If I understand correctly, Springfield just ended their indoor mask mandate. Masks indoors in public places from now on are only “recommended”.
Are we to assume that that city has a very high fully vaccination rate?
I do NOT for the life of me understand why places are getting rid of indoor mask mandates, in early November. This is what I call a reactive as opposed to proactive policy. Virtually all European countries (many of which are better vaccinated than Massachusetts) are now seeing spikes and are either maintaining and reinforcing, or reintroducing stricter masking and distancing rules.
Some people are just looney tunes is all. Makes ZERO sense!!!
Not to mention Hopkinton High School for the next 3 weeks.
Hospitalizations are rising rather dramatically in the Netherlands, as in close to (net) 100 per day in the last week. More measures to be announced this afternoon. Hospital directors are worried not just about capacity, but also burn-out among nurses and doctors.
Austria is now seeing a similar rise in hospitalizations. Ireland is experiencing a surge, too.
Romania counted 591 deaths yesterday. Record number. A country with 19 million people, recording nearly 600 deaths in 1 day. Think about that for a minute. The numbers of deaths there have been staggeringly high.
I would suspect that the US will be seeing something similar soon.
Is this drive by the remaining unvaccinated? or primarily by
break through cases.
Thanks
drive => driven
COVID-19 is not kind to the male species.
According to a new study out of MGH suggests that pregnant women who get the corona virus make fewer antibodies and transfer less immunity to their baby when having a boy compared to a girl.
Studies have shown that male adults, kids and babies have a higher prevalence of COVID-19 and develop more severe disease than women. Also, young boys are more likely to get multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a severe condition associated with COVID-19 in kids, than girls.
In the Netherlands where the keep excellent records and sequence many cases, the increase appears driven by:
1. Pockets of unvaccinated folks, particularly in their “bible belt” (sound familiar?). So, despite 84% of the adult population being fully vaccinated, there are still quite a number of unvaccinated people to still (re)infect. Tells you that we’ll never get to herd immunity.
2. Waning immunity (25-30% of hospitalizations are fully vaccinated people); breakthrough cases in some weeks are as high as 35% of total number of cases
3. A number of AY. sub-lineages of Delta gradually increasing over time – displacing the parent Delta.
Big difference between July surge and this one. In July it mostly affected the 16-29 age group. Hospitalizations did go up, but not a steep ascent. This surge is actually less pronounced in terms of case growth than the July spike but MANY more hospitalizations. This would worry me if I were a public health official. Suggests a more even distribution of cases across all age groups, and some waning immunity.
Thank you Joshua. The US best take heed. Yeah right, we’ll do that alright.
First the US has to acknowledge its existence. 🙁
Re Springfield. It had 46 cases of student covid in its schools and 12 staff cases…last week alone. And the schools have masks. Insanity doesn’t begin to describe the idea to drop masks anywhere….inside or out
Eight kids at a local elementary school….not Sutton….are positive. All went trick or treating. I understand they didn’t get it Sunday, but they were positive.
And the new thing is covid parties where families with covid positives get together for a party. Not all BTW are positive in some cases.
jPDs greatest fear may become a reality…we are going to being it on all on our own
That is BEYOND crazy!!!
And so it begins.
How many did the trick or treatsters infect while they were out and about? How many older persons who handed candy to them?
YIKES! there is NO WAY there should have been halloween
this year.
I suspect you and I are in the minority, but I agree. Kudos to the folks who took precautions. There were some easy steps. I missed one for kids who came here and feel badly. I’ll not forget it going forward.
Netherlands government – a conservative government, by the way – is reinstituting a slew of NPIs.
The PM announced that nationwide the 1.5 meter rule is back, everywhere, meaning people should maintain distance (1.5m) at all times in all public indoor spaces. Seating in arenas and concert venues will therefore be subject to strict capacity limits. Almost all public indoor spaces – this time includes ALL libraries and museums – will require green pass QR codes for entry (proof of negative test or vaccinations). No exemptions accepted. Undercover agents will do random checks to ensure businesses cooperate. If they do not, they will have to close temporarily and incur fines. Mask mandate is back and includes all stores and most indoor spaces. No exceptions permitted. Warnings and then fines (2nd time offenders) levied if people don’t wear masks in these spaces. Government is also urging all of those who can work from home to do so, and for those who work in offices to only go in 50% of the time. Schools and universities will all remain open and will continue to be in-person. But, all schools for pupils 12 and above, and all universities will institute green pass systems (to enter all buildings) and vaccination mandates, as well as NPI measures, such as masks and distancing.
I was with you till the end. How do you institute all of that and leave so many unprotected kids without an option. A good number of positives in the home are now coming from kids in schools.
On another topic ….can QR codes be duplicated? I ask because I’m curious to know what steps other countries have taken to eliminate unofficial proof of vaccine
UK trend is hard to decipher. Definite downward trend in cases (good), but also testing (bad). Half-term holiday is over, so we’ll see what that does to the numbers. Cases are down by about 12% over the past 10 days. But, Welsh numbers have been beset by computer issues, and have come in batches rather than daily. Hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise steadily: More than 1,000 net hospitalizations today across Britain, and 293 deaths.
Vicki, did you see my post above regarding pregnant women and Covid-19? I thought you especially would want to respond and give your 2c.
I did see it. I’m not sure what a 2c is?? Sorry.
Your “2 cents”. You’ve never heard that expression? Just would like your thoughts on the subject is all. 🙂
I do know two cents. I didn’t know 2c. I meant to do some reading but got sidetracked. I will and will get back to you
I just finished reading well over 100 comments on a FB post asking thoughts about the eight elementary kids with covid. Not one of the more than 100 said they hoped the kids would get better quickly. Every damned idiot was arguing either for or against masks. We are a very very twisted people.
Vicki, I’m just reporting the Dutch government’s approach. While I do have an opinion on these matters, when I report a set of Covid restrictions, I try and limit that post to the facts and policy measures. In a separate post, I can then provide an opinion, if I have one.
The Dutch have been focused on returning to in-person learning at all levels, going back to as early as April 2020. The Dutch and Nordic countries returned to all in person schools by May of 2020. Hybrid was briefly an option until the summer break. But it has not been an option since the summer of 2020.
Agree with you that some of the transmission is taking place at school and then from children to parents and others. I think the Dutch will do everything they can to have in-person learning, despite knowledge that transmission takes place. Part of the reasoning is probably informed by standardized testing, which is very much front and center in the Netherlands. It’s known that in-person learning generally is better than all-remote. So, if you allow for remote or hybrid you’re likely going to wind up with children with a significant disadvantage when they take their standardized tests in 6th grade. These determine what kind of school they will go to: Vocational (40% of pupils), a variety of high schools with different emphases (45% of pupils), and university-preparatory high schools (15% of pupils). Then there are the final exams in high school. Another huge deal. I know. I did them: 6 hours of exams in each of 8 subjects (so 48 hours of very tough exams, with NO grade inflation whatsoever – if you fail, you fail, and many do, and many have to repeat years); highly standardized. You can imagine the problems some pupils will have if all they’ve done is remote learning.
I just watched a most interesting mini series on Hulu entitled
The Hot Zone, produced by National Geographic about an ebola outbreak in Reston, VA.
Not for the faint of heart, most especially in the middle of
a pandemic.
For me this was a WARNING. If you dare watch it. what do you think?
Btw, it was very well done.
Vicki, to your question on QR codes they can be duplicated. In fact, there’s been a lot of that going on in Holland. This is one of the reasons the government is sending undercover agents (their FBI) to businesses – restaurants and bars, for example – to ensure that QR codes are not being duplicated and that they’re being checked.
Ugh. We need to find a way to protect them. Thanks Joshua
Frankly, Philip, I’m not sure what to think. The test group consisted of 68 woman. But it is interesting. In utero males are better protected but the protection may harm them??
I can say one thing, I keep every pregnant woman and newborn in my prayers.
Thanks TK!
If I understand correctly, Springfield just ended their indoor mask mandate. Masks indoors in public places from now on are only “recommended”.
Are we to assume that that city has a very high fully vaccination rate?
I do NOT for the life of me understand why places are getting rid of indoor mask mandates, in early November. This is what I call a reactive as opposed to proactive policy. Virtually all European countries (many of which are better vaccinated than Massachusetts) are now seeing spikes and are either maintaining and reinforcing, or reintroducing stricter masking and distancing rules.
Some people are just looney tunes is all. Makes ZERO sense!!!
Not to mention Hopkinton High School for the next 3 weeks.
Hospitalizations are rising rather dramatically in the Netherlands, as in close to (net) 100 per day in the last week. More measures to be announced this afternoon. Hospital directors are worried not just about capacity, but also burn-out among nurses and doctors.
Austria is now seeing a similar rise in hospitalizations. Ireland is experiencing a surge, too.
Romania counted 591 deaths yesterday. Record number. A country with 19 million people, recording nearly 600 deaths in 1 day. Think about that for a minute. The numbers of deaths there have been staggeringly high.
I would suspect that the US will be seeing something similar soon.
Is this drive by the remaining unvaccinated? or primarily by
break through cases.
Thanks
drive => driven
COVID-19 is not kind to the male species.
According to a new study out of MGH suggests that pregnant women who get the corona virus make fewer antibodies and transfer less immunity to their baby when having a boy compared to a girl.
Studies have shown that male adults, kids and babies have a higher prevalence of COVID-19 and develop more severe disease than women. Also, young boys are more likely to get multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a severe condition associated with COVID-19 in kids, than girls.
In the Netherlands where the keep excellent records and sequence many cases, the increase appears driven by:
1. Pockets of unvaccinated folks, particularly in their “bible belt” (sound familiar?). So, despite 84% of the adult population being fully vaccinated, there are still quite a number of unvaccinated people to still (re)infect. Tells you that we’ll never get to herd immunity.
2. Waning immunity (25-30% of hospitalizations are fully vaccinated people); breakthrough cases in some weeks are as high as 35% of total number of cases
3. A number of AY. sub-lineages of Delta gradually increasing over time – displacing the parent Delta.
Big difference between July surge and this one. In July it mostly affected the 16-29 age group. Hospitalizations did go up, but not a steep ascent. This surge is actually less pronounced in terms of case growth than the July spike but MANY more hospitalizations. This would worry me if I were a public health official. Suggests a more even distribution of cases across all age groups, and some waning immunity.
Thank you Joshua. The US best take heed. Yeah right, we’ll do that alright.
First the US has to acknowledge its existence. 🙁
Re Springfield. It had 46 cases of student covid in its schools and 12 staff cases…last week alone. And the schools have masks. Insanity doesn’t begin to describe the idea to drop masks anywhere….inside or out
Eight kids at a local elementary school….not Sutton….are positive. All went trick or treating. I understand they didn’t get it Sunday, but they were positive.
And the new thing is covid parties where families with covid positives get together for a party. Not all BTW are positive in some cases.
jPDs greatest fear may become a reality…we are going to being it on all on our own
That is BEYOND crazy!!!
And so it begins.
How many did the trick or treatsters infect while they were out and about? How many older persons who handed candy to them?
YIKES! there is NO WAY there should have been halloween
this year.
I suspect you and I are in the minority, but I agree. Kudos to the folks who took precautions. There were some easy steps. I missed one for kids who came here and feel badly. I’ll not forget it going forward.
Netherlands government – a conservative government, by the way – is reinstituting a slew of NPIs.
The PM announced that nationwide the 1.5 meter rule is back, everywhere, meaning people should maintain distance (1.5m) at all times in all public indoor spaces. Seating in arenas and concert venues will therefore be subject to strict capacity limits. Almost all public indoor spaces – this time includes ALL libraries and museums – will require green pass QR codes for entry (proof of negative test or vaccinations). No exemptions accepted. Undercover agents will do random checks to ensure businesses cooperate. If they do not, they will have to close temporarily and incur fines. Mask mandate is back and includes all stores and most indoor spaces. No exceptions permitted. Warnings and then fines (2nd time offenders) levied if people don’t wear masks in these spaces. Government is also urging all of those who can work from home to do so, and for those who work in offices to only go in 50% of the time. Schools and universities will all remain open and will continue to be in-person. But, all schools for pupils 12 and above, and all universities will institute green pass systems (to enter all buildings) and vaccination mandates, as well as NPI measures, such as masks and distancing.
I was with you till the end. How do you institute all of that and leave so many unprotected kids without an option. A good number of positives in the home are now coming from kids in schools.
On another topic ….can QR codes be duplicated? I ask because I’m curious to know what steps other countries have taken to eliminate unofficial proof of vaccine
UK trend is hard to decipher. Definite downward trend in cases (good), but also testing (bad). Half-term holiday is over, so we’ll see what that does to the numbers. Cases are down by about 12% over the past 10 days. But, Welsh numbers have been beset by computer issues, and have come in batches rather than daily. Hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise steadily: More than 1,000 net hospitalizations today across Britain, and 293 deaths.
Vicki, did you see my post above regarding pregnant women and Covid-19? I thought you especially would want to respond and give your 2c.
I did see it. I’m not sure what a 2c is?? Sorry.
Your “2 cents”. You’ve never heard that expression? Just would like your thoughts on the subject is all. 🙂
I do know two cents. I didn’t know 2c. I meant to do some reading but got sidetracked. I will and will get back to you
I just finished reading well over 100 comments on a FB post asking thoughts about the eight elementary kids with covid. Not one of the more than 100 said they hoped the kids would get better quickly. Every damned idiot was arguing either for or against masks. We are a very very twisted people.
Vicki, I’m just reporting the Dutch government’s approach. While I do have an opinion on these matters, when I report a set of Covid restrictions, I try and limit that post to the facts and policy measures. In a separate post, I can then provide an opinion, if I have one.
The Dutch have been focused on returning to in-person learning at all levels, going back to as early as April 2020. The Dutch and Nordic countries returned to all in person schools by May of 2020. Hybrid was briefly an option until the summer break. But it has not been an option since the summer of 2020.
Agree with you that some of the transmission is taking place at school and then from children to parents and others. I think the Dutch will do everything they can to have in-person learning, despite knowledge that transmission takes place. Part of the reasoning is probably informed by standardized testing, which is very much front and center in the Netherlands. It’s known that in-person learning generally is better than all-remote. So, if you allow for remote or hybrid you’re likely going to wind up with children with a significant disadvantage when they take their standardized tests in 6th grade. These determine what kind of school they will go to: Vocational (40% of pupils), a variety of high schools with different emphases (45% of pupils), and university-preparatory high schools (15% of pupils). Then there are the final exams in high school. Another huge deal. I know. I did them: 6 hours of exams in each of 8 subjects (so 48 hours of very tough exams, with NO grade inflation whatsoever – if you fail, you fail, and many do, and many have to repeat years); highly standardized. You can imagine the problems some pupils will have if all they’ve done is remote learning.
I just watched a most interesting mini series on Hulu entitled
The Hot Zone, produced by National Geographic about an ebola outbreak in Reston, VA.
Here is the real news story from years ago.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/25-years-ago-in-virginia-a-very-different-ebola-outbreak/
Here is a link to the trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37vz9Jdw5A8
Not for the faint of heart, most especially in the middle of
a pandemic.
For me this was a WARNING. If you dare watch it. what do you think?
Btw, it was very well done.
Vicki, to your question on QR codes they can be duplicated. In fact, there’s been a lot of that going on in Holland. This is one of the reasons the government is sending undercover agents (their FBI) to businesses – restaurants and bars, for example – to ensure that QR codes are not being duplicated and that they’re being checked.
Ugh. We need to find a way to protect them. Thanks Joshua
Frankly, Philip, I’m not sure what to think. The test group consisted of 68 woman. But it is interesting. In utero males are better protected but the protection may harm them??
I can say one thing, I keep every pregnant woman and newborn in my prayers.
https://www.massgeneral.org/news/press-release/In-pregnant-women-with-covid-19-sex-of-fetus-may-influence-maternal-and-placental-immune-response-and-neonatal-immune-protection
I suspect most know by now but the cdc approved covid vaccines for 5-11
C-19 for 11-3 is ready.