Medical Discussion of Coronavirus

[Lordosis]

I do not get the rush to vacation. I feel like it would be unenjoyable. Just like restaurants. We used to eat out occasionally but now it is just so odd and stressful. It is just not worth it IMO. We did some localish parks and hiking this past summer and will probably do that again this summer but even that was more crowded then I would prefer.

I am probably the odd one here who does not have a burning desire to travel.

For people who are going are prices of airfare or hotels better now? I certainly hope you are getting a good deal.

[Tim]

“Convert any existing Non-pfizer/Non-moderna manufacturing capabilities and nationalize them toward that effort.

Think WWII -- iron in short supply -- all diverted to war effort. GM/Ford/Chrysler - all converted manufacturing to war production.”

This was used for the ventilators. Price negotiations still continued and “IF” became “When”. These acts are used towards specific suppliers and manufacturers. Never heard a word towards domestic suppliers or manufacturers that have needed supplies or production capabilities. As a matter of fact, J&J has a contract to provide vaccine manufacturing prior to WARP speed. I was under the impression that all available vendors and suppliers had already been involved. This is way beyond WWII. Names and numbers of the holdouts. Might be needed is a concept. What is the target? It could be a glass shortage for the vials. Bill Gates alluded to this last year. 100% agree that it is useful. It was available before and was used. Certainly there is an issue or purpose more recent than WWII. Is it Amazon for delivery and distribution? They haven’t participated yet.
This is not intended as political. I don’t have a clue if the picture being painted or what colors need to be added.
What vaccine capabilities or supplies are available that haven’t been tapped. Raw materials to shots in the arm. This is solely about the process and improving it.

[wideopenspaces]

I do not get the rush to vacation. I feel like it would be unenjoyable. Just like restaurants. We used to eat out occasionally but now it is just so odd and stressful. It is just not worth it IMO. We did some localish parks and hiking this past summer and will probably do that again this summer but even that was more crowded then I would prefer.

I am probably the odd one here who does not have a burning desire to travel.

For people who are going are prices of airfare or hotels better now? I certainly hope you are getting a good deal.

I also don't have a burning desire to travel. Trying to decide on summer camp for my 13 yo. I feel ok with all the precautions they are taking ( 4 weeks of sleep away camp, kids in pods of 8, masked, negative test prior, vaccinated counselors, sleeping in screened in "cabins", etc) and I'd really like to make it happen. But we'd need to fly there as it's on the east coast. We'd stay in a rental house while he's at camp and be working from home, so not vacationing, eating out, going places. And then we'd all fly home. But I'm not sure I'm ready to take on the risk of it all . . .

[MaxPower]

I do not get the rush to vacation. I feel like it would be unenjoyable. Just like restaurants. We used to eat out occasionally but now it is just so odd and stressful. It is just not worth it IMO. We did some localish parks and hiking this past summer and will probably do that again this summer but even that was more crowded then I would prefer.

I am probably the odd one here who does not have a burning desire to travel.

For people who are going are prices of airfare or hotels better now? I certainly hope you are getting a good deal.

I think the allure of vacation depends on where people are headed. There’s no way I’d get on a cruise ship right now, or go to Disneyworld or other densely populated or visited places. I’m sure precautions are in place, but there’s still too many people in tight quarters for my taste.

We are headed to Hawaii for spring break in March. The biggest risk to me is the flight to and from (although I’m vaccinated so moreso for my family). My kids go to school 2-5 days a week (5 days for the elementary aged kid, and 2 days per week for the middle schoolers), so I don’t think there’s a significantly higher risk of flying versus being in school, particularly wearing Vogmasks and not eating or drinking on the plane.

Once we get there we’re staying in a rented house. I plan on making a Costco run when we first get there for food, and then getting any food from restaurants as takeout. We will be at the beach, where we always sit away from people anyway, or hiking. Even wen we went a few years ago we didn’t pass all that many people on our hikes. Seems fairly low risk to me. Obviously others may have differing opinions, which is fine.

[G]

I couldn't even get my kid to go into the bank yesterday to make a deposit; I guess I hit the Rona danger talk a little too hard...so will need to do some damage control to get her back onto a plane again...even one going to Hawaii!

A little sooner than spring break, anybody trying for Super Bowl tickets?

http://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-to-give-7-500-vaccinated-health-care-workers-free-tickets-to-super-bowl-lv

[Shant]

Freezers and dry ice and PPE are other inputs, especially if the states were originally responsible for everything that happened after the doses shipped from the factory. Could it be used to engage mass vaccination sites? Though I figured the DPA to be engaged to pivot facilities to manufacturing the actual vaccine. Kind of depends on what the rate limiting steps are.

[StarTrekDoc]

most of those HCW tickets will be local tampa/Central FL area. some to local NFL areas too.

[Tim]

Vaccines available.

https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/community_epidemiology/dc/2019-nCoV/vaccines/vax-schedule-appointment.html

[gap55u]

I agree with targeted NDA use for rate limiting steps (raw materials, vials, syringes, needles, freezers, dry ice, monitored vaccine refrigerators). We are failing as a society at mitigation factors like mask use & distancing because it became political to wear a mask and because of burnout. So we have to get vaccination right. I welcome some more federal assistance with mass vaccination- such as military or guard/reserve deployments. A rate limiting step in my health care system is manning and funding for vaccine clinic staff, and this is certainly true around the state. Some states only allow LPN/RN to vaccinate (at least our state adds pharmD's and MA's). Military deployment fixes that, as you deploy the right people for the job. Finally, like always the poor and underresourced get screwed again: vaccination sign up for the first few weeks in our system was by internet site only, since we didn't have staff for a phone line. So all those people without access or resources got screwed. I can hope we somehow can also reach those with social determinants of health that put them behind the curve. (as we all know, 75, HTN, COPD, medicaid/medicare, dirt poor is not 75, HTN,COPD, private insurance lives in a $1mil home, both meet criteria)

[Lordosis]

I have some people willing to drive hours to go to a vaccination site in a month or two. Then I got others who plan to stay hunkered down until it becomes more available.

Not everyone can get it right away. Even if you are high risk if you are low exposure you can just wait.

[Tim]

“So all those people without access or resources got screwed. ”

This is getting screwed up for the “healthy” population. The large hospital systems are “inviting”. No signup.
Who gets an invite? Active primary care visit in the last two years. Healthcare workers and nursing homes and visit THEIR PCP. Specialties don’t count, ER don’t count, 5 yrs ago don’t count. Walgreens and CVS are the same, only physicians and nursing homes.

The remaining eligible population is shut out.
Additionally, vaccines have been given to foreign nationals that flew in to get vaccinated. Confirmed by CEO of hospital system in press conference with the Governor.

The only available to “priority list” is the county healthcare system. They get a fraction of the supply. Appointments go fast, valid or not.

The hospital systems have effectively hijacked the supply and are not making vaccines available according to the guidelines. Everything except their employed PCP’s is “the general public”. It is not just supply, the guidelines have not been mandated. No chance to even signup.

Vaccine available in the freezer, qualified, no way to get the appointment and the pharmacy has to say no. Sits until the “general public” is approved. Wasted vaccinating capacity for eligible people. They were not set up for phases.

What is rate limiting now? Everything on hand except an appointment. That is why vaccines aren’t going into arms now, today. Yes they need to be resupplied. But that isn’t the interface with the public and priorities. That is behind the counter, separate issue.

[billy]

I'm annoyed a smoker is considered the same as the HTN, cancer, DM, elderly pt in my state- so an internet savvy 25 yr old vaper (self inflicted harm) can likely get the vaccine appointment before all the elderly figure out their computer appointments.

[nephron]

Yes, my state is going through prisoners before vaccinating the general public. I still think that that they should have put some thought into whether prioritizing people who already had the virus should be part of the first wave who get the vaccine. I know that one of the first places vaccinated was snf's where most of the patients and probably staff already had the virus. The next phases will get even trickier as they start separating people out by place of work, how "essential" your work is, and medical comorbidities. I have no idea how they intend to figure out who has 1 vs 2 medical comorbidities, I imagine that primary care doctors are going to be asked to write a lot of letters if they want some kind of proof. Some places are looking at BMI which must be awkward. If you are close to the border, you may want consider wearing heavy clothes.

[Panscan]

Yes, my state is going through prisoners before vaccinating the general public. I still think that that they should have put some thought into whether prioritizing people who already had the virus should be part of the first wave who get the vaccine. I know that one of the first places vaccinated was snf's where most of the patients and probably staff already had the virus. The next phases will get even trickier as they start separating people out by place of work, how "essential" your work is, and medical comorbidities. I have no idea how they intend to figure out who has 1 vs 2 medical comorbidities, I imagine that primary care doctors are going to be asked to write a lot of letters if they want some kind of proof. Some places are looking at BMI which must be awkward. If you are close to the border, you may want consider wearing heavy clothes.

Very strange times

[Tim]

Yes, my state is going through prisoners before vaccinating the general public. I still think that that they should have put some thought into whether prioritizing people who already had the virus should be part of the first wave who get the vaccine. I know that one of the first places vaccinated was snf's where most of the patients and probably staff already had the virus. The next phases will get even trickier as they start separating people out by place of work, how "essential" your work is, and medical comorbidities. I have no idea how they intend to figure out who has 1 vs 2 medical comorbidities, I imagine that primary care doctors are going to be asked to write a lot of letters if they want some kind of proof. Some places are looking at BMI which must be awkward. If you are close to the border, you may want consider wearing heavy clothes.

The priority classes have already been defined.
The key difference was 65 vs 75. Demographics by race played into the decision, but purely healthcare facts. CDC aligned now with 65.
16+ with A comorbidity is defined. No documentation needed. The only occupation with priority were healthcare workers and nursing homes. Some how, the Federal Prison category got added. Not sure, it was for employees. Not sure if fine tuning by states is productive or politically driven.