International COVID-19 Megathread

[Tender Branson]

Vorarlberg State was allowed to re-open restaurants today as an Austrian model region:

[President Johnson]

More and more EU countries are suspending the AstraZeneca vaccine, after numerous cases of embolism/strokes/aneurysms after vaccination.

Including Germany, France and Italy. To be honest, this seems like an overreaction. There is just no hard evidence these occurred at a higher rate among vaccinated people as compared to the "average population". Instead, it may undermine confidence in vaccines in general. But we're not going to defeat Covid any time soon if not enough people have faith and confidence in vaccines. 

[Silent Hunter]

We've had over 10 million people with at least one dose of Oxford/AstraZeneca. You'd have thought we'd have noticed this first if there was a problem.

[Mike88]

Portugal has also suspended the Astrazeneca vaccine. This is bad decision in my opinion. Like what President Johnson said, this could, and probably will, undermine the confidence of vaccines but it will create an ever bigger problem because, if I'm not mistaken, the largest purchase of vaccines by the EU was from Astrazeneca. The EU vaccination is a total trainwreck and, in Portugal alone, 173,000 people received the Astrazeneca vaccine and just 2 patients developed blood clots.

Plus, here in Portugal as 1st grade schools opened today, the government announced, just this morning, that all teachers and school staff would be vaccinated next weekend. All of that was now cancelled because of this Astrazeneca decision.

[rc18]

Belgium holding the line against this nonsense, for now at least.

https://twitter.com/DarrenEuronews/status/1371560209416605705

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Belgium holding the line against this nonsense, for now at least.

https://twitter.com/DarrenEuronews/status/1371560209416605705

And then there's the US, which has 30 million doses sitting in a warehouse in Ohio.

[2952-0-0]

Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will NOT suspend the AstraZeneca vaccine, and that in fact, it will be recommended for 65+.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

But we're not going to defeat Covid any time soon if not enough people have faith and confidence in vaccines.

Now why might there even be an issue with that in the first place?

[Sir Mohamed]

From what I'm reading, vaccination in Europe outside the UK seems to be a hot mess by developed countries standards. Looking how it's going in America as we speak, who would have thought a year ago?

[politicallefty]

From what I'm reading, vaccination in Europe outside the UK seems to be a hot mess by developed countries standards. Looking how it's going in America as we speak, who would have thought a year ago?

I'm grossed out to think about it, but it might have been one of the very few things the Trump Administration did right (specifically procuring and pre-purchasing enough vaccines early on). That appears to be the same case for the UK as well. Even if I give credit there, there's certainly no expectation that the Trump Administration would've been anywhere near as successful as the Biden Administration has been in distributing the vaccine to the states.

I would hope that the EU isn't trying to distract from their own ineptitude in obtaining enough vaccines or that it's not an extension of the UK/EU feud as a result of Brexit. If the AstraZeneca vaccine was problematic, we would've known by now. These things show up in the trials. And, from what I've read, it's the primary vaccine used in the UK. If there were any serious issues, they would be the first to know.

[Tender Branson]

Vorarlberg State, which is a model/test region and opened almost everything on Monday, had their first concerts since last February:





Gastronomy, hotels, etc. are also open.

[President Johnson]

From what I'm reading, vaccination in Europe outside the UK seems to be a hot mess by developed countries standards. Looking how it's going in America as we speak, who would have thought a year ago?

You're not wrong, though it's more complicated. Vaccination in the EU, and I can mostly speak for Germany, is not working well because of two major factors. One is due to the failures of political leaders and institutions, and the second is due to a lack of vaccine doses in general.

That the EU Commission ordered vaccines for all members was generally a good thing, but the price negotiations took way too long before they finally placed the orders. That was even better under Trump, who put billions on the table already in May 2020, when it was unclear whether there would be a vaccine and when. The EU didn't order until November that year because they were slow in general and wanted to save money.

Today, the biggest problem is that there is just not enough vaccine doses available to move on faster. That's (1) because the orders came too late and (2) because not all sellers like AstraZeneca are not delivering the committed amount of doses in time as promised. Furthermore, production capabilities were insufficient so far and are currently in the buildup process. Said infrastructure for mass production was already there in the US and UK. At least Germany has acted quickly here, aiming to self-produce all vaccines by next year. Several factories are already under construction. But that of course doesn't solve immediate shortcomings. I think that situation will improve in the coming months as more doses are expected to be delivered and distributed.

And the last point is the bureaucracy, especially in lower government levels. It's moving way too slow. Americans and Brits don't spend weeks and months discussing vaccine rollout, they're pragmatic and just do it. Vaccination in stadiums and pharmacies are quite common. Not the case here. Germany is discussing for weeks how doctors can vaccinate and how, while "vaccination centers" have organizational  difficulties. We also discuss back and forth in which order certain groups should be vaccinated and so on. And last but not least, our public management is stuck in the past with technical equipment as well because we missed to invest more in digital infrastructure and software solutions. That has been a problem for years, but the pandemic revealed deficits here and made them visible for the public. All that shows that Germans bragging about being so great in organization and management is just not true these days.

[rc18]

From what I'm reading, vaccination in Europe outside the UK seems to be a hot mess by developed countries standards. Looking how it's going in America as we speak, who would have thought a year ago?

You're not wrong, though it's more complicated. Vaccination in the EU, and I can mostly speak for Germany, is not working well because of two major factors. One is due to the failures of political leaders and institutions, and the second is due to a lack of vaccine doses in general.

That the EU Commission ordered vaccines for all members was generally a good thing, but the price negotiations took way too long before they finally placed the orders. That was even better under Trump, who put billions on the table already in May 2020, when it was unclear whether there would be a vaccine and when. The EU didn't order until November that year because they were slow in general and wanted to save money.

Today, the biggest problem is that there is just not enough vaccine doses available to move on faster. That's (1) because the orders came too late and (2) because not all sellers like AstraZeneca are not delivering the committed amount of doses in time as promised. Furthermore, production capabilities were insufficient so far and are currently in the buildup process. Said infrastructure for mass production was already there in the US and UK. At least Germany has acted quickly here, aiming to self-produce all vaccines by next year. Several factories are already under construction. But that of course doesn't solve immediate shortcomings. I think that situation will improve in the coming months as more doses are expected to be delivered and distributed.

And the last point is the bureaucracy, especially in lower government levels. It's moving way too slow. Americans and Brits don't spend weeks and months discussing vaccine rollout, they're pragmatic and just do it. Vaccination in stadiums and pharmacies are quite common. Not the case here. Germany is discussing for weeks how doctors can vaccinate and how, while "vaccination centers" have organizational  difficulties. We also discuss back and forth in which order certain groups should be vaccinated and so on. And last but not least, our public management is stuck in the past with technical equipment as well because we missed to invest more in digital infrastructure and software solutions. That has been a problem for years, but the pandemic revealed deficits here and made them visible for the public. All that shows that Germans bragging about being so great in organization and management is just not true these days.

It certainly feels from a UK perspective that there doesn't seem to be a realisation on the continent that there is a difference between business as usual and what is effectively a "war-footing".  Von Der Leyen saying today how this is the "crisis of the century", and yet at every step both the commission and national governments haven't seemed to appreciate you need to change attitudes and working procedure in what is effectively a natural disaster situation. Priorities must change.

Who gives a toss how much you pay for a vaccine when whatever you pay is going to be substantially less than the cost to the economy of a pandemic? Who in their right minds makes it a priority to "stick it" to pharmaceutical companies by putting all the liability on them when surely the priority is just getting the vaccines as fast as possible?

Btw we've had problems with supply from AZ too, it was just earlier on before the EU blew up over it. What exactly do you expect when pharmaceutical companies are trying to execute the largest vaccination programme in history?  The priority should be investing in as much diverse production capacity as possible, not just paying the least amount possible to sponge of existing capacity and then attack said companies, making them even more cautious in ramping up supplies.  

In an emergency situation you make things as simple as possible; instead of pissing about on choosing who to prioritise you just do it by age group and get it over with.  By the time you've fannied about with people's complaints about which priority group they are in you could have vaccinated most of the vulnerable anyway.

Overall it just feels like the situation isn't being taken seriously.

[CumbrianLefty]

Looks like a slight hiccup in the UK's hitherto remarkably smooth vaccination process is incoming.

[2952-0-0]

The EMA has ruled that AstraZeneca is indeed safe and effective, and that there's no causal relationship with the blood clots. Many European countries are resuming its use.

Meanwhile, Biden is approving the export of 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses to Canada, and 2.5 million to Mexico.

[President Johnson]

The EMA has ruled that AstraZeneca is indeed safe and effective, and that there's no causal relationship with the blood clots. Many European countries are resuming its use.

Meanwhile, Biden is approving the export of 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses to Canada, and 2.5 million to Mexico.

Meh, he should also approve to export them to the EU.

I definitely agree with the EMA ruling since there is not even stark evidence the side effects were caused by the vaccine itsself. And even if that was the case, the risk to die from Covid is far greater by not getting vaccinated. The major damage however is not the few days we lost, but the image problem AstraZeneca already had before due to poor communication.

[2952-0-0]

Meh, he should also approve to export them to the EU.

I definitely agree with the EMA ruling since there is not even stark evidence the side effects were caused by the vaccine itsself. And even if that was the case, the risk to die from Covid is far greater by not getting vaccinated. The major damage however is not the few days we lost, but the image problem AstraZeneca already had before due to poor communication.

Brazil is in a much more serious crisis right now, especially given its president who can't stop simping on Trump.

Quite frankly, the way the EU's leaders handled AstraZeneca is childish. First, they complained about slow delivery. Then, they made comments about its safety and efficacy. Then, they banned its export, before banning its administration. Finally, they relent.

Meanwhile, people across Europe and the entire world feel hesitant in taking AstraZeneca, just as more countries are ordering lockdowns again. Great job guys! They did more to promote vaccine hesitancy than Iran's Ayatollahs, the CCP, Trump, and QAnon.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

From what I'm reading, vaccination in Europe outside the UK seems to be a hot mess by developed countries standards. Looking how it's going in America as we speak, who would have thought a year ago?

You're not wrong, though it's more complicated. Vaccination in the EU, and I can mostly speak for Germany, is not working well because of two major factors. One is due to the failures of political leaders and institutions, and the second is due to a lack of vaccine doses in general.

That the EU Commission ordered vaccines for all members was generally a good thing, but the price negotiations took way too long before they finally placed the orders. That was even better under Trump, who put billions on the table already in May 2020, when it was unclear whether there would be a vaccine and when. The EU didn't order until November that year because they were slow in general and wanted to save money.

Today, the biggest problem is that there is just not enough vaccine doses available to move on faster. That's (1) because the orders came too late and (2) because not all sellers like AstraZeneca are not delivering the committed amount of doses in time as promised. Furthermore, production capabilities were insufficient so far and are currently in the buildup process. Said infrastructure for mass production was already there in the US and UK. At least Germany has acted quickly here, aiming to self-produce all vaccines by next year. Several factories are already under construction. But that of course doesn't solve immediate shortcomings. I think that situation will improve in the coming months as more doses are expected to be delivered and distributed.

And the last point is the bureaucracy, especially in lower government levels. It's moving way too slow. Americans and Brits don't spend weeks and months discussing vaccine rollout, they're pragmatic and just do it. Vaccination in stadiums and pharmacies are quite common. Not the case here. Germany is discussing for weeks how doctors can vaccinate and how, while "vaccination centers" have organizational  difficulties. We also discuss back and forth in which order certain groups should be vaccinated and so on. And last but not least, our public management is stuck in the past with technical equipment as well because we missed to invest more in digital infrastructure and software solutions. That has been a problem for years, but the pandemic revealed deficits here and made them visible for the public. All that shows that Germans bragging about being so great in organization and management is just not true these days.

What I don't get is how did the UK manage to have a 12 week trial of AstraZenaca before the EU and the US had their 4 week trials?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Imagine smuggling drugs at an airport in Thailand and some dogs come up to you and bust you for coronavirus.

https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/thailand-successfully-trains-dogs-to-sniff-out-covid-19-in-seconds-8795aa02-24eb-5080-aac2-17b01e783a64

[Yeahsayyeah]

So, then ... Release the dogs!

[CumbrianLefty]

Getting my first vaccine dose a week tomorrow

[Tender Branson]

Austria now with sustained UNDERmortality compared to the previous 5 years:

Number of deaths 12% below five-year average

Vienna, 2021-03-18 – According to preliminary results by Statistics Austria, 1.578 people died in Austria in calendar week 9 (from 1 to 7 March 2021).

This is 12% below the five-year average (2016–2020) for the same calendar week.

The number of deaths has now been decreasing for the sixth week in a row.

http://www.statistik.at/web_en/press/125588.html

http://www.statistik.at/web_de/presse/125587.html

[FrancoAgo]

Austria now with sustained UNDERmortality compared to the previous 5 years:

Number of deaths 12% below five-year average

Vienna, 2021-03-18 – According to preliminary results by Statistics Austria, 1.578 people died in Austria in calendar week 9 (from 1 to 7 March 2021).

This is 12% below the five-year average (2016–2020) for the same calendar week.

The number of deaths has now been decreasing for the sixth week in a row.

http://www.statistik.at/web_en/press/125588.html

http://www.statistik.at/web_de/presse/125587.html

this is common after a pandemic, they already die

[President Johnson]

Some good news while numbers in Germany start ticking up again.

https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1372963830385451009

[Silent Hunter]

Austria now with sustained UNDERmortality compared to the previous 5 years:

Number of deaths 12% below five-year average

Vienna, 2021-03-18 – According to preliminary results by Statistics Austria, 1.578 people died in Austria in calendar week 9 (from 1 to 7 March 2021).

This is 12% below the five-year average (2016–2020) for the same calendar week.

The number of deaths has now been decreasing for the sixth week in a row.

http://www.statistik.at/web_en/press/125588.html

http://www.statistik.at/web_de/presse/125587.html

this is common after a pandemic, they already die

It's called the "harvesting effect". Britain is having its census on Sunday, so we'll get a good idea of the impact there.