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Another point is inter mixing of vaccines. Though several vaccines may be available we may not able to intermix them. That is if you take Pfyzer then you can only take second shot of Pfyzer or at the most Moderna as they are similar vaccines. But I am certain I will not be able to take Astra Zeneca vaccine as it is totally a different type.
But they will start the trials in January and if they continue with phase I, II and III like normal trials, we will know the results by the end of the year. I was only guessing if Moderna & Pfyzer could be interchangeble as both are based on mRNA.
About why I went for testing, I had some issues two days back and my wife decided we must follow the protocol like weaing masks and staying and sleeping in separate rooms etc. Though I am feeling OK now, I thought I will get the results tomorrow but they told us it may take upto 5 days for the results and we will get them on email or phone. Couple of months back I went for an hospital procedure and I was tested the previous day and was told I tested -ve and the procedure went through. Even my wife when she was tested at her clinic got results back next day. I guess it depends on priority. Meanwhile we will be following the protocols until the results come through.
Primus wrote:I get tested every week at work, results come in same day if done early enough or in 24 hrs.
My son had to get tested twice a week. This is in a university campus setting. They combine 10 people's saliva into one test. The results come back in 24 hours or earlier. If the 10 people combined test comes back positive, then those 10 individuals are tested separately. They also trace roommates/labmates and ask them to test as well. The overall cost of the test, which is developed by the university, is about $10. The university is at an advanced stage to develop a self-administered test.
I was in NYC last week, and had to get tested before meetings. Results were available within the hour. Must depend on the type of test or resources available.
We currently have 2 PCR tests in my hospital, one called Cepheid can be done within an hour, used when we need the result quickly (e.g. before urgent surgery). Another is called Eppendorf and it takes ~4 hours and it's run 3 times a day. This is general purpose. We also refer people to get tests done as an outpatient, they use the Eppendorf test and I believe and turn-around is about 3-5 days due to presumably backlog as the test itself only takes about 4 hours.
saip wrote:Today I went for COVID test with my wife. We are told we may get results in FIVE days or so. Why does it take five days to get covid test results in the USA when you can get the results in 24 hours in India?
vera_k wrote:I was in NYC last week, and had to get tested before meetings. Results were available within the hour. Must depend on the type of test or resources available.
"within the hour"? that is a test I would die for. please do let us know before we all pass away with Covid., hain jee?
(Sire vera_k, why are you going away from science, saaru?)
RT-PCR tests in India have generally been quick. Test in the morning and results in the evening. This was seen with my family in India.
I'm having my doubts about the mRNA vaccines. Usually with vaccines it is DNA→mRNA→protein. mRNA is suppose to be fast because the synthesis from DNA has already been done, but RNA is unstable due to temperature or contamination. Working with RNA in the lab is difficult if you don't follow exact protocols. People who work in molecular biology labs can attest to this.
The clinical trials of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were controlled. The effectiveness with tens of millions vaccinations is questionable even in the developed world.
vera_k wrote:I was in NYC last week, and had to get tested before meetings. Results were available within the hour. Must depend on the type of test or resources available.
"within the hour"? that is a test I would die for. please do let us know before we all pass away with Covid., hain jee?
(Sire vera_k, why are you going away from science, saaru?)
On a side note, my teenage son says that we'll all be vaccinated for Covid long before seeing the Sony PS 5 availability!
Vayutuvan wrote:mort walker ji, are you suggesting that we should be weary of the vaccine?!
Not at all. I'm just saying that if the mRNA vaccines are available, then afterwards precautions such as masks and social distancing should still be maintained. They may not be as effective. I may get the mRNA vaccine when available to me, then wait a couple of weeks and get a Covid anti-body test to ensure they are actually effective. The big pharma hype followed by political hype must be confirmed by real science and actual data.
In the UK, two NHS staff with a history of allergic reactions "responded adversely" to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Tuesday, the medical director of the NHS has stated. The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is now advising those with a "previous history of anaphylactoid reaction or those who have been advised to carry an auto-injector" to not receive this particular vaccination as a precautionary measure.
Four trial participants who received the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine experienced facial paralysis, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA said the issue should be monitored as the jab becomes more widely available.
The potentially concerning cases were revealed after the US drug regulator published an analysis of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine ahead of a meeting to consider emergency use authorization for the jab in the United States.
According to the documents, Bell’s palsy, a form of temporary facial paralysis, was reported by four participants during phase 3 trials. The individuals had been administered the jab, and no members of the placebo group experienced similar adverse effects.
Information like these can undermine faith in the vaccines , also underlines importance of peer review of data after trials before emergency approval is given.
However in these circumstances most of the people will be happy to be led by the pied piper.
I’m sure 100s of millions of people world wide who will take these vaccines knowing the risks. The alternative is getting really sick or dying. If it brings back some normalcy of life is what people want.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the world, testing remains a key strategy for tracking and containing the virus. Bioengineering graduate student, Maha Alafeef, has co-developed a rapid, ultrasensitive test using a paper-based electrochemical sensor that can detect the presence of the virus in less than five minutes. The team led by professor Dipanjan Pan reported their findings in ACS Nano.
"Currently, we are experiencing a once-in-a-century life-changing event," said Alafeef. "We are responding to this global need from a holistic approach by developing multidisciplinary tools for early detection and diagnosis and treatment for SARS-CoV-2."
There are two broad categories of COVID-19 tests on the market. The first category uses reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and nucleic acid hybridization strategies to identify viral RNA. Current FDA-approved diagnostic tests use this technique. Some drawbacks include the amount of time it takes to complete the test, the need for specialized personnel and the availability of equipment and reagents.
The second category of tests focuses on the detection of antibodies. However, there could be a delay of a few days to a few weeks after a person has been exposed to the virus for them to produce detectable antibodies.
WHO is accepting vaccines for use that have an efficacy of 50% and above
Dr Kang, Vice Chairperson of CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations), in conversation with News18, also spoke about vaccine efficacy and extending respect to volunteers of vaccine trials.
On WHO's threshold of 50% efficacy for COVID-19 vaccine, she explained, "Even a vaccine that has 50% efficacy would have significant benefit in terms of controlling the pandemic. WHO set that as the bar for accepting vaccines for use."
Amber G. wrote:(For those who may not know, Ramanujan and Manjul Bhargava (India's first Fields Medal winner) are among the greatest mathematicians of India in 20th century - can do a google for details - would be a very interesting lecture )
Harish-Chandra missed being the first Indian Fields Medalist in 1958 because he was of the Bourbaki school. Thom was also supposed to be a Bourbaki. IMC didn't want to award Fields Medals in the same year to two people associated with Bourbaki school (possibly apocryphal).
Mort Walker wrote:^^^Which should cover some 60 million persons in the US who are age 65+ in the month of Dec. 2020 alone. The Biden-Harris team will be very upset knowing by the time they take office on 20 JAN 2021, that the covid death rate will have declined considerably.
Why should they be upset? They will take credit which should go to Trump admin and Operation Warpspeed folks plus the public-private partnership. This was started in Jan 2020 itself.
Primus wrote:Big news headline that kept repeating on ABC yesterday - Biden's promise to provide 100 million vaccine doses in the first 100 days of his Presidency.
This will be achieved by the time he takes oath of office. However, the MSM is going to spin it like it was Biden who accomplished it.
saip wrote:Today I went for COVID test with my wife. We are told we may get results in FIVE days or so. Why does it take five days to get covid test results in the USA when you can get the results in 24 hours in India?
Maybe you should ask the governor instead of asking BRFites?!!!
Primus wrote:Big news headline that kept repeating on ABC yesterday - Biden's promise to provide 100 million vaccine doses in the first 100 days of his Presidency.
This will be achieved by the time he takes oath of office. However, the MSM is going to spin it like it was Biden who accomplished it.
Usual state of affairs.
What has this got to do with Wuhan virus?
Everything. Media spin on politicizing the vaccine. Similar to media criticizing the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine because it is cheaper and will available to more people world wide. Big pharma and American politicians who favor them. It is very likely in actual deployment the vector DNA vaccines will be more effective than the super-cold mRNA vaccines being touted which are at least an order of magnitude more expensive. Aside from a research hospital, one should have little faith in the administration of mRNA vaccine from your local Wal-Mart, CVS or Walgreens in the US.
Western media is already lamenting as to why there haven't been more deaths per million in India. They were hoping for holocaust to oust the Modi government just like they did to the Trump government.
Last edited by Mort Walker on 10 Dec 2020 06:44, edited 2 times in total.
Primus wrote:Big news headline that kept repeating on ABC yesterday - Biden's promise to provide 100 million vaccine doses in the first 100 days of his Presidency.
This will be achieved by the time he takes oath of office. However, the MSM is going to spin it like it was Biden who accomplished it.
Primus wrote:Big news headline that kept repeating on ABC yesterday - Biden's promise to provide 100 million vaccine doses in the first 100 days of his Presidency.
This will be achieved by the time he takes oath of office. However, the MSM is going to spin it like it was Biden who accomplished it.
Usual state of affairs.
What has this got to do with Wuhan virus?
Oh, I thought the vaccine was for the Wuhan virus, my bad.
PUNE, India/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India, the world’s biggest vaccine maker, is getting set for the massive global blitz to contain the coronavirus pandemic with its pharmaceutical industry and partners freeing up capacity and accelerating investments even without firm purchase orders.
“There are many vaccines being produced in countries around the world but there’s only one nation that has the manufacturing capacity to produce sufficient quantities to satisfy the demands of citizens in every country, and that’s India,” said Australia’s ambassador to India, Barry O’Farrell, after touring vaccine manufacturing sites in India with many other diplomats.
saip wrote:Looks like FDA panel voted 17-4 for Vaccine authorization for persons over 16. Have to wait for the full FDA approval.
4 people voted not to authorize. I hope their comments get published. Rather all of them come out and write articles about why they voted the way they did.
saip wrote:Looks like FDA panel voted 17-4 for Vaccine authorization for persons over 16. Have to wait for the full FDA approval.
4 people voted not to authorize. I hope their comments get published. Rather all of them come out and write articles about why they voted the way they did.
I second that. I'd love to hear their perspectives. As it stands now, my hospital will start immunizing with the Pfizer vaccine next week.
I heard part of the discussion. Complete meeting is available online. Main objection appears to be about vaccinating those who are 16,17 years old. Dr Archana Chatterjee voted no. She is Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. FDA Link
Active infections down to ~375,000 in India. I remember the peak around 1.05 million a couple of months ago. This indicates that the reservoir for the virus is dwindling, so dropping case load is not a surprise. The number might not be accurate, but the trend is what matters. As for serious infections, that number has been stuck at 8,944 forever now. My guess is they stopped reporting it. As far as active infections go, India is now in holy 9th place in the world. And it also seems India is the only major country which shows a decline in active infections. The real indicator of the end of the pandemic would be zero active infections. So no source exists, from which the virus can spread (unless somebody invokes bat-magic again of course).
saip wrote:So the question to ask is with only 375,000 active cases which are declining by 7500 (7 day avg) and halving time of around 30, do we need a vaccine?
Because there's no certainty that the infections will not pick up again; the idea of vaccination is to prevent the virus from infecting other hosts, who then go on to infect others, setting off a chain reaction.
Once the virus has no more hosts to colonise, it either gets marginalised or over a period of time may mutate into a sufficiently different form that can bypass the newly-acquired immunity in the hosts.
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