Covid News Around the World One Year Later

[mrclark303]

Logic and the example of 1919-20 would dictate that once most of the population is immune, either by exposure or vaccination, the virus will basically die out the way the infinitely more deadly "Spanish Flu" did with no immunizations at all; and it happened quite suddenly too.

I'm not sure the same applies to be honest. The world of today is vastly different from the immediate post great war environment.

Although you had large numbers of demobilised troops and refugees heading home and spreading Spanish flu, the world's population was a third of today's number and people were far more static, tending to settle in one area, so herd immunity could be established locally and the virus found it difficult to survive.

Today we have 'vast' overpopulation, diminishing resources, driving mass agriculture and a highly mobile worldwide population.

Basically, a very big, easily transmissible incubator,for the virus to dig in, mutate and keep on trucking....

It will take a massive worldwide effort of mass vaccination to banish Covid19 to the history books.

[Ovidio]

Dear Gil, the EU is messing things up and, instead of trying to follow the "best practices" like in the UK, US and Israel, it is trying to kill the vaccine coming from over the Channel...
They ordered late and at the lowest price, now they want a first rate treatment...
The European Medicines Agency has taken more time to validate the Astra Zeneca vaccine than the UK and others and now the manufacturer has publicly answered the EU telling that during Christmas time the EMA didn't proceed... We had holidays here, you know!
Lots of similar incidents and signs of incompetence.
The EU is fighting a war with the city police, not with the armed forces, if that example helps.
The normal bureaucracy has been kept and there are no special provisions, there is no centralised body which standardises the procedures for inter EU travel. I just filled the Austrian form to go see customers tomorrow and had to try to understand how and with which information I had to be provided, if I could go at all.
Every country counts the Covid casualties with different methods... Who's right? Who's wrong?
I'm a moderate pro-european, not one who dreams with open eyes every time someone talks about the EU, but not even against it. I could see the benefits, but always had some foul taste in the mouth when thinking about the EU and what it became (especially after all the big and inspired talk of the 80ies...).
Now, Covid has unveiled this soulless monster.
Phoney politicians and bureaucrats, no ideals, no character...
Why is the EU even there I ask myself more and more?
This tragedy should have shown the best of the mighty EU, the shining armour of the European Knight. It showed an empty bag instead. And maybe not even empty... And the filling is not nice...
I'm really disheartened at this performance and at all the arrogance the Europeans still muster in spite of the clear show of impotent stupidity they gave to the whole world.
These are really huge damages to the EU credibility, and more and more people are starting to ask themselves questions.
I wonder what the long-term consequences will be if this thing does not get under control quickly.
My bet is that within a few days, maximum the end of April, the natural improvement of the situation due to warmer weather etc will bring the geniuses to declare that they are winning the war.
In June they'll have won for good.
In Fall we'll have flu again.

[Aragorn243]

The Spanish flu never went away. It's now known as the seasonal flu. It mutated and continues to mutate today. Just as Covid will continue to do. This mask crap and isolation crap and shut down crap can't go on forever.

[Surpmil]

I'm not sure the same applies to be honest. The world of today is vastly different from the immediate post great war environment.

Although you had large numbers of demobilised troops and refugees heading home and spreading Spanish flu, the world's population was a third of today's number and people were far more static, tending to settle in one area, so herd immunity could be established locally and the virus found it difficult to survive.

Today we have 'vast' overpopulation, diminishing resources, driving mass agriculture and a highly mobile worldwide population.

Basically, a very big, easily transmissible incubator,for the virus to dig in, mutate and keep on trucking....

It will take a massive worldwide effort of mass vaccination to banish Covid19 to the history books.

I wouldn't worry too much about the virus itself. The survival rate is over 97%, and some say it's much higher than that.

The current lockdowns have probably created a fair facsimile of the typical relative social isolation of the 1918-19 era. I see no reason why if that is the case, this virus should no behave like all others transmitted in similar ways, except that the Spanish Flu killed many of its carriers before they could spread it much farther.

It is difficult to remain objective when all about us are losing theirs and blaming it on anyone handy, but worth the effort I suggest, if only for peace of mind.

PS: over-population is a myth, the chicken little's were squawking the same tune 30 years ago. With density like NY the entire world population could live in Texas.

The Spanish flu never went away. It's now known as the seasonal flu. It mutated and continues to mutate today. Just as Covid will continue to do. This mask crap and isolation crap and shut down crap can't go on forever.

I think if that were the case, it would not have been necessary(?!) as it was 20 or so years ago, to exhume some victims of the 1918-19 flu buried in permafrost in order to obtain samples of the virus for "research purposes".

I agree with you that the lockdowns are largely pointless, particularly once vaccination is widespread. Assuming that public health is the point.

"Most people would rather die than think, and many of them do."

Certainly this is an excellent time to buy stock in vaccine manufacturers; the most profitable industry in North America is going to get much more profitable I suspect.

[Aragorn243]

Why the 1918 Flu Pandemic Never Really Ended - HISTORY

[Aragorn243]

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine has been put on hold for a week in the US as mass panic ensues over 6 women out of 7 million people who received the vaccine developed blood clots. One has died a second is in serious condition. I expect the vaccine will begin use after the week stoppage but the damage is done. People will refuse what is probably the least controversial vaccine out there. Two of my relatives got one of the two dose vaccines and are now both extremely sick from it. They are OK but to sick to go to work.

The morning news on CBS ratcheting up the fear factor by telling everyone the Brazil variant (not racist of course) is both more deadly to young people and more contagious by 2 1/2 times and it will be world wide in a couple of weeks. The UK variant (also not racist) is now the dominate variation in the US with the Brazil variant becoming more widespread.

Meanwhile, the numbers don't really seem to be changing much. Close to a quarter of the US population is fully vaccinated now with a third receiving at least one dose. Numbers of new cases are somewhat static.

Excess deaths however continue to be way below expected, 11,000 fewer per week holding steady.

[Aragorn243]

To put the J & J blood clot risk in perspective, 6 out of 6.5 million developed the specific type of blood clot they are investigating. In the general population 5 out of 1 million develop the same type of clot without getting the vaccine which is many times higher so those that developed clots could have simply been in that group.

The risk of any type of blood clot in the general female population is 5 out of 10,000, women on birth control 1 out of 100, ICU patients with severe Covid 31 out of 100. Women after giving childbirth is 65 out of 10,000.

Not sure why they didn't release these numbers rather than creating a panic.

[Gil Boyd]

Sorry, don't swallow all this ballony about one vaccine affecting numerous amounts of people.
My son who is at the sharp end says, there were 8,000 blood clot incidents EVERY MONTH just in the UK, before this virus started its deadly trail.
So on that basis, Antihistamine and Paracetomol have more chance of killing you.
Bloody Politics driven........but a subject to be avoided at all costs, especially when talking about Astra Zenica a marvellous vaccine, delivered at record speed with ALL the relevant safety checks and clearances, delivered at the cheapest cost for the WORLDS benefit, only to be ridiculed by a few.
Sit back and tell me "So those on the Pheizer vaccine are immune all of a sudden from blood clots............rubbish, there's more to this personal attack then we mere mortals will get told"

[fjruple]

Why the 1918 Flu Pandemic Never Really Ended - HISTORY

Great history of the 1918 Pandemic. Anybody notice the American soldier in the header was carrying a Model 1873 Trapdoor Springfield .45-70 rifle with a spike bayonet!

[Aragorn243]

Great history of the 1918 Pandemic. Anybody notice the American soldier in the header was carrying a Model 1873 Trapdoor Springfield .45-70 rifle with a spike bayonet!

Probably a national guardsman. I did not notice till you pointed it out though. Good catch.