045,993 booster doses. 85.1% of the population have received their first dose, 82.1% their second dose, and 49.1% their booster dose.
YY_Sima Qian
I am under the impression that Taiwan’s strategy has always been to implement the maximum set of mitigation measures that are perceived to be acceptable to the population. When it led to “Zero COVID” w/ OG/Alpha/Delta variants, then great! In face of Omicron BA.2, the Taiwanese authorities are essentially resigning to the outcome, because they do not believe further restrictions are politically feasible. “Coping” w/ this exit wave is more “hoping” IMO. If hospitals are overwhelmed, there are no further mitigation measures planned to provide relief. Taiwan will just ride out the storm, 2 months of pain, but w/ significantly lower vaccination rate among the elderly than South Korea, Singapore or New Zealand. As it is, rapid-antigen tests are in dire short supply.
I hope for the best.
YY_Sima Qian
@Amir Khalid: Any reason for the rebound in cases in Malaysia? Is it due to the Eid al-Fitr festivities?
sab
Re Eric Topol and the willfully unvaccinated. That was my dad’s caretaker. She is black and 60 years old. Tuskegee study hit the news when I was in college and she was in middle school. So of course she doesn’t trust medical professionals or the government. Three months later she was happy to get the vaccine. When a million people had had it and were okay.
EarthWind&Fire (formerly bluegirlfromwyo)
@sab: My now ex-hairdresser refuses to get vaccinated because “we don’t know”….argh! Glad your caregiver figured out the results of the largest medical trial in human history.
Amir Khalid
@YY_Sima Qian:
Exactly. Eid al-Fitri is when many Muslims here return to their hometowns to celebrate with family, and this spike was totally expected.
YY_Sima Qian
@Amir Khalid: Thanks! Hope it does not portent another big wave.
Dorothy A. Winsor
Is it really so fantastically rare not to have had covid these days? I realize I live among people with an unusually high vaccination rate (I’m in an over-55 building, and old folks rushed to get that vaccine). Also my neighbors aren’t going out to work every day etc. So maybe that’s why I see so few cases of covid around here.
Of course my son and DIL are also covid free as far as I know. She taught remotely last year but is in a room full of kindergarteners this year, and my son always had to go into the office.
lowtechcyclist
Vaxxed, boosted, always wear N-95 or KN-95 masks indoors among strangers. Since March 2020, haven’t been in a gym, a movie theater, or a beauty salon, and have only been in an indoor restaurant twice during that time. My wife and son are also Covid-free, ditto my sisters and their husbands, my stepbrother and stepsister and their spouses and kids.
Taking the usual precautions isn’t a guarantee that you won’t get Covid, but it sure helps the odds.
lowtechcyclist
Is there a link to that “willfully unvaccinated robbing compassion” article? The text is too blurry to read if one enlarges the image.
germy
So I had two vaccines, two boosters, and I caught a case of what I assume is Omicron. I was bedridden for two days. Without the vaccines and boosters I’m certain I’d either be on a ventilator right now, or six feet under.
I don’t know if I now have what some of the more excitable media outlets call “super immunity”, but I’ll still be taking precautions moving forward.
germy
@lowtechcyclist:
Yes, after the screen grab there’s a link.
Sloane Ranger
I haven’t had COVID yet (that I know of) but then I took and continue to take precautions like masking inside or in crowded spaces and, when I go out to eat etc, I pick times when the restaurant is unlikely to be busy.
Anyway, here are yesterday’s figures from the UK. These also include weekend numbers as the UK no longer reports on Saturdays and Sundays.
There were 26,280 new cases reported yesterday. This is a 69.4% increase in the 7-day moving average. New cases by nation,
England – 21,712
Northern Ireland – 796
Scotland – 3672
Wales – 100.
Deaths – There were 212 deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported yesterday. again this figure includes those who died over the weekend. The rolling 7-day average is up by 24%. 180 deaths were in England, 3 in Northern Ireland, 22 in Scotland and 7 in Wales.
Testing – 201,062 tests took place on 8 May. The rolling 7-day average is down by 10.2%.
Hospitalisations – There were 10,243 people in hospital and 237 on ventilators on Friday, 6 May. The 7-day average for hospital admissions was down by 24.9% as of 3 May.
Vaccinations – As of 4 May, 92.6% of all UK residents aged 12+ had had 1 shot; 86.6% had had 2, and 68.4% had had a 3rd shot/booster.
eclare
@lowtechcyclist: Same here, down to the number of indoor restaurant meals. Regarding not going to a salon, my hair has never been this long!
But I have jury duty next week. I’ll be masked, but I doubt many others will be, and who knows what that will bring.
JMG
Vaccinated, double boosted here. Wear a mask in most indoor settings except restaurants, and I do eat out reasonably regularly, like once every 10 days or so. Attended two plays in NYC late last month (masks and proof of vaccination required). As far as I know, I have not had covid. But I have bad pollen and dust allergies, and it’s possible what I took for my usual spring and fall sneezing, coughing and congestion was instead a mild covid case. I’ve been tested for travel and before medical procedures, always negative, but I didn’t test during the times I assumed I was experiencing just the usual allergy misery.
Ohio Mom
It seems to me that what China is doing, the lockdowns, isn’t working very well. Yet they won’t change tacks. There’s a moral in that story, somewhere.
Not happy to read the numbers are still going up in the NYC area since I’ll be there in eight days. Double-boosted and I’ll be mostly masked (gotta eat out) but still is sounding riskier than I’d like.
dmsilev
@Dorothy A. Winsor: I’m pretty sure I’ve never had it, even asymptomatically. My employer has been running twice-weekly surveillance testing for about a year and a half now, so I’ve gotten really skilled at spitting into tubes without making a mess and so far all tests have been negative. And I’ve been full-time on-site for most of that, even through the depths of the omicron wave in January.
Barbara
It’s good to feel empathy with one’s patients I am sure, but I don’t think doctors should take on the burden of needing to feel empathy for everyone who has refused to get vaccinated. Some are needy and sympathetic, but many are basically indifferent to the welfare of those around them. And nearly all of them thought that they were prioritizing their health over others and found out the hard way that they made the wrong bet.
Nelle
I assumed I had allergies but, out of caution, took a home test and found I was Covid positive. Took another test. Positive. I have been in a few stores at non-busy times, masked N95. I have been to an indoor restaurant once. I assume I likely got it from a family member who works or grandchildren who are in daycare. I’m twice boosted.
I need to be protective of the under-fives and my DIL, who is 7+ months pregnant.
Eunicecycle
@JMG: same with me. As far as I know I haven’t had it and my 3 kids and spouses and families haven’t had it. One of my daughters is a nurse and saw lots of Covid patients and her two children are in daycare. My other kids and spouses have been able to WFH. But my allergies have been so bad and I cough so much Covid is on my mind alot. Never tested positive though!
eclare
@Nelle: I hope you have only mild symptoms and recover quickly!
Anyway
@lowtechcyclist:
Vaxxed and boosted here. Go in to the office everyday – have eaten in restaurants/bars multiple times, 3 airplane rides, one movie theater experience, 3 (smallish) wedding receptions- — Covid-free so far.
I am more careful about masking when the community counts go up (during Omicron for instance)
Anne Laurie
Two links, one in the included extract, and once above it as ‘Read the whole thing’.
(Are they not showing up on your device?)
Barbara
@dmsilev: I have never had a positive test. Most recent testing was before and during travel to a business conference. Daily testing was mandatory. Of course, testing negative in the moment doesn’t mean you weren’t positive at some prior point when you weren’t testing.
NotMax
Appointment for booster part deux later today. Know it’s entirely in my head but am already feeling anticipatory weakness in the receiving arm.
Spanky
Neither Mrs. S nor I ever felt sick enough to self-test, yet nymsake cat’s bloodwork last week showed he has covid antibodies.
As an indoor cat, the only way he could have been exposed is through us, so we’re left wondering if those snotty days were more than just tree pollen.
eclare
@NotMax: I did not have any side effects from booster #2, which was Pfizer. My worst side effects were from original shot #2, which was Moderna. I slept for a day and a half, but as an insomniac, it was bliss!
Matt McIrvin
@Dorothy A. Winsor:
I think not, for this reason: I know a lot of people who are getting it (to their knowledge) for the first time about now. That indicates that their having avoided it thus far is not due to any special inherent immunity on their part; it was just luck, perhaps abetted by vaccination and imperfect protective measures.
I have not, to my knowledge, gotten sick yet. It is of course possible that I’ve gotten an infection that was asymptomatic or mild enough to be lost in the background of allergy symptoms. But if I haven’t gotten infected, I don’t think it’s entirely attributable to my having been careful, because honestly I’ve been less careful than a lot of people here.
I always say that by the standards of the people I know and meet in real life, I’m a COVID obsessive to the point that it’s borderline pathological, but by the standards of the people I know online I’m a careless plague rat. And that mental dissonance is exhausting sometimes.
eclare
@Spanky: That’s interesting.
Eunicecycle
@NotMax: I had my second booster 3 weeks ago and I swear my arm is still a little sore. But it could be in my head. Probably.
Barbara
@Eunicecycle: Every Moderna shot I have had (now 4 in all) was followed by a period of feeling an overwhelming need to sleep. The first was the worst, but the second booster was bad, probably more because I needed to work and could not sleep — Motrin and fluids and chicken soup worked wonders.
Matt McIrvin
@Barbara: The recent shot that really knocked me out for half a day was the second shot of shingles vaccine.
But my fourth COVID shot (that one was Pfizer) did have me feeling a little low-energy the following afternoon. Strangely, the third shot, which was also Pfizer, did not have that effect. I think there’s some inherent unpredictability to the effects.
Ken
In Eric Topol’s tweet about the Paxlovid relapses, he says “a variant (BA.2/BA2.12.1) not assessed in the clinical trials”. It seems to me that doesn’t really matter, in that there will always be variants that are newer than the trials.
Barbara
@Matt McIrvin: Oh, yes, well I did first and second shingles at the same time as first and second Covid booster so that might have contributed to feeling so tired. The first shingles shot hurt a lot, and when I mentioned that the second seemed to hurt less, the pharmacist administering the shot told me that she takes it out of the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes prior, because that lessens the sting a lot.
mali muso
@Eunicecycle: I dunno if it’s in your head. I had the same feeling after my second Pfizer shot (the regular series). A low level ache/sensitivity in my arm for what seemed liked a month. Very weird.
I’m not eligible for a second booster but am going to see if I can finagle one before my trip to Portugal next month.
Soprano2
@EarthWind&Fire (formerly bluegirlfromwyo): “We don’t know” might have felt valid in December 2020; now it’s just dumb. If anyone tries to tell me that now, I tell them we’ve had the largest ongoing trial of a vaccine in history, and the results are in and they’re pro-vaccine.
Nicole
I think a decent number of people have had it and didn’t know- their immune systems took care of it quickly enough they may not even have produced lasting antibodies. My husband and I both caught it in late December 2020 (the OG variant); our kid never tested positive, but when I look at what we were doing then, the most likely scenario is that he was actually our Patient Zero. My kid remembers being very congested Christmas Day, which was 4 days after he’d been unmasked at the pediatric dentist’s for a good hour (crowded, basement office, bad ventilation). I was there, too, but masked the whole time. Four days after Christmas, I spiked a 103 fever. And then my husband got sick 4 days after I did. We were a perfect timeline if the kid was the one who brought it home. Because we were really were isolating then; other than trips to medical appointments, we were not seeing anyone.
It’s “possible” it took 8 days for my symptoms to show up (I had also had an eye doctor appointment the same day, I was masked the entire time), but even back then with the slower alpha variant, they said 95% of cases showed up within 4 days of exposure.
But the kid never tested positive on any PCR tests and when we all went for antibody tests in March, right before getting vaccinated, the husband and I were both positive and he was negative. So who knows? But this is a weird virus, and I do think a lot of people had it and didn’t know.
Funny coda- we wouldn’t have ever known we had it if we hadn’t been starting a work situation in January requiring the whole family to test every 3 days. I didn’t test positive on a PCR until 2 weeks after symptoms showed up (and by then I felt well again). My husband actually tested positive before I did, but he wouldn’t have tested for it on his own, as I had tested negative on PCR while in the middle of symptoms, so we assumed whatever I had, it wasn’t Covid and since he obviously had what I had, we assumed his wasn’t Covid, either. So it was work requirements that detected it for both of us.
Eunicecycle
@mali muso: I’ve also been doing spring cleaning so doing more lifting than usual, but I’m right handed and the ache is in my left right where the shot was given. So I don’t know. It’s not bad or anything, just noticeable.
New Deal democrat
CDC just updated its variant surveillance through May 7.
For the US as a whole, BA.2.12.1 is 43% of all cases. For NY, NJ, and PR it is 66%. Everything else is BA.2. BA.1 and all other variants total less than 1%.
At this rate we are probably a month from BA.2.12.1 completely dominating NY, NJ, and PR, and 2 months away nationally
ETA: Other East Cost regions are not too far behind NY and NJ. The West Coast and the Interior are way behind, with totals on the order of 25% or less.
WaterGirl
@germy: If people like Jen Psaki can get covid twice, why is anyone talking about super immunity?
WaterGirl
@Spanky: They can test cats for covid antibodies?
Matt McIrvin
@Barbara: That Shingrix really seems to pack a wallop–I’ve heard that more consistently than I have of the various COVID vaccines.
Soprano2
@Matt McIrvin: Those shingles shots have nasty side effects. In my experience, much worse than the Covid vaccine but just as worth it. You never want to have shingles!
Soprano2
Stephen Colbert had a repeat last night; I saw online that he might have had a Covid relapse. I assume he tested negative before he started doing shows again, so that seems odd to me, but I know weird things happen with Covid.
Matt McIrvin
@Soprano2: They always imagine some kind of horrifying delayed reaction to the vaccine that takes just long enough to kick in that we haven’t seen it yet.
Strangely, they don’t imagine any such thing being caused by the virus, even though there’s much more biological reason to suspect it could have long-term delayed effects. It seemed to me even many months ago that any assessment of risks of the vaccine needs to be balanced against the risk of getting infected without the vaccine, on equal footing. And the risks from the virus without vaccination were clearly pretty high.
sab
@Eunicecycle: I live in Akron Canton area. Could we possibly have a meetup outside somewhere? I am so jealous of the big city jackals who have meetups all the time.
Matt McIrvin
@Soprano2: Just hearing secondhand reports of people who got shingles were enough for me. My brother-in-law got it in his eye! It’s agonizing.
NotMax
Maybe if we close our eyes and clap our hands there’ll come a morning thread?
;)
Nicole
I’ve been revving myself up to get the shingles vaccine and I tell you what, these comments have probably pushed me back by a few months.
(Joking; I do need to get it and I’m not that frightened about it; I’m just waiting for a weekend when I have nothing on the books so I can stay in bed if I need to.)
I do not envy kids growing up enmeshed in a social media world, but I tell you what, I do envy them growing up in a post-chicken pox vaccine world. It’s possible shingles will never be a thing for the vaccinated ones. That’s amazing.
sab
@NotMax: You should be in bed, sir. Just saying.
eclare
@Matt McIrvin: So glad I don’t have to worry about shingles, I’ve had blood work done, never had chicken pox.
But I sure would get the vaccine if I had had chicken pox. I know two people who got shingles around 40, before the vaccine is recommended
Oh, and I raced to get the chicken pox vaccine when it came out mid-90’s. And then a booster around 2007.
Redshift
@Dorothy A. Winsor:
Yeah, that was my reaction, too. Until recently, no one in my slightly extended family (extending as far as cousins) had had it. This week, my niece in college has it (I think she said there’s an outbreak of about 200 there.) And my cousin and her husband went to a dinner of ten people, and six (including the two of them) caught it.
I still mask in stores and other indoor public spaces, but I’ve eaten in restaurants a few times, and I was at a high school reunion indoors where almost everyone was unmasked. So I don’t think my “secret” is anything more than I’m mostly able to avoid extended contact with other people, vaxxed, double-boosted and masked indoors whenever possible, and beyond that just luck. But maybe I’ll try to volunteer with these researchers.
Barbara
@Nicole: The side effects were no worse than the first and second Covid shots, and I got Shingrix at the same time as the Covid booster. The worst part was the sting going in, and as the pharmacist explained, that can be minimized a lot by bringing the vaccine to room temperature. Basically, the cold vaccine is viscous so hurts when it is injected into the muscle. Moving your arms around and massaging the area can also help.
sab
@Redshift: In my family me and my spouse are the only ones who have not had it. Of course, we are the only ones vaccinated with extra health issues which make it extra scary.
Nicole
@Barbara: That’s good to hear. My husband had 2 days in bed with chills after both shingles shots. I’m reassured to hear it’s not that way for everyone!
NotMax
@sab
Napping insisted on taking precedence from 9:30 to 2:30. Cut into prime post-din din martini time.
;)
germy
I have a neighbor, one of those Independent Thinkers, does His Own Research (but god knows where) and he decided early in the pandemic he didn’t trust the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. He allowed himself to be injected with one J&J. As far as I know he hasn’t gotten any more covid vaccines.
I wonder if he’s seen this:
https://brooklyn.news12.com/fda-restricts-j-and-js-covid-19-vaccine-due-to-blood-clot-risk
If he has it probably just justifies his incorrect belief that all vaccines are untrustworthy
YY_Sima Qian
@Ohio Mom: The aggressive responses is actually working in China (leaving aside the rising cost of socio-economic disruption), dozens of Omicron BA.2 clusters/outbreaks have been contained/suppressed/eliminated over the past couple of months. The significant outbreaks in Changchun & Jilin City in Jilin Province are nearly eliminated. The massive outbreaks in Shanghai has been contained & is being suppressed, elimination actually conceivable, which is against my own expectation. The purpose of the renewed restrictions in Shanghai is to snuff out the last embers of community transmission before genuine reopening, so to ensure all of the pain & suffering of the past month+ is not in vain. (However, because of the frequent policy shifts & poor communication of policy shifts that I mentioned yesterday, & because authorities in China at all levels generally do not deign to explain themselves to the population, the policy reversals have been predictably bewildering to the population & ferment discontent, frustration, distrust & anger.)
The extended wide area lockdowns actually represent failures – failures to contain initial clusters & community spread – & are actions of last resort to prevent catastrophe. Local authorities do often respond to finding cases in the community (via fever clinic or regular screening of people in high risk occupations, especially if there has not been recent mass screening) w/ snap lockdowns of townships, districts, & even urban areas of cities, sometimes in overreaction. However, such snap lockdowns tend to be short (3 – 5 days), unless subsequent mass screenings uncover significant cryptic community transmission.
Tenar Arha
@JMG: similar situation. I do wonder sometimes if our Constant Spring & fall misery was an advantage. That my overactive immune response to pollen might have helped me is ??
AFAIK I’ve never gotten COVID-19. I’m careful but starting last spring/summer I’d go out, I even get my hair & nails done (wearing a mask). I went to a bar mitzvah last October (that apparently was between the Delta & Omicron surges), then hermited other than necessary grocery shopping in January & most of February. I’ve even occasionally eaten out. Probably the most dangerous thing I’ve done is this year’s Passover Seder with 25 unmasked (other than me wearing one except when I was eating) but all vaccinated people in April. In the two home tests I took since then neither were positive. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The way I look at it, even if “everybody will get it” the longer I can avoid getting sick, the better odds I have of easier access to antivirals that maybe even stave off any long term consequences. I really don’t need or want another chronic condition.
ETA if it’s unclear I’m vaxxed & double boosted too
dnfree
@Matt McIrvin: I was flat on my back with bad flu symptoms for three days after my second shingles shot. At the time I had mine (years ago, before Covid) there had been no discussion of side effects at all. I was just lucky I didn’t have big plans that week. I told my doctor and he just said “Well, that means it worked.”
Matt McIrvin
@eclare: I do not remember ever getting chicken pox, but my mother says I probably had a very mild case when I was a toddler. I just went ahead and got the shingles vaccine.
sab
@NotMax: I understand and acknowledge your different time frame.
Eunicecycle
@sab: sure! I would love that. I am also jealous of the big city jackals, but we can do a NEO meetup, I think. Isn’t Goku around here, too? Although he probably doesn’t want to be seen with oldsters.
Redshift
@Ohio Mom:
I’ve been seeing opinions like that a lot since the beginning of Omicron, but I kind of wonder. It’s an absolutely miserable process that’s bad in a lot of ways and I wouldn’t want to have to suffer through it, but how do you measure whether it’s working? 5000 deaths in a population that’s four times the US (even if that’s more of an undercount than ours) seems like by a lot of measures it’s working pretty well.
They definitely have had failures — refusing to use anything but homegrown vaccines, not vaccinating widely enough once they had the chance, especially older people, but purely for preventing widespread illness and death, their strategy does seem to be working. It just comes with the cost of huge economic damage and massive restrictions on the population.
narya
My sinuses are NOT HAPPY today–but I have no fever, no cough, no headache, and I do have the clogged ears that go w/ the sinus congestion. If it looks like I’m going to actually see another human being and I still have any of this, or if it gets any worse, I’ll do a test, but I don’t want to waste a test, either. Was at a big party Saturday night, maybe 500 people including the staff?, and maybe 10 of us were masked. I had on an N95 that I would pull down to sip a beverage or eat some food, and it was a huge space with very high ceilings, so that helped, too, but I was seriously shocked at how few people had a mask. (And the sinus thing has been going on since before the party.)
Spanky
@WaterGirl: He had a full blood workup to monitor his thyroid and diabetes. The vet said that covid antibodies were present in the titer (?). She also said she wasn’t worried since he’s asymptomatic.
CaseyL
I’m fully vaxxed and double-boosted, wear (K)N95s whenever around others indoors.
But I have gone to restaurants about two or three times a month, more or less, and volunteered last weekend at a fundraising walk – which was outdoors, but had a great turnout, and I didn’t mask. Still no Covid that I know of (knock wood!).
Considering what’s happening with the latest variant, and all airlines have lifted their mask/vax requirements, I’m feeling pretty relieved that we cancelled the Hawaii trip.
There are going to be Covid variants forever, so I actually sympathize with the sense of Covid fatigue so many people feel when it comes to masking. But I have nary a jot nor tittle of sympathy for people who refuse vaccination for stupid, selfish reasons. Fuck ’em.
sab
Talked to my culturally Chinese American sister about her actually Chinese in-laws in Shanghai. Of course they are Shanghai residents not country people who have come in. Whole different world.
They are fine. Their mandatory lock down is like our optional one. The mom has a child visiting who was trapped. They have money so can get food. Bonding and cooking.
ETA Neither one actually knew how to cook. Exchanging recipes with neighbors.
Matt McIrvin
@Redshift: China’s strategy did work! It really kept a lid on COVID for a long time, basically until Omicron hit them. It bought them a lot of time.
The problem was that they didn’t follow through like they should have and make use of that time. Specifically, they made a big mistake with their vaccination strategy and didn’t concentrate on covering seniors first. They were oddly hesitant to vaccinate them. So they’re in this incomprehensible situation where people over 70 are actually LESS likely to be vaccinated than younger people are. That’s a bigger problem for them than the fact that their vaccines are maybe not the best ones.
Formerly disgruntled in Oregon
@Redshift: This – and we are in no position to judge from here in the United States of COVID.
Tenar Arha
@Nicole: I’d recommend it. I had a “small” bout of shingles before I even turned 50 & there’s only a few things more painful (like when one of my discs herniated).
I did exactly like you’re planning though when I got the shots, & I’m glad I did bc I had a slight fever for like a day & muscle pain & for a couple days. When you get the first one on Friday, schedule the next one for a Friday the 6-8 weeks later so you can’t make any excuses too ;)
Soprano2
@Matt McIrvin: I always say to them that you get chicken pox at 10, and can then get shingles at 60, so we actually have no idea what kind of effect Covid will have in the long term. What we do know about vaccination is that it protects us from severe illness and death from Covid, so I’ll err on that side.
Soprano2
@Matt McIrvin: I had a co-worker who missed a month of work because he got shingles. He said it was the worst pain he’d ever experienced.
Matt McIrvin
Re China, it’s also worth keeping in perspective that, even through the Omicron wave(s), their case, hospitalization and death rates have been low compared to anything we’ve seen in the West. Some of that might be undercounting/data suppression but I don’t believe that’s, say, a factor of 10 or 20, which is the kind of thing that would really have to be going on to bring them to parity.
Another Scott
It’s good that progress on vaccines for youngsters is being made. They need to get that right.
I heard yesterday that Biden’s $33B request for Ukraine is probably being upped to $40B, but because the GQP would hold it up otherwise, it won’t be combined with the request for more COVID mitigation funding. It’s pretty clear that the GQP is hoping that COVID comes roaring back this summer and fall because they think it will help them in the elections. So they’ll drag out any increased COVID funding until the last minute (“don’t blame me, I voted for it!!”) and strip out any language that is based on science but goes against their Leeroy Jenkins “freedom for me/sickness and death for thee” cartoon philosophy.
I know that Joe and Nancy and Chuck know this. I hope they have plans to combat it. Increasing the number of Democrats in office is essential…
Eyes on the prizes.
Cheers,
Scott.
VeniceRiley
I just had the Shingrix 1st shot. No fx until 24 hours, then a whole night of chills.
In other news, my mom is about to turn 100 and there is a big outdoor party in SLC. I have to fly up, I’ve determined. Was trying to hold off on 2nd booster until I emigrate, but this may be the last time so many of my relatives gather in one place. I’m nervous.
narya
@Soprano2: How are you doing today? Been thinking of you . . .
BRyan
My friend is scheduled for knee replacement surgery this week, and has been battling cold symptoms for about a week and a half. When I asked if he had done a home test for Covid, he said no, he was sure it was just a cold both he and his wife have. I suggested that the hospital would probably require a negative Covid test before they did the procedure, and he said that they had not said anything about it when he was there for his preop meeting last week. So I called the hospital to check, and they told me that they waived the Covid testing requirement last week. I was stunned. Are Balloon Juice readers the only people in the country that are still taking this seriously?
Matt McIrvin
@germy: The early reports of rare clot risk from the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines caused antivaxxers to refer to all COVID vaccines as “the Clot Shot”, even though the ones they were mostly protesting as “experiments” were not the ones associated with clotting. It drove me up the wall.
(It should go without saying: the elevated risk even of clotting from getting COVID is far higher than what these vaccines will get you. But when other options are available, it makes sense to use them. One advantage of mRNA vaccines does seem to be that they’re actually safer than the alternatives that use viral vectors.)
BellyCat
Unfortunately, my six year old tested positive for COVID yesterday. Central PA, Kindergarten. They dropped masking about one month ago, but clearly the spread is increasing. Fortunately he’s vaccinated and doing as well as possible.
Matt McIrvin
@VeniceRiley: I’d say, just get that 2nd booster, if you’re full of fresh antibodies it’ll give you some peace of mind. That’s what I did before vacationing in Seattle near the end of April.
YY_Sima Qian
@Matt McIrvin: Recalling the discussion in China regarding vaccination strategy throughout 2021, I don’t think the experts & policymakers expected the pandemic to be still so disruptive at this point (just like people everywhere). They largely figured that populations outside of the “Zero COVID” countries will reach “herd immunity” after enormous cost, & the pandemic will eventually subside, allowing China to reopen. The near universal vaccination of the young & working age populations was supposed to form a firewall protecting the vulnerable. The most vulnerable in China had not been prioritized initially because they had not been under threat. The Chinese experts & policymakers were overly optimistic about the sterilizing efficacies of Chinese vaccines, & under estimated the evolutionary power of the virus (like everyone else), particularly the immunity escape properties of the Omicron variants. Omicron has made vaccination alone as the sole crutch untenable at the societal level (still critical at the personal level). Then again, this was always the foreseeable outcome of allowing infections to spread unimpeded around the world.
The CCP regime is accountable for failing to accelerate the vaccination of the most vulnerable, & failing to approve the use of the BioNTech mRNA vaccine, at the end of 2021 when it became clear that Omicron would present huge challenge to contain. Yes, there were/are strong cultural headwinds against such efforts, but the CCP regime also has numerous tools (coercive & otherwise) at its disposal.
As it is, the most vulnerable being the least vaccinated is a tragic phenomenon almost unique to Mainland China, Hong Kong & Taiwan.
trollhattan
[Checks county dashboard first time in weeks] Hey, look at that, 15.5% positive test rate last week. Wheeee!
YY_Sima Qian
@BellyCat: Best wishes to your child!
Nicole
@BellyCat: Oh, I’m sorry, but glad to hear your kiddo is doing okay. Our school briefly took away mask requirements, but here in NYC, Omicron 2 hit and now they are required indoors at my kid’s school again. They were testing 25% of the school every week (and catching 7-8 positive cases lately) but that mandate has just ended, so now it’s the honor system. Which, judging from how many parents would send sick kids in to school in the pre-Covid times, is probably not going to work out all that well. At least the year is almost over.
trollhattan
@Matt McIrvin: My booster-too/two appointment is Thursday. We do what we can.
smith
It is interesting to see how many people here who’ve never had covid also have significant allergies (that includes me). There’s been some recent research that suggests that people with allergy-based asthma do better when they are infected with covid than those who don’t have asthma. It may be the drugs they take, but it may also be their very active immune systems. This might generalize to those of us with chronic hay fever as well.
La Nonna
@mali muso: You might be able to wangle a booster in Portugal, many pharmacies are now giving boosters here.
Matt McIrvin
@smith: I always figured it was more likely that we just got mild infections and never noticed because the symptoms were things we consider normal.
Eunicecycle
@smith: that would be the one positive to allergy misery. I am allergic to literally everything I was tested for, all pollens, molds, and dust. My voice is almost always scratchy, like Bill Clinton’s.
Barbara
@germy: An awful lot of people just don’t like needles or taking time from work. I am convinced this underlies a nontrivial percentage of anti-vaxxers. They just don’t like getting jabbed but they won’t admit it. Which is why someone like your neighbor decides that J&J (single shot) is okay. Or maybe he has heard of J&J, but not Pfizer or Moderna. Lots of irrelevant data is considered to be relevant simply because it’s the data that you know about. J&J shot has been known to have a higher clotting risk practically since it was approved.
smith
In my opinion, the early news of J&J clotting problems had a lot to do with the limitations of the US vaccination drive. If you look at the history of covid vaccine uptake, it was going great guns until the reports of clotting with J&J came out, at which point it abruptly collapsed and never really recovered. This created the opening for RW ratfuckers to capitalize on people’s fears, and the rest is history (and hundreds of thousands of people dead who otherwise wouldn’t be).
Matt McIrvin
@smith: The J&J clotting scare happened at the exact moment that a bunch of states opened up vaccination to the general adult population, too.
Tenar Arha
@smith: Yeah, it’s interesting data isn’t it.
Logically of course, it could simply be that since we’ve been horrible sneezers (so many times someone has made a disgusting face at me as a chain of sneezing snuck up on me) & watery itchy eyed people our entire lives ?, thus we had a better understanding of personal space, & how the discipline of wearing a mask & hand washing would protect ourselves & our loved ones….
Raven
@BRyan: Yes, and not all of then.
Raven
@Raven: Them. . .us
BellyCat
@YY_Sima Qian:
@Nicole:
Thank you! So far, he’s doing much better than I feared.
Honor system is flawed. At least take infrared temps at beginning of the day, I say. Can’t imagine the courage of teachers. True heroes.