All About Vaccines

[JB]

Why is there such a testing craze - plz explain.

I guess with omicron cutting through vaccines and boosters so quickly and symptoms being mostly mild, it's good to know you have it so you can protect the more vulnerable? I'm really not sure what the solution is. Some countries in Europe are locking down again but I don't think that's going to stop this thing from spreading.

[Tami]

France finds over 180,000 fake Covid passes, and Italy makes arrests in suspected false inoculations.

Several countries in Europe are reporting growing instances of fake Covid passes and vaccination certificates — an indication that the vaccine resistance that threatened earlier this year to upend governments’ anti-Covid strategies is far from over.

In France, the authorities said on Monday that they had detected over 180,000 fake Covid passes since the measure was introduced this summer. And in Italy on Tuesday, the police in the Sicilian capital, Palermo, arrested a leader of an anti-vaccine movement and a nurse who is accused of accepting payments for pretend vaccinations.

Officials in France said on Friday that soon only vaccinated people would be eligible for Covid passes, which are required for entry into restaurants, cafes and other public places. The news of the forgeries highlighted how vaccine resistance remains strong in parts of the country’s population.

[Tami]

On a related note

Omicron Is Now The Dominant COVID-19 Variant In The U.S.

What Are The Most Common Symptoms Of The Omicron Variant Right Now?

The main symptoms include issues like congestion, a scratchy or sore throat, body aches and more.

[JB]

NHL to pause season from Wednesday through Christmas Day over COVID-19 concerns
https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/n...d-19-concerns/

The NHL is hitting pause on its season Wednesday through Christmas Day in order to prevent further spread of COVID-19. The league made the announcement on Monday night. Earlier in the day over 15% of the league's players were put in virus protocols. In total, 11 teams had their seasons paused over outbreaks before the league decided to pause play.

The NHL will mandate all teams close their facilities from Dec. 22-25. If they stick with this plan, players will be allowed to return on Dec. 26 and games will resume a day later.

Related, from the Atlantic:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...fl-nba/621079/

What makes these outbreaks all the more worrisome is that they’re tearing through some of the healthiest, most closely monitored, and most highly vaccinated communities in the country, if not the world. The NHL has a vaccination rate north of 99 percent; the NBA’s stands at 97 percent; and the NFL trails just behind, at a little less than 95 percent vaccinated.

[JB]

Ugh. Stay safe, everyone.

Kelly Evans from CNBC
https://twitter.com/KellyCNBC/status...162231815?s=20

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Ugh. Stay safe, everyone.

Kelly Evans from CNBC
https://twitter.com/KellyCNBC/status...162231815?s=20

Same to you.

[Tami]

[Tami]

I feel bad for those who are standing in long lines to be tested. I went to my Health Care Provider's office this morning and got a rapid test. They sent me home to wait for a phone call. I just got the phone call and it came back negative (yea!). All in less than a hour, and I didn't have to stand in line.

[JB]

I feel bad for those who are standing in long lines to be tested. I went to my Health Care Provider's office this morning and got a rapid test. They sent me home to wait for a phone call. I just got the phone call and it came back negative (yea!). All in less than a hour, and I didn't have to stand in line.

Great news, congrats!
I agree though. The increase in testing will help alleviate some of the waiting.

[Scott Taylor]

Apparently the federal government is making some 500 million test kits available for free in January.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I feel bad for those who are standing in long lines to be tested. I went to my Health Care Provider's office this morning and got a rapid test. They sent me home to wait for a phone call. I just got the phone call and it came back negative (yea!). All in less than a hour, and I didn't have to stand in line.

Good for you!

[JB]

Omicron Has 80% Lower Risk of Hospitalization in South Africa
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ew-study-shows

South Africans contracting Covid-19 in the current fourth wave of infections are 80% less likely to be hospitalized if they catch the omicron variant, compared with other strains, according to a study released by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Once admitted to the hospital, the risk of severe disease doesn’t differ from other variants, the authors led by scientists Nicole Walter and Cheryl Cohen said.

Compared to delta infections in South Africa between April and November, omicron infections are associated with a 70% lower risk of severe disease, they said. The omicron data was collected for the two months through November.

[Tami]

Apparently the federal government is making some 500 million test kits available for free in January.

New Jersey apparently is already offering free test kits, but you have to create an account and order it and the whole process can take a few days. If you are not in a hurry and want to save money, then it's a good option.

[CaptainEurope]

So, the US military has been creating its own vaccine, and it's looking promising for offering broader protection from various strains and future mutations of the virus.

This would be a non-profit vaccine. And coming straight from the army. Vaccine refuseniks will have to come up with new excuses.

[JB]

So, the US military has been creating its own vaccine, and it's looking promising for offering broader protection from various strains and future mutations of the virus.

This would be a non-profit vaccine. And coming straight from the army. Vaccine refuseniks will have to come up with new excuses.

Yeah I've been looking forward to hearing how their trials go. It's out of Walter Reed which is pretty cool.

US Army Creates Single Vaccine Against All COVID & SARS Variants, Researchers Say
https://www.defenseone.com/technolog...riants/360089/

Within weeks, scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research expect to announce that they have developed a vaccine that is effective against COVID-19 and all its variants, even Omicron, as well as previous SARS-origin viruses that have killed millions of people worldwide.

The achievement is the result of almost two years of work on the virus. The Army lab received its first DNA sequencing of the COVID-19 virus in early 2020. Very early on, Walter Reed’s infectious diseases branch decided to focus on making a vaccine that would work against not just the existing strain but all of its potential variants as well.