# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2021 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [January 1, 2021, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428 "2021-01-01T08:03:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 128
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2603 "2021-09-20T02:17:24Z")
Alberta is at a 7 day average of 27 cases per 100,000, and they are freaking out because it’s so high. BC is at 9.3, Quebec is at 8.8 and Ontario is at 4.8 ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2604 "2021-09-20T02:22:02Z")
Is Alberta especially conservative or liberal compared to the others? (I really do not know) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2605 "2021-09-20T02:32:26Z")
I’ve heard it called the Texas of Canada, if that gives you an indication. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2606 "2021-09-20T02:33:04Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Is Alberta especially conservative or liberal compared to the others? Alberta is the Canadian Texas. And yes, that applies to politics too, not just oil. ETA dammit, ninja’d ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2607 "2021-09-20T02:34:00Z")
Yeah as Leaper said, Alberta is North North Texas. A definite middle finger to the rest of Canada, probably because of its history as an oil producer. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2608 "2021-09-20T03:11:26Z")
Conservative, low vaccination rates, high COVID rates and dangerously high hospitalization rates. The premier came out this summer and declared the pandemic over. Reality had different ideas. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2609 "2021-09-20T03:13:52Z")
I’ve heard Alberta called the Canadian bible belt, too. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2610 "2021-09-20T03:29:54Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > For the blue state vs red state debate: > > [California reports lowest COVID-19 case rate in the country - CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-lowest-positivity-rate-in-us/) We’re number fifty! We’re number fifty! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2611 "2021-09-20T03:34:06Z")
The liberal northeast is also looking relatively less bad than most of the country right now. But our schools only just opened, so things might be getting worse. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2612 "2021-09-20T04:50:10Z")
229,292,520 total cases 4,705,482 dead 205,922,518 recovered In the US: 42,900,906 total cases 691,880 dead 32,503,995 recovered YesterdayTwo days ago’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 228,415,001 total cases > 4,692,850 dead > 204,998,087 recovered > > In the US: > > 42,799,907 total cases > 690,714 dead > 32,434,166 recovered ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2613 "2021-09-20T07:27:58Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > If using 3 times as much active ingredient is all that’s needed to make the vaccine more effective why didn’t Pfizer do it? Heck, why didn’t they use 15 or 20 times as much active ingredient? You want an effective vaccine with low side effects. I have read, though I don’t recall where now, that Moderna has slightly more side effects. Also, getting enough doses, as well as vials to hold the doses, etc. was a concern, especially at the outset. (So you don’t want to use up 20x as much as is needed per injection). Pfizer had a protocol that resulted in something like 95% efficacy, which was outstanding, and a set of side effects that happened commonly, but weren’t serious. That was an extremely successful vaccine. No one knew when they designed the protocols how long the immunity would last for Pfizer, Moderna, or J and J. Pfizer’s vaccine and protocol had an advantage of slightly lower side effects and reaching full vaccination status (full efficacy) earlier. It turns out that that was a bit of a trade off for how long it would last, but it’s not like they knew at the time that it would make much difference. The three vaccines available in the US were all built with different priorities. No one knew when they started which would be the Goldilocks formulation. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2614 "2021-09-20T11:40:44Z")
Pfizer has results from their trial of kids 5-11 and will apply for an EUA. They recommend a dose of 10 micrograms (as compared to 30 for adults) and find that generated antibodies comparable to the higher dose in older people. I assume they didn’t see any horrible side effects in the study, either. > **[Pfizer, BioNTech Say Covid-19 Vaccine Is Safe for Children Aged 5 to 11](https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-biontech-say-covid-19-vaccine-is-safe-for-young-children-generates-immune-response-11632134701?st=wmacgvuztmkaz5v&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink)** > > The companies said the Covid-19 vaccine generated levels of antibodies that were similar to those of younger adults. Pfizer will seek emergency use authorization in the U.S. as early as the end of the month. They say they will have results for younger kids (6 months+) 4th quarter. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2615 "2021-09-20T12:07:23Z")
I also note that even the Moderna president is saying that their data shows an increase in breakthrough cases starting around the 6 month mark. He says their concern is the winter holiday. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tP_6GIbq8Y4/maxresdefault.jpg "Moderna President details new clinical data on COVID-19 vaccine") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP_6GIbq8Y4) (And, yes, I know he wants to sell more doses and thus will be more bullish on boosters.) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2616 "2021-09-20T13:39:03Z")
I’ve been away for a few days, and everything changes. Here are the new reported record daily highs (seven day average from Johns Hopkins) **West Virginia** (2033) **Vermont** (!) (262) Surprisingly, Maine is high and shooting up fast. So is Delaware. But the states that a week or two ago were setting new records – Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alaska, North and South Carolina, Mississippi, and even Florida - seem to have retreated. Maybe the latest variants burned out the available material. And the Johns Hopkins site has a new “Data Visualizations” chart – the frequency with which states are now updating their reporting > **[State Reporting Frequencies - Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center](https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/state-reporting-frequencies)** > > The lack of uniformity has complicated efforts to track SARS-CoV-2 in near real time as it has spread across the United States. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2617 "2021-09-20T14:51:56Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Maybe the latest variants burned out the available material. That seems to be the case in other places where the delta variant was prevalent. About a 6 to 8 week run and then it goes back to previous levels, more or less. Mostly only in places with low vaccination levels, though. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2618 "2021-09-20T16:14:41Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Vermont** (!) (262) > > Surprisingly, Maine is high and shooting up fast. Vermont is hitting a new high partially because they managed to keep their numbers low during the previous waves. Still not the best news, but it isn’t all that bad in Vermont (or Maine) relatively speaking. Most other states would love Vermont’s per capita numbers. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2619 "2021-09-21T02:19:46Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > And the Johns Hopkins site has a new “Data Visualizations” chart – the frequency with which states are now updating their reporting Anybody know what day of the week Florida updates? I’ve been tracking cases/deaths Snowborder Bo style since early 2020 and the data has gone incredibly noisy these last few months so I’m curious to know. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2620 "2021-09-21T03:49:01Z")
Alabama had more deaths than births last year, for the first time in recorded history. This is being attributed to the Delta variant. > **[There Were More Deaths Than Births In Alabama Last Year, A Grim First For The...](https://www.npr.org/2021/09/20/1038950564/alabama-deaths-births-2020-coronavirus-surge-vaccination-rate)** > > Alabama's top health official says the state has "literally shrunk." According to preliminary data, it saw 64,714 total deaths and 57,641 births in 2020. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2621 "2021-09-21T04:22:08Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Anybody know what day of the week Florida updates? Fridays. [http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/\_partners/covid19\_report\_archive/covid19-data/](http://ww11.doh.state.fl.us/comm/_partners/covid19_report_archive/covid19-data/) ~Max ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/2622 "2021-09-21T04:30:34Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Alabama had more deaths than births last year, for the first time in recorded history. This is being attributed to the Delta variant. It’s wrong to attibute it to Delta. Those numbers are about last year and Delta didn’t hit the US until mid this year. That was all OG Coronavirus, both directly and indirectly. I expect this trend to continue to this year and that will be mostly due to Delta (and vaxx-refusers). And not just that state, but several, even many, others. In fact, I would not be at all surprised if the US as a whole had more deaths than births both last year and this year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=127) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=129)