26251 replies to this topic

[LJ]

Apparently the blood clot issue affects women who are also on the pill almost exclusively.

 

They should restart the A/Z vaccines to men and women who are not on the pill.

[Greg]

First vaccine dose today (AZ).

[Victoria Watcher]

We still don't know exactly how it started — a runner on a treadmill, or perhaps someone lifting weights — but an outbreak at a gym in Quebec City has become one of the largest recorded COVID-19 superspreading events in Canada.

 

The Méga Fitness Gym, tucked behind a busy highway in an industrial section of the provincial capital, became a major source of contagion for the B117 variant first identified in the United Kingdom, which now accounts for 70 per cent of all cases in Quebec City.

 

The gym was shut down March 31 as the city was once again put under lockdown. To date, there have been 222 people infected at the gym, another 356 related cases involving outbreaks at 49 workplaces and a 40-year-old man has died.

 

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...uebec-1.5985744

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 April 2021 - 03:50 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

the deadly UK variant!

 

 

 

 

The B.1.1.7 variant of the novel coronavirus does not increase the severity of COVID-19 compared to other strains, according to research published Tuesday that also confirmed its increased transmissibility.

 

The variant, which was first discovered in the United Kingdom, is now the dominant viral strain across much of Europe, and previous studies had shown it was linked to a higher likelihood of death than normal variants.

 

But two studies published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases and The Lancet Public Health journals found no evidence that people with B.1.1.7. experience worse symptoms or a greater risk of developing long-haul COVID-19 than those infected with different variants.

 

 

https://www.ctvnews....study-1.5385026

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 April 2021 - 04:48 AM.

[Mike K.]

Good ol’ Lancet.

[Barrrister]

I think I am finally really getting used to not seeing people or going out to restaurants. It was fun yesterday to get out in the canoe. Out to do some gardening today, looks like a fine day.

[Victoria Watcher]

grim milestone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the first time since the pandemic began, Canada has passed a grim milestone, with more new COVID-19 cases per capita than the U.S.

 

There have been roughly 22 new recorded cases per 100,000 people in the country over the past seven days. Ontario is being hit the hardest with hospitals coming under increasing strain, especially in Toronto, the country’s largest city.

 

“This is the worst moment of the pandemic thus far,” Kevin Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the University Health Network, said in an interview Monday. “Our ICUs are full.”

 

Ontario has ordered all but emergency surgeries canceled across most of the province, for the first time since March 2020. Patients scheduled for cancer, cardiac and brain surgeries are being told to wait as intensive care units fill with COVID-19 patients. Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children has opened an overflow unit to treat adults.

 

 

https://nationalpost...ta-than-the-u-s

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 April 2021 - 07:02 AM.

[amor de cosmos]

B.C. COVID-19 in-dining restrictions to be extended through to May: industry group
https://www.timescol...roup-1.24307036
 

Meanwhile, Atlantic Canada’s COVID-19 response has been a world-famous success story, often attributed to its coastal geography and relatively low population density, as well as what Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer, has called the region’s “collective ethic” — the willingness of its people to follow directives and make sacrifices for the common good.
 
These two factors are often used to argue that Atlantic Canada is a unique case — that it would be unfeasible to replicate the region’s success elsewhere. And yet this is evidently untrue, as demonstrated by the list of 28 countries that have beaten COVID-19, including China, Vietnam, Singapore and Australia.
 
The third factor in Atlantic Canada’s success, therefore, is the one most worthy of attention, as it holds the key for reproducing the region’s success in other parts of Canada. This factor is — simply put — political will. Provincial governments in Atlantic Canada have consistently enacted measures to prevent severe illness and death, protecting human lives over short-term business interests.

https://theconversat...cal-will-158193
 

The risk of bleeding was 20 times higher among people vaccinated with a adenovector-vaccine, like AstraZeneca, compared to those who had received an mRNA-vaccine.
 
Only four out of the nearly 2900 participants who had received an mRNA vaccine, like the ones produced by Moderna and Pfizer, reported skin bleeding as a side effect. This equals 0.1%.
 
124 of nearly 4500 who had received the AstraZeneca vaccine reported the same—amounting to 2.8%.
 
The differences were also stark for nose bleeds and gum bleeds:

• Nose bleeds—Adenovector: 2.0%, mRNA vaccine: 0.3%
• Gum bleeds—Adenovector vaccine: 1.6%, mRNA vaccine: 0.2%

"In this study, cohort participants vaccinated with the adenorivus-vectored vaccine reported bleeding episodes significantly more frequent as compared to recipients of mRNA vaccines," the researchers write.

 

https://medicalxpres...ca-vaccine.html
 

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2021 — Studies show wearing masks and social distancing can contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, but their combined effectiveness is not precisely known.
 
In Chaos, by AIP Publishing, researchers at New York University and Politecnico di Torino in Italy developed a network model to study the effects of these two measures on the spread of airborne diseases like COVID-19. The model shows viral outbreaks can be prevented if at least 60% of a population complies with both measures.
 
“Neither social distancing nor mask wearing alone are likely sufficient to halt the spread of COVID-19, unless almost the entire population adheres to the single measure,” author Maurizio Porfiri said. “But if a significant fraction of the population adheres to both measures, viral spreading can be prevented without mass vaccination.”
 
A network model encompasses nodes, or data points, and edges, or links between nodes. Such models are used in applications ranging from marketing to tracking bird migration. In the researchers’ model, based on a susceptible, exposed, infected, or removed (recovered or has died) framework, each node represents a person’s health status. The edges represent potential contacts between pairs of individuals.
 
The model accounts for activity variability, meaning a few highly active nodes are responsible for much of the network’s contacts. This mirrors the validated assumption that most people have few interactions and only a few interact with many others. Scenarios involving social distancing without mask wearing and vice versa were also tested by setting up the measures as separate variables.

https://publishing.a...9-virus-spread/
https://www.scienced...10413110636.htm
 

The inhaled corticosteroid medication budesonide, widely used for the treatment of asthma, has been found to aid the recovery of COVID-19 patients when administered at home.
 
The PRINCIPLE study is a Phase III randomised controlled trial designed to find clear evidence of an effective COVID-19 treatment which can be used in the community to cut recovery time.
 
Inhaled budesonide was added to the trial on 28 November 2020, with recruitment into this treatment arm halted on 31 March.
 
An interim report included a total of 961 patients randomly assigned to receive inhaled budesonide at home compared with 1,819 patients randomly assigned to the usual standard of NHS care alone.
 
Of these participants, 751 participants in the budesonide group and 1,028 in the usual care group were positive for SARS-CoV-2 and included in the primary interim analysis.
 
Based on the interim analysis, results showed that the estimated median time to self-reported recovery for inhaled budesonide was 3.011 days shorter compared to usual standard of care – indicating a ‘high probability’ of being superior.

http://www.pharmatim...ovid-19_1366797
 
In a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Microbiome, PhD student Orit Malka and Prof. Raz Jelinek showed how microorganisms found in kefir yogurt can treat inflammatory conditions, including cytokine storms.
https://english.alar...vid-19-symptoms
 

RIO DE JANEIRO: The surging COVID-19 outbreak in Brazil is increasingly affecting younger people, with hospital data showing that last month the majority of those in intensive care were aged 40 or younger, according to a new report.
 
The report, released by the Brazilian Association of Intensive Medicine over the weekend, is based on data from over a third of all the country's intensive care wards. It found a significant increase in younger people being admitted to beds in Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
 
For the first time since the outbreak reached Brazil last year, 52 per cent of ICU beds were filled by patients aged 40 or younger. That is a jump of 16.5 per cent compared to the occupancy of that age group between December and February.
 
It is not clear why more young people are falling seriously ill during the current wave of the virus in Brazil, but some scientists think the new P1 variant that originated in the Amazon city of Manaus could be at least partly to blame.

https://www.channeln...ars-or-14616874

Mick Jagger, Dave Grohl team up for pandemic-inspired track
Legendary musicians collaborate for song Eazy Sleazy
https://www.cbc.ca/n...leazy-1.5985603

BERLIN -- Austria's health minister announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying that he couldn't continue in the grueling job of helping lead the country's coronavirus response because of persistent personal health problems caused by overwork.
Rudolf Anschober, 60, had been health minister since January last year, when his Green party became the junior partner in a governing coalition under conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
https://www.ctvnews....orked-1.5385126
 

Hundreds of people have tested positive for coronavirus in India at the site of the world's biggest religious festival, officials said Wednesday, as huge crowds of mostly maskless Hindu devotees descended on the River Ganges.

The virus was detected in more than 1,000 people in just 48 hours in the city of Haridwar, which lies along the holy river where the Kumbh Mela is being observed, officials said.

A new wave of coronavirus infections is sweeping across India, with experts blaming massive religious events, packed political rallies in poll-bound states and crowded public places.

https://www.rawstory...gious-festival/

India sets new all-time high number of daily coronavirus cases surpassing 184,000
The total number of cases has reached 13,873,825
https://tass.com/world/1277823

No Nearby Shoulder to Cry On: Queen Must Sit Alone at Prince Philip’s Covid-Era Funeral
https://sputniknews....id-era-funeral/
 
TOKYO: Holding the postponed Tokyo Olympics this summer will be "really difficult" given a spike in COVID-19 infections across Japan, the head of the Tokyo Medical Association has warned.
https://www.channeln...edical-14618658
 

SIMFEROPOL, April 14. /TASS/. New coronavirus cases have doubled in Crimea since the beginning of April, head of the regional branch of Russia’s consumer watchdog Natalya Penkovskaya said at a briefing broadcast on the Krym-24 TV channel on Wednesday.

"The number of new cases nearly doubled in the past weeks. The situation requires that municipal authorities and the public ensure mask wearing. Unfortunately, these things are clearly interconnected. As soon as control over the use of personal protective equipment is eased, we record a rise in infections in certain regions," Penkovskaya noted.

The number of new cases started to decline in the beginning of the year but a new spike was recorded in the second half of March. As many as 94 new patients were identified in the past day. "I once again urge Crimeans and visitors to strictly abide by all rules," the official added.

https://tass.com/society/1277817

Russia’s sanitary watchdog calls on Crimeans to limit visits to Ukraine amid COVID-19
https://tass.com/society/1277851

The first batch of 15,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus was delivered to Armenia on Thursday morning. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the Russia-1 TV channel that Yerevan needs approximately one million doses of this preparation.
https://tass.com/economy/1276759

US biotech company Moderna announced COVID vaccine is 90 percent effective against all forms of the disease and 95 percent effective against severe disease.
https://medicalxpres...cacy-falls.html
 
Tucker Carlson went ahead and actually suggested to his millions of viewers Tuesday night that the reason public health officials are still advising vaccinated people to be cautious is that the vaccines don’t work “and they’re simply not telling you that.”
https://www.mediaite...lling-you-that/

[Victoria Watcher]

873 new cases in BC

also down in Ontario, Alberta and Quebec today.

maybe we have crested. (?)

Quebec and Ontario both up a bit today.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 April 2021 - 07:34 AM.

[Ismo07]

Todays results are from Sunday's tests. Monday and Tuesday #'s are always lower. Probably why Horgan wants to wait to Thursday before he decides on new restrictions.

 

Last Tuesday was over 1,000 (as was the previous Tuesday) so still right track I think with 20% drop.  Waiting for more data for sure.  Pretty sure they are bent on ensuring restrictions till after the May long weekend again, like other long weekends, whether numbers drop or not..  Where are we at with vaccinations?  Everyone over 75 is done?

Edited by Ismo07, 14 April 2021 - 08:08 AM.

[max.bravo]

I think we can all predict what'll happen-- current 'temporary' restrictions extended until early summer. Then as cases drop due to predicted seasonality, we'll see an easing of restrictions in July/Aug/Sep, only to go back into pseudo-lockdown in the fall again. 

 

Will this be the new normal? Or will we avoid another fall-winter lockdown if enough people get vaccinated?

[Victoria Watcher]

what needs to be made clear is that we will not go into any more lockdowns once every adult has immediate access to the vaccine.

ie. when all vaccine waits are gone.

then it is your own fault if you get it at the opera. or from your Tinder hookup. or from your Tinder date at the opera.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 April 2021 - 08:15 AM.

[spanky123]

Last Tuesday was over 1,000 (as was the previous Tuesday) so still right track I think with 20% drop.  Waiting for more data for sure.  Pretty sure they are bent on ensuring restrictions till after the May long weekend again, like other long weekends, whether numbers drop or not..  Where are we at with vaccinations?  Everyone over 75 is done?

 

The MoH stated yesterday that there were problems with the count (again) and that Tuesday's totals are not complete.

 

Health officials say Tuesday's case count is preliminary, due to a reporting delay with the province's recording systems.

[spanky123]

I think we can all predict what'll happen-- current 'temporary' restrictions extended until early summer. Then as cases drop due to predicted seasonality, we'll see an easing of restrictions in July/Aug/Sep, only to go back into pseudo-lockdown in the fall again. 

 

Will this be the new normal? Or will we avoid another fall-winter lockdown if enough people get vaccinated?

 

If we step back and look at the numbers, now that the elderly are properly protected and have been vaccinated mortality due to covid is about 0.2% in Canada which is the same as the flu. The difference of course are that numbers are being pushed to us every day and horror stories about hospitals overflowing and the dead lining the streets keep getting tossed out every few weeks to keep people scared.

 

Until the public's mindset changes restrictions will not be lifted any time soon.

[Rob Randall]

then it is your own fault if you get it at the opera. or from your Tinder hookup. or from your Tinder date at the opera.

 

Jose Carreravirus

[vortoozo]

If we step back and look at the numbers, now that the elderly are properly protected and have been vaccinated mortality due to covid is about 0.2% in Canada which is the same as the flu. The difference of course are that numbers are being pushed to us every day and horror stories about hospitals overflowing and the dead lining the streets keep getting tossed out every few weeks to keep people scared.

 

Until the public's mindset changes restrictions will not be lifted any time soon.

 

The hospital capacity problem is very real in certain parts of the country.

Not so much here on Vancouver Island, but with restrictions removed too quickly before more of the population becomes vaccinated it could easily become an issue here too.

[SimonH]

First vaccine dose today (AZ).

Get mine today. (AZ)

[pennymurphy2000]

The vaccination site at Uvic has closed and the conference centre is now the main site for Victoria residents. 

Holy. Parking. Nightmare. Batman.

[m3m]

The vaccination site at Uvic has closed and the conference centre is now the main site for Victoria residents. 

Holy. Parking. Nightmare. Batman.

 

Is there not enough parking at the conference centre underground parking lot?

[Mike K.]

It doubles as the Halloween haunted house we never had, for the vaccinated exiting the complex.