OT - NO POLITICS Local COVID-19 Discussion IV

[brian_griffin]

My employer took action in May. Let go most contractors and reduced some salary population - but a minimal trim of 5% or so, maybe only 3% in my organization. Hourly workforce impacts are by division; Ours is unscathed. We are essential business and have been 24x7 per usual. Our China location output is down but that’s not related to COVID. I’m fortunate. No OT for hourly or salary non-exempt. Posted previously I took a 15% pay cut, and 401k match suspended, but I can absorb that.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Trump’s vaccine czar says the first vaccine should be submitted for emergency authorization around Thanksgiving

80%-90% efficacy would be incredible. That's insanely effective. If that's the case, then the return to normal may come quicker than I expected. Obviously, this isn't a scientific paper, so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but I always tread on the side of optimism.

Also, the fact we're developing vaccines to counter only one strain rather than the influenza vaccine that targets multiple strains has me a bit more optimistic that the vaccines efficacy could be pretty high. It also helps that coronaviruses in general mutate at a slower rate than influenza viruses, so we're not chasing the virus, so to say.

@SackTastic would know more about this than I would, though, as I think he's in the field. What say you, my dude?!

 

[Dubi Doo]

Also, I have to say I'm lucky to be a healthcare worker. Many of my friends made out like bandits early on in the pandemic due to being furloughed, but now it doesn't look like we'll be getting much more support from the federal gov't, so it may get tough for some of them. Sad to see, honestly.

I will say, it's not as if our hospital wasn't on the ropes financially back in April and May. We lost a ton of money due to elective cases being stopped. We're not getting any raises this year, and other benefits being cut have hit those making higher salaries.

 

[Fjordy]

12 126 for today in Russia

 

[Jim Bob]

Well, my family is now 3 for 3 in testing negative for COVID.

#winning

 

[Husko]

Also, I have to say I'm lucky to be a healthcare worker. Many of my friends made out like bandits early on in the pandemic due to being furloughed, but now it doesn't look like we'll be getting much more support from the federal gov't, so it may get tough for some of them. Sad to see, honestly.

I will say, it's not as if our hospital wasn't on the ropes financially back in April and May. We lost a ton of money due to elective cases being stopped. We're not getting any raises this year, and other benefits being cut have hit those making higher salaries.

I hear ya. Perks of being a public defender, the police are never going to stop arresting people.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

Also, I have to say I'm lucky to be a healthcare worker. Many of my friends made out like bandits early on in the pandemic due to being furloughed, but now it doesn't look like we'll be getting much more support from the federal gov't, so it may get tough for some of them. Sad to see, honestly.

I will say, it's not as if our hospital wasn't on the ropes financially back in April and May. We lost a ton of money due to elective cases being stopped. We're not getting any raises this year, and other benefits being cut have hit those making higher salaries.

Same. It's not lost on me that i am fortunate to have been able to keep working, without being furloughed. That said, i am concerned that the hospital won't provide some of the same benefits that they slashed "for the time being" once covid is behind us. It wouldn't be the first time.

 

[SackTastic]

Trump’s vaccine czar says the first vaccine should be submitted for emergency authorization around Thanksgiving

80%-90% efficacy would be incredible. That's insanely effective. If that's the case, then the return to normal may come quicker than I expected. Obviously, this isn't a scientific paper, so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but I always tread on the side of optimism.

Also, the fact we're developing vaccines to counter only one strain rather than the influenza vaccine that targets multiple strains has me a bit more optimistic that the vaccines efficacy could be pretty high. It also helps that coronaviruses in general mutate at a slower rate than influenza viruses, so we're not chasing the virus, so to say.

@SackTastic would know more about this than I would, though, as I think he's in the field. What say you, my dude?!

I'm not in the medical field at all, although I was when I was much younger. And I dated a research scientist for a few years, so I picked up a lot from her.

My general understanding though is that you're right, it's the mutation rate that can be a big hurdle to development of a vaccine. If the antibodies triggered by the vaccine remain effective on the virus throughout those mutations, then yay! If not, well, not so much.

It's also been my understanding that the coronavirus family hasn't gotten a ton of research investment either over the years, since outbreaks from this family never got as bad as say influenza. And as much as I hate to say it, generally suffered from NIMBY blinders, since the ones that did happen always hit 'other places'. Obviously that changes now though.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

Transmission Dynamics by Age Group in COVID-19 ...

Among 767 hotspot counties identified during June and July 2020, early increases in the percent positivity among persons aged ≤24 years were followed by several weeks of increasing percent positivity in persons aged ≥25 years. Addressing transmission among young adults is an urgent public health priority.

In hotspot counties, particularly those in the South and West, percent positivity increased earliest in younger persons, followed by several weeks of increasing percent positivity among older age groups. An increase in the percentage of positive test results in older age groups is likely to result in more hospitalizations, severe illnesses, and deaths.¶ These findings corroborate regional patterns in the southern United States, where increased percent positivity among adults aged 20–39 years preceded increases among those aged ≥60 years (2); provide evidence that among young adults, those aged 18–24 years demonstrate the earliest increases in percent positivity; and underscore the importance of reducing transmission from younger populations to those at highest risk for severe illness or death.

As this shows, we need to limit the spread among the younger population, since that is what’s leading to the outbreaks among the elderly and higher risk.

 

[yahhockey]

With all due respect to the vaccine czar, unless he or reporters are citing preliminary results that state 80-90% effectiveness for one or more of the phase three trials then his expectations could be a PR ploy as much as it may be his personal hope/goal. Given the time frame some thought 40-60% may be a realistic expectation for the early vaccines. It would be superb if a trial hits 80-90%, literally world changing, but lets see what the preliminary and final results are before planning summer vacations and music festivals.

 

[Buffaloed]

Could The Live Flu Vaccine Help You Fight Off COVID-19?
Evidence suggests that live attenuated vaccines offer some protection for Covid-19.

Recently, doctors in the Netherlands directly tested the BCG vaccine against a placebo, to see if it could help volunteers fight off a weakened form of yellow fever. The conclusion? People who received the BCG vaccine mounted a stronger immune response against the virus and cleared out the virus more effectively than those who received the placebo, the study reported.

It's not just BCG that seems to have this effect. There's growing evidence that any live vaccines can offer some broad, nonspecific protection, including the oral polio vaccine, measles and the live flu vaccine.

If you haven't got your flu vaccine yet, get the live one. There's a number of trials going on with BCG vaccine. If the results are good, it could be approved as a temporary vaccine until a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine is available.

 

[Dubi Doo]

With all due respect to the vaccine czar, unless he or reporters are citing preliminary results that state 80-90% effectiveness for one or more of the phase three trials then his expectations could be a PR ploy as much as his personal hope/goal. Given the time frame some thought 40-60% may be a realistic expectation for the early vaccines. It would be superb if a trail hits 80-90%, literally world changing, but lets see what the preliminary and final results are before planning summer vacations and music festivals.

Unless things have changed, the FDA already came out and said they wouldn't approve a vaccine that is less than 50% effective.

I agree with the rest ofnyour post. As I said, I took the article withba grain of salt. Still, an 80-90% effective vaccine would be an amazing accomplishment for science. Fingers crossed.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Could The Live Flu Vaccine Help You Fight Off COVID-19?
Evidence suggests that live attenuated vaccines offer some protection for Covid-19.

Recently, doctors in the Netherlands directly tested the BCG vaccine against a placebo, to see if it could help volunteers fight off a weakened form of yellow fever. The conclusion? People who received the BCG vaccine mounted a stronger immune response against the virus and cleared out the virus more effectively than those who received the placebo, the study reported.

It's not just BCG that seems to have this effect. There's growing evidence that any live vaccines can offer some broad, nonspecific protection, including the oral polio vaccine, measles and the live flu vaccine.

If you haven't got your flu vaccine yet, get the live one. There's a number of trials going on with BCG vaccine. If the results are good, it could be approved as a temporary vaccine until a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine is available.

I got vaccinates as soon as my hostpital offered it. A perk of working on an ICU is we get offered vaccines quicker than most.

 

[Fjordy]

13 634 for today, this is a new record for Russia.

 

[Gras]

Contact-tracing data harvested from pubs and restaurants being sold on | News | The Sunday Times

Contact tracing data being harvested and sold.

No-Paywall Summary

Experts warn of 'mass violation of rights' as contact-tracing data collected in pubs sold on

 

[WeDislikeEich]

 

[brian_griffin]

Well, my family is now 3 for 3 in testing negative for COVID.

#winning

My family batting 1.000 as well. All 3 college students though, 5 tests total, wife and I haven't needed to be tested yet.

I hear ya. Perks of being a public defender, the police are never going to stop arresting people.

Years ago I bought stock (since sold) in an RFID tagging / detection company, when the technology was nascent. My reasoning was people are always going to try to steal / shoplift.

With all due respect to the vaccine czar, unless he or reporters are citing preliminary results that state 80-90% effectiveness for one or more of the phase three trials then his expectations could be a PR ploy as much as it may be his personal hope/goal. Given the time frame some thought 40-60% may be a realistic expectation for the early vaccines. It would be superb if a trial hits 80-90%, literally world changing, but lets see what the preliminary and final results are before planning summer vacations and music festivals.

Easy solution. 50% effective vaccine? Just get two shots!!!

 

[Buffaloed]

I'm concerned about the US being steamrolled by a 2nd wave. It's coming as sure as the first wave did and a lot of governors aren't preparing. I think those states could be forced back into lockdown.

 

[Gras]

I'm concerned about the US being steamrolled by a 2nd wave. It's coming as sure as the first wave did and a lot of governors aren't preparing. I think those states could be forced back into lockdown.

Can't have a 2nd wave if you never finish the 1st

 

[Dubi Doo]

Comparing Florida's death graph to New York's is pretty incredible. That's not to say New York didnt make their fair share of mistakes, but man- Florida's deaths just continue to drag on with no (likely) end coming any time soon.

 

[brian_griffin]

Comparing Florida's death graph to New York's is pretty incredible. That's not to say New York didnt make their fair share of mistakes, but man- Florida's deaths just continue to drag on with no (likely) end coming any time soon.

A lotta old people in Florida.

To quote former Secretary of State and two-time (under separate Presidents) Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, "Sometimes men have to die." Again, not to be cavalier re: COVID deaths, but demographics have a role.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Dr. Anthony Fauci Predicts That a COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be Available by April 2021

Sounds like late spring/early summer is the best (yet realistic) chance we have at being back to completely normal. Stay diligent through the winter, people, there's a light at the end of thd tunnel here!

 

[Chainshot]

Report: Full capacity approved for Miami Dolphins games

Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumbbbbbb

I think that is on the state capital.

 

[Gras]

WHO study says remdesivir did not reduce mortality in COVID-19 patients - FT

 

[Buffaloed]

WHO study says remdesivir did not reduce mortality in COVID-19 patients - FT

That doesn't surprise me. I never trusted Gilead's data.