Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[DGuller]

It seems like it'd be the easiest PR win to release doses - especially to other countries in the Americas - which will have zero impact on their own vaccination program.

US and Russia are the opposites in that regard.  Russia gives Sputnik out as a PR exercise to everyone except their own citizens.  US isn't giving out their vaccines to anyone, because doing anything to potentially slow down the vaccination of the US citizens would go down very poorly with the US citizens, and we know what the US citizens are capable of.

[Eddie Teach]

we know what the US citizens are capable of.

We do?

[Tamas]

It seems that the hitch in the UK vaccination program is a result of reduced deliveries from India. India is a massive producer of pharmaceuticals, especially things like generics and vaccines. Their production of vaccine is starting to fall due to shortages of various raw materials and components normally supplied by the USA : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-55571793

Globalization is great, until it isn't.

It was great (for consumers) in a "business as usual" kind of scenario, but its limits and weaknesses have come to light in a crisis scenario such as this one. It serves us well to remember this for when the pandemic goes away.

I agree, and particularly when climate change is going to bring more disasters.

I am not sure if "everyone should be all the industries they are possibly able" is a good message climate change wise.

Plus I guess coming from a small country makes me less upset about stuff like this. It's not like countries like Hungary could ever hope to be self sufficient in everything.

[crazy canuck]

It seems that the hitch in the UK vaccination program is a result of reduced deliveries from India. India is a massive producer of pharmaceuticals, especially things like generics and vaccines. Their production of vaccine is starting to fall due to shortages of various raw materials and components normally supplied by the USA : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-55571793

Globalization is great, until it isn't.

It was great (for consumers) in a "business as usual" kind of scenario, but its limits and weaknesses have come to light in a crisis scenario such as this one. It serves us well to remember this for when the pandemic goes away.

I agree, and particularly when climate change is going to bring more disasters.

I am not sure if "everyone should be all the industries they are possibly able" is a good message climate change wise.

Plus I guess coming from a small country makes me less upset about stuff like this. It's not like countries like Hungary could ever hope to be self sufficient in everything.

Moving toward local production makes a lot of sense climate wise, and certainly in areas that are not dependent of fossil fuels for energy.

I am not sure what Hungary might do.  But it makes no sense for us to depend on a neighbour in times of a crisis when they are completely unreliable.  Maybe Hungary will have better luck within the EU.

[Tamas]

Is there no economy in scale then?

[crazy canuck]

Is there no economy in scale then?

Sure, but how does that help when the supply becomes 0

[Tamas]

Is there no economy in scale then?

Sure, but how does that help when the supply becomes 0

Helps with climate change.

[crazy canuck]

Is there no economy in scale then?

Sure, but how does that help when the supply becomes 0

Helps with climate change.

I don't understand that logic.  If company A using hydro power produces widgets 70% less efficiently than scaled up company B using fossil fuels.  Company A is still 100% better for the climate - and they have less of a transportation footprint because they are local.

[Tamas]

Well yeah if we change the blanket statement of everyone should re-industrialise to only those who can do so without increasing carbon footprint, then of course there are no climate change implications.

[crazy canuck]

Well yeah if we change the blanket statement of everyone should re-industrialise to only those who can do so without increasing carbon footprint, then of course there are no climate change implications.

But that was my point.  Canada is one of those nations that can do it.  We now have the added incentive of knowing that it is not just Trumpism we have to worry about.  We cannot think we can depend on the US doing anything other than be American First all the time, every time.  We have to acknowledge that reality and not depend on supply chains with the US in a crisis.  They have amply demonstrated what they will do.

[Grey Fox]

That would be a reversal of 40 years of Canadian federal policy.

[crazy canuck]

That would be a reversal of 40 years of Canadian federal policy.

Yep, it would.  But look where the last 40 years got us.  A trading relationship with an unreliable trading partner.

The way this was supposed to work was everyone within our trading block, well, trades.  But if the US is not going to trade, and that refusal prevents our other trading partners from producing what we need, then there is only one rational option left. 

[jimmy olsen]

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/18/opinion/coronavirus-vaccine-europe.html?smid=tw-nytopinion&smtyp=cur

Vaccines: A Very European Disaster
When policymakers are averse to the wrong risks.

By Paul Krugman

I was tested for COVID yesterday. This was because there was an outbreak in some factory dorms using foreign labor in my town, so of course every foreigner in the province must be tested! 

[jimmy olsen]

My test is negative. 

[HisMajestyBOB]

My test is negative. 

For COVID or foreignerness? 


That's good. What's the vaccine distribution like over there?