NON_POLITICAL China Coronavirus THREAD

[Spacehead]

So i just got off the phone with my health ins. provider. They will cover the cost of a test only if a Dr. orders a test. Which pretty much means having some sort of symptoms.
Otherwise i have to pay all costs.

So it looks like one of my co-workers will be paying the bill for his test unless he said he had some symptoms.

 

[destrekor]

So i just got off the phone with my health ins. provider. They will cover the cost of a test only if a Dr. orders a test. Which pretty much means having some sort of symptoms.
Otherwise i have to pay all costs.

So it looks like one of my co-workers will be paying the bill for his test unless he said he had some symptoms.

I thought that unless it's at a state or federal-sponsored mass-testing location, that's basically how it is for everyone. Those "free tests" aren't insurance-backed, they are government-backed. So if you're coworker is going somewhere listed by the state agency, I don't believe they even involve insurance.

 

[nutxo]

I thought that unless it's at a state or federal-sponsored mass-testing location, that's basically how it is for everyone. Those "free tests" aren't insurance-backed, they are government-backed. So if you're coworker is going somewhere listed by the state agency, I don't believe they even involve insurance.

Yeah. Around here you just look on the website and see where the test is and do a drive thru. It's all free.

 

[pmv]

Rare bit of good news - proposed vaccine seems to work for older people as well as young.

Oxford Covid vaccine works in all ages, trials suggest

Vaccine being trialled by Oxford University and AstraZeneca offers hope for all age groups

www.theguardian.com

 

[K1052]

No Pfizer results in October. Sounds like they are having trouble accumulating the needed events to analyze efficacy, at least on their expected timetable. They expect to hit the safety milestone the 3rd week of November still.

CEO did say that they'll probably have 40M doses by EOY which is ahead of previous CDC projections. Moderna recently said they could do 20M by EOY.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1321102252392779777

 

[Spacehead]

I thought that unless it's at a state or federal-sponsored mass-testing location, that's basically how it is for everyone.

Until that 1st co-worker got tested i hadn't known anyone personally that has gotten tested here, so i didn't know how it worked.
CZRoe has mentioned several times he's gotten a free test done so i started looking into it.

Those "free tests" aren't insurance-backed, they are government-backed. So if you're coworker is going somewhere listed by the state agency, I don't believe they even involve insurance.

The PA Health Dept. website shows where you can get a test. Apparently there are only 2 places in the state to get a "free" test and those are far from here. So any test i might have to get here will involve insurance in one way or another. Might just be the co-pay at best or in a worse case the full $200.

Yeah. Around here you just look on the website and see where the test is and do a drive thru. It's all free.

Where are you at?


I was just looking for info on how this all worked as now 2 of my co-workers have gotten tested & a 3rd was was told to stay home but didn't so the virus is getting closer & closer here.
I'm also getting a lot of mis-information at work too so that's not helping things either.

 

[K1052]

Getting that early June feeling here in Austin again. People pulling back activity and stocking up.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Getting that early June feeling here in Austin again. People pulling back activity and stocking up.

Explain.....

So you're expecting another scarcity in TP ? Stock up now?!

 

[K1052]

Explain.....

So you're expecting another scarcity in TP ? Stock up now?!

Paper section in our Target thinner than I've seen it in months. Talked to a few people who are canceling travel plans. Husband's coworkers appear to be hunkering down as well.

People appear to be paying attention to what's happening in the Rio Grande Valley too.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Getting that early June feeling here in Austin again. People pulling back activity and stocking up.

That's not good. Family is flying out there Thanksgiving and we'll be staying with my sister in Liberty Hill. My folks just got there this past weekend. Numbers going up there too? We don't plan on doing anything but staying at my sisters and drinking. Obviously go to the grocery stores etc. but that's it. No sightseeing this go around. Unfortunate because we've never been there.

 

[K1052]

That's not good. Family is flying out there Thanksgiving and we'll be staying with my sister in Liberty Hill. My folks just got there this past weekend. Numbers going up there too? We don't plan on doing anything but staying at my sisters and drinking. Obviously go to the grocery stores etc. but that's it. No sightseeing this go around. Unfortunate because we've never been there.

Williamson County doesn't look too bad but cases are generally trending at least slightly up across the metro. I wouldn't call it an explosion like other areas are seeing but the hospitalization curve is definitely headed up.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'm ready for the 2nd wave!



Don't worry I'm not really hoarding, I've just been buying one package every now and then when I'm at the groceries. Been buying more canned food too. Not really going crazy or anything but does not hurt to be prepared.

I think if I buy any more TP I'm going to start seeing nutrition and bowel movement related ads.

 

[Ichinisan]

I'm ready for the 2nd wave!



Don't worry I'm not really hoarding, I've just been buying one package every now and then when I'm at the groceries. Been buying more canned food too. Not really going crazy or anything but does not hurt to be prepared.

I think if I buy any more TP I'm going to start seeing nutrition and bowel movement related ads.

Even before the pandemic I would typically buy a single package with more TP than you have accumulated with multiple packages.

There's no good reason to buy small quantities of something like that.

 

[K1052]

US buying Eli Lilly antibody drug.

Still haven't heard much about how we intend to give people this stuff because if they're in the hospital already it's probably too late. Lilly stopped the trial in advanced COVID patients due to futility. It is potentially a pretty valuable tool if used properly though.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1321418073400844290

 

[K1052]

Germany is shutting bars and restaurants until 11/30.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

So at this point how far off are we off from public mass distributing a vaccine?

 

[K1052]

So at this point how far off are we off from public mass distributing a vaccine?

If Pfizer and Moderna demonstrate efficacy then limited distribution this year (enough for 20-30M people) then wider distribution in the early months of next year. The easy part will be healthcare workers which covers about 20M people....after that it's going to be a shitshow with different states having different criteria and the general disorganization of the government response. I think it's going to turn out like H1N1 where the doses mostly flow to urban areas that can organize mass distribution swiftly. Especially with the Pfizer vaccine's high cold chain requirements that will restrict to places with -70C freezers (your local CVS doesn't have this).

 

[local]

Cases going up? Time for a multi-day company event! I'm pretty sure I honestly don't care if they get it, I should be ok.

Especially with the Pfizer vaccine's high cold chain requirements that will restrict to places with -70C freezers (your local CVS doesn't have this).

From what I 've been told only for long term storage, over a week or something like that, for short term storage a standard cooler works fine. I'm guessing local drug stores will have no problem taking in a week of doses at a time and getting them distributed.

 

[K1052]

Cases going up? Time for a multi-day company event! I'm pretty sure I honestly don't care if they get it, I should be ok.



From what I 've been told only for long term storage, over a week or something like that, for short term storage a standard cooler works fine. I'm guessing local drug stores will have no problem taking in a week of doses at a time and getting them distributed.

Company says 24 hours at 2-8C. Maybe it will keep longer at -20C but I haven't seen them talking about it.

I think their vaccine will probably be suited to situations where you know pretty closely how many people you're going to dose that day. Moderna's will keep at -20C and the adenovirus vectors are fridge stable IIRC.

 

[local]

Company says 24 hours at 2-8C. Maybe it will keep longer at -20C but I haven't seen them talking about it.

I think their vaccine will probably be suited to situations where you know pretty closely how many people you're going to dose that day. Moderna's will keep at -20C and the adenovirus vectors are fridge stable IIRC.

My info came from some people involved in the rollout, not directly with Pfizer but should be knowledgeable about the requirements. I suppose we will see when the requirements are official, but even if that is the case there is always dry ice storage. Honestly distribution is the part that concerns me the least.

 

[K1052]

My info came from some people involved in the rollout, not directly with Pfizer but should be knowledgeable about the requirements. I suppose we will see when the requirements are official, but even if that is the case there is always dry ice storage. Honestly distribution is the part that concerns me the least.

Pfizer designed a special shipper that uses dry ice which should keep vaccine cold for almost a week. I think that's predicated on not opening it however until you're ready to load into freezers or fridges staging for use. I believe the dry ice can be replenished but that is an opportunity for a temperature excursion.

Anyway it's going to be interesting.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

If Pfizer and Moderna demonstrate efficacy then limited distribution this year (enough for 20-30M people) then wider distribution in the early months of next year. The easy part will be healthcare workers which covers about 20M people....after that it's going to be a shitshow with different states having different criteria and the general disorganization of the government response. I think it's going to turn out like H1N1 where the doses mostly flow to urban areas that can organize mass distribution swiftly. Especially with the Pfizer vaccine's high cold chain requirements that will restrict to places with -70C freezers (your local CVS doesn't have this).

I guess my question is... what's the best estimate of when this is going to happen and start becoming available? ..... December 1st....? Mid November? Just wondering for time-scale. I can't tell if they are going to start in 3 days or in 3 months at this point.

 

[K1052]

I guess my question is... what's the best estimate of when this is going to happen and start becoming available? ..... December 1st....? Mid November? Just wondering for time-scale. I can't tell if they are going to start in 3 days or in 3 months at this point.

If efficacy is found in the next couple weeks probably early December before needles start to meet arms. The"if" part of that is important since they need to accumulate the right number of events (infections) in the placebo arm. Could happen tomorrow or on November 10th. No way to know. At least the trial hasn't been halted for futility anyway.

 

[local]

I guess my question is... what's the best estimate of when this is going to happen and start becoming available? ..... December 1st....? Mid November? Just wondering for time-scale. I can't tell if they are going to start in 3 days or in 3 months at this point.

If efficacy is found in the next couple weeks probably early December before needles start to meet arms. The"if" part of that is important since they need to accumulate the right number of events (infections) in the placebo arm. Could happen tomorrow or on November 10th. No way to know. At least the trial hasn't been halted for futility anyway.

And those infection events are not piling up as fast as they had hoped so there is a delay.

Pfizer says no COVID-19 vaccine data yet, could be week or more before it reports

Drugmaker Pfizer Inc <PFE.N> said on Tuesday it does not yet have data from the late-stage trial of the COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with Germany's BioNTech SE <22UAy.F>, and provided a timeline that makes its release unlikely ahead of the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election.Pfizer said there...

www.reuters.com

Enough people have to get sick in order to measure the results. They should have had a more rigorous testing schedule to catch all the infections not just the serious ones imo.

 

[K1052]

Enough people have to get sick in order to measure the results. They should have had a more rigorous testing schedule to catch all the infections not just the serious ones imo.

Yeah the endpoint of the current trial is reduction in disease. I've seen some talk that future trials should include active monitoring for cases to prove if vaccines can prevent infection.