For nearly two months now, I haven’t been seeing the Wuhan Virus Worldometer page. I thought it was all about vaccination and India’s vaccination program is progressing at a really good pace. I believed truly that the worst was behind us. Two days back I checked the Worldometer and almost fell out of my chair !! The US had 150,000 new cases 😳. I thought I had made some mistake so I checked several times using different parameters… the weekly cases were 900,000+.
Wuhan Virus Worldometer
Note that the US has had nearly a million new cases 😕 for two weeks in a row. Its truly a sad situation. The UK is no better. For a small population having 200,000+ cases for two weeks in a row is scary !
The chart below shows the number of active cases in the US and UK –
Read the news article – Israel Vaccinated Its Population Against COVID at an Astonishing Rate, but Some Groups Are Left Behind.
Pfizer Vaccine and its efficacy
Pfizer is now talking of booster shots of its vaccine to improve efficacy… the same Pfizer whose vaccine is uber expensive and several “celebrities” in India had questioned the GoI as to why we didnt get it for Indians. 🙄
On July 24, 2021, Dr. Eric Ding had posted a disturbing tweet thread on the Pfizer vaccine and its efficacy. Am reposting some parts of it here because its relevant to what’s happening in the US now.
You can read the entire thread on this link – Pfizer vaccine and concerns on its efficacy.
⚠️ANOTHER EFFICACY DROP—Not good—Israel 🇮🇱 Ministry of Health just released another vaccine efficacy update due to #DeltaVariant—only 39% Pfizer VE for #COVID19 infection, 40.5% for symptomatic, 88% for hospitalization, 91% for ICU/low oxygen/ death. More—waning efficacy too—🧵
2) Gets worse, 🇮🇱 report also reveals waning potency, showing just 16% effectiveness against transmission among those 2nd-shot vaccinated in January, 44% VE if vaccinated in February, 67% VE if 2nd shot in March, 75% if vaccinated in April. Partly also age effect—but still bad.
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8) Let me be clear—vaccines are amazing miracle. But we can’t just rely on just vaccines alone—must do other mitigation to get us out of the pandemic. Epidemiology models show that because #DeltaVariant so contagious, we *must must must* add masks and other NPI measures! ⬇️
9) Boosters—Biden WH Officials Now Expect Vulnerable Americans to Need Booster Shots—The growing consensus that at least some Americans will need a booster is tied in part to research suggesting that Pfizer’s vaccine is less effective after ~6 months.
10) “Senior officials now say they expect that people who are 65 and older or who have compromised immune systems will most likely need a third shot from Pfizer or Moderna.”
11) “That is a sharp shift from just a few weeks ago, when the administration said it thought there was not enough evidence to back boosters yet.
12) “On Thursday, a key official at @CDCgov said the agency is exploring options to give patients with compromised immune systems third doses even before regulators broaden the emergency use authorization for coronavirus vaccines, a step that could come soon for Pfizer vaccine.
13) “Dr. Amanda Cohn, the chief medical officer of CDC immunizations division, told an advisory committee to the agency that officials were “actively looking into ways” to provide certain people access to booster shots “earlier than any potential change in regulatory decisions.”
19) given the new data—in following the precautionary principle—we need to now urgently reconsider reimposing mask mandates again. @CDCDirector – it is time. Tick tock ⏰
20) Whenever you see vaccine efficacy —keep in mind vaccines are amazing. But data suggest we need to also do both vaccines & public health measures (rather than rely on treatments). Iron lung machines was a good polio treatment, but it could never eradicate polio until vaccines.
22) large numbers of experts (including @JeromeAdamsMD) now support masks even if vaccinated. @CDCDirector needs to update mask rules ASAP now in light of the new data^
23) #DeltaVariant cases ➡️ hospitalizations. Period. The “link is broken” disinformation machine is running wild that they aren’t correlated anymore. Completely false. Do not fall for that nonsense. Hospitalizations rising in UK and US and Israel.
24) Vaccines are a miracle but we need other mitigation against #DeltaVariant. Iceland is one of the most heavily vaccinated countries in the world… but yet… and yes their ICUs are filling up too.
28) Another reminder: mild breakthrough #COVID19 infections can still cause transmission. This is why we mask even if vaccinated! It slows and helps stop the spread. Mask and vaccinate … not just ‘or’.
Vaccine and Masks – together against the Wuhan Virus
Two things are obvious to a non-medical person like me – one, the Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy is poor especially against the Delta variant and most folks in the US and Israel have got the Pfizer vaccine. Two, even if one is fully vaccinated, masks are a must to stop the spread.
When Dr. Eric Ding wrote the above thread on July 24, 2021, the US had barely 21,000 cases.
A huge drop from the 250,000+ cases a day at the start of the year !
Its obvious that Americans have not used the mask at all … I can understand if some people have vaccine hesitancy but why not use the Mask, sanitizer and keep Social Distance ? I just feel sad to see the cases go up so sharply :(. Hoping better sense prevails.
Lessons for India
As India vaccinates 600 million people … we still need to follow the SMS protocol – Sanitizer, Mask and Social Distance.
Use a sanitizer or wash your hands, Wear your mask and Maintain social distance even if you are fully vaccinated. Lets beat back the Wuhan Virus completely.
Wuhan Virus and American Pharma giants
The Wuhan Virus has already killed 4.4 million people across the world. The vaccine makers have made a huge profit and are now talking of booster shots. Its obvious that the Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy is poor. Am simply following the money trail and suddenly the whole picture gets clear, create a huge issue about the rising cases to remove President Trump and make money from people’s misery – The Vaccine Politics is true it seems !!!
Please do share your thoughts and analysis. In the meantime, prayers for Americans who are fighting several battles – Covid cases, badly timed exit from Afghanistan and their pre-eminent position as a developed nation is under stress ! A huge reset is required.