6 thoughts on “C-19 Chat Post – March 22 2021”

  1. The Dutch are now experiencing a full-fledged next wave of Covid. Cases, hospitalizations, and ICU usage are all moving in the wrong direction. Prime Minister has said that Covid restrictions will not be lifted for the foreseeable future (this includes curfew, closure of all non-essential businesses), and strongly recommends against any international travel until at least June and possibly later. This is consistent with what I’m reading and hearing throughout Europe. The vaccination pace is not up to par, the B117 variant is dominant (more transmissible and leading to more severe illness), and the coronavirus is simply the terrible nuisance that won’t go away.

    1. I know we are vaccinating but is it faster than variants can arrive. We have 1mm fully vaccinated in MA but have just under 6mm residents over 18. We have followed Europe every time so we have a darned good idea what is coming

      1. My thinking right now is that we’ll have a muted wave. An uptick, but not a very long one, and not nearly as severe in terms of outcomes.

        I’m a little concerned that we’re (myself included) overemphasizing the numbers of vaccinated. I say this because you have to look at the distribution, and when I see that nealry one-third (!) of those vaccinated are under 50, I get worried that there’s a lot of gaming going on in the system. By contrast, in the UK they’ve vaccinated 95% of the over 70 age group – we’re at 65% – and only 18% of vaccinations have gone to the <50 age group, with very specific parameters set for who should get the vaccine in this age group. I believe their risk-adjusted, evidence-based vaccination push is more efficient than ours.

        1. I do not have a lot of confidence in our vaccination program. I agree there may be gaming, but we added teachers and school staff which may well have skewed the curve. You know how I feel about that but will repeat I absolutely feel teachers need to be vaccinated before full return to school. I also absolutely believe we do not have to all return full time. We have a history of messing up priorities so why change now.

  2. French coronavirus cases have doubled in one week. ICU usage has increased by nearly 20% in one week! Average age of Covid-19 patients in ICU in France: 55. I’m seeing similar scary numbers throughout Europe. Unremitting wave, at this point.

    Saw a headline of an NPR article “As air travel resumes …” and right away I thought this article is clearly very U.S.-centric. There’s very little air travel in South America and Europe (almost none) right now, and limited travel throughout Asia, and very limited in Canada, too.

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