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The mutation that helps Delta spread

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Re: The mutation that helps Delta spread

#381
post #376
post #370

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's so bad about face masks? Just trying to understand.

I for one like having the right to show my face in public

I for one like to not have to look at peoples mouths/noses, nor do I like to smell their breath/perfume/cologne/bo.

Re: The mutation that helps Delta spread

#382
post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is neurological damage in mild cases backed up by data? The only study I saw was based on self reporting and an Internet based IQ test. Also considering perhaps 30% of the world has had covid now (anyone have the exact figure?) that would be an unbelievable amount of brain damage. I’d think we’d be aware of that if one in three people had recent brain damage.

I'm neither a researcher or doctor, but I've seen numerous articles that describe this. Anecdotally, I've had multiple people (acquaintances and family) suffer from neurological effects. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32696341/ https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Current-Research/Coronavirus-and-N...

Thanks for finding some papers but I’m not sure they support OP’s claim.

I’ll admit I don’t understand the first one. Somehow they’re claiming covid causes Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s? How can we know that after less than two years?

The second one is clear to mention “ Most people infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus will have no or mild to moderate symptoms associated with the brain or nervous system. However, most individuals hospitalized due to the virus do have symptoms related to the brain or nervous system, most commonly including muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, and altered taste and smell.”

So They are claiming an effect but not for mild cases like OP said and not really claiming brain damage anyway.

Re: The mutation that helps Delta spread

#383
post #370

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s a question of preferences that too often gets buried in this debate. If Covid becomes endemic at around its current severity, what level of pandemic restrictions are you willing to accept forever? For me personally, Covid would have to be at least 100 times worse before I’d support masking forever. But I get the sense that some people barely see any downside to it. I think these cross-views drive so much if t…

What's so bad about face masks? Just trying to understand.

I wear glasses and masks are basically untenable. I have yet to wear a mask and not fog up my glasses. Maybe I'm just an idiot, I don't know, but being able to see properly is far more valuable to me than not getting COVID (in it's current state and threat level to me).

Re: The mutation that helps Delta spread

#384
post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I misremembered. It was 90% of people over 50 that were vaccinated. It's in the article I linked. But I don't think that discredits my main point, that increased vaccination rates aren't going to eliminate the virus entirely and that natural immunity is actually doing better.

Here in Canada "natural immunity" would only cover maybe 4-5% of the population. Official testing numbers of total cases in Ontario since the pandemic began put it at 3.7% here (though it's likely a bit higher because of bad testing during first wave.) Maybe in some US states where the disease was horribly mismanaged that number is much higher, but it's a) not reliably counted b) badly researched. Knowing whether som…

What's wrong with your 18-29 year-olds making that choice? Freedom means freedom to make sub-ideal choices or even bad choices, including choices that affect others negatively. Really almost every choice we make affects others in some capacity, for good or bad. Do you want to outlaw all choices you deem bad?

The state of COVID is such that if you are an adult you can get vaccinated and you are safe enough, no matter what decisions others make. If you are not an adult then the risks to you are so low that you are safe anyways. The 2009 swine flu killed 3 times as many children in 9 months as COVID has killed in 18 months: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2009/12/cdc-shar....

Yet This flu did not require masking, lockdowns, forced vaccinations, or any shutting down of schools.

If you are immunocompromised, or otherwise vulnerable even with the vaccine, then it is up to you to take extra precautions, like wearing an N95 in public or avoiding crowded areas.

COVID simply isn't deadly enough to warrant the curbing of freedom that is being done or the vilification of those not making choices we think they should. Get vaccinated if you want to and move on with your life. Stop forcing people to get vaccinated, especially those who've already been infected. And finally, get the government out of the business of mandates of any kind. They aren't needed. People have the tools already to protect themselves how they see fit.

Re: The mutation that helps Delta spread

#385

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My emphasis is on compulsory , but perhaps I should've been more clear. Obviously I've triggered some people here. Vaccines are powerful tools that help save lives and we should use them. But if they are used indiscriminately they can actually further endanger public health. You might be familiar with antibiotic resistance - vaccines are subject to the same potential for unexpected consequences. All of the sources I…

I stand by my post. None of this says anything remotely implying what you claimed, that the mass vaccination programs pose a serious public health risk. That is purely your speculation, vaguely inspired by the content of the papers. Your contention that it matters whether the campaign is compulsory or not only takes you further from your supposed evidence base. It's not even in the same universe as what the papers ar…

I disagree. I think it is a serious public health risk, at a certain probability, and you've provided no sources or math to explain what the probability is. Can you enlighten us as to what the probability of vaccine escape is?

Is the risk of vaccine escape 50%? 5%? .5%? .00005%? I have no idea what the OOM of possibilities is (I am attempting to model it). I appreciate all literature that explores that.

Clearly we've seen a significant drop in VE. I think that's pretty good evidence that the possibility of full vaccine escape needs to at least be considered. And certainly if the probability is ascertained to be above a threshold, then it is a serious public health risk.

Massachusetts now is reporting ~40% of COVID deaths now in fully vaccinated individuals (https://www.mass.gov/doc/daily-covid-19-vaccine-report-augus...).

I think vaccines should be Bayesian (very good bet if over 30 and never had COVID). But there is zero precedent for mass vaccination in the midst of a pandemic, and some people think things could go wrong. I am very very curious what people who model it think the probability of that happening is.

I appreciate the links and position put forward by the commenter, and sad to see that flagged.

I'd prefer to see links to models/code/data that offers arguments to support that odds of vaccine escape are low.

Re: The mutation that helps Delta spread

#386
post #369
post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I misremembered the numbers but if you click to the linked analysis the numbers are correct there. As to the delta variant overwhelming hospitals, that's partially because hospitals are firing nurses that won't get vaccinated. The lack of beds is primarily a staffing problem and hospitals are shooting themselves in the foot. I've also heard they have been underpaying nurses and some are just quitting or switching to…

I know some doctors in affected areas. The hospitals were overwhelmed before any unvaccinated firings happened. The staff are incredibly exhausted, angry, and demoralized. Many went through this before with the first big wave, and not only are they back to insane hours and filling body bags, but now they have to deal with the awareness that it's unnecessary and avoidable. If you'd like to confirm, dig up some medical…

Your tiger analogy is a bit ridiculous unless you give people the ability to carry around a force field and laser defense system for free that gives them practical immunity to death or dismemberment by tiger.

At this point we have the tools we need to be safe against COVID. Any adult that wants to get can vaccinated. Kids are under such low risk that they don't need to be vaccinated. The 2009 H1N1 flu killed 3 times as many children as COVID so far, and in half the time! Yet we didn't lock down, shut down schools, or torture our little children with masks during that pandemic. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2009/12/making-s...

If you're immunocompromised or otherwise vulnerable even with the vaccine, then it is up to you to take extra precautions because COVID will be around forever.

COVID is not the equivalent of a population of tigers running rampant through our community. It's time for the fearmongering to stop and for us to get back to normal. And hospitals may need to adapt. Even during the height of the delta surge, data I've seen suggests that 80% or more of ICU beds are filled by non-COVID patients. Our hospitals are so designed for efficiency and cost reduction that we are incapable of handling surges of any kind, including ones that increase our ICU utilization by at most 25%. I see that more as a failure of our hospital systems than anything else.

Re: The mutation that helps Delta spread

#387
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes the J&J shot still works using only the spike protein. IIRC only Novavax uses traditional inoculation of using the weakened SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Novavax is a protein subunit vaccine, with the spike protein only. The Chinese CoronaVac and Indian Covaxin are traditional inactivated virus vaccines.

... Does that mean that CoronaVac and Covaxin might eventually prove better than current vaccines widely available in the US?

Re: The mutation that helps Delta spread

#388

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I stand by my post. None of this says anything remotely implying what you claimed, that the mass vaccination programs pose a serious public health risk. That is purely your speculation, vaguely inspired by the content of the papers. Your contention that it matters whether the campaign is compulsory or not only takes you further from your supposed evidence base. It's not even in the same universe as what the papers ar…

Great retort BTW. I will be using the "... not eliminating the only one we currently have" line in future. Im worried that any concerns people have result in them being lumped in with conspiracy theorists/misinformants (?) but it seems irrational and dangerous to deter people from receiving some protection if the risks are more effectiveness and longevity rather than side-effects. My most lingering concern is simply…

It's possible that mandatory vaccination is not the optimal strategy. But authoritatively branding it a public health risk is not something anyone is in a position to do with the info available.

Re: The mutation that helps Delta spread

#389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Obviously the OP is referring to West Bank and Gaza.

There are Palestinians living in east Jerusalem. There’s Palestinians who are citizens of Israel. His use of wording was ambiguous.

you know what they mean, don't be dense.

Re: The mutation that helps Delta spread

#390
post #90

Covid is going to be endemic like the flu and cold. It's not going to be eradicated, unfortunately, and I don't think we've come to terms with this yet. Now what's our plan exactly? Get vaccinated every 6 - 12 months indefinitely and always wear masks? What's our goal and what's our new normal?

> Get vaccinated every 6 - 12 months indefinitely and always wear masks An annual Flu and COVID shot seems perfectly reasonable. Wearing masks in public is already normal (or at least not uncommon) in many places, and I don't have a problem with where I live being one of those places.

fuck off. im not getting anymore flu shots or covid shots. and im definitely not wearing a mask. I only exclusively go to places that let you in the door with a mask on and then you can immediately take it off.
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