Muh Muh Muh My Corona (virus)

Sorry, America. Vaccines won't end the pandemic anytime soon | Opinion

As is standard in clinical trials, half of these participants received an injection of salt water and half received the real vaccine. Three weeks later, still blinded from knowing which they received, participants received the second injection. Seven days later, the data monitoring committee found that more than 90% of the 94 cases that developed a mild COVID symptom like a sore throat were among the approximately 19,500 participants in the placebo group, with fewer than 10% among the other half receiving the real vaccine. This is the basis of the announcement that the vaccine is more than 90% effective in “preventing COVID.” Although vague wording has led many to believe otherwise, Pfizer provided no evidence about preventing infections. As for serious cases, Pfizer announced Wednesday data showing promising preliminary results but saying nothing about hospitalizations or death.



This week, Moderna announced that its vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing symptomatic cases (not infections) in more than 30,000 U.S. participants, based on its study in collaboration with Anthony Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The study found 90 cases in the placebo half but only five cases in the half getting its vaccine. Moderna also analyzed a secondary end point of severe cases. Eleven occurred in the placebo group not taking the vaccine, and none among those taking it. While the numbers are small, the finding is important and bodes well for more information on how the vaccines prevent severe cases.

Once a vaccine is approved effective, however, it becomes more expensive and difficult to develop and test a more effective vaccine for serious COVID-19 cases. The trial may have to prove the new vaccine is more effective than the first authorized vaccine, rather than a placebo or inert substance, requiring a much larger sample and greater expense.

 

I mentioned upthread that my daughter is a high school teacher, remote learning only. She's received word that one of her 10th grade students has tested positive and is experiencing severe flu symptoms. Luckily not hospitalized, yet. I suppose we should consider it grace that this high school has remained remote only.

 

We delayed the start of school by two weeks, then went on a schedule where half the bricks and mortar students came Monday/Tuesday, no students Wednesday, the other half came Thursday/Friday. At least a third of my school opted for full time virtual. When students were on their off days, they were virtual.
Fast forward to the Monday after fall break, and we fling the doors wide open with a waiver from the state that we would "do the best we could to social distance in the classrooms" *wink, wink*
By that Friday, I was positive for COVID that the health department said I picked up at school Monday.

 

Right? I've read your story. We're beyond cause and correlation, it is cause and effect. Stay wise. Stay well.

 

I'll tell you what the effect is:
Tomorrow marks a calendar month since my first symptoms and positive test. I got home from work today and did about an hour of yard work. By 5:30 I was inside, in my chair, complete slammed, and dead asleep. The aftershock fatigue is a mofo. It sucks.

 

From our district superintendent ...

Our own data suggests that these prevention practices are working well within our schools. Of the 2,386 close contacts who have been subject to quarantine in FSPS since July, twenty-three (23) have later tested positive. This suggests a school transmission rate of 0.96%.

 

It sounds very much like recovering from pneumonia. You get to feeling better, get up and around a bit. It gets to be eleven am or so and all of a sudden you run out of steam and just fall out. You stay that way to varying degrees for weeks.

 

The psychological side of it isn't a picnic, either. I no longer worry that I've transmitted it to family, but sometimes I catch myself in some sort of mixture of confusion, agitation, and depression. It's weird.
2020 as a whole doesn't help with all that.

 

Try to be kind to yourself. This too shall pass.

 

Thank you for that, Inky.

Driftwood, get your slumber- you've earned it. I hope you recover that missing thing.

 

In 2014, I had a bowel obstruction. Not the same thing, obviously, but I was hospitalized for a week. Happily, no surgery required, but the week after I was out, I couldn't walk half a block, and probably slept 15 hours a day. All I can say is when the body has a major shock, it ain't easy to come back. Give it time. Don't push. They don't need you for the homecoming game.

 

I imagine they gave you the same advice for different reasons