Coronavirus

[Michael]

[studentforever]

Well after all the stress of getting the appointment I have now got my jab (Pfizer - not that we had a choice). Very well organised centre with lovely staff but my car threw a wobbly on Thursday. Horn started blowing while car parked and wouldn't stop. Drove to garage (in next local authority area but I felt I had irrefutable reason for travel). They stopped it by removing a fuse, nothing wrong with horn and it was late afternoon. Half way home I discovered that indicators weren't working. No-one is quite sure why when I phoned them next day. So, illegal car and ended up taking hire car to vaccine centre at 6pm on a cold, frosty night with packed snow on quite a lot of pavement so didn't fancy the bus. Going was fine, coming back waited for ages for cab despite text saying it was coming. One of lovely staff booked another cab in his name which arrived in a couple of minutes. My saviour said he would deal with the first one if it turned up.

Feeling OK, arm a bit stiff but OK sitting at computer or knitting but felt it a bit putting my hair up. Decided to have a drop out day. (Garage will pick up car next week so fingers crossed it isn't the wiring harness.)

[jil]

Glad you managed to get the jab despite all the obstacles! Hope the car's OK.

[Randi]

Quite an adventure!
I'm happy to hear that you are doing OK so far and hope that you and your car make a rapid recovery.

[AvastMH]

What an adventure! Well done for making it there and well done for your hero helping out. Glad to hear that the job hasn't caused too much trouble. Hope it all subsides soon and that your car feels better too

[Randi]

My mother and her friends couldn’t get coronavirus vaccine appointments, so they turned to a stranger for help. He’s 13.

[Michael]

[AvastMH]

[Randi]

Some Neandertal genes in people today may protect against severe COVID-19

A new study looked at a stretch of DNA on chromosome 12 where a haplotype — a cluster of genetic variants that are inherited together — that affects susceptibility to the coronavirus is located. For each copy of the Neandertal haplotype a person inherited, the risk of needing intensive care fell approximately 22 percent

Previously, researchers had found that a different haplotype on chromosome 3 that was inherited from Neandertals increases the risk of severe disease

[AvastMH]

I saw a brilliant talk about Neanderthals which did some number crunching based on the amount of Neanderthal DNA in our modern society. They reckon that there are 220,000 Neanderthals walking around today, which significantly exceeds the numbers that existed thousands of years ago. They are more successful now. Glad to hear that, despite one haplotype hiccough, they are dealing well with Covid.

[ggordon]

The weather here in the Seattle area is now quite pleasant; rainy and cool. However, the extreme weather in much of the country has caused delays in vaccine deliveries. 90% of the shipments to the Seattle area have been delayed. The clinic where I'm scheduled to get my second dose said that it did not receive the Moderna shipment and appointments for anyone due to receive it will be rescheduled. However, they did receive the Pfizer shipment and they still have me scheduled for my second dose next week. I seem to be squeaking through being the right place at the right time getting the shots. People here are going through so much adversity just trying to get scheduled, but I was actually contacted by my clinic and offered the opportunity to get the shots. It's been so quick and simple so far.

The video in this news story shows what one local woman went through to get her first dose last weekend.
https://people.com/human-interest/90-ye ... d-vaccine/

[AvastMH]

The video in this news story shows what one local woman went through to get her first dose last weekend.
https://people.com/human-interest/90-ye ... d-vaccine/

Glad to hear you're getting your jabs in good time Gordon
Wow - that lady deserves a medal - what an effort!

[Randi]

The video in this news story shows what one local woman went through to get her first dose last weekend.
https://people.com/human-interest/90-ye ... d-vaccine/

Super!

[Michael]

[Hanibal94]

I just read a very good article by Der Spiegel about the AstraZeneca vaccine - there's been quite the debate in Germany about it, as it is less effective than other ones, but is supposed to be used for medical workers as it's not allowed for seniors. A lot of medical workers are not happy about this, arguing they should receive better protection.

However, the AstraZeneca vaccine still reduces your infection rate by more than half, and it is almost 100% effective in preventing serious illness and death. So I would say it's still worth getting.

[AvastMH]

You could say 'any port in a storm'. If you worked in an outdoor stadium with 10 people spread throughout it, but room for 3000, 50% cover would be fine. If you're surrounded by the virus day in and day out 50% isn't as much as you'd want. Pfizer seems to be providing 90% after one dose, and up to 95 after that. The AZ is producing much better rates around 70+% after one dose (https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... strazeneca).

It'll be interesting to find out the possible efficacy of receiving a dose of each of them (not at the same time). Oxford has started investigating combination vaccinations (I bet someone else has done so too;) )

Certainly there are places where dealing with the need for very low storage temperatures will cause any vaccines that can be stored at ordinary fridge temperatures to be in favour.

[Michael]

Here in B. C., they're vaccinating people in care homes and people living in remote locations. For many small communities, as soon as there's one case it can spread rapidly. Often these communities have poor and/or crowded housing, little or no local health care, and it is a long trip to the nearest hospital etc.

I think I may get a vaccination some time in March, but we'll see. In the meantime, washing hands, wearing a mask, social distancing, living a a bubble of two, etc. etc. etc.

[Randi]

... doing OW ...

[AvastMH]

... doing OW ...

[Michael]