Re: Coronavirus
 

There is a reason we now prefer to vaccinate instead. ;)

I had most of those vaccines as a child, except chicken pox, the vaccine was not yet available, so I had to go through the suffering of chicken pox, I got it real bad, it was not fun, I am so glad I didn't have to experience measles and others.

And thankfully small pox was largely eradicated by the time I was born, (eradicated in US in 1972, and worldwide in 1980 something, I was born in 1979) and US had largely stopped doing routine small pox vaccination in 1972/1973 time frame.

Re: Coronavirus
 

If all goes to plan, BC hoping that everyone who wants the vaccine will have received it by Sept 2021.

""As long as the vaccine continues to come in, as long as the safety and the effectiveness is good … we hope to have everybody done by September of next year," Henry said."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...lout-1.5827905

Looks like they are aiming for the general population in April and will concentrate on high risk individuals first, including patients in LTC homes.

"By April, the number of available doses is expected to be high enough that vaccines will begin to be available more widely. "

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...ec-3-1.5827466


Acute care beds are currently 87.8 per cent occupied which is actually an improvement over last year at this time when it was over 100%.

Re: Coronavirus
 

San Francisco Bay Area issues stay-at-home order for nearly 6 million people :ohmy:

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...a-15774181.php

Re: Coronavirus
 

It's getting ugly in California at the moment it seems. And California didn't exactly ignore the virus and carry on like other states did, but its a losing battle when someone can fly to/from the careless states who did little. They haven't even let Disneyland open back up, it's been closed since March, and the city of Anaheim is on the brink of financial collapse as they rely very heavily on Disneyland for their tax revenue, and Disney is also the single largest employer in the city, + all the indirect jobs lost in surrounding hotels, restaurants, shuttles, and such.

My mom is getting a bit worried, she would rather not keep going to work (casino) and being around people coming and going from who knows where, but as it's on native land, state and county rules don't apply. But they do test employees 2 times per week.

I am actually kind of surprised between my mom working, my nephew working 2 public facing jobs, and her husband working in public facing job, that none of them have gotten sick. My mom is very high risk, chances are she would not recover, I have contemplated just going back this month to visit, as a just in case, but its probably too much risk at this point, but then if I drove, slept in the car, probably pretty low risk, but then hotels are likely not a good place to be right now there.....

Re: Coronavirus
 

I had no idea that casinos on the 'reserve' were still open in California. I can't think of a worse place to be right now for high risk folk. There must be some really good safety protocols going on if people aren't getting sick. That is good news I guess.

That's a tough call regarding visiting your Mum. If I had the option of driving 17hrs to see my folks for a few days over Christmas, I'd be gone in a heart beat. I'm pretty healthy so I would take the risk of travelling down there but get tested before hugging them.

Re: Coronavirus
 

My mom's casino is, can vary by tribe though as each tribe has differing rules and regulations.

The tribes are a nation within a state which is why the casinos can exist in a state where most forms of gambling is illegal.

Re: Coronavirus
 

BC as of today has had 492 deaths. March to September 4 there was a total of 211 deaths, Sept 5th until today 281 deaths.

11 more deaths today, 711 new cases. 338 in hospital up 37 from 1 week ago.

Still seeing a significant surge in community transmission and once again asking people to follow the health officers orders.

A survey done in BC (395,000 people surveyed.) found families with kids and adults 18-29 hardest hit socioeconomically.

While ages 70 and older hardest hit health-wise, younger adults and parents of young children reported the most severe economic, mental and emotional toll.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...ases-1.5829303

Re: Coronavirus
 

I also think it should be agreed upon that in order to make the vaccination more popular incentives should be offered. The problem will also be, if there are no incentives nobody would take the vaccine. To me the most important incentive would be eliminating quarantine. However this kind of discussion hasn't even arrived in the minds of politicians and their so called "science based approaches". It'll be an interesting discussion where the "logic" will also differ greatly between country and country. For instance, I think the UK will probably respond to this more positively, and I am sure a country like Germany - because of the Nazi history - will certainly have a discussion on "discrimination" regarding individuals who refuse the vaccine.

Also looking at the number of deaths, I'd say any vaccine with a few side effects will be the better choice for more freedom and normalcy. Also when one thinks about past vaccine developments, like smallpox, the side effects were back then way worse and the vaccine was mandatory in many countries.

Re: Coronavirus
 

BC has already said it wont be mandatory, and hopefully enough will get the vaccine to make a difference.

Re: Coronavirus
 

If there is the requirement to transport and store the vaccine at minus 70 degrees Celsius, one can easily guess that there is considerable cost attached to this activity, and vaccinating as many as possibly during a short period of time will certainly cut cost.

In the end, it will be more a distribution challenge than anything else. Same as hunger in the world, they say, it's not a matter of feeding the whole world, but distributing to the whole world.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Canada expects only 4 million Pfizer vaccines in the first 3 months, but between Pfizer and Moderna and others, they are hoping by September everyone who wanted a vaccine will have gotten it, but this relies on supplies not slowing down/stopping, or issues arising, so timeline is fluid.

BC plans to unveil its plans next week sometime on distributing it.

Easiest way would to set up centralized vaccine centers, wont require as difficult distribution, easier to send to central points than to who knows how many doctors offices and pharmacies.

My guess-

LTC residents & employees
Other healthcare workers
other high risk groups
general population adults


( i don't know if the vaccines are/will be approved for children or not)

Re: Coronavirus
 

I would sadly have to guess that any European country will do a better job than Canada on this, the UK and Germany most likely the best countries dealing with the vaccination programme. This in mind that supply doesn't run out and production and logistics are working smoothly. However I am aware that Canada has the vast landmass and the low population density to deal with which will be an unfair disadvantage from a logistical point of view.

Canada also doesn't have any production facilities known to me, that would mean the US would always be first on this. Maybe the National Research Council can produce, but I doubt that for the Covid 19 vaccine.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Something that hasn't been discussed on here or on the news much recently is the possibility of the virus mutating and either rendering vaccines ineffective or less potent. I give it the same consideration I do for the annual flu shot; never mind and shoot me up anyway. At least I'll be doing what I can. Just as initial information about the virus kept changing and dictating changes in our response, I think we can expect more detours and roadblocks in the coming year. When a problem arises with the vaccine, science will work it out, and when a problem arises with the logistics of distribution and vaccination, the government will deal with it.

Re: Coronavirus
 

i am guessing that the vaccine won't solve things immediately. Strictly mathematically speaking the whole of the UK could be vaccinated by May, if supply and logistics and also manpower is there. I wouldn't worry so much about the mutation but other viruses, like MERS for instance. And I am sure, Canada will have another excuse for keeping the quarantine obligation alive through the whole year of 2021.

Re: Coronavirus
 

That likely depends on whether or not healthcare facilities can cope or not. If Covid patients swamp ICU space and cause deaths due to other treatments being sidelined, as they are doing now, it will probably continue.