COVID-19 >> New Drug Activity & VACCINE TRACKING!!

[cc]

https://www.foxnews.com/health/omicron-sub-variant-renews-concerns-reopening">From Anti-covid Fox > Fast-spreading COVID-19 omicron type revives questions about opening up



BA.2 subvariant now accounts for more than a third of global cases



A more infectious type (1.4 X more infectious) of the omicron variant has surged to account for more than a third of global COVID-19 cases sequenced recently, adding to the debate about whether countries are ready for full reopening.



Health authorities are examining whether the subvariant of omicron, known as BA.2, could extend the length of COVID-19 waves that have peaked recently in Europe, Japan and some other places.



"We're looking not only at how quickly those peaks go up, but how they come down," World Health Organization epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said. "And as the decline in cases occurs...we also need to look at: Is there a slowing of that decline? Or will we start to see an increase again?"

[Anonymous]

Health Canada approved a new COVID vaccine that is plant based and made in Canada.



Canada first to approve Medicago's plant-based COVID-19 vaccine

Medicago's vaccine uses technology that does not involve animal products or live viruses



Health Canada approved Medicago's COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, which uses GlaxoSmithKline's adjuvant to boost efficacy, making it the first approval for the plant-based shot anywhere in the world.



The two-dose, made-in-Canada vaccine (known as Covifenz) is authorized for use in people aged 18 to 64, the health agency said in a notice.



Health Canada says its effectiveness and safety in those younger than 18 and older than 64 has "not yet been established."



Clinical trials suggested the vaccine was 71 per cent effective in protecting against COVID-19 one week after the second dose. The dosing schedule is 21 days apart.



Medicago, a biotechnology company based in Quebec City, along with GlaxoSmithKline, submitted Phase 3 data to Health Canada in December.



The company released data on Dec. 7 that suggests its vaccine candidate was 75.3 per cent effective against the Delta variant in a late-stage study when enhanced by GlaxoSmithKline's booster.



Medicago's vaccine uses technology that does not involve animal products or live viruses like traditional methods.



It used recombinant technology, involving the genetic sequence of a virus, with living plants as the host. The resulting virus-like particles mimic the shape and dimensions of a virus, which allows the body to recognize them and spark an immune response.



Canada has already cleared several vaccines, including those based on mRNA technology from Moderna and Pfizer . Last week, it cleared Novavax's shot for use in adults.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/canada/canada-first-to-approve-medicagos-plant-based-covid-19-vaccine/wcm/367d4323-363c-44e9-867c-a0df9f399aa6">https://calgaryherald.com/news/canada/c ... df9f399aa6">https://calgaryherald.com/news/canada/canada-first-to-approve-medicagos-plant-based-covid-19-vaccine/wcm/367d4323-363c-44e9-867c-a0df9f399aa6

[Anonymous]

https://scontent.fyxd2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/273737278_475631964019483_7430037786559608948_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=ypZLyiyh_XoAX-ehZuY&_nc_ht=scontent.fyxd2-1.fna&oh=00_AT8GiZ2MHEJwTc0_7owCmvHsm1gL0PveefUlj29VK0EN6w&oe=6222DEDA">

[Anonymous]

Premier Kenney said today that there is no difference in transmission rates of Omicron between the fully vaxxed and the unvaccinated..



But, he did say it offers protection from severe illness.

[Thiel]

Premier Kenney said today that there is no difference in transmission rates of Omicron between the fully vaxxed and the unvaccinated..



But, he did say it offers protection from severe illness.

Most people know the current vaccines do not control the spread of the omicron variant. But, I am surprised an elected politician had the courage to admit that.

[cc]

To be precise, protection against XI is consistently 2 1/2 to 1 per 100,000 so while "control" would not be the word, rather "reduce" at that ratio .... hospitalization is consistently 6+ to 1 per 100,000



That's our province logged daily and seems same pretty much everywhere else

[Anonymous]

Protection against XI is consistently 2 1/2 to 1 .... hospitalization is consistently 6+ to 1



That's our province logged daily using numbers not raw, rather per 100,000 and seems same pretty much everywhere else

I don't know, as all I can say is what he said..



And he said vaccination is not preventing transmission of the Omicron variant.

 ac_dunno

[cc]

I revised that as I didn't say it correctly - .. To be precise, protection against XI is consistently 2 1/2 to 1 (unvaxxed vs vaxxed) per 100,000 so while "control" would not be the word, rather it is "reduced" at that ratio



While the spread effect is not as good as Delta, it still results in spread reduction to a lesser extent

[Anonymous]

https://twitter.com/Gab_H_R/status/1505861155956445185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1505861155956445185%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theblaze.com%2Fop-ed%2Fhorowitz-record-infections-in-super-vaxxed-uk-seniors-as-double-vaxxed-show-negative-efficacy-against-covid-death">https://twitter.com/Gab_H_R/status/1505 ... ovid-death">https://twitter.com/Gab_H_R/status/1505861155956445185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1505861155956445185%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theblaze.com%2Fop-ed%2Fhorowitz-record-infections-in-super-vaxxed-uk-seniors-as-double-vaxxed-show-negative-efficacy-against-covid-death

Ireland is one of the most vaccinated countries in the European Union, yet hospitalizations are rising.



There are now more people in Irish hospitals than at any point in 12 months. Nearly 95% of all adults are fully vaccinated, and nearly 100% of seniors are vaccinated and boosted.



The number of COVID cases has nearly tripled in the U.K. since the nadir of the post-winter drop four weeks ago. Moreover, deaths are still hovering around 125 a day, whereas after the 2021 winter wave (with a much lower prior infection rate), deaths were nearly reduced to zero. Furthermore, Scotland, which has the highest vaccination rate of anywhere in the U.K. and is the only region with mask mandates, seems to be worse off than ever before. "Scotland recorded its highest infection rates of the pandemic so far, with one in every 14 people infected with the virus in the week to mid-March, up from one in 18 a week earlier," reported the Financial Times.

[cc]

Premier Kenney said today that there is no difference in transmission rates of Omicron between the fully vaxxed and the unvaccinated..

He made that up .. or is out of touch



For example, today alone we had 25   vaxxxed cases vs 58 unvaxxed ... and unvaxxed by nature are far less likely to report



There is a reduction of at least 2 1/2 to 1 (consistent every day, not just today)

[cc]

Ireland is one of the most vaccinated countries in the European Union, yet hospitalizations are rising.



There are now more people in Irish hospitals than at any point in 12 months. Nearly 95% of all adults are fully vaccinated, and nearly 100% of seniors are vaccinated and boosted.



The number of COVID cases has nearly tripled in the U.K. since the nadir of the post-winter drop four weeks ago. Moreover, deaths are still hovering around 125 a day, whereas after the 2021 winter wave (with a much lower prior infection rate), deaths were nearly reduced to zero. Furthermore, Scotland, which has the highest vaccination rate of anywhere in the U.K. and is the only region with mask mandates, seems to be worse off than ever before. "Scotland recorded its highest infection rates of the pandemic so far, with one in every 14 people infected with the virus in the week to mid-March, up from one in 18 a week earlier," reported the Financial Times.

The way that is written gives the impression that because overall numbers are high, vaccines and masks do nothing or little  which is not the case at all .. and that is highly misleading



Bottom line, anywhere in the world one want's to compare  .. on a per population basis, hospitalizations are consistently in the area vaxxed vs. unvaxed of 1 / 4.6 to 1 / 5 .  Most don't display deaths on that basis, but all who do have been a some better than that ratio



Yes numbers are high there as version 2 of the XI variant has hit hard ... but vaccines are keeping many from being infected & many more out of hospitals & alive



For current "today" example, our hospitalizations are 5.4 vaxxed vs.   23 unvaxxed per 100,000 (or any number one wishes to use) people basis



In UK today, if the great majority were not vaxxed, the hospitalizations and deaths there  would obviously be many times higher that what they are .. as the great majority  would be 4.6 times more likely to end up in hospital and by a higher ratio, likely to die



We have not seen much of v2 here yet





To add a bit more fact, while that gives the impression that "death rates" are high in UK, the very opposite is the case



UK over past 10 weeks remains at the top o the heap where it has been for at least a year now at 0.19% today or 1 in 535 cases



This is interesting - and brings up what is Europe doing right on treatments? .. and shows UK doing well



Death / Case rates over past 10 weeks



Ca   ....   0.50%

Bc   ....   0.52%

Al   ....   0.39%

On   ...   0.51%

Qb   ...   0.57%



Uk   .   0.19%

Fr   ..   0.11%

It   ..   0.24%

Ge   ..   0.12%

[Anonymous]

Quebec is going to offer fourth doses to at risk groups as case counts rise.

[cc]

Quebec is going to offer fourth doses to at risk groups as case counts rise.

And they are rising quite rapidly this week



I suspect all will get on board fairly soon on that dose issue

[Anonymous]

Quebec is going to offer fourth doses to at risk groups as case counts rise.

And they are rising quite rapidly this week



I suspect all will get on board fairly soon on that dose issue

Will a fourth dose make a difference?

[Anonymous]

Quebec is going to offer fourth doses to at risk groups as case counts rise.

And they are rising quite rapidly this week



I suspect all will get on board fairly soon on that dose issue

Will a fourth dose make a difference?

No