VOCs
This preprint covering research through 1 March 2021 talks about finding VOCs in BC. They took 31,833 COVID+ samples, then ran them through the VOC screening to find 2,430 candidates that they then sent through whole-genome sequencing (WGS). The WGS found:
- 57 cases of B.1.1.7,
- 7 cases of B.1.351, and
- 13 cases of P.1
Notably, they had not known about P.1 in BC before the screening.
The preprint is a little scary, though. Look at the growth rates:
Someone did an analysis based on VOCs and vaccination, and came up with this graph:
NB: I have no idea who that person is, how reliable they are, and if they took into account that the government has been sandbagging mightily on the vaccine speed.
Something else which I have not seen modelled is what the hospitalization/severe case rate is going to look like as the more vulnerable people get vaccinated. We’ve already seen the death rate go down significantly as the long-term-care people have gotten vaccinated.
Immunization Program
There was an outbreak at a glass manufacturing plant and the news reports said that the province hustled out with some vax and vaxxed a bunch of people. On Twitter, Richard Zussman said they used Pfizer.
On Twitter, a bunch of people started screaming.
- Q: Why did they vax the people instead of testing them? A: They did test them.
- Q: Why bother vaccinating people, it’s too late now! A: It’s a large site (425 people), and the tests are not infallible. It might makes sense to vax everybody in case the test missed someone, so that they might be trying to prevent the second batch of infections.
- Q: Why did they take Pfizer away from the age cohorts?? Why didn’t they use the AZ for that? A: The BC immunization update plan did list 6K doses (which I presume were mRNA, not AZ) set aside for outbreaks. Dr. H said that the AZ would be used for
- food processing industry
- work camps
- farms and nurseries, where ppl living in crowded conditions
- Q: Taking the Pfizer away from the age-cohorts is why my 85+ loved one can’t get a vax for two weeks! A: Bosh. An 86 y/o friend of mine called on the 11th and has an appointment for Monday the 15th, so it is possible to get vax quicker. Furthermore, the 85+ originally weren’t even going to be able to call until the 15th, for appointments starting the 22nd, so your loved one is going to get vaxxed about the time that they originally said they would. Furtherfurthermore, see above about the 6K doses that were intended specifically for outbreaks.