The mess in Europe: https://news.yahoo.com/europes-covid-19-vaccine-fiasco-continues-090013030.html . As screwed up as the US pandemic response has been, Europe is now in chaos. The central problem has been that the AstraZeneca vaccine has faced a host of performance problems relative to the US trio of Pfizer, Moderna and J&J. The three current issues are: (1) failure to meet delivery schedules; (2) unexplained issues with brain blood clots; and (3) poor performance against at least some of the variants.
As the US ramps up production and nears broad population vaccination, we likely need to help Europe before the rest of the world. The most obvious solution is to pour the Pfizer/BioNTech production into Europe while providing J&J to the less developed world. This is because the Pfizer product is in many ways a European vaccine. J&J is not only one-and-done, but easier to ship and distribute. We must also complete high levels of US vaccination and get booster shots for the variants in the pipeline.
Can you imagine what the global situation would look like if the Orange Julius kakistocracy had been extended four more years? Four more years of “America Alone”, that’s what. It is not too much of a stretch to say that black voters in South Carolina (Biden) and Georgia (the Senate) have saved Western civilization, at least for 2021.
The situation remains extremely fragile. The US must move to the forefront of global economic recovery. The infrastructure plan is the quickest way to get there. And the next step must be voter protection and encouragement.
Australia limits AstraZeneca vaccine to those over 50: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/547115-australia-restricting-astrazeneca-vaccine-for-people-under-50 . Reluctance to take this vaccine grows each day.
WSJ: More on AstraZeneca and the blood clot issue: https://www.wsj.com/articles/astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-blood-clots-11617892901 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-restrictions-pile-up-complicating-shot-roll-outs-11617901430 .
Moderna side effects: https://bestlifeonline.com/moderna-common-side-effect-news/ . After the second Moderna dose, I had a sore shoulder but no other injection site reaction. The next day, however, I had a relatively severe headache for most of the day.
Moderna and Novovax effective against the California variant but less so against the South African variant: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-04-08/two-vaccines-show-effectiveness-against-emerging-covid-variants . Pfizer results are guessed to be similar to Moderna’s. Pfizer, however, has evidence to the contrary from South Africa: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/worried-coronavirus-variants-virologist-explains-120451108.html . Still, the South African variant has been in the US since at least January, and is spreading: https://www.modbee.com/news/coronavirus/article250520289.html .
Colorado vaccination site closes early after adverse reactions to J&J shot: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/547119-colorado-vaccination-site-closes-early-after-adverse-reactions-to-johnson . This seemed to be a one-off situation, but then North Carolina closed two sites: https://news.yahoo.com/north-carolina-sites-halt-j-000205052.html . The CDC is apparently reviewing these incidents. The reactions as reported so far do not appear to involve serious health risk.
UK strain now dominant in the US: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/uk-coronavirus-variant-now-dominant-strain-us-rcna606 . We should increase genomic sequencing to at least have early warning about the other variants. The Brazilian and South American variants appear even more dangerous.
US frontline deaths: 3,600 health workers: https://khn.org/news/article/us-health-workers-deaths-covid-lost-on-the-frontline/ . Our 9/11 deaths were 2,977. US deaths in Afghanistan are so far 2,372. Consider the horrible trauma our health workers have faced and continue to face. PTSD is real, and it should be forcefully addressed for health workers.
WSJ: COVID origin study looks to older blood bank samples: https://www.wsj.com/articles/origin-of-covid-19-pandemic-is-sought-in-old-blood-samples-11617874200 .
WSJ: Nursing charges litigated between hospital and staffing agency: https://www.wsj.com/articles/soaring-costs-of-nurses-during-covid-19-pandemic-are-at-center-of-lawsuits-11617914600 .
Jobless claims remain high: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/weekly-jobless-claims-week-ended-april-3-2021-pandemic-175704861-180657616.html . We now have a significant pool of long-term unemployed/underemployed. It is unclear whether employment in the leisure and hospitality industries will significantly recover in the next year. The industries will recover before the employment levels do.
WSJ: Canada’s slow vaccination rollout: https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-the-u-s-vaccinates-millions-for-covid-19-most-canadians-are-still-waiting-11617905495 . Isn’t the key point here that Canada does not produce vaccine and has suffered when deliveries were cut?
WSJ: Our love for the Suez Canal story will never die: https://www.wsj.com/articles/suez-canal-has-reopened-but-the-ever-given-is-stuck-again-11617898144 . Sigh …
WSJ: DeMentis sues to restart cruises: https://www.wsj.com/articles/florida-sues-u-s-health-authorities-to-restart-cruises-11617904047 . This industry operates floating Petri dishes. Why wouldn’t CDC have the authority to protect citizens from dangerous products?
Fed chair is missing the point: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/powell-says-uneven-global-vaccination-rollout-is-recovery-risk/ar-BB1fruEA?li=BBnb7Kz . While Powell is correct, this is not the key point of this problem. The key point is that the US is likely to return certain supply chains to domestic production to guarantee supply. One obvious example is PPE. The US government should prioritize domestic suppliers in its purchasing and stockpiling in order to support these supply chains.
Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber face shunning from Republicans: https://www.salon.com/2021/04/08/ted-cruz-and-josh-hawley-plotted-to-block-bidens-cabinet-nominees–but-it-backfired/ . Hawley’s big mistake was to focus on out-Cruzing Flyin’ Ted almost 4 years before the election. Now he’s been tossed in the same bait bucket. And of course, you dump the bait bucket before returning to port.
Well-placed rat departs “Titanic” Matt Gaetz: https://news.yahoo.com/plea-deal-could-spell-more-trouble-for-matt-gaetz-192815899.html . At this point, the details are so scummy that Gaetz just needs to exit public life. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/matt-gaetz-associate-is-in-plea-talks-with-federal-prosecutors-11617916049 .
If you want to sue Georgia over the new voting suppression law, you have to get in line: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/547235-georgia-faces-fifth-suit-challenging-new-voting-law .
Masters chairman speaks up for democracy in Georgia: https://sports.yahoo.com/the-right-to-vote-is-fundamental-augusta-national-chairman-addresses-georgia-election-law-171656943.html . Unfortunately, the Republican politicians/dumpster fires in Georgia, Texas and elsewhere are unlikely to back down. The courts may resolve this, but that would signal a failure of Congress to protect democracy.
WSJ: We know the law is a joke, but we’re not providing any analysis: https://www.wsj.com/articles/whats-in-the-georgia-voting-law-11617883732 . You wouldn’t want to piss off conservative readers with reality. As everyone knows, these laws have nothing to do with voter fraud because the only proven cases involve Republican voters.
WSJ: The bull manure festival moves to Texas: https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-georgia-voting-fight-moves-to-texas-11617890124 . The Republican Party was idealess with Orange Julius. Now it is idealess without him.
WSJ: Some NBA craziness to close today: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nikola-jokic-mvp-nba-denver-nuggets-11617854811 . Considering the physical demands of basketball, it really is crazy that Jokic could just come out of nowhere.