Good morning!!!!

[riptides]

..."It may be true that in the short run, one dose might be effective," Hewlett conceded, "but we don't know how long that this protection will last, and is the second dose going to be adding to that?" He explained that many public health officials want to simplify vaccine administration, but "before we can support this, we are going to have to have data that looks at this."...

The science is behind the data. Which is ever changing, daily. More data...better science.

People seem to want instant gratification and results at 100 percent effectiveness from day one. They don't sense or get that....then it opens doors for other paths and behaviours.

New virus, new vaccines, unique human conditions.... I'd say we have come a long way in a few short months.

 

[PJSprog]

-1°F and patchy fog this morning, going up to 28° today. We finally get back up above freezing tomorrow for the first time in two weeks. I read somewhere that the previous record was 11 consecutive days back in 1977.

Wife asked me to stop and pick up dinner on the way home from work yesterday. I stopped at St. Louis Bread Company (known as Panera to the rest of the world) and picked up a couple of their small flatbread pizzas. I have to admit, it was not bad.

The eastbound lanes of the Musial Bridge over the Mississippi River have been closed this week for expansion joint repairs, so I've been taking alternate routes home using the McKinley Bridge. The state of road (dis-)repair in some of these areas is just sad.

Stepson in San Marcos sent pictures last night of his local Walmart. Not a single thing on any of the shelves around the outer walls. All the coolers and freezers are completely empty. He said they went to two other stores and found the same. Heard a story on the radio this morning that trucks are sitting because they can't pump the fuel they need to make the deliveries. One driver said he's been stuck where he is for five days. Unbelievable.

 

[rswyan]

What does this have to do with the distribution of the second shot?

Like Drew points out, it's a question of balancing a social good against an individual interest ...

The time delay between 1st and 2nd shot allows the TPB to rely on what's in the pipeline and will be produced as a finished product in the coming days and months for that second shot.

The upside to this might be lessening the contagion and spread of the virus in the overall population.

If the program was administered correctly the second shot would be earmarked for the patient that received the first shot and shipped with the first shot.

That's one opinion to be sure.

Of course, it denies potential protection to those who could receive a vaccine now - because something is being set aside for people that can't take it anyways for another 3 or 4 weeks.

In an ideal world, we'd have enough vaccine production that there would be enough for everyone in one fell swoop.

Unfortunately, that world don't exist.

Taking the first shot and not having the second on standby is like buying your tractor and the loader never showing up or getting there after you have hired someone to do the work. My understanding from my doctor daughter is that without the second shot and some flu like symptoms the process doesn't work. Now this is related to the Pfizer shot so that's the extent of my knowledge but I would think the Moderna is similar. My doctor wants me to go with the J&J shot. So bottom line, it sounds like nobody really knows. Which is my whole point.

Ok.

 

[rswyan]

The science is behind the data. Which is ever changing, daily. More data...better science.

People seem to want instant gratification and results at 100 percent effectiveness from day one. They don't sense or get that....then it opens doors for other paths and behaviours.

New virus, new vaccines, unique human conditions.... I'd say we have come a long way in a few short months.

:thumbsup:

 

[lostcreekranch]

Even though it's garbage day since the driveways are slick ice (except for mine - I shoveled snow) no one can put the garbage out till it melts. Almost as bad as reporting about warming centers that no one could get to because of the iced roads. And then there is a HEB commercial on TV - why advertise when you have empty shelves?

You .. have a snow shovel?

 

[wngsprd]

The science is behind the data. Which is ever changing, daily. More data...better science.

People seem to want instant gratification and results at 100 percent effectiveness from day one. They don't sense or get that....then it opens doors for other paths and behaviours.

New virus, new vaccines, unique human conditions.... I'd say we have come a long way in a few short months.

I agree! We have been fortunate to get the vaccine this quickly...a remarkable application of government working with business, like during World War II. I'd love to be able get a jab myself, but would hope that those needing it worse will get the proper protection, meaning the second dose, rather than not, due to some less well tested theory...hope this new idea isn't coming from the "just 2 weeks to flatten the curve" crowd.

 

[Buppies]

Thanks Thomas very special indeed

Great RNG thank you

 

[txdon]

You .. have a snow shovel?

Surprise a regular Texas flat shovel works just as good.

Anyone in Texas having frozen water in tractor tires. I’m getting reports from a friend who’s tires are frozen and the air space is flat.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

I like your airplane analogy, Drew. It works for the N95 masks, too, in that 5% of the airborne particles still make it through the mask. WRT efficacy rates, though, 5% of 220,000,000 people is still 11,000,000 cases of CV19, 1% of which, or another 110,000 will die. If that 5% turns out to be the difference between one dose and two, we'd better stick with two, IMHO.

But, from what I've read, the clinical trials that have started are still being monitored to help determine the long term effects. I haven't read of any trials, other than the J&J, that administered only a single dose. And with the J&J vaccine, efficacy was only 90%, so you lose that 110,000 folks right up front. Given the choice, I'd pick one of the two dose vaccines. But since there seems to be a supply issue, until it's resolved we'll have to stick with the hand sanitizer, face masks, and social distancing discipline. From what I saw in town yesterday, more and more people are ignoring those simple precautions.

I did find some N95 face masks last week. Not on Amazon, who is restricting their sales to those in essential areas, but from ebay, which apparently has no such scruples. They're a new type I haven't tried before, and were designed to fold flat for easy transport. That makes them a little more fiddly to put on, but I think they fit better, and they're a lot easier to breathe through than my previous mask that I've been using for almost 18 months. Here are the order details:
Order date: 2/11/2021 - eBay user globedrug ( 834 )
Order total: $22.28
3M Aura 9205 Plus N95 Particulate Respirator Disposable Protective Mask (5 Pack)
You should get this by Mon, Feb 22.

 

[rswyan]

I agree! We have been fortunate to get the vaccine this quickly...a remarkable application of government working with business, like during World War II. I'd love to be able get a jab myself, but would hope that those needing it worse will get the proper protection, meaning the second dose, rather than not, due to some less well tested theory...hope this new idea isn't coming from the "just 2 weeks to flatten the curve" crowd.

We're well beyond flattening the curve at this point ... we've actually turned it.

That doesn't mean it's time to let up however - more like time to pour on the coal to the fire.

United States COVID-19 Tracking Dashboard - News Cases

United States COVID-19 Tracking Dashboard - Deaths