Coronavirus, the Late June Edition

 

Coronavirus, the Late June Edition

By the Numbers

The overall number of active cases continue to plummet, and I do not use that word lightly. Crashing through the 6 digit figures.  

Date    Calculated umber of active cases (in hundreds of thousands)
6/20            200's
6/12            300's
6/6             400's
6/1             500's
5/29            600's        
5/23            700's
5/21            800's
5/17            900's

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Factors in the low number of active cases are, of course, the vaccination rate continues to climb.  (But then, it cannot decline)  And those testing for Covid are increasing coming up negative.  At it's peak in Pennsylvania, 12% of all tests were positive, now the number is 1.5%. 

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The Variants FAQ

Since the Variants are now being identified as Greek letters, here is a chart to help

A) Officially known as B.1.117, formally named as "Kent".  The major vaccines have demonstrated at least 90% effectiveness.  The variant is minorly more infectious and no less lethal.

B) Officially known as B.1.351, formally named as "South Africa".  The major vaccines have demonstrated at least 75% effectiveness.  The variant is minorly more infectious and more lethal.

G) Officially known as P.1, formally named as "Brazil".  The major vaccines have demonstrated at least 95% effectiveness.  The variant is minorly more infectious and no less lethal.

D) Officially known as B.1.617, formally named as "India".  The major vaccines have demonstrated at least 88% effectiveness.  But otherwise this variant is the most infectious, and more lethal. 

E) Officially known as B.1.429.   The major vaccines have demonstrated at least 95% effectiveness.  The variant is minorly more infectious and no less lethal.

I) Officially known as B.1.526.   The major vaccines have demonstrated at least 95% effectiveness.  The variant is minorly more infectious and no less lethal.

Not yet assigned, I guess Californians is fair game to stigmatize.  Officially known as CAL.20C, formally named as "California".  The major vaccines have demonstrated at least 95% effectiveness.  The variant is minorly more infectious and no less lethal.

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In a press briefing on June 22.  Dr Fauci and others mentioned that  20% of Covid survivors, that were asymptomatic during the disease, were later treated or hospitalized for one or more of the "long hauler" symptoms including pneumonia,  shortness of breath, chest pain, and fatigue.

Reported in the Lancet earlier this year, that among the severe Covid cases, 7% suffered a stroke within 6 months.  

A group of researchers in Texas has uncovered genetic manipulation the virus in areas where it was deep seated.

Anecdotal story:  We have a local coach that caught C-19 and his comments afterwards.  "Covid was nothing, but then I caught pneumonia and spent weeks in the hospital."  Mike drop...

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Experimentation on humans is largely regarded as bad thing.  So experimentation mainly takes the form of statistical analysis with attempts to separate all the other causes that may be the root of the problem.

There are those that reject the vaccine, because they do not want to be experimented on.  Well then, welcome to the control group!

The Delta variant, formally known as "India" is now the dominant variant in the UK.  In the US, Delta has taken root in the swaths of unvaccinated population, mostly in the southern areas.  How much more infectious?  How much more lethal?  We are going to find out.  Welcome to the control group!

Brazil's leader has enforced HCQ as the only effective treatment, and his country is paying the price.  They sell it as a cocktail called "Early Treatment".  It is a mix of anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, vitamins, and HCQ.  Of the first three, none are effective on viruses, and HCQ has been shown in only 1 study to be have some minor efficacy if taken before the disease is caught.  

But this cocktail is the only treatment allowed by the government.  So far, 500,000 have died, and the number of active cases in Brazil has doubled since February.  

So next time someone complains about not allowing HCQ as a treatment, we can reply, "Thank God, look at Brazil!" 

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Anecdotal story: The IT Department in a Florida government building, Manatee County.  Experienced a Covid outbreak of the "Delta" variant.  7 people, all serious cases, 2 dead, 4 more hospitalized.  The only uninfected member of the team was vaccinated. 

They wore masks as mandated indoors, but the general rules do not take into account the time factor.  8 hours exposure with a mask could be like 15 minutes unmasked.  I don't know the exact ratio here, but time is a factor.  That is one reason that wearing a mask outdoors is mostly useless.  If you are just passing an infected person, that 15 seconds is the more dominant factor.   

Statistically, with millions of examples, extreme clusters are going to happen.  That is how random numbers work.  But it is a poignant example, none the less.

Back last year, Dr Fauci tried to explain this, and did so poorly, and was totally taken out of context to mean that masks didn't work.  Then later they claimed he flip flopped.  He didn't change is mind there, but didn't explain very well the time factor.

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What are monoclonal antibodies?  I know I am getting ad's for this treatment, often in the form of "Why doesn't the government want me to be treated with it?" 

First, monoclonal antibodies are clones of the antibodies you want to have to attack the disease in question.  This is not new science.

They have only been tested in mild to moderate cases of Covid.  The company claims 87% reduction of hospitalizations and death.  The FDA tests have 7% deaths in a placebo group vs 2% in the treatment group.  So they do seem effective. 

The FDA has approved their use since February.  So ad's about the government not allowing them are lies.  And frankly, if you lie to me in the headline, I am not interested in reading the text.  Some claims of cures within hours defies credulity.  

It seems that the cost is driving this treatment.  I am seeing $95,000 as a treatment cost.  This explains the excessive advertising. 

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Not Covid related, but I couldn't resist.  

Doctors in Germany had a patient in the emergency room after overdosing on a homeopathic remedy.  

Homeopathic medicine is an extremely diluted solution.  But magically done in a way that maintains the "essence" of the active ingredient, while removing the active ingredient itself.  You will see somewhere on the box a number and an X, euphemistically referred to as "Potency".  6X is common, but it goes up to 30X.  Each 'X' has 1/10th the active ingredient of the previous X.  At around 24X, depending on the amount (18 grams), there is a 50/50 chance of having a single molecule of active ingredient.

The Amazing Randy would prove the ineffectiveness of Homeopathic medicine by taking a whole box or two.  

So this German got a box of incorrectly processed remedy, and started having nerve problems, because it contained about 600 times the normal dosage of atropine normally used to dilate you eyes.  

FYI. Atropine is used to treat soldiers from nerve gas attacks.  But you first have to make sure you have been poisoned, or else the cure will kill you.  

He did live, so no Darwin here.