Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: dangerous, vacation, health)

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Health care, nursing home residents, and public safety people who got vaccinated early probably need to start wondering about a booster shot. Very preliminary Israel data analysis is showing that the breakthrough infections trend to people who were vaccinated 6+ months ago. They're the only ones who are doing COVID-19 testing as part of contact tracing. I guess it's time to buy more Pfizer and Moderna stock?

There is an interesting ethical debate that needs to happen in using resources for boosters when so much of the world can't get even one shot.

[mdovell]

I'm starting to have a bad feeling on the fall. Yeah the US is doing better than other countries and the northeast is doing well.. But

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/09/delt...ed-people.html

Read the whole article. I don't think that will work nearly as fast as we should. The fact that Africa is only 2% vaccinated and they represent about 20% of the world is telling. Then I think about India and Brazil and this really starts to add up. We should have made vaccines on a higher scale and deployed them faster. We're in a race against other variance and if those variance lead the other breakthroughs then we're not going to have a global reopening.

Domestically if we continue to have entire states with only a 30% vaccination I don't think it's going to go well. I have to wonder in some of these other states with a major employers are that are going to continue to allow people to come back to the office or they going to require vaccinations or simply go with more remote work.

We just had the 4th of July and I would argue within two to three weeks we should see some spread. How much that spread is going to be I don't know but if that becomes significant enough that we're doing the same thing we did last year. Next one's going to be Labor Day and you know how the holiday season goes.

I don't know how good the Chinese vaccine is. I know there's some that have had approval from the World Health Organization but from what I've been reading is it's not working.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/08/five...-vaccines.html

Foreign students on student visas have to get back to me it again with the US approved vaccine Academia is already saying they're going to have to be revaccinated once they get in.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Yeah it's been a bit hairy on what to do with kids...i've been having my kids put one on when we go inside somewhere which isn't often...plus most signs on stores say anyone not vaccinated has to wear a mask...i've seen plenty of kids not wearing masks...have there been any issues over this? My kids did a weekly camp this week where they were inside sometimes. They said masks are optional. The group of 10 kids that showed up to camp were not wearing masks.

We are in a few different camps this summer and they each have their own mask policies. I think all of them are requiring masks indoors. They are at a traditional day camp this month and take a bus there. Masks are required on the bus (even with all windows down) and required indoors. But if they are doing an outdoor activity, no masks are required. I think all camps we are signed up for this summer are eating outdoors when possible.

As far as the booster shot goes, I'm so eager to see some of this data. I'm still super curious as to how effective the vaccine is vs. natural antibodies. How long does each last? How effective is each at protecting against variants? I'm not opposed to getting a booster, but there are still so many unknowns at this point and the CDC always feels light years behind the research.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

We are in a few different camps this summer and they each have their own mask policies. I think all of them are requiring masks indoors. They are at a traditional day camp this month and take a bus there. Masks are required on the bus (even with all windows down) and required indoors. But if they are doing an outdoor activity, no masks are required. I think all camps we are signed up for this summer are eating outdoors when possible.

As far as the booster shot goes, I'm so eager to see some of this data. I'm still super curious as to how effective the vaccine is vs. natural antibodies. How long does each last? How effective is each at protecting against variants? I'm not opposed to getting a booster, but there are still so many unknowns at this point and the CDC always feels light years behind the research.

It's not conclusive yet. But with the data out of Israel suggesting the breakthrough infections are most often occurring in those vaccinated earlier on (6 months ago), makes me bet that a booster will be needed at least somewhere along the line.



Then there is this:



https://turnto10.com/news/coronaviru...searchers-find

"The French researchers also tested unvaccinated people who had survived a bout of the coronavirus, and found their antibodies were four-fold less potent against the new mutant. But a single vaccine dose dramatically boosted their antibody levels — sparking cross-protection against the delta variant and two other mutants, the study found. That supports public health recommendations that COVID-19 survivors get vaccinated rather than relying on natural immunity."

[rach5]

Originally Posted by NewfieMama

the CDC always feels light years behind the research.

I have to say that this has been one of the biggest disappointments in his entire covid debacle in the US.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by massnative71

It's not conclusive yet. But with the data out of Israel suggesting the breakthrough infections are most often occurring in those vaccinated earlier on (6 months ago), makes me bet that a booster will be needed at least somewhere along the line.
I]

Coworker of my sister (nurse) just tested positive for Covid. She had Pfizer back in Jan.

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by massnative71

It's not conclusive yet. But with the data out of Israel suggesting the breakthrough infections are most often occurring in those vaccinated earlier on (6 months ago), makes me bet that a booster will be needed at least somewhere along the line.

That is definitely not out of the question. Flu vaccines generally protect against viruses for six months on average too I think. Coronaviruses are lot more like flu viruses than they are like measles or polio viruses. I got my second shot in May with the beginning of June as the actual start of immunity so I'm looking at around Thanksgiving for a booster shot if the doctors recommend it.

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

Coworker of my sister (nurse) just tested positive for Covid. She had Pfizer back in Jan.

Is she symptomatic or significantly ill?

[rach5]

Originally Posted by porterhouse

Is she symptomatic or significantly ill?

That is not the only important factor here. Transmission is important as well, which we neglect to think about when we talk about the (so far still substantial) protection from severe illness and death. This is especially true for health care workers, who will be interacting with immuno-compromised individuals (and of course unvaccinated individuals - but many, rightly or wrongly, don't appear to care about them; of course, this group includes a huge share of disadvantaged individuals).

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by rach5

I have to say that this has been one of the biggest disappointments in his entire covid debacle in the US.

It’s not so much that the CDC is behind, it’s that they are very slow to respond to the data. Institutional inertia. It took them forever to acknowledge aerosol transmission, for example. We also get lied to. “You don’t need a mask” was to prevent a rush on N95 PPE needed for hospitals. I suspect we’re being lied to now about booster shots.