Coronavirus

I feel kind of lucky.
The Native Corporations have been handling things very well so they had extra and those of us 50+ are coming out good on that.
I get my vaccination on Thursday.

 

Teachers are FINALLY being recognized, officially, as high risk (well, duh), and moved up the vaccination priority list.

 

I just watched TX Gov Greg Abbott attempt to defend his recent decisions, 100% reopen and retracting the mask mandate.

He's full of shit.

It reminded me of seeing Steve Martin (there is a strong resemblence) on SNL "back in the day."

 

(*This is a US-centric infographic)



I hope the vaccines work and are effective for a long time, along with the antibodies from people who have recovered prevent them from getting re-infected. That is the only way we will get over this. We are at 534,275 one year after the US went into lockdown . It was at 143,000 after the first 4 months. I wonder what it will be a year from now? I'm sure that the restrictions will be lifted and the vaccinated will have to trust the vaccine to protect them, but there will be a large group that tends to gather together that might not get the vaccine.

 

Well 55 days without a locally acquired case ended today in my state in Oz. Still, one case isn't too bad (prior to starting contact tracing)

 

I hope they try and figure out if the deaths were hidden on purpose to make it look like the pandemic was being handled better, or if it was human error and they honestly missed a few thousand deaths due to the software not confirming all of the cases (~4,000 in Ohio from November-January).

 

This is where medical research fails. There are probably close to 60 million people in the US that have been fully vaccinated by now. What I want to know is how many of that group has come down with Covid in a noticeable or damaging level? Can they find people easily (5% of 60 million is 3 million people)? Or is it very hard/impossible to find a symptomatic vaccinated person?

I get my shot next week, but I don't know which way things will go this Summer. I should not be this early. It looks like by June they will have to start begging people to get the shot that are hesitant. Maybe the variants going around and increasing case numbers will cause people to get the vaccine. Last year, the virus slowed down in the North, but I think the vaccinated people will disregard restrictions and that will let the anti-vax people have a free pass to join them. If they are at outdoor events, there shouldn't be a big issue, but I have a feeling that there will be a lot of sick people this Summer and in the Fall if they don't get vaccinated because of bars and indoor dining. I also worry that a lot of them won't even get tested to try and keep the numbers down for some reason.

 

Last night I spoke with the cousin I have regular communication with, she said she got vaxed and is waiting on 2nd shot.
But ! Her trumper son in law (toxic masculinity dude who buys mini 22 cal pink camo ar-15 for 1st grader daughter for Christmas after school shootings) will not get the vac and therefore my niece won't either and I suppose both their daughters won't either.
2 Christmases ago I asked him (walking out of Christmas church service my cousin likes to do) if he believes in god and all that and he said he believes in facts...
With maga hat on the lamp shade, trump mini airline vodka in a display cabinet, Marlon Bundo Pence rabbit book on the coffee table...man I don't know about his fact assessment abilities.
Maybe something in his psych evaluation kept him from being accepted in the fire department which is his dream job ?
I just wonder what these men's group meetings are that my cousin said he goes to.
I don't know... maybe I'd want a men's meet if I lived with 3 women and next door to a 4th, his mother in law - my cousin.
My cousin feels the need to keep her vaccination secret at this point. That doesn't sound good to me.
I won't see them till next thanksgiving unless we're still neck deep in outbrakes.

 

Fortunately we don't talk politics at all during holiday visits. He seems ok, just from somewhat opposite views of many things in life I spose. We both know building and construction for wealthy people, me in homes and him in big fancy boats that have garages on the side and stuff. Me for very small 3-4 person shops including owners and him for a giant shop top heavy with admin.

It is what it is I guess. I sure hope they don't catch anything and I do know they all wear masks and don't have crazy arguments with greeters and checkers at grocery store.
I think they might relent and get vaxed after a while.
I'm not yet able to get the shot yet and I'm not sure if they could if they wanted to. My cousin is a little older so that allowed her to get it, she's feeling fine, no ill affects.

I really wish the news would stop showing needles stabbing into arms.

 

Insidious ? A comforting word for sure lol.

 

And now this: NIAID Statement on AstraZeneca Vaccine

There is something very seriously wrong at that company.
They made an unforgivable error with the dosing of the vaccine in their European trial and now this statement from the NIAID.
I do clinical research. You never ever want to see or hear a statement like this in regards to research that you have done.
I can guarantee some folks will be looking for new jobs soon. I'd be prepping my resume if I worked there and had anything to do with the Covid trials.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by this.
The problem for AZ now is that they have performed and presented badly flawed research and been called out on it publicly.

There is a process for doing good biomedical research. Those of us who do it, know that process very well.
AZ has failed at some of the most fundamental tasks in drug development.

Imagine if Tom Brady couldn't remember the snap counts any more, or forgot how to throw a common pass play.
That's where AZ is right now.
People are baffled how they could have fallen so far.