2019–20 Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) Thread

[rockstaryuzu]

3 hours ago, hananistellata said:

I have a follow-up question. Over time, will COVID get less and less dangerous? I heard that people back in the day could even die if they got the flu but of course that doesn't happen anymore (unless there is some kind of extreme case). Will COVID end up as something like a minor flu with no long-lasting after effects at one point? Another additional question, does the immunity from the COVID vaccines last for a specific amount of time or will I remain immune forever after I get vaccinated?

Those are questions we don't have the answers to, yet. 

[barbara]

6 minutes ago, hananistellata said:

To be honest I think this pandemic will have a really huge impact on my future life and habbits, I don't think it will ever be easy for me to take my mask off again even after things quiet down.

Give time time.

[rockstaryuzu]

39 minutes ago, hananistellata said:

To be honest I think this pandemic will have a really huge impact on my future life and habbits, I don't think it will ever be easy for me to take my mask off again even after things quiet down.

Understandable but revisit that statement in another year and see how you feel. 

 

I will probably always wear a mask whenever I have a cough or cold, going forward, but I'm choosing to look at it as having learned a socially responsible new habit, instead of as an unwanted life change. 

[Kadova]

On 7/7/2021 at 6:55 PM, hananistellata said:

I have a follow-up question. Over time, will COVID get less and less dangerous? I heard that people back in the day could even die if they got the flu but of course that doesn't happen anymore (unless there is some kind of extreme case). Will COVID end up as something like a minor flu with no long-lasting after effects at one point? Another additional question, does the immunity from the COVID vaccines last for a specific amount of time or will I remain immune forever after I get vaccinated?

 

This virus mutates twice per month from the beginning. Each variant is more contagious than the previous one. That does not make it more dangerous, that makes it easier to catch. Of course, nobody can predict what the next variant will look like. This is why vaccination is very important.

At the present level of knowledge we have, the Pfizer Bio n Tech vaccin is lasting 6 months minimum and we may need a third dose. Then, we may need a dose each year or only an annual dose for the at-risk groups only. We're still learning because this vaccin, like the Moderna one, was made with a different technology.

 

PS: the virus giving the flu is completely different from the coronavirus and it belongs to a different family (influenza viruses). Anything we know about the flu has zero interest in trying to understand the coronavirus.

[barbara]

2 hours ago, Kadova said:

 

This virus mutates twice per month from the beginning. Each variant is more contagious than the previous one. That does not make it more dangerous, that makes it easier to catch. Of course, nobody can predict what the next variant will look like. This is why vaccination is very important.

At the present level of knowledge we have, the Pfizer Bio n Tech vaccin is lasting 6 months minimum and we may need a third dose. Then, we may need a dose each year or only an annual dose for the at-risk groups only. We're still learning because this vaccin, like the Moderna one, was made with a different technology.

 

PS: the virus giving the flu is completely different from the coronavirus and it belongs to a different family (influenza viruses). Anything we know about the flu has zero interest in trying to understand the coronavirus.

You are right - except that Pfizer and Moderna both use an mRNA "messenger" (and this technology was developed decades ago) while the J+J is a viral vector vaccine. None have a live virus in their makeup. AstraZeneca uses adenovirus-vectored technology, which is similar to using a cold virus.  Novavax uses yet another technology.  As far as I know, any of these vaccines will help you NOT catch the virus, including the variants.  Yes, we may end up needing a booster shot, but I get a flu shot every year anyway.  This is a virus (as is the flu) so a booster might be anticipated.  There are some viruses that require only the first series of vaccinations (measles, for instance).  I don't think the research (or the virus) has gotten far enough along yet for researchers to say, with any type of certainty, if and when a booster of any of the vaccines will be suggested.  But a booster is better than getting sick. (And there are seven known types of coronavirus - one of them that is a called a flu, the HongKing flu.)

[rockstaryuzu]

So today the mayor finally lifted the 15-month-long COVID state of emergency in my city. Mask mandates and social distancing remain in place, but we're down to less than 25 active cases in the city and the daily new case tally has been in the low single digits for a while. 

 

I'm still very nervous about variants and what's going to happen as we open back up, because there's a stubbornly resistant core of the population who have simply been acting like COVID isn't their problem (even though they're the most likely group to catch it) and the potential is there for a fresh flare-up. However, hopefully we've all learned the lessons of the pandemic well enough to stay cautious and we won't have any further outbreaks. 

[river]

Edit: Deleted. It was a rant that I needed to get off my chest, but isn't particularly helpful to the long-term conversation. Nor was it fair to people who are still open to discussion about being vaccinated.

[barbara]

1 hour ago, river said:

Edit: Deleted. It was a rant that I needed to get off my chest, but isn't particularly helpful to the long-term conversation. Nor was it fair to people who are still open to discussion about being vaccinated.

It worries me, as well.  Hugely.  I was glad to hear last night that the President pointed out that the mRNA vaccines are NOT new but have been tested and researched for 30 years.  One of the sort of valid objections to the vaccine is that it is "new" - but if those people were fully informed, we'd have a lot more luck getting them vaccinated.  No hope for the deniers, but for those truly looking for assurance, there is information they can use.

[river]

23 minutes ago, barbara said:

It worries me, as well.  Hugely.  I was glad to hear last night that the President pointed out that the mRNA vaccines are NOT new but have been tested and researched for 30 years.  One of the sort of valid objections to the vaccine is that it is "new" - but if those people were fully informed, we'd have a lot more luck getting them vaccinated.  No hope for the deniers, but for those truly looking for assurance, there is information they can use.

 

Yes. I talked to someone yesterday whose concern was the technology being new. Once we talked about how mRNA vaccine technology has been in the works since SARS-CoV-1 in 2002, she was much more open to getting vaccinated. There are still people choosing to be vaccinated, but fewer than we used to see.

[rockstaryuzu]

Useful ammunition in the fight to convince anti-vaxxers to just get the needle, already:

 

The most stunning one, to me, is the 4th one, that charts reported cases vs fatalities. 

 

 

[barbara]

Loved this cartoon - I don't know what to do to convince the never-vaxers, but this might help the "merely hesitant" group.

https://twitter.com/DearPandemic/status/1378771039858069504/photo/1

[Kadova]

On 7/15/2021 at 10:27 PM, barbara said:

You are right - except that Pfizer and Moderna both use an mRNA "messenger" (and this technology was developed decades ago) while the J+J is a viral vector vaccine. None have a live virus in their makeup. AstraZeneca uses adenovirus-vectored technology, which is similar to using a cold virus.  Novavax uses yet another technology.  As far as I know, any of these vaccines will help you NOT catch the virus, including the variants.  Yes, we may end up needing a booster shot, but I get a flu shot every year anyway.  This is a virus (as is the flu) so a booster might be anticipated.  There are some viruses that require only the first series of vaccinations (measles, for instance).  I don't think the research (or the virus) has gotten far enough along yet for researchers to say, with any type of certainty, if and when a booster of any of the vaccines will be suggested.  But a booster is better than getting sick. (And there are seven known types of coronavirus - one of them that is a called a flu, the HongKing flu.)

I agree. I did not know the HongKing flu but I would say it's a confusing name. Yes, the technology per se exists for along time. I may not be aware of everything, I believe these 2 vaccines are the first vaccines produced with a mRNA?

[Kadova]

17 hours ago, barbara said:

Loved this cartoon - I don't know what to do to convince the never-vaxers, but this might help the "merely hesitant" group.

https://twitter.com/DearPandemic/status/1378771039858069504/photo/1

I'm old enough to have got the smallpox vaccine myself when i was a child 

[rockstaryuzu]

48 minutes ago, Kadova said:

I agree. I did not know the HongKing flu but I would say it's a confusing name. Yes, the technology per se exists for along time. I may not be aware of everything, I believe these 2 vaccines are the first vaccines produced with a mRNA?

They're not the first ones produced ever. Research versions of mRNA vaccines have been tried for rabies, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and Zika. But the COVID ones are the first to be commercially produced for widespread use.

[rockstaryuzu]

On 8/4/2021 at 6:49 PM, hananistellata said:

I forgot to mention it here but on July 31st I finally got my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine!!  My arm hurt for the first two days but thankfully no other side effects. Can't wait for the second one!  

I finally see this a month later 

 

Congrats! Feels good, doesn't it?

 

My mother the virus conspiracy theorist anti-vaxxer got her second dose of Moderna two days ago! I would say that I'm pleased, but really I am just relieved. Delta is on the rise here so now is no time to be unvaccinated. 

 

My 12 year old niece just became eligible and got her first dose too. Little by little,  things get better...

 

Now I'm  just worried about my brother's kids, who are 2 and 5 and still to young to get the vax... definitely don't want them getting sick.