# 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:** 41
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/831 "2021-03-18T14:45:20Z")
In most places, the elderly and healthcare workers were the first targeted. Frontline workers\* usually refers to public facing jobs in other “essential” services. \*I guess some lump healthcare with other frontline workers but most vaccine rollout plans I’ve seen list them separately. As it should be, istm. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/832 "2021-03-18T14:52:20Z")
> [@susan](#): > > I’ve had calls from all of my medical offices. Are doctors proactively calling their clients asking if they want a vaccine appointment? That’d be great, but this is the first time I’ve heard of that happening. I think most people have to search out vaccine appointments on their own. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/833 "2021-03-18T14:58:25Z")
Here in Colorado, Gov. Polis has been targeting people who were most likely to catch COVID and/or die from it, based on age, comorbities, and/or job. The effort is paying off. > With the bulk of Coloradans over 75 and residents of long-term care centers vaccinated, the number of cases and deaths among that group has dropped in recent weeks, state health department statistics show. . . . . > Rachel Herlihy, the state’s epidemiologist who spoke with Samet on Tuesday, pointed to data showing that cases among older Coloradans were falling at a faster rate than the state overall. > **[As vaccinations flow, fewer older Coloradans are getting sick and dying of COVID](https://gazette.com/news/as-vaccinations-flow-fewer-older-coloradans-are-getting-sick-and-dying-of-covid/article_57972a62-8724-11eb-94b2-03050002e43d.html)** > > With the bulk of Coloradans 75 and older vaccinated, the number of cases and deaths among that group has steadily dropped in recent weeks, as have similar statistics for residents ---
**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 18, 2021, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/834 "2021-03-18T15:11:45Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Are doctors proactively calling their clients asking if they want a vaccine appointment? That’d be great, but this is the first time I’ve heard of that happening. I think most people have to search out vaccine appointments on their own. I’m a patient of the physicians’ practice associated with the UTHealth System (T being for Texas). I got an email directing me to a link where I signed up. When I went to get my first shot, there were hundreds of people there, and they were all patients in this group like me. People I know who go to regular docs in private practice have, for the most part, NOT been reached out to like this. A couple have been told informally, but I’m not aware of any mass emailings. (Doesn’t mean there haven’t been any.) These people have been scrambling, following links given in the news media or just taking suggestions from friends. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/835 "2021-03-18T16:32:01Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > s the number of people eligible for vaccines the bottleneck to getting everyone vaccinated? From what I’ve been hearing, there are still way, way more people trying to get vacinated than available doses. Like on the [CVS vaccine schedule site](https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine), there are hardly any appointments available. Either states are fully booked or there are just a few cities in the states with available appointments. One problem I foresee of prematurely expanding eligibility is that people will get frustrated and give up looking if they can’t easily get an appointment. Most people aren’t going to spend hours or days calling around and clicking refresh on scheduling sites looking for appointments. I think this is very local. My state, Mississippi, just opened up to all adults on Tuesday, and I got a same-day appointment almost immediately, but it turns out that I could have waited; my county is showing _1,900_ first-dose appointments available right now through the state website, and from what I’ve heard they’re also easy to get here at private providers like pharmacies. Meanwhile, the next county over (which skews wealthier and more educated) had one appointment available this morning and none right now. The area around Jackson, the only real urban area in the state, seems to be almost totally booked up, at least going by the state website, but other parts of the state have a ton of availability. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/836 "2021-03-18T16:44:05Z")
I just posted this in the AZ approval thread, but I guess it should go here as well: EMA has concluded it’s preliminary review of AZ vaccine safety in re blood clots etc: [https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca-benefits-still-outweigh-risks-despite-possible-link-rare-blood-clots](https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca-benefits-still-outweigh-risks-despite-possible-link-rare-blood-clots) > The Committee confirmed that: > > - the benefits of the vaccine in combating the still widespread threat of COVID-19 (which itself results in clotting problems and may be fatal) continue to outweigh the risk of side effects; > - the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots (thromboembolic events) in those who receive it; > - there is no evidence of a problem related to specific batches of the vaccine or to particular manufacturing sites; The release goes on to discuss the possibility of a causal relationship between vaccination and two rare conditions (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, CVST and disseminated intravascular coagulation, DIC) noting that no link has been established but that further investigation is merited. j ---
**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 18, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/837 "2021-03-18T19:29:05Z")
Moderna is enrolling children as young as 6 months in a vaccine trial in hopes of securing approval for use in children. I think the article said the study could take 14 months, but they expect it to be done much sooner because parents are jumping at the chance to sign their kids up. They need around 6700 to have statistically significant results. [https://www.aappublications.org/news/2021/03/16/moderna-covid-trials-children-031621](https://www.aappublications.org/news/2021/03/16/moderna-covid-trials-children-031621) ---
**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 18, 2021, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/838 "2021-03-18T19:40:34Z")
The governor in my state has agreed to make all adults eligible by May 1. It sounds like they’ve been told there will be a doubling of vaccine supply. The governor has also said that she’s considering making people who would have had priority on or after May 1 eligible sooner. So it will potentially compress the staggered eligibility schedule between now and then. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/839 "2021-03-18T20:45:17Z")
WHO has identified wildlife farms in southern China as the likely source of the virus. The full report is supposed to be released in the next two weeks. For now, they have highlighted some reasons for their conclusion: - Many farms are located in an area where virologists found a bat virus that’s 96% genetically similar to SARS-CoV-2 - The farms breed animals that are known to carry coronaviruses, such as civet cats and pangolins - The farms were supplying live animals to vendors at the Wuhan market - China shut down the farms in February 2020, and gave farmers instructions on how to dispose of animals to prevent the spread of disease. In other words, something made China think this was a likely source back then. > **[WHO Points To Wildlife Farms In Southern China As Likely Source Of Pandemic](https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/03/15/977527808/who-points-to-wildlife-farms-in-southwest-china-as-likely-source-of-pandemic)** > > Peter Daszak of the investigative team sent to Wuhan says the farms were probably where the coronavirus first jumped from bats to another animal before infecting humans. ---
**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 19, 2021, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/840 "2021-03-19T04:48:26Z")
122,376,706 total cases 2,703,252 dead 98,662,112 recovered In the US: 30,358,880 total cases 552,470 dead 22,523,799 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 121,290,697 total cases > 2,682,554 dead > 97,823,652 recovered > > In the US: > > 30,231,550 total cases > 549,367 dead > 22,358,469 recovered ---
**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 19, 2021, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/841 "2021-03-19T11:25:41Z")
I hope that the US new cases are reflecting some state playing catch up as it’s not good otherwise. That’s almost 130,000 new cases since the prior day, which is about double what we had been averaging lately. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/842 "2021-03-19T20:21:00Z")
A sharp increase in deaths too. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/843 "2021-03-19T20:29:30Z")
The daily totals on the Worldometers site doesn’t match up with here, which means there was a correction or adjustment after Bo posted the previous day’s count. There wasn’t a sudden rise. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/844 "2021-03-19T22:36:54Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > One problem I foresee of prematurely expanding eligibility is that people will get frustrated and give up looking if they can’t easily get an appointment. Most people aren’t going to spend hours or days calling around and clicking refresh on scheduling sites looking for appointments. I want to get vaccinated. Ideally yesterday. But I’m also happy to spend 5 minutes trying to get an appointment once a week when they open for the next 15 weeks until finally I get it. Within a couple months tops the vast moajority of folks who want it will have it and they’ll be begging for people to show up. Right now it’s everybody crushing the exits for the fire alarm that went off. 14 months in, I fail to see the need to stress about the last 2. ---
**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 20, 2021, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/845 "2021-03-20T05:02:31Z")
122,898,689 total cases 2,713,580 dead 99,047,812 recovered In the US: 30,425,787 total cases 554,104 dead 22,610,325 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 122,376,706 total cases > 2,703,252 dead > 98,662,112 recovered > > In the US: > > 30,358,880 total cases > 552,470 dead > 22,523,799 recovered ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/846 "2021-03-20T12:10:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > But I’m also happy to spend 5 minutes trying to get an appointment once a week when they open for the next 15 weeks until finally I get it. I bet I spent an hour a day banging around trying for an appointment. Made it my goal in life for awhile. After getting my first scheduled, I began searching for my gf and got her signed up within a week, while she continued checking once a day. I told my brother (in Michigan) how I approached the situation. He copied my approach and got his appointment in three days of constant checking, after going weeks with no joy. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/847 "2021-03-20T21:11:25Z")
Good on ya! Around here I’ve learned that 3x/week at a particular time of day new appointments are on offer. So just like trying to get concert tickets when they go on sale, you camp out at that website just before the appointed hour banging on [refresh page]. If you get past “no appointments”, hurry up and fill out the form. Three minutes later they’re all gone, so give up and wait until the next day appointments open. Not how I’d have designed the system if I was King of Vaccination IT. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/848 "2021-03-20T22:02:15Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Not how I’d have designed the system if I was King of Vaccination IT. And how I wish you were! ---
**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 20, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/849 "2021-03-20T23:19:14Z")
I guess this was to be expected. One hopes in vain that people won’t be stupid. > **[Miami Beach declares state of emergency over spring break crowds](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/miami-beach-declares-state-emergency-over-spring-break-crowds-n1261673)** > > The city will impose an 8 p.m. curfew in the South Beach entertainment district. > … > “As we hit the peak of the peak of spring break, we are quite simply overwhelmed,” City Manager Raul Aguila said. > > Crowds last night resembled those of a rock concert, according to officials. > > “You couldn’t see pavement and you couldn’t see grass,” Aguila said. > … Oh, I’ll bet you could see _grass_ without looking too hard. 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/850 "2021-03-21T00:43:17Z")
I had to use the phone option because I got too frustrated online. First jab of Moderna is on the 23rd at USC. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=40) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=42)