Important piece from Israel on vaccine’s impact on transmission (1st dose reduces transmissibility by 33% to 50%) and severity of disease (still a large number of severe cases after 1st dose). While the vaccines are an important tool and do help, they are NOT foolproof and therefore not an elixir. We’ve got to mitigate more – very strict crowd limits, universal distancing and masking – or we’ll be mired in problems for years. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-data-shows-50-reduction-in-infections-14-days-after-first-vaccine-shot/
I’ve encountered people who are of the mentality that the moment that needle is removed from their arm they are going to be able to resume pre-pandemic practices. Sadly, they’re about as misguided as the folks who thought that the moment the clock hit 12:00:01 on 1-1-2021 that everything would be fixed, just because “2020” was over. So many people got so hung up on the year being the cause, or the symbol, for everything that went wrong, that they actually forgot about the solutions to our problems…
2019, 2020, or 2021 have nothing to do with any of it, no more than whatever the clock read the moment you were born. They’re just markers we created.
The problem that I am seeing is that we might not be able to get to at least 70% of the USA populations to get the vaccine as people are saying they are not willing to take it.. There is a reason why they have expanded who can get the vaccine here in the USVI. I am now able to sign up for an appointment as I am a University student on a grant/ working for the University. I have yet to hear back from them but should soon. The vaccine does not protect you until 2 weeks after you get the vaccine, and thats only at around 40 to 50% and it takes 3 to 4 weeks after the second dose to get to 90-95%. There is also the fact that the Vaccine might not keep you from being asymptomatic and spreading it to people that can not get the vaccine concerns me. I feel that people are going to try and go back to normal once their family is all vaccinated. I do feel that after a couple of months of everyone having the ability to get the vaccine that they will get rid of mask and social distance rules. It is indeed weird to me that I can not go give a fist pump to friends or do the handshakes. Some people are saying there will be major changes in social interactions because of this virus and in some cases I think that will be the case. This virus has made us as a society even more distant from others, not willing to talk to new people. Something I very much liked here on St. Thomas was the ability to have conversations start up with random people and not feeling weird about it. Now you kind of have that feeling that its not ok to start conversations with random people.
Matt did your dad have the vaccine and did he have a result
I agree Matt. I think some of that will eventually go back to the way it used to be, but it may happen very very slowly…
Mask wearing will be here to stay if not most of this year then all of it . Folks seem to think I got the shot no more mask , big false . Matter of fact Biden is going to be addressing this with his mandate of wearing them next week .
Republicans really need to get on board with mask wearing once and for all. I don’t understand why they are still so stubborn as they all end up getting the virus eventually.
I just don’t get it. Clearly they don’t either.
It’s everyone
“Republicans” especially according to polls I have seen. Very sad that it comes down to political party.
I’m finding a lot of republicans who believe masks are key. Most all democrats seem to have no problem. It does seem to be Trumplicans. A very fair term
I am even more sure than ever now that there will not be any kind of “normal” until 2022. 🙁
TK’s comment is excellent.
Also, the media needs to impart that the vaccine does not give you immunity from getting the virus, even after a 2nd dose. It has a 95% efficacy in keeping those infected from having severe symptoms. Both Pfizer and the WHO have stated they don’t know if the vaccine will keep anyone from being infected or infecting others. That is why even those who get the vaccine must continue to mask and social distance.
What this implies is that the vaccines alone will not stop the virus. We’re going to have to get more serious about mitigation. I don’t mean draconian lockdowns. But, I do think the laissez-faire attitude needs to change. The more we do to mitigate and also vaccinate the quicker we’ll return to normal.
Some numbers today:
– Global daily death record (15,700) already and the tally doesn’t include at least 1,500 more deaths to come in between now and 9pm
– UK deaths at 1,525 today (record); steady increase in hospitalizations – London area hospitals no longer have capacity, patients being transported elsewhere
– US deaths already at 3,400 today – I expect another record to be broken by this evening at 9pm; numbers hospitalized steady, but that will likely increase a bit as more states report – still I do see some plateauing
– Curfew to be instituted in the Netherlands; first time since WW2 – from 8pm to 5am – numbers are improving in the Netherlands and on the European continent, but policymakers and politicians want to hit the virus as hard as they can with a one, two punch of strict mitigation and vaccination
Joshua, how is Antarctica doing these days? Are they still virus free?
Nope, a whole base was infected during transition
We really need the J & J “one” dose vaccine to get to herd immunity. Two doses are too slow.
Agree that one dose is better. Also, it’s a traditional adenovirus vaccine. These tend not just to reduce severity of disease, but also transmissibility.
Antarctica is no longer free of coronavirus. Two dozen Chilean research scientists contracted the virus while stationed on the continent.
Something tells me, however, that Kimmirut (Nunavut) is still Covid-free.
That’s too bad about Antarctica. At least the north side of the world is still virus free.
Political division has really hampered efforts at taming the virus. The virus has no political affiliation. It simply seeks hosts of all stripes.
I fear that moving forward the Biden Administration will not be able to bridge the political divide.
I’d be in favor of a government of national unity, including Democrats and Republicans, for the duration of the pandemic. But, that is not going to happen.
I agree 100%.
But both sides will point figures at the other and say “they are wrong”, no matter what. And both sides will say they want to work together but blame the other side for making it impossible.
Nope. Both sides are often wrong, and I don’t even care if one is more wrong than the other at any given time. It has nothing to do with that. Put down the damn word weapons and do it differently. But then each side will say “they have to go first”. This is why as long as there are two sides, I don’t think we go much of anywhere. Prove me wrong humanity! 😉
C-19 for 1-14 is ready.
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Important piece from Israel on vaccine’s impact on transmission (1st dose reduces transmissibility by 33% to 50%) and severity of disease (still a large number of severe cases after 1st dose). While the vaccines are an important tool and do help, they are NOT foolproof and therefore not an elixir. We’ve got to mitigate more – very strict crowd limits, universal distancing and masking – or we’ll be mired in problems for years. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-data-shows-50-reduction-in-infections-14-days-after-first-vaccine-shot/
I’ve encountered people who are of the mentality that the moment that needle is removed from their arm they are going to be able to resume pre-pandemic practices. Sadly, they’re about as misguided as the folks who thought that the moment the clock hit 12:00:01 on 1-1-2021 that everything would be fixed, just because “2020” was over. So many people got so hung up on the year being the cause, or the symbol, for everything that went wrong, that they actually forgot about the solutions to our problems…
2019, 2020, or 2021 have nothing to do with any of it, no more than whatever the clock read the moment you were born. They’re just markers we created.
The problem that I am seeing is that we might not be able to get to at least 70% of the USA populations to get the vaccine as people are saying they are not willing to take it.. There is a reason why they have expanded who can get the vaccine here in the USVI. I am now able to sign up for an appointment as I am a University student on a grant/ working for the University. I have yet to hear back from them but should soon. The vaccine does not protect you until 2 weeks after you get the vaccine, and thats only at around 40 to 50% and it takes 3 to 4 weeks after the second dose to get to 90-95%. There is also the fact that the Vaccine might not keep you from being asymptomatic and spreading it to people that can not get the vaccine concerns me. I feel that people are going to try and go back to normal once their family is all vaccinated. I do feel that after a couple of months of everyone having the ability to get the vaccine that they will get rid of mask and social distance rules. It is indeed weird to me that I can not go give a fist pump to friends or do the handshakes. Some people are saying there will be major changes in social interactions because of this virus and in some cases I think that will be the case. This virus has made us as a society even more distant from others, not willing to talk to new people. Something I very much liked here on St. Thomas was the ability to have conversations start up with random people and not feeling weird about it. Now you kind of have that feeling that its not ok to start conversations with random people.
Matt did your dad have the vaccine and did he have a result
I agree Matt. I think some of that will eventually go back to the way it used to be, but it may happen very very slowly…
Mask wearing will be here to stay if not most of this year then all of it . Folks seem to think I got the shot no more mask , big false . Matter of fact Biden is going to be addressing this with his mandate of wearing them next week .
Republicans really need to get on board with mask wearing once and for all. I don’t understand why they are still so stubborn as they all end up getting the virus eventually.
I just don’t get it. Clearly they don’t either.
It’s everyone
“Republicans” especially according to polls I have seen. Very sad that it comes down to political party.
I’m finding a lot of republicans who believe masks are key. Most all democrats seem to have no problem. It does seem to be Trumplicans. A very fair term
I am even more sure than ever now that there will not be any kind of “normal” until 2022. 🙁
TK’s comment is excellent.
Also, the media needs to impart that the vaccine does not give you immunity from getting the virus, even after a 2nd dose. It has a 95% efficacy in keeping those infected from having severe symptoms. Both Pfizer and the WHO have stated they don’t know if the vaccine will keep anyone from being infected or infecting others. That is why even those who get the vaccine must continue to mask and social distance.
What this implies is that the vaccines alone will not stop the virus. We’re going to have to get more serious about mitigation. I don’t mean draconian lockdowns. But, I do think the laissez-faire attitude needs to change. The more we do to mitigate and also vaccinate the quicker we’ll return to normal.
Some numbers today:
– Global daily death record (15,700) already and the tally doesn’t include at least 1,500 more deaths to come in between now and 9pm
– UK deaths at 1,525 today (record); steady increase in hospitalizations – London area hospitals no longer have capacity, patients being transported elsewhere
– US deaths already at 3,400 today – I expect another record to be broken by this evening at 9pm; numbers hospitalized steady, but that will likely increase a bit as more states report – still I do see some plateauing
– Curfew to be instituted in the Netherlands; first time since WW2 – from 8pm to 5am – numbers are improving in the Netherlands and on the European continent, but policymakers and politicians want to hit the virus as hard as they can with a one, two punch of strict mitigation and vaccination
Joshua, how is Antarctica doing these days? Are they still virus free?
Nope, a whole base was infected during transition
We really need the J & J “one” dose vaccine to get to herd immunity. Two doses are too slow.
Agree that one dose is better. Also, it’s a traditional adenovirus vaccine. These tend not just to reduce severity of disease, but also transmissibility.
Antarctica is no longer free of coronavirus. Two dozen Chilean research scientists contracted the virus while stationed on the continent.
Something tells me, however, that Kimmirut (Nunavut) is still Covid-free.
That’s too bad about Antarctica. At least the north side of the world is still virus free.
Political division has really hampered efforts at taming the virus. The virus has no political affiliation. It simply seeks hosts of all stripes.
I fear that moving forward the Biden Administration will not be able to bridge the political divide.
I’d be in favor of a government of national unity, including Democrats and Republicans, for the duration of the pandemic. But, that is not going to happen.
I agree 100%.
But both sides will point figures at the other and say “they are wrong”, no matter what. And both sides will say they want to work together but blame the other side for making it impossible.
Nope. Both sides are often wrong, and I don’t even care if one is more wrong than the other at any given time. It has nothing to do with that. Put down the damn word weapons and do it differently. But then each side will say “they have to go first”. This is why as long as there are two sides, I don’t think we go much of anywhere. Prove me wrong humanity! 😉
C-19 for 1-14 is ready.