Coronavirus in the United States - news and thoughts

Got my booster today.

Because science.

 

It's not ignorance from which I call people selfish, it's from their own words that exemplify it.

I see the problem. You're not properly seeing this from a statistical standpoint. It's about the math, and explainable. Where there are high vaccination rates, the more likely it is that we'll see the vaccinated outnumbering those who aren't, especially as the rate of vaccinations approaches herd immunity levels. It's why, for instance, in some subpops we've seen that vaxxed deaths outnumbered unvaxxed.

Vaccines aren't perfect, but they have been incredibly effective and would be even more effective with vax rates north of 90%. So you should ask yourself why with all the PHE data that you continually cite, does the director of the PHE implore the British public to get vaccinated?

 

The wife and I got tested today. Last Friday we met up with some friends from out of town. For some reason they didn't warn us that they weren't feeling good until midway through dinner. Their 2 year old was obviously sick and coughing and sneezing. I feel like it's a minor cold but I wanted to be sure.

My wife is pretty pissed off that they didn't call ahead and warn us so that we would have the chance to back out. I am too.

 

Some friends you got there. Do they know what you do for a living?

 

New study showing that the mRNA vaccines may not be effective in those with compromised immune systems. Not a surprise given that most seniors have by definition, a compromised immune system, as the immune system for those 80 and older isn't set up to encounter novel diseases. It confirms why the CDC has called for boosters for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

And going back to natural immunity versus vaccine, I'm not saying it's true, but it is entirely possible that the immune system of Ashkenazi Jews differs enough from the population of Kentucky and/or Alaska enough that results could be significantly skewed. Here are some diseases that Ashkenazi Jews are more prone to contracting. It includes an autoimmune disease, Fanconi anemia, and another that is closely associated with autoimmune diseases, Gaucher Disease, where over half of all people who have Gaucher's also have an autoimmune disease. As the link states, 20% to 25% of all Ashkenazi Jews have a gene for at least one of the diseases listed.

Is it certain the prevalence of auto-immune diseases in Ashkenazi Jews caused natural immunity to be greater than vaccine immunity in Israel? And other places had completely different results? No. Because the research hasn't been done. But it is one possible explanation that fits the facts.

Fortunately, real scientists will likely continue with the research instead of just saying one, large study is all we'll ever need, and all other studies that don't show the same results simply must be bunk. That's a very unscientific approach, and certainly doesn't fit the scientific method.

 

Overlooking the UK data as well on Natural immunity. Not surprised. You SO want natural immunity to not be as effective as the vaccine. It's quite funny to see you do the mental gymnastics to try to explain it away.

 

Thanks for this. You are spot on on every point. Short hand: we need more research, which is of course kinda the mantra of science. Indeed, there isn't one covid-related issue that couldn't use more research. But what makes the knowledge about vaccine effectiveness broadly more *certain* compared to natural immunity is that the trials and now real world data show this broad effectiveness. But as you point out, within this, genetic immune system differences or variation in vaccine effectiveness (say by age) are more specific issues that need to be worked out through further research and why one study, regardless of whether it's based on the largest sample or not, does not a literature make.

 

FWIW those antibody tests are not so simple...or reliable.

 

We have a poster who finds it preferential for people getting COVID and then getting regeneron so they have stronger immunity. COVID UP!

 

That's a very good and thorough article. It kind of confirms what I have suspected - yes of course natural immunity is protective, but coming up with a scientifically logical, consistent and measurable indicator of natural immunity is not a simple task.

 

PCR tests aren't that simple, or reliable. We've been over this before...

 

Not me. BUT if you've already had covid then you don't need the vaccine. Oh, and kids for sure don't need it.

 

Pro vaccine vs pro covid.

I've always thought it interesting that some think the answer to covid is more covid. Kind of along the lines of the answer to gun violence is more guns.

 

So you think you have better information than thousands of doctors, immunologists, scientists and other health care experts who disagree with you on both points?

 

Wasn’t talking about you. And I agree with you. A Friend of mine was Moderna vaxxed in December last year. Or on January. He Got exposed to a very high viral load for an extended period. Got sick. Regeneron. Still Bed ridden at home for two weeks. Doctor said that if he wasn’t vaxxed, he would have been in the hospital or dead. A few weeks ago, his doctor said his antibodies were way too high. He is now 3 months out from testing negative for the virus, and wants to get the booster. But he is going to get an antibody test first. Other than the control over dosage, I don’t see why a vaccine would be better than immunity from infection because the idea of the former is to trigger an immune reaction just like the latter but without getting sick.

 

I didn't mention the PCR, only your claim about antibody tests, which is paints a false picture.

 

You mean all those doctors in Europe who aren’t recommending the vaccine to children? Those doctors, scientists, immunologists and health care experts?

 

Aaron Rodgers was not vaccinated.

 

They're not capable of that.

 

It does look like Rogers was not vaccinated. Making the latest big name as Psaki to be a break through. But you are correct. It happens. Often. Two of my parents best friends just tested positive fully vaccinated and got the monoclonal antibodies.