Pandemic-the light at the end of the tunnel

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bykfixer

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In my home state there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it aint a train. Yippee!!

Now the total number of cases will never be less as it is a running total like time. There will be a day when the number is frozen though. Phew! That'll be cool.

But the rate of rise is falling while the rate of inoculations is rising.

The point of this one will hopefully focus on putting this thing in the rear view mirror real soon. I received a text from my athsmatic son this morning that he has an appointment for his shot this week. He said he has not felt this calm in about a year. I think many who participated in previous threads can say they too feel that sense of relief. For the first time in a year many feel that the end just might be around the corner for the US.

Thoughts?
 
Last I heard this pandemic is likely to be endemic. I got the first shot and am hopeful all my future shots will prevent the disease.
America needs to keep making tons of vaccine and sell it cheap or give it away to our neighbors to give our border a buffer. And though I hate to say it, maybe airlines could offer some vaccine only flights? And good luck to your son, I know asthma sucks, especially when lung eating viruses are on the loose.
 
I was glad when I was able to schedule an appointment for the first dose of vaccine with a mere ~week leadtime. In about 6 weeks I can finally visit my parents again.
 
Yesterday the news reported that Moderna is starting a new set of trials... boosters against the variants etc.
1/3 will be a booster of the current vaccine
1/3 will be a booster aimed at one of the variants in particular ( I'm not sure which one, but I am thinking it is the South African variant).
1/3 will be a combined booster of the original and the variant.

Science has come a long was in the past few years. With the regular flu shot, it is a bit of hit and miss. By time they learn which strain is the most predominant for any particular season, it is too late to manufacture a vaccine to be effective for that season.

--------------------------------

another bit of news:
We may be at 40% of the US population with some level of immunity.
It was estimated that about 30% have natural acquired immunity, and 20% have been inoculated. Considering some overlap, it is estimated that 40% of us are protected.

We're getting there! :)

The US is now administering over 2,100,000 doses a day.
 
Some of the advances have resulted from AIDS research, and various things like malaria, pnuemonia and other things that plague parts of the globe us Yanks never really think about. It reminds me of all those smart weapons used in the Desert Shield situation in the 90's. As in it seemed like out of nowhere they were able to launch a missle from Florida and accurately hit an object the size of a tennis court in New Jersey. Yet those things had been being developed long before 1991 or whatever year Desert Shield happened.
It seems the covid-19 shot uses technology developed long before 2020. Some of which has taken place in research in outter space because somehow no gravity allows scientists to disect things even more precisely in space. It's like the technology allows them to disect a molecule now so they understand the things a molecule is made of now.

Our town had a somewhat famous arts and crafts event every year since the 1980's on Mothers Day until 2020. They announced yesterday it's back on this year. Limited number of participants was stated but it's still like 40% instead of 0. Being a roadway inspector I worked like normal the whole time. This time last years the roads were quiet. Like everyday was a national holiday. The only time I got real nervous about supply chains was when I noticed no train sounds from a nearby railroad highway. That lasted about 3 weeks. Trucks were everywhere but no trains. Now the highways are pretty normal again and it appears commerce is returned to a near normal.

Soon we can stop saying "new normal" and start saying "near normal". Maybe by fall we can say "now normal"………
 
I think as spring puts in an appearance, at the very least people's outlooks will improve. We were pushing 70° here yesterday with bright sunshine. I went out for a drive in a t-shirt with the windows down and enjoyed the warmth. And we "spring ahead" this weekend! :) There's a ways to go, but we're getting there.
 
The point of this one will hopefully focus on putting this thing in the rear view mirror real soon. I received a text from my asthmatic son this morning that he has an appointment for his shot this week. He said he has not felt this calm in about a year. I think many who participated in previous threads can say they too feel that sense of relief. For the first time in a year many feel that the end just might be around the corner for the US.

Thoughts?

My son has asthma too and it definitely makes one more cautious. I work at a hospital and that makes things stressful at times.

I hope the Covid subsides in the near future. Wearing a mask for 8 hours, 5 days a week gets old.

Russ
 
I hope it's over soon. I'm not that optimistic about it though as illegal immigrants are being allowed in the U.S. without covid testing. This could extend the problem further into the future. Things opening up has become a political issue and not based on science. People are fed up with the lockdown, courts are starting to favor churches and some businesses, and politicians are doing what's in their best interest to keep their jobs. We're not out of the woods yet.
 
I hope it's over soon. I'm not that optimistic about it though as illegal immigrants are being allowed in the U.S. without covid testing. This could extend the problem further into the future. Things opening up has become a political issue and not based on science. People are fed up with the lockdown, courts are starting to favor churches and some businesses, and politicians are doing what's in their best interest to keep their jobs. We're not out of the woods yet.
This is exactly why I favor overhauling our response mechanism. Once a medical emergency like a pandemic is declared, the measures needed should be decided by experts in the field, and should carry the force of law until the emergency is over. Politicians or courts simply lack the expertise or will to do what is needed. The only role for politicians would be implementing whatever economic supports might be needed in the case of long lock downs or other interruptions to the economy.

I'm pretty skeptical also, to the point that I think this thing might mutate a few more times, and we'll have a surge next fall/winter which dwarfs what we just went through. We're not even close to the point where we can start relaxing. This is one time though I'd love to be proven wrong. I'm as tired of dealing with this as anybody but I'm not letting my guard down until the number of daily new cases in the US falls to the single digits.
 
It seems the covid-19 shot uses technology developed long before 2020. Some of which has taken place in research in outter space because somehow no gravity allows scientists to disect things even more precisely in space. It's like the technology allows them to disect a molecule now so they understand the things a molecule is made of now.
The covid-19 vaccines are proof-of-concept that mRNA vaccines work. For a long time the medical community was skeptical. I'm thinking the concept can eventually be applied to a lot more than just novel viruses. Why not develop mRNA which causes the body to make antibodies which kill different kinds of cancer cells, perhaps all kinds, so we have a universal cancer vaccine? It might take years to develop, but if it works we'll eliminate once of the major causes of premature death in modern societies.
 
The covid-19 vaccines are proof-of-concept that mRNA vaccines work. For a long time the medical community was skeptical. I'm thinking the concept can eventually be applied to a lot more than just novel viruses. Why not develop mRNA which causes the body to make antibodies which kill different kinds of cancer cells, perhaps all kinds, so we have a universal cancer vaccine? It might take years to develop, but if it works we'll eliminate once of the major causes of premature death in modern societies.

A guy on the radio said the technology in the covid-19 shot may be to the medical world what vulcanized rubber was to the industrial world way back when.
 
The covid-19 vaccines are proof-of-concept that mRNA vaccines work. For a long time the medical community was skeptical. I'm thinking the concept can eventually be applied to a lot more than just novel viruses. Why not develop mRNA which causes the body to make antibodies which kill different kinds of cancer cells, perhaps all kinds, so we have a universal cancer vaccine? It might take years to develop, but if it works we'll eliminate once of the major causes of premature death in modern societies.


If so, we definitely need Elon to succeed with this Mars thing for more room! Population 3.6 to 7.9 billion in the past 50 years.

Nice article about the history of mRNA here: https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/10...-leading-technology-in-the-covid-vaccine-race
 
Fewer complaints about Big Phama now.

As a person that is required to take a pill costing $15,000 per month to live, you'll NEVER hear me stop complaining about Big Pharma and how they're in it for the money. EVER. Do even the simplest bit of research into Novartis and BMS or know someone taking one of their high priced drugs and you perhaps might not be so smug with your next post.
 
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