Coronavirus Facts and Information thread:

[Stevicus]

COVID-19 cases pass 28 million in U.S., nears 500,000 deaths - UPI.com

Feb. 20 (UPI) -- COVID-19 cases in the United States passed 28 million and deaths were only few thousand from 500,000 as the nation ramps up vaccination distribution after bad weather hampered distribution.

Infections have reached 28,057,264 according to tracking by Johns Hopkins so far Saturday. And fatalities are at 497,058.

Since the first case was announced in the state of Washington on Jan. 21, 2020, cases have averaged 70,707.

After reaching a peak of 299,786 on Jan. 2, infections have subsided. Friday's increase was 110,070, four days after 53,970, the lowest since 49,307 on Oct. 18.

It took 13 days to climb one million and it was nine days from 26 million to 27 million.

Also, hospitalizations have dropped dramatically to 59,882 through Friday, the lowest since 62,119 on Nov. 10, after a high of 132,474 on Jan. 6, according to The COVID Tracking Project.

And fatalities also have been subsiding but not quite as dramatically as hospitalizations and cases.

 

[Quagmire]

Today:

Coronavirus Cases:
111,648,903
view by country

Deaths:
2,472,298

Recovered:
86,815,208

 

[Quagmire]

Today:

Coronavirus Cases:
111,953,736
view by country

Deaths:
2,477,815

Recovered:
87,314,361

 

[Revoltingest]

People who wear glasses are three times LESS likely to catch Covid...
Excerpted...
Researchers found people with spectacles rub and touch their eyes less, which is a “significant route of infection”.

 

[sun rise]

It strikes me that the effort on COVID is causing a leap forward in medicine like the wars of the past generated. This is one example. It might not result in medicine but it illustrates the principle:

Tricking COVID-19 With a Fake “Handshake” to Inactivate the Coronavirus

Scientists have developed protein fragments – called peptides – that fit snugly into a groove on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein that it would normally use to access a host cell. These peptides effectively trick the virus into “shaking hands” with a replica rather than with the actual protein on a cell’s surface that lets the virus in.

 

[Quagmire]

Today:

Coronavirus Cases:
112,281,005
view by country

Deaths:
2,485,863

Recovered:
87,816,769

 

[Secret Chief]

Well that's me jabbed.

 

[Quagmire]

Today:

Coronavirus Cases:
113,100,769
view by country

Deaths:
2,508,922

Recovered:
88,722,431

 

[Quagmire]

Today:

Coronavirus Cases:
113,550,202
view by country

Deaths:
2,519,328

Recovered:
89,134,277

 

[Stevicus]

FDA panel recommends emergency use for Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine - UPI.com

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- The Food and Drug Administration's vaccine committee on Friday recommended Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine, one of the final steps in approving it for emergency use in the United States.

The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the FDA grant the vaccine an emergency use authorization. The FDA must make a final determination before granting the EUA and and distributing it for use.

It's only 66% effective, although they say that's 85% effective at preventing severe illness. It's also only one shot, and can be transported in warmer temperatures.

The available vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna went through this process in mid-December.

Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is different from the other two, in that it is adenovirus-based as opposed to messenger RNA, like those from Pfizer and Moderna. Also, it is a one-shot vaccine, without a need for a booster and can be stored and transported at much warmer temperatures than the other two formulations.

An FDA analysis on Wednesday confirmed the vaccine's effectiveness, which was shown in clinical trials to be about 66% effective for all human volunteers in the United States, Latin America and South Africa. It was shown to be 85% effective in preventing severe COVID-19.

If it's approved, they said they should be ready to distribute it before the end of March.

 

[Quagmire]

Today:

Coronavirus Cases:
114,365,592
view by country

Deaths:
2,536,703

Recovered:
89,920,889

 

[Quagmire]

Today:

Coronavirus Cases:
114,686,978
view by country

Deaths:
2,543,285

Recovered:
90,242,083

 

[sun rise]

Uh oh.

Florida now has variants from the UK, Brazil AND South Africa as Houston becomes the first US city to detect EVERY 'super-covid' variant - including the homegrown mutants from California and New York

 

[Stevicus]

Mississippi, Texas to rescind mask mandates, business restrictions

March 2 (UPI) -- Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that they will lift mask mandates and allow businesses to open at full capacity in their respective states.

Reeves wrote on Twitter that the changes in Mississippi will take effect Wednesday, while Abbott issued a statement declaring that Texas will lift many of its pandemic-related executive orders on March 10.

During a news conference Tuesday, Reeves said restrictions including mask mandates will remain in effect in K-12 schools.

"I believe that the most consequential debate playing out in America today is whether children should be in the classroom learning," he said. "My view is simple, all of Mississippi's children should be in the classroom."

He added that businesses are "well within their right" to impose their own restrictions and that he would replace the executive orders with "recommendations."

"Executive orders that interfered with peoples' lives were the worst, but the only possible, intervention for much of the last year," he said. "Now we are putting our focus toward rapid vaccine distribution. We are getting out of the business of telling people what they can and cannot do."

"We must now do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans by opening Texas 100%," Abbott said. "Make no mistake, COVID-19 has not disappeared, but it is clear from the recoveries, vaccinations, reduced hospitalizations and safe practices that Texans are using that state mandates are no longer needed."

Abbot said that county judges will be able to implement COVID-19 strategies if hospitalizations in any region rise above 15% of the hospital bed capacity for seven consecutive days. However, judges will not be permitted to impose jail time for failing to follow COVID-19 orders or for failing to wear a face mask.

So, it looks like the masks are coming off in TX and MS.

 

[Quagmire]

Today:

Coronavirus Cases:
115,299,657
view by country

Deaths:
2,560,602

Recovered:
91,115,478

 

[Quagmire]

Today:

Coronavirus Cases:
115,795,007
view by country

Deaths:
2,572,193

Recovered:
91,494,523

 

[Quagmire]

Today:
Coronavirus Cases:
116,222,578
view by country

Deaths:
2,581,754

Recovered:
91,898,062

 

[Quagmire]

Today:

Coronavirus Cases:
116,670,105
view by country

Deaths:
2,592,085

Recovered:
92,282,109

 

[Quagmire]

Today:
Coronavirus Cases:
117,078,583
view by country

Deaths:
2,600,02

Recovered:
92,653,762

 

[Stevicus]

Fully vaccinated people can gather without masks, CDC says (apnews.com)

NEW YORK (AP) — Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials.

The recommendations also say that vaccinated people can come together in the same way — in a single household — with people considered at low-risk for severe disease, such as in the case of vaccinated grandparents visiting healthy children and grandchildren.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the guidance Monday.

The guidance is designed to address a growing demand, as more adults have been getting vaccinated and wondering if it gives them greater freedom to visit family members, travel, or do other things like they did before the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world last year.

Looks like some light at the end of the tunnel.

“With more and more people vaccinated each day, we are starting to turn a corner,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

During a press briefing Monday, she called the guidance a “first step” toward restoring normalcy in how people come together. She said more activities would be ok’d for vaccinated individuals once caseloads and deaths decline, more Americans are vaccinated, and as more science emerges on the ability of those who have been vaccinated to get and spread the virus.

A person is considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after the last dose. 9% of the US population is considered fully vaccinated.

The CDC is continuing to recommend that fully vaccinated people still wear well-fitted masks, avoid large gatherings, and physically distance themselves from others when out in public. The CDC also advised vaccinated people to get tested if they develop symptoms that could be related to COVID-19.

The CDC guidance did not speak to people who may have gained some level of immunity from being infected, and recovering from, the coronavirus.

Officials say a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccine. About 31 million Americans — or only about 9% of the U.S. population — have been fully vaccinated with a federally authorized COVID-19 vaccine so far, according to the CDC.