Senate Pandemics in the Age of Globalization: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Discussion: See OP Warning

California is dropping the statewide stay-at-home order.
Florida is, I'm sure, preparing a statement of support for our coronavirus overlords. In the meantime DeSantis is using the usual conservative playbook - the number of people still waiting for their second vaccination shot keeps rising? Stop reporting the number.

 

A family relative lives in FL and goes to one of the colleges there and they said the school is now instructing students to rat on any teacher who doesn't have class or tries to do remote learning. FL is seriously on the virus' side.

Anyways...MA is lifting its statewide curfew/stay-at-home order, and allowing restaurants/businesses to remain open past 9:30pm because numbers are stabilizing and the vaccine is being given out. Although...according to our state we're still in phase 1, which is mostly healthcare workers, cops, etc. People 75+ aren't even included until phase 2, which will start in Feb some time, I think.

And that's not even getting into this new strain already being here.

 

We’re stuck in a deadly cycle. Rules are relaxed. Cases go up. Rules are brought back in to tamp down anew surge. The new surge flattens out and rules are relaxed again. Then cases go up again....

Except each new surge hits higher numbers and the numbers never get tamped down even close to previous low. There is a political battle / balance at play. Those pushing to protect lives and stop the virus and those pushing to keep the economy open. At best this approach is only slowing down the spread of the virus.


Vaccine looks like the only solution that can succeed in America.

 

I hope you feel better soon. PM me if you'd like to talk.

Also: Moderna making booster shot to fight Covid-19 variants - POLITICO

This is a pretty big deal insofar as we can move quickly against these new strains of the virus. mRNA vaccines really will turn out to be a game-changer.

 

Last I heard @blackmyron the number was 50k and rising of Floridians waiting for their second shot. Governor Meathead is at it again. Far as California goes, the problem is idiots partying like it's 1999 which is why I think the governor is lifting the ban so it gives people an outlet to do something in a safer manner. I think were going to see that more and more as we move along this year particularly once the weather warms up. More options for people to do in a safe manner hoping they rather do that then have a big gathering at home with no masks/no social distancing which is what's driving the cases go up especially over the holidays. It is going to be a tough balancing act and I trust some governors more then others to get it right.

Speaking of new variants @DarkGingerJedi, Moderna is already working on a booster shot in case it's needed:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/25/cov...d-booster-shots-for-south-african-strain.html

The feeling is that the vaccine(s) will still be effective against the new variants including the SA one but will lose some of it's efficacy and this could help make sure it stays in that high end number of over 90%. My friend who is a doctor and working on this said that it could be where it's simply added in the later batches of shots that go out in the summer as well so hopefully if a booster is needed it can be taken care of in the initial dosages as well.

Vaccines and @Jedi_Sith_Smuggler_Droid better testing is really the two prong solution we need against it. If at home tests are readily available and people do it on a regular basis that will also cause the numbers to stay low as well. The problem is that at home tests will not be readily available until later this year and I think many in our population will simply not take it even if companies and businesses make a negative test mandatory to walk thru their door. We just live in a selfish selfish selfish world where people complain about their "freedumbs" being violated but in reality by just doing the basis (masks up, social distancing and eventually test regularly at home along with get the vaccine when their name is called), we have a lot more freedoms then we do now.

And this is not good:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...n-covid-vaccine-program-after-lackluster-data

Not that Merck was a huge player in the vaccine race just it could been a later vaccine that would help with the bottleneck we are going to have. This is now the second company to have failed in their vaccine trials. Hopefully it's the last as several companies are still working on it and *fingers crossed* they are successful especially against the new variants.

Positive note? Google is going to use it's offices as vaccination distribution centers.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/25/goo...its-properties-for-covid-19-vaccinations.html

I think a lot of companies are going to step up knowing the only way to get the country back and up running is thru vaccines.

 

Dr. Fauci says we need to get about 70% of the US vaccinated for there to be herd immunity. He thinks this can happen by Fall.

I would love for this to come true...but I dunno. I wouldn't expect 70% of this country to get the shot. Maybe 55-60% if we're lucky. The anti-vaxers, the Trumpers, god knows who else, will out right refuse, just like they have refused to do anything that could help this mess for the past year. They will make up bogus claims, spread massive amounts of dis-info, and genuinely cause more harm, and then scream about returning to normal and demand everything be normal like a bunch of toddlers.

Not to be a total downer, but I think this will ultimately delay our journey back to 'normal' this year. And that's not even considering new strains (even if they're covered by the vaccines), or the fact the the entire world needs to be vaxxed, or if this stays with us indefinitely in some form. Mentally I think I'm preparing for "unnormal" to be with us into 2022.

 

I suspect exaggerated expectations of vaccines to be a problem. It's unlikely to be 'vaccines = no need to keep masking + social distancing', instead all three are needed.

 

Yeah. Even after being vaccinated people still need masks. Sounds like in the US it will be like that at least through September.... at least.

 

Biden is at least encouraging people to still wear masks even with the vaccines out.

 

I think a lot of has to do @DarkGingerJedi with what companies/schools do aka will it be mandatory. For now it isn't though I think that will eventually come once the vaccine(s) are readily available to everyone this summer, I do think a lot of businesses and schools will. Right now my district and my wives are telling us the vaccine is "optional" however if you read between the lines it's only optional for now. Next fall? It will be mandatory for both staff and eventually students since the hope is they will start vaccinating kids end of this year/early next year while older teens could have it this summer. There will be a lot of push back from the anti-vaxxers but in the end, most will have no choice but to comply and give in.

I think most people will follow social distance guidelines including mask wearing until the summer. Then as the warm weather comes and *fingers crossed* the death and hospitalization rates drop due to many seniors being vaccinated, you could very well see a free for all which is why I think most governors will try their best to really have things open this summer but with public health medications still in mind. Like I honestly think a lot of pools that were closed this summer will be open this summer just with public health regulations from limiting the amount of people at a time to making masks being worn around the pool deck. I think there will be a big push to open stuff like movie theaters up more which again is more of a controlled safe environment to have gatherings then say a house party but the problem is studios will not want any big tent pole movies out until full capacity is reinstated. So it's going to be a very odd summer IMHO. Much more then even last year as the push for everything to be open will be insane even in strong blue states so the governors will have to walk that line of trying to come with "opening" as much as possible but still sticking with strong health guide precautions. I also think by end of summer you will see it open up even more with concerts and sporting events at near capacity but with

1. Masks.
2. Vaccine verification as from my understanding, the tech companies are finally getting to the point they have an app that can be scanned that shows you had the vaccine.

 

At least Biden is acknowledging that a) the virus exists and b) it's dangerous.

That in-and-of-itself is a step up.

 

Winter doesn't officially being until Dec 20. So fall is doable, but people won't like that definition of fall.

 

So many things are doable that our inept leaders fail to-- you know, do. We've seen it happen so many times over the past year. California is on track to vaccinate people 65+ by June at this rate. Is it only going to take six more months to vaccinate the supersupermajority of the workforce?

 

Pretty insane @Vaderize03 that just acknowledging reality is seen as a massive step up.

I think the idea @Runjedirun that "normalcy" will really return to around when the students go back to next fall still is the goal. That has not changed really. I think what has changed was the Tr**p insanity that "normalcy" would be around this summer as I do not think that is possible. Like I said earlier, I think things will be much more open this summer then the previous one for a whole slew of reasons but mitigation practices (masks, limit capacities, social distancing, outdoor > indoor) will still be in place.

 

Mexican President has Covid-19.

 

No. I don't think that's doable due to the reasons I stated. Not because fall lasts longer than imagined.

I think 40%+ will never ever take it. Not this year. Not by next winter. Not ever.

 

Our company is mandating it. Not that I would need that reason. lol

 

Yeah this is legit. One of the nurse practitioners in my group who works nights refused to take it until one of our ID physicians talked to him. So a lot of people are anxious about it, even in healthcare.

 

That @DarkGingerJedi 70% "herd immunity" is just an estimation by Dr. Fauci and everyone else. Who knows what the final number will be needed for it. Could be less, could be more. I think he is trying to push the goal posts fall as he can knowing the more people get it the better & ASAP yet not have the crazy right go, "oh that is impossible...everyone just go back to normal for "freedumbs" sake". Once the seniors and more vulnerable populations are vaccinated (which could by late spring) will have a much better understanding of what will be needed to begin openly up without causing the healthcare system to crash which this what "herd immunity" really is. He also came out and said two masks > one mask which I am shocked they did not come out and say earlier. Just makes too much sense logically speaking though I tried two masks and it does feel more restrictive obviously. I also wish they push KN95 masks more now they are readily available and will be even more by the summer which could really help with migration as we begin to really reopen this summer with public health guidelines still in place.

Airbnb is stepping up and saying in a letter to the Biden administration that they are willing to be used as vaccine distribution centers especially in areas that are lacking in pharmacies or medical facilities. I think companies are stepping up more now that Biden is in charge not because they were not willing to help the previous one but rather they were not going to go anywhere with it. Biden and his team seem much more willing to use every resource possible to get the vaccines out and into people's arms. Right now as hopefully more distribution sites open up and more *fingers crossed* vaccines come online, will get more people vaccination though now they are worried there are not enough qualified people to give the shot. Would been nice had someone several months ago in the federal government, "Went gee we are going need to vaccinate hundreds of millions of people with a two dose process in the matter of months. Maybe we need more people trained on how to do that!" *rolls eyes*

 

Double masks? When did this start? I like it.

What about eye cover? A nurse I know said at her hospital they are thinking people are getting sick from eye exposure. Also seeing more server side effects in kids. (I didn’t get more details on what they are finding to make eye exposure more likely. Maybe glasses wearers aren’t being hospitalized as much?)

 

I've been using two whenever I go someplace inside - like a supermarket. Which is still rare, but it just seems like the cloth ones I use are not snug at all. Fine for outside and short walks.

Luckily I've seen mostly vaccine friendly...friends. Just a few anquintences and distant relatives who have been posting more and more along the lines of "I'm not taking the vaccine you can't make me" posts, with forms to send to their local governments complaining about any such measures. People who bring up excuses like: the flu vaccine is only 40% effective, so it's a scam. Or that they are immuno-compromised and can't (which is fine) - but always seem to make sure to educate other immuno-healthy people not to take their vaccines as well because reasons. Or the just plain ol' Covid isn't as deadly as they say anyway, it's all inflated, so I'm not putting that thing in me.

I've seen a few friends post vaccine badges/stickers when they've gotten it. So that's encouraging.

 

Perhaps the particulates spray into the eyes? (If people aren’t wearing face shields too?)