COVID-19 treatment and vaccine update thread

[Isgrimnur]

Horseshoe crabs, we salute you.

[Daehawk]

What the hell.

[Max Peck]

Horseshoe crab blood: the miracle vaccine ingredient that's saved millions of lives

Horseshoe crabs are older than the dinosaurs. They've been around for 450 million years, which means they watched the rise and fall of millions of other species, and survived ice ages.

As well as being incredible 'living fossils', they have also helped to keep most of us alive. If you have ever had a vaccine, chances are that it was tested for safety using horseshoe crab blood. And they're about to save even more lives, because they're playing their part in the creation of a Covid-19 injection.

Horseshoe crab blood is bright blue. It contains important immune cells that are exceptionally sensitive to toxic bacteria. When those cells meet invading bacteria, they clot around it and protect the rest of the horseshoe crab's body from toxins.

Scientists used these clever blood cells to develop a test called Limulus Amebocyte Lysate, or LAL, which checks new vaccines for contamination. This technique has been used all over the world since the 1970s to stop medical professionals giving out jabs full of bad bacteria that could make humans very sick.

It's great for humans, because vaccines save us from all sorts of unwanted diseases, including measles and mumps. It's not so great for the horseshoe crabs: thousands of them are rounded up and bled every year.

[FishPants]

A doctor up here put together a pretty good explanation of the vaccines and their use, especially near the end when he explains hospitalization rates (Although by his numbers the Jannsen/J&J doesn't seem to prevent serious disease as well as the others):

Keep in mind the video is geared to Canada and the big lag between shots -- it's still worth a watch.

[Max Peck]

A doctor up here put together a pretty good explanation of the vaccines and their use, especially near the end when he explains hospitalization rates (Although by his numbers the Jannsen/J&J doesn't seem to prevent serious disease as well as the others):

Keep in mind the video is geared to Canada and the big lag between shots -- it's still worth a watch.

Thanks for posting that. I have been trying to explain to some friends why getting AZ now (if they can) is better than waiting to get Pfizer eventually, and the video does a much better job of breaking it down than I ever could.

[FishPants]

A doctor up here put together a pretty good explanation of the vaccines and their use, especially near the end when he explains hospitalization rates (Although by his numbers the Jannsen/J&J doesn't seem to prevent serious disease as well as the others):

Keep in mind the video is geared to Canada and the big lag between shots -- it's still worth a watch.

Thanks for posting that. I have been trying to explain to some friends why getting AZ now (if they can) is better than waiting to get Pfizer eventually, and the video does a much better job of breaking it down than I ever could.

What made me commit to AZ was seeing the case rates in the UK drop off a cliff and people out and about again with lockdowns lifted -- direct relationship to the number of people with the AZ shot in their arm. We need to get the mRNA stuff moving faster in Canada especially if we need to keep getting updated shots (Interesting thoughts, with mRNA are we basically "patching" our own body operating system now? Odd concept.), otherwise we will just build an immunity to the adenovirus used in the other vaccines which complicates things further.

Anyhow #GenXZeneca is trending on Twitter in Canada for a reason, some of the posts are pretty hilarious.

[Blackhawk]

[spoilsport]
0.49% done with a half progress bar? Also, that download would only be about 90 hours.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

This article about the horseshoe crab/Covid vaccine is better.*




*only because I’m quoted in it.

[hitbyambulance]

This article about the horseshoe crab/Covid vaccine is better.*

Before the development of LAL, scientists tested the safety of a vaccine, for example, by injecting it into a rabbit. If a rabbit developed a fever or died, they knew the vaccine was unsafe.

That doesn't mean that all horseshoe crabs, which live 20 to 40 years in the wild, survive the bleeding process. The mortality rate ranges from 3% to 15%.

and we consider ourselves 'civilized'. hardly..

[Kasey Chang]

I finally got a shot scheduled... next week. Looks like it'll be Pfizer. But I don't care which one.

[Smoove_B]

When was the last time we gave nearly a billion doses of anything in 4 months in 200 countries?
Never.
Now add remarkable safety.

I am still astounded by all this.

[Daehawk]

Oh those poor horseshoe crabs! I love those guys. Thats not right.

[Holman]

My son (17yo) and I will be getting our second Pfizer shots a week from tomorrow.

He has already declared that I'll be in severe pain while he won't feel a thing. He's probably right.

[Hrdina]

Edit: That is the royal "your", not addressed to Ralph.

Wouldn't the royal "your" be "ye"?

Nah, that's the Pirate "your".

This article about the horseshoe crab/Covid vaccine is better.*




*only because I’m quoted in it.

Emily Kwong and Ariela Zebede also did a story on horseshoe crabs this week on ShortWave.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

That doesn't mean that all horseshoe crabs, which live 20 to 40 years in the wild, survive the bleeding process. The mortality rate ranges from 3% to 15%.

*Better except the author doubled the lifespan of horseshoe crabs.

[mori]

I got the J&J shot over two weeks ago and I keep get notices from from the state to make appointments to get my first shot of vaccine. I am tempted to go again since it seems the people that wanted to get vaccinated have gotten vaccinated and doses are going unused. I want a different dose just to see if I react to it. The J&J did nothing to me and makes me wonder if it was a placebo . It is stupid and I know it. I don't ever get effects from vaccines. I just want to feel I did something .

[Kraken]

Oh those poor horseshoe crabs! I love those guys. Thats not right.

If they didn't want to be lab animals, they should've evolved. It's not like they had something better to do for the past 400 million years.

[El Guapo]

Got my Pfizer second dose this morning, So far so good. Definitely sore in the relevant arm. Maybe feeling a little something coming on now, but nothing major so I can't really tell if it's psychosomatic or not. Glad to have it done!

[gbasden]

Yeah, with kids around this only changes so much. It definitely gives an additional comfort that I greatly appreciate. I think it means that we can have our parents over for dinner and whatnot without masks. Otherwise, not a ton.

It does look like there's a decent chance of 12+ becoming eligible this summer, and my daughter will become 12+ this summer, so getting her vaccinated seems within sight. My soon to be 9 YO son...guessing maybe late fall or winter, if testing goes well.

I can't tell you how happy I am that my son is 17. He got his first shot last week.

[Hrdina]

Yeah, with kids around this only changes so much. It definitely gives an additional comfort that I greatly appreciate. I think it means that we can have our parents over for dinner and whatnot without masks. Otherwise, not a ton.

It does look like there's a decent chance of 12+ becoming eligible this summer, and my daughter will become 12+ this summer, so getting her vaccinated seems within sight. My soon to be 9 YO son...guessing maybe late fall or winter, if testing goes well.

I can't tell you how happy I am that my son is 17. He got his first shot last week.

Yeah, my youngest child is 17 and I was relieved that she was able to get vaccinated. She goes to college in the fall, and we already know her move-in date in August. It's only been the last couple of weeks that I've started to believe that she'd actually be able to do that safely.

Of my three kids, my 17yo and 20yo have both gotten two shots of Pfizer. My oldest is 24 and lives in a different state (Massachusetts); he is still waiting for his first dose.

[LordMortis]

Got my Pfizer second dose this morning, So far so good. Definitely sore in the relevant arm. Maybe feeling a little something coming on now, but nothing major so I can't really tell if it's psychosomatic or not. Glad to have it done!

Arm isn't sore (yet?). It feels like it's waking up from "sleeping" Head is a little cloudy and stitch in my right side is coming and going. Nothing terrible and I hope it stays that way. Still I took tomorrow and Tuesday as vacation days as a precaution. The "worst" it could be is I feel fine and have to enjoy two days of vacation.

No super powers feel immanent.

So on my 30 mile commute the roads were packed. Store parking lots were packed. And specifically Arabic restaurants were packed even more than the rest. Parking lots overflowing into crazy person parking styles. That should have been my clue to get my shot and come straight home, but I was out, so Costco it was... The crazy Costco in FREEDOM part of suburbia. To my surprise, they had someone back at the front refusing entry to anyone wearing masks below the nose. She was literally constantly telling people they would be refused entry if they didn't pull their masks up. Naturally, one you were in the store, maybe 20% of the shopper had their masks pulled back down. The shocking thing to me is that it wasn't the normal FREEDOM crowd. Costco was packed again, with an Arabic crowd and all of the freedom below the nose mask wearers appeared to be Arabic (either by accent/language or by clothes. I can't identify people by how they look. I am missing the visual clues gene or something.)

[Kraken]

If I lived in MI I'd stay in my bunker. MI is America's India right now.

A few days ago my nephew got on an aeroplane and went to visit some friends in TN (from Muskegon). He's had his first shot and he's young. But wow, that's waaay over my personal risk tolerance, and if I were TN, I wouldn't have let him in.

[jztemple2]

Don't know quite what to think on some of these reports. The wife and I are 3+ weeks since our 2nd shots, but we're doing pretty much what we did before, which is to say a weekly trip to the beach, visits to parks and the usual going out to eat and to places like grocery stores. Most folks are wearing masks, as are the employees, except for our favorite restaurant in New Smyrna Beach where the servers are now going maskless unless requested.

Our big change this week is we are finally breaking down and getting my wife a mobility scooter so when we go on trips she can go longer distances and over rough ground. We're planning a three night trip to Naples next week to give the scooter a good trial by fire (temps near ninety!) and see how my back will do humping it out and back into the car (it breaks down into pieces). Sadly with things being as they are I suspect our hoped for road trip to California will end up being next year and not this fall. Still, fingers crossed.

[LordMortis]

A few days ago my nephew got on an aeroplane and went to visit some friends in TN (from Muskegon). He's had his first shot and he's young. But wow, that's waaay over my personal risk tolerance, and if I were TN, I wouldn't have let him in.

Yeah, no. My boss went to Hawaii last week. This is twice she's done this in pandemic era. She owns a property there she needs to take care of so she can retire there. I can't see it but that's me. I go out for medical, for "essential work", and for groceries. I will be gaming in person on 22nd, now that I have my second shot... With one person... who is also out from his vaccination... across a table... with windows and doors open, assuming I have my say. it will be heaven. Or I'll find I've been isolation so long I retreat right back to my house forever.

One day post second shot (or 1/2 day really) I went to be early, mild headache, arm soreness has settled in. So far it's going to be a relaxing day off. I should do lawn care but I'm not sure I'll be up for it.

[stessier]

Today is 2 weeks from my second shot. My 5G reception has never been clearer! My wife hits 2 weeks on Wednesday. Can't wait for 12-16 year olds to become eligible.

[jztemple2]

Yeah, no. My boss went to Hawaii last week. This is twice she's done this in pandemic era. She owns a property there she needs to take care of so she can retire there. I can't see it but that's me.

If I owned property in Hawaii I'd risk it

[LordMortis]

I think she has to so she can rent it out and rentals are going back up up up, as if the battle is over.

[jztemple2]

I think she has to so she can rent it out and rentals are going back up up up, as if the battle is over.

Hawaii must be like Florida in this respect. Hardly a house to be found to rent or buy. Construction is going on like mad.

[Zaxxon]

This could go here or in the politics thread.

US to share 60M A-Z doses with other countries:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

[Daehawk]

I see all the time where Hawaii is like San Fran...so expensive.

[Lorini]

I see all the time where Hawaii is like San Fran...so expensive.

Not only is the property expensive but every day things are as well, like groceries. Nope, not living there.

[Carpet_pissr]

Today is 2 weeks from my second shot. My 5G reception has never been clearer! My wife hits 2 weeks on Wednesday. Can't wait for 12-16 year olds to become eligible.

16 year olds have been eligible for at least a month, if not longer. My 16 YO got her second about a week ago.

[stessier]

Today is 2 weeks from my second shot. My 5G reception has never been clearer! My wife hits 2 weeks on Wednesday. Can't wait for 12-16 year olds to become eligible.

16 year olds have been eligible for at least a month, if not longer. My 16 YO got her second about a week ago.

Sorry - 12 to 15 year olds. My oldest is 14 and my youngest is 11 but will be 12 in August.

[Jaymon]

I am scheduled for first shot this Friday. Me and mine have been practicing a very risk averse pandemic, so we didn't rush the line. But its time, now that the line is gone down now. We adults are staggering, in case the second shot hits hard, don't want all the adults ill at the same time.


reports from my immediate family is a mixed bag on reaction to first and second shot. Doesn't seem to matter based on personal health or age. some folks react, and some don't.

[jztemple2]

Uh oh, news article from our local 24 hour news station about my county and the tapering off of demand for vaccinations: In Brevard and other counties, COVID vaccine demand declines

[Kasey Chang]

Got my first Pfizer shot this morning. My originally scheduled shot Wednesday would interfere with my job orientation, and I cancelled it with regret. Then searching other venues just happened to show a SEA of appointments, apparently all opened up this morning. Fortuitous? Absolutely. Jumped on a Lyft and went down there within the hour to get my first jab.

Slight off-topic: apparently rental car prices had shot through lunar orbit on Hawaii that tourists are now driving about in U-hauls.

[pr0ner]

I heard on local radio today that the CDC is reporting 5 million Americans have gotten their first shot but missed the second for a variety of reasons.

5 million!

[Smoove_B]

Yeah, I was waiting for more reporting and numbers, but that's...not good.

[Xmann]

I see all the time where Hawaii is like San Fran...so expensive.

Not only is the property expensive but every day things are as well, like groceries. Nope, not living there.

I've lived there and can confirm. The cost of groceries, oil changes, shipping charges, etc. gets old. Trust me.

Love the people and miss being there, but the cost of everyday living is nuts.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Yeah, I was waiting for more reporting and numbers, but that's...not good.

Perhaps, but count your blessings. Because India's current plight presents a vastly different perspective on what defines 'not good':

As Covid-19 Devastates India, Deaths Go Undercounted

NEW DELHI — India’s coronavirus second wave is rapidly sliding into a devastating crisis, with hospitals unbearably full, oxygen supplies running low, desperate people dying in line waiting to see doctors — and mounting evidence that the actual death toll is far higher than officially reported.

Each day, the government reports more than 300,000 new infections, a world record, and India is now seeing more new infections than any other country by far, almost half of all new cases in a global surge.

But experts say those numbers, however staggering, represent just a fraction of the real reach of the virus’s spread, which has thrown this country into emergency mode. Millions of people refuse to even step outside — their fear of catching the virus is that extreme. Accounts from around the country tell of the sick being left to gasp for air as they wait at chaotic hospitals that are running out of lifesaving oxygen.

The sudden surge in recent weeks, with an insidious newer variant possibly playing a role, is casting increasing doubt on India’s official Covid-19 death toll of nearly 200,000, with more than 2,000 people dying every day.

Interviews from cremation grounds across the country, where the fires never stop, portray an extensive pattern of deaths far exceeding the official figures. Nervous politicians and hospital administrators may be undercounting or overlooking large numbers of dead, analysts say. And grieving families may be hiding Covid connections as well, out of shame, adding to the confusion in this enormous nation of 1.4 billion.

“It’s a complete massacre of data,” said Bhramar Mukherjee, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan who has been following India closely. “From all the modeling we’ve done, we believe the true number of deaths is two to five times what is being reported.”

At one of the large cremation grounds in Ahmedabad, a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat, bright orange fires light up the night sky, burning 24 hours a day, like an industrial plant that never shuts down. Suresh Bhai, a worker there, said he had never seen such a never-ending assembly line of death.

But he has not been writing down the cause of death as Covid-19 on the thin paper slips that he hands over to the mournful families, even though the number of dead is surging along with the virus.

“Sickness, sickness, sickness,” Mr. Suresh said. “That’s what we write.”

When asked why, he said it was what he had been instructed to do by his bosses, who did not respond to requests for comment.

Virus ‘swallowing’ people in India; crematoriums overwhelmed

NEW DELHI (AP) — With life-saving oxygen in short supply, families are left on their own to ferry people sick with COVID-19 from hospital to hospital in search of treatment as India is engulfed in a devastating surge of infections. Too often, their efforts end in mourning.

On social media and in television footage, desperate relatives plead for oxygen outside hospitals or weep in the street for loved ones who died waiting for treatment.

One woman mourned the death of her younger brother, aged 50. He was turned away by two hospitals and died waiting to be seen at a third, gasping after his oxygen tank ran out and no replacements were to be had.

She blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for the crisis.

“He has lit funeral pyres in every house,” she cried in a video shot by The Caravan magazine.

For the fourth straight day, India on Sunday set a global daily record of new coronavirus infections, spurred by an insidious new variant that emerged here. The surge has undermined the government’s premature claims of victory over the pandemic.

The 349,691 new infections brought India’s total to more than 16.9 million, behind only the United States. The Health Ministry reported another 2,767 deaths in the past 24 hours, pushing India’s fatalities to 192,311.

The death toll could be a huge undercount, as suspected cases are not included, and many COVID-19 deaths are being attributed to underlying conditions.

The unfolding crisis is most visceral in India’s overwhelmed graveyards and crematoriums, and in heartbreaking images of gasping patients dying on their way to hospitals due to lack of oxygen.

Burial grounds in the capital New Delhi are running out of space. Bright, glowing funeral pyres light up the night sky in other badly hit cities.

In the central city of Bhopal, some crematoriums have increased their capacity from dozens of pyres to more than 50. Yet there are still hours-long waits.

At the city’s Bhadbhada Vishram Ghat crematorium, workers said they cremated more than 110 people on Saturday, even as government figures in the entire city of 1.8 million put the total number of virus deaths at just 10.

“The virus is swallowing our city’s people like a monster,” said Mamtesh Sharma, an official at the site.

The unprecedented rush of bodies has forced the crematorium to skip individual ceremonies and exhaustive rituals that Hindus believe release the soul from the cycle of rebirth.

“We are just burning bodies as they arrive,” said Sharma. “It is as if we are in the middle of a war.”

The head gravedigger at New Delhi’s largest Muslim cemetery, where 1,000 people have been buried during the pandemic, said more bodies are arriving now than last year. “I fear we will run out of space very soon,” said Mohammad Shameem.

The situation is equally grim at unbearably full hospitals, where desperate people are dying in line, sometimes on the roads outside, waiting to see doctors.

Health officials are scrambling to expand critical care units and stock up on dwindling supplies of oxygen. Hospitals and patients alike are struggling to procure scarce medical equipment that’s being sold on the black market at an exponential markup.

The drama is in direct contrast with government claims that “nobody in the country was left without oxygen,” in a statement made Saturday by India’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta before Delhi High Court.