A Coronavirus Vaccine By Mid-August?

Russia just announced it will have a vaccine ready by mid-August, according to CNN.(1)  That news totally stunned me. I go on vacation and come back and Russia has a vaccine?

Creative Commons Images

Last I heard, no vaccines would be ready until the end of the year, if we were lucky. But Russia will have one available in two weeks.

Reading deeper, it turns out that Russia is not following all of the same safety measures that are being applied to the companies in the U.S. and England. For example, for most vaccines, there is a three phase process and various approvals needed before releasing them to the public. This is not only to test a vaccine's effectiveness, but to monitor for dangerous side effects. For example, it may prevent you from catching coronavirus, but what if it makes you sterile. Wait, I think I saw that movie.

Russia's vaccine will complete phase 2 of its testing on August 3. Soon after, August 10, they will start phase 3 at the same time they start vaccinating its front-line workers. CNN said there are rumors that some leading Russian politicians have already received it.

I, like most of the world, am very intrigued and hope it works. To have a vaccine so soon would be great. Even if it is not available to everyone until the end of the year, at least there is hope.

So where are some of the leading world pharmaceutical companies in their testing?  Moderna has started its phase 3 testing Monday injecting 30,000 volunteers with its vaccine. It hopes to have its vaccine ready by the end of the year.  University of Oxford and AstraZeneca's vaccine could have emergency doses in October if all goes well. Pfizer with Biontech and Fosunpharma have also launched phase 3 human trials of 30,000 volunteers in the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, and Germany and hope to have its vaccine ready by December. (2)

Still with all this progress, Science Magazine said polls show only 50% of Americans will get the vaccine if and when it is available. (3) I am surprised. I know there is controversy over how deadly coronavirus is, or even if it is real, but why take the risk of getting sick? I had the flu 5 years ago and it was really scary. I never want to get it again.

Once a vaccine is proven safe I will get it. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.

Be safe and take care.

1. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/europe/russia-coronavirus-vaccine-approval-intl/index.html
2. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
3. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/06/just-50-americans-plan-get-covid-19-vaccine-here-s-how-win-over-rest

Coronavirus Best and Worst of Road Trip

Seattle

A road trip during coronavirus?! It was awesome. Here are the best and worst situations we experienced on our two-week roadtrip from Los Angeles to Olympic National Park. Let me say, that we felt safe at every hotel we stayed in as they all had coronavirus measures in place. 

Stringent coronavirus checks

Most - Hyatt Place in Emeryville - asked us 3 coronavirus questions before they let us check in and gave us a handout on covid measures at hotel

Least - Bars - once you had a beer in your hand masks came off

Covid breakfast (every place except 1, staff handed you your breakfast items)

Best - Seattle - only place on entire trip with hot breakfast - scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage.

Worst - Redding - lots of cold choices, but we were allowed to grab our own food

People wearing masks

Most - Olympic National Park

Least - Stockton and small towns in Washington

Reliable bathroom opportunities

Most - rest areas along interstate 5

Least - California gas stations (many were "out of order")

Park experience

Best - Mt. St. Helens - very few people there due to coronavirus - I saw pictures from last year and observation decks were packed with people.

Mt. St. Helens

Worst - Cape Flattery - it is located on Indian Reservation and the reservation was still in Phase 1. We were turned back after an hour drive by police since we were not locals.

Dining

Best - Pastini - first sit down meal in 4 months! Seating was outside. All servers wearing masks, tables were wiped down between guests.

Worst - Oyster restaurant in small town - owner not wearing mask

Coronavirus precaution Items I brought

Best - hand sanitizer I placed in doors of car

Worst - wipes - never used them. We were very good about hand sanitizer and never saw a necessity for these.

Other coronavirus observations: many elevators had spots on floor where you were supposed to stand for social distancing purposes; one hotel said most were operating at 40% capacity or less; one gas station in WA gave out gloves so you could pump your gas; traffic was great- everywhere - even going into and out of San Francisco at rush hour on a Monday; and everywhere we went most people wore masks similar to what we see in Southern California - most people do, but there is that tiny minority that refuse.  Only in a couple of  businesses we found mask wearing lax and we abruptly left.

Being on the road filled us with a sense of freedom that we had not experienced in the last four months. I am ready for another one.

Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park

On vacation

Good day!

I wanted to let you that I will not be able to post for 2 next weeks.  My next post will be Saturday July 25.

Take care and be safe.

Coronavirus Soaring In Sports

Three UFC fighters had to cancel their fights July 11 after they or their camp members tested positive for coronavirus. The blame on the sudden increase in fighters testing positive can't be blamed on the UFC starting up again. They have had 8 events, with a dozen to two dozen fighters on each card and in all this time they have only had two fighters back out for testing positive.

 

Yet, all sports are getting hammered now with the re-surging first round of coronavirus cases in the United States.

For baseball fans, the AP reported that 31 players and 7 staff members tested positive as baseball begins testing players prior to opening day on July 23. Something interesting in baseball are players being placed on injured reserve with no description of the injuries suggesting the numbers of infected could be higher.

For soccer fans, the first game of the men's season scheduled on July 15 has been postponed because 6 members of one team, FC Dallas, have tested positive according to Soccer Today.  The women's league has been playing since last weekend with no reports of players testing positive.

For basketball fans, NPR reported that 25 NBA players have tested positive - 9 in the round of testing from June 24-25. The NBA is "tentatively" scheduled to resume on July 30.

For NFL fans, there is no word on when systematic testing will begin for NFL players. However, the NFL Players' Association wants all preseason games cancelled.  Training camp is supposed to start July 28. 

Is the surge in cases due to reopening, some people becoming complacent and no longer wearing masks, the protests, coronavirus parties among some young adults, or a more contagious form of the diseases as Fauci suggested last week? It is hard to say. Probably a combination of all factors.

I will say that during my walks with my wife last week, more people are wearing masks than we have seen since the end of June. That gives me hope that life will return to normal sooner rather than later.

Still, sports are a long way from beginning again, let alone having fans in attendance. Except the UFC with its fight island. Yes, Fight Island is real. It is in the Middle East in the country of Qatar as long as no more fighters are infected. 

I hope no one else is infected whether it is a fighter, athlete, or my neighbor.

Take care and be safe.

Posts Tuesday and Saturday