[marvin4242]

Two interrelated stories today. The science/important one is this. There have been studies now showing that Covid is NOT harmless to the younger population and in fact as it spread among them it has caused excess mortality. This is different than the long term consequences, this is death. Yet a lot of young people (and population at large) mistakenly believe its "harmless" unless you are high risk. You can follow the piece to the original paper.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/opinion/covid-deaths-young-adults.html

This was after new e-mails came out today that in July the Trump Administration was pushing public health in government towards a "herd immunity" approach arguing that they wanted kids and young adults in the population to mingle and catch Covid, leading to "herd immunity" without vaccination. Obviously this was not the approach of the science and medical communities, this was a political argument.

[marvin4242]

And BTW we have this woman to thank for mRNA vaccines, which are really quite amazing and leap into the medical future. A lot of times women in science, technology and medicine are not given the credit they deserve.

She was demoted, doubted and rejected. Now, her work is the basis of the Covid-19 vaccine

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/16/us/katalin-kariko-covid-19-vaccine-scientist-trnd/index.html

[xyzcf]

Explains how the COVID vaccine was developed without compromising safety.

https://chanapdavis.medium.com/why-a-rushed-vaccine-does-not-mean-a-riskier-one-19c5cb014b71

[marvin4242]

Great read, thanks xyzcf

[readytofixmyselffirst]

Hello,

Now that we have the vaccines, I am optimistic for the future. However, right now the area I live in is on fire.  There are no hospital beds and the ICUs are all full. As I was telling a friend, even if they could convert a stadium or empty hotel into a hospital, they don't have anyone to staff it.

Just to be fair, I go to stores now and everyone is wearing a mask. Yet, the numbers are exploding. Hopefully, as we get the vaccine out and people get vaccinated (another hurdle), we can start to overcome this deadly disease. Until then, our only defense is to mask, wash our hands frequently, social distance, and avoid large gatherings. We are having a small Christmas this year and just like Thanksgiving, my parents nor my two daughters will not be at my home. However, I would prefer to skip one celebration and have several more in the future than make this the last celebration for any of my loved ones.

Be safe,

(((((Ready))))

[xyzcf]

Thanks Ready.

There are still many people that I personally know of who have family members flying from all over the country to be together for Christmas. I women's group I used to belong to had a Christmas pot luck lunch and another group (both church related) are having a Christmas dinner together. Friends who have traveled to Jamaica, Cabos, St Lucia to "vacation". Many other examples from my friend's activities.

These are not "stories" I see on the news...these are real life examples in my own neighborhood.

Why?

We cannot catch COVID nor spread it to others if we don't come in contact with the virus from another person. Everything that we can personally do may mean one less hospital bed full, one less death. One less nurse/doctor/housekeeper overwhelmed with the sick and dying.

These measures, wearing a mask, distancing, washing your hands...are all that we have until each of us is vaccinated, which is still many months away for most of us.

Still, 300,000 deaths, still people are "not going to let the government take away their freedom".

We started this dialogue 9 months ago and still people are arguing that it's no worse than getting the flu.

I really don't understand how people can deny the reality of this.

[marvin4242]

Still, 300,000 deaths, still people are "not going to let the government take away their freedom".

We started this dialogue 9 months ago and still people are arguing that it's no worse than getting the flu.

I really don't understand how people can deny the reality of this.

First there is a cultural narcissism that is rampant. Everyone has become completely self focused, and they really have developed a false sense of being individuals without any context of responsibility to their group.

Second a lot of people have lost understanding of science, respect for knowledge and expertise. It’s frightening.

It’s funny I finally watched Chernobyl and two things struck me

1) how the current US administration functions EXACTLY like the failing Soviet power structure, filled with people with no expertise in their tasks, lying and covering up facts and truth for appearances, and ignoring science.

2) how even there people sacrificed their lives for no other reason than they HAD to, to save many others. They were willing to go to their deaths for the greater good.

Now people think they don’t have to wear a mask because it’s “too inconvenient.”

Most people have no clue what real freedom is.

[marvin4242]

As the news of a newly identified strain is spreading in UK its a good idea to keep the following in mind (they covered it well in the new conference):

1) It is more efficient as spreading, that is why they have gone to tighter restrictions. The hospitals are getting more patients, despite the previous restrictions they were still seeing increases. Now they know why, so the tightening is a counter to the higher R value.

2) The new variant isn’t any more dangerous nor does it have different or worse symptomolgy or outcomes.

3) The new variant is not different in terms of vaccine efficacy, so it is still covered by the current viruses.

I am sure there will be a lot of misinformation, fear, etc, because of the word “mutation.” Mutation doesn’t mean worse, doesn’t mean stronger. Its only something from movies and bad stories. Keep in mind viruses mutate ALL the time. It is more likely a virus mutates to be weaker then it is stronger.

And finally the mRNA viruses are truly an amazing leap. IF a virus changed enough it would take around one week to modify the vaccine, because we can sequences, identify and change the mRNA to match. This is not possible with traditional vacccines.

[Mitzpah]

And finally the mRNA viruses are truly an amazing leap. IF a virus changed enough it would take around one week to modify the vaccine, because we can sequences, identify and change the mRNA to match. This is not possible with traditional vacccines.

This is great - I heard the same today on the main news!

We here in Brazil, are in the same state as you all in the US, possibly worse - We have over 185K dead, officially and as Xyzcf pointed out in her earlier post, what we hear in RL is an increase in cases, hundreds of people waiting for places in a hospital/ICU, including among my coworkers

Fortunately, as we work in a med supplies company, we have access to doctors, nurses among our own  and these unfortunate coworkers have received home attention as much as possible and we still have not lost one of ours, although some have lost parents, grandparents...

I have found that in poorer communities, people are more reluctant to wear masks and limit social interaction, of course, these people live in very close quarters and also have to go to work using public transport, so they are very exposed and some believe there is some herd immunity going on. In middle class areas, people are careful and fearful of catching the disease, so mask wearing is widespread. In all closed areas, one has to wear a mask at all times.

In the upper classes, people throw caution to the wind and are very careless of other people, they are negationists and downright rude, they have no consideration for others at all. They continue to travel, hold enormous parties...

I am hopeful for the vaccines, really glad that the Moderna one has been approved!

[terra]

Just sort of a sobering anecdotal comment here, from one of the very most shut-down counties in the USA,

I went out yesterday on a brief essential errands round, and at every stop, too many people were out and about and clearly not essentially. And also too close for comfort and not wearing masks, exuberant.

We live in an affluent place that usually abides by rules and follows the science. But yesterday there were people of all kinds exhibiting disobedience and throwing caution to the winds. I came home a bit rattled and went in to D for feedback and reality check (after washing my hands, and sanitizing). She confirmed my perception and said her own reality — that good and formerly trusted friends were out visiting with other friends during this time, and that it made her disgusted, stunned, and angry.

Angry. I was so angry yesterday that I just *cried*. We have been good at sheltering at home since the very start. I understand about COVID fatigue but there wasn’t any reason to break quarantine. I don’t understand why my community is doing that — in excess, like, more car and pedestrian traffic and socializing now than even in any pre-pandemic times — and it made me bewildered and hurt. Like, it’s Christmastime. Couldn’t you just *pretend* to have care for your fellow man, during this time of year, during this year especially.

It felt really bad, yesterday. I went to my room just to sit and instead fell asleep at 3pm. Stress sleep, I think. Just 100% unable to keep on, when the world outside this house is behaving without care.

We have friends whose other friends are falling sick with the virus. These once-removed folks are astounded and have no idea how they contracted it; they’ve been sheltering and abiding by guidelines strictly from the very first. No socializing and no non-essential outings, just grocery stores and pumping gas.

Please be careful when you are out. Not to say be scared or contentious around others, but just, please be safe. One of the families that fell sick is feeling better within days of positive test and hard symptoms, but still — please be careful, and stay well.