Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

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

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

If you are still in the GOP, you are an extremist.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Joe Lieberman disappointingly reemerged to remind us that he’s still alive.

Let’s finish the job.

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: April 12, 2023

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: April 12, 2023

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: April 12, 2023

… The investment, dubbed “Project NextGen” and first announced by White House and HHS officials in an interview with the Washington Post, aims to provide better protection from coronaviruses, including the one that causes COVID-19, that might become future threats.

“While our vaccines are still very effective at preventing serious illness and death, they are less capable of reducing infections and transmission over time,” the HHS spokesperson said.

“New variants and loss of immunity over time could continue to challenge our healthcare systems in the coming years.”…

The project, set to be based at HHS, will coordinate across the government and with the private sector on advancing a pipeline of new vaccines and treatments, the HHS spokesperson said. It will cover all phases of development from lab research and clinical trials to delivery.

It will focus on creating long-lasting monoclonal antibodies resistant to new COVID-19 variants as well as broader vaccines that can protect against several different coronaviruses.

The project also seeks to speed up the development of vaccines that produce mucosal immunity and can be administered through the nose, in hopes they can dramatically reduce infection and transmission rates.


COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: April 12, 2023 1
Worth reading the whole thing:

… As government officials close the book on the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities are turning their attention to the next chapter of the vaccination campaign.

Though nothing is etched in stone, federal officials are considering the authorization of another booster shot this spring.

The timing of that decision — and who would be eligible — remains unclear. But for older residents or those with underlying health conditions that make them more likely to develop a severe COVID-19 illness, another booster could provide peace of mind and an additional jolt of protection.

“Lots of people at higher risk are asking whether or not they need another dose. And we’re waiting for guidance on that,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said….

It remains to be seen how much of an appetite there could be for an additional booster in the U.S. In California, 45% of vaccinated seniors have received the updated booster shot. Among all age groups, only 25% of eligible Californians — that is, people who have completed their primary vaccination series — have rolled up their sleeves since the updated bivalent doses became available in September…

Emerging data demonstrate that those who get the bivalent booster shot are better protected against hospitalization and death, with the benefit particularly pronounced among older individuals.

Among people age 65 to 79 in L.A. County, for instance, those who got the updated booster had one-tenth the risk of being hospitalized compared with those who are unvaccinated, and roughly half the risk of being hospitalized compared with those who are vaccinated but haven’t received the bivalent booster.

Even among younger adults, in their 30s and 40s, the benefits were noticeable. Those who got the updated booster had one-sixth the chance of being hospitalized than unvaccinated people, and roughly half the chance of being hospitalized compared with vaccinated people who hadn’t gotten the updated booster.

The same goes with deaths. Those age 65 to 79 who got the updated booster were about one-tenth as likely to die from COVID-19 compared with unvaccinated people. They were roughly half as likely to die compared with vaccinated people who hadn’t received the updated booster…

Health officials have for months touted the benefits of the bivalent boosters, saying they provide added protection against infection, and especially against severe illness.

Still, there appears to be booster fatigue, even in highly vaccinated areas. A Times data analysis showed only two of California’s 58 counties had seen even 40% of their eligible residents get an updated booster as of March 31…

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: April 12, 2023 2

…Scientists from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention made the remarks at a news conference after weeks of mounting criticism from the W.H.O.

The W.H.O.’s accusations referred specifically to the recent revelation that Chinese scientists had data on environmental and animal samples collected in Wuhan, the city in central China where the virus first emerged, that they had not shared earlier. On Thursday, a top W.H.O. official said that China’s “lack of data disclosure is simply inexcusable.”

Shen Hongbing, the chief of China’s C.D.C, forcefully denied those charges.

“We did not hide any cases, samples or testing and analysis results,” he said. “It is intolerable to the Chinese scientific community and unacceptable to the global scientific community.”…

The recent criticism from the W.H.O. is a shift from the organization’s approach early in the pandemic; back then, it appeared wary of offending Beijing. When W.H.O. experts visited China in 2021 to look into the origins of the pandemic, they allowed China to dictate much of what they could see and say. A findings report issued after that visit offered little clarity on possible origins.

Then came the news last month that several international scientists, from countries including Australia, France and the United States, had discovered previously unseen gene sequences from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan on an online database. The sequences had been uploaded by Chinese researchers, including some affiliated with the country’s C.D.C…

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: April 12, 2023 3

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Despite the stock illo, I suspect this is not about elevator buttons — but it might be useful when one member of the household tests positive and the others haven’t, yet…
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: April 12, 2023 9
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*Sigh*… up till now, itchy eyes were a sign you were suffering from allergies, not the ‘rona:
COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: April 12, 2023 10
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Yeah, well… Just read the article:

Reader Interactions

30Comments

  1. 1.

    NeenerNeener

    Monroe County, NY:

    43 new cases on 04/05/23.
    37 new cases on 04/06/23.
    46 new cases on 04/07/23.
    47 new cases on 04/08/23.
    44 new cases on 04/09/23.
    26 new cases on 04/10/23.
    20 new cases on 04/11/23.

    Deaths now at 2236, up 7 since last week.

    I see very few people masking in public these days. It makes me wonder why the PCR case counts are so low. Maybe people are being diagnosed with the at-home tests instead, as those aren’t counted anymore, or maybe the COVID cases are so mild that it’s assumed to be a cold and just ignored.

  2. 2.

    hells littlest angel

    Those who avoided #Covid precautions early in the pandemic are more likely to buy firearms.

     

    Death wish.

  3. 3.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Those who avoided #Covid precautions early in the pandemic are more likely to buy firearms

    Because the only thing that can stop a bad bug with high viral loads is a good guy with a gun. Tax cuts too.

  4. 4.

    Another Scott

    @NeenerNeener: When we caught COVID last month, verified by several home rapid tests, I tried to report the results to the state health department.  Their website would only accept results from physicians (needed a special code).

    The itchy eyes stuff makes me wonder – it does seem worse this spring, but …

    My resting heart rate is still 5-10 points higher than before, but that might be the antihistamine or who knows what…

    Stay safe, everyone.  Thanks AL.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  5. 5.

    lowtechcyclist

    Those who avoided #Covid precautions early in the pandemic are more likely to buy firearms.

    These two behaviors share a common ancestor: being a Rethug.

  7. 7.

    Suzanne

    Those who avoided #Covid precautions early in the pandemic are more likely to buy firearms

    Nothing wrong with their risk assessment capabilities.

  8. 8.

    lowtechcyclist

    @rikyrah:

    The mystery of where the flu went? Are they serious?😠😠

    I know, right?  2020 was the only year in the past two decades that I didn’t bother getting a flu shot, because it was hard to see how the flu was going to be able to spread that winter the way it usually does, let alone how I was going to get it when I was hardly ever seeing other people.

  9. 9.

    Kay

    Drug company Moderna recently announced that its experimental cancer vaccine – based on the messenger RNA (mRNA) technology used in some COVID-19 vaccines – has been shown to work against melanoma.
    Cases of melanoma have been increasing steadily for the past 30 years, especially among teens and young adults. And while it accounts for just 1% of all skin cancers, melanoma is responsible for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths.
    According to the announcement, when Moderna’s vaccine was combined with Keytruda®, an immunotherapy drug made by Merck, it reduced the risk of recurrence or death from melanoma by 44% compared with Keytruda alone in a recent trial.

    It’s sad that Republicans and anti vaxxers won’t be able to use the new cancer vaccines based on the mNRA technology that are coming. Pretty exciting and hopeful! They’ll HATE that.

  10. 10.

    Kay

    Joe Rogan will have to tell his idiot followers not to accept groundbreaking cancer treatment because it has covid vaccine cooties.

  11. 11.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Kay: Let’s see, cancer or microchips in my blood… Wow, that is a really tough choice to make.

  12. 12.

    jonas

    @NeenerNeener: Since virtually everyone self-tests these days rather than showing up at the ER or something, these numbers are only a small part of the picture. Health depts in NY these days look at wastewater monitoring. If you take a look at that dashboard, you’ll see there’s a very modest uptick in the Rochester area (Monroe county), so I would expect to see a small rise in those PCR reports in the next week or so. The rest of NY is looking ok, with Covid still being detected in most places, but at decreasing levels week over week. Several collection sites in the city have shown a troubling spike, though, over the past couple of weeks, so that’s not good.

    Here in CNY, things seem to have settled down quite a bit. This time last year was a complete shitshow where I worked and this spring, I don’t think I know anyone who’s had Covid since January or thereabouts, and the other day when I asked my high schooler if he’d heard about any recent Covid cases at school recently, he couldn’t think of any.

  13. 13.

    lowtechcyclist

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Let’s see, cancer or microchips in my blood… Wow, that is a really tough choice to make.

    I don’t wish death on anyone, but if they want to die in order to own us libs, I’m not gonna stand in their way.

  14. 14.

    WereBear

    @jonas: I think some areas will reflect their level of herd immunity, which is where urban living might be safer, ironically.

    City people don’t all shop at the only Wal-Mart in fifty miles.

  15. 15.

    Kay

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Immunotherapy, the current cancer treatment mentioned in the article that will be combined with the mNRA vaccine, came (partly) out of AIDS research. Wouldn’t it be funny if conservatives end up having fought tooth and nail against all the cancer treatments that work, just because they hate libs? :)

    “Dr, Fauci!!!! I’d rather DIE!!!!”

  17. 17.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @jonas: We’ve been hearing from friends who got it, who were cautious (mostly) about masking and distancing. Including one on CNY. She thinks she got it from a careless friend who came to visit her. Both well over 65.

    Another thinks she got it from her mother, who came home from the hospital to stay with them.

    We’re still Covid-free. Got the bivalent in September and waiting for the guidance on another shot before a planned overseas trip in August.

  18. 18.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @lowtechcyclist: Since finding out about it during lockdown, I still occasionally browse the HerbertCainAward subreddit on Reddit. I don’t know why. I find it depressing. Not so much the militant anti/vaxxers following their beliefs to the grave, but the nutty memes they post while still alive. It depresses me that these memes even exist, that there’s a whole subculture who thinks they make sense.

  19. 19.

    bcw

    Of course, the antivaxxers just claim the absence of flu cases during lockdown was because the hospitals were labeling all the flu cases as covid19 to “make more money.”

    Just don’t try confusing them with facts.

  20. 20.

    Matt McIrvin

    @NeenerNeener: COVID case counts are useless these days, BUT wastewater counts are also down everywhere and I trust those; also hospital admissions, hospitalizations and deaths are way down, so I do not believe there is a massive COVID wave that is going unseen.

    I think that the last few XBB waves got most of the remaining people who had avoided COVID up to now (including the ones who had vaccinations) and there is very little entirely Omicron-naive population left. Protection against initial infection wanes after a few months, but long-term immunity effects how severe the infection will be and how quickly you can clear it. Combine that with the effects of mild spring weather (more outdoor activity, better ventilation and sunlight) and there’s a genuine lull

    The most interesting thing to me is that the emergence of the newest XBB sub-variant in Nebraska and Kansas and environs doesn’t seem to have caused a new large wave there.

  22. 22.

    Kay

    @bcw:

    If the cancer vaccines turn out, Dr Fauci will have been personally involved in two newer cancer treatments – immunotherapy (his AIDS advocacy and agitating for research funding) and doing the same for mNRA vaccines.

    That’s pretty damn impressive. Show me a single one of his critics who will have anything like that kind of positive impact. We shoudl be naming airports after him. No wonder he always looks so happy. He’s wildly successful.

  24. 24.

    JaneE

    I don’t have all that much interest in taking the flu shots, but I do every year.  I prefer not getting sick.  If they offer a third booster, or an annual booster, I will take it.  Again, I prefer not getting sick.  There is all the difference in the world between how many colds etc. I have had before flu shots and after.  Even though I don’t think what I got was the actual flu.  If the shots are not outrageously expensive, my health plan will probably cover them fully.  If they are expensive there will be a co-pay.  Still better than getting sick.

  25. 25.

    Matt McIrvin

    @JaneE: If I recall recent discussion correctly, it sounds like what the CDC has settled on is annual boosters in the fall for everyone, and an extra six-month shot for over-65 and immunocompromised people. I would have preferred the six-month recommendation to cover, you know, me, but I’m not the expert here.

  26. 26.

    smith

    @Matt McIrvin: As far as I know, the FDA has approved the 6 month booster for old people, but not CDC. From discussions I read here, a lot of pharmacies and doctors won’t give you a second bivalent booster until the CDC says OK. I’m getting impatient.

  27. 27.

    StringOnAStick

    @smith: Your understanding is correct; we’re all just waiting for the various wheels to finish turning so we can get that next booster, but you can’t get it yet.  I turn 65 in July so I figure my timing will be about right.

  28. 28.

    Matt McIrvin

    @smith: Interesting distinction. I guess the FDA’s criterion is just “is this safe and effective?” whereas the CDC’s is “is this best policy?” taking all manner of other things into account.

  29. 29.

    J R in WV

    Since I started a harsh series of Chemo treatments for my recently diagnosed cancer, I sought a 2nd bi-valent Covid vaccination at my local Kroger’s Pharmacy, where I get all my prescriptions filled. They did not hesitate, being aware of my recent diagnosis from filling prescriptions to prepare me for my chemo.

    My first 8-hour infusion was Monday, and so far side-effects are minimal. Kind of holding my breath, taking all the provided suppression medications to prevent those side effects, so far so good.

    Neighbors have been so helpful regarding home house work assistance !!! Willing to pick up things in town, schlep  heavy items up into the house, etc. So kind and helpful !!

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