Pedro what is your latest opinion of this variant, is it going to cause more or less concern than Delta?
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Pedro what is your latest opinion of this variant, is it going to cause more or less concern than Delta?
It's still very early to be certain but the data appears to be a mixed bag:Quote:
Originally Posted by Padukacat
- Contagiousness appears to be off the charts, dramatically higher than previous variants. Data out of Ontario is showing an R-value of 4.2. This is several times higher than Delta. In areas where it establishes itself, it rapidly overtakes Delta.
- It appears to cause less severe outcomes in adults. To be clear, it still causes hospitalizations and deaths, but at a lower rate. This is still considered tentative as we are still early in outbreaks in fully-developed countries.
- Reinfection is about 3x more common than Delta in the previously infected and unvaccinated population but remains relatively rare in the previously infected and then vaccinated population (South Africa has a lot of this).
- Pfizer vaccine (2 dose, no previous infection, no booster) effectiveness against hospitalization is around 70%. This is very good news as it indicates those recently boostered are well protected against the most severe outcomes.
- Significantly more childhood cases. In particular, notable increase in hospitalizations in children <5. There are some signs that this is a statistical anomaly but only time will tell.
- We still aren't sure if Omicron competes with Delta or will exist along side it.
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I have two girls, ages are 5 and 7. What is everyone's opinion of getting them vaccinated? I've not been willing at all to this point, but I'm now willing to start listening. I guess we are a year into vaccines and they seem mostly safe in the short term. I guess only time can test for long term issues?Quote:
Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8
If by long-term issues you mean things which aren't seen in the first few days/weeks after injection and only appear after a long time of waiting, those are virtually unheard of with vaccines (of any type). If someone is going to have an adverse reaction from a vaccine, for almost all, it will appear within the first few days to a week after the injection. For the rest, it will occur within the following week or so. I can't think of a single vaccine (of any type) which has caused issues which appeared months after injection. The reason for this is simple. After a week or so, your body has already cleared almost all of the injected material. The only material which remains are the small fragments your immune system has captured and is using to develop the immunity. At that point, those fragments are tightly bound in/on your immune cells and are being actively used to develop your molecular and cellular immunity; there just isn't anything left to cause off-target effects.Quote:
Originally Posted by KentuckyWildcat
Getting back to your original question about recommending for kids. I was asked both by my sister for two of her kids and for my godson and his sister by their parents. In both cases, I recommended the vaccine for their kids and explained the rationale behind it. The reasoning is simple, nothing is risk free (including inaction) and the benefits need to outweigh the risks. For every risk that taking the vaccine possesses, the likelihood of said risk occurring in kids in this age group is higher when they contract COVID.
One thing I did have them do is hold their kids our of sports for the week following injection. This was not done out of anything overtly rational, it was done out of an abundance of caution. Unlike bacterial myocarditis or even viral myocarditis, the vaccine-induced myocarditis appears to be mostly minor and self-resolves in a matter of a few days with no lasting damage. The only risk case being if they engage in high endurance activities which can stress the heart. As such, even though the likelihood of myocarditis is very low and, as such, holding them out of sports is likely way overkill, the cost of them sitting out for a week is very low as well.
Now that 5 million kids in this age group have been fully vaccinated, it appears that the risk assessment at approval was correct, if not overstated the risks. For example, while the trial did not see any cases of myocarditis in the vaccinated cohort, much discussion was had around whether it was because it is more rare or if it was a statistical anomaly. This lead to many quotes which have been cherry-picked talking about safety. The data picture is much more clear now, the dat is strongly pointing to the fact that myocarditis is more notably rare than in the 12-16 cohort.
For future reference, I rarely know what I mean and generally hope the person I am talking to is smarter than I am to figure out what I am talking about LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8
Thank you, I will share this with my wife.
HAHA! No problem, if you or she has any questions, feel free to reach out (either in this thread or via PM).Quote:
Originally Posted by KentuckyWildcat
Time for some good news:
Pfizer's Phase 2/3 trials for their new oral anti-SARS-CoV-2 medicine showed extremely good efficacy in preventing hospitalization and death in high risk patients. Reducing deaths and hospitalizations by approximately 90%. Only five hospitalizations and ZERO deaths occurred in the cohort receiving the medicine, compared to 44 hospitalizations and 9 deaths in the placebo cohort. In a second trial against standard-risk patients, a similar 89% efficacy against death and 70% reduction in hospitalization was seen. Just as in the high risk trial, in the test compared to 12 deaths in the placebo cohort. Even better, in vitro testing against the 3CL protease found in Omicron showed high-potency, indicating that efficacy is likely not impacted by Omicron.
I don't think I have to explain why this is such a big deal. This has the potential of dramatically change things.
https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-re...-study-results
Pedro, my 21-year old son (well, in one week) is back home for Christmas. He is a soccer player. We were thinking about him getting his booster shot this week, but I've been concerned about the myocarditis issues that randomly occur.
How long would you recommend that he refrain from strenuous activities? Usually when he comes home for Christmas, he takes a short break, then begins training so that when he gets back in January he's not horribly out of shape. It's nothing like "in-season" stuff, but just running, mild weight-lifting, that kind of thing. No playing, unless it's just for fun.
Should he be sedentary for a week following the booster, or just nothing more than mild jogs and such?
Some countries say no exercise at all for 2-3 days and mild/light exercise like light jogging for the following week, others say mild/light jogging for a few days gradually returning to full exercise by the end of the week. In general the common theme is that myocarditis begins showing symptoms in 1-3 days post vaccination (mean time 2 days). As such, if he doesn't have symptoms by then, the likelihood that he will have myocarditis drops dramatically (from an already low number).Quote:
Originally Posted by Darrell KSR
Based on this, I'd have him take it cool for 2-3 days with only light jogs. Once that period has passed, he can workup from there, no need to be fully sedentary. It is more important that he is aware of the symptoms of myocarditis and keeps an eye out for them:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering, or pounding heart
If he experiences any of these, he should talk with his doctor immediately.
Thanks, sir.
That would be a game changerQuote:
Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8
What are the origins of nirmatrelvir, and ritonavir? Are these grown/developed using old fashioned , chicken egg growth method and or, animal cell growth method?
Thanks
Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir are protease inhibitors not vaccines or antibodies. They are chemicals/peptides which inhibit the proteases the virus uses to synthesize its outer envelope. This prevents the formation of viable viral particles, stopping the virus in its tracks. As they are chemicals/peptides, they are chemically synthesized rather than grown.Quote:
Originally Posted by dan_bgblue
That being said, they were certainly tested in animal models and potentially in immortal cell lines.
My son is getting his booster and a flu shot as I type...
Wonderful! Good luck to him and hope he doesn't feel to bad afterwards!Quote:
Originally Posted by Darrell KSR
Thank you muchley. I am sure that info was made apparent and my ignorance led to me not understanding what I was reading.Quote:
Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8
My 19 year old son got his Pfizer booster Monday. He spent all day yesterday in bed with what he said was the worst headache of his life then woke up this morning with what the interwebs says is “COVID arm”…the injection site has a small rash and a hard knot under the skin. It’s supposed to go away in a few days but I feel for him because it didn’t have any effect on me except for maybe a little sleepiness. Hope your kid fares better!Quote:
Originally Posted by Darrell KSR
Welp…positive. Monoclonal antibodies infusing as I type.
Damn, good luck mate!Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsky
Good thoughts here for you, bigsky.Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsky
Thanks. Hoping to stick the landing.
Thoughts and Prayers heading your way and upward...
Best wishes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsky
Flounder, how are you doing?
Prayers bigsky!
Better, thanks
Had a runny nose for a couple of days, some coughing and fatigue. Then started feeling better but my senses of taste and smell took very brief vacations. (Missing a sense of taste is a very strange feeling. I could tell the texture of the food but nothing else.)
I’m pretty much back to normal and my quarantine time has ended, but I’m still hesitant about going out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Darrell KSR
Thoughts and prayers, my friend.Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsky
Glad you're doing better. Keep it up.Quote:
Originally Posted by UKFlounder
Prayers to everyone here that is still fighting the red flu in one way or another.
I know what Nidavellir is, but even Mjolnir probably wont' help against viruses. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by dan_bgblue
UKFlounder and Bigsky, hope you guys are doing better...
Not trying to convince anyone, but as of yesterday, my 5 children, ages 21-32, including my daughter who is expecting twins (I can say that now), my wife and I, and my son-in-law, all have our booster shots. My daughter is a pediatric oncologist nurse practitioner, her husband a pediatric cardiology pharmacist, and my middle daughter spent a stint as a Covid-ICU nurse for the entire 2020 year (and is one semester away from her master's in nurse educator degree), so we feel comfortable with our decisions.
Per guidance from Pedro, our 21-year old son took it easy (in fact, he *was* sedentary lol) since getting his booster last week.
My 29 year old son and I cross-vaccinated, with two Pfizer shots followed by Moderna. My 32-year old daughter and her husband were 3x Moderna. The rest of us were 3x Pfizer.
I was getting more concerned about my 22-year old daughter, who lives in New York, and sometimes sees some pretty good crowds. Her booster was yesterday (it's pretty hard to find in her area in the Hudson Valley).
My only advice to everyone is to make the best decision you can for yourself and your family. Everyone is different, but just take care, please.
I did 2 regular pfizer and 1 pfizer booster, 1 pneumonia, 1 flu, 1 shingrex, and a distemper jab.
I think I am still in great shape.
https://designbump.com/wp-content/up...effries-12.jpg
Glad to hear everyone in your family got their booster! Also glad that he took/is taking it easy. A lot of good data out now that boosted mRNA vaccines are very effective at preventing infection by Omicron and even more so at preventing symptomatic outcomes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Darrell KSR
I thought I was bad with having my 3 Moderna, flu, and Hep B booster (for work).Quote:
Originally Posted by dan_bgblue
Donna tested positive with a home test today. She cant walk much because her legs feel like lead she says. Sniffles and slight congestion yesterday and today. Been in bed for most of the time since yesterday evening when her legs started to bother her. Not pain just heavily weighted down feeling.
She has continued to refuse vaccinations as has her family, including their 90 year old Father.
They were all together early yesterday.
I feel great but have had some slight symptoms for a week or so but honestly nothing I don't almost always deal with (allergies and such). I'm fully moderna'd.
We will see, as we wait for her Doc to call her back. We both still have taste and smell. As a matter of fact.."I have to eat so I can take my back pills!
https://y.yarn.co/3719c485-8d90-46e7...screenshot.jpg
Best wishes Kingcat
Thank you. Hope you all are doing fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by UKFlounder
The FDA gave EUA authorization to this pill today, meaning Pfizer can start shipping it to where it is needed. While supply will be limited through the end of the year (only 180,000 courses ready to ship) it is going to be a huge game changer as they bring more contract manufacturing online.Quote:
Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8
Thanks to Sky and others who pushed the antibodies infusion. I told Donna she needed those and she agreed. That day her lungs showed signs Of Covid, her vitals were all over the place, and she was pretty sick. After most of the day in the ER she was able to receive the infusion around 5pm. (and after much work to get it for her by the ER doctor due to the shortage)
Her breathing was scary that night and I was very concerned. I woke at five to hear her breathe without congestion and she steadily improved until the second night when her breathing duration returned to normal and her strength came back.
Before testing positive there was no way she would have agreed to it. Such a close call is a rude awakening. She is close to well and I myself tested negative last night. That after a week completely exposed to her bout with Covid without personal isolation. We’ll test her again in a day or two.
Vaccines work. Prayer makes vaccines work better.
Thanks for the good update, kingcat. I have been concerned for my friends here since Keith. There is good info here on our board thanks to The Great One. I urge everyone to read and follow. The antibody infusion worked very much like that for me.
Also, I can report to Dan that I am closer to my “ideal weight” due to 2 weeks of covid and my previous chemo. My strength and stamina is far from ideal. Practically non-existent. I have a warm house and friends looking out for me including shoveling snow and dropping off groceries. These are the blessings of community. So are you all on here, a community.
That is great news kingcat. I am tremendously thankful that your wife decided not to push her limits any further than she did and that she had a doctor that worked hard on her behalf to get her the treatment she needed to survive.
bigsky, it is a blessing to have friends in the community that care enough about you that they will share their time and efforts with you. That is a rotten way to achieve a weight loss, but as you know it does work.:puke: