Updates on the reborn pandemic of COVID variants

[C C]

Covid-19 Delta variant has wrecked hopes of UK herd immunity, warn scientists
https://gizmodo.com/the-dixie-fire-is-no...1847459144

INTRO: The Delta variant has wrecked any chance of herd immunity in Britain, a panel of experts including the head of the Oxford vaccine team said as they called for an end to mass testing so Britain can start to live with Covid-19.

Scientists said it was time to accept that there was no way of stopping the virus spreading through the entire population, and monitoring people with mild symptoms was no longer helpful.

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, who led the Oxford vaccine team, said it was clear that the Delta variant could infect people who had been vaccinated, which made herd immunity impossible to reach even with high vaccine uptake.

It comes as Angela Merkel became the first major world leader to announce the end of free testing, with the provision set to stop in Germany from October 11... (MORE)

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Florida is ablaze with COVID-19—and its case data reporting is a hot mess
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/...-hot-mess/

INTRO: With the hypertransmissible delta variant on the rampage, Florida has become the epicenter of transmission in the US. The state is experiencing its largest surge of COVID-19 cases yet in the pandemic. Hospitalizations have reached record levels, and deaths are on the rise.

But instead of focusing on the response to the dire public health emergency, state officials appear to be squabbling over pandemic data and health measures.

On Monday night, Florida's health department blasted media outlets for reporting the state's most recent daily COVID-19 cases counts—as the counts were relayed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC, which gets its data from Florida's health department, reported that the state had recorded all-time highs of nearly 24,000 new cases on August 6 and over 28,000 daily new cases on both August 7 and August 8. But the health department, which doesn't actually publish its own daily case numbers, disputed the CDC's numbers. According to the health department's Twitter account, the state had only logged 21,500 cases on August 6, 19,567 cases on August 7, and 15,319 on August 8. The health department claimed that the CDC had split three days' worth of new case totals across only two days in error... (MORE)

[C C]

"Screw Your Freedom!" Arnie Says People Not Wearing Masks Are "Schmucks"
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-me...-schmucks/

EXCERPT: . . . Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered the message through a four-minute Instagram video posted on Wednesday in which he talked about the recent resurgence of COVID-19 that’s been driven by the troublesome Delta variant. In the spirit of "come together" to beat the pandemic, he blasted people who have been flouting COVID-19 prevent measures, such as face masks, arguing their blind pursuit of personal freedom could be putting others at risk.

"We have to come together rather than ... always just saying 'Oh according to my principles, this is a free country, and I have the freedom to wear no mask.' Yeah, you have the freedom to wear no mask, but ... you're a schmuck for not wearing a mask. Because you're supposed to protect your fellow members around you,” Schwarzenegger said.

"There is a virus here. It kills people and the only way we prevent it is to get vaccinated, to wear masks, to do social distancing, washing your hands all the time, and not just to think about: 'Well, my freedom is being ... disturbed here,'" he said.

"No. Screw your freedom. Because with freedom comes obligations and responsibilities. ... When you infect other people, that is when it gets serious,” he states. "You cannot say, 'No one is going to tell me that I'm going to stop ... at this traffic light. I'm going to go right through it.' Then you kill someone else, and then it is your doing," he said... (MORE - details)

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How do vaccinated people spread Delta? What the science says
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02187-1

EXCERPTS: Data from COVID-19 tests in the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore are showing that vaccinated people who become infected with Delta SARS-CoV-2 can carry as much virus in their nose as do unvaccinated people. This means that despite the protection offered by vaccines, a proportion of vaccinated people can pass on Delta, possibly aiding its rise.

“People who have a Delta virus and happen to have ‘breakthrough’ infections can carry these really high levels of virus, and can unwittingly spread the virus to others,” says David O’Connor, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The findings underscore the importance of protective measures such as wearing masks indoors to reduce transmission. Researchers stress that COVID-19 vaccines are protective against serious illness and death, but the data on Delta transmission show that “people who are vaccinated still need to take precautions”, O’Connor says.

[...] “The bottom line is, this can happen — it can be true that vaccinated people can spread the virus. But we do not yet know what their relative role in overall community spread is,” says co-author Thomas Friedrich, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

[...] However, vaccinated people with Delta might remain infectious for a shorter period, according to researchers in Singapore who tracked viral loads for each day of COVID-19 infection among people who had and hadn’t been vaccinated. Delta viral loads were similar for both groups for the first week of infection, but dropped quickly after day 7 in vaccinated people4. “Given the high virus levels seen in the first week of illness with Delta, measures such as masks and hand hygiene which can reduce transmission are important for everyone, regardless of vaccination status,” says co-author Barnaby Young, an infectious-disease clinician at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases in Singapore.

[...] These findings — along with an increase in cases in younger people who have not yet received both jabs — underscore the effectiveness of double vaccination against Delta, Elliott says. “We think it’s really, really important to get as many people double vaccinated, and particularly those younger groups, as soon as possible.” (MORE - missing details)

[Leigha]

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-eas...021-08-13/

This is a great thing for those with compromised immune systems, gives an even greater layer of protection for them. But, I wonder when the FDA will give its full approval, as that would likely nudge some fence sitters to get their first shot.

[Syne]

Full FDA approval would certainly help, but even then vaccine makers cannot be held liable for ANY adverse effects or reactions. So if something bad happens as a result, you can't sue to get help, financial or otherwise. This is why I'd prefer waiting for long-term effects studies on mRNA vaccines. Granted, my immune system is pretty healthy, so I can afford to.

But this is my general philosophy on life. I cut my own hair because, if it turns out bad, I have only myself to blame, not someone I paid good money to. Same goes for the vaccine. If I get Covid and die, I have only myself to blame. If I trust these people and end up with other, potentially life-long, problems or dying, it would be hard to avoid blaming them for their overconfidence.

[Leigha]

Yea, I understand your opinion, it’s a personal choice. I have a healthy immune system, but still decided to get vaccinated. But, all the mixed messages from the media, Fauci, etc has created skepticism and unnecessary stress. And the political infighting.

Have you received any negative criticism / judgement for your choice to wait?

What do you think of some employers (Disney is one) mandating the vaccine by “x” date or employees risk losing their jobs?

[Syne]

IRL my medical history is no one's business. If someone ever does ask if I'm vaccinated, I'll ask them about their STD history.

Any employer is still bound by federal anti-discrimination law, including religious exemptions. Firing people for strongly-held personal beliefs will lead to lawsuits, as courts have already ruled so, on even vegans opting out of certain vaccines due to animal products in their ingredients.

[Leigha]

I’ve wondered about the legal blow back if employers start mandating the vaccine.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wal...s-n1275572

So, they’re not including union and hourly/frontline workers but salaried and non-union are mandated to get vaccinated. These corporations have legal powerhouses supporting them, so employees who refuse will be terminated and it will take forever for them to see any money. I understand they want to protect employees but this seems wholly unethical.

[Syne]

Especially mandating something yet to be fully approved by the FDA for human use.

[Leigha]

Right? Wow.

And ...maybe you’ll be denied unemployment if you lose your job over it. O_o

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/fact...518818001/

I’m gobsmacked.

[Syne]

Buried pretty far into that article is:
"But employees who can prove a medical or religious exemption may have a claim, experts say."