31 thoughts on “C-19 Chat Post – October 11 2021”

  3. I get a blurb from Jeremy Faust in my emails a few times a week. I don’t know how to share but will try to figure out

    This is today’s. Entitled are boosters already waning

    Booster effectiveness against breakthrough coronavirus infection is already waning. New data from Israel show this quite explicitly. If the booster’s added protection against infection is fading so quickly, is that a reason not to boost? Not necessarily. But it bears noticing as we start sorting out what our goals are, where to spend limited resources, and what “victory” will look like in the fight against Covid-19.

    A quick look at data found in a preprint appearing on medRxiv (a server where medical research manuscripts that have not yet undergone peer review are shared) by researchers working with Israel’s Ministry of Health reveals that protection against infection among boosted Pfizer recipients ages 60 and up on average topped out by day 30 post-boost, and soon began to fall steadily. By day 58, the booster appeared to be providing around 40% of the maximum increased level of protection above the initial 2-dose series.

      1. Agree. The bandaids are helping, but sooner or later we will need more than short-term bandaids.

        Faust mentioned this trend a month of so ago. Sometimes, I wait to see if his comments pan out. He can be a bit snarky. This was one of those times, although I think I shared a graph of his on here. This one seems to have roots. But if he saw it……why the heck haven’t we?

        Joshua is very correct that we are not proactive, but I’m wondering if we are even bing reactive

    4. These pharmaceuticals need to develop a vaccine that lasts at least a full year like the current influenza shots. People are not going to get boosters every few months. Even as much as I am more than willing to vaccinate, I draw the line on such a short time span.

    1. I figure unless there is more of a myo or peri concern that shows up, it is still well worth my getting. Any added protection for a single jab is with not feeling well for a day

    1. Speaking of side effects, last Friday afternoon when I came home from work, I suddenly wasn’t feeling well so I took a couple of Alieve tabs and went right to bed soon after dinner. The next day, Saturday, I felt fine again. My thinking is that it may have been a delayed reaction to my shingles #2 shot I got on the previous Thursday.

      1. Interesting. Glad you are feeling better. The pharmacist who gave me my flu shot said shingles used to be known as the “difficult” vaccine since many reacted. Covid outdid shingles now.

        I was going to get my first this week since I have to wait at least 2 months for my second, but am feeling off from my seasonal allergies. Or a reaction to my Flu shot but I doubt that. So I’ll wait.

    2. Thanks for asking Vicki. I’m absolutely fine. I got the vaccine on Friday; had some fever and chills Friday night that I mostly slept through and just felt a little off during the day on Saturday. But now, there’s nothing–not even tenderness at the vaccine site.

      But apparently the effectiveness is waning–it hasn’t even had time to take effect! Frankly, I think the whole thing is too complex for us, as humans, to really understand. We see things too linearly–if this, then that–and it is far from that simple.

      I will continue to hang my hat on my son’s comment–he’s an ER physician and he has said that he not seen a vaccinated patient come into the emergency room for covid (for all sorts of other things, sure, but not covid). And he hasn’t seen anyone for vaccine side effects either.

      1. Good news. Good news from your son.

        I was coming here to post a link to another WCVB article. The breakthroughs requiring hospitalization and those resulting in death are ….thank God….low.

        It didn’t mention long covid; or if it did, I didn’t notice. WCVB’s articles have a tendency to jump all over the screen due to its ads.

    1. The fast food chains is definitely Covid related. I have long since noticed so few cashiers in the grocery stores with no more than 2-3 aisles open, if not just one.

      Southwest Airlines seems more suspicious. Maybe indirectly Covid related but other factors as well?

      1. Restaurants out this way are having a very difficult time. They are struggling between manning phones foe orders a s reservations a s serving existing customers. All due to shortages. The Sutton farm I mention often here has been trying for months to hire .. unsuccessfully

        As far as airlines….there is a huge incidence of abuse of flight attendants. Not sure if that plays into it. We are a messed up people ….that and the abuse of school committee members absolutely disgusts me

  9. I’m having trouble hiring, too. I hire interns on occasion for short-term projects. There’s been some interest, and I hope to find someone soon, but it’s not like it used to be (it would take me 24 hours; quick call to career services at a local college/university and I’d have multiple responses within hours and a hire within a day). I’m puzzled by this, especially since the unemployment benefits have expired.

      1. Thanks, Vicki. Allen West strikes me as an intelligent person. And, I have no issue with his libertarian bent. What I do have a major problem with is his vitriol towards Fauci, the government (at all levels), the CDC, public health, and anything that smacks of science. Vaccines save lives. Period. They are not dangerous. Are they foolproof? No. Do they have side effects? Yes. But, the risk/benefit ratio isn’t even close to being considered controversial, especially when we consider people in his age group.

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