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Frustration Is Spreading Faster Than the Vaccine Is

theatlantic.com

1–10 of 94 posts

Re: Frustration Is Spreading Faster Than the Vaccine Is

#4
Legitimately humorous how the article associates America's failure with a communist distribution system, when communist countries worldwide have completely knocked their coronavirus response out of the park - so much so that it is considered unfair to compare America's atrocious coronavirus response with these countries instead of its "cohort" of countries failing just as badly, like the UK.

Re: Frustration Is Spreading Faster Than the Vaccine Is

#5
First Dose First and approving more vaccines are the easiest answer to this question. The prioritization is not working well, for the reasons outlined in this article.

However, we can give approximately 4x the rate of people getting 100% protection from ICU/death.

First dose first gives you approximately 2x the throughput (all first doses from all vaccine candidates thus far are fully protective from death).

Approving Astrazeneca, J&J, and Novavax today would give you a group of vaccines that don't rely on cold storage, so can be run through different distribution channels.

At 4x the rate, these prioritization concerns are much less important.

The US is flatlining in its number of doses administered, which means that by prioritizing 2nd doses, we will start to vaccinate very few new people soon (choosing instead to administer 2nd doses). We can see a looming shutdown of any progress towards herd immunity, and urgent action is needed.

Re: Frustration Is Spreading Faster Than the Vaccine Is

#6
post #3

I get it, but you've made it 11 months already, case counts are falling rapidly, spring is coming, and people getting vaccinated will drive down new cases even more. Calm down and wait another month or two.

Yes, but as people 'open up' it may happen explosively as they feel more confident, leading to a material increase in cases.

COVID spreads pretty easily, we've taken quite a number of measures to keep it wrapped up. If people get lazy, it will get out of hand.

There's a kind of American hubris and self-belief, sometimes confused with 'courage and independence' (and sometimes not) that leads to this kind of activity.

It's very easy to think 'it's not going to affect me' when problems are on the margins, especially if there are vaccines at the ready.

In a way, it's a very dangerous time - even as rates start to climb, authorities may have a really hard time reeling people's behaviours in.

Most Canadians are under a curfew right now and vaccines are not coming. We may not reach critical mass until Sept/Oct and there will be riots if we have to do another curfew.

It's not a good situation - we need to be thinking in WW3 terms about getting those vaccines made and out.

Any rich country that doesn't get it done by Sept. should re-think their status as a developed nation.

Re: Frustration Is Spreading Faster Than the Vaccine Is

#7
post #4

Legitimately humorous how the article associates America's failure with a communist distribution system, when communist countries worldwide have completely knocked their coronavirus response out of the park - so much so that it is considered unfair to compare America's atrocious coronavirus response with these countries instead of its "cohort" of countries failing just as badly, like the UK.

Ah yes, just lock people in their apartments against their will and they cannot infect other people, genius

Re: Frustration Is Spreading Faster Than the Vaccine Is

#8
post #4

Legitimately humorous how the article associates America's failure with a communist distribution system, when communist countries worldwide have completely knocked their coronavirus response out of the park - so much so that it is considered unfair to compare America's atrocious coronavirus response with these countries instead of its "cohort" of countries failing just as badly, like the UK.

No one disputes that authoritarian governments do some things better. Even the Romans built it into their republic: they could appoint a tyrant during wartime to make quick decisions before returning power to the senate.

It's incomplete (to the point of being irrelevant) to say that communists did Covid response better and not to mention all the other things they do worse.

Given the choice, I'd still take a 10x worse Covid-19 over living under Xi or Kim.

Re: Frustration Is Spreading Faster Than the Vaccine Is

#9
post #7
post #4

Legitimately humorous how the article associates America's failure with a communist distribution system, when communist countries worldwide have completely knocked their coronavirus response out of the park - so much so that it is considered unfair to compare America's atrocious coronavirus response with these countries instead of its "cohort" of countries failing just as badly, like the UK.

Ah yes, just lock people in their apartments against their will and they cannot infect other people, genius

Option one:

Pay people to stay home, deliver them supplies & food, call them daily for medical checkup. Three weeks later everyone is free. If community spread is ever detected again, perform a similar citywide lockdown and test everyone (in a city of tens of millions of people) three times. The bureaucrat responsible for overseeing that city is fired.

Option two:

A year+ of half-assed rolling lockdowns with ever-receding end date, zero support, and a 9/11's worth of deaths every day. No public figure faces any consequences whatsoever. But you can go to Applebees!

Re: Frustration Is Spreading Faster Than the Vaccine Is

#10
post #7
post #4

Legitimately humorous how the article associates America's failure with a communist distribution system, when communist countries worldwide have completely knocked their coronavirus response out of the park - so much so that it is considered unfair to compare America's atrocious coronavirus response with these countries instead of its "cohort" of countries failing just as badly, like the UK.

Ah yes, just lock people in their apartments against their will and they cannot infect other people, genius

America's version:

Conveniently remove your own relatives from nursing homes and long term care facilities, then institute forced lock downs and mandate that they accept Coronavirus patients.

The people can't get out, but do your best to guarantee that the virus will get in.

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