Vaccines AstraZeneca is in the process of developing a booster, AZD2816 (their original one was AZD1222), to do better against new strains. (As you might recall, AZD1222 is shit against Beta.) This paper says that it does well against all the strains in mice and test tubes. This article says there is a different AZ… Continue reading 2021-06-10 General
2021-06-09 BC
Supply Moderna says that they will deliver 7M doses to Canada in June, which means 900K to BC, starting next week. Given that there are three weeks left in June, that would be 300K/week. I’ll believe it when I see it. Vaccines VCH has responded to claims that vaccines will magnetize you. Statistics Today: +148… Continue reading 2021-06-09 BC
2021-06-09 General
Variants The Delta strain is spreading fast. This could be because it easier to catch (because infected people cough more often, infected people breath out more particles, or fewer virus particles are needed to get you sick, etc.) or because infected people become contagious more quickly. This study says that infected people don’t become contagious… Continue reading 2021-06-09 General
2021-06-08 BC
Testing SFU is doing a pilot rapid-testing program. Public Health Administration This article says that the chief medical health officer of Interior Health has been arrested on sexual assault charges. Mitigation Measures Richard Zussman (who is reliable) tweets that there have been 191 tickets for failing to comply with provincial health orders on COVID, totalling… Continue reading 2021-06-08 BC
2021-06-08 General
Vaccines There are a fair number of studies about how many antibodies a given vaccine induces the patient to make, but this study seems to say that a lot of the antibodies which a patient produces in response to a vaccine aren’t actually useful at killing the virus. The antibodies you produce after getting a… Continue reading 2021-06-08 General
2021-06-07 General
Vaccines This paper found that antibodies from infection stick around for at least ten months. Given that vaccination is even better at making antibodies, this is a good sign for the vaccinated: it makes it less likely that we will need frequent boosters. According to this web page, Canada has a really low vax hesitancy… Continue reading 2021-06-07 General
2021-06-07 BC
Vaccinations This article mentions that some pharmacies which gave first doses of AZ are not going to give second doses of AZ. It is not clear where/how people who got first doses at such pharmacies should get their second doses. BC pharmacy association says you should expect your pharmacy to contact you about a second… Continue reading 2021-06-07 BC
2021-06-05/06 General
Vaccinations I love this chart: Yes, Canada has passed 60% of its population with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Treatments Regeneron has gotten FDA approval for a lower-dose, injected (as opposed to transfused) version of its monoclonal antibody COVID-19 treatment, called REGEN-COV. This might be a big deal. The stuff works, but… Continue reading 2021-06-05/06 General
2021-06-05/06 BC
Vaccinations A lot of you are probably wondering when you are going to get your second dose. Team AZ is probably wondering how long you’ll have to wait if for an mRNA if you turn down AZ. I made some SWAGs. Dose1 date AZ Dose2 mRNA Dose2 2021-03-22 2021-06-08 2021-06-10 2021-03-29 2021-06-10 2021-06-16 2021-04-05 2021-06-10… Continue reading 2021-06-05/06 BC
2021-06-04 General
Disease One odd thing about COVID-19 is that patients would show up at the hospital with really, really low oxygen in their blood despite having no trouble breathing. This study has an explanation: red blood cells getting killed, but with some subtlety. Immature red blood cells form in the bone marrow. They have a nucleus… Continue reading 2021-06-04 General