# 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:** 95
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1914 "2021-07-30T00:14:14Z")
> **[Vaccine effectiveness in preventing serious illness falls to 80% – Israeli study](https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-severe-covid-cases-could-reach-400-by-mid-august-researchers-warn/)** > > Hebrew University research also says Israel's severe COVID cases could reach 400 by mid-August, urges new restrictions ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1915 "2021-07-30T00:23:26Z")
Tokyo: > **[Officials in Tokyo alarmed as virus cases hit record highs](https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-sports-health-tokyo-coronavirus-pandemic-70b7dc83137127d81a96446b4b248ceb)** > > Japanese officials have sounded the alarm as Tokyo reported record-breaking coronavirus cases for the third straight day with the Olympics well underway. > [@](#): > > Tokyo reported 3,865 new cases Thursday, up from 3,177 on Wednesday and double the numbers a week ago. > > “We have never experienced the expansion of the infections of this magnitude,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters. He said the new cases were soaring not only in the Tokyo area but across the country. > > Nationwide, Japan reported more than 9,500 confirmed cases on Wednesday, also a record, for a total of about 892,000 infections and about 15,000 deaths since the pandemic began. > > Japan has kept its cases and deaths lower than many other countries, but its seven-day rolling average is growing and now stands at 28 per 100,000 people nationwide and 88 per 100,000 in Tokyo, according to the Health Ministry. This compares to 18.5 in the United States, 48 in Britain and 2.8 in India, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1916 "2021-07-30T01:48:00Z")
Sit tight, folks; more data is on the way: > **[The Latest: US health officials to release new COVID-19 data](https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-africa-business-music-health-dcf51acfe48faff12b92b1d26d8dcd01)** > > U.S. health officials are expected to release new data about the spread of COVID-19 on Friday that led to their decision to recommend that vaccinated people wear masks in some situations, a reversal of previous guidance. > [@](#): > > The report, to be released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comes from a recent investigation of a coronavirus outbreak in Provincetown, Massachusetts, according to a federal official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the plan. > > Earlier this week, the CDC changed its masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the delta variant of the coronavirus is fueling surges in new cases. > > Citing new – but unreleased – information about the variant’s ability to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors at schools nationwide, regardless of vaccination status. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1917 "2021-07-30T02:07:37Z")
I had meant to post the articles about Provincetown. Obviously the infection was probably brought in by tourists, but in the end, they ended up infecting clusters of fully-vaccinated residents. What’s coming out of Provincetown would seem to back up what Israel’s officials are seeing: reduced immunity, particularly among the older and more vulnerable individuals who were vaccinated back in January and February. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1918 "2021-07-30T02:57:32Z")
No AP story yet, but the WaPo has the scoop: > **[‘The war has changed’: Internal CDC document urges new messaging, warns delta...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/29/cdc-mask-guidance/)** > > The document captures the struggle of the nation’s top public health agency to persuade the public to embrace vaccination and prevention measures, including mask-wearing, as cases surge across the United States and new research suggests vaccinated... And the slides: > **[Read: Internal CDC document on breakthrough infections](https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/cdc-breakthrough-infections/94390e3a-5e45-44a5-ac40-2744e4e25f2e/)** [Direct link to the slides in .pdf format here.](https://context-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/default/documents/8a726408-07bd-46bd-a945-3af0ae2f3c37/note/57c98604-3b54-44f0-8b44-b148d8f75165.#page=1) ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1919 "2021-07-30T03:47:57Z")
From your links: > Communications > – Acknowledge the war has changed > – Improve public’s understanding of breakthrough infections > – Improve communications around individual risk among vaccinated > • Risk of severe disease or death reduced 10-fold or greater in vaccinated > • **Risk of infection reduced 3-fold in vaccinated** > > The delta variant of the [coronavirus](https://www.washingtonpost.com/coronavirus/?itid=lk_inline_manual_3) appears to cause more severe illness than earlier variants and **spreads as easily as chickenpox** , according to an internal federal health document that argues officials must “acknowledge the war has changed.” If it spreads as easily as chickenpox, we’ll need at least 90% of the population vaxxed or recently infected to seriously reduce circulation in the population. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1920 "2021-07-30T04:49:33Z")
This should surprise no one: vaccine tourists are coming to the US from all over the world. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Wmf5cT81PXQ/maxresdefault.jpg "The vaccine tourists heading to the US to get their jab - BBC News") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmf5cT81PXQ) It’s apparently illegal to export vaccines from the US unless almost everyone in the US has been vaccinated. Or you get special permission or something. The Biden admin has to jump through some hoops to send that half billion doses he promised. But since there’s a surplus of vaccines and they don’t check if you’re a citizen, anyone who comes in can get vaccinated. So people who have the money are flying in, getting a jab, waiting a month, booster jab, and then going home. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1921 "2021-07-30T05:34:31Z")
197,385,409 total cases 4,214,933 dead 178,537,192 recovered In the US: 35,584,272 total cases 628,492 dead 29,626,754 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 196,707,763 total cases > 4,203,682 dead > 178,113,916 recovered > > In the US: > > 35,487,490 total cases > 628,098 dead > 29,603,958 recovered ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1922 "2021-07-30T05:46:21Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > So people who have the money are flying in, getting a jab, waiting a month, booster jab, and then going home. Don’t blame them, and I know a number of Americans who reside outside the U.S. who did this as well. The U.S. embassies are not doing anything for the Americans as they say this is too complicated. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1923 "2021-07-30T05:50:44Z")
I do have to wonder what kind of visas these vaxx-tourists are using. Because I thought tourist visas are not being given out. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1924 "2021-07-30T10:14:31Z")
I have zero problem with vax tourists - none at all. It’s better if we can keep producing more supply and get it out into the global supply chain, though. I certainly get, and supported, keeping the vaccines here initially but once everyone has had a chance to get vaccinated and once the supply ramps up, then we should share our technology. As we’ve seen, when the rest of the world is deprived of that technology (even if it’s not by design), there’s a good chance that variants will emerge that will come back to neutralize the effectiveness of our vaccines. We don’t want that. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1925 "2021-07-30T13:49:26Z")
The seven-day-averaged reported new cases has risen to a new high of 5881 in Louisiana, far surpassing the previous high of 3737 set on January 8, and it’s still rising with incredible speed. Even the non-averaged daily new reported cases vastly outstrips the non-averaged daily reported cases from January. Or from any month, for that matter. Louisiana is rapidly approaching the regime of tens of thousands of new daily cases typical of New York or California, but without their large populations. Mississippi is similarly shooting upwards, with 2170 cases, rapidly approaching its own record of 2516 set on January 11, and it looks as if they’ll reach and pass that in the next day or so. It seems to be rising rapidly in Florida, as well, with un-averaged daily cases way up, but there’s something wonky about the way they’re manipulating the data, because it doesn’t look asbad as I suspect it should It’s also going up rapidly in Oklahoma Texas Georgia Tennessee North Carolina South Carolina Kansas Kentucky It’s generally rising, but seems to be stuttering in Alabama Arkansas Missouri Hawaii Puerto Rico It’s going steadily up in lots of states, but is nowhere near the peak value. The rise is probably alarmingly fast in California, but it doesn’t look like it because the overall number of cases there has been so huge. Overseas, it’s slowing in many places, but still shooting up in Iran Malaysia Thailand Bangladesh Iraq Cuba Japan – Japan is particularly visible because of the Olympics. This is their fifth peak, and it’s the highest so far, and still going up. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1926 "2021-07-30T13:55:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It seems to be rising rapidly in Florida, as well, with un-averaged daily cases way up, but there’s something wonky about the way they’re manipulating the data, because it doesn’t look asbad as I suspect it should Florida is only reporting weekly, rather than daily. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1927 "2021-07-30T14:00:00Z")
> [@Chatterbox1](#): > > But the real issue is that in the US, Delta is surging amongst the unvaccinated, not the people with two shots Unfortunately “OMG breaktrhough infections” are what’s dominating the news, resulting in many thinking “well, what’s the point, then?” I had this conversation with someone literally last night: THEM: The vaccine doesn’t protect at all from “the variants.” ME: Actually, yes it does. THEM: Nope. It only protects against original covid. ME: That’s actually not the case; it protects against them all. Delta is likelier to get through, but still much less likely than if you’re not vaccinated. Also, it keeps all variants way less likely to make you sick, THEM: No. No protection. That’s what I heard. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1928 "2021-07-30T14:22:34Z")
This surge now already includes the second highest wave peak. There were 106,000 cases on July 27, which is higher than last year’s July peak and higher than the initial surge and the brief resurgence in April. Worse, we’re just a few weeks into this new variant. There’s a lot of discussion (understandably) about the dangers to the unvaccinated, but what needs to be mentioned is that many already-vaccinated people, particularly the elderly and those with underlying conditions who were vaccinated back in January and February, are potentially walking into a death trap of a false sense of security. A lot of people in this category may be eating out at a restaurant, going to church, having indoor gatherings to avoid the heat, traveling on vacations and stopping at busy rest area plazas under the assumption that they’re mostly protected, and there’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that they’re putting themselves in grave danger if they make these assumptions. There are also a lot of workplaces that have opened and expect employees to be back in the office. Many of these workplaces are not policing mask usage or even requiring employees to be vaccinated. For people who are at elevated risk, it’s a disaster in the making. I know people wanted to believe that this was over last month, but it’s not. Delta hit a grand slam home run and has basically tied the score. And the unvaccinated idiots are the pitcher that served it up. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1929 "2021-07-30T14:42:52Z")
[https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/565595-former-trump-official-says-just-a-matter-of-time-before-unvaccinated-get](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/565595-former-trump-official-says-just-a-matter-of-time-before-unvaccinated-get) > Brett Giroir, former [President Trump](https://thehill.com/people/donald-trump)’s coronavirus testing czar, on Thursday urged anyone who has not yet gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 to quickly do so, arguing that it is “just a matter of time” before all unvaccinated individuals become infected with the delta variant of the virus. > > The ex-Trump official, [in an interview](https://www.foxnews.com/media/vaccinated-covid-delta-variant-brett-giroir) on Fox News’s “America Reports,” emphasized health guidance that the potential side effects of the coronavirus vaccine “pale in comparison to what you will get if you get the COVID infection,” adding that the highly transmissible delta variant poses an even greater risk. > > “If you have not been vaccinated, and you have not had COVID before, you will get the delta variant,” Giroir argued. “This is so infectious that you will get it.” > … I wonder if this will change anyone’s mind? ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1930 "2021-07-30T15:12:07Z")
I doubt it. What might change minds is when someone sees a Facebook post with one of their friends in a hospital bed with tubes through his nose - then he/she might change his mind. But this variant spreads so quickly that by the time a person realizes they were in contact with an infected person, they’ve probably already come down with the disease. I am increasingly worried about the mutations that may result from this strain. This is a forest fire with a lot of trees left to burn, and one mutation could overwhelm our entire vaccine regime. We’re probably a single mutation away from that happening. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1931 "2021-07-30T16:31:25Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I doubt it. What might change minds is when someone sees a Facebook post with one of their friends in a hospital bed with tubes through his nose - then he/she might change his mind. Or they’ll decide that it is fake news, or their friend is actually faking it. [It’s not impossible for people to believe insane conspiracy theories, even about their own kids.](https://www.insider.com/parkland-survivor-qanon-convinced-dad-shooting-was-hoax-2021-7) Let’s face it… Bodies could pile up in the streets, and as long as they’re not blocking the driveways of these folks they’ll happily deny what is happening. ---
**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:** [July 30, 2021, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1932 "2021-07-30T16:35:17Z")
I was listening to NPR this morning, and a woman was saying “do you see people dying of covid on the sidewalks?” And I thought, “I can’t recall ever seeing anyone dying of breast cancer or heart disease on the sidewalk, what a bizarre claim”. People make bizarre claims to support their beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/1933 "2021-07-30T16:36:33Z")
> **[Covid-19 pandemic: Japan widens emergency over 'frightening' spike](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58024158)** > > The Olympics host is facing record Covid case numbers, fuelled by the virulent Delta strain. > [@](#): > > “Olympic organisers reported 27 new infections at the Games on Friday, bringing the total since the start of July to more than 200. But with strict rules in place, including a ban on spectators, **organisers deny the event is driving the rise in cases**.” Their case rate has gone over 10,000 daily cases for the first time. It’s hard to believe the Olympics aren’t the major reason for the spike no matter what the organizers say. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=94) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=96)