Covid-19

[FrostyWinnipeg]

Canada has hit 20,000 RIP’s 😢

[FrostyWinnipeg]

 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

 

[Bigblue204]

4 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

 

I stopped following this guy. He never posts or talks about the % rate. I'm sure it's not his intention, but to me it borders on fear mongering. Posting the numbers without context is pointless imo.

[Tracker]

28 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

 

A bit better but still no cause for celebration.

[bustamente]

NEW Last updated: January 31, 2021

Public health officials advise four additional deaths in people with COVID-19 have been reported today, including:

a male in his 60s from the Interlake-Eastern health region;
a male in his 90s from the Northern health region;
a male in his 60s from the Southern Health - Santé Sud health region, linked to an outbreak at the Rock Lake Hospital in Crystal City; and
a female in her 80s from the Southern Health - Santé Sud health region, linked to an outbreak at the Rock Lake Hospital in Crystal City.
The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 7.9 per cent provincially and 4.5 per cent in Winnipeg. As of 9:30 a.m. today, 119 new cases of the virus have been identified, bringing the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 29,564.

Today’s COVID-19 data shows:

35 cases in Interlake-Eastern health region;
49 cases in the Northern health region;
two cases in the Prairie Mountain Health region;
six cases in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region; and
27 cases in the Winnipeg health region.
The data also shows:

3,503 active cases and 25,232 individuals who have recovered from COVID-19;
there are 108 people in hospital with active COVID-19 as well as 151 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 259 hospitalizations;
there are 29 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19 as well as 10 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require critical care for a total of 39 ICU patients; and
the total number of deaths in people with COVID-19 is 829.
Laboratory testing numbers show 1,459 tests were completed yesterday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February 2020 to 477,207. Case investigations continue and if a public health risk is identified, the public will be notified.

[SpeedFlex27]

On 2021-01-26 at 1:06 PM, Tracker said:

At last! We are down to double-digits!

But...................

A new coronavirus strain discovered in Los Angeles may be behind the surge in cases there

Newly mutated strains of the novel coronavirus spotted around the world — such as the ones ravaging the United Kingdom and South Africa — are spurring fear they could become dominant here in the U.S., too. Now, Americans have a newly homegrown strain to worry about — and public health experts suspect that it could have been the cause of southern California's most recent surge.

Recently, U.S. scientists were searching for signs of the UK coronavirus variant, known as B 1.1.7, in California when they stumbled upon something different. Coronavirus strain B 1.1.7 has a transmission rate that is 50 to 70 percent greater and may be more deadly, which has prompted studies to see how much it has infected the US population. Yet while looking for B 1.1.7, scientists stumbled upon a novel strain that has peculiar mutations, which is now being dubbed CAL.20C. According to a paper published by researchers at Cedars-Sinai, that has yet to be peer-reviewed, the new SARS-CoV-2 strain appeared to account for at least 36 percent of COVID-19 cases in the Los Angeles area and 24 percent in southern California in December 2020. That correlates with a huge surge in coronavirus infections in southern California at the time. 

"After an analysis of all of the publicly available data and a comparison to our recent sequences, we see a dramatic growth in the relative percentage of the CAL.20C strain beginning in November of 2020," the researchers wrote in the paper. "The predominance of this strain coincides with the increased positivity rate seen in this region."

A new coronavirus strain discovered in Los Angeles may be behind the surge in cases there | Salon.com

Yeah, as Pfizer & Moderna **** around with world supplies of the vaccines. 

[iHeart]

 

[Tracker]

6 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

 

What they are not telling you is that the swab has to reach the back of your throat.

[FrostyWinnipeg]

49 minutes ago, iHeart said:

 

How was he not on his 2nd shot already.

[Tracker]

14 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

How was he not on his 2nd shot already.

There has to be a minimum of two weeks between shots, and FYI: the first vaccination does not kick in fully for two weeks.

[FrostyWinnipeg]

1 hour ago, Tracker said:

There has to be a minimum of two weeks between shots, and FYI: the first vaccination does not kick in fully for two weeks.

Yeah but the first guy to get the shot was in December and he was 10 years younger.

 

[Tracker]

Los Angeles mass vaccination site closed for an hour due to anti-vaccine protests

In yet another act of insanity, or just the new conservative nihilism, a COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodger Stadium, in Los Angeles, had to be temporarily closed Saturday afternoon after dozens of far-right extremists showed up to protest the very existence of the vaccination program, shout at those arriving for vaccination, and provide living examples of what this nation will become once conservatives have gotten rid of all the public schools and successfully convinced a majority of Americans that their imaginations are more authoritative than all of history and science combined, because a Facebook post or swollen-headed conservative television host told them so.

How do we know that it was far-right extremists leading this anti-vaccination group, which resulted in the closure of the site for roughly an hour by on-site officials? Because they left a handy trail of breadcrumbs. The Los Angeles Times reports that in a social media post organizing the event, participants asked to "please refrain from wearing Trump/MAGA attire as we want our statement to resonate with the sheeple. No flags but informational signs only."

Ah, yes. Very clever. So instead of the usual pro-Trump flags, we were treated to anti-lockdown signs, calls for the state's Democratic governor to resign, claims that "CNN IS LYING TO YOU," and the other frequent staples of far-right anti-lockdown rallies around the nation. Oh, and the usual QAnon-isms, as with a sign proclaiming "Tell Bill Gates To Go VACCINATE HIMSELF!"

Los Angeles mass vaccination site closed for an hour due to anti-vaccine protests - Alternet.org

[iHeart]

weee under wow this is the lowest in a long time

 

Edited February 1, 2021 by iHeart

[rebusrankin]

Great to see the numbers improving.

I really hope they open gyms at 25% capacity at the end of this three week period.

[Mark H.]

2 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

Great to see the numbers improving.

I really hope they open gyms at 25% capacity at the end of this three week period.

Quite a few of the recent Interlake cases are from remote / northern areas of this region - but yes, still showing improvement. 

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vaccines-canada-production-trudeau-1.5897343

Quote

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today is expected to announce the makings of an agreement to produce COVID-19 vaccines within Canada.

Industry Minister Francois-Phillipe Champagne tells The Canadian Press the government is moving quickly to start making COVID-19 vaccines itself, instead of being entirely reliant on foreign production for the most sought-after product in the world.

The deal could help Trudeau tamp down the political headache caused by Canada's skeletal vaccine production capacity.

Canada's inability to produce any COVID-19 vaccines at home has left the country at the mercy of foreign governments who could at any time slam the doors shut to vaccine exports until their own people are vaccinated.

That risk became ever more real this week as Europe's new export controls on vaccines takes hold, putting at risk Canada's entire supply of COVID-19 vaccines.

Champagne's department and the National Research Council have been in talks with all the front-running vaccine makers in the world for months, trying to lure at least one of them to make some of their vaccines at the new facility, which is on track to be finished this summer.

About time.

[FrostyWinnipeg]

1 hour ago, blue_gold_84 said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vaccines-canada-production-trudeau-1.5897343

About time.

Year late. Would have asked Pfizer for the plans to one of their facilities. Now Quebec or Alberta...where will it be built? 🤔

Edited February 2, 2021 by FrostyWinnipeg

[FrostyWinnipeg]

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has 92% efficacy in trial

[iHeart]

83 new cases....AND NO NEW DEATHS?! oh wait there was a data reset we'll get an accurate account tomorrow

Edited February 2, 2021 by iHeart

[FrostyWinnipeg]

No new deaths reported today due to a data reset

Edited February 2, 2021 by FrostyWinnipeg

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has 92% efficacy in trial

Now, where's that pinch of salt....

[FrostyWinnipeg]

https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/vaccine/queue-calculator.html

[JCon]

8 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

https://www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/vaccine/queue-calculator.html

There are only 405k people in front of me. Any day now...

 

But, the good news is that my grandmother (95) is able to get a vaccine now. My mother (68) is still 175k away. 

[Tracker]

 

Here’s a basic breakdown on each of the leading COVID-19 immunization options:

Pfizer/BioNTech
How it works: The Pfizer shot is a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, which essentially sends instructions to our cells that teach our immune system how to fight the coronavirus.

Efficacy: 95% against symptomatic disease    Dosage: Two shots, 21 or so days apart

How well it works on COVID-19 mutations: It holds up. A lab study looking at the blood of vaccinated people found the vaccine may be slightly less effective against new variants like the one discovered in South Africa, but it still protects people well. Of course, more evidence of the shot being put to the test in the real world is necessary to validate those findings.

How easily it can be tweaked to target new variants: Piece of cake. The vaccine can be changed in a couple of days, Ogbuagu said. Pfizer is already working on a booster shot against the mutations. The bigger question is what sort of testing and approval process health officials would require — that’s where there’d be delays.

Side effects: Most people will feel pain and soreness in the arm where they get the shot. Up to half of people are expected to experience flu-like symptoms such as chills, fatigue and headaches, more so after the second dose. But that’s just the immune system doing its thing.

How it’s stored: These mRNA vaccines are finicky, and must be stored at subzero temperatures (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit) in freezers.

Availability: The phase three trial was completed in winter 2020, and the vaccine is now being distributed to the public through emergency use authorization.

Takeaway: This was the first vaccine that was approved and rolled out in United States, and the Biden administration has already purchased 100 million more doses. “At least a third of the U.S. population, roughly, will receive the dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and so definitely it will be a major contributor to curbing the epidemic here,” Ogbuagu said.

Moderna

How it works: Like Pfizer, Moderna’s vaccine uses mRNA technology.

Efficacy: 94.5% against symptomatic disease  Dosage: Two shots, 28 or so days apart

How well it works on COVID-19 mutations: The vaccine is thought to be less effective against the variant dominating in South Africa, but a lab study shows the shot can still effectively neutralize the virus and provide protection. We’ll need more data to better understand that, though.

How easily it can be tweaked to target new variants: Same quick process as Pfizer. Moderna has already kicked off development and testing of a booster shot specifically targeting the variant discovered in South Africa.

Side effects: Again, similar to Pfizer. Most people will feel pain and soreness in the arm where they get the shot. Up to half of people are expected to experience flu-like symptoms such as chills, fatigue and headaches, more so after the second dose.

How it’s stored: These must be carefully stored at subzero temperatures (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) in freezers.

Availability: The phase three trial was completed in winter 2020, and the vaccine is now being distributed to the public through emergency use authorization.

Takeaway: The Biden administration also secured an additional 100 million doses from Moderna, so this shot will likely protect another third of the U.S. population. This puts it “on par” with the Pfizer vaccine, Ogbuagu said.

Novavax
How it works: Novavax’s shot is a protein subunit vaccine. It contains a small, harmless, synthetically produced piece of the coronavirus that trains the immune system how to recognize and dismantle the virus. It does not contain the actual live virus.

Efficacy: 89.3% against symptomatic disease  Dosage: Two shots, 21 days or so apart

How well it works on COVID-19 mutations: Pretty good. Its efficacy is around 85.6% against the variant identified in the U.K. and 60% against the variant found in South Africa.

How easily it can be tweaked to target new variants: Easily, according to experts. The Novavax team is already developing a booster dose targeting the variant found in South Africa and hopes to test it out in a few months.

Side effects: Mild pain and tenderness where the shot is given. Some people may experience fatigue, headaches or muscle aches.

How it’s stored: Basic refrigeration, which is plus. This makes it easier to distribute from a logistical standpoint.

Availability: The phase three trial concludes in a few weeks, but it may take a couple months before the data is finalized and submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for approval. Novavax expects to be vaccinating people by May or June.

Takeaway: “It will be a welcome addition to the arsenal of vaccines,” Ogbuagu said. It’s a little less efficacious compared to the mRNA vaccines, but then again, this shot was up against new variants, Ogbuagu said. Others were tested in trials before those became more dominant strains.

Johnson & Johnson
How it works: This type of shot, called a viral vector shot, uses an adenovirus (the type of virus that causes the common cold) to teach our bodies how to identify and fight the coronavirus. It does not cause you to get COVID-19.

Efficacy: 66% at preventing symptomatic disease, 85% at preventing severe disease, 100% against hospitalization and death  Dosage: One dose

How well it works on COVID-19 mutations: Well, but overall efficacy does seem to drop with variants. The vaccine was 72% effective in U.S. trials, 66% in Latin American trials involving the variant that’s dominating Brazil and 57% in South Africa, where the B.1.351 variant has taken hold. Even so, it still provides protection against hospitalization and death.

How easily it can be tweaked to target new variants: Changing viral vector vaccines isn’t *quite* as simple as modifying mRNA vaccines, but it’s still a fairly easy process without a super long timeline, according to experts.

Side effects: A small percentage of people (9%) reported having a fever. Others experienced the typical symptoms: fatigue, headaches, muscle pain and injection site pain.

How it’s stored: Basic refrigeration

Availability: J&J plans to submit the rest of its safety and efficacy data to the FDA early this month. From there, the FDA will review the data, and if it grants emergency use authorization, people may begin receiving it later this month.

Takeaway: This one-shot dose could be a game changer for vaccine access and distribution. “That’s one of the wonderful things about it, that it can get to remote and rural areas. Also, this means it can be given in doctors’ offices without having to worry about all the storage [requirements],” said Daniel Fagbuyi, an emergency physician who served as a biodefense expert in the Obama administration.

Oxford/AstraZeneca

How it works: Also adenovirus-based, the AstraZeneca vaccine works like the Johnson & Johnson shot.  

Efficacy: 70% against symptomatic disease  Dosage: Two doses. In studies, the doses were given between four to 12 weeks apart.

How well it works on COVID-19 mutations: It appears to work just as well on the variant detected in the U.K., but data is still being collected on how effectively it protects against the variant identified in South Africa.

How easily it can be tweaked to target new variants: Similar to Johnson & Johnson — slower than an mRNA, but still speedy.

Side effects: Pain and tenderness at the injection site. Fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, chills and fever have also been reported.

How it’s stored: Basic refrigeration

Availability: The phase three trial was completed in fall 2020, and the vaccine is now being distributed in the European Union through emergency authorization use. It’s still being trialed in the U.S. and may not be approved for authorization from the FDA until the spring.

Takeaway: The inexpensive cost of this vaccine along with its basic storage needs give AstraZeneca a big advantage. It’ll be easier for more health care providers to have the necessary supplies and get the vaccine out into the population, Fagbuyi said.