COVID-19 vaccine discussion

21 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Alex Berenson seems like he sucks.

Since The University of Texas has a major hand in the research, mapping, and stabilizing of the SAR-COV2 spike protein that these mRNA vaccines get your cells to produce in order to elicit an immune response I say that fuck is a full on limp dick Looch.  

I helped 900 people get vaccinated today at Gregory gym. Best volunteer work ever. Can’t wait to help more next week. Hook’em 

Increase of about 6000 from last week.

 

Increase of about 6000 from last week.
 

Texas has 254 counties. So, almost 100 counties will be getting 0 doses next week.

3 hours ago, NAVY said:

I helped 900 people get vaccinated today at Gregory gym. Best volunteer work ever. Can’t wait to help more next week. Hook’em 

Dude this is awesome. You posted awhile back saying you were going to do something, and you’ve done it. Very inspiring. Awesome. 

Apologies if this is duplicate...but felt the need to share. This is a great opportunity to volunteer, and get a vaccine. My wife and I both did this last week and they work you pretty hard. It's clear to me that they could not distribute the 3k vaccines daily without the ~100 volunteers...and as an added gesture, they give the volunteers a shot to reward the hard work and to keep the machine going.

If you can make the time, I highly recommend it. They release each week's available signup on Saturdays at 5pm. If interested, you need to be online at 4:55 and refreshing at a rapid pace. I think we saw the week's slots go in about 4-5 minutes last week. Good luck, Surly.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4fa5a723a0f49-volunteer

 

Not sure if intentional, but vitamin D cult’s time in the sun is pretty good.

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

 

Who is that person, and why did you post that tweet?

1 minute ago, XYZ said:

Who is that person, and why did you post that tweet?

And what does he have against Vitamin D?

59 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

 

Comedian and cardiologist with laudy credentials. Maybe he has a good grasp on Covid but I seriously doubt it. He has a platform and gets to shoot his mouth off and get a few retweets.

First problem is he creates a false equivalency. Vaccine and autism is so incredibly debunked only the most fervent adherents still bunker up and hold to the "truth". Flat earther type stuff.  Just using it in the tweet is taking supplement supporters into the same radical category. Is there a lot of crossover in those belief groups? Probably. But a "scientist" shouldn't use this falacial logic.

The second problem is labels and groups. Use of the word "truthers" conjures up Obama birth conspiracy and QAnon comparisons.  He has now grouped supplement supporters with anti-vaxxers and far right conspiracy adherents. He gives himself some wiggle room by using the "people who think .... solve all ills". He doesn't back himself completely into the corner with that statement. 

The problem with his statement is that research does suggest Vitamin D levels and supplementation may play a significant role in Covid morbidity and mortality. The correlation is consistent. And there are studies to suggest supplementation can mitigate (not cure) Covid severe disease. It's not completely settled but consensus is moving that direction. There are multiple papers that support these findings. Unfortunately, Vitamin D appears to be needed prior to infection. High doses when you start feeling sick are likely not going to help. This also appears to be supported in research.  I could link up a couple of dozen of articles from good journals on this topic. And as any critical thinking physician will tell you, there will be a myriad of things we can do to prevent or treat Covid.

Supplementation is a tricky subject and overwhelmingly does not show to create massive health benefits. I was a strong supporter of supplemental Vitamin D years ago for some osteoporosis work I do but good data has shown it is largely ineffective in 95% of cases. I have backed off my strong support accordingly.  I pretty much shrug my shoulders when patients ask about multi-vitamins for their families. It is hard to be vitamin and mineral deficient in our country if you any sort of fortified or natural foods. And studies that show us that Zinc and Vitamin C don't do much if anything for Covid.

You post pretty good stuff but IMO, Dr. Francis' tweet was unbecoming of a physician. He could have gotten his point across without going Bill Maher.

Dude.  It was a pun.

The vitamin D cult is not new, this is just their time in the sun

31 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

Not sure if intentional, but vitamin D cult’s time in the sun is pretty good.

COVID-19 pandemic is absolutely killing sense of humor.  

41 minutes ago, South Austin said:

And what does he have against Vitamin D?

We all know one person who just can't get enough of the Vitamin D. 

Edited February 13, 2021 by Anastasis
gdit

On one hand this weather is going to slow down vaccinations across the State.  But on the other, if people actually stay their ass at home and bunker down, spread should decrease significantly.  Probably a net win assuming vax centers can ramp back up and make up for lost time over the course of the following week or so.

17 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Dude.  It was a pun.

The vitamin D cult is not new, this is just their time in the sun

That's not a pun. 

On one hand this weather is going to slow down vaccinations across the State.  But on the other, if people actually stay their ass at home and bunker down, spread should decrease significantly.  Probably a net win assuming vax centers can ramp back up and make up for lost time over the course of the following week or so.

My first shot is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. It better not be canceled.

My wife is supposed to get her 2nd on Wednesday.  Haven't heard anything yet on what our hub's plans are for the weather.  I am guessing they aren't going to cancel unless they have to.

24 minutes ago, Deej said:

That's not a pun. 

27 minutes ago, Deej said:

That's not a pun. 

It’s more like rain on your wedding day.

Dumb question alert. How does one prove obesity in order to be in Group 1B? Do you get a specific note from you doctor or is this something on your physical? 

BTW this is not for me. I’m an Adonis who benches 300 lbs and runs a 4.4 40. 

8 hours ago, Izhmash said:

Apologies if this is duplicate...but felt the need to share. This is a great opportunity to volunteer, and get a vaccine. My wife and I both did this last week and they work you pretty hard. It's clear to me that they could not distribute the 3k vaccines daily without the ~100 volunteers...and as an added gesture, they give the volunteers a shot to reward the hard work and to keep the machine going.

If you can make the time, I highly recommend it. They release each week's available signup on Saturdays at 5pm. If interested, you need to be online at 4:55 and refreshing at a rapid pace. I think we saw the week's slots go in about 4-5 minutes last week. Good luck, Surly.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4fa5a723a0f49-volunteer

That sounds more like bartering than volunteering.

Bernard

5 minutes ago, 3adays said:

Dumb question alert. How does one prove obesity in order to be in Group 1B? Do you get a specific note from you doctor or is this something on your physical? 

BTW this is not for me. I’m an Adonis who benches 300 lbs and runs a 4.4 40. 

All Phase 1B eligibility is based on the honor system. No checks at all.

Phase 1B obesity in Texas is BMI>30. You can always bring a scale if you’re concerned about having proof.

Bernard   

At 6’ 3” 250 lbs., Vernon Davis qualifies for Phase 1B Texas based on his BMI.

Bernard

 

I am not quite that scuplted.

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

Dude.  It was a pun.

Like I said, he’s a comedian. I don’t find his humor funny. It was a tongue in cheek smart ass high school remark.

25 minutes ago, Bernard said:

At 6’ 3” 250 lbs., Vernon Davis qualifies for Phase 1B Texas based on his BMI.

Bernard

 

Do you even lift bro?

At 6’ 3” 250 lbs., Vernon Davis qualifies for Phase 1B Texas based on his BMI.
Bernard
 

That makes sense, he and I are similarly built.

52 minutes ago, Bernard said:

All Phase 1B eligibility is based on the honor system. No checks at all.

Phase 1B obesity in Texas is BMI>30. You can always bring a scale if you’re concerned about having proof.

Bernard   

Don't forget the stadiometer.  And shoes off because that will help boost the calculation.

47 minutes ago, Bernard said:

At 6’ 3” 250 lbs., Vernon Davis qualifies for Phase 1B Texas based on his BMI.

Bernard

 

MOAR!!!

/SubliminalHorn

Comedian and cardiologist with laudy credentials. Maybe he has a good grasp on Covid but I seriously doubt it. He has a platform and gets to shoot his mouth off and get a few retweets.
First problem is he creates a false equivalency. Vaccine and autism is so incredibly debunked only the most fervent adherents still bunker up and hold to the "truth". Flat earther type stuff.  Just using it in the tweet is taking supplement supporters into the same radical category. Is there a lot of crossover in those belief groups? Probably. But a "scientist" shouldn't use this falacial logic.
The second problem is labels and groups. Use of the word "truthers" conjures up Obama birth conspiracy and QAnon comparisons.  He has now grouped supplement supporters with anti-vaxxers and far right conspiracy adherents. He gives himself some wiggle room by using the "people who think .... solve all ills". He doesn't back himself completely into the corner with that statement. 
The problem with his statement is that research does suggest Vitamin D levels and supplementation may play a significant role in Covid morbidity and mortality. The correlation is consistent. And there are studies to suggest supplementation can mitigate (not cure) Covid severe disease. It's not completely settled but consensus is moving that direction. There are multiple papers that support these findings. Unfortunately, Vitamin D appears to be needed prior to infection. High doses when you start feeling sick are likely not going to help. This also appears to be supported in research.  I could link up a couple of dozen of articles from good journals on this topic. And as any critical thinking physician will tell you, there will be a myriad of things we can do to prevent or treat Covid.
Supplementation is a tricky subject and overwhelmingly does not show to create massive health benefits. I was a strong supporter of supplemental Vitamin D years ago for some osteoporosis work I do but good data has shown it is largely ineffective in 95% of cases. I have backed off my strong support accordingly.  I pretty much shrug my shoulders when patients ask about multi-vitamins for their families. It is hard to be vitamin and mineral deficient in our country if you any sort of fortified or natural foods. And studies that show us that Zinc and Vitamin C don't do much if anything for Covid.
You post pretty good stuff but IMO, Dr. Francis' tweet was unbecoming of a physician. He could have gotten his point across without going Bill Maher.

6 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

My first shot is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. It better not be canceled.

If it's scheduled at HEB, they won't cancel it. At worst it will automatically get rescheduled and you'll get notified. 

 

My wife's shot got rescheduled from Wednesday to next Monday.  Glad they did that so we know already.

Interdasting...

 

Wtf does that mean?

10 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Wtf does that mean?

A new phase II study from Moderna shows that half-doses (50 μg) appear to be as good as full doses (100 ug) at generating correlates of protection such as neutralizing antibodies.

My TUE appointment was cancelled but they are rescheduling it for late this week or next.

On 2/10/2021 at 12:08 PM, SubliminalHorn said:

Sounds hot. Fun fact, werewolf is a subcategory of gay men like twink or bear

I'm not googling any of those terms.

59 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Wtf does that mean?

In theory, if neutralizing AB is a strong correlate of protection (I don't know that it necessarily is?), that would mean that we could half the dose of the MRNA vax therefore doubling the supply. 

So the obvious question is how did they arrive at the current dosage?  It seems to me that they would have titrated to an appropriate dosage before they got to full clinical trials.  /notadoctor

52 minutes ago, WBT said:

So the obvious question is how did they arrive at the current dosage?  It seems to me that they would have titrated to an appropriate dosage before they got to full clinical trials.  /notadoctor

Phase I studies determine safety profile and dosage.

Some milestones:

• Over 1/8th of Texans over 16 have had a first shot
• About 1/3rd of Texans over 65 have had a first shot

Senior Texans are still tracking to be 50% first shots around March 6th and 100% first shots around May 1st.  They are still getting about half the vaccine statewide.  It will be interesting to see at what point the senior curve starts to flatten; so far it's a straight line.

The date for Texans over 16 has pulled in a bit, now June 18th for 50% first shots and Dec 1st for 100% first shots.

Travis Co is not doing as well as the statewide numbers.  Seniors are getting a lower share of vaccine and Travis Co is overall about a week behind the state averages.  Travis Co has fallen a week behind in a month of giving shots, so the 50% and 100% numbers are pushing way out.  Travis Co could use additional allocations, either more to UT (Dell Med) or an additional vaccination site for APH, or give vax to local pharmacies.

 

50 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

Some milestones:

• Over 1/8th of Texans over 16 have had a first shot
• About 1/3rd of Texans over 65 have had a first shot

Senior Texans are still tracking to be 50% first shots around March 6th and 100% first shots around May 1st.  They are still getting about half the vaccine statewide.  It will be interesting to see at what point the senior curve starts to flatten; so far it's a straight line.

The date for Texans over 16 has pulled in a bit, now June 18th for 50% first shots and Dec 1st for 100% first shots.

Travis Co is not doing as well as the statewide numbers.  Seniors are getting a lower share of vaccine and Travis Co is overall about a week behind the state averages.  Travis Co has fallen a week behind in a month of giving shots, so the 50% and 100% numbers are pushing way out.  Travis Co could use additional allocations, either more to UT (Dell Med) or an additional vaccination site for APH, or give vax to local pharmacies.

 

Fuck that. If Travis county isn’t getting them into arms then they don’t deserve more allocation. Give that shit to people who are handling their business. 

21 minutes ago, 4HE said:

Fuck that. If Travis county isn’t getting them into arms then they don’t deserve more allocation. Give that shit to people who are handling their business. 

I am pretty sure they are getting rid of their shots.  I don't think they have enough allocation to service the area at the same rate that other areas of Texas are getting shots.

6 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

I am pretty sure they are getting rid of their shots.  I don't think they have enough allocation to service the area at the same rate that other areas of Texas are getting shots.

Ah. If that’s the case the Travis county reps need to lean on DSHS like every other state politician is doing. 

I am pretty sure they are getting rid of their shots.  I don't think they have enough allocation to service the area at the same rate that other areas of Texas are getting shots.

APH has been getting about 12k first doses per week for the past couple of weeks.

They're posting how many of those first doses go into arms. The first week, they fell 4k short of the 12k. Second week, 1k+ short. Or there'll be a huge data dump in a few weeks with some curious stats.

APH needs to turn over some of their allocation to HEB and other local pharmacies if they can't hit the 12k mark.

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/3dc1bcbae3ac419d82b127aa2cdc2a51

3 minutes ago, smoky said:

APH has been getting about 12k first doses per week for the past couple of weeks.

They're posting how many of those first doses go into arms. The first week, they fell 4k short of the 12k. Second week, 1k+ short. Or there'll be a huge data dump in a few weeks with some curious stats.

APH needs to turn over some of their allocation to HEB and other local pharmacies if they can't hit the 12k mark.

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/3dc1bcbae3ac419d82b127aa2cdc2a51

 

Interesting, I stand corrected...  Right now they show 1000 first shots in inventory, I was going on that.  They really need to be aiming for the 5k mark per day county wide for first shots, for all of the hubs in the county -- 35k first shots per week.  A capacity of 10k shots per day.  However you get there, hubs, HEB, whatever.

35k first shots per week gets you to 100% of the over 16 population in Travis Co in 30 weeks from when you started, which is around August or so.  Right now Travis Co has a seven day average of 1841 per day, or about 12,900 per week.  They need to double or triple capacity and hope that the vaccine supplies increase, and be ready when they do.

 

Any info on Moderna efficacy against the South African variant?

Any info on Moderna efficacy against the South African variant?

No real world definitive example but lab studies seem to indicate that there’s a drop in antibodies, but not to the point that it isn’t protective. So you could see a slight drop in efficacy but it’s far from neutered. And likely still very protective in terms of severe disease.