We figure coloring books and cartoons are the only way you will understand basic science. I urge you to watch it.
Funny coming from a science denier who told us there was no such thing as natural immunity to Covid. And then that it only lasts 3 months. Without ever producing any science to back his claims.
How contagious is Delta? How long are you infectious? Is it more deadly? A quick guide to the latest science https://knowridge.com/2021/09/how-c...e-deadly-a-quick-guide-to-the-latest-science/
Former FDA chief Gottlieb expects Delta to be last big pandemic wave in U.S. https://www.reuters.com/business/he...elta-be-last-big-pandemic-wave-us-2021-10-04/ The delta variant surge of COVID may be over https://www.audacy.com/wccoradio/news/national/the-delta-variant-surge-of-covid-may-be-over
Meet the Delta variant's cousin. Remember to thank the anti-vaxxers for this. Mutant of delta variant blamed for Nevada man’s rapid reinfection https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/...ed-for-nevada-mans-rapid-reinfection-2455634/ The Nevada State Public Health Laboratory has identified a rare case of COVID-19 reinfection occurring just 22 days after the patient first tested positive. The patient, an unvaccinated 31-year-old Mineral County man with no underlying health conditions, first tested positive for the delta variant and then, three weeks later, for a different strain that evolved from the delta variant, Mark Pandori, director of the lab at the University of Nevada, Reno’s School of Medicine, told the Review-Journal this week. Infection from COVID-19 typically results in immunity from reinfection for a minimum of several months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Such rapid reinfection, especially in a young and healthy individual, could mean that the virus has mutated to a degree that makes it more resistant than previously seen to the protection afforded by past infection or from vaccination. More such reinfections would first need to be identified to know if this is the case. “We don’t know how widespread the phenomenon is right now, but it implies that the virus is definitely going to be fine in terms of staying in circulation in the population,” given how much the strain that caused the reinfection differs from the delta variant, he said. The strain, a sublineage of delta known as AY.26, has 31 genetic differences from delta, including on the spike protein, the part of the virus targeted by vaccines, he said. It is this genetic variety that especially concerns him. “My concern is that there’s a scientific rationale for this being indicative of a bigger problem,” said Pandori, whose lab in August 2020 reported the first known case of COVID-19 reinfection in North America. That bigger problem is the possibility of increasing numbers of reinfections as well as so-called breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not respond to a request for comment other than to state that the request had been received. Health officials have said that they expect that COVID-19 vaccines ultimately will have to be adjusted to protect against new strains of COVID-19, much as flu vaccines are recalibrated each year. “If there were variants that could evade the protection, in some notable way, of our vaccines, and could spread reasonably fast — and if it were also reasonably contagious — then we would have to quickly create a specific vaccine against that variant,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the infectious disease division at Vanderbilt University. However, at this point, health authorities stress that the current vaccines continue to protect against serious illness from the coronavirus. Delta variants are rising The Mineral County man who became reinfected did not require hospitalization and has recovered, said Christina Boyles, deputy health officer for the rural Nevada county, which has a population of about 4,500. It was Boyles who first spotted the usual case. “I speak with just about every single positive case that comes through Mineral County,” which has reported close to 700 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, she said. That figure includes cases in members of the Walker River Paiute Tribe. What caught her attention was that the individual, after having tested positive on Aug. 16 and recovering, again tested positive on Sept. 7 using a rapid test, which typically picks up only high viral loads and active infections. The results were confirmed through a more sensitive PCR test. The man’s symptoms were more severe the second time around. The state lab then compared genetic samples from the tests in August and September, determining that they were different strains and separate infections. The state lab, which genetically analyzes or sequences a sampling of positive COVID-19 test results, has identified approximately 300 cases of AY.26 across the state, including in Southern Nevada, Pandori said. The sublineages that have mutated from delta are becoming more prevalent. A report this week by the state lab shows that the delta variant remains the dominant strain in Nevada, accounting for 63 percent of the cases genetically analyzed in the past 30 days. Rounding out the top 5 most prevalent lineages are four mutants of delta — AY.4, AY.25, AY3 and AY13 — accounting for 29 percent of genetically sequenced cases. “These sublineages — there’s more than just AY.26 —are really taking over,” he said. “The original delta variant is sort of descending rapidly in terms of its prevalence and giving way to its sublineages. “And to me, this is going to be how the virus stays in the population until winter, when it’s probably gonna have a lot more of an opportunity to spread.”
CDC predicts continued declines in Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths over next 4 weeks https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/co...n-they-are-still-exceptionally-high/19922829/ Covid-19 deaths and hospitalizations are expected to decline over the next fours weeks, according to ensemble forecasts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Wednesday. The latest forecast predicts 740,000 to 762,000 reported deaths by November 6. It's third consecutive week of a projected decrease in newly reported deaths. There have been more than 717,000 Covid-19 deaths in the US, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The latest CDC forecast predicts 500 to 10,100 new confirmed Covid-19 hospitalizations likely to be reported by November 5 -- a fifth straight week of projected declines. As of October 12, there were 64,332 people hospitalized with Covid-19, according to US Health and Human Services data. In terms of cases, there was no predicted increase or decrease. The latest forecasts come as Covid-19 cases are declining in the US -- an optimistic outlook that needs to be tempered by the still-high rate of infections, especially in children. The number of new cases in children remains "exceptionally high," with 148,222 cases reported in the week ending October 7, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics published Monday. Children represented nearly a quarter of weekly reported Covid-19 cases, the AAP said. Nationally, Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been decreasing, according to Johns Hopkins University. Over the last week, an average of 87,676 people reported infections and 1,559 people died of Covid-19 a day, according to JHU data. The infection rate still remains well above what's needed -- which Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday should be below 10,000. And with winter threatening to send people indoors and increase spread, experts worry cases could go back up again. The risk is higher for children, many of whom are still not yet eligible for vaccination. Currently, vaccines are only available for children as young as 12, although Pfizer and BioNTech have requested an emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration for younger children. In the meantime, some schools have leaned on preventative measures to protect students, like masking, distancing and testing. In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker is planning to deploy 200 members of the National Guard to assist in school testing for Covid-19. But vaccination remains the best tool to fight the pandemic, experts say. And some regions are doing better than others. Thirty-five states have fully vaccinated more than half of their residents while five more -- Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts -- have fully vaccinated more than two-thirds, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, the numbers aren't as promising. As of Tuesday night, only 56.5% of the US population was fully vaccinated, according to CDC data. "We need the overwhelming proportion of those unvaccinated people to be vaccinated and then we can be quite confident that if we can do that, you will not see a resurgence," said Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Hospital system 'deeply disappointed' by Texas vaccine mandate ban While many experts and officials are encouraging institutions to enact vaccine mandates to protect employees, students and customers, some are fighting their efforts. On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting any entities from requiring individuals to get vaccinated. "The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," said Abbott. "This flies in the face of public health guidance and is really not the right thing to be doing in the middle of a pandemic," CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen told CNN's John King on Tuesday. Dr. Marc Boom, president and CEO of Houston Methodist said the hospital system is reviewing Abbott's executive order and its possible implications while still expecting employees and physicians to be vaccinated. "As the first hospital system in the country to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for employees and physicians, we are deeply disappointed in the governor's order that tries to prohibit such mandates," Boom said in a statement, noting that the system's employees and physicians are 100% compliant. "We have fulfilled our sacred obligation to keep our patients safe, putting them first. Not only are our patients safe as a result, but we are able to remain healthy at work and be there for our community when it needs us the most." Mandate bans have been especially relevant to health care systems, where some professionals have resigned over such measures and others have advocated for them to protect their colleagues and their vulnerable patients. According to a new poll from Axios-Ipsos, a majority of Americans, 65%, support requiring vaccines for everyone working in a health care setting. It also found that more Americans, 30%, expect it to take more than a year to get back to normal pre-Covid life, up from 9% who thought this in early June. Fewer people are also saying they've returned to their normal life -- 22% now compared with 28% in June -- or saying it will happen in the next six months -- 13% compared with 36% in June -- according to the poll. In one sign of normalcy, senior administration officials told CNN that the US plans to ease restrictions on travel for fully vaccinated visitors from Canada and Mexico starting in early November, relaxing bans that have been in place for more than 18 months. Moderna proposes a smaller vaccine dose Since the US has approved booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for some vulnerable Americans -- and officials are weighing approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters -- Moderna on Tuesday urged the FDA to authorize a 50-microgram dose, according to documents released ahead of a key meeting. The company said this dose increases protection against the coronavirus while helping to keep the worldwide vaccine supply higher. That dose is half the size of the 100-microgram doses used in the primary series of the two-dose vaccine. Moderna is requesting authorization for the smaller dose at least six months after the second dose for certain groups: people age 65 and older; people ages 18 to 64 who are at high risk of severe Covid-19; and people ages 18 to 64 whose exposure to the coronavirus in their settings or jobs put them at risk for Covid-19 complications or severe illness. On Thursday, the FDA's independent vaccine advisers are expected to discuss and vote on whether to recommend authorization of boosters for the Moderna vaccine. On Friday, the advisers are scheduled to discuss and vote on whether to recommend authorization of boosters for Johnson & Johnson's vaccine. Both vaccines are already authorized for use in people age 18 and older. VRBPAC members will also hear a presentation on Friday on "mix and match" booster doses.
CDC says only 56.5% of the population are fully vaxxed. Yet every time mandates are mentioned only a very small percentage of workers affected. Seems the math doesn't add up. The 56.5% is that adults, only those eligible or does it include children?
You do realize that employers with over 100 employees in the U.S. account for over 50% of the employees in the U.S. -- it's a pretty big mandate in terms of scope & number of people.
Just wanted to know how the CDC arrived at 56.5%. You’re the resident spokesman for the Pro-Vax crowd, figured you would know.