Coronavirus news

[Jim Butler]

When the army is not being asked to kill people and blow things up, they are really good at getting things done and moving stuff around.

As the parent of three children who served in the Army: one currently serving (Sergeant First Class in medical; she oversaw setting up field hospital in Safeco field); one who served 15 months in Iraq and was injured by an IED; and one who was in the reserves I find your remark "When the army is not being asked to kill people and blow things up" to be insulting and callous.

[peter_speckhard]

I think it works this way.
Medical workers are to get it first, and those working directly with the sick.
Then the elderly and those with greater risk of serious and potentially fatal infection.
Supposedly there are plans in hand for massive distribution headed by an army General skilled in logistics. This is good. When the army is not being asked to kill people and blow things up, they are really good at getting things done and moving stuff around.

As an army guy, I have to ask if you ever get the bile fully out of your system. Why not just say you're glad the army might be involved in the logistics because they are excellent in that regard? And for the record, the army is also good at moving stuff around when called upon to kill people and blow stuff up.

[Charles Austin]

Woo hah! The irony abounds.
I swiped that phrase from, wait for it, Rush Limbaugh. You know, the American medal of freedom winner hero?
Some years ago, when there was talk of using our military personnel and skills to rebuild things in, I think, Kuwait or some other places, Limbaugh spent days objecting, saying over and over that the job of our army was to “kill people and blow things up.”
One should’ve read my comment upstream as irony, maybe even over-stated satire. (Plus the fact that it ought to be obvious I am not in favor of killing people and blowing things up.
So, chill, “army guy” and parents of our troops. My point was to say that our people in uniform are good at moving things around without explosives.

[John_Hannah]

I think it works this way.
Medical workers are to get it first, and those working directly with the sick.
Then the elderly and those with greater risk of serious and potentially fatal infection.
Supposedly there are plans in hand for massive distribution headed by an army General skilled in logistics. This is good. When the army is not being asked to kill people and blow things up, they are really good at getting things done and moving stuff around.

   That's for sure. They really are.

Peace, JOHN

[John_Hannah]

I think it works this way.
Medical workers are to get it first, and those working directly with the sick.
Then the elderly and those with greater risk of serious and potentially fatal infection.
Supposedly there are plans in hand for massive distribution headed by an army General skilled in logistics. This is good. When the army is not being asked to kill people and blow things up, they are really good at getting things done and moving stuff around.

   That's for sure. They really are.

Peace, JOHN

Now, after my initial response, I read responses to Charles. I am career Army and am not at all offended by what he said. Time to chill out on jumping on Charles. His point is very true. The Army does an excellent job in logistics. We invented logistics. Yes, we kill and blow things up when ordered by proper civilian authority for the sake of national security. Our democratic, constitutional order allows dissent about particular efforts and we kill and blow things up in defense of that freedom. Come on! Go American! We are free!

End of my patriotic homily for this Thanksgiving season.

Peace, JOHN

[DeHall1]

Woo hah! The irony abounds.
I swiped that phrase from, wait for it, Rush Limbaugh. You know, the American medal of freedom winner hero?
Some years ago, when there was talk of using our military personnel and skills to rebuild things in, I think, Kuwait or some other places, Limbaugh spent days objecting, saying over and over that the job of our army was to “kill people and blow things up.”
One should’ve read my comment upstream as irony, maybe even over-stated satire. (Plus the fact that it ought to be obvious I am not in favor of killing people and blowing things up.
So, chill, “army guy” and parents of our troops. My point was to say that our people in uniform are good at moving things around without explosives.

Not surprising you’d be inspired by Rush Limbaugh.  You both served the same amount of time in the military, so you’re both obviously experts.

[peter_speckhard]

Charles, most people in the army recognize the phrase from Limbaugh. I did right away. That was neither a surprise nor the point I was making. The point was that there was no call to make your compliment to the army in a backhanded way. But you do things like that reflexively. It would be as though I were to compliment some post of your by saying, “Man, when he’s not bloviating idiotically, he’s really insightful.” Better to just say, “Good, insightful post.”

[Jim Butler]

Woo hah! The irony abounds.
I swiped that phrase from, wait for it, Rush Limbaugh. You know, the American medal of freedom winner hero?

Charles Austin--Dittohead. Who knew?

But it does explain a lot.

[Robert Johnson]

What I'm curious about--and I'm not sure any of you really know, but maybe--is who determines what vaccines get distributed to whom or where?

The Texas state health department has already published its priorities:

• Healthcare personnel likely to be exposed to or treat people with COVID-19.
• People at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, including those with underlying medical conditions and people 65 years of age and older (Residents of long term care facilities are first on this list.)
• Other vulnerable, frontline workers

[Jeremy_Loesch]

I'm going to wait and see on the vaccine. I'm not at the top of the list for those who should get it. And I'm also not one for the annual flu shot either. So...I'll see.

I'm pleased to see the progress that is being made on the vaccines.

Jeremy

[D. Engebretson]

It was asked, now that it is almost available, would we be open to receiving the vaccine.  My answer is an unhesitating "yes."

But that probably doesn't matter.  I'm probably down the list a ways.  Healthcare workers, nursing home residents, etc. I'm not sure I'm included on any of the critical lists, so I'm probably looking well into next spring at the earliest. As a first responder, who provides an "essential service" to my community, I may be bumped up a little higher.  We'll have to wait and see how they define "essential workers."

There are over 330 million people in the US, but Pfizer, whose vaccine is expected to be the first to receive Food and Drug Administration authorization in the coming weeks, says it expects to produce enough to vaccinate about 12.5 million Americans by the end of 2020, or about 3.7% of the US population.

Other vaccines, like the one from Moderna that uses similar technology to Pfizer's, may be authorized in the next few weeks or months as well, which will add to the overall stockpile. Regardless, most people in the US will have to wait several months at least before those who want a vaccine might be able to get one, and it could take years to vaccinate everyone in the world...

Here's who the CDC identified as the top four priority groups to receive the first COVID-19 doses.

Health care workers: Vaccinating roughly 20 million US doctors, nurses, lab technicians and other health care providers helps protect both the country's front-line COVID-19 responders and the patients they care for.

Essential workers: Approximately 87 million US workers provide the basic goods and services we need to survive. Most can't work from home and many jobs require interacting with the public, so guarding against COVID-19 among this population would have a ripple effect across the whole country while also reducing critical service interruptions.

People with underlying medical conditions: Specifically, the 100 million or so people with conditions putting them at high risk for illness or death from COVID-19. Any disease affecting the lungs, but also anything that could compromise a person's immune system, like cancer or HIV.

Older adults: Risk of severe complications from COVID-19 increases with age. The CDC's ACIP recommends the approximately 53 million US adults age 65 and over be among the first to get vaccinated.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/covid-19-vaccines-are-coming-soon-but-you-could-be-last-in-line-heres-who-will-get-one-first/

[Julio]

What I'm curious about--and I'm not sure any of you really know, but maybe--is who determines what vaccines get distributed to whom or where?

The Texas state health department has already published its priorities:

• Healthcare personnel likely to be exposed to or treat people with COVID-19.
• People at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, including those with underlying medical conditions and people 65 years of age and older (Residents of long term care facilities are first on this list.)
• Other vulnerable, frontline workers

The reality is the vaccine distribution priorities are the responsibility of state officials ... which must be extremely distressing to those who habitually and instinctively strive to condemn President Trump for anything and everything.

Sorry folks ... the logistics for distribution of the vaccine is in the hands of capable career military personnel who will seamlessly continue the distribution both before and after high noon January 20.

[Julio]

Doctors say CDC should warn people the side effects from Covid vaccine shots won’t be ‘a walk in the park’

KEY POINTS
The CDC must be transparent about the side effects people may experience after getting their first shot of a coronavirus vaccine, doctors urged during a meeting Monday with CDC advisors.

Dr. Sandra Fryhofer said that both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines require two doses and she worries whether her patients will come back for a second dose because of potentially unpleasant side effects after the first shot.

Both companies acknowledged that their vaccines could induce side effects that are similar to symptoms associated with mild Covid-19, such as muscle pain, chills and headache.

[Charles Austin]

We have already been informed about possible side effects. They are minimal. None of them appear to be life threatening. And certainly the laws that require those long, warning  tag lines on TV commercials for various drugs will apply. I always find it amusing that a pill which is supposed to help us sleep has a side effect of making us drowsy. And that a pill which is supposed to combat depression may make some people who take it feel suicidal.

[Richard Johnson]

What I'm curious about--and I'm not sure any of you really know, but maybe--is who determines what vaccines get distributed to whom or where?

The Texas state health department has already published its priorities:

• Healthcare personnel likely to be exposed to or treat people with COVID-19.
• People at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, including those with underlying medical conditions and people 65 years of age and older (Residents of long term care facilities are first on this list.)
• Other vulnerable, frontline workers

You have misread my question. Which of the three (or is it four now?) vaccines get given to whom, or distributed to where? I'm not asking what people get it first, I'm asking what vaccine they get.