Pandemic Positives There’s a great article by Zeynep Tufekci in The Atlantic which talks about three things which have been positive side effects of the pandemic: mRNA vaccines synchronous video communication really fast scientific communication / informal peer review It’s worth a read, to remind yourself, “oh yeah, that did happen”.
Month: March 2021
2021-03-18 BC
Dr. Henry, Dr. Ballem, Adrian Dix, and John Horgan gave a briefing today (press release, video, slides). Occupation-based track Dr. H said that the first tranche of AZ has mostly been going to mobile vax clinics, but sometimes the workers have been using the same clinics as the age-based clinics but with a separate flow.… Continue reading 2021-03-18 BC
2021-03-17 General
Vaccines As more information is discovered, it looks like maybe the blood clotting problems soon after vaccination is causal and not coincidence. Research has shown that the spike protein can lead to an attack on blood vessels, and the common vaccines right now flood the body with spike proteins. This has made several countries concerned… Continue reading 2021-03-17 General
2021-03-17 BC
Vax Clinic Logistics I escorted a friend to the clinic at Creekside Community Centre in Vancouver today. Here is what I learned about the logistics. Yesterday, my friend escorted her slightly older husband to the same clinic, and she said there were far fewer people. Today, the line was much longer — in part because… Continue reading 2021-03-17 BC
2021-03-16 BC
Local Teams A BC company has developed a nasal spray which you take shortly after you catch COVID and it keeps you from getting very sick! Go BC! A Canadian vaccine, Medicago, has entered Phase 3 trials. Go Canada! Statistics Zero deaths again today in BC! Today: +556 cases, +0 deaths, +15,403 first doses, +11… Continue reading 2021-03-16 BC
2021-03-16 General
Vaccines There’s yet another paper which says that AZ is crap against B.1.351 — 10.5%. There is some suggestion that AZ is um crap against B.1.351 because it doesn’t have the 2-proline stabilizer (unlike the mRNAs and J&J). The 2-proline stabilizer is a little tweak to the spike protein to keep it in its prefusion… Continue reading 2021-03-16 General
2021-03-15 General
Vaccines Moderna has registered to do a small Ph2/3 trials on children. A preprint says that the first vax dose for cancer patients is not very effective, but that the second dose gives them good protection. Zeynep Tufekci has an essay arguing that the language of “we should vaccinate them over there so they don’t… Continue reading 2021-03-15 General
2021-03-15 BC
Mitigation Measures Because of COVID, the province made legal takeout/delivery sales of alcohol alongside the purchase of a meal. They just made that rule permanent. Many people have wondered what long-term effects the pandemic would have, and I promise you “takeout/delivery alcohol sales” was not on my list or any list I saw. Press Briefing… Continue reading 2021-03-15 BC
2021-03-14 General
Long COVID There’s a preprint showing that getting a COVID vax helped long haulers a little bit: decrease in worsening symptoms (5.6% vaxed vs 14.2% unvaxed) increase in symptom resolution (23.2% v. 15.4%) They didn’t see any difference in response was between the three different types of vaccines. That’s great, but note that this was… Continue reading 2021-03-14 General
2021-03-14 BC
Vaccination Clinics BC is accelerating the dates when people over 80 can book appointments. Instead of all the 80-84 year-olds being able to call in starting Monday 22 April, they are being allowed to call in on this schedule: Monday 15 April: age 84 and over Tuesday 16 April: age 83 and over Wednesday 17… Continue reading 2021-03-14 BC