CR: COVID-19 --Political Talk

[jimmyjazz 46,230]

7 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

If they tell you that they need you to drop your pants so that they can admin the shot, don't do it.

I was expecting "be prepared to be handed the jar", but yours works, too.

[Brisketexan 105,445]

12 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

 

I tend to agree, but there's one really shitty hole in this system, created by the fact that none of the vaccines are approved for children: immunocompromised kids or kids with severe respiratory illnesses.  I have a friend whose son is in that group.  Because of her son's condition, she really can't expose him to risk until he's vaccinated....but no vaccine seems to be coming soon for the 10-12 year old class.  That sucks.  It would be nice if we could find some way to get an EUA for certain children, perhaps with a Dr.'s order.

[pyrohornIII 4,823]

46 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I now have two first-dose appointments:  one tomorrow in Bay City (Pfizer), and one Monday in Bryan (Moderna).  If I'm going to have side effects, next Tuesday is a much better day for me to be down for the count than Saturday.  Plus, Bryan is much closer to Austin than Bay City.

 

Questions: 

-- can I trust a vaccine administrator that close to College Station?

-- what are the key differences between Pfizer and Moderna?  (overall efficacy, side effects, first dose efficacy, etc.)

 

I will try to cancel tomorrow's appointment by phone this morning when the pharmacy opens.  I don't want to do it online because it's not clear it won't also cancel the Monday appointment.

 

If you are going through the Brazos County hub at the Brazos County Center, I would fully trust them.  Took my mother in for her's last week and they were organized and efficient.  They were looking to add drive thru to their walk in, not sure if done yet.   

Personally, I had Moderna.  Sore arm for a few days and some listlessness after the first dose, second dose was same, but not as bad.   My mother hasn't suffered from the 1st Moderna either.  But as far as efficacy or anything pfizer, I can't speak to that, sorry.  

[Brisketexan 105,445]

Wife and I each got two doses of Pfizer.

Dose 1 -- didn't feel a thing beyond a typical injection.

Dose 2 -- my arm was sore enough that night that when I'd turn over in my sleep, the pain would momentarily wake me.  But it subsided by morning.  My wife ended up with an "egg" on her arm, lasted for several days, with pain and even a light bruise.  And the day after, she actually felt achy in the evening, took some ibuprofen and went to bed early.  All in all, pretty mild effects for us.

[pyrohornIII 4,823]

On 3/2/2021 at 5:59 PM, wildcat09 said:

I would just like to make sure someone told you to take your fake concern for poor children and shove it up your ass.

Where is his fake concern when it comes to ranking 34th in the nation in education overall?    Not to mention providing healthcare to those same children at the stellar level of 37th out of 50!   There's a reason I keep GR on  ignore, but sometimes his idiocy slips through the defenses.

On 3/2/2021 at 7:50 PM, jimmyjazz said:

AISD making the right call

Masks for all

My haiku sucks

Our little school is politically savvy.  Sent out an email survey to find out what parents want them to do.  Mask or no mask?    No self awareness of the morons cultivating more morons.  Instead the school system could, I don't know, maybe follow science and use critical analysis to do best for the whole community.      

12 hours ago, Beantown Express 2.0 said:

Dumb question.  I have an appointment tomorrow for the Pfizer shot 2 hours away.  My niece just booked me an appointment at HEB only an hour away but its Moderna vaccine.  Should I prefer one brand over the other or does the not having to drive 2 hours each way make the difference?  Is one better against the variants?  One gonna make me sicker?  What say Surly?

I would think you need to follow up with the same brand as your first shot for best results.   I was given a card and it noted clearly that I had received Moderna.  I would imagine their data system would track this as well.

[BradInATX 9,208]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

 

Yeah, he understands and is right about the public health messaging.  That understanding of messaging is why he now lives on the news interview circuit. 

 

Yep. Same thing as in any STEM type field.

The ones that understand the science make good money in the lab or at the computer.

The ones that kinda understand the concepts and are good with messaging and business are in sales (LOL, not taking a shot at you)

The ones that are both own the company.

[pyrohornIII 4,823]

I'm curious if anyone else is using the online tracker for side effects?  Seems like  pretty good way to obtain a lot of data about various aspects of the vaccine.   

I'm sure a lot of people would tie this it big brother and Bill Gates, which is sad.  We now have the technology to obtain and collect mass data that is instantaneous and will be beneficial to research going forward on similar viruses/vaccines.   

But unfortunately we have so many instances of people or groups gathering our data for nefarious means (trying to get us to vote a certain way, or buy a certain product/service) that it taints and destroys so much good we could be doing with the technology.

 

[Bama Chick 28,596]

I participated in the online symptom tracking survey.

It’s very important for these pharma companies to have that data.

[Born to Run 6,569]

I hope states issue travel advisories to their citizens warning about visiting Texas, and then strictly control travel coming to their borders from us.

Can I sneak in my ski trip first?

[HenryJames 66,188]

 

[Satchel 6,949]

When will the little people wake up about Republicans?

 

As Florida’s eldest residents struggled to sign up to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, nearly all those aged 65 years and older in a wealthy gated enclave in the Florida Keys had been vaccinated by mid-January, according to an emailed newsletter obtained by the Miami Herald. 

The management of Ocean Reef Club, located in north Key Largo, also acknowledged in the Jan. 22 message to residents that the rest of the state was grappling to get its hands on the vaccine.

“Over the course of the last two weeks, the Medical Center has vaccinated over 1,200 homeowners who qualify under the State of Florida’s Governor’s current Order for those individuals who are 65 years of age or older,’’ the message reads. 

“We are fortunate to have received enough vaccines to ensure both the first and second for those vaccinated. At this time, however, the majority of the State has not received an allocation of first doses of vaccines for this week and beyond, and the timing of any subsequent deliveries remains unclear.” 

Neither Ocean Reef’s media relations representative nor officials from its medical center immediately returned phone and emailed messages to answer questions about how it received so many vaccines before much of the rest of the state

Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article249666463.html#storylink=cpy

[RDCanecutter 26,476]

5 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

-- can I trust a vaccine administrator that close to College Station?

Bryan is like being inside the calm inner eye of the Aggy CS hurricane. You are actually safer from Aggy there than you would be 100 miles away.

I got Lasik done in Bryan and was very happy with the results. Years later, m ccc qii see kkjku fine.

[Bama Chick 28,596]

Governor MeeMaw extended our mask mandate until April 9th.

And Mo Brooks and Will Ainsworth and Tommy Tuberville and John Merrell are BIG MAD.

But I don’t get why - there’s literally zero enforcement for not wearing one and mask usage has plummeted to around 20-25% from what I see.

[Anastasis 23,492]

5 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

I tend to agree, but there's one really shitty hole in this system, created by the fact that none of the vaccines are approved for children: immunocompromised kids or kids with severe respiratory illnesses.  I have a friend whose son is in that group.  Because of her son's condition, she really can't expose him to risk until he's vaccinated....but no vaccine seems to be coming soon for the 10-12 year old class.  That sucks.  It would be nice if we could find some way to get an EUA for certain children, perhaps with a Dr.'s order.

Enrollment in one of the clinical trials is the only angle I see until hopefully early 2022 for <12. Immunocompromised status might be a study exclusion though.

 

[Brisketexan 105,445]

3 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

Enrollment in one of the clinical trials is the only angle I see until hopefully early 2022 for <12. Immunocompromised status might be a study exclusion though.

 

I don't think you're wrong.  Which sucks for those kids.

[Francisco 2.0 32,431]

Blame the brown people.  It's a page out of the old playbook, but by God, it will work again.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/04/with-pandemic-far-over-texas-leaders-blame-immigrants-spreading-virus/

 

Quote

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Tex.) made a surprising announcement on Tuesday: His state would entirely scale back its restrictions aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus, including the mandate that Texans wear face coverings. Shortly afterward, Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) made a similar announcement.

The announcements were puzzling. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had on Monday cautioned states about being overeager to rescind containment measures, given that data indicated that the sharp decrease in cases over the past few weeks had stalled. Shortly after Abbott’s announcement, President Biden offered another reason for patience: millions more vaccine doses will soon be available.

 

Quote

While Abbott has touted the improvement in his state’s numbers, Texas and Mississippi are still faring worse than most states. When considering four metrics — new cases, test positivity rate, hospitalizations and deaths from covid-19, the disease caused by the virus — both states have worse numbers as a function of population than the national average. What’s more, the numbers of cases, deaths and rate of positive tests have been fairly flat for the past few weeks, accounting for the massive winter storm that paralyzed much of the region.

On the most stable metric for evaluating the pandemic, hospitalizations, both Texas and Mississippi are improving. But both states also have higher rates of hospitalization than the national average, and hospitalizations, like deaths, trail changes in new case totals.

 

Quote

The decisions to trust state residents to take the proper preventive measures — a confidence that has proven faulty elsewhere — threaten to accelerate new infections even as the vaccine rollout picks up steam. An increase in new infections has a correlated threat: the evolution of more dangerous or more resistant variants of the virus.

Unsurprisingly, Biden was critical of the decisions, particularly given the imminent increase in vaccine supply.

“The last thing we need,” he said on Wednesday, “is Neanderthal thinking that, in the meantime, everything is fine, take off your mask.”

 

Spoiler

In short order, Abbott attempted to blame Biden for the spread of the virus in his state. To do so, he made a tangential allegation.

“The Biden Administration is recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities,” Abbott wrote on Twitter. “The Biden Admin. must IMMEDIATELY end this callous act that exposes Texans & Americans to COVID.”

This assertion that immigrants to the United States are vectors for dangerous disease is a well-worn one. There’s been academic research about the way in which immigration was attacked through the lens of public health. In 2014, when a surge of minors arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border fleeing violence in Central America, the same refrain emerged in conservative media: The immigrants are bringing illness.

In this case, Abbott’s intent may be less about attacking immigrants than attacking Biden. Or perhaps it’s a convenient twofer. But the effect is the same. The governor is suggesting it is immigrants who are spreading the virus in his state.

He repeated the claim in an interview on Fox News.

“The Biden administration was releasing illegal immigrant — illegal immigrants into our communities who had covid,” he said on “Fox & Friends” Thursday morning. “The Biden administration was spreading covid in South Texas yesterday because of their lack of constraint, of testing and quarantining people who’d come across the border illegally. The Biden administration was exposing Texans to covid.”

“That is Neanderthal-type approach to dealing with the covid situation,” he added.

In a separate interview on the network, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-Tex.) made a similar assertion about immigrants coming into the state.

It’s obviously the case that someone crossing the border into Texas who is infected with the virus can spread it. But it is not obviously the case that this poses the biggest threat to the state. (It’s also not clear how many migrants might have the virus; one testing regimen in McAllen, Tex., identified no active cases.) As of Wednesday, the state was still averaging more than 7,000 new cases a day. Those are almost exclusively infections that occurred before Abbott scaled back restrictions on containment, given the latency period of the illness.

In the state’s most populous county, Harris County, there were more than 1,600 new cases on Wednesday. That’s the county where Houston is, and it’s not particularly close to the border.

The spread of the virus in Texas, in other words, is a function of Texans.

It’s politically convenient for Abbott to impugn Biden’s immigration policies as a spur for new infections. But it’s impossible to think that immigrants being processed by the federal government are in reality a substantial cause. It is similarly impossible to think that, should there be a substantial increase in new cases, the primary reason is detained immigrants and not unconstrained Americans.

 

 

[DDD Dad 14,352]

7 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Blame the brown people.  It's a page out of the old playbook, but by God, it will work again.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/03/04/with-pandemic-far-over-texas-leaders-blame-immigrants-spreading-virus/

 

 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

In short order, Abbott attempted to blame Biden for the spread of the virus in his state. To do so, he made a tangential allegation.

“The Biden Administration is recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities,” Abbott wrote on Twitter. “The Biden Admin. must IMMEDIATELY end this callous act that exposes Texans & Americans to COVID.”

This assertion that immigrants to the United States are vectors for dangerous disease is a well-worn one. There’s been academic research about the way in which immigration was attacked through the lens of public health. In 2014, when a surge of minors arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border fleeing violence in Central America, the same refrain emerged in conservative media: The immigrants are bringing illness.

In this case, Abbott’s intent may be less about attacking immigrants than attacking Biden. Or perhaps it’s a convenient twofer. But the effect is the same. The governor is suggesting it is immigrants who are spreading the virus in his state.

He repeated the claim in an interview on Fox News.

“The Biden administration was releasing illegal immigrant — illegal immigrants into our communities who had covid,” he said on “Fox & Friends” Thursday morning. “The Biden administration was spreading covid in South Texas yesterday because of their lack of constraint, of testing and quarantining people who’d come across the border illegally. The Biden administration was exposing Texans to covid.”

“That is Neanderthal-type approach to dealing with the covid situation,” he added.

In a separate interview on the network, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R-Tex.) made a similar assertion about immigrants coming into the state.

It’s obviously the case that someone crossing the border into Texas who is infected with the virus can spread it. But it is not obviously the case that this poses the biggest threat to the state. (It’s also not clear how many migrants might have the virus; one testing regimen in McAllen, Tex., identified no active cases.) As of Wednesday, the state was still averaging more than 7,000 new cases a day. Those are almost exclusively infections that occurred before Abbott scaled back restrictions on containment, given the latency period of the illness.

In the state’s most populous county, Harris County, there were more than 1,600 new cases on Wednesday. That’s the county where Houston is, and it’s not particularly close to the border.

The spread of the virus in Texas, in other words, is a function of Texans.

It’s politically convenient for Abbott to impugn Biden’s immigration policies as a spur for new infections. But it’s impossible to think that immigrants being processed by the federal government are in reality a substantial cause. It is similarly impossible to think that, should there be a substantial increase in new cases, the primary reason is detained immigrants and not unconstrained Americans.

 

 

Was he always this much of a monster?  Seems like he's become much worse over the last two years or so.

[Neonmoon 38,130]

I’m starting to see the Tree branch’s side of the story now 

[HenryJames 66,188]

 

[jimmyjazz 46,230]

26 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

Was he always this much of a monster?  Seems like he's become much worse over the last two years or so.

He learned from Herr Master.

[Anastasis 23,492]

7 hours ago, BradInATX said:

The ones that kinda understand the concepts and are good with messaging and business are in sales (LOL, not taking a shot at you)

Not sure why I would interpret your own projection of inadequacy as a shot at me, but I guess I appreciate your parenthetical consideration anyways.   

[Longhorn_Fan68 33,900]

1 hour ago, HenryJames said:

 

I don't think many acknowledge it, but thanks for putting this up every day.

If things hold steady Biden will have delivered 100M vaccines in half the time promised. That's pretty fucking impressive.

[jimmyjazz 46,230]

16 minutes ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

If things hold steady Biden will have delivered 100M vaccines in half the time promised. That's pretty fucking impressive.

Dude, he has completely botched it.  We are all going to die because he's a senile old man who can't get anything done.  -- MAGA

[Anastasis 23,492]

48 minutes ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

I don't think many acknowledge it, but thanks for putting this up every day.

If things hold steady Biden will have delivered 100M vaccines in half the time promised. That's pretty fucking impressive.

Under promise and over deliver. Biden has done great, esp by brokering the Merck JNJ deal.  

[GRHorn 105]

11 hours ago, HenryJames said:

 

Some nice common sense here. Maybe he’s a DT thread lurker. 

[BradInATX 9,208]

Not sure why I would interpret your own projection of inadequacy as a shot at me, but I guess I appreciate your parenthetical consideration anyways.   

Sorry, I just know you sales guys are sensitive types, what with your entire perception of self-worth being a quarter-to-quarter journey. Hope your feelings are ok, I know you're stressed out.

[Anastasis 23,492]

Just now, BradInATX said:

Sorry, I just know you sales guys are sensitive.

That's funny man. Just when I think that you can't possibly bottom out any further on ignorance, you figure out a way to ratchet it up another level. 

[BradInATX 9,208]

See. Sensitive.

If it makes you feel any better I'm a 40 something data analyst!

[Anastasis 23,492]

Cool. Cool. Whatever it takes for you to deflect from your actual deficits to imaginary ones of others.  I hope they make you feel better about yourself. 

[Anastasis 23,492]

10 minutes ago, BradInATX said:

If it makes you feel any better I'm a 40 something data analyst!

That's great.  I have some really awesome reports that fit that profile. They need coaching from time to time, but really great coders and biostatisticians and when you coach them in the right direction they can really blossom.  

Edited March 5, 2021 by Anastasis

[BradInATX 9,208]

Post your paycheck or gtfo

[GRHorn 105]

22 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

 

Thanks for sharing. There’s really no arguing this now. 
 

@jimmyjazzclick the link Jimbo 

Hopefully the traveshamockery of politically motivated school closures will be done soon? 

[HornOnTheBayou 8,950]

Has anyone gotten their shot at the Round Rock stadium on Parmer? I have an appointment for after work on Monday, but I've been hearing horror stories about wait times there and how unorganized it is.

[ultimaton 2,982]

Was able to get my wife in at HEB today for Moderna round one. Huge fucking weight off my shoulders. 

She started feeling rundown about five or six hours after the shot, but relaxed on the couch a bit and is feeling better already. Got a nice lump on her arm and it's pretty sore.

1 hour ago, HornOnTheBayou said:

Has anyone gotten their shot at the Round Rock stadium on Parmer? I have an appointment for after work on Monday, but I've been hearing horror stories about wait times there and how unorganized it is.

Drove by on my way home this afternoon and it looked packed with a steady stream of vehicles pulling in. Can't speak to how organized they may or may not be, but based on the amount of people it looked like they are processing, I can't imagine there's not a long wait involved.

[Anastasis 23,492]

1 hour ago, HornOnTheBayou said:

Has anyone gotten their shot at the Round Rock stadium on Parmer? I have an appointment for after work on Monday, but I've been hearing horror stories about wait times there and how unorganized it is.

Very organized. Show up early, you will spend some time in the queue but they have their shit very together at this point when it comes to doling out the shots. Their scheduling system is is not very streamlined or clear. Can imagine that the olds have a hard time navigating it. 

[DDD Dad 14,352]

So I heard on NPR this afternoon that a Colombian study just came out finding Ivermectin showed no discernible benefit to treat COVID. Merck is (it’s manufacturer) is discouraging its use as well.

Wasn’t that a “thing” for a while last year like HCQ?

[Anastasis 23,492]

1 minute ago, DDD Dad said:

So I heard on NPR this afternoon that a Colombian study just came out finding Ivermectin showed no discernible benefit to treat COVID. Merck is (it’s manufacturer) is discouraging its use as well.

Wasn’t that a “thing” for a while last year like HCQ?

 

 

 

Differences in hospitalization were non-significant.

 

Kinda telling that the posters promoting this kind of shit have disappeared when the real interventions reducing severe disease outcomes, hospitalization, and mortality have emerged. 

[washparkhorn 9,939]

11 hours ago, HenryJames said:

 

The short term outlook is a minefield.  yikes

• There is still a lot of virus circulating in the U.S.;
• over the past week, the country has averaged more than 65,000 cases per day,
• 65,000 cases more than twice the number of cases, in total, that Australia has recorded since the start of the pandemic.

Texas needs to pray the free rider effect is robust. It's not over yet. 

Edited March 5, 2021 by washparkhorn

[Anastasis 23,492]

 

[washparkhorn 9,939]

8 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

I’m starting to see the Tree branch’s side of the story now 

 

[washparkhorn 9,939]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

 

Who is saying we can't get back to normal. 

[Buzzrock 14,949]

She literally references them in her article.

[Aqua Buddha 14,624]

We'll be back to normal by July 4th, if not earlier.

[DonkeyCigars 143]

I’ve got friends from work and on group chats, running the spectrum of age, from late 20’s to early 40’s, driving out to Tyler amd Beaumont and even Midland, because CVS will vaccinate them there. They said they signed up and just said they had asthma and that was enough.

Anyone heard of this? Are we opening up the aperture this wide and this early or are they being stinkers and loop holing it? 

Edited March 5, 2021 by DonkeyCigars

[LurkingHorn 1,072]

3 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

I’ve got friends from work and on group chats, running the ages of upper 20’s to early 40’s, driving out to Tyler amd Beaumont and even Midland, because CVS will vaccinate them there. They said they signed up and just said they had asthma and that was enough.

Anyone heard of this? Are we opening up the aperture this wide and this early or are they being stinkers and loop holing it? 

This is 100% happening all over the place. For better or for worse. Abbott's decision has only increased this practice. 

[DonkeyCigars 143]

3 minutes ago, LurkingHorn said:

This is 100% happening all over the place. For better or for worse. Abbott's decision has only increased this practice. 

Id just be worried about takin a vax road trip and showing up and them seeing an obviously fit and healthy looking young guy (not me, them) and then being told “yea no. These are earmarked for olds and obese. Be gone”

I am not engaging in this activity and think it’s silly, by the way. I’m happy to wait and get it when it’s convenient.

Edited March 5, 2021 by DonkeyCigars

[LurkingHorn 1,072]

2 minutes ago, DonkeyCigars said:

Id just be worried about takin a vax road trip and showing up and them seeing an obviously fit and healthy looking young guy (not me, them) and then being told “yea no. These are earmarked for olds and obese. Be gone”

I am not engaging in this activity and think it’s silly, by the way. I’m happy to wait and get it when it’s convenient.

I took my dad about an hour away to Corsicana for his and I can assure you there were young, healthy people there getting shots and they were not asked about any conditions. 

[HenryJames 66,188]

No one is asking afaik.

[Red Five 40,898]

You can have asthma or diabetes or cancer and look young and healthy.

[Anastasis 23,492]

3 minutes ago, Red Five said:

You can have asthma or diabetes or cancer and look young and healthy.

This.  I have a relative with an immune related blood disease.  They look very healthy, and you unless you are a creep, you can't see the port that they have implanted in their chest for IV access. Get in line, don't side eye anyone else, and get your fucking shot.