Jump to content

Coronavirus


Xd the great

Recommended Posts

I was assuming the elderly were chosen as they are basically nearly dead guinea pigs. Not to mention in confined high risk areas. It does give everyone else some insight later.

Edited by Arugela
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some interesting data.

vaccine.png

Cropped and re-annotated from this study.

This study took seven antibody count measurements from 15 individuals who received the two-dose Moderna vaccine over the first 17 weeks. There's a large immunological spike from the initial dose to the two-week mark, while the growth in the second two-week period is lower (or, in some cases, dropped). However, the second dose then pushes the antibody count up significantly higher and it remains higher consistently thereafter.

I get my second dose Friday. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some anecdotal information of my direct experience with the pandemic so far. I bring this all up, not because it sucks to be me, but because I think people need to realize the effects are the pandemic are everywhere in the health care system, even if you don't have COVID.

I've been dealing with what is currently understood as bacterial pneumonia that originally formulated as severe back-pain since November. The pain ended up getting me to the ER as I could hardly stand and admitted to the hospital due to an increasingly worse upper body rash. The pain was eventually identified to be coming from my lungs due to a severe infection and my sudden coughing symptoms. Long story short, I'm back home resting. They never figured out exactly what caused it, or why I had the symptoms I did. I got tested for COVID multiples time while there, all of while there and they all came back negative. So for the last few months I've been laying low reflecting on it so far.

I was stuck in the hospital for a week with an unknown disease, with progressively worse symptoms, and I couldn't even have a single visitor. I couldn't leave as the doctors didn't see any improvement on my lung condition, and were scared of more severe allergic symptoms, like breathing problems. 

Every single nurse asked the previously if it was COVID that got me here.

During my checkups in the following weeks and months after I got out, a section of the outside hospital went from a lunch area to a "family grieving  area". I've yet to see it empty as I go back for more testing. People sometimes have some food in-front of them, but they haven't eaten any of it.

I've been told that I could have a biopsy to determine what is in my lungs, but as my condition isn't dire it might not be possible to gain access to any of the lung specialists to perform the biopsy in the first place, as they are all busy with COVID patients. 

Due to my current ailment I went from a low risk category (young and healthy) to a sudden high risk category. Luckily I'm capable of working from home, but I'm not sure if I could of went back to work in any manual labor since I still have a few symptoms within my lungs, even months later.

Finally, there was one interesting detail I'll have a hard time forgetting. Which was the loudspeakers would play a short clip of "Don't Stop Believing" a few times a day. I got a little annoyed with it and it wasn't until a few days in did I asked a nurse about it. She told me they play that song when someone gets released after recovering from COVID. 

 

---

 

On the vaccination front, as I live in Los Angeles, there are multiple large scale mass vaccination sites. Dodger Stadium is currently serving around 7000 vaccines a day, with the goal of opening up extra lanes to increase its capacity to 12000 a day. Its possibly one of the largest vaccination venues in the entire country. However all of this is only the first shot, and due to the logistics, the supply will run out way before any goals are met. 

The 2 current vaccines in the US are essentially logistical nightmares due to their 2 shot regiment, and complex storage requirements. The science produced fantastically effective and safe vaccines in a short time span, now its the real battle of actually getting them into arms thats turning into a battle on its own. 

 

In the mean time, stay healthy and stay safe :) 

Edited by MKI
typos
Link to comment
Share on other sites

First off, glad to hear you are back home & resting.  

Now I want to rant a little bit

1 hour ago, MKI said:

On the vaccination front, as I live in Los Angeles, there are multiple large scale mass vaccination sites. Dodger Stadium is currently serving around 7000 vaccines a day, with the goal of opening up extra lanes to increase its capacity to 12000 a day. Its possibly one of the largest vaccination venues in the entire country. However all of this is only the first shot, and due to the logistics, the supply will run out way before any goals are met.

7000/day.  Amazing - and I say that in the most "annoyed with the idiots in charge" way possible, because where my mother lives, all vaccines are being handled by the county health department.  They have a single toll-free number to call & schedule to come get a vaccine.  There is no info on their website to even confirm where to get the vaccine - as far as she knows, my mom is going to have to drive to the other end of the county where the health department is headquartered, but she isn't sure.  I've tried looking into it too, but the only info is basically what phase they are in and "call 1-800-xxx-xxxx to schedule your vaccine."   Within minutes of the "age 75+" phase starting, the toll free number crashed due to call volume and wasn't back up for 2 days.  She still hasn't gotten through to make an appointment - she's actually given up at this point & is just going to wait till it becomes more available.  She doesn't know anyone in her county who has actually gotten the shot, yet her brother & his wife, in another (more populous) county, both <75, have already gotten their first shot & should be getting their second this week.    And in my county, they are on to the 65+ phase, and apparently almost any doctor office is able to get the vaccine, as my wife's neurologist (who doesn't normally advertise giving any type of shot) had signs up at the front desk last week telling people they could get vaccinated there if they were eligible.   So there isn't even any commonality between 3 counties in the same state in how the distribution is being handled.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Cavscout74 said:

First off, glad to hear you are back home & resting.  

Now I want to rant a little bit

7000/day.  Amazing - and I say that in the most "annoyed with the idiots in charge" way possible, because where my mother lives, all vaccines are being handled by the county health department.  They have a single toll-free number to call & schedule to come get a vaccine.  There is no info on their website to even confirm where to get the vaccine - as far as she knows, my mom is going to have to drive to the other end of the county where the health department is headquartered, but she isn't sure.  I've tried looking into it too, but the only info is basically what phase they are in and "call 1-800-xxx-xxxx to schedule your vaccine."   Within minutes of the "age 75+" phase starting, the toll free number crashed due to call volume and wasn't back up for 2 days.  She still hasn't gotten through to make an appointment - she's actually given up at this point & is just going to wait till it becomes more available.  She doesn't know anyone in her county who has actually gotten the shot, yet her brother & his wife, in another (more populous) county, both <75, have already gotten their first shot & should be getting their second this week.    And in my county, they are on to the 65+ phase, and apparently almost any doctor office is able to get the vaccine, as my wife's neurologist (who doesn't normally advertise giving any type of shot) had signs up at the front desk last week telling people they could get vaccinated there if they were eligible.   So there isn't even any commonality between 3 counties in the same state in how the distribution is being handled.

The current vaccination roll-out is and was probably always going to be difficult. Its clear the demand was always going to outstrip supply, and even getting simple health care done in the US is already very annoying and time consuming. 

I'm not sure how the 7k is being managed or if its any better than your county approach, but I do know that 7k might sound like a lot, but Los Angeles county (which Dodger Stadium is serving) is home to 10 million people. Its known at the current rate 65+ over will be full vaccinated by June. So its well agreed upon that the pace has to pick up, even in such a place where there are to some estimations 1 in 3 have been infected with the virus at some point. 

Until there is enough supply where local pharmacies can start administering the vaccines, which already has the correct infrastructure to support flu vaccinations, I don't see the situation getting significantly better with any speed. It will get better, just not much faster until supply catches up with demand and those local distribution centers can get it, which by that point the logistics game is done, leaving the final "spread the word" part. Which, honestly is probably the least worrisome part of the whole process, which probably shows more how widespread the problem is than anything else.

There's also talk about providing only 1 shot regiments rather than 2, which should be interesting IMO. I personally am leaning in favor of such, but I'm sure there are data scientists arguing about the pro's and con's of such an approach when applied in the large scale. 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, sevenperforce said:

This study took seven antibody count measurements from 15 individuals who received the two-dose Moderna vaccine over the first 17 weeks. There's a large immunological spike from the initial dose to the two-week mark, while the growth in the second two-week period is lower (or, in some cases, dropped). However, the second dose then pushes the antibody count up significantly higher and it remains higher consistently thereaft

This is making me even more concerned about the strategy to UK government has decided to take - here, it's been decided that we're going to have doses of the Pfizer 12 weeks apart, even though apparently it's never actually been formally tested to see if the first dose remains effective for that long. There seems to be some discussion about whether it's a viable strategy or not, but it doesn't seem like we're going to know until it's all done and dusted unfortunately...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-55503739

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, GluttonyReaper said:

This is making me even more concerned about the strategy to UK government has decided to take - here, it's been decided that we're going to have doses of the Pfizer 12 weeks apart, even though apparently it's never actually been formally tested to see if the first dose remains effective for that long. There seems to be some discussion about whether it's a viable strategy or not, but it doesn't seem like we're going to know until it's all done and dusted unfortunately...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-55503739

I assume they had some data on what happens if you get only 1 dose of the vaccine over time?

Where just the first vaccine has some noticeable effect, but its drastically less than if you get booster in a given time frame. Increase that time frame and I assume the effect diminishes. By how much is probably where the concern is, as you'd effectively be applying multiple doses and "flying blind" in terms of their overall effectiveness with different periods between the shots. Which makes review of how things are going harder, since the baselines have changed.

There's also if you look at what it actually means as "effective". For example the 52% of a single dose of Pfizer means 52% developed symptoms but those that got severe symptoms was less than 1 percent with a single dose.(ref: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577?query=RP)

I think its a fair assumption that getting 1 is better than nothing, and getting 2 even with an extended period between the two shots is better than 1. How much better is more out in the weeds to the point it might not provide adequate coverage down the line (like in a year, or against the new variants), at which point the logistics become even harder than it already is. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, MKI said:

he current vaccination roll-out is and was probably always going to be difficult. Its clear the demand was always going to outstrip supply, and even getting simple health care done in the US is already very annoying and time consuming. 

I'm not sure how the 7k is being managed or if its any better than your county approach, but I do know that 7k might sound like a lot, but Los Angeles county (which Dodger Stadium is serving) is home to 10 million people.

Difficult, sure.  And I recognize the population difference, but your neck of the woods seems to at least have a plan.   Where my mom lives seems like it was an afterthought, with no real planning or effort put into either setting up the distribution or even disseminating information to the populace.   Just very infuriating.     And like I said, in my county apparently any doctor's office is able to get at least some supplies of the vaccine for patients. 

1 hour ago, GluttonyReaper said:

This is making me even more concerned about the strategy to UK government has decided to take - here, it's been decided that we're going to have doses of the Pfizer 12 weeks apart, even though apparently it's never actually been formally tested to see if the first dose remains effective for that long. There seems to be some discussion about whether it's a viable strategy or not, but it doesn't seem like we're going to know until it's all done and dusted unfortunately..

At first glance, that is really surprising they'd take that risk.  I guess the hope is that it will provide enough protection for the pandemic to die down, and if a re-vaccination is required in the future it won't have to occur in the middle of a crisis?   I hope at least medical personnel & first responders get both shots on time

Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, MKI said:

I assume they had some data on what happens if you get only 1 dose of the vaccine over time?

Where just the first vaccine has some noticeable effect, but its drastically less than if you get booster in a given time frame. Increase that time frame and I assume the effect diminishes. By how much is probably where the concern is, as you'd effectively be applying multiple doses and "flying blind" in terms of their overall effectiveness with different periods between the shots. Which makes review of how things are going harder, since the baselines have changed.

One thing to note is that the scale on the left-hand side of the graph I posted is a log scale, not a linear scale.

So the second dose increases the number of antibodies by a factor of ten.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, GluttonyReaper said:

This is making me even more concerned about the strategy to UK government has decided to take - here, it's been decided that we're going to have doses of the Pfizer 12 weeks apart, even though apparently it's never actually been formally tested to see if the first dose remains effective for that long. There seems to be some discussion about whether it's a viable strategy or not, but it doesn't seem like we're going to know until it's all done and dusted unfortunately...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-55503739

Oh, you get a second dose.

As I mentioned above, there's research being done right now on whether dropping the second shot from Sputnik V is, ahem, expedient. Otherwise there's no real way of meeting the coverage goal of 60% by end of the year.

Edited by DDE
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, DDE said:

Oh, you get a second dose.

As I mentioned above, there's research being done right now on whether dropping the second shot from Sputnik V is, ahem, expedient. Otherwise there's no real way of meeting the coverage goal of 60% by end of the year.

Is there any public data on the effectiveness of Sputnik V? Did they do double-blind placebo-controlled studies?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=ru&sl=ru&tl=en&u=https://www.rbc.ru/society/26/01/2021/600fb51e9a794752cd1b394b

Quote

Scientists find a cure for COVID 30 times stronger than remdesivir

The drug plitydepsin, which was previously tested as a medicine for cancer patients, has shown good results in the fight against coronavirus, according to preliminary data.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The weirdest part of Covid, for me with a mild case, is the loss of smell.  Orange peel smells the same as an aluminum can.  I.e. Like nothing.  This extends to the whole gamut of things with a smell.  Milk and water smell the same. 

I was worried initially that this indicates a neurological effect - but recently read that it is not the neurons, but rather the receptor cells.  I don't know why, but I find it relieving. 

 

The other thing I will mention is that while food may not have a taste (or a severely restricted flavor, given most of what we taste, we actually smell) - it still retains a distinct texture.  Example: biting into an apple or a fresh pepper.  What you get is a wet crunch.  No distinct flavor to separate one from the other.  But the apple has a distinct texture from the pepper.  And there is a sense of acidity with the apple, and a sense of heat / spice with the pepper.  The milk, I mentioned above, is noticeably thicker than the water. 

It is very strange. 

 

Edit - oh, and we have been very careful about masking and isolation (very sick old people who we take care of in the fam)... Despite this, my son caught it and gave it to me.  We've been lucky.  I can see how for sick people this becomes the fabled straw. 

 

Stay safe folks! 

Edited by JoeSchmuckatelli
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spoiler

Covid: saving marriages.

He may wear his T-shirts twice longer.
She hears no complaints about her cooking.

Because she lacks the sense of smell, he lacks the sense of taste.

 

Edited by kerbiloid
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congrats!

Let's wait and see how the drama that call's itself "German vaccination strategy" continues to unfold itself and when healthy middle-aged persons get their shot. Right now, we have big vaccination centers, but hardly enough shots to go around...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well - in the US, and despite reporting that in some places vaccine is being destroyed for lack of arms to stick (or lack of efficient community outreach) , we have a 'values' based blowback against anyone under the 70 who is not a health care worker getting a dose.   Semi-public shaming is becoming a thing. 

 

Shows just how ignorant people are. 

 

Reality is that the over 70 crowd is getting personal protection via antibody generation, but when you inoculate the general public the at risk group is still getting protected via lower likelihood of infected carriers. 

 

Since getting the disease - people who were previously infected are coming out of the woodwork and admitting to past exposure.  Whereas before they knew I had it... No one told me THEY had it. 

 

The 'shame' / denial factor around this disease and the general American civilian response is frustrating 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not only in America. I learned that my uncle, cousin and her husband are sick with COVID-19 from a co-worker, who happens to be a friend of my aunt. By complete accident i asked her if my aunt isn't sick (thinking flu or a cold), because i haven't seen her for a week. Only from her i learned that my close family, that lives 3 kilometers from me, is in quarantine and fighting infection.

Holy moley people! It's not like you caught disfiguring or shameful disease like leprosy or STD!

Did they though that getting a phone call from a stranger saying "We regretfully inform you, that your relative died today in the hospital from COVID-related complications." would be a preferable way to learn about this calamity?

It is still a sore spot in family relations even months later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the strangest thing. 

I lifted my cup to drink coffee this morning, as I do every morning, but this time I had a sensation. 

 

I realized that I could could smell - actually smell - the stuff in the cup!

 

Unfortunately, it smells like an old cucumber. 

=/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/26/2021 at 5:56 PM, sevenperforce said:

Is there any public data on the effectiveness of Sputnik V? Did they do double-blind placebo-controlled studies?

And here's interim results of Phase III

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00191-4/fulltext

On 1/31/2021 at 10:32 PM, Scotius said:

I learned that my uncle, cousin and her husband are sick with COVID-19 from a co-worker, who happens to be a friend of my aunt. By complete accident i asked her if my aunt isn't sick (thinking flu or a cold), because i haven't seen her for a week. Only from her i learned that my close family, that lives 3 kilometers from me, is in quarantine and fighting infection.

Holy moley people! It's not like you caught disfiguring or shameful disease like leprosy or STD!

Bizarre. From second and third-hand evidence (2020 has helped me master my shut-in skills) a lot of people are pretty forward about it, even to strangers. Such as the guy who chastised my granddad at the DMV.

...anyway, currently both of our immediate family's surviving over-65s have gotten the first shot. I'm beginning to seriously plan my unremote-ing.

On 1/31/2021 at 6:33 PM, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Well - in the US, and despite reporting that in some places vaccine is being destroyed for lack of arms to stick (or lack of efficient community outreach) , we have a 'values' based blowback against anyone under the 70 who is not a health care worker getting a dose.   Semi-public shaming is becoming a thing. 

Shows just how ignorant people are. 

Reality is that the over 70 crowd is getting personal protection via antibody generation, but when you inoculate the general public the at risk group is still getting protected via lower likelihood of infected carriers. 

The 'shame' / denial factor around this disease and the general American civilian response is frustrating 

The only logical consequence of overhyping the vaccine shortage without clearly stepping in to guide rationing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of my close relatives have been able to get their first shots in the last few days with more soon to follow.

I've come to realize my personal best bet at getting a shot might be Johnson & Johnson's vaccine. Which I believe is waiting approval from the FDA in the states. 

Even though it isn't as highly effective as Moderna's or Pfizer's, its effective enough for me and has much less strict logistical challenges. Better than waiting for the current estimated rollout of the current vaccines to all members of four years through my primary health care provider. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

had my second dose on thrusday. what followed were a couple days of fever where i didn't feel like doing much of anything. i think that's the response you want, full mobilization of the immune system. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll probably have to wait untill the end of 2021-early 2022 to get vaccinated because my government sucks at this.

 

Edit: i'm sorry that's hearsay. Official government sources say that everyone should be vaccinated before the first of october, but it might be subject to delays.

Edited by Flying dutchman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...