The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine started human trials on April 24. They hope to have results by June. If all goes well, they will have vaccines by September.
Now, vaccine trials usually fail. But they don’t always fail, and this is a respectable trial.
That would be a fast approval indeed. How many people do you think might choose to not get the vaccine due to the compressed developmental time frame and consequently, lack of typical safety data?
And getting approval is a long way from getting enough doses manufactured and then distributing those doses to the masses.
AZ is a UK company…dosing the US won’t be their first priority. Where do you think the US might fall if the first vaccine is made by a Chinese company?
Our personal way of handling the economy is that we’re saving nothing ($$) from all of this. We still have enough of an income with H working remotely that we can survive. It’s less than we normally get, but it’s enough. We’re also fortunate enough that my mom’s estate has left me some extra money for us to continue.
I handle 100% of our budget.
We’re paying everything we used to - mortgage, car payments, health care, taxes, electric, phone, etc, even though EVERY place we owe money to has told us we can contact them and put things off with no interest or ding to our credit report if we feel we need to.
We’re not making our tenants pay rent if their income suffers. We’ll take the hit. If needed, we’ll contact those mortgage companies to be able to deal with it.
We’re still getting take out from some of our favorite small mom&pop restaurants. When doing so we’re tipping 100+% of the bill telling them each week that “we’re still getting enough money in, so we want to make sure all of us survive this virus.” They’re thankful.
We’re still occasionally getting our favorite fast food meals (less common than above, but happens). While not 100+% more than the bill, we pay them more than the bill comes to and tell the cashier she’s earning X more per hour for that hour as a way of us saying thank you. They can keep or share it with others as they wish.
Even with that, we’re still spending less (because we like to travel a bit and eat out more apparently).
Interestingly enough, our county has a food bank accepting donations and a group helping folks with housing, etc - both having ramped up due to the virus because they’re seeing the folks who aren’t working. Guess where the rest goes.
As much as we can, we want to help out and are doing so. Maybe I’m hurting our family by not hoarding the extra cash trying to eke out some more time or to build our savings/restore our retirement, but that’s just not the way Creekland ticks.
YMMV
And in optimistic news. My dentist office had called me earlier to move my April appointment to May and then to July 28. They just called me back and I now have an appointment on June 1. And I’m glad.
Agree…smaller businesses and the self employed want to re-open. I don’t see an issue with this either…with proper precautions. Everyone I know wants this to succeed…and it’s not in their best interest to be the place where this spreads.
Even the AstraZeneca folks don’t think they will have a vaccine this summer., per their press releases. If everything goes perfectly ( which it never has in the past) it would be the end of 2020 at the earliest.
I was one of those people at the beach in VC (Mandalay Beach) last Sunday and there were many people setting up blankets and umbrellas on the beach even though I thought the rule was that people had to keep moving (walking). But I will tell you even the sheriffs (some on horseback) were not wearing masks and were very close to their fellow officers chit chatting amongst themselves at times at their “command center” on the beach. Shouldn’t they be setting an example?
The problem with opening the beaches, hiking trails, parks is that people always push the envelope and don’t do all of the necessary precautions. I guess its just easier for the State to close the beaches than to have to police them constantly.
I’m not an expert. Not a scientist or an immunologist. So I don’t “feel” one way or another about reopening of the economy - I go by what experts, scientists and immunologists are saying. And quite a few of them are saying it’s too early.
That said, I agree that there is beginning to be real suffering in this country. We have few safety nets. Something should be done to ease it.
Other nations are imposing restrictions, or slooooowly reopening, while at the same time ensuring the well-being of their citizens. The US is bad on both counts.
I believe we have the money to subsidize those who have lost their jobs due to CV. Those who remain at high risk could continue to receive subsidies while the nation opens slooooowly, until there is a vaccine. We have the money to do it. All it would take is a few cuts to our defense budget and a hike in corporate taxes/1%.
But we lack the ideological values to do so, we lack the leadership to make that happen. We value the economy over the deaths of possibly tens of thousands more people.
As for vaccines… if a person refused to get it, fine. But they should sign a legally binding contract that they will not be in busy public places where they can infect others - at the risk of a huge fine/jail. That contract should also specify if they get sick, they will pay for their care out of their own money. No federal/state aid, no insurance. You want to live according to your own individual beliefs, then pay for them too. That’s just my gut feeling about it.
How can you ask people to sign a contract if they don’t want the vaccine? It doesn’t seem feasible…how would that even work?
I am a strong proponent and advocate for vaccinations, but IMO it would be reasonable for people to choose not to get a vaccine that has not had the typical years of safety data behind it prior to launch. We just don’t have the technology to model that safety data yet, or assume that humans would react the same as the animal data show.
My daughter was working at home. Then she had to take a week of vacation, then furloughed for 3 weeks. She just found out that she will be furloughed for 3 more. She’s an engineer working for a company that has ties in industrial/construction. She’s happy that she’s furloughed and has health insurance still.
My husband works in an essential business. They are still working, they have to. But huge losses and there will be cuts. They are doing everything they can to avoid furloughs.
I’m really concerned about the medical situation. Our country needs to get people treatment that is essential to them. I understand the lack of PPE’s but we need to get doctor offices and surgeries back. I can’t imagine what some people are going through, not having cancer or heart surgeries for one.
In my state, Michigan the governor has stated that bars and restaurants are to be closed for indoor service until May 28. It looks like we won’t be opening anytime soon.
Interesting! One of my besties is a dentist. He is frustrated that he cannot know whether a patient is infected with the virus or not.
He very much would like a way to confirm, in order to reduce anxiety in the office about aerosolizing the virus during procedures. Many of his patients are elderly.
He also said, you know, our rooms are NOT set up like operating rooms. It’s a somewhat open office concept. The walls between rooms go up 3/4 of the way to the ceiling, and there are no doors.
As of this week, he doesn’t not have a re-open date. We are in Illinois.
Not my opinion, but talking with clients from all over the U.S. these past 6 weeks, there are many who think this pandemic is blown way out of proportion and that at the end of the day is not much worse than the seasonal flu.
I disagree with those statements but if one does think the above is true, I can’t condemn them if the actual statistics are still being calculated and analyzed.
For example, we don’t know how many people have been infected, show little to no symptoms, and recover no worse for wear because we have not done massive antibody testing in the population yet?
Also, the bigger question is how much risk of illness and possible death are we “comfortable” with? This will be a key question as we open-up the economy in phases over the next several weeks/months.
Yes, that is exactly the park I was writing about in my post. We won’t go to the parks this weekend-I know they will be crowded. But on Monday I’ll be in there, hiking with my dog.
Also-NY announced kids won’t be returning to school so I imagine NJ will follow the leader and announce the same thing soon.
The mailman is wearing mask and gloves. The gloves are useless .
Famed virologist David Ho was interviewed by NBC News, on many topics related to COVID-19, including reopening the country. Here’s what he said on reopening:
The rest of the interview is also interesting:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/famed-hiv-researcher-race-find-covid-19-treatment-n1197631
Number of confirmed Cases:
4/1 - 4780
4/30- 62,680 (entire month on ‘lockdown’)
Deaths:
4/1 - 3,834
4/30- 62,680
Exponential math at work here. We know that these numbers are actually under reported because of the low testing rates and positive anti-body tests that tell us 22% of NYC residents were positive.
Florida and southern states can be smug - CLEARLY the weather is a huge factor with Covid. Florida residents that didn’t follow the restrictions were so smart and forward thinking (even though they have the vulnerable population in the country). Enjoying all life has to offer down there. I’m sure this will all be used in political ads this year.
Up here in the NY/NJ/CT/MA area, had we done the same, we’d be at hundreds of thousands of infections and double the amount of deaths. Its just math. Glad we were also forward thinking and mostly followed the rules. Perhaps since Florida was so open, NYers should have flown down there and enjoyed some vacation instead of hanging out at home.
The curve has been flattened, the weather in the northeast is warming up, people are much more cautious - so its time to loosen up the restrictions. I am very concerned about the economy and the psychological aspects of this lock-down and economy.
I am too… and I am so sorry what you’re going through. My husband had to lay everyone off from his small business. One woman was with him 13 years, another almost 8. So these are friends, as well, a double whammy. So I understand what you’re facing and send virtual hugs and major strong vibes. Wishing you the best.
Well… how about attaching that information to your driver’s license/state ID/passport. It would be part of the official data you provide to authorities - like your social security #. Where I live, you’re automatically registered to vote when you get your DL; you also designate about being an organ donor.
Just a thought… but I’m sure it’s doable. Much more complex things are being handled on a daily basis.
That’s what I have observed as well. Some small business owners, and other business owners as well, want their employees to go back to work. Their employees are not so enthusiastic about the plan.
And no wonder, since many small business employees have no health insurance or sick leave from their employers… going back to work may actually pose a bigger financial risk to them than staying on unemployment, but safer.
@socaldad2002 The fact that this disease is really targeting the elderly and/or compromised people is why we are witnessing such a “cavalier” attitude on many fronts.