Category: Health

There were initial reports of the AstraZeneca vaccine with a slightly lower effective rate compared to the primary North American vaccines made by Moderna and Phizer. Couple that with recent dubious concerns that the AZ vaccine was causing health problems (blood clots), and many governments paused distribution. That also meant general populations refused to take it, thereby stigmatizing the vaccine in a time when ANY vaccine is the right one. These are valid concerns by the public, but with additional information becoming available, those concerns must be put to rest. It also behooves governments that have approved the vaccine (or will), to do a better job with public health communication to dispel any rumours AstraZeneca isn’t a “good” vaccine. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In the study of 30,000 people, the vaccine was 79% effective at preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19 — including in older adults. There were no severe illnesses or hospitalizations among vaccinated volunteers, compared with five such cases in participants who received dummy shots — a small number, but consistent with findings from Britain and other countries that the vaccine protects against the worst of the disease.

https://apnews.com/article/us-data-shows-astrazeneca-vaccine-safe-all-ages-a73e711c7309be4444c65d5f9ae90c43

The Conservative government from over 30 years ago, in the typical conservative fashion of dismantling public sectors, mothballed Canada’s capacity to produce and research vaccines domestically. The effects are in full view as the country struggles to ascertain supply of the COVID vaccine from any number of manufacturers. Countries where those vaccines are being produced are preventing supply from leaving their countries until their populations are fully vaccinated. Regardless of agreements in place, there’s little the Canadian government can do to scramble and get more supply for their slow vaccine rollout.

This is of course part of the ‘first world problem’. Those that can produce will be vaccinated first, and those without, will wait until the end of the year for their share.

For once, it pays to have an ‘advanced’ healthcare system like the US, albeit not single payer. Which means, although America may have the worse access to healthcare for those who can’t afford it (a majority of the population), access to the COVID vaccine is readily available.

THe ineptitude in America surrounding anti-masks protesting and individualism (culturally important to Americans), the proliferation of COVID is the result. The largest tally of deaths to COVID-19 is America. The largest impact for the after affects, it will be America. The population, particularly if you’re poor, is monumental.

But, America also has among the fastest rollouts of vaccination. At this point it’s our only hope to combat the ineptitude of federal and certain state level governments who have refused to treat the pandemic seriously.

As for now, the vaccine may prove to be the needed saving grace. Assuming enough people have access and can get it (or will get it). Time will tell. Here is a chart about current country vaccination rates:
Continue reading “Will Vaccination Cover America’s Ineptitude?”

The growing and unabated second wave has hit America.

That’s nearly 250,000 deaths. The pandemic is unmatched in deaths, yet the average American seems disinterested. The regional impact varies widely. That’s both a level of ignorance with the pandemic, healthcare response, and healthcare coverage. America is one of the only 1st world nations that does not provide universal health to their citizens. It’s a matter of pride to an American to forgo health coverage in favour of ‘freedom’ and military spending.

Continue reading “Vote for COVID response this election 2020”

Trump’s America is suffering. Whether that will have any impact on the overall culture in America, particularly around politics remains to be seen. In the interim, people are just fighting to survive. Particularly, minorities in major metropolitan centres. 

Some updated data:

https://www.ft.com/coronavirus-latest

It’s often important to name the feelings. During the COVID pandemic there are a lot of new feelings to process. Whether it’s being self-isolated and stuck in bad thoughts. Or if you have the sickness yourself. Part of maintaining good mental health is step one, that discomfort you’re feeling is grief. Once you can name it you can heal. Here’s an article that’s part of the first step.

https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief