COVID-19 stats and research news - until Nov. 15, 2021

[MarzNC]

Since there is interest in the stats and news links I’ve posted about the pandemic, this will be where I’ll post about COVID-19 every so often for the next couple months. As Thanksgiving and ski season approaches, I'll get busier with other stuff. I will ask Harvey to lock the thread around Nov. 15. He approved the idea beforehand. Note that I’ll be quick to let him know if a short time out is needed if I sense any tendency towards a political debate.

I may post info that isn’t for NY or the northeast or even for the USA. We are in the midst of a pandemic after all. If you aren’t interested, just skip reading that post. I tend to “think global and act local."

Any comments or questions related to conspiracy theories or treatments not yet approved by FDA will be ignored and may result in the thread being put on time out.

Even if you think a question was answered before, feel free to ask again. It’s been confusing for everyone to try to keep up with new info. Also possible that answer may be different this fall compared to a year ago, a few months ago, or even two weeks ago.

For those who don't know me, I'm not a medical professional (or a ski instructor). I’m a retired Ph.D. biostatistician who worked for 15 years on clinical trials at a well known CRO (contract research organization, formerly named Quintiles) in the pharma/biotech industry. I have a daughter off at college and a non-skiing husband with medical issues that put him at higher risk even though he’s fully vaccinated (3 shots). Paying close attention to the evolving situation with COVID-19 is important to me for personal reasons, as well as general curiosity. I learn something new every day related to the pandemic.

 

[MarzNC]

There are some states that are making data public that shows the split by vaccination status of people who are hospitalized with COVID-19. Utah happens to be one of them. The population of Utah is 3 million (less than half the population of NJ). The vax rate is not quite 60% for first dose as of mid-Sept. The range for vax rates by county ranges from 36% to 85% for the 29 counties.

September 3, KSL TV in SLC

New data on breakthrough hospitalizations 'very persuasive' for vaccines, Cox says

Gov. Spencer Cox says over the last 30 days, 88% of ICU patients with COVID-19 at Intermountain Healthcare facilities have been unvaccinated.

www.ksl.com

 

[MarzNC]

With all the talk about 3rd shots for immunocompromised folks and booster shots in general, the idea of mix-and-match for different vaccine types is getting attention too. It helps to know a bit about the different types of vaccines in terms of scientific differences in how they work, and their advantages and disadvantages.

In the USA, most people are getting one of the two mRNA vaccines: Pfizer or Moderna. There are several completely different approaches to developing a vaccine candidate. J&J (1-shot) and Astra Zeneca are two vaccines that are commonly used in multiple countries. I'm following the situation in the Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand the most. AZ is being used in Canada, UK, and Australia, along with Pfizer. The UK also has Moderna available.

Research based on mRNA has been around for 20+ years. Moderna has been working on vaccines based on the mRNA approach for a decade. That's why developing a vaccine candidate ready for Phase 1 trials didn't take long at all in early 2020. All that was needed was the DNA info for SARS-CoV-2.

For more than I want to know about the different types of vaccines for those who like graphics.

Types of vaccines for COVID-19 | British Society for Immunology

www.immunology.org

This video from the UK in Dec 2020 is a decent introduction. Only 4 minutes long.

Another 4-min intro to vaccines.

 

[G.ski]

Appreciative to see you posting again on this topic.

 

[tirolski]

All that was needed was the DNA info for SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 doesn’t have DNA in it.
It uses RNA for it’s replications.

 

[XTski]

SARS-CoV-2 doesn’t have DNA in it.
It uses RNA for it’s replications.

Nice catch , I would like to add that please give any N-95 masks to the workers on the frontline, I see poster posting about flying to ski wearing N-95 masks, I had a whole box of N-95 masks I gave all of them to hospital workers, I know it’s been said on here that skiing is not important with this damn coved, so let’s be good and turn those N-95 masks over to the real heroes

 

[Campgottagopee]

Thank you for doing this!!

 

[Harvey]

I was under the impression that this was true early on, but now N95s are widely available. IMO they seem better than the average blue mask, tighter fit and better filtration.

I hope so. We just bought 100 of them for our employees, as we have them returning to work. They span the scale, some are very worried (and working on doctor's notes) others could care less. This past week was the first week, so far it seems like it went pretty well. There are only ten of us in the home office and we have 3000 sq feet.

Mostly have used the masks for people who show up without them, the plumber and electrician, to keep people relaxed.

When I bought my first N95 at the beginning of the pandemic, I kept it for 2 months (gross huh). It was individually wrapped and like $15. We got those masks at work for 80 cents a piece, a box of 100. Price and quantity seems to indicate a good supply.

Marz thanks for this thread. Not sure if this kind of stuff ^^ is too far afield from the topic. LMK.

 

[MarzNC]

SARS-CoV-2 doesn’t have DNA in it.
It uses RNA for it’s replications.

Of course. Thanks for the correction.

Told you I'm a statistician. Also a computer geek of sorts. If I don't look something up, I really don't remember medical stuff at all. Mostly because I don't want to remember. In high school biology was required. In college the only science course I took was Physics because that was required for a Math major. My reaction to the fact that my father was a chemistry professor was to stay as far away from science at a detail level as possible.

 

[MarzNC]

Marz thanks for this thread. Not sure if this kind of stuff ^^ is too far afield from the topic. LMK.

Use and types of masks is a good topic. Goes along with stuff related to aerosols. I'll dig up a few articles eventually.

In my county, which is a large county surrounding Raleigh that also includes some places that are still relatively rural, mask rules are complicated. Wake County requires masking, so does Raleigh and most of the other towns in the county. But a few towns won't mandate masks for indoor venues, mostly small businesses. Fair to say there are places in southern Wake County that I would avoid right now even if I had a reason to go.

Latest Percent Positive is about 7% in Wake County as of right now. PP is 12-13% in the two counties that border Wake on the south. Pretty sure there are no mask mandates in those counties, except perhaps in schools but I haven't been following closely.