Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Sheilbh]

Our federal president, the state premier of Baden-Württemberg, Merkel's chief spokesman, and the head of our public health institute publicly posted how they got vaccinated with AZ.

The interior minister, who I considered a fucking asshole even before, publicly said that he does not want AZ.

I think it's good of the other guys though - similarly Castex, Draghi and Johnson have all posted that they've had AZ.

I think in the UK it'll have limited impact on confidence, simply because so many people have had AZ already - both my parents got it and when I went to see friends in a park yesterday three of us had been vaccinated with it (two key workers - young women too - and me).

Reportedly up-take isn't changing much - but because you don't have choice in the UK it'd be difficult anyway. I think there is some way you can choose when booking online but I don't know how it works - but to refuse a vaccine you'd basically have to turn up to the vaccine centre, get told you're getting AZ and walk out.

[Duque de Bragança]

If Söder becomes next chancellor that's a distinct possibility.

This would disrupt the delicate balance between "True" Bavaria and Franconia, however.

[chipwich]

What is the background of America getting far more vaccination than countries with notionally better healthcare? Did the free market save us? Was Trump a secret genius?

[Admiral Yi]

What is the background of America getting far more vaccination than countries with notionally better healthcare? Did the free market save us? Was Trump a secret genius?

AFAICT it comes to the fact that we preordered gigantic batches of unproven vaccines, plus we have a lot of the world's production capacity.

[Grey Fox]

What is the background of America getting far more vaccination than countries with notionally better healthcare? Did the free market save us? Was Trump a secret genius?

AFAICT it comes to the fact that we preordered gigantic batches of unproven vaccines, plus we have a lot of the world's production capacity.

And are using 100% of that capacity for the USA domestic market.

[Zanza]

What is the background of America getting far more vaccination than countries with notionally better healthcare? Did the free market save us? Was Trump a secret genius?

"Operation Warpspeed" must be seen as a big policy success. How much of that is down to Trump's genius versus the technical competence of his administration despite his leadership is hard to say. I would err on the side of competent subordinates.

That America has the most powerful pharmaceutical industry on Earth is I guess both a blessing and a curse of its healthcare system. A blessing now in this crisis and overall innovation and availability, a curse at other times when Purdue is the biggest legal drug dealer on the planet.

Overall the vaccine rollout shows the latent overwhelming power of the American state and economy when they focus on something.

[Zanza]

Germany has introduced a mandatory test for people that want to fly here. Airlines are rejecting people at checkin when they cant show a negative test. Now people are stuck in Mallorca as there is insufficient test capacity there for the hordes of Germans that flew there over Easter.

[celedhring]

Germany has introduced a mandatory test for people that want to fly here. Airlines are rejecting people at checkin when they cant show a negative test. Now people are stuck in Mallorca as there is insufficient test capacity there for the hordes of Germans that flew there over Easter.

That sounds oddly deliberate 

[Zanza]

Germany has introduced a mandatory test for people that want to fly here. Airlines are rejecting people at checkin when they cant show a negative test. Now people are stuck in Mallorca as there is insufficient test capacity there for the hordes of Germans that flew there over Easter.

That sounds oddly deliberate 

The dilettantes in our government are barely able to implement basic policies, much less think of something like this. And then you have the Covidiots who think the idiots in our government are somehow capable of participation in a global conspiracy.   

[Zanza]

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN2BR00Q?taid=60693fa3a0a3570001acc71c&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Trending%20Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter&__twitter_impression=true

The United States has put Johnson and Johnson in charge of a plant that ruined 15 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine and has stopped British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc from using the facility, a senior health official said on Saturday.
[...]
The top U.S. infectious disease doctor told Reuters on Thursday the country may not need AstraZeneca's vaccine even if it wins approval.

Looks like AZ will never be used in the US.

As trust in this vaccine is low in Europe as well, I expect they will phase it out once sufficient other vaccines are available, maybe in Q3.

My second shot is currently planned to be an mRNA vaccine instead of AZ again. Supposedly that also works to get a good immunity.

[Syt]

Zanza, I presume you didn't participate in the protest in Stuttgart yesterday?

[Duque de Bragança]

Are there still protests against Stuttgart XXI by the way? 

[Zanza]

Zanza, I presume you didn't participate in the protest in Stuttgart yesterday?

I was 700 km away from the crazies.

To not stand by this outrage, I expressed my anger at the city administration that allowed this shit to happen  by clicking on the angry emoji on Facebook though. 

[Sheilbh]

Looks like AZ will never be used in the US.

As trust in this vaccine is low in Europe as well, I expect they will phase it out once sufficient other vaccines are available, maybe in Q3.

Yeah it's looked that way in the US for a while and given that it's really important for the rest of the world I hope they release the doses they've already manufactured.

Edit: Incidentally it looks like the UK will get some J&J in Q2 - apparently plans are to use that for younger people because it's one shot and remaining supplies of AZ and Pfizer can just be used to give everyone their second dose. Which makes sense - at the minute about 1/2 of the doses used each day are second doses. So it makes sense to use new vaccines coming on tap for the lower priority groups.

[Zanza]

Are there still protests against Stuttgart XXI by the way? 

Of course. Probably quite some overlap. The 200 odd people that still do this recently celebrated their 500th weekly demonstration.