Covid News Around the World One Year Later

[rcathey]

Sustained Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Vaccines Against COVID-19 Associated Hospitalizations Among Adults — United States, March–July 2021 | MMWR

[erich51]

[30Three]

So I have to travel to the UK this weekend because my Mum is in hospital. I didn't realise how complicated it is to go from France to England! Oh my! it's madness!

So to travel I've got my Vaccine Pass, ( both jab's complete) but I have also done a fresh PCR test (negative). Both of these are Free of Charge in France.
Then I have to fill out a passenger locater form which is 4 pages of personal info and travel info etc; BUT the last thing you need to complete the form is code for your pre payed Day 2 test. (Arrival day is day Zero)
Even if you are leaving within 48 hours and won't use the test, you are obliged to pay and book it or you can't travel!
Cheapest I could find was 59 pounds. What a total rip off!

[Ovidio]

My dearest friends… I came back from Germany yesterday evening. Been to Belgium, France and Switzerland the past week…
There is NO logic in the way Covid related things are treated…
To get back home, I have to fill the PLF (passenger locator form) for Italy.
It wants me to give such detailed info, that I have to laugh my asp off every time! And NO-ONE ever checks me.
Today, after 6 months, we shut down our vaccination centre in my town. We made more than 70.000 full vaccinations here, only based on voluntary work.
I’m almost sad…that it’s over…
But today I did intervene during the official celebrations, during the chat of the politicians. I raised my hand and… I never talk, so my Alpinis shut everybody down.
I just said that, after having traveled through Europe since may 2020 during this pandemics, I must say, that I never saw such a well run vaccination center like here. With so many jabs done at almost no cost, due to our voluntary work.
I had to stop after a while, ‘cause I was getting a tad emotional, but I could swear to God that we did a frigging great job!
Alpini’s, sanitary workers, other volunteers… they all cheered. We were one great body… Strange feeling, but unbelievably intense.
Let’s wait for the next “pandemics” now…
I’m a happy guy tonight!

[Aragorn243]

Really doesn't seem like a lot is happening here other than talk. All the talk is simply an extension of the politics of the situation.

Not really any shutdowns or restrictions happening that I'm aware of. Life is close to normal. The schools in Pennsylvania have a mask mandate which has no scientific basis but they are not as strict as last year. My kids will not have to wear masks while they are competing, just while waiting to compete which is good because the masks caused their glasses to fog up while they were shooting.

The biggest controversy is various vaccinne mandates being made by the health care industry for their employees. There is a fairly large percentage of health care workers that refuse the vaccinne. Doctors, nurses and support staff. These are the same people that worked overtime through the entire pandemic, many of them being exposed to Covid, had it and recovered from it but they are told to be vaccinated when they don't need it. They have the anitbodies already. Not all, many never had it and simply don't want the vaccinne. They are being fired which is now causeing a shortage of staff in hospitals. Makes a lot of sense.

Those in the military are covered by Biden's federal mandate and they are being told now they will be given dishonorable discharges if they do not get the vaccine. Meanwhile, Congress and the Justice system are under no such requirements because neither is under the President's control.

So the problems continue, just on a smaller scale and most seem to have lost interest in following along.

[Aragorn243]

The backlash ot the Covid restrictions are now becoming visible.

CHOP is the Children's hospital of Philadelphia. It is a 585 bed pediatric hospital and it is filled to overflowing. There are fewer than a dozen Covid 19 patients. They are overflowing because of non-Covid respiratory illnesses and mental health crisises.

It seems that the children being isolated for nearly two years has affected their immune systems in a very bad way. People need to have contact with things to maintain their physical health. Antiseptic environments have left them with no need for a high immune response and thus their systems are now weak because of it. So we are entering a flu season which is much more dangerous to kids than Covid and their immune systems are not prepared for it. The second half of the problem is severe anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts which the hospital is not set up to help. The isolation of the pandemic have magnified these mental health issues.

[Gil Boyd]

30Three,

The sad reality is, that both Governments are now making all aspects of travel and business as difficult as they can, like a game of one upmanship. The cancelled Submarine contract from Australia just compounded difficult times since BREXIT. We get the blame regardless, even though others awarded a British company a contract for a Nuclear Submarine compared to a Diesel/Electric one!! Nothing to do with countries but technology I'm afraid.
Hope your mum is well and welcome to England.

[30Three]

Thanks Gil; I was a bit wound up last week trying to fill the 4 page forms to travel and being obliged to pay for a pointless test, when all I really wanted to do is book and go. The system is over complicated and I think more politic driven than health driven.
(submarines, fishing etc etc)

Unfortunately; my Mum is now in end of life care.
One thing that I was impressed with at the weekend, was the medical staff in the hospital; absolutely brilliant.

[Ovidio]

Unfortunately; my Mum is now in end of life care.
One thing that I was impressed with at the weekend, was the medical staff in the hospital; absolutely brilliant.

That is the important thing at this point. So many people have been left alone…
Keep the spirit up.

[rcathey]

So we are entering a flu season which is much more dangerous to kids than Covid and their immune systems are not prepared for it.

Agreed! Super scary stuff. Thank God the flu vaccine is so readily available!