Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (nCoV-2019)

[Northern Light]

I can't make fun of this; its just disgusting:

 

[wopchop]

Several people apparently thought the lesson from 'Chair Girl' was that throwing things off hirise balconies is not only ok; but won't attract adverse attention.

All the while holding a gathering (party) that isn't permissible in light of Covid. Lots of charges laid. More should follow.

Eleven charged after bottles hurled from condo balcony during large gathering amid COVID-19 restrictions

Police said four people were charged criminally, and seven others were fined for illegally gathering while the stay-at-home order is in effect in Toronto.

www.thestar.com

Such bullshit. If I, or any construction worker in this city did something like this, we would go to jail.
They will probably get off lightly just like Chair Girl.

 

[Northern Light]

Such bullshit. If I, or any construction worker in this city did something like this, we would go to jail.
They will probably get off lightly just like Chair Girl.

I agree it is; and I hope they won't. (get off lightly)

 

[gabe]

Death, Through a Nurse’s Eyes​

A short film offering a firsthand perspective of the brutality of the pandemic inside a Covid-19 I.C.U.

Opinion | Death, Through a Nurse’s Eyes (Published 2021)

A short film offering a firsthand perspective of the brutality of the pandemic inside a Covid-19 I.C.U.

www.nytimes.com

 

[tiffer24]

Health Canada has approved use of the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca, clearing the way for millions of more inoculations in Canada.

Canada has secured access to 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/astrazeneca-approved-1.5929050

 

[Northern Light]

Health Canada has approved use of the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca, clearing the way for millions of more inoculations in Canada.

Canada has secured access to 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/astrazeneca-approved-1.5929050

Of note, efficacy is pegged at 62%; which if accurate, is certainly better than zero; but well below the approved leaders to date which are in the ~90% range.

I have been reviewing all the clinical trial data that I can on the various vaccines; all of the data is problematic in places.

Comparatively small sample sizes, comparatively short windows of time; and quite importantly, rates of efficacy that seem to vary materially by age cohort in many cases.

That isn't to suggest this isn't progress; or to be a 'downer' but simply to point out it isn't necessarily the 'win' that its being billed as either.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Of note, efficacy is pegged at 62%; which if accurate, is certainly better than zero; but well below the approved leaders to date which are in the ~90% range.

I have been reviewing all the clinical trial data that I can on the various vaccines; all of the data is problematic in places.

Comparatively small sample sizes, comparatively short windows of time; and quite importantly, rates of efficacy that seem to vary materially by age cohort in many cases.

That isn't to suggest this isn't progress; or to be a 'downer' but simply to point out it isn't necessarily the 'win' that its being billed as either.

The AstraZeneca, at 62% efficacy, should be allocated to those under 60 or 65.

 

[PinkLucy]

That's what I heard on the news, i.e., that they would be using it for under 65. And hopefully high risk individuals younger than that will be given one of the higher efficacy vaccines.

 

[zang]

Of note, efficacy is pegged at 62%; which if accurate, is certainly better than zero; but well below the approved leaders to date which are in the ~90% range.

…Which while not as good as the mRNA vaccines, is still in line with the best side of our annual influenza vaccine efficacy.

 

[Towered]

That's what I heard on the news, i.e., that they would be using it for under 65. And hopefully high risk individuals younger than that will be given one of the higher efficacy vaccines.

You mean we won't get to pick which vaccine we want, like ordering from a restaurant menu? That sucks! I was leaning towards the Pfizer because of the cutting edge technology...

 

[W. K. Lis]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1328706153082101760

https://twitter.com/x/status/1344473172549140480

 

[W. K. Lis]

For-profit nursing homes in Ontario say ownership has nothing to do with their higher COVID-19 death rates. A Star analysis finds that’s not the case​

From link.

Ontario’s for-profit long-term-care homes have reported far more COVID-19 deaths on average than non-profit and municipal facilities, even accounting for factors the industry has repeatedly claimed explain the long-standing disparity, a Star investigation finds.

For months, the industry has insisted that the reason for-profit homes have consistently reported worse outcomes than non-profit and municipal homes has nothing to do with ownership but is the result of other factors, such as the rate of COVID-19 infections in the surrounding community and the fact that for-profits own more older facilities.

A new Star investigation shows that even after accounting for those factors — and several others — for-profit homes have still seen many more deaths per capita.

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Older homes and those located in areas with higher infection rates have clearly seen elevated death tolls. The Star’s analysis does not dispute this claim. What it does show is that for-profit status has also been undeniably associated with worse outcomes throughout Ontario’s COVID-19 pandemic.

Several experts who have seen the Star’s analysis say the findings suggest the for-profit sector’s higher death rates cannot be fully explained by other factors.

The Star analysis compares Ontario’s detailed home-by-home records of COVID-19 outbreaks across several different factors, from the age of a home, to local infection rates, to the size of the facility, among others. Whether looking at those factors in isolation or in dozens of combinations, for-profit homes reported the highest rate of deaths per registered bed in virtually every case.

Ontario for-profit LTC homes have seen far more deaths from COVID-19 on a per-bed basis than non-profit and municipal homes

For-profit homes had the worst outcomes in both hard-hit cities where the virus raged and in communities left relatively unscathed; worst, whether run by sole operators or by large chains; worst among facilities with a handful of beds and those with hundreds. For-profits also reported more deaths in older homes, in which dated design standards have been blamed for some of Ontario’s worst outbreaks, and in homes built to newer, stricter regulations.

The pattern is consistent in the data from the entire pandemic and is even clearer in Ontario’s second wave, during which there was an even larger gap between the poorer outcomes at the for-profits relative to non-profit and municipal facilities...

 

[Quint]

For-profit nursing homes in Ontario say ownership has nothing to do with their higher COVID-19 death rates. A Star analysis finds that’s not the case​

From link.



Ontario for-profit LTC homes have seen far more deaths from COVID-19 on a per-bed basis than non-profit and municipal homes

I have a theory that the high incidence of death's in LTC homes is related to their HVAC systems. In hospitals the ventilation systems are crucial for infection control. Infectious patient rooms are under negative pressure with doors kept closed at all times. In this way they can prevent the spread of pathogens and viruses. Additionally they utilize HEPA filters in all air supply systems.

Looking at the design guidelines for LTC homes in Ontario the only requirement for ventilation systems is that Kitchens and Bathrooms should be under negative pressure to contain odors. Link (see page 39) http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ltc/docs/home_design_manual.pdf . There is no requirement that resident rooms be under negative pressure.

I have not been able to find if the Province has mandated improved ventilation systems in LTC homes since the first big outbreak last spring. I have read that the province allocated $50 Million to upgrade ventilation systems in schools but have not seen any similar program for LTC homes.

 

[Richard White]

That's what I heard on the news, i.e., that they would be using it for under 65. And hopefully high risk individuals younger than that will be given one of the higher efficacy vaccines.

My Great Aunt in England is 91 and she got the AstraZeneca vaccine a couple weeks ago.

That being said I am 33 and would feel alot more comfortable taking Pfizer or Modernas vaccines over AstraZenecas.

With all the questions around efficacy and large amounts of people snubbing it in Europe, Health Canada should never have approved it.

I get we need more supply but there are are far too many questions regarding efficacy to make it a viable option.

 

[Jonny5]

With all the questions around efficacy and large amounts of people snubbing it in Europe, Health Canada should never have approved it.
I get we need more supply but there are are far too many questions regarding efficacy to make it a viable option.

There aren't questions about its "efficacy" at all. It's documented and meets any standard needed for approval by Health Canada.
I sincerely hope you don't think "62% efficacy" means 62% of the time it works, and 38% of the time it doesn't work. That's not what that means, but there's a lot of people out there chatting about it as though that's what they think it means. People are over-consuming low-quality coronavirus numbers news and overthinking the situation. The vaccine works broadly to prevent symptoms which will lead to hospitalisation. That's what's really important.