Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Cambridge: coupon, skyscraper, quality of life)

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

Again, I think you're barking up the wrong tree. I'll accept the public health risks of international students coming in with a 50% efficacy vaccine, vs. a large chunk of a population with no vaccine (i.e. 0% efficacy), all day long.

I agree with you but I think that might be for other states and not the new england region. We're leaps and bounds ahead of many other states.

[msRB311]

Florida cancelled all restrictions:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/03/flor...trictions.html

[yesmaybe]

Less than 10k first dose was added to the vaccine report. I think that's the lowest since they went to a daily report in early February.

[porterhouse]

Brookline has decided to keep their outdoor mask mandate in place despite the recent CDC guidance to the contrary. Talk about not following the science. Even Covid virtue signaling meccas such as Cambridge and Somerville have sensibly rescinded their outdoor mask mandates.

[rach5]

Originally Posted by mdovell

I agree with you but I think that might be for other states and not the new england region. We're leaps and bounds ahead of many other states.

We could require and enforce quarantine. Perhaps universities will do that depending on what the variant and international situation looks like in the fall (I think they should!). I am sure they won't want a major outbreak to derail their very ambitious reopening plans (resuming full dormitories and 400 people lectures etc. - yikes!). And to be fair, universities by and large have been much more cautious and well-behaved than local governments this past season (re-imposing temporary restrictions, moving classes temporarily online etc.). Sure, universities have caused outbreaks, and many have likely seeded some community transmission, but again, by and large, in our region, I have been positively surprised.
I think it is urgent for the scientific community to do trials about vaccinating (or giving boosters to) people who have already been vaccinated with other, potentially inferior, vaccines. I have heard that there may be some thoughts along these lines (I think China at least is exploring this, as their vaccine is not all that great https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/corona...hots-1.5405242) - but I am sure we won't just accept the trial outcomes from other countries. This will happen a lot anyway, as people may forget how ofthen they've already been vaccinated, or with what type of vaccine etc.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by BrahminShudrawitz

Saw online stories of folks in India announcing to their coworkers they've lost their entire families, heard it personally today. To those still on the fence about getting the vaccine, JAB YOU FOOLS!

Makes me wonder what the true numbers are in India.


I feel bad for everyone there

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by rach5

We could require and enforce quarantine. Perhaps universities will do that depending on what the variant and international situation looks like in the fall (I think they should!). I am sure they won't want a major outbreak to derail their very ambitious reopening plans (resuming full dormitories and 400 people lectures etc. - yikes!). And to be fair, universities by and large have been much more cautious and well-behaved than local governments this past season (re-imposing temporary restrictions, moving classes temporarily online etc.). Sure, universities have caused outbreaks, and many have likely seeded some community transmission, but again, by and large, in our region, I have been positively surprised.
I think it is urgent for the scientific community to do trials about vaccinating (or giving boosters to) people who have already been vaccinated with other, potentially inferior, vaccines. I have heard that there may be some thoughts along these lines (I think China at least is exploring this, as their vaccine is not all that great https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/corona...hots-1.5405242) - but I am sure we won't just accept the trial outcomes from other countries. This will happen a lot anyway, as people may forget how ofthen they've already been vaccinated, or with what type of vaccine etc.

Well maybe. My girlfriend has to deal with off campus housing right next to her. I don't know if you can legally require international students to live on campus and everyone else not to. It gets tricky.

We are winning the war against this but it would be a shame to go back complete steps just to appease other groups.

[queerfaith]

Originally Posted by id77

I can't speak for individual Brazilians, but the first thought that comes to mind is urgency. If I'm watching my friends and family get sick or die all around me, and there's any vaccine available to me now, I'd seriously consider 50-60% efficacy now versus nothing now and 90% efficacy in 6-12 months. Is it rational? Debatable, but most humans aren't very good at being rational, especially about salient dangers.

This all reminds me of the recent NYT article about COVID fears: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/b...r-navalny.html

This is the TRUTH. I do however think that we should be greeting most arrivals at Logan with a J&J to go if they have an inferior immunization.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by id77

I can't speak for individual Brazilians, but the first thought that comes to mind is urgency. If I'm watching my friends and family get sick or die all around me, and there's any vaccine available to me now, I'd seriously consider 50-60% efficacy now versus nothing now and 90% efficacy in 6-12 months. Is it rational? Debatable, but most humans aren't very good at being rational, especially about salient dangers.

This all reminds me of the recent NYT article about COVID fears: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/b...r-navalny.html

That NYT article is really good. It’s going to be challenging to do the mindset shift. Vaccinated, I’m very unlikely to die and quite unlikely to get extremely ill. I have no problem comprehending the numerator and denominator with J&J vaccine risk but I have emotional ties to COVID-19 infection risk. I’m old enough that the risk of getting really sick and possibly dying was really high in a place with an infection rate that has been quite high since November. Vaccinated, my risk is much lower but I’m still emotionally unwilling to eat inside in restaurants. New Bedford is still at 35 per 100,000. I just can’t quite do it.

[mdovell]

I'm not knocking getting any vaccine. If it's not good enough to do certain things then that should be understood. There's nothing wrong with having a standard. If we are going to have vaccinations at airports upon arrival that's fine.