Vaccine, Covid, and reopening updates

[disneychick0412]

Kentucky changed to number of vaccinated last week. Once we hit 2.5 million Kentuckians with their first dose, the state will pretty much open up. We're at a little over 1.6 million. But it's hard getting that final 900,000 people vaccinated. After weeks of over 100,000 vaccinated, we only had 85,000 vaccinated last week. And we're at a pace to have fewer vaccinated this week.

Kentucky here as well. I hate to say I don't have a lot of confidence in getting to that number. Especially after reading the comments made during Gov. Beshear's live speeches. I've just stopped reading those. Actually I don't watch the speeches that much any more.

 

[godisney14]

California has the lowest case rate in the contingent US! After such a terrible winter, this really feels like a win.

https://ktla.com/news/california/ca...se-rate-is-the-lowest-in-the-continental-u-s/
California is set to "open up" June 15th. Masks will stay, likely distancing. No other specifics have been given for what that means.

It does seem very good.

But, we were there before. I believe bottom five in per capita cases at one point sometime last Fall. Then we ended up top five during the surge. So, I am hopeful and optimistic but not confident we will stay one of the lowest once restrictions are relaxed again.

This whole thing is like a roller coaster. As cases go down, more opens up and then cases go back up.
The fight in the future will be vaccines vs variants.

 

[Joe in VA]

Lots of concerts being announced for this summer, Dave Matthews Band announced today they've rescheduled their national tour to begin in Raleigh in July with all full capacity concerts, with full capacity stops in Chicago, Detroit, and NY in August. Chris Stapleton is also putting new full capacity shows on sale that will begin this Summer. I think the expectation is that by late summer all areas will allow 100% capacity concerts.

Blue states like CT and NV are already going to allow full capacity indoor events by 6/1.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

It does seem very good.

But, we were there before. I believe bottom five in per capita cases at one point sometime last Fall. Then we ended up top five during the surge. So, I am hopeful and optimistic but not confident we will stay one of the lowest once restrictions are relaxed again.

This whole thing is like a roller coaster. As cases go down, more opens up and then cases go back up.
The fight in the future will be vaccines vs variants.

I know it doesn't mean we're out of the woods, but I'm still going to take the win (for now.) It means all the hard work we did with the second shut down was worth it. It would be so much worse if that felt like it was for nothing.

 

[dvcgirl67]

In NJ, we have 2,631,691 fully vaccinated adults, which is 38% of our adult population. That's kind of disappointing this far into the game. I just heard our Governor say today that their goal is to hit 70% vaccinated by the end of June. So...we're a little over half way to his goal, and it'll be interesting to see if we can get there.

It's really something how Covid is still circulating in my area. I had two customers reach out this week to give me a head's up that they each had a high schooler home with Covid. It's really running through the schools here.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Kentucky here as well. I hate to say I don't have a lot of confidence in getting to that number. Especially after reading the comments made during Gov. Beshear's live speeches. I've just stopped reading those. Actually I don't watch the speeches that much any more.

I read this story yesterday about an outbreak at a Long Term Care Facility in Kentucky. There's a link in the story to the study that the CDC posted. It's a little concerning as the variant was a new one that is not on the CDC "variant of concern" list. It had some of the mutations that the other "concerning" variants have had (U.K, South Africa and Brazil). The not so great part is that out of 199 residents and workers, 46 were infected (or 23%), and of the 46 people, 22 of them were fully vaccinated, ) or 11% The infection was brought in by an unvaccinated worker.....only 56% of employees got the vaccine. 90% of the 83 residents were vaccinated. Three residents died, one was fully vaccinated, the others were not.

The authors pointed out how important it is to vaccinate health care workers and long term care residents. We're going to see breakthrough infections, and it's likely we see the efficacy in that 95-94% drop as Covid goes through the entire population.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/21/...-homes-infections.html?searchResultPosition=1

 

[RamblingMad]

I read this story yesterday about an outbreak at a Long Term Care Facility in Kentucky. There's a link in the story to the study that the CDC posted. It's a little concerning as the variant was a new one that is not on the CDC "variant of concern" list. It had some of the mutations that the other "concerning" variants have had (U.K, South Africa and Brazil). The not so great part is that out of 199 residents and workers, 46 were infected (or 23%), and of the 46 people, 22 of them were fully vaccinated, ) or 11% The infection was brought in by an unvaccinated worker.....only 56% of employees got the vaccine. 90% of the 83 residents were vaccinated. Three residents died, one was fully vaccinated, the others were not.

The authors pointed out how important it is to vaccinate health care workers and long term care residents. We're going to see breakthrough infections, and it's likely we see the efficacy in that 95-94% drop as Covid goes through the entire population.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/21/...-homes-infections.html?searchResultPosition=1

The one piece that I’m trying to wrap my head around is efficacy. If the vaccine tests were going on while we were locked down with masks and with social distancing, what do those efficacy rates look like unmasked, not locked down, with limited social distancing?

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

The CSU (California State University) and UC (University of California) school systems will both require Covid 19 vaccines for Fall

ETA: sounds like if one or more get full approval

https://abc7news.com/education/uc-csu-requiring-covid-vaccines-next-fall/10538131/

 

[dvcgirl67]

The CSU (California State University) and UC (University of California) school systems will both require Covid 19 vaccines for Fall

ETA: sounds like if one or more get full approval

https://abc7news.com/education/uc-csu-requiring-covid-vaccines-next-fall/10538131/

Hoping we see much, much more of this.

 

[mefordis]

Hoping we see much, much more of this.

They were going to require the J&J shot at MSU until it got pulled. Not sure if they are going to require one of the other two instead.

 

[jlwhitney]

Hoping we see much, much more of this.

Only if one of them has full approval from the FDA which is actually not that likely, to go from EUA too Full needs more than 3-6 months. Remember they had hoped for April and not a word, full is typically after years of studying and following .

 

[KBoopaloo]

After a super bungled and slow rollout, Massachusetts has recovered quite a bit on vaccine distribution and we are now in the top 5 states for percent of population vaccinated according to the NYT tracker. 51% of residents have one shot, 31% are fully vaccinated. Demand is still pretty high here - my cousin was the last adult in our family to snag an appointment and she and I both had to do some website stalking for a few days after she became eligible to find her a spot nearby. Our last all staff meeting at work revealed that most of us have eithet had our first shots or have appointments for it.
My mom got to have a small birthday gathering with her vaccinated sisters and it was so great! Yay for vaccines!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html

 

[DLgal]

Only if one of them has full approval from the FDA which is actually not that likely, to go from EUA too Full needs more than 3-6 months. Remember they had hoped for April and not a word, full is typically after years of studying and following .

The California state universities start the semester very late, usually the end of September/beginning of October. By then Pfizer will certainly be fully approved.

They are aiming for June, according to my husband's government sources at the DoD. The military brass are desperate to be allowed to mandate vaccination for servicememvers. Their decline rate is a massive force readiness problem.

EDIT: most recent timeline as of today is end of July/early August for Pfizer approval.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Memorial Day makes sense to me - that's only a month out and we'll still be in the middle of the vaccination effort at that point. But we've had events in July, August and even as far out as Labor Day weekend already cancel or announce modified/virtual formats (like the fair happening but only with youth exhibitors, modified judging, and no carnival or live entertainment or fireworks). And these aren't 50K attendance events. In a good year, our fair attracts about half that over the span of a full week, and the other events are smaller/shorter and don't even come close to that.

I think there have been some events further out cancelled but it sounds like yours is probably a bit more impacted than my area. I think that's a shame to do it now if it's at least something that can hold off for a bit longer especially Labor Day stuff.

 

[dvcgirl67]

The California state universities start the semester very late, usually the end of September/beginning of October. By then Pfizer will certainly be fully approved.

They are aiming for June, according to my husband's government sources at the DoD. The military brass are desperate to be allowed to mandate vaccination for servicememvers. Their decline rate is a massive force readiness problem.

That would be great if we get full approval by June for Pfizer. I'm guessing Moderna wouldn't be far behind correct?

I'm wondering if the boosters that we're all going to need this coming fall/winter are going to have to go through the whole process from the beginning, or does it get fast tracked. Anyone know how that works?

 

[tvguy]

The health experts still are preaching caution. Several states, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey and New York are still at risk of spikes.
Remember, the vaccine does not stop the spread of covid, it just means those vaccinated aren't going to get as sick, require hospitalization or die. And now booster shots may be needed on an annual basis.

https://www.healthline.com/health-n...-2#block-7560b4e1-bf82-4661-a1f2-4efa99fc9604

 

[DLgal]

That would be great if we get full approval by June for Pfizer. I'm guessing Moderna wouldn't be far behind correct?

I'm wondering if the boosters that we're all going to need this coming fall/winter are going to have to go through the whole process from the beginning, or does it get fast tracked. Anyone know how that works?

There will be nothing required for boosters to be available. It's the same vaccine technology, just a differently coded piece of mRNA, which doesn't fundamentally change anything.

 

[DLgal]

The health experts still are preaching caution. Several states, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey and New York are still at risk of spikes.
Remember, the vaccine does not stop the spread of covid, it just means those vaccinated aren't going to get as sick, require hospitalization or die. And now booster shots may be needed on an annual basis.

https://www.healthline.com/health-n...-2#block-7560b4e1-bf82-4661-a1f2-4efa99fc9604

The vaccine does significantly reduce the spread of the virus. Saying otherwise ignores numerous studies looking precisely at that.

 

[Heigh-Ho]

Lots of concerts being announced for this summer, Dave Matthews Band announced today they've rescheduled their national tour to begin in Raleigh in July with all full capacity concerts, with full capacity stops in Chicago, Detroit, and NY in August. Chris Stapleton is also putting new full capacity shows on sale that will begin this Summer. I think the expectation is that by late summer all areas will allow 100% capacity concerts.

Blue states like CT and NV are already going to allow full capacity indoor events by 6/1.

Good news although I'm hearing of other artists not restarting yet or canceling tours that hadn't been cancelled yet. I don't think it's been fully confirmed that they will be at full capacity but rather no capacity was mentioned. That can mean no capacity at all or it can mean that hasn't been worked out yet. All venues have to agree to full capacity too. But the farther out you go in dates the more likely that is.

 

[tvguy]

The vaccine does significantly reduce the spread of the virus. Saying otherwise ignores numerous studies looking precisely at that.

Well, given we are only 5 months into vaccines for the general public, probably way too soon to reach a conclusion