The COVID-2019 Thread

[misskit]

^ I don’t see why vaccine passports would be so much of a problem. Anyone who travels a lot has “Yellow Fever Card.” Wouldn’t want to be caught in an outbreak without one as you would not be allowed home!

[russellsimpson]

I was having those same thoughts myself just now.

Great minds must indeed think alike!

[Buckaroo Banzai]

^ I don’t see why vaccine passports would be so much of a problem. Anyone who travels a lot has “Yellow Fever Card.” Wouldn’t want to be caught in an outbreak without one as you would not be allowed home!

I bet you, all those who are complaining about vaccine passports, if they were told they cant have one, they would complain . why cant they have one.

[misskit]

Some people are born to complain about everything.

[russellsimpson]

Some people are.

[Klondyke]

Public demand for AstraZeneca vaccine falls in Britain after blood clot scares
APR 27 2021

Public preference for the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford has fallen since reports potentially linking it to some cases of unusual blood clotting events.

A study of almost 5,000 adults in April in the U.K. has found that the public’s preference for the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine has declined since March.

Although the belief that it causes blood clots has increased, public belief in vaccination remains strong.

LONDON — Public preference for the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford has fallen since reports emerged potentially linking it to some cases of unusual blood clotting events.

A study of almost 5,000 adults in April in the U.K. — where Covid vaccine take-up is high and the immunization program well-established — has found that the public’s preference for the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine hadeclined since March, and belief that it causes blood clots has increased.

The British academic study found 17% of the public now say they’d prefer to have the AstraZeneca vaccine, if they had a choice of any — down from 24% toward the end of March.

And 23% of people now believe the AstraZeneca vaccine causes blood clots — up from 13% in March. However, the public are still most likely to say this claim is false (39%) or that they don’t know whether it’s true (38%).

The study, carried out by the University of Bristol, King’s College London and the NIHR Health Protection Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response between April 1-16, found a “big difference” in beliefs before and after the MHRA (the U.K.’s drug regulator) announced there was a possible link between the vaccine and extremely rare blood clots on April 7.

The study found that 17% of those interviewed in the first week of that month thought this claim was true, compared with 31% interviewed after.

Why the fall?
Since its first clinical data was released showing the vaccine had an average efficacy rate of 70% (subsequent trials in the U.S. found an efficacy rate of 79% and other trials have shown the efficacy rate to rise with a wider gap between the first and second doses) the fortunes of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been mixed, to say the least.

One of the more recent hurdles faced by the AstraZeneca vaccine were a small number of reports of unusual blood clotting events, some of which were fatal, that emerged in post-vaccinated people in Europe in February, leading several countries to suspend use of the vaccine.

The U.K. and EU drug regulators (the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the European Medicines Agency) investigated the reports and said while there was a possible link between the vaccine and a small number of blood clotting incidents, the benefits of the vaccine greatly outweighed the risks.

The British-Swedish vaccine maker, U.K. government and experts largely defended the vaccine, saying that it had protected millions of people by reducing the number of Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

In addition, experts sought to put the risk into context, saying that the number of rare blood clotting cases with low platelets reported equated to around one case per 250,000 people vaccinated and one death in a million.

The U.K. is fortunate in that it has traditionally had a high level of public support for vaccinations. The survey on vaccine preference found that despite the growing belief that the AstraZeneca vaccine is linked to blood clots, it has not dented overall levels of confidence in vaccines in general with 81% now saying vaccines are safe, compared with 73% who said the same toward the end of 2020.

There has been a similar change in views of how well vaccines work: 86% say they are effective, an increase from 79% in Nov-Dec 2020.

Surveys have shown the public perception of the AstraZeneca vaccine has deteriorated in mainland Europe, however, and anecdotal evidence that people in the EU have been shunning the AstraZeneca vaccine (reportedly nicknamed the “Aldi” vaccine, after the low-cost grocery chain, because of its cheaper production cost and image) in favor of the coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech that is also predominant in the EU’s vaccination rollout.

Moderna’s shot and Johnson & Johnson’s shot have also been authorized for use in the EU and U.K. but have been distributed to a lesser extent, EU vaccination data shows.

Vaccine hesitancy can work both ways, it would seem. One British doctor was reported in the Evening Standard newspaper in January saying that some of his patients had turned down the chance to have the Pfizer vaccine, saying they would “wait for the English one.”

Public demand for AstraZeneca vaccine falls after blood clot scares

[Klondyke]

U.S. Will Share 60 Million Doses Of AstraZeneca Vaccine With Other Countries
April 26, 2021

The United States will release 60 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from drugmaker AstraZeneca to other countries over the next several months, the White House announced Monday.

The vaccine, which has not been authorized for use in the U.S., will be released once it clears safety reviews by the Food and Drug Administration. That could happen in the "coming weeks," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a press briefing.

The White House did not specify which countries would receive the vaccine, but about 10 million doses are ready to ship once regulatory clearance has been granted, Psaki said. The remaining doses are expected to be distributed throughout May and June.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has been widely used across Europe and elsewhere around the world. But the company has not yet applied for emergency authorization in the U.S. The vaccine is reported to be effective at preventing transmission and hospitalization, but the company has faced questions from U.S. regulators about data from its trials.

In the absence of FDA authorization, the U.S. government has been sitting on a stockpile of millions of doses, with more on order.

"We do not need to use AstraZeneca in our fight against COVID in the next few months," Psaki said at Monday's briefing.

The White House has expressed confidence that the supply of the vaccine doses made by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson will be sufficient for the ongoing vaccination campaign in the United States. More than half of American adults have received at least one shot of the vaccine.

Monday's announcement comes as the Biden administration has been under increased pressure to assist other countries in the fight against the virus, especially India, which has in recent weeks rapidly become the world's worst COVID-19 hot spot.

"The U.S. has a tremendous number of resources at its disposal, and so if the U.S. government really gets involved and decides it's going to help an ally and a fellow democracy, I think it can make a big difference," Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, said in an interview with NPR's Morning Edition.

The White House announced Sunday it would work to send India therapeutics, testing supplies and equipment to help generate and transport more oxygen. The White House also said Sunday it would divert some orders of vaccine materials made by U.S. companies to India so that more vaccine doses can be manufactured there.

U.S. Pledges Medical Aid To India, Where COVID-19 Is Overwhelming Hospitals
WORLD
U.S. Pledges Medical Aid To India, Where COVID-19 Is Overwhelming Hospitals
On Monday, President Biden reiterated those pledges in a call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Asked about criticisms that the White House has taken too long to send aid to India, Psaki defended the administration's timing.

"The United States has been one of the largest providers of assistance to address the COVID pandemic around the world, including to India," she said. "I will also say that we are continuing to fight a pandemic here."

Public health experts welcomed the news about the Biden administration's decision to share the AstraZeneca vaccine. Many of them had been calling on the administration to release the doses.

"There's only one path out of this pandemic that we are in, and that is getting the world vaccinated," Jha said. "If we don't, we're going to be dealing with this for many, many years. So this has got to be priority No. 1."

U.S. Will Share 60 Million Doses Of AstraZeneca Vaccine With Other Countries : Coronavirus Updates : NPR

[misskit]

Indian Covid-19 strains ‘not in Thailand yet’

Two potent strains of Covid-19 spreading rapidly in India have not yet been detected in Thailand, a Chulalongkorn University virologist said on Wednesday.

Dr Yong Poovorawan said Chula’s laboratory recently tested more than 500 samples taken from Covid-19 patients in Thailand and found 98 per cent were the B117 (UK) strain. None of the samples tested positive for the Indian, Bengal, South African or Brazilian strains, he said.


The Indian variant spreads faster than the UK strain because of a change in a spike gene from asparagine to tyrosine and its enhanced ability to enter human cells, explained Dr Yong.


Meanwhile, the Bengal variant has a Lysine spike gene at position 484 that may give it the same protection from vaccines as the South African and Brazilian strains.


India is now the global hotspot of the pandemic with more than 300,000 new cases per day this week and a death toll that has risen above 200,000.


Indian Covid-19 strains ‘not in Thailand yet’

[OhOh]

Second EMERCOM flight with anti-Covid aid lands in India

"The second Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) flight with a shipment of anti-Covid aid for India has landed in the Indira Gandhi International Airport, a TASS correspondent reported. The first flight landed at the same airport at about 01:30 local time (about 23:00 Wednesday Moscow time). At present the first plane is being unloaded. The Indian Red Cross Society, which is the consignee of the cargo, will distribute it among medical facilities.

Earlier Kremlin announced that more than 22 tonnes of cargo were sent to India on two flights of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, including 20 pieces of equipment for oxygen support, 75 artificial lung ventilation devices, 150 medical monitors and 200,000 packages of drugs for the treatment of coronavirus infection.

In the past 24 hours, India registered 360,960 new Covid cases - a new world record. The Health and Family Welfare Ministry disclosed that the total case count is now almost 18 million."

Second EMERCOM flight with anti-Covid aid lands in India - Society & Culture - TASS

[HuangLao]

[russellsimpson]

In addition, experts sought to put the risk into context, saying that the number of rare blood clotting cases with low platelets reported equated to around one case per 250,000 people vaccinated and one death in a million.

These are statistically insignificant numbers however the general herd really doesn't comprehend this as they basically generally don't understand anything concerning statistics. This is how it is and has always been, what can be done.


We have a worrying level of vaccine hesitancy and the government here is Canada is into a hard sell routine. We had our first "clot' death only yesterday, in Quebec.

[russellsimpson]

The AstraZeneca vaccine has been widely used across Europe and elsewhere around the world. But the company has not yet applied for emergency authorization in the U.S.

I do wonder why an application for emergency use wasn't made?

I suspect some major vaccine nationalism has been at play.

[russellsimpson]

Of the 60 million spare doses in the American stockpile I'm expecting Canada to get a chunk of them.

Both countries are anxious to get our border opened up again.



Decent video HL. Brings back many memories of the countless hours I would spend on my bike visiting these small Thai towns and villages. It looks poorer there then it did down in Songkhla Town and surrounding areas. Ah, the memories.

[harrybarracuda]

Thailand will vaccinate everyone.

The Government has ensured that Thailand will begin a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign, starting 1 May 2021, by prioritizing people aged 60 years and older, as well as people having certain underlying diseases or conditions, followed by citizens aged 18-59 years.

During the CCSA meeting, the Ministry of Public Health affirmed that all people who reside in Thailand, regardless of their nationality, are eligible to receive the vaccine under the government’s plan.

The first phase of COVID-19 vaccination campaign will start with Thai people aged 60 years and older, as well as people who have certain medical conditions: (1) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), (2) chronic kidney disease (CKD) in 5th stage, (3) coronary artery disease (CAD), (4) stroke, (5) obesity, (6) diabetes, and (7) cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

These groups are required to register to receive the vaccine, with a choice of three methods. Registrations may be done on (1) the Mor Prom ("Doctors Ready") app, a new platform that was specifically designed to facilitate the Government's vaccination program, (2) a nearby hospital, or (3) a village health volunteer or health promotion hospital in your area. The registration opens on 1 May 2021 and vaccinations will begin on 7 June.

Other groups will be vaccinated in another phase. The registration for citizens aged 18-59 will be open in July 2021, and they will start to be vaccinated in August.

Sources:
1. https://www.facebook.com/fanmoph

2. https://www.facebook.com/ddcmophthailand

[harrybarracuda]

Reminder: Stay away from the Russian shit as well as the chinky shit. Putin's organised liars don't seem to be able to mask just how shit it is.

The Brazilian health regulator Anvisa on Monday rejected importing the Russian-made Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine requested by state governors battling a deadly second wave of the virus that is battering Latin America's largest nation.

Anvisa's five-strong board voted unanimously not to approve the Russian vaccine after technical staff had highlighted "inherent risks" and "serious" defects, citing a lack of information guaranteeing its safety, quality and effectiveness.

Ana Carolina Moreira Marino Araujo, general manager for health monitoring, said that taking into account all the documentation presented, data acquired at in-person inspections and information from other regulators, "inherent risks" were too great.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which markets the Sputnik V vaccine abroad, rejected Anvisa's comments, saying the shot's safety and efficacy had been assessed by regulators in 61 countries which approved it for use.

"Anvisa's decision to delay the registration of Sputnik V may have been politically motivated," RDIF said in a statement. "RDIF regrets the numerous attempts by some countries to oppose the Russian vaccine... including through pressure on foreign regulators."

A crucial issue for Anvisa was the presence in the vaccine of the adenovirus that could reproduce, a "serious" defect, according to Anvisa's medicines and biological products manager Gustavo Mendes.

Brazil health regulator rejects Russia'''s Sputnik vaccine | Reuters

[Klondyke]

The Brazilian health regulator Anvisa on Monday rejected importing the Russian-made Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine requested by state governors battling a deadly second wave of the virus that is battering Latin America's largest nation.

At last we have here somebody who has a clue...
Brazil was the first who asked for Sputnik, but that would not be nice to their friends, would be? The health regulator "voted unanimously"...

[OhOh]

Thanks for the video.

The guy, his wife and family are all pretty happy. The town has stopped functioning it seems, other than the temple/monk economy! Having an outside income is a help eh.

We went to the first temple a year or two ago. Isaan perfect for star watching.

Our local economy continues.

The various local cash crops Durian, Mangosteen, Pineapple (ทุเรียน, มังคุด, สัปปะรด ....) are appearing with many buyers from outside, having opened their temporary tent doors and offering good prices. Vegetables planted or foraged for, abundant. Meats, fish as usual. The local shops open and roadside stalls as usual.

The mask wearing is now 100%. The 1,000 บาท fine has made its mark. A large police presence on the entry roads although nobody stood in the road, all sat in the shade. The soldiers all in the barracks or at the markets buying treats, no artillery movements.

Oh, bright sun, fluffy white clouds this morning after some 80mm of rain yesterday afternoon. Deposits of cash arriving from various foreign banks.


Could be worse eh.

[strigils]

^ I don’t see why vaccine passports would be so much of a problem. Anyone who travels a lot has “Yellow Fever Card.” Wouldn’t want to be caught in an outbreak without one as you would not be allowed home!

Me neither, I find the liberal pandering to the minority anti-vaxer idiots or those who are living in the shadows of society ridiculous.

[harrybarracuda]

Me neither, I find the liberal pandering to the minority anti-vaxer idiots or those who are living in the shadows of society ridiculous.

I was listening to some senile Canadian antivaxer in a bar the other day and I really wanted to just punch him in the face.

But he was old so the 'rona will probably take him.

Was all Bill Gates and tracking, the whole caboodle.

With his iphone on the table in front of him.

[Neverna]

This antivax wanker needs a fucking good slap.

I was listening to some senile Canadian antivaxer in a bar the other day and I really wanted to just punch him in the face.


But he was old so the 'rona will probably take him.

It does not surprise me that you are that kind of person.

[Klondyke]

German spy agency watches Querdenker anti-lockdown movement
Published 1 day ago

Germany's domestic intelligence agency says some parts of the anti-Covid lockdown movement are being kept under observation amid concerns they may be trying to delegitimise the state.

They are focusing particularly on some members of the "Querdenker" (lateral thinkers) movement and say they do not fit into previous extremist categories.

The BfV agency highlighted links with far-right and other extremist groups.

Lawful protest was being "exploited to provoke an escalation", it warned.

Although the majority of protesters are not seen as extremists, "Querdenker" anti-lockdown demonstrations have drawn support from a variety of groups, including the far-right AfD party, anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists.

The BfV (federal office for the protection of the constitution) said the protest organisers' agenda had gone beyond objecting to anti-Covid measures and had been connecting with Reichsbürger (Reich Citizens) and Selbstverwalter (Sovereign Citizens) who reject the authority of the German government and spread anti-Semitic slurs.

Read more
German spy agency watches Querdenker anti-lockdown movement - BBC News

[cyrille]

It does not surprise me that you are that kind of person.

And whatever the topic...that's how he comes off.

[OhOh]

^
The BfV do have access to the Russian Super 100% Killer Biological Weapons. Those nappy wearing far-right and other extremist groups/NGOs better be careful.

[misskit]

Indian Scientists Beg Modi to Stop Keeping COVID Data Secret

More than 350 scientists in India have signed a petition begging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly release crucial COVID-19 data in a desperate attempt to mitigate the spread and predict the next surge.

Some fear that Modi’s desire to keep such vital information on variants, tests carried out, recovered patients and vaccine efficacy secret suggests that the 18.7 million cases reported and 208,330 deaths might be a radical understatement of the scale of the problem.


India logged an astonishing 386,452 new cases Friday as new appeals for more space and firewood for cremations compounded the lack of hospital beds and oxygen.


The petition asks Modi to release “granular” data, the Associated Press reports. That data could be used to help mitigate future surges to better prepare with hospital beds, oxygen and even intensive care units. Without sufficient data, scientists are unable to do anything but stand by and watch the situation get worse.


The appeal also blames Modi’s drive to make India self reliant by importing medical raw materials rather than full vaccines and supplies, calling his government’s actions an obstacle. “Such restrictions, at this time, only serve to impede our ability to deal with COVID-19,” the appeal says, according to the AP.


India’s army chief M.M. Naravane has also offered the use of military hospitals to help take pressure off public facilities, telling desperate families to go to nearby bases to ask for help in a move that Modi originally resisted.


Starting Saturday, all Indian citizens over 18 will eligible for a vaccine where they are available. Health Minister Harash Vardhan said aid sent by 40 countries has started to take some pressure off the collapsed health system. On Friday, the first of the the $100 million worth of supplies from the U.S. arrived, including a first shipment of the pledged 1,000 oxygen cylinders, 15 million N95 masks and 1 million rapid antigen tests.

Indian Scientists Beg Modi to Stop Keeping COVID Data Secret

[Troy]

These are statistically insignificant numbers however the general herd really doesn't comprehend this as they basically generally don't understand anything concerning statistics. This is how it is and has always been, what can be done.

I find the numbers significant and surprised that you don't.

I heard that three more French women died shortly after having the AZ vaccine and it didn't take long to confirm it on F24. Looks like they are going to sue the manufacturer now...

Paris prosecutors seek involuntary manslaughter charges over AstraZeneca deaths

Paris prosecutors are taking on and combining into an involuntary manslaughter probe three separate investigations over deaths of three people who were given the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in France, they said Wednesday.

Prosecutors specialised in leading complex investigations into health products will take on the preliminary probes already opened after complaints were filed in Toulouse, Paris and Nantes.
The initial investigations had been carried out by regional prosecutors.


According to the Paris prosecutor's office, the plaintiffs are questioning if there was a causal role of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the deaths of their loved ones.


"We first went to local prosecutors for the sake of speed and to have autopsies and then asked them to transfer the file to Paris," Etienne Boittin, the lawyer behind the complaints told AFP.

In Nantes, a medical student aged 26 died suddenly of a blood clot on March 18 just a few days after getting vaccinated with the AstraZeneca jab. The case from Toulouse concerns a social worker aged 38 who also died of a blood clot after her health deteriorated sharply after getting the jab.

Boittin said he was handling fifteen cases of people who died in France after having been vaccinated with AstraZeneca, the vast majority of them aged "under 60 years".
France's national health authority HAS last month said the AstraZeneca vaccine should only be given to those aged 55 and over because of reports of potentially deadly blood clots in a very small number of younger people vaccinated.

The move is broadly similar to actions taken by several European countries although Denmark has banned the use of the vaccine outright.
...
Paris prosecutors seek involuntary manslaughter charges over AstraZeneca deaths

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Meanwhile, here in Bavaria they are giving AZ to anyone over 18 that wants it regardless of the priority groups. Now there are lots of young people that have been vaccinated and lots of over 60's and vulnerable that haven't. I think the Germans grabbed as much as they could from Denmark after they scrapped using it and distributing as a bonus to boost the figures.