73 thoughts on “C-19 Chat Post – July 23 2021”

  1. All Boston Public School students and staff will have to wear masks indoors this upcoming fall, regardless of vaccination status.

    This is where Baker differs as he has no plans to change from the CDC’s position on indoor masking, in schools or otherwise.

    1. Baker seems to follow Riley. My views on Riley are clear. Good for Boston to follow the science.

      1. Thanks, North.

        How are your relatives doing in the UK? They’re in the Manchester area, correct?

        Just scheduled my Covid-19 test for my (possible) travel to England in August. Next step is scheduling the tests I need to do once in London. My daughter and I will coordinate; choose testing centers in nice locations so I can at least get to see some of London. Apparently, one can leave the house to get tested.

        1. They are doing ok so far and are vaccinated but still worried about the rising cases. I hope you can go after all this time. While we were having this rainy weather, they had a pretty nice stretch. How is your daughter doing?

    3. Exceptional article and so far the only absolutely honest one I have read. I’ll share with relatives and friend that is all right. May I share on a few FB pages?

    4. This is another great article Joshua – thanks again.

      Certainly the prevalence of the Delta variant is a cause of the decrease in the effectiveness of the vaccines. But I wonder if there is also a decrease in the effectiveness over time. In other words, is the vaccine losing its effectiveness in general? What would be happening if the Delta did not exist? Are there any studies of the antibody levels in people who received the vaccine early on? These questions relate to the subject of boosters.

        1. Yes and the skeptic in me believes that unless the data is by some miracle in line with the current and factually outdated policy line of “minimal eradication of efficacy” – we won’t know for a while… they will bury the data – bc what is saving human life if it could potentially affect political viability of an outdated policy.

          The irony is with public health matters it may be the one time it’s impossible to just “will” facts away.

          Sorry – I’m just beyond furious at the hypocrisy and the arrogance that is already leading to unnecessary loss of life. From the antivaxxers and conspiracy theorists right up to Fauci & the Biden administration. Tell the truth, disseminate the facts, and let the chips fall where they may – it’s just that simple. Controlling information and arguably manipulating data – by intent or by omission – in a global pandemic is unconscionable.

  4. Vicki, yes, you may indeed share. Thanks for your comment.

    North, glad to know your relatives are doing well. My daughter is faring well, too. She landed a job at Penguin (book publishing). She likes it. Almost all work is remote, thus far. Loves living in Highgate (North London). Joined a softball league.

  6. Thanks Joshua for the article.

    According to Baker, breakthrough infections mean that the vaccines are “working”. His EXACT words if I recall.
    He doesn’t appear particularly concerned about the upticks at all.

    I do find it interesting that all those fully vaccinated Texas Democrats got
    Covid though. A textbook example of breakthrough infection.

    1. Riley is the Commissioner of DESE. The one who took any and all control for what schools decide away from the town school committees so is the only one with any “say.”

      He has said under no circumstances will there be remote learning. I know at least one of my kids is looking into home schooling.

      Joshua, while on the topic, in order for my remote plan to work, you are correct….there would have to be help with funding from either federal or state.

  8. I’m not hearing anything on efficacy or J&J. Did I miss it? Or is it not as widely used so we just don’t know yet?

    1. I’ve been hearing that the JJ vaccine is not nearly as effective as the Pfizer and/or Moderna. There is also talk that those who received the JJ will require boosters for better protection.

      2. I assumed that it was a booster of the JJ itself, but if it’s one of those two then I stand corrected. Thanks JPD.

  9. Not sure that getting a shot of Pfizer or Moderna for J&J recipients would make sense. J&J is an adenovirus vector vaccine whereas Moderna and Pfizer are RNA vaccines. Two totally different platforms to say the least. If you’ve got a source on that jp I’d love to read about it to see the efficacy of cross platforming vaccine types.

  10. I like Charlie Baker. I think he’s a good person. But, I wish I could have a conversation with him; a relaxed one at a nice outdoor cafe in the North End. He’s uttering a nonsensical statement if he said that “breakthrough infections” show that vaccines are working. I think he meant to say that very few breakthrough infections lead to severe illness (he’s right about that) and that this means vaccines are working. Still, the concerns I reference in my article remain, and they’re very real. To categorically state that vaccines are working and breakthroughs are not an issue is myopic. The public understands some nuance. And by introducing that nuance you may very well limit the spread. Exhibit A is my local CVS. Tiny. Very crowded. Often a line of patients waiting to have their Rx’s filled. There should be a mask and distancing requirement in the pharmacy. Full stop. No excuses. There are some vulnerable folks in the line at the pharmacy picking up Rx’s. It is precisely those folks in which breakthroughs are very serious. Just ask the Israeli PM Bennett (>50% of severe cases in Israel are in the Pfizer fully vaccinated; fewer serious cases across the population than before, to be sure, but they are definitely impacting the fully vaccinated). Or, ask PM Johnson of the UK. Even he believes strongly that masks and distancing should apply in all healthcare settings, including pharmacies. He also believes that they should apply in most indoor settings, but he doesn’t think government should mandate it (“it’s the individual’s responsibility to practice caution”).

      1. It was on both radio and tv interviews. Baker has been very “casual” about this virus lately ever since he removed the State of Emergency, etc. Not like him at all. Certainly nothing like his 2020 persona.

    1. Whatever goes up has to come down sooner or later. Good to see India’s cases plummet considerably. Hopefully that should bode well for the U.K. and U.S. down the road.

      Joshua?

    1. Sorry SClarke, but I refuse to give my personal info (register/log in) even for a few “free” articles.

    2. I had to read this several times. As a conservative it is not typical to say masks and lockdowns don’t work. Say what?? I thought that was the mantra of the right. I will add that having caught two cnn talking heads saying that it would be unfair to reinstate masks since folks who were vaccinated we promised that they could go back to normal. Again…..say what??

      “ It’s not often that I say this as a conservative, but Mayor Bill de Blasio is absolutely correct to reject calls for a renewed indoor mask mandate and to refuse to consider renewed lockdowns in New York City in light of the emergence of the Delta variant.”

      Actually, I suspect the sentence is very poorly worded but then that is the fault of the author.

  13. Joshua, have there been any trials on under-12 year olds to verify for sure if the adult dose can still be safe for them? Or harmful? Maybe their bodies can withstand an adult dose for all we know.

      1. And yet they are highly recommending those 12+ year olds get vaccinated from what I can tell.

  15. Vicki, I commented on Eric Topol’s tweet. Not sure what he’s thinking, or what happy drug he’s taking. What goes up must come down. Sure. And, the UK may have peaked in terms of cases, it appears. Good. But, when you peak in the 30 – 50k range per day and test positivity is over 10% you still have a major problem on your hands that will take a while to wind down (btw, India is still grappling with ~40k cases per day with limited testing; and also ~450 deaths/day). Moreover, for at least the next few weeks hospitalizations and deaths in the UK will continue to rise. They’re rising at 750 per day, with some days approaching 800. ICU usage is up by 90 persons in 4 days. Deaths are increasing, too.

    As far as the US is concerned, we’re a good 3 or 4 weeks behind the UK. We just started on the Delta wave, maybe 2 weeks ago. So, it’s definitely going to last longer than a few more weeks, unless a miracle happens.

    2. Excellent comment followed by sourced information for the individual who questioned your percent. I just don’t get it. These comments are a horrible disservice.

  17. Republican governors are now pleading with their constituents to be vaccinated. They have said they don’t understand why people are not being vaccinated.

    The WH is now worried about delta.

    Let those two comments sink in. My good heavens. You can’t make this stuff up.

        1. I only ask because I love tiny typos that completely change the meaning of what is written.

          1. Your question was well warranted. I had to look to see if I had made a typo. I appreciate your asking

  18. Amy, I hope you can do the September trip. I’m wondering if I should postpone my trip. I fear that if I do so some other variant will enter the picture.

    Interesting article you sent. It’s unclear whether this applies to UK nationals returning home (I believe it is about them) and/or foreign visitors (I don’t think it applies to people like you and me). This caught my attention: “lifting of the self-isolation requirement for arrivals from amber list countries applies to passengers who have been double-vaccinated “under the UK vaccination programme.”

    The latter would have to be UK nationals or legal residents.

      1. I received it yesterday from an independent school leadership listserv—likely released in the last few days—dated July 2021

  20. Biden Administration now says that schools “must be 100% in person this fall.”

    You know I’m in favor of in-person schooling as much as possible, but I’d rather not see the federal government dictate or pretend to (I know that they don’t have the power to dictate what local school systems do). To have Psaki (spokesperson) be so adamant sounded a bit too Trumpian to me. I think it should not only be a local call, given the circumstances in the community, but there should be as much parental involvement as possible (there will be parents on both sides of this).

    I don’t like it that colleges are forcing immunocompromised lecturers and professors to abandon Zoom and return to the classroom in person this fall. I think that if one has a legitimate medical concern, like a serious medical condition, the person should still have the choice, especially at schools with no mandatory vaccination for students!

    1. In truth. School committees in Massachusetts do not have the ability make local decisions . Riley removed that months ago.

      I agree if parents want kids in schools, rhe. It is their decision. It is not…..and it should never be….the decision of anyone or any agency to force parents to put children in a position that could not only jeopardize their health or the health of the families they return to.

      I see absolutely no grey area on this. It simply cannot be one way or the other. It has to take ALL children into account Shame on Biden and Riley and whoever else is involved for making that decision for the children they are charged with protecting.

      I’m working through the article Dave posted. I will finish Tomorrow.

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