Covid 11/19/21

Covid19mathblog.com

Another big win for Pfizer – US consumer gets a $500/pill – https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/18/biden-administration-buys-10-million-courses-of-pfizer-covid-treatment-pill.html

“President Joe Biden said Thursday the U.S. has bought 10 million courses of Pfizer’s Covid treatment pill Paxlovid.

“My administration is making the necessary preparations now to ensure these treatments will be easily accessible and free,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.

In a clinical trial of high-risk adults, Paxlovid demonstrated 89% efficacy in preventing hospitalization and death when taken within three days of symptom onset, according to Pfizer.

Biden said delivery of the pills will start at the end of this year and continue through 2022.”

FYI Paxlovid is a protease inhibitor. Guess what protease inhibitors are used for? 2017 study – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5575534/pdf/FEBS-284-2604.pdf

“Proteases play crucial roles at all stages of parasite

development and are therefore potential antimalarial

targets”

Hmm a drug that treats parasite CANT treat a virus – remember that?

A wonderful data treasure comes from the UK – they do test across all categories from vax to unvax to asymptomatic so their sampling is probably superior – https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/datasets/coronaviruscovid19infectionsinthecommunityinengland?s=09

They pretty much show having been infected is as good as it gets….let the natural immunity go!

Also they show human behavior likely more influential. The group that has money and free time more likely to be active and hence likely to get covid! As expected you stay to yourself not likely to get covid – but you might die from depression?

Norway officially not giving vaccines to 12 and under…. https://www.fhi.no/en/id/vaccines/coronavirus-immunisation-programme/coronavirus-vaccine/#vaccination-of-children-and-adolescents

Children and young people (CYP) is not at risk and seems to hold a lot of burden on them. https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-689684/v1

“SARS-CoV-2 is very rarely fatal in CYP, even among those with underlying comorbidities. These findings are important to guide families, clinicians and policy makers about future shielding and vaccination.”

Time to drink/eat pomegranate – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8114579/

“In agreement with our results, a recent report demonstrated that pomegranate juice was effective in reducing the infectious capacity of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus in VeroE6 cells suggesting an antiviral activity of both viruses (Frank et al., 2020).”

Unfortunately vaccinations are not the end all solution. Our behavior and our environment is more important. We should ventilate we should test all at gatherings not just the unvaccinated. Below shows zero relationship on a state basis for vaccination rates and confirmation per capita. Weather plays the big role – which deduces to behavior. We need to promote getting healthy. It does not take long to get healthy with commitment and consistency one get healthy in few months – note we are almost 2 years into this! Looks like its endemic.

Europe surge very likely a function of it getting cold as talked about here multiple times.

Austria confirmations peaking above last winter peak. https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/19/austria-extends-covid-lockdown-and-makes-vaccination-mandatory-from-february-1 With very high level fully confirmation population it would seem vaccination is not the panacea it was sold as. The “studies” the pharmaceuticals need to show themselves in reality and unfortunately it is not looking good. Even fatality rates are not showing significant improvement (not 90% improvement but closer to 50%) to last year.

Ireland at 76% fully vaccinated still producing higher confirmations than last year. Fatality rates improved around 50%.

On a country basis the last 30 day vs lifetime fatality rates are not significant improvement other than the less developed such as Mexico, Bulgaria, and Egypt. Vaccines are not delivering the extent of the promise from the studies.

Who would have thought Michigan would lead the confirmation? Hint its cold there…

On a county basis vaccination has not much influence on transmission…..almost starting to be accepted but that mantra was so strong for so many months creating a false sense of security….

Big horn leads the confirmation per capita at 99% vaccination rate!

When comparing fatality rate perhaps best to weather normalize? When viewed this way the fatality rates have not really improved….