The Cutter Incident: In regard to yesterday’s concerns about the dangers of subcontracting vaccine manufacture, a reader brought up the early failure of the polio vaccine. It was caused by subcontracting production to multiple firms. One of those firms was a family-owned firm, Cutter Laboratories, which did not properly deactivate the polio virus. 200,000 children were administered the defective vaccine, causing 40,000 cases of polio. 200 children were left with varying degrees of paralysis, and 10 died: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1383764/ . The Cutter incident was a serious setback to vaccination efforts. In turn, the delay likely led to more cases of polio which could have been prevented with a properly manufactured vaccine.
The current process does not involve live virus, so the horror of the Cutter incident is unlikely to be repeated. However, with a stumbling FDA and declining federal supervision (e.g., Boeing), risks grow.
WSJ: US officials not worried about UK COVID variant: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-starts-rollout-of-modernas-covid-19-vaccine-11608460200 . Sigh. As before, this information lacks the specificity needed about the new strain to be truly useful. We have already seen mutations that stabilized the protein spike, so some of this commentary is questionable. It is unclear what exactly is increasing transmissibility. One guess would be that the virus is more stable in expelled droplets, the primary mode of transmission.
Moderna vaccine being shipped: https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-usa-vaccine/modernas-covid-19-vaccine-shots-leave-warehouses-widening-u-s-push-to-immunize-idUKKBN28U0E1 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-starts-rollout-of-modernas-covid-19-vaccine-11608460200 .
Dr. Fauci improperly takes vaccination credit: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fauci-vaccinated-santa-claus_n_5fde2c4fc5b607e6348b0f3e . Has no one learned that once you tell a lie, they begin to cascade?
Dr. Birx: My advice is for others, not me: https://apnews.com/article/travel-pandemics-only-on-ap-delaware-thanksgiving-52810c22488fff7e6bb70746bdc9bc61 . As you know, I’ve already suggested Birx be dropped from public representation on health issues. This hardens my view. Her behavior is unprofessional, period.
Neanderthals at increased risk for severe COVID: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/neanderthal-gene-found-many-people-may-open-cells-coronavirus-and-increase-covid-19 . Yet again, COVID creates a bizarre string of words not previously thought of.
WSJ: Hospitals retreat from ventilator use: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hospitals-retreat-from-early-covid-treatment-and-return-to-basics-11608491436 .
FDA authorizes a third at-home rapid COVID test: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/16/fda-authorizes-abbotts-rapid-25-covid-test-for-at-home-use.html . The consequences of false negatives could be severe.
WSJ: Italy’s high COVID mortality rate: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hospitals-retreat-from-early-covid-treatment-and-return-to-basics-11608491436 .
General falls on his sword over “miscommunication”: https://apnews.com/article/politics-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-6e61f8f1eb9bb0151669d1fe2d9b5646 . Swell. This is the wrong answer to the wrong question. The administration has failed to have a plan, as evidenced by this screw-up. How you can possibly screw up amounts when the job is logistics is quite frankly beyond me. It is rank incompetence.
More on Bell’s palsy: Likely not caused by COVID vaccine, treatable with steroids: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/can-the-covid-19-vaccine-cause-bells-palsy-expert-says-its-unlikely-200015850.html .
WSJ: Nursing homes staff is vaccine reluctant: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nursing-homes-grapple-with-staff-hesitant-to-get-the-covid-19-vaccine-11608477474 . Obviously, this is not a good thing. The homes should strongly consider making this a condition of employment. Their insurance carriers may well encourage them in this direction. The pandemic has also exposed the pathetic shortcomings of science education in this country. Of course, “inject bleach” hasn’t helped.
WSJ: Pandemic hammers Connecticut small businesses: https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-connecticut-covid-19-forces-one-in-three-small-businesses-to-close-11608476400 .
WSJ: Onsite testing from CVS: https://www.wsj.com/articles/goldman-sachs-netflix-ramp-up-covid-19-testing-for-workers-11608472801 .
Relief bill agreed to in Senate; House and Senate expected to approve tomorrow: https://www.npr.org/2020/12/20/948505026/deal-nears-on-covid-relief-after-senators-clear-major-hurdle . A rough outline is provided in this article; details will likely be clearer tomorrow. More details: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/20/details-stimulus-package-omnibus-bill-449499 .
Another verse of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-georgia-gainesville-coronavirus-pandemic-christmas-f81ba7aa2c9084cd073db7bfaef2ba77 . Did the AP seriously call this guy Trump’s spiritual adviser? Right. Two Corinthians walk into a bar …
Georgians voting heavily early: https://news.yahoo.com/more-than-13-million-votes-already-cast-in-key-georgia-races-172012407.html . They apparently believe this election is also a fight for the soul of the nation, which is bad news for the soulless. The cited article mentions former Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss. His 2002 race against incumbent Max Cleland proved Chambliss to be among the most reprehensible pieces of garbage elected anywhere to anything: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxby_Chambliss .
WSJ: The future of voting: https://www.wsj.com/articles/voting-in-u-s-got-easier-in-2020-will-changes-remain-in-next-election-11608482155 . This entire “discussion” is appalling. The only appropriate process in a democracy is to encourage voting. Full stop. Republicans look to discourage voting because they are afraid of people voting. As a former boss used to “quote”, “F**k you, strong message to follow”. (He was a former longshoreman, in case that’s not obvious.)
Were I Biden, I would be all over this from Day One. Despite the Republican position, this is not a partisan issue. The issue is whether we are truly committed to a representative democracy. Frankly, I can hardly believe it is even necessary to say this. What would I do? I’d set a national standard: Vote-by-mail is the universal standard. A ballot is automatically mailed to every voter (it’s what we do in Oregon, with no known fraud). Where in-person voting is retained, early voting is allowed. The feds will pay the postage cost in every election involving candidates for federal office.
WSJ: Countries ban travel from UK to isolate new strain: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-lockdowns-prompt-travel-bans-to-block-new-covid-19-strain-11608469676 . But so far not the US. This article finally provides more technical information on the new strain. Donnie’s so proud of banning Muslims and the Chinese. So where is he on this threat? Answer follows.
Donnie’s Christmas fruitcake festival continues: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/19/politics/trump-oval-office-meeting-special-counsel-martial-law/index.html . Biden can’t get defense briefings while the Lunatic-in-Chief continues to pout in Fantasyland. Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo gives the New York take on the need for a travel ban: https://www.foxnews.com/us/cuomo-uk-covid-19-mutation-plane-to-jfk-testing .
More on the new strain(s): https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-12-20/explainer-are-new-coronavirus-strains-cause-for-concern . So the “23 differences” is now explained as 23 variants of a particular mutation. That is less alarming than if there had been 23 changes in the genetic code of an emerging new strain. However, some of the changes do involve the protein sheath. It is this type of change which is most likely to raise infectiousness and reduce a vaccine’s effectiveness. Stay tuned.
Still more on the new strain: https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-new-variant-genomics-researcher-answers-key-questions-152381 . So this article indicates that 14 mutations are indeed characteristic of the new strain, and seven of them involve the spike protein. Of the various explanations out there, this strikes me as the most troubling. It also appears to be the most authoritative.
Even Little Trump has gone increasingly nutty: https://www.foxnews.com/world/brazilian-president-rhetorically-claims-coronavirus-vaccine-could-turn-people-into-alligators .
WSJ: Bubble-less NBA returns Tuesday: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nba-season-covid-11608181525 . Gee, what could possibly go wrong? Apparently, there are some people who think a little planning can go a long way. Basketball is a heavy breathing, heavy contact sport. Even if your team follows all protocols, the other team can infect you. There are 30 teams playing a compressed 72 game schedule. Considerable travel is involved. The chances of this not being a mess are slim and none.
WSJ: The NCAA rip-off heads to the Supreme Court: https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-to-consider-ncaa-antitrust-case-on-college-athlete-compensation-11608129891 . The colleges will attempt to defend a system where they make millions, pay the coaches millions and pay the players nil. Sure, that makes sense. I watch college football just to see what Nick Saban does on the sidelines. This isn’t just an antitrust issue. It’s slavery.