Coronavirus

[madodel]

So it wasn’t a hoax?

Covid-19 was third leading cause of death last year, CDC confirms in early data | CNN

Covid-19 was the third leading cause of death in the United States last year, after heart disease and cancer, according to provisional data released on Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

www.cnn.com

You believe the gubmint? Where are all the bodies?

As part of every office visit or consult, if it's not recorded in their medical record that they have been vaccinated my wife has to ask the patient what their plan is to get vaccinated. She waits to do that until the end of the visit unless they bring it up. Frequently people insist it is all a hoax and saying they know no one that died of COVID. Then my wife tells them her mother died of COVID and asks them if they have any other questions. They usually are silent and she leaves. She won't argue with them but she makes sure they know it's real.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

This Dr. doesn't want to take the vaccine because he's tested positive for antibodies, claims no vaccine will provide more immunity than antibodies from an infection, and is concerned about a hyper immune response if given the vaccine. Does he have any valid points? Everyone in the comment section seems to be anti-vaxxers and this is giving them more ammunition.

I’m glad he is not my doctor. He seems pretty ill-informed. Like, literally a layman like me seems to know a lot more about this than he does - and that isn’t the Dunning-Kruger effect at work here.

The mRNA vaccines have been *repeatedly* shown to provide *much* stronger immunity than natural immunity, both in in-vitro and clinical settings. It is likely he only needs one shot, though the CDC is still recommending two (probably especially advisable in cases of no positive PCR test, just in case). Other than the short-lived side effects, it seems that not really much downside to getting two shots.

The answer to both of his boxed questions is, definitively, “yes”. (Vaccines are better than natural immunity and vaccines prevent transmission.). We didn’t know this a few months ago, but we do know for certain now.

I’m mostly fine with this blatant misinformation though, as long as the *only* effect is to have people who have previously been infected delay vaccination. They are at a lot lower risk than the overall population (probably just 10-20% chance of reinfection). So get people who have not been infected vaccinated first. That does seem to be what he is recommending in a terribly irresponsible way, so I’m in agreement with him there I suppose. But if someone wants maximum protection, if they have been previously infected, they should get vaccinated ASAP. As he says, getting J&J in these cases probably makes sense.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

This continues to be mysterious. They said 27 million a week ago (which was about 10 million more than last week's total, so I thought it might be forward looking). This adds up to about 21.5 million. I have no idea where the other vaccines are going that are not counted here. I haven't seen it addressed by the media, so I assume it is somehow not mysterious. I guess we'll see in a week or two whether the administration numbers are consistent with 22 million or 27 million per week.

National Weekly Pfizer Allocations | Data | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

New weekly allocations of doses are posted every Tuesday. Beginning the following Thursday, states can begin ordering doses from that week’s new allocation of 1st doses. Beginning two weeks (Pfizer) or three weeks (Moderna) from the following Sunday, states can begin ordering doses from that...

data.cdc.gov

National Weekly Moderna Allocations | Data | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

New weekly allocations of doses are posted every Tuesday. Beginning the following Thursday, states can begin ordering doses from that week’s new allocation of 1st doses. Beginning two weeks (Pfizer) or three weeks (Moderna) from the following Sunday, states can begin ordering doses from that...

data.cdc.gov

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Allocations by Jurisdiction - Janssen | Data | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

data.cdc.gov

 

[rxlawdude]

This continues to be mysterious. They said 27 million a week ago (which was about 10 million more than last week's total, so I thought it might be forward looking). This adds up to about 21.5 million. I have no idea where the other vaccines are going that are not counted here. I haven't seen it addressed by the media, so I assume it is somehow not mysterious. I guess we'll see in a week or two whether the administration numbers are consistent with 22 million or 27 million per week.

National Weekly Pfizer Allocations | Data | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

New weekly allocations of doses are posted every Tuesday. Beginning the following Thursday, states can begin ordering doses from that week’s new allocation of 1st doses. Beginning two weeks (Pfizer) or three weeks (Moderna) from the following Sunday, states can begin ordering doses from that...

data.cdc.gov

National Weekly Moderna Allocations | Data | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

New weekly allocations of doses are posted every Tuesday. Beginning the following Thursday, states can begin ordering doses from that week’s new allocation of 1st doses. Beginning two weeks (Pfizer) or three weeks (Moderna) from the following Sunday, states can begin ordering doses from that...

data.cdc.gov

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Allocations by Jurisdiction - Janssen | Data | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

data.cdc.gov

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An opinion piece in today's LA Times suggests the US export any surplus vaccine. My thought: It's a little early to be discussing this!

 

[bkp_duke]

Currently I'm in on an island outside the US and have noticed some very encouraging things (despite the island have 40X higher rates of COVID than San Diego County does).

1) Contact tracing - we LOVE to eat out, and plan the trip around different restaurants. Every restaurant we go to is a) taking a temp of everyone (although they are not very good at it - arms, hands vs. foreheads) and b) requiring you to fill your name, phone, email, and where you are staying in a ledger with your time of arrival.
2) Been talking with a lot of the locals and the entire concept of Anti-Vax here is viewed as . . . moronic (politest way I can put it). Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE I have spoken with would be elated to get the vaccine.
3) Masks required in all indoor locations, except when eating (which is limited to tables of 4). Mask compliance inside is pretty much universal, and you don't see people questioning it, except the Americans (shock).

 

[madodel]

Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine is delayed by a U.S. factory mix-up.

"Workers at a Baltimore plant manufacturing two coronavirus vaccines accidentally conflated the vaccines’ ingredients several weeks ago, ruining about 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine and forcing regulators to delay authorization of the plant’s production lines."

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine is delayed by a U.S. factory mix-up.

"Workers at a Baltimore plant manufacturing two coronavirus vaccines accidentally conflated the vaccines’ ingredients several weeks ago, ruining about 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine and forcing regulators to delay authorization of the plant’s production lines."

Ouch. A costly mistake. I'm very happy we haven't seen more of these mistakes though; I was kind of expecting them. So far so good with Pfizer/Moderna.

 

[winfield100]

Currently I'm in on an island outside the US and have noticed some very encouraging things (despite the island have 40X higher rates of COVID than San Diego County does).

1) Contact tracing - we LOVE to eat out, and plan the trip around different restaurants. Every restaurant we go to is a) taking a temp of everyone (although they are not very good at it - arms, hands vs. foreheads) and b) requiring you to fill your name, phone, email, and where you are staying in a ledger with your time of arrival.
2) Been talking with a lot of the locals and the entire concept of Anti-Vax here is viewed as . . . moronic (politest way I can put it). Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE I have spoken with would be elated to get the vaccine.
3) Masks required in all indoor locations, except when eating (which is limited to tables of 4). Mask compliance inside is pretty much universal, and you don't see people questioning it, except the Americans (shock).

hysterical (sad) laughter
picked up a take out dinner, I was double masked (as usual since October last year)
Florida.
maybe 1/4 of people masked and packed inside, (all wait staff masked), diners, nope nada, no way,
(walmart, just run silently screaming in the other direction probably 1/3 no masks, 1/3 everybody masked, just dont go. All the staff are masked)

I kayak, alone, and see 3-4 party barges (large pontoon boats with 8 - 12 folks usually unmasked unless you hear them talking a foreign European or Cyrillic language then all masked)

in complete seriousness new neighbor gave me song & dance about Bill Gates, tracking you etc. I was masked.
sweet Mother of ghod, where did these uninformed idiots get birthed?
Expect Floriduh to get another surge.

 

[rxlawdude]

hysterical (sad) laughter
picked up a take out dinner, I was double masked (as usual since October last year
Twisted Lobster in Florida.
maybe 1/4 of people masked, all wait staff masked, diners, nope nada, no way,
in complete seriousness new neighbor gave me song & dance about Bill Gates, tracking you etc. I was masked.
sweet Mother of ghod, where did these uninformed idiots get birthed?
Expect Floriduh to get another surge.

When you have a goobenor like DeSantis with respect to COVID, the State Motto is "Uninformed and Proud of It!"

 

[madodel]

hysterical (sad) laughter
picked up a take out dinner, I was double masked (as usual since October last year
Twisted Lobster in Florida.
maybe 1/4 of people masked, all wait staff masked, diners, nope nada, no way,
in complete seriousness new neighbor gave me song & dance about Bill Gates, tracking you etc. I was masked.
sweet Mother of ghod, where did these uninformed idiots get birthed?
Expect Floriduh to get another surge.

How mentally ill are these people? Why would Bill Gates or the Gubmint or Hillary Clinton want to track any of these dipsticks? Why do any of them think they are worth tracking? Everyday I wonder how these terminally stupid people manage to survive another day?

 

[rxlawdude]

How mentally ill are these people? Why would Bill Gates or the Gubmint or Hillary Clinton want to track any of these dipsticks? Why do any of them think they are worth tracking? Everyday I wonder how these terminally stupid people manage to survive another day?

You didn't know about the nanoparticles in the vaccine that allow you to be traced?

 

[rxlawdude]

When you have a goobenor like DeSantis with respect to COVID, the State Motto is "Uninformed and Proud of It!"

Obviously touched a nerve of a resident.

 

[winfield100]

You didn't know about the nanoparticles in the vaccine that allow you to be traced?

thats exactly what he was saying, so if you were kidding, well, welcome to another reality.
And a lot of these snowbirds travel back up north after Easter, little groups of typhoid Mary's
We get out 2nd Moderna shots in 2 weeks

to be fair, there are a lot of folks here that mask and follow rules etc, but "It's a different world"

 

[TespaceX]

Currently I'm in on an island outside the US and have noticed some very encouraging things (despite the island have 40X higher rates of COVID than San Diego County does).

1) Contact tracing - we LOVE to eat out, and plan the trip around different restaurants. Every restaurant we go to is a) taking a temp of everyone (although they are not very good at it - arms, hands vs. foreheads) and b) requiring you to fill your name, phone, email, and where you are staying in a ledger with your time of arrival.

3) Masks required in all indoor locations, except when eating (which is limited to tables of 4). Mask compliance inside is pretty much universal, and you don't see people questioning it, except the Americans (shock).

Not in Uhmerica!
Not taking away my privacy and freedum!

/s

 

[EVCollies]

You believe the gubmint? Where are all the bodies?

As part of every office visit or consult, if it's not recorded in their medical record that they have been vaccinated my wife has to ask the patient what their plan is to get vaccinated. She waits to do that until the end of the visit unless they bring it up. Frequently people insist it is all a hoax and saying they know no one that died of COVID. Then my wife tells them her mother died of COVID and asks them if they have any other questions. They usually are silent and she leaves. She won't argue with them but she makes sure they know it's real.

My current workflow is to ask if they have had any luck with the 'vid vax as I wash my hands at the start of the visit. This will set the tone. Most of my patients have had the vax. A few without any technology assets want the vax but need help, these are easily solved. Some are so adamant against the vax I don't waste my time. Those in the middle get the "What can I do to get you into this vax today?" talk. Most leave the visit with a plan to get the vax very soon, about a third at least have an open mind...

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1377454976885219330

Looks like there will finally be affordable (hopefully) paper instant tests available in the US...

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Limited data (800 people in trial), but Pfizer looks good so far against B.1.351.

Obviously efficacy will not be 100% (that is the current result), but so far we can say it seems to provide some significant protection.

Ongoing trial shows Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine remains highly effective after six months | CNN

The ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial of Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine confirms its protection lasts at least six months after the second dose, the companies said Thursday. The trial continues and protection is expected to last longer than six months.

www.cnn.com

 

[rxlawdude]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1377454976885219330

Looks like there will finally be affordable (hopefully) paper instant tests available in the US...

Just to clarify, when the quoted tweet said "no CLIA waiver," that must be in error. Patient self-testing is by definition CLIA-waived.

I'm encouraged by more test options availability, but still wary about relying on EUA tests too much, unless and until sufficient data show the tests meet the claims of the manufacturer.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Patient self-testing is by definition CLIA-waived.

I take that to mean that there's been no patient self-testing allowed to date, technically. Only sample collection.

But I don't know, I'm not really following the legal aspects too closely and you're the lawyer.

 

[rxlawdude]

I take that to mean that there's been no patient self-testing allowed to date, technically. Only sample collection.

But I don't know, I'm not really following the legal aspects too closely and you're the lawyer.

It's confusing. By federal law, all human laboratory tests must be performed in a facility that has a CLIA certificate. These are your typical LabCorp or Quest, or in-hospital labs. This means they can perform tests of low, medium, and high complexity.

Home tests, and those of other point-of-care tests intended for use by a consumer or health professional, are "low complexity" tests, meaning that they are likely to produce accurate results with a minimum risk of inaccuracy due to user error.

All tests in that second paragraph are CLIA-waived, meaning a licensed clinical lab is not needed for such tests. Even if it is a patient-performed home test, a pharmacy or any health practitioner must obtain a CLIA-waiver certificate to perform that exact same test for the patient. It's kind of dumb to require registration for clinicians to perform tests sold to patients for their own use, but it is what it is.

Hope this helps clear it up. (The California legislature has two bills in the current session related to expanding the types of pharmacist-performed CLIA-waived tests that can be performed by them.)