This is not good:
Attachment 9858
https://twitter.com/ashishkjha/statu...60144735645702
Faster, please.
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This is not good:
Attachment 9858
https://twitter.com/ashishkjha/statu...60144735645702
Faster, please.
No, it's not, but I was afraid to read past those 4 words, and relieved that it was just going more slowly than expected. We need it to go well, and swiftly, but well especially.Quote:
Originally Posted by KSRBEvans
In terms of vaccination doses/100 people, the US (0.64/100) has vaccinated about half the number of the UK (1.18/100) and almost 1/9 the number of Israel (5.68/100).
https://twitter.com/Birdyword/status...352128/photo/1
Hurry up already.
No one has returned my calls asking for my dose
Meanwhile, we have this nonsense:
https://www.wlky.com/article/at-risk...ublic/35084999Quote:
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
A Louisville woman received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine after a handful were made available to the general public at a Walgreens.
Julie Dryden said she received a text from a friend on Christmas Eve alerting her that the Walgreens on Lime Kiln Lane was offering around a dozen doses of the vaccine to people in the store. Dryden and her husband rushed there and found out it was true.
"And so they were like, 'We've got two left, one, two,' and I was the last person," Dryden said.
Maybe we should all start hanging out in drug stores on the off chance they have a few spare doses laying around.
That has to be a joke, right? Are you sure that's not The Onion?Quote:
Originally Posted by KSRBEvans
I had an appointment with my ophthalmologist yesterday. I joked with him that I was trying to make sure I kept my BMI above 30 so that I might have a factor that would improve my chances of receiving the vaccination early. He looked at me in all seriousness and said he would do it, too, if he didn't already have access to the first batch. He asked me if he should call my wife and ask her to make sure she bakes more desserts for me. I told him I had that part covered.
I'm going to take a minute here, because I consider everybody that's part of this board a friend and I care for my friends. I know that some of my friends have different opinions than I do, and I am not going to get on a soapbox and try to change their minds. But as someone who has lost a 54-year-old family member to Covid, who has a daughter who treated those suffering from Covid of all ages, and who has often been the last face that those patients have seen in the world, please consider being vaccinated as soon as it is available to you.
For several months my daughter has advised me of their patients who were discharged from ICU, successfully, but had continuing, lingering problems for months. I now learned that there have been worldwide instances of psychosis developed from mild cases of Covid where they believe the body's immune response produced neurotoxins that continue to attack their own brain. These are healthy individuals in their 30s, 40s in which Covid was no big deal for them, until several months later when they experience something similar to schizophrenia and dementia. The interesting thing is that they were aware of their mental decline, unlike those suffering from schizophrenia and dementia. Anyway, there are things that we are still learning about the disease, and none of it is good.
As I have discussed with friends, we all have to weigh our risks in everyday life. I probably drive faster than a lot of people. I'm sure my eating habits are not the best. I am suggesting, however, that none of us should be taking unreasonable risks, and the light is at the end of this tunnel, and we can see it. It's frustrating, it's taking longer than we want, and we want to live our lives. But it's coming.
Be safe, everyone.
Well said Darrell! You and I are very much in alignment when it comes to vaccination. There are a lot worse things than death both in life and with this virus.
That being said, I’ll get on a soapbox (without getting political)!
As you state, we all weigh our risks. Nothing (at least in this physical realm) is perfect. For example, seatbelts aren’t perfect at preventing death in an accident, but they do dramatically reduce your risk of injury and death in an accident. At this point, I doubt anyone still believes that not wearing them is better than wearing them for almost all normal situations encountered in a vehicle. Similarly, double layer cloth masks are not perfectly effective at preventing infection, but they do a good job of dramatically reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and even greater job at preventing severe infections. This virus spreads almost entirely via airborne droplet dispersion with very small percentages of infection occurring via surface contact and/or true airborne (non-droplet) infection. Because almost all of the viral spread occurs via droplet dispersion, a standard double layer cotton cloth mask reduces your risk of infection by around 70%-80%.
I also understand that human beings (as a whole) are social creatures. For most of us, it is extremely difficult to do without face-to-face social interaction; not meeting with others carries its own risks of mental impacts. As such, mitigate your risks: wear a mask when you are outside your home, clean your mask regularly, keep your distance from others, keep meetings with others truly outdoors if possible (ideally two walls maximum on a tent, a heater is fine), and limit the numbers of DIFFERENT people you meet over a two-week period (the fewer branches a node has the slower the virus spreads).
Quick aside about N95 masks: Most people assume that an N95 mask is the only option because it is the gold standard. The truth is that real N95 masks can be VERY uncomfortable to wear long term (10x worse than a cloth mask). Additionally, most of the public has never been properly fitted for an N95 mask nor knows how to wear/remove them properly. Because of this, they end up compromising the effectiveness of the mask, rendering them AT BEST only as good as a double layer cloth mask and often times much worse (despite being way less comfortable).
*Steps off soapbox*
I wanted to give some context to this statement:
These chemicals are called cytokines and aren't neurotoxins per se; they are molecules which the immune system uses to induce inflammation. On their own cytokines and the inflammation they induce are highly beneficial. For example, when you have an active infection in one part of the body, you want this inflammation to bring immune cells from around the body to come fight this infection and swelling to restrict blood flow away from the site to prevent it from spreading. Cytokines only become a problem when the amount produced becomes so large (as with an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection) that they spread throughout the body in high amounts. This triggers a broad scale inflammation responses throughout the entire body. Something which your body (especially your brain) isn't designed to handle. These wide spread inflammation response can wreak havoc with all sorts of biological pathways. Even worse, these molecules can actually preclude some of the other immunological pathways from functioning properly, preventing the immune system from properly fighting the virus.Quote:
Originally Posted by Darrell KSR
Oddly enough, this cytokine response is the reason for the random occasional news stories about Vitamin D and COVID-19. Interestingly, one of the functions of Vitamin D is to down regulate the production of cytokines (via a complex immunological pathway). We have seen some statistically significant data indicating that patients with low serum Vitamin D levels are significantly more likely to become infected and to experience a severe case of the disease. There is still a lot of research to be done on this topic, as low Vitamin D levels are not uncommon, but it does appear likely that increased Vitamin D levels do provide at least some protective benefit.
Just visited with an 81 year old man who received his vaccination at Walgreens. A nursing home had returned (or whatever) two injections which were not used and while he was in Walgreens they offered the injection because of his health situation and age.
A real nice fellow who was very happy to have luckily received it.
A second time today I have really wanted a "Like" button. Awesome information.Quote:
Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8
Thanks, Pedro.
Pedro, can I pick your brain? Would you (or anyone else) have any insight into what is the best option for a Vitamin D supplement.
I am low on D and on B12. I take both, but both are (from what I've read) hard to take as a supplement and translate into actual improved levels. I got a prescription for both at one time, but now I have to go back in for blood work to get another one.
It's amazing what you can get without question and what they want you tested to give you. I have to f-ing about beg for D and B12, but when I broke out in hives I got anti-inflammatories and other stuff with no questions asked.
just wondering if there's a decent OTC option.
FYI I just wanted to say I have read this and am trying to find some reliable info on this. It is a bit out of my expertise, other than my company makes, meaning I support the mamufacture of, a very popular Vitamin D assay for testing patients.
Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
Thanks. Would love your insights but don't want to put you out either. I know when I got a prescription for D it was just a megadose thing, but for reasons that allude me I would have to go back and get blood work over and over to get another dose. Obviously something OTC would be more convenient, but it needs to be absorbed.
I could also go outside I suppose, and I would, but in January in Lexington I doubt it will do a lot of good.
Thoughts on someone with a seafood and tomato allergy? Severe seasonal allergies as well. Obviously, I'll talk to my doctor, but more opinions (information) are better. I've never had any real reactions with medicine. Some problems with anesthesia, but I think they gave me too much because I was fighting them.Quote:
Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8
Thought this was something to keep in mind as well. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5d2abfbdff.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8
The blood work is to monitor your current levels and to make sure the high doses aren't causing damage to other organs. One of those sunlamps for Season Affective Disorder typically are capable of generating some Vitamin D when going outdoors is not reasonable.Quote:
Originally Posted by CitizenBBN
To be honest, you will have a higher potential risk of adverse reaction. Right now, we just don't know for sure what is causing this allergic reaction. I would definitely work with your doctor on this. I imagine anywhere immunizing people will necessarily have an epipen on the ready but from what I hear it is NOT fun thing to go through.Quote:
Originally Posted by KentuckyWildcat
I will add the context that these numbers will occur IRRESPECTIVE of if we vaccinate or not. Just pick 10 million people, these are the numbers that will occur.Quote:
Originally Posted by Darrell KSR
Oops. I thought the context was obvious, but I realize now some might have thought it was connected.Quote:
Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8
Basically, when you hear about somebody dying after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine, guess what--people die for all kind of reasons every day. People get cancer, etc.
In other words...
10 million people who are vaccinated will have those events occur.
10 million people who are not vaccinated will have those events occur.
(I stole that from an epidemiologist I am friends with here from UAB...)
Pedro, I know it's to monitor the levels, and I get that, but the chance of a Vitamin D overdose is extremely slight, as is a b12 for that matter, my levels were severely low, and everything I read said that multiple such doses would be needed. The risk/reward of going into get blood work in the current situation versus prescribing at least a moderate dose of vitamins I can get OTC seems a clear decision. The dosages required to effectively do damage are far above what would be prescribed. I've seen research showing that 50K-100K IU/Wk didn't approach toxic levels, far beyond what I would have been prescribed.
Don't want to hijack, but when I can get prescribed muscle relaxers and pain meds for a tweaked back with no in person check up (video conference), but can't get Vitamin D and B12 in any quantity without one, I find that funny. I get the reasoning as you walk along the road, but when you look from 30,000 feet it's not really logical. Esp. during covid, when I really don't care to be going in for bloodwork right now.
I did like the video meeting though. That's the future, not having to go and check in and wait and be in the office unless really necessary. I just disagree about what is really necessary in this case.
Thanks Pedro
A lot of discussion right now as to whether they should stick with the original vaccination plan (2 doses ~ 3 weeks apart) or go with getting as many first doses in people as possible and coming back around to the 2nd dose when they can.
I'm not an epidemiologist and didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but it seems there are good arguments on both sides. What I've read has been a refreshing change from political Twitter where if anyone disagrees with you they're obviously The Devil and should be sent to a penal colony.
It seems to me that the 1 dose/2 dose question isn't especially relevant until they've ramped up vaccinations/day. They're way behind schedule on even the 2 dose strategy.
I've watched with great interest the implementation of that one vaccine plan. I think there's a lot of merit to it, but I know that I would prefer to get the full 2 doses myself, and I'm sure others would as well. I guess if I knew how long the delay would be for the masses as a whole it might push me one way or another on what they should do nation-wide.
In the meantime, of course, my state lags at the bottom in just about everything. I love Alabama, and especially Birmingham and the surrounding areas. There is so, so much good here. But man, we can screw up about anything.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3fa0604497.jpg