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Tom Brady's dad reveals 'life and death' battle with Covid-19

Tom Brady Sr. looks on during Super Bowl 51 between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons on February 5, 2017. Brady revealed he and his wife were both sick with Covid-19 last year.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/25/us/tom-brady-father-covid-trnd-spt/index.html

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Moderna CEO: US needs to prepare for fall, COVID-19 resurgence

News of Moderna’s vaccine’s weakened response to the South African strain (B.1.351) of the coronavirus is raising more alarm bells amid the ongoing pandemic.

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/moderna-ceo-us-needs-to-prepare-for-fall-covid-19-resurgence-202434869.html

 

 

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Moderna expects vaccine will be protective against variants, but will test boosters to improve immunity

The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine created antibodies that neutralized coronavirus variants first found in the United Kingdom and South Africa, the company said in a news release on Monday.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/25/health/moderna-vaccine-variant-booster/index.html

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China clamps down in hidden hunt for coronavirus origins

A bat research team visiting recently managed to take samples but had them confiscated, two people familiar with the matter said. Specialists in coronaviruses have been ordered not to speak to the press. And a team of Associated Press journalists was tailed by plainclothes police in multiple cars who blocked access to roads and sites in late November

https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-coronavirus-pandemic-china-only-on-ap-bats-24fbadc58cee3a40bca2ddf7a14d2955

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Exacerbation of hearing loss in the elderly, yet another collateral consequence of the covid19 ‘mess’. For those (myself included) with significant hearing deficits being amongst others with everyone in masks has impacted the sense of hearing. Oddly this article does not mention the one thing I’d imagine would be part of the problem - that masks muffle sounds. Anything that confounds transmission of sounds impairs me greatly. Listening in crowds and I simply cannot distinguish individual voices or participate in conversations. I appear disinterested or worse but in fact I simply cannot hear regardless of hearing aids. Now since the covid19 also keeps me away from crowds that is not an issue for now. But imagine being in a long term care facility where everyone wears masks and most residents suffer from hearing dysfunction. The masks must bury the spoken voice for them. 
 

https://www.foxnews.com/health/coronavirus-face-masks-hearing-loss-survey

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@Bosco-d-gama  I know what you mean.  I have bilateral profound hearing loss. I got my first set of hearing aids in 2012. Music doesn't sound natural; but at least I can hear. People think that hearing aids are magic ... I still don't hear as well as others. without hearing aids, I don't hear until 70db according to the audiologist. The silver lining is that the doctor says if the sound gets to the eardrum my hearing is fine ... so it's a matter of power, delivering the sound. hearing aids can do that. 

I bought the first pair out of pocket, then applied for VA benefits, now I get them for free (a new pair every five years on average). I think the first pair was $6,000 back then. Not happy spending that money; but two weeks later, met the actress Rhona Mitra and we were able to have a conversation with me only asking her to repeat herself once. So, I walked away from that encounter saying that I wouldn't complain about the cost of the hearing aids. No way, I could have had that conversation with her before hearing aids. I would have had to resort to my charm and good looks instead of my captivating conversation skills. I have encountered situations (back when I was working) when people would say "turn your hearing aids up."  Like I said, I believe they think they're magic ... helpful definitely ... still a struggle to hear yes. 

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10 hours ago, BigStewMan said:

@Bosco-d-gama  I know what you mean.  I have bilateral profound hearing loss. I got my first set of hearing aids in 2012. Music doesn't sound natural; but at least I can hear. People think that hearing aids are magic ... I still don't hear as well as others. without hearing aids, I don't hear until 70db according to the audiologist. The silver lining is that the doctor says if the sound gets to the eardrum my hearing is fine ... so it's a matter of power, delivering the sound. hearing aids can do that. 

I bought the first pair out of pocket, then applied for VA benefits, now I get them for free (a new pair every five years on average). I think the first pair was $6,000 back then. Not happy spending that money; but two weeks later, met the actress Rhona Mitra and we were able to have a conversation with me only asking her to repeat herself once. So, I walked away from that encounter saying that I wouldn't complain about the cost of the hearing aids. No way, I could have had that conversation with her before hearing aids. I would have had to resort to my charm and good looks instead of my captivating conversation skills. I have encountered situations (back when I was working) when people would say "turn your hearing aids up."  Like I said, I believe they think they're magic ... helpful definitely ... still a struggle to hear yes. 

I have hearing aids where the receiver sits up and behind the ear. I am told the microphones are located posterior laterally. In fact functionally they seem to be posterior - pointing backwards. So the sounds they pick up and amplify are from the rear fields. Works okay for just one thing, one on one conversation. More than a few people talking and I pick up more collateral noise than what I am trying to listen to.  Music is affected in the same manner. The proverbial ‘sound stage’ is not achievable any longer. Getting elderly sucks big-time. Gotta think that with modern technology that they could do better. This is probably true - but at what cost?

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So - The WHO held a pandemic review conference to study what went wrong with covid19 and their findings are little more than a politically correct solicitation for more funds. For starts they cite lack of preparedness and slow responses with poor communications. They want more $$$ because they feel that they should be the worlds infectious disease watchdog and healthcare facilitator. 
 

Technically they are correct. They merely cited the idyllic organizational circumstances that would (have) done much better. 
 

But in reality The WHO is nowhere near that idyllic organization and this report emphasizes this point. The key things missing are the very ones that caused the pandemic. The country of origin intentionally withheld timely response and still impedes investigation into covid19 origins. The country of origin is an economic giant and yet offers The WHO 0.02% of their existing budget. I use the term ‘country of origin’ because in this report The WHO never once mentions China. That says that The WHO still bows to state politics and will not ever be the idyllic organization needed to manage/circumvent a pandemic. They are gutless and allow themselves to get used/abused. Covid19 is their billboard of failure and to this day China is defining how the WHO works. 
 

But they want more $$$. And guess who will most likely respond and who won’t? They seek to expand their foundations when current events prove these purposes to be unreachable. The WHO needs revamping and absolutely new leadership. The report is a pie-in-the-sky answer. But the real question is why did The WHO fail in their existing mission and they did not examine their own failings.......  and today in Wuhan China The WHO continues to fail the world they supposedly serve.

 

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/01/25/959692787/everything-broke-global-health-leaders-on-what-went-wrong-in-the-pandemic

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Antibody dependent enhancement is a possible concern not only with the virus itself but also with the vaccines.  The issue is not being disclosed to the public by the FDA, CDC, and the media.  The comments which follow the article raise very interesting questions about this with some links which support the concerns.

 

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2020/12/18/antibody-dependent-enhancement

 

 

Maynard

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16 minutes ago, tube fanatic said:

Antibody dependent enhancement is a possible concern not only with the virus itself but also with the vaccines.  The issue is not being disclosed to the public by the FDA, CDC, and the media.  The comments which follow the article raise very interesting questions about this with some links which support the concerns.

 

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2020/12/18/antibody-dependent-enhancement

 

 

Maynard

Paraphrasing from the blog post: As yet there’s no definitive proof that antibody dependent enhancement ADE is occurring with covid19. And similarly there’s no demonstration of ADE being part of any vaccine pathways (again per the author). 
 

So while his concerns are actual they are not factual. What is clear from this post is just how complex virology is and why people need to listen to the advice from the medical community. As far as ADE goes it is among many pathways that make microorganisms pathological or more pathological, if you will. Looking for the ADE pathway in covid19 is being done and as the author noted it has not been found. If he chooses to fret himself into an ulcer over its prospect he may as well take anxiolytics for earthquakes, tsunamis and asteroids. For now he is merely borrowing trouble when the world has plenty of real covid19 troubles in play.

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29 minutes ago, tube fanatic said:

Antibody dependent enhancement is a possible concern not only with the virus itself but also with the vaccines.  The issue is not being disclosed to the public by the FDA, CDC, and the media.  The comments which follow the article raise very interesting questions about this with some links which support the concerns.

 

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2020/12/18/antibody-dependent-enhancement

 

 

Maynard

Didn't read the article, but this was the rage in the 90s, patients who asked doctors for an Rx of antibiotics were all too happy to give the Rx even though it doesn't do anything for flu, colds, etc. 

 

The issue has long been "disclosed", by everybody, but people will still ask for a pill because that's what we do. 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/patientsafety/features/be-antibiotics-aware.html#:~:text=Antibiotics do not work on,infections get better without antibiotics.

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33 minutes ago, dwilawyer said:

Didn't read the article, but this was the rage in the 90s, patients who asked doctors for an Rx of antibiotics were all too happy to give the Rx even though it doesn't do anything for flu, colds, etc. 

 

The issue has long been "disclosed", by everybody, but people will still ask for a pill because that's what we do. 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/patientsafety/features/be-antibiotics-aware.html#:~:text=Antibiotics do not work on,infections get better without antibiotics.

ADE is different than antibiotic resistant organisms. It is a more subtle relationship of a virus to its host and the host response to a viral infection. Essentially the concern is that a vaccine may inadvertently supercharge the virus. The underlying concern is how these covid19 vaccines have been developed using manufactured DNA methods. Getting the vaccine was quicker because science could build the genetics needed to derive them. But genetics is powerful juju and has its incumbent concerns. 
 

Personally I look at it this way. On a separate issue we have global warming. It is clearly related to human activity and it is coming quickly, quicker than it has ever occurred naturally. For some the solution is slam on the carbon emission brakes and duck and cover. For others they seek answers in newly applied carbon capture engineering........  and IMHO this is the only workable answer. That’s because it offers the only solutions that can work enough in the short time frames needed and it is independent of worldwide participation in carbon reduction. Covid medicines are in the same time sensitive situation and advanced science offers the best opportunity to contain them fast enough.

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1 hour ago, Bosco-d-gama said:

Paraphrasing from the blog post: As yet there’s no definitive proof that antibody dependent enhancement ADE is occurring with covid19. And similarly there’s no demonstration of ADE being part of any vaccine pathways (again per the author). 
 

So while his concerns are actual they are not factual. What is clear from this post is just how complex virology is and why people need to listen to the advice from the medical community. As far as ADE goes it is among many pathways that make microorganisms pathological or more pathological, if you will. Looking for the ADE pathway in covid19 is being done and as the author noted it has not been found. If he chooses to fret himself into an ulcer over its prospect he may as well take anxiolytics for earthquakes, tsunamis and asteroids. For now he is merely borrowing trouble when the world has plenty of real covid19 troubles in play.

Yes, but did you review the links to the FDA, et al, presented by some commenters?  As reported in this article, there is concern in Japan (and other countries) about this phenomenon:

 

As reported in Japan Times:  


https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/11/25/national/science-health/japan-experts-coronavirus-vaccines-safety/

 

‘Dr. Tetsuo Nakayama, a project professor at Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences and director of the Japanese Society of Clinical Virology, says although the vaccines under development by Pfizer and Moderna successfully created antibodies in trials, there are still doubts about whether those antibodies remain a year or two after vaccination.

There are also underlying concerns about the vaccines’ safety over the long term. Judging from past precedents, their safety and effectiveness are not something that can be determined until at least a year after a massive number of vaccinations have been administered, experts say.

In a worst-case scenario, antibodies could worsen the disease by essentially helping the infection of cells — a phenomenon called antibody dependent enhancement (ADE) — rather than fighting the virus pathogens.

For example, a dengue fever vaccine made by Sanofi, based on a yellow fever vaccine embedded with a part of the dengue virus genome, at first appeared to be effective. But it caused the deaths of children who had been given the vaccination due to the ADE phenomenon.

“Concerns over ADE still remain. I am an elderly person myself, but if I were asked, I would say I don’t want to get a shot,” Nakayama said. “Not all of the 120 million people (in Japan) should get the vaccinations. Children, for example, would not need it because there’s scarcely any risk of severe cases.” ‘

 

I guess where we differ is that I consider information from FDA and CDC as being the least truthful in comparison with what is disclosed by similar agencies in the rest of the world.  It seems that the domestic point of view is different more often than in agreement.  To each his own.....
 

Maynard

 

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