Coronavirus in the United States - news and thoughts

Sweet! I'm good then!

 

Once again for the folks in the back:
He...got...the...vaccine.
He is talking about his young kids.

 

I don’t wear a mask. I’m vaxxed. Sorry you’re scared of needles. I hope you get over it.

 

LOL. Good one. You really got me with that one. Coronabros gonna Coronabro.

 

The country is just very fortunate that so many of us understood the gravity of the situation and got vaccinated at the earliest opportunity. Many thousands fewer are dying as a result.

 

According to some one here, you must be afraid of needles...

 

The difference between an adolescent immune system and an adult system is T-cells. Children have them in spades, and adults lose them over time. As this article points out, T-cells are indiscriminate attackers of anything foreign in a body. T-cells are effective at holding an infection at bay until the white blood cells can finish off the disease, and then create an immune memory so that next time the body comes in contact with the same pathogen, it can beat it quickly. Adults don't need T-cells, because it is rare adults run into a novel virus. When we do, that's when a pandemic like COVID-19 can happen.

As the link points out, it's likely the T-cells are what is helping children avoid the worst effects of COVID. The article also points to the fact that children have less receptors than adults (smaller scale), and that could also be why children at first, weren't contracting COVID at the same rates. But the UK variant has thrown a monkey wrench into this theory, as children contract the UK variant at the same rate as adults. Fortunately, children still don't suffer the worst effects of COVID at the same rate as adults with the UK variant.

The UK variant leads to more credence that the T-cells in children are protecting them from the worst of the worst. Research that those with the worst COVID effects have their immune systems going into overdrive would also add evidence that T-cells are important in the kid response. Again, adults don't encounter completely new pathogens to them that often.

The UK variant also leads to a question nobody really wants to answer. If there is already a variant that is equally virulent to kids, why can't there be a variant that is equally dangerous to kids? Unfortunately, there may already be such a variant in Brazil. Early indicators say this is a possibility. Let's hope this isn't the case, but worst case scenario, what happens if the Brazil variant is equally dangerous to kids, and shows up on American shores over the summer? And then hits a school when they reopen, with full classrooms? I shudder to even think about the possibility.

So what can we do to protect ourselves? Easy. Get everyone vaccinated. The more people vaccinated, the less the virus will spread. Period. And if/when the Brazil variant show up in the US, if we already have herd immunity, then the Brazil variant won't have too many vectors to spread, and the worry about a dangerous Brazil variant in a school is minimized significantly.

But even if the Brazil variant isn't as dangerous to kids as other COVID variants, what's to stop a variant that is equally dangerous from happening? Again, the answer is vaccinations. For simple math purposes, i.e. I'm making these numbers up to prove a point, let's say it takes 100,000 COVID cases on average for COVID to mutate into a variant. In a population of 2 million, if 50% of the population gets immunity from the vaccine, and 10% of the population get an active case of COVID, that's 100,000 active cases, and mathematically, 1 variant. Now, there are equal chances mutations are benign or even harmful, so there's still a chance that this variant isn't dangerous. But the risk is certainly there.

Now, let's say 80% of the population has immunity from vaccination, and total cases now drop to 40,000. And the risk for a variant? Chances are, from this population, there aren't any. In fact, less than a 50% chance a variant would mutate, and even a smaller chance that from this population, a variant that would be more dangerous is created. While again, these numbers are made up, they illustrate the race between variant and vaccine.

Everyone eligible should get the vaccine. It's our best shot at beating COVID. The hesitation to get kids vaccinated is based mostly on fear, and there is a good reasons vaccines are given to kids. Their memory-based immune system work the same way as adults, and it's better to get them immunity at an early age. And if we don't vaccinate enough people, we risk more people getting sick, and more variants that could be even deadlier, even to kids.

I'm not an early adapter to most things either. Heck, I still have a VCR/DVD player I use at home! It works, so why replace it? But when it comes to vaccinations against COVID? Speed matters. Total vaccination percentages matter. And I'd much rather take my chances with the vaccine than with the disease. Same goes for my kids. Last thing anyone should want is a COVID variant that is dangerous to kids as well as adults. Best way to prevent this? Get vaccinated.

 

The vaccine is worse for children than the virus itself.

DERP DERP DERP

 

Chances are you haven't saved a single life, and I know I have yet to cost any. Again, the theatrics do not move the meter.
Let some of us operate at the pace we find comfortable. If you want to toss that stuff at people spreading lies and conspiracies, I am all for it. But for those of use raising kids in the middle of all this who may think differently about the speed and haste that we moved, you should allow for some patience.

 

Don't let certain posters hear you say that! There are breakthrough cases you know! You should mask up until herd immunity is reached. Stop running in traffic with lightning rods on your head man!

 

Nope. Not acceptable.

 

We aren’t going to reach herd immunity because this country is teeming with mouth breathers who are afraid to get vaxxd.

Coronavaxbros gonna coronavaxbro

 

In all seriousness, we don't know that. Most of us can take what if risks on ourselves, but forcing them on children is a totally different thing.
(And my kids have all their required **tested and approved** vaccines.)

 

But you have to stop lumping all things together.
Two people here leading this side of the conversation (Neither Trump supporters), One already vaxed themselves...should not get lumped with the conspiracy crowd. That is lazy and over simplified.

Agree?

 

Yeah. You got the vaccine, but must have taken that seldom mentioned oral variety due to your fear of needles.

 

You realize that the point he is making is that is how that particular poster has acted for a year, right? Because you aren't exactly criticizing the behavior when he is doing it.

 

I think it’s a safe assumption that the risk posed by the virus is greater to children than the risk posed by the vaccine to the virus. It’s killed 275 children in the US as of February. I’ll pee in a cup and drink it if more children die from the vaccine than the virus. And WAY more children will get the vaccine.

And while we don’t know the long term effects of the vaccine, we also don’t know the long term effects of the virus. So that’s a wash, IMO.

Now, throw in the fact that children spread the disease to the vulnerable and anybody with an ounce of common sense can see that the virus poses a greater risk than the vaccine.

It’s insane that this even has to be argued.

 

What’s your excuse? Just selfishness?

 

Dude single handedly ruined this thread for almost a year being a condescending dick to everyone who wouldn’t be cavalier about kids being back in school when we had almost ZERO information about the virus. And now he’s scared to death of his kids getting a vaccine which has been demonstrated to be highly effective and safe for EVERY OTHER AGE GROUP that’s taken it.

Guy is probably afraid of getting hit by lightning.