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News Worldwide impact of the novel coronavirus (covid-19)

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In my area, the primary care clinic serving low income folks had the most vaccine the quickest. (Kudos to my state for organizing things that way.) I qualified because of my job (and sadly, my income) to get a vaccine there and they fit me in when my own primary care and workplace had no vaccines. I got on the waitlist and when a spot opened up, I had to switch primaries for a day, but my doc, the clinic, and my insurance adamantly supported it and the clinic made it a smooth transition. (I'm high risk with a high risk job,)

Some parts of the US require proof of age, job, residency, and some require no proof of anything at all. It's my understanding insurance is not required and it's generally free with and without insurance in the US. If someone is selling the vaccine in the US, double check to make sure it's not a scam, as the scammers are bound to take advantage.

There is also much talk of a pending shortage in the US. My doc said get one now, otherwise it could be awhile. Older family members in a different state were told that if they get vaccinated next week as scheduled, they could end up not being able to get the second dose on time, but perhaps 1-3 months late. they decided it was worth it anyhow to get the first shot, and super early studies are showing delayed second shots don't appear to reduce long term efficacy, but possibly has increased efficacy. It just takes longer to get that full efficacy. For my older family members that keep burying other family members dying of covid, they felt some immunity is better than none.

Another heads up is that if you have a history of anaphylactic reactions to anything, you may get 1 of 2 responses:
1.) Requirements to wait for 30 minutes after instead of 15 before leaving after the shot.
2.) A detailed evaluation of risk, for which it helped me to have an epi pen and a note from my doc on hand. Without it, they would have refused the vaccine at any location other than a hospital for being too high risk for anaphylactic reactions. I think this is a fairly rare situation. I'm not allergic to a single ingredient in the vaccine, but have had anaphylaxis more than once before (which is much more than just an allergic reaction on par with itching and hives but a life threatening severe emergency.)

I had zero side effects or difficulty with the first dose of the vaccine. Some say the second is harder but it seems like most either have no reaction or they feel crappy for a day and then they are totally ok.

It's new, everyone is still figuring things out.

In the end, I think forced or even shaming people into vaccinations is a bad idea because of the reality of unstoppable global travel. If someone doesn't want it, let other people go ahead. We will not be rid of this virus in the next 10 years because there is no feasible way to vaccinate 70 percent of the worlds population or to eliminate enough travel. It will either continue to be a hellish situation, or, more likely, it will eventually become less deadly and easier to live with/prevent/treat.

I don't really focus on who brought what variant of the virus to what area in terms of blame, unless it was done due to nefarious biological terroristic intent, and that doesn't appear to be the case based on what we know now. It appears to be a "shit happens" situation. This could change as more data comes in... we'll see.

China massively screwed up its response along with just about every nation on the planet. Governments will always fail, and should be held accountable for those failings... while also not relying on government perfection as the solution. We'll be sorely disappointed and unprepared if we expect government alone to solve the pandemic. At least that's true for the US...

Even if every country tried to shut it's borders, not even North Korea has been able to achieve full cessation of travel. They have the most horrifically secure borders in the world... long before the virus was identified... and they very likely have covid there too because of travel that happened after other nations locked down. Coronavirus in North Korea: COVID-19 Tracker | NK PRO

It's all about reducing (not eliminating) risk and increasing treatments... and finding more ways to carry on with life again. I got the vaccine to reduce my risk and to better be able to navigate a world where many others won't get it and/or won't mask up or lock down their lives.
 
there is no feasible way to vaccinate 70 percent of the worlds population
I'm the incurable optimist I guess, because I look back at the number of illnesses humanity has managed to overcome in the past and believe that if there's enough will, we will find a way. A functioning global economy (because with all the international border closures, I think a lot of the world is having a reality check about (1) how much of a global community we now really are, and interdependent on each other for necessities; and (2) how that's what we aspire to return to) is a huge motivator.

Over time, and in different ways, humanity has mobilised to eradicate some horrific diseases. Bubonic plague is almost non-existent, smallpox, polio, tuberculosis in most parts of the world. More recently SARS. Every so often ebola makes its way back into thr human population in Africa, and we've managed to knock that on its head each time.

People do learn. And in some places in the world, like those that were effected by SARS in a big way, humans have demonstrated that they're willing to learn. Governments that have had success in largely containing covid have done that with the cooperation of their people (without entering into a discussion of the different political regimes and the correctness of their different approaches - because an analysis of the countries that have done the best job at containing covid cover the political spectrum).

So I'm optimistic. Epidemiologists hit the Press Club here earlier this week and talked to journos about the eradication of covid. Their reality check to Australia was we may still need to quarantine people at the border for up to 6 more years.

But, they're still working towards the day when we have this covid thing sunk. Yes, there will be more pandemics in the future. But where the populations have learned from the mistakes of the past? They've done really well managing covid.

The US has been one of the hardest hit. It's also been in a state of internal turmoil that I think probably necessarily influences a person's perspective. But where I am, there's huge optimism for a largely (if not completely) covid-free future.

And me personally? Humanity has achieved that with other epidemics and pandemics in the past. We have the means to achieve that with covid. I'm optimistic that enough of the global population will also have the necessary motivation to make that happen. We don't need everyone on board. Just enough people to make it happen. And I reckon humanity is capable of that now, just like it has been in the past.
 
We have community cases of covid-19 again.

I'd just finished cooking dinner yesterday night, when my phone lit up and the emergency alert sound started blaring.

This is a screenshot of the alert, just if anyone is interested.
20210215_145733.jpg
Well, Happy Valentine's Day, NZ.

Hopefully this lockdown passes quickly and we will be back to our "normal" again.

I had a good chuckle today reading some news coverage on the outbreak. An interviewer had spoken to someone waiting in a covid testing queue, and this is part of what they recorded:
“So far we’ve gone through two packets of Oreos, two big bottles of water and some chips,” Tangi said with a laugh.

Classic NZ.
 
Over time, and in different ways, humanity has mobilised to eradicate some horrific diseases. Bubonic plague is almost non-existent, smallpox, polio, tuberculosis in most parts of the world. More recently SARS. Every so often ebola makes its way back into thr human population in Africa, and we've managed to knock that on its head each time.
Most of these are very different diseases than a respiratory coronavirus. Less contagious and less likely to mutate as quickly with as many variants.

Most are far from eliminated. A few examples: Bubonic plague exists in my area - we have by no means eliminated it, but do better prevent and contain outbreaks. Tuberculosis is on the rise. It was the number one infectious disease in the world in 2018 causing 1.5 million deaths and infecting 10 million. ttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/health/coronavirus-tuberculosis-aids-malaria.html Ebola is less likely to transmit to as many people than covid, which is why covid is seen as more deadly than Ebola - and Ebola easier to control. Why Is Covid-19 More Deadly Than Ebola? An Infectious Disease Doctor Explains (Also why everyone gets super nervous if elbows becoming airborne because that would be even more horrible.) They are losing ground on battling back polio - The World Is Still Battling Polio. What That Warning Means for Covid-19.

SARS died off while covid didn't because SARS was different in transmission. Viral load hits later in the illness with SARS. Plus, it's less infectious, and more deadly - it killed the hosts before they could spread it as far. It wasn't because the government behaved all that differently but because the virus did.

It's easy from an area where an outbreak isn't out of control to say hey, world has got this thing figured out, and easy from where you are burying the dead from the virus too often to despair that it is hopeless.

In the end, the world will learn to live with covid better and better, and eradication would be fantastic. However, I am unaware of any world epidemiologists who believe we are likely to eradicate covid from the planet. Many believe it will become much like another version of the common cold as explained here: SARS-CoV-2 Isn’t Going Away, Experts Predict

The Spanish flu was never eradicated, in fact everyone who had had influenza A had been infected with a virus that has a bit of DNA from the Spanish flu.

The world is full of horrible ugly diseases that rob lives... yet the world finds a way anyhow to carry in and keep getting better.

Once the Spanish flu peaked, the roaring '20s hit - which was party central. Hopefully those joyous days to celebrate are coming soon (minus of course the fiscal issues that lead the Great Depression.)
 
I was able to get myself and my dad into the VA when it first opened up - which I am so very grateful for because they have changed the requirements now due to the shortage of vaccines. Hubby got his first shot a couple weeks ago but no idea when he will be able to get the second. Sis with the compromised immune system? Thoughts are she won't get hers until the end of summer.

One of the big problems we are having here in the US is the constant stream of crap information and conspiracy theories.... Y''know, like Bill Gates is micro chipping everyone. That's why polio is on the rise in a lot of countries - because that rumor started years ago in some of the places where vaccination is not ususally done. And now it's running rampant here. We even had a huge protest from anti- vaccers at one of our mass vaccination sites - had to send the cops out to keep them from blocking the entrance. I get it -they don't believe in it. Great - don't take it and die. Or not. Not my problem. But don't block people who want to get it just because you don't agree.

It's really frustrating how poorly the US is STILL doing on this. Hopefully this massive ice storm we are having across the country will help keep people apart, but once it's over? ya.... nope.

It's really sad.
And incredibly frustrating
 
I get my second covid vaccine 20 March, I phoned up the helpline to ask how long I had to wait between a positive result and the second vaccine and got a girl reading a script about who was eligible, I was like "nah I know, I'm eligible, just I tested positive in January so I wanna know how long to wait" and I got a scripted message read to me about how long to isolate, and then I was like "nah that's done, just when can I get the vaccine?" and I got the first message read to me again. Most frustrating phonecall of my life. But we got there, and for anyone else who wonders, it's 4 weeks.
 
My therapist got his second Covid vaccine and got real sick. He's had to cancel my appointment for tomorrow. The front desk lady said he got a fever and is really, really sick. He's never hardly ever sick. Sort of scary.
Its been relatively common for a few of my colleagues (like three or four of them, not like a guaranteed thing) to get a fever after the vaccine, it's tended to resolve after a day or two. I'm not sure how appropriate it is for his receptionist to call him "really, really sick" though tbh. But I wouldn't worry too much.
 
The only 'really, really sick' reactions I'd be concerned about are anaphylactic reactions because those require medical assistance and usually a shot of adrenalin.

People who have a history of allergy are being told to check the ingredient list or with their doctor prior to having it. Hanging about for 15 mins after having the vaccine is helpful in those circumstances too.
 
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