# 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:** 38
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/771 "2021-03-09T20:46:34Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > It’s published as a letter, not an article. Again, this isn’t the place I accept that as a retraction and correction. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/772 "2021-03-09T20:50:21Z")
You do you. ---
**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:** [March 9, 2021, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/773 "2021-03-09T22:25:58Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > > [@DMC](#): > > > > It’s published as a letter, not an article. Again, this isn’t the place > > I accept that as a retraction and correction. Actually, a Letter in peer reviewed publication is just a shorter paper with recent results that the authors want to get out quickly. They undergo peer review just like a Journal paper, but the reviewers are working with more urgency and since the paper is shorter, there task is not as tough as a 10+ page paper with more detail (the paper was submitted in December 2020 and accepted for publication in February 2021, so the definition of “fast publication” is relative). In fact, the title of the open access section “Biophysical Letters”, which is not an unusual name for a separate journal section for fast breaking developments. And while I hate the publisher with a fiery passion (Elsevier), they are a reputable scientific publisher with a lot of processes and policies in place to prevent “bad” papers making it to publication. The impact factor of the journal is 3.665 (2018- the latest available), which is quite good, but not spectacular. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/774 "2021-03-09T23:17:47Z")
Really not the place. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/775 "2021-03-09T23:20:15Z")
## [Italy’s variant struggle](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/09/us/coronavirus-briefing-what-happened-today.html?searchResultPosition=2) > Italy is currently experiencing a large wave of coronavirus infections driven by new variants. Intensive care units are filling up, and the government is scaling up restrictions. On Monday, the country [surpassed 100,000 deaths](https://nl.nytimes.com/f/a/KwGM4GmAZ_EFOTRZvzP-jg~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiKoRsP4QpAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tL2xpdmUvMjAyMS8wMy8wOS93b3JsZC9jb3ZpZC0xOS1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy9hLXllYXItYWZ0ZXItaXRzLWZpcnN0LWxvY2tkb3duLWl0YWx5LXJlYWNoZXMtMTAwMDAwLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWRlYXRocz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xNTQmZW1jPWVkaXRfY2JfMjAyMTAzMDkmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9Mjc4ODkmbmw9Y29yb25hdmlydXMtYnJpZWZpbmcmcmVnaV9pZD0zNTE4MTgxOSZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTUzMTAwJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1lN2VmMzBhNDI5NTJkYTQxZTE3OTkzNjJjYTg1YWY4M1cDbnl0QgpgR2z_R2DTUjzpUhJzYXNoYTk5QHJ1bmJveC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). > > The tragic milestone preceded a grim anniversary: On Mar. 9, 2020, Italy entered its [first national lockdown](https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/Cq5WxnKrqJruqAhfszAChQ~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiKoRsP0TuaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wMy8wOS93b3JsZC9ldXJvcGUvaXRhbHktbG9ja2Rvd24tY29yb25hdmlydXMuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xNTQmZW1jPWVkaXRfY2JfMjAyMTAzMDkmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9Mjc4ODkmbmw9Y29yb25hdmlydXMtYnJpZWZpbmcmcmVnaV9pZD0zNTE4MTgxOSZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTUzMTAwJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1lN2VmMzBhNDI5NTJkYTQxZTE3OTkzNjJjYTg1YWY4M1cDbnl0QgpgR2z_R2DTUjzpUhJzYXNoYTk5QHJ1bmJveC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). It was the first Western country to be severely affected by the virus, as its army moved coffins into overcrowded warehouses and doctors posted pictures of their bruised faces after long hours of wearing tight masks. > > “We would have never thought that one year later, we would find ourselves facing such an emergency,” Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Monday. > > After a monthlong decline in overall Covid-19 cases in the European Union, cases in Italy began climbing again from mid-February, caused largely by the highly contagious variant first seen in Britain. Some epidemiologists fear that the United States, where the variant is also spreading, could soon face a similar resurgence in cases. > … ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/776 "2021-03-09T23:35:09Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > Actually, a Letter in peer reviewed publication is just a shorter paper with recent results that the authors want to get out quickly. They undergo peer review just like a Journal paper, but the reviewers are working with more urgency and since the paper is shorter, there task is not as tough as a 10+ page paper with more detail (the paper was submitted in December 2020 and accepted for publication in February 2021, so the definition of “fast publication” is relative). > > In fact, the title of the open access section “Biophysical Letters”, which is not an unusual name for a separate journal section for fast breaking developments. And while I hate the publisher with a fiery passion (Elsevier), they are a reputable scientific publisher with a lot of processes and policies in place to prevent “bad” papers making it to publication. The impact factor of the journal is 3.665 (2018- the latest available), which is quite good, but not spectacular. At the risk of getting in trouble, I was going to say the same thing. (sorry, everybody) ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/777 "2021-03-09T23:53:40Z")
Let’s move the conversation. > [@This study does not explain why masks lower the severity of COVID-19](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-study-does-not-explain-why-masks-lower-the-severity-of-covid-19/937557): > > To stop the hijack of the Breaking News thread, if anyone wants to make the claim that this study proves anything about the method by which masks help reduce severity or why one mask type is better than the other due to the results, this is a good place. [Study in question.](https://www.cell.com/biophysj/fulltext/S0006-3495(21)00116-8) I’ll start with the [lead author’s own statements](https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/researchers-propose-humidity-masks-may-lessen-severity-covid-19) about the study: We found that face masks strongly increase the humidity in inhaled air and propose that the resulting hydration of the respiratory tract could be responsibl… ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/778 "2021-03-10T00:59:16Z")
Timor L’Este and Papua New Guinea, both of which had fared extremely well, given that they share land borders with Indonesia, are [now seeing surges](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-09/png-timor-leste-face-growing-outbreaks,-concern-in-australia/13229098). Timor L’Este has imposed its first lockdown to try to dampen its outbreak, and PNG may follow. These are small nations who lack the capacity to resource either comprehensive vaccination programs or manage the consequences if they are hit. PNG has had 16 deaths [2 per million] and Timor has had zero until now. They have made mighty efforts to manage the risk for more than a year, far better than more affluent and resource-rich nations. It would be tragic to see them falter at this point. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2021, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/779 "2021-03-10T08:47:24Z")
118,201,241 total cases 2,623,280 dead 93,891,900 recovered In the US: 29,801,506 total cases 540,574 dead 20,549,678 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 117,750,924 total cases > 2,612,186 dead > 93,438,021 recovered > > In the US: > > 29,744,652 total cases > 538,628 dead > 20,449,634 recovered ---
**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:** [March 10, 2021, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/780 "2021-03-10T22:13:08Z")
Not really “breaking” news but hey: > **[Why the pandemic left long-term scars on global job market](https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-boston-economy-coronavirus-pandemic-683be0593b21ac86dff43da28b6da10c)** > > Esther Montanez's housecleaning job at the Hilton Back Bay in Boston was a lifeline for her, a 31-year-old single mother with a 5-year-old son... ---
**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:** [March 11, 2021, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/781 "2021-03-11T05:18:49Z")
118,638,111 total cases 2,632,074 dead 94,251,029 recovered In the US: 29,862,124 total cases 542,191 dead 20,640,270 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 118,201,241 total cases > 2,623,280 dead > 93,891,900 recovered > > In the US: > > 29,801,506 total cases > 540,574 dead > 20,549,678 recovered ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/782 "2021-03-11T06:09:05Z")
Here’s an odd item: Elderly patient in a rehab facility gets 2nd shot, then due to a mix-up gets another shot a few hours later. He then goes into shock of some sort. (ETA: Looks like this happened 2 or 3 weeks ago. He’s recovering now.) > **[Ohio Man Went Into Shock After Accidentally Getting Two COVID Vaccine Shots...](https://news.yahoo.com/ohio-man-went-shock-accidentally-225250450.html)** > > A 91-year-old Ohio man went into shock after a vaccination mix-up accidentally left him with two Moderna COVID vaccine shots in the same day. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2021, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/783 "2021-03-11T11:09:28Z")
Brazil faltering: > **[Brazil hospitals buckle in absence of national virus plan](https://apnews.com/article/brazil-rio-de-janeiro-health-coronavirus-pandemic-jair-bolsonaro-04931a387c7fb128266235635a1422a1)** > > RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s hospitals are faltering as a highly contagious coronavirus variant tears through the country, the president insists on unproven treatments and the only attempt to create a national plan to contain COVID-19 has just... ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/784 "2021-03-11T17:08:41Z")
[Pfizer/BioNTech say that data suggests that their vaccine is 94% effective at preventing asymptomatic infection.](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-pfizer-israel/pfizer-biontech-say-covid-19-vaccine-likely-to-prevent-asymptomatic-infection-idUSKBN2B31IJ) This is really important, because it would greatly reduce transmission. But although they’re basing their statement from real-world data in Israel, this study hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2021, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/785 "2021-03-11T22:55:16Z")
Right, that’s huge! In similar good vaccine news: > **[Novavax vaccine highly effective in UK trial, but drops against South Africa...](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/542840-novavax-vaccine-highly-effective-in-uk-trial-but-drops-against-south-africa/)** > > Novavax said Thursday that final data from a trial in the United Kingdom shows its COVID-19 vaccine is almost 90 percent effective, but the vaccine was far less effective in a separate trial in Sou… It was highly effective against the uk strain. Less effective against the sa strain. But even in South Africa it did a decent job of preventing serious illness. Oh, here’s the link i wanted to share > **[Novavax vaccine 96% effective against original coronavirus, 86% vs British...](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccines-novavax/novavax-vaccine-96-effective-against-original-coronavirus-86-vs-british-variant-in-uk-trial-idUSKBN2B32ZO)** > > Novavax Inc's COVID-19 vaccine was 96% effective in preventing cases caused by the original version of the coronavirus in a late-stage trial conducted in the United Kingdom, the company said on Thursday, moving it a step closer to regulatory... ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/786 "2021-03-12T01:21:51Z")
We’re apparently all getting access to the vaccine by May at the latest: [https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/11/covid-vaccine-biden-will-direct-states-to-make-all-adults-eligible-by-may-1.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/11/covid-vaccine-biden-will-direct-states-to-make-all-adults-eligible-by-may-1.html) ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/787 "2021-03-12T01:41:18Z")
> [@teelabrown](#): > > This is really important, because it would greatly reduce transmission. If quarantine and control are greatly reducing transmission, reducing asymptomatic transmission greatly reduces quarantine and control failure. For places which do not have strict quarantine and control measures in place, reducing asymptomatic transmission will have minimal effect, because transmission does not greatly come from asymptomatic carriers. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2021, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/788 "2021-03-12T01:42:20Z")
Eligibility and access are not the same thing, though. I expect to be eligible by March 29 in my state, but I have no idea when I will actually get my arm jabbed. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/789 "2021-03-12T01:45:29Z")
True, but all the reports I’ve read in the news have made me less concerned about that, especially in a month and a half. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/790 "2021-03-12T01:47:14Z")
Yeah, I hope everything will be ramped up enough to move quickly by then. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=37) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=39)