River Cruisers: How Are Things Where YOU Are?

[Canal archive]

Hopefully a bit of good COVID news this report from BBC

Covid: Asthma drug 'speeds up recovery at home' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56717486

 

plus have you seen this, I think he’s wonderful 

'World's biggest rabbit' stolen from owner's garden https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-56720118

 

[notamermaid]

One thing has struck me on television lately and it is sad. I do not want to point fingers - especially as I can eat pasta in abundance without putting on weight - put you people over there in the US are a little on the heavy side. Sadly, almost all the people that CNN have named and remembered in a 20 to 30 seconds tribute - that I watched on many weekdays - were clearly overweight. And we have heard that old, male and overweight is the worst combination when getting Covid.

 

Look after yourselves people, bin the soft drinks and take the cheese off the pizza, then take the stairs!

 

Now a study from Italy reveals that the worst combination for the vaccine being successful in you is: being old, male and overweight. They checked antibodies in people (that medical term Titer in the link to follow) and found that young women fare much better. This is only in German, but the figures are obvious, the higher the better. People over BMI 30 developed a really low antibodies count. Scientists contemplate a third jab for obese people.

https://www.fr.de/ratgeber/gesundheit/wirksamkeit-corona-impfung-bmi-gewicht-alter-geschlecht-einfluss-impfschutz-antikoerperproduktion-90438432.amp.html

 

If you are interested, perhaps you can find an English report on this study.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

I have been able to find the study (not peer reviewed yet): https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.24.21251664v1

 

J&J have proactively stopped the roll-out of the vaccine in the EU. Slight correction to a previous post of mine: roll-out was to begin tomorrow, not administering of vaccines, that is/was due to start in Germany on 19 April. My apologies.

 

No comments from the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut yet in the news that I have looked at.

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

There is good news from England about cruising:

https://www.cruisehive.com/uk-releases-framework-for-resuming-international-cruises/49543?fbclid=IwAR3dgkqKPhouaW0gsto51EAXi07fiEhAhxkGjuN4s3h7qQtzD-Io7Ua2zlw

 

This report is good news all around for traveling, but the best part (IMHO) is that they are treating cruising the same as other forms of travel.  "The Department of Transport has been engaging with all the travel industry sectors, including Carnival, MSC, Viking Cruises, Ports, and Cruise Lines International Association in coming up with the new guidelines."  "A new 20-page report by the UK’s Global Travel Taskforce sets out a new framework for reopening international travel, including cruises no earlier than May 17."  "It’s looking like the UK cruise industry could be among the first to fully reopen by the summer."

[Canal archive]

Just one word. WOW!

[Sturmin]

On 4/10/2021 at 9:36 AM, notamermaid said:

 

We have had reports here of strokes and heart problems after the Pfizer vaccine of course. They have been partly explained by the higher number of that vaccine used especially in older people, but all events are taken seriously and investigated.

 

It was interesting to read that the EMA quickly reacted to the FDA reporting about the syndrome occurring in connection with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

 

Canal archive wrote (quote function not working):

"Capillary leak syndrome is a symptom of Clarksons Disease and Sepsis. CA"

 

I saw that mentioned in the literature. I am not too convinced yet that the authorities are unto something there, but I am glad they are vigilant. I hope they are wrong, I fear they are not.

 

I have had a look at the report by the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute and my head is spinning a bit with statistical data. What I can quickly say though is that some columns in the list are striking - strikingly full of incident numbers with the AstraZeneca vaccine and strikingly void of incidence numbers with both the Pfizer/BioNTech and the Moderna vaccine. I am referring to what is called in German "Venöse Thrombosen +Embolien mit Thrombozytopenie", i.e. what became a safety signal and has led to countries reacting with the age restrictions. The bars showing the percentages of incidence rate men against women is also revealing, the greatest difference being in the group 20 to 29 where almost no men are affected and women the most affected of all age groups (they looked at under 30 to 69).

 

I just hope that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not plagued by the same problem. Then we have a problem in the Western world (leading to problems elsewhere, I know). If the same problem does not happen with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine I think some scientists will scratch their heads as the vector technology of both vaccines is the same and give them another puzzle to solve.

 

Time to replenish brain power with tea and some biscuits...

 

notamermaid

 

Regarding Johnson and Johnson.

https://www.health.nd.gov/news/cdc-and-fda-recommend-pause-johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine

 

Do you have any quick links to the Pfizer problems. How serious and incident rate.  Have heard almost nothing here about higher stroke risks or heart problems.  Thanks

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, Sturmin said:

Do you have any quick links to the Pfizer problems.

Thanks for the link. I must admit that I did not look into the Pfizer incidents that much as at first they looked and were kind of addressed in the media as being anecdotal or at least an individual risk that is standard when you vaccinate older people and many across the board, i.e. high numbers and all ages down to 50. Nothing flagged as a risk with the authorities that needed investigating as a general "flaw" of the medicine/medical procedure. I will try to give you some info but it is in German only. From the official report of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut dated 9 April. Up to 2 April Comirnaty (BioNTech/Pfizer) had been administered 10.722.876 times, 6.562.591 first dose, 4.160.285 second dose. Moderna just over 700,000, AstraZeneca (Vaxzevna) nearly 3 million. This is the table I have mentioned before, about thrombosis:

 

 

This is the other condition that has been in the news:

 

 

Most of the people who have died after a vaccine and their death having been reported to the PEI had comorbidities (or where of old age) so that it was not related to the vaccine as declared by the authorities, i.e. things like strokes or heart problems were often not directly associated with the vaccine or cannot be seen as a direct result of the vaccine in many cases. Seeing that more people have been given the Comirnaty in Germany and those were of an older age than the with the other two vaccines more patients were recorded as having died within a certain time frame after having been administered the vaccine.

 

Most reported side effects after the Pfizer vaccine are pain at the injection site, headaches and tiredness.

 

The Paul-Ehrlich-Institute has an English website but I am not sure how comprehensive it is.

 

I expect the CDC has such reports as well.

 

Hope this helps.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by notamermaid
added info

[CoolNickname]

 

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Thanks for the link. I must admit that I did not look into the Pfizer incidents that much as at first they looked and were kind of addressed in the media as being anecdotal or at least an individual risk that is standard when you vaccinate older people and many across the board, i.e. high numbers and all ages down to 50. Nothing flagged as a risk with the authorities that needed investigating as a general "flaw" of the medicine/medical procedure. I will try to give you some info but it is in German only. From the official report of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut dated 9 April. Up to 2 April Comirnaty (BioNTech/Pfizer) had been administered 10.722.876 times, 6.562.591 first dose, 4.160.285 second dose. Moderna just over 700,000, AstraZeneca (Vaxzevna) nearly 3 million. This is the table I have mentioned before, about thrombosis:

 

 

This is the other condition that has been in the news:

 

 

Most of the people who have died after a vaccine and their death having been reported to the PEI had comorbidities (or where of old age) so that it was not related to the vaccine as declared by the authorities, i.e. things like strokes or heart problems were often not directly associated with the vaccine or cannot be seen as a direct result of the vaccine in many cases. Seeing that more people have been given the Comirnaty in Germany and those were of an older age than the with the other two vaccines more patients were recorded as having died within a certain time frame after having been administered the vaccine.

 

Most reported side effects after the Pfizer vaccine are pain at the injection site, headaches and tiredness.

 

The Paul-Ehrlich-Institute has an English website but I am not sure how comprehensive it is.

 

I expect the CDC has such reports as well.

 

Hope this helps.

 

notamermaid

 

Not sure what government agency but likely it was the CDC that had a chart about the vaccines on their website used on the news last night. It detailed side effects pretty extensively but I can't seem to produce a link to it. I did find this story put out yesterday saying Moderna has more mild side effects like fatigue and headache than Pfizer. 

 

[notamermaid]

@CoolNickname Thanks for the link. Something interesting to note in there is also the fact that those people who have had Covid already have "memory" in the immune system and for them a vaccine is a booster. I have read elsewhere the guidance that those who have had Covid be given only one jab of a two jab vaccine.

 

Noted again also in the article is the fact that it is women who have the strongest response which is also showing in the antibodies count (see my post about the Italian study). So, out with the one strength fits all vial, in with gender medicine? I am all for it.

 

I have had a look also at the EMA website. Pfizer/BioNTech has some vigilance attached to the fact that it has had some anaphylactic shock incidences which we already know from the media, but nothing else I saw was of note to me - the papers to go with the vaccine vials are online. Much of the literature is scientific so I did not go through that.

 

In Germany what has been of note as a reaction to the Moderna is skin problems but it looks to be a temporary thing, nothing has flagged as a safety signal.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

This is an interesting take on the vaccine situation 

'Mix and match' UK Covid vaccine trial expanded https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56730526

We are now vaccinating over 45s so my lovely daughters and wonderful son in-laws can get the jab. About eight million in the U.K. have had the second jab so we’re getting there. CA

[notamermaid]

The EMA and our own health people are eagerly awaiting the results of that trial, nevertheless the STIKO, that is the body that recommends the vaccine administration protocol has already given the advice that those who have had an AstraZeneca jab should get an mRNA as second jab, due to the safety concerns. In this ongoing phase things can change of course. Quiet voices say the EMA may change strategy and not order any more vector-based vaccines.

 

First case of blood clotting after AstraZeneca reported in Canada.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

There was a vaccine expert on the radio this morning explaining at great length about the mixing of vaccines, it nearly became a comedy sketch, as he told everyone that mixing vaccines did not mean - a bit of this one and a tad of that one plus a smidgin of another. A bit like ‘eye of newt, toe of frog a’la Shakespeare. CA 

[Coral]

10 hours ago, CoolNickname said:

 

Not sure what government agency but likely it was the CDC that had a chart about the vaccines on their website used on the news last night. It detailed side effects pretty extensively but I can't seem to produce a link to it. I did find this story put out yesterday saying Moderna has more mild side effects like fatigue and headache than Pfizer. 

 

I can't find the link but I thought I read the opposite - that Moderna has more side effects than Pfizer. Not sure about the severity of them.

[notamermaid]

Now averaging 500,000 vaccinations a day. With a bit more vaccine available and tweeking the structural aspects of vaccination sites this can easily go up.

 

Vaccine news aside, things are interesting in my country as we have a general election coming up in Autumn and things are hotting up, the stags are showing off while the woman in charge is her diplomatic best...

 

In a bold move some of the power has been agreed to be shifted to the Federal government and if this is nodded through by the legislative we will have a change in our law to fight the pandemic.

 

Expect our lock down to continue, Saxony has already said it will do so. Looks like no river cruising in April in my opinion. Could be tight for the first German operator sailing of AmaWaterways in May. But I am still hopeful there.

 

notamermaid

 

[dogs4fun]

6 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Vaccine news aside, things are interesting in my country as we have a general election coming up in Autumn and things are hotting up, the stags are showing off while the woman in charge is her diplomatic best...

Personally, I will be sad to see your “woman in charge” leave the world stage. 

Pragmatic, intelligent leader of the free world & appears to be lacking a massive ego - hers will be difficult, if not impossible, shoes to fill.

[notamermaid]

Really big news here: our woman in charge will get her vaccine tomorrow: AstraZeneca.

 

The Germans' favourite island was declared a low-risk zone a while ago, so people went there. Now on said island, Mallorca or Majorca to the world, "Malle" to the Germans in colloquial language, at least 27 Germans are in quarantine due to positive Covid test (positives and their contacts) and the Brasilian variant has been identified in  one positive test (nationality not disclosed). Quiz question: "Is it really safe to travel to Mallorca and other places declared low risk?" - Answer: "Yes." - "Eh' nt!" "Dööt!" Or any other negative buzzer you wish to activate. I am not going anywhere until I have had at least one jab.

 

Oh, and Denmark as the first country in the world has scrapped administering the AstraZeneca vaccine for good. But you have probably heard that.

 

The situation is deteriorating in Germany, forget finding my country in a decent state before June. River cruises? Big laugh... Tourism? Yeah, I think that is something the British invented, I think we have had that in Germany in the past... 

 

But I shall lift my spirits with the new record of jabs given in a single day: 738,501 yesterday.

 

Next week will see the EMA "giving their verdict" on the J&J vaccine. And a delivery of the Pfizer/BioNTech will come earlier than planned, the EU has announced.

 

notamermaid

 

[gnome12]

36 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Next week will see the EMA "giving their verdict" on the J&J vaccine.

Approving J&J doesn't mean that you would get supply. We in Canada approved J&J a while ago, but have had no supply at all.

[notamermaid]

31 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Approving J&J doesn't mean that you would get supply. We in Canada approved J&J a while ago, but have had no supply at all.

I meant to express that the EMA is  assessing the situation and talking to J&J, with an announcement due next week. We have had approval for a few weeks. The roll-out to the member states was supposed to start yesterday, but J&J halted it.

 

It is not looking good in Canada, I know. It makes me worry for you folks. The guy ruling in your neigbouring country should send what is available of the AstraZeneca (I believe it really is fine for men over 55 and women over 60, speaking as a laywoman) and hopefully J&J can be back on track with production in the US soon. As I have hinted at before - Pfizer/BioNTech could see a business opportunity with a manufacturing plant in Canada in all this.

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Oh, and Denmark as the first country in the world has scrapped administering the AstraZeneca vaccine for good. But you have probably heard that.

 

The situation is deteriorating in Germany, forget finding my country in a decent state before June. River cruises? Big laugh... Tourism? Yeah, I think that is something the British invented, I think we have had that in Germany in the past... 

 

I didn't know about Denmark - we often don't get news broken down by country in the states, unless we search for it. That is why I find these boards helpful for a variety of ways as people are reporting what is going on in other places.

[notamermaid]

Right, then I will keep mentioning European countries. Denmark being in the EU this vaccine development has been all over the news here. It goes completely against EMA advice, the authorities on a European scale uphold the view that the AstraZeneca vaccine benefits outweigh the risks across all age groups. When you realize that EMA weighs into that view the situation in all countries seen as a whole in the bloc it makes it easy to understand. In the news clip the Danish politician says their ratio of the serious blood clotting incidents was one in every 40,000 vaccinated, from that one may be able to understand their decision. The government has apparently left the back door open for the future, but for the current vaccination strategy the AstraZeneca is out. They still hope to meet their target in August, three weeks later than originally planned.

 

We have a target of 21 September.

 

By the way, although companies as such cannot buy vaccines, they can be part of the strategy of mass inoculation, especially via the "own" doctor in large companies. Chemical giant BASF is doing it, initially 300 employees have been offered a vaccine.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

Both our woman in charge and the finance minister got the AstraZeneca vaccine jab yesterday. The chancellor's office only issued a photo of her vaccine passport (Impfpass) and the official sheet handed out to all who have received the vaccine, no photo showing her medical procedure.

 

Our infection rates are alarming.

 

German courts have banned demonstrations by a movement that keeps protesting against Coronavirus restrictions and is gradually being undermined by radicals. The courts say the protests endanger the health of the public and the ruling cannot be appealed against.

 

Britain is still walking the fine line of cut-off point for the AstraZeneca vaccine at 29. I am a bit worried about my dear people in Kent that are women in their thirties. Going by current data and assumptions about the blood clot issues (not those that keep being cited as happening due to the contraceptive pill - that is apples and pears blabla (German word here meaning informed useless comparison talking)) we will see more reports coming from the MHRA data in Britain, but fewer and fewer to the point of none from the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute in Germany. That is an interesting sad development to watch. More on that next week.

 

Meanwhile, something to ponder over - is the AstraZeneca merely overdosed? Here is an article that addresses that, among other aspects of the vaccine:

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/04/hard-choices-emerge-link-between-astrazeneca-vaccine-and-rare-clotting-disorder-becomes

Quote: "Greinacher and his collaborator Rolf Marschalek, a molecular biologist at Frankfurt University, are also calling for tests of a simple solution: halving Vaxzevria’s dose." Unquote.

 

As the article says, it is not a given that this will not trigger the immune response that leads to blood clotting, but it is a thought process that warrants investigating.

 

Oh, and I suppose it goes without saying, but I am still off work, with a long term project that I can deal with on my personal computer at home, justifying me being paid still. I would have been back in the office next week, but the current restrictions and rules at work will keep me at home into May.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by notamermaid
added info

[djh1959]

I've just got home from a long, long lunch to hear that we have decided to revive our AstraZenica program and go back to vaccinating under 50s with it, once their turn comes.  I haven't heard yet why this has happened, but Australia is incredibly careful with allowing vaccinations, since we don't have any local cases, so they must be confident that it is now safe.

[pully8]

In Australia too.

It was tragic news about the woman who died at 48 following the vaccine.

Supply remains an issue, some states with larger populations seem to be better resourced?

Also GPs are saying patients with questions need more time and the funding is not enough at present to enable the process of informed consent.

Some are not signed up to the programme yet despite having expressed an interest to do so.

Patients seeking immunisation are being told to apply on line and not all are capable or willing to go to a GP they have no relationship with.

Hopefully in time barriers will be removed and vaccination will proceed.   

[Daisi]

@djh1959, so glad to hear your health authorities have ok'd the A-Z for under 50's.  We finally heard of a pharmacy with some spaces so are booked in for tomorrow.  DH isn't pleased with me getting it, as although Canada has ok'd it for 55+, most seem to say 60.  

 

I don't care... I want to get living again.  We have had our lockdown extended for another 2 weeks, ending May 20, so at least I have lots of time to get over the side-effects if any. 🙂

 

[notamermaid]

Good to hear that you have an appointment, Daisi. I am sure you two will be fine, obviously they are going to tell you all the info you need for consent and you will know what to look out for. We have said 60 here in Germany to be on the safe side, but most complications were really with those under 50, few over 50. For men any risks of side affects are very low anyway.

 

By the way, I have figured out now what the main Moderna side effect is - a skin problem with allergic reaction, something like that, what you call in the English-speaking countries Covid arm. But it is supposed to be something temporary lasting a few days only.

 

I have calculated my chances of getting an appointment, at the moment it is earliest 28 May, more likely first or second week in June.

 

@Daisi have a good day tomorrow

 

notamermaid