Just the Facts, the Crown virus.

[doctorb]

Excellent summary article.  Thx.

BTW, I'm feeling much better.  Quarantine ends Thursday.

[WV Sawmiller]

    Got an e-mail from an old HS hunting and fishing buddy of mine down in Fla. We went down to his wedding (68 y/o, first wedding) a couple months ago and my wife took the pictures. He told me today his younger brother's daughter just died of Covid combined with pneumonia. He said he thought she had not been vaccinated and other than a mild heart murmur that nobody had seemed overly concerned about over the years, she had no other major factors contributing to her death. I don't know but based on the brothers age, a few years younger than us, I'd guess she was in mid 30's to 40 or thereabouts. 

   I truly don't see why people still don't trust the vaccine.

[Ianab]

Well, we are up to a week of lock down so far. 

The one case initially found is now up to 148, with 41 new cases reported today. One event, a large church service has resulted in 50 cases so far. This happened before the first case / lock down was announced, so they weren't "at fault", it just shows how contagious and fast spreading the virus is now. Rest of the week will tell if lock down is going to work again, or if we simply have to slow the spread while the vaccinations carry on. 
 

[Don P]

Our neighbors parents have been voluntarily stuck on the south island since this began. They finally got their second jab recently. We forget from here that much of the rest of the world is still waiting on vaccine.

I heard Pfizer did get FDA approval. There really is no reason any more not to get the vaccine. We have hospitals overflowing with unvaccinated people. They are bumping people who legitimately need hospitalization. I'm kind of surprised insurance is covering those hospitalizations.

[doc henderson]

you are either going to getting the shot or the disease.  most deaths are unvaccinated.

[Paul_H]

Are the unvacced deaths normally healthy folks or is there underlying? I haven't been able to find a proper breakdown

[doc henderson]

just like before, the risk goes up with age and comorbidities, like obesity, diabetes, htn, copd, and heart disease.  the vaccinated do not get as sick, despite the risk factors.  no guarantees.  

[Paul_H]

I know a customer that's recovering,around 50 years old flat out in bed a couple of days on the weekend and wants a excavator for tomorrow. Unvaxed.
I'll keep looking and post if I find a breakdown

[Ianab]

you are either going to getting the shot or the disease.  most deaths are unvaccinated.

Possibly both...  :

But catching the virus after being vaccinated is much less dangerous. 
The current lock down here is really only to stop the virus while most people get their vaccine. At some point we have to open up again, and with the more infectious variants it doesn't look like the virus is going to go away any time soon. 

Thought of the day, the vaccine has FDA approval, the virus doesn't.....

[HemlockKing]

The FDA approving anything really means nothing. This is the same people that approve cigarettes, leading cause of cancer which is the second leading cause of death in the USA, that alone right there is enough reason for me to feel they aren't credible. I'm not saying I'm anti vaccine, I just wanted to point that out about the FDA. although I wonder how it would
Of went had they disapproved the vaccine with already millions that received it. 

[Southside]

Ha Ha Ha FDA "Approval" - read the fine print, it's only "approved" as long as the emergency is in effect.  Normal time to approve a real vaccine 8 years, this jab - 8 months.  On top of that for approval a "course regiment" has to be known - there is none, time for the booster, and looks like 6 months there will be another, but nobody really knows.  Think about it - there isn't a baby alive that was born to a "fully vaccinated" mother - so how do we actually know the effects? Oh - and there is that whole issue of how the control group was dissolved - sort of a necessity for actual approval, but who is playing by the rules these days?  The fat lady ain't singing - but the bumbling fool sure is humming.  

Word came out today that the Delta has peaked here in the US, guess it's time for another Greek letter fear bomb to show up.  Oddly enough Israel shows the exact opposite data when it comes to the hospitalization / vaccination ratio that the US does.  

I am rooting for the Aussie "Truckies" - the time has come to put an end to this show.  If you want your jab you can go and get your jab, otherwise leave it alone.  

[Paul_H]

On top of that for approval a "course regiment" has to be known - there is none, Oh - and there is that whole issue of how the control group was dissolved - sort of a necessity for actual approval,

Can this be true? I remember in Elementary school we had science fairs in grade 6 and 7 and Mrs Rhodes said we needed a control and an experimental in our tests. Of course that was way back in 1973 and science has evolved somewhat. But surely they have the data from the testing done on lab rats?
Understanding Simple vs Controlled Experiments (thoughtco.com)

[firefighter ontheside]

Well, I hope this isn't the start of another round of covid in the firehouse.  We are hosting some paramedics while their new station is being completed.  One of them got covid several days ago.  Now, one of the other battalion chiefs is home with covid, along with his wife.  He was at the station with the medic.  I have to work OT on Friday because of it.  So much for getting some logs sawed this week.  I have tomorrow to finish up a woodworking project.

[Larry]

We have a great biker rally in September.  Bikes, Blues, and BBQ.  Attracts some 250,000 from outside the area plus the locals.  Never causes much trouble and brings lots of $$$'s to the area.  Fun time for all.  I even enjoy it!

The local hospitals are asking for the rally to be cancelled.  They are filled to capacity with covid patients, mostly not vaccinated.  From past experience the rally does generate some trauma accidents so they brought in extra help and were prepared.  This year no icu beds, and no extra help.  I can understand their position.

It's open for discussion now, so I'll watch to see how it plays out.

[Magicman]

We have an 11 year old Great Granddaughter with Covid.  School has started so I guess that she got it there.  I have no idea what preventative precautions were being taken, but whatever they were, they obviously were not enough.

[LeeB]

Masks in school are not required here. My granddaughter is the only one in her class wearing one. Being odd one out has to be hard for her but better than getting sick. 

[doc henderson]

with delta being more contagious, I think everyone will get a vaccine, or the disease, or as stated, both.

[firefighter ontheside]

All the more reason to get the vaccine.  If I'm gonna get the disease, I want to be one of the ones who has no symptoms or at least mild symptoms.  The medic at the firehouse was vaccinated many months ago.  She said she felt bad for a few days, but now is doing much better.  The other FF who got it, presumably from exposure to the medic, was unvaccinated and said he's had a high fever for several days.  I was exposed to him on Sunday morning.  I"m not sure if he was contagious at that point.  I still feel fine.

[DbltreeBelgians]

So I'm not hearing a peep about natural immunity from having covid previously. Seems nobody wants to mention it. I had it back around last Thanksgiving and although it sucked I'm no worse for wear and came through it ok. What's the word?

Brent

[doc henderson]

yes, even our infectious disease guy, says that there is no "evidence" that natural immunity is better than that provided by an immunization.  that means that studies have not been devised or done.  usually natural immunity triggers many different antibodies.  In science/medical terms, this is still a brand new entity.  the studies have been done revolving around the emergent development if immunizations.  so that is what we have.  studies looking at natural immunity are almost antidotal and retrospective.  I think to have both is prob. best (shot plus the disease).  I would put natural disease second, and just the shot third.  but the studies have not been set up that way.

[Ianab]

So I'm not hearing a peep about natural immunity from having covid previously. Seems nobody wants to mention it. I had it back around last Thanksgiving and although it sucked I'm no worse for wear and came through it ok. What's the word?

Brent

I don't think anyone actually KNOWS for sure. It stands to reason you should have some useful level of immunity after having beaten the virus once.  How good is that? How long might it last? If you catch it again will it be a milder case? 
People HAVE caught the virus twice, and I've read of one case where the lady died from the 2nd infection. I hope that was just really back luck on her part and isn't common. That's one case so you can't draw any real conclusion from it, except that it's possible for a 2nd infection to be serious. Might be a 1 in a million bad luck, as I have only seen one mention off it. If large numbers were getting admitted to hospital for a 2nd infection, that would start to stand out in someone's statistics. So far it hasn't, and that one case stood out as unusual. 

[firefighter ontheside]

I don't do much reading on the subject, Brent, but my wife is always reading.  She only reads stuff that's real science.  Just as the efficacy of the vaccine is less with the new variant, its also more possible to get covid again, if your first time was the original strain.

[doc henderson]

the first go round can weaken the heart, brain, kidneys, so an elderly person is at higher risk, no matter what.  also the reporting has been skewed.  some people are dying from unrelated everyday things, and happened to have covid, and are reported in a way that can be interpreted as a death with/from covid.  most vaccines are stronger and last longer in terms of immunity, with repeated doses.  it would make sense that the one that confers the broadest immunity might work better (the disease)  and repeated doses.  most viruses are killed by cellular immunity, and the antibody helps and can be a marker that you had it.  but just cause the levels drop, may not mean you are no longer or less immune.

[caveman]

I know of 25 or more people who have had Covid in the last 10 days.  We lost a cousin last Saturday.  About 40% of my students are quarantined or at home with Covid.  We have a four person Ag department. Two of the four have had it in the past month.  My cousin, who has been a Covid nurse since this thing started, has been in a local hospital for the past two weeks after coming home for her step dad's funeral.  She is hooked up to machines but not intubated.  

Last year we wore masks, had one way hallways, staggered dismissal and half of the kids were at home looking at a computer to get their education.  This year, no masks, no social distancing, it is back to school as normal; pre-pandemic and folks are getting sick.  My school had 10 confirmed cases yesterday and more today.  After reading SCScott's post a couple of days ago it looks like every positive case is infecting eight others.  We will eventually all get it or at least be exposed.  I got the jab, mainly because I cannot socially distance from those I care for.  I have four really close friends, two of them are dealing with Covid symptoms.  

Several folks I know who have been touting this as a farce have now been infected and are clinging to life or are just overcoming the worst sickness they have ever experienced.  

   

[Gary_C]

The local TV had a report on the "super spreader" biker event in Sturgis, SD. The report showed over 90% of the over half a million attendees were vaccinated and only 46 cases reported so far.