Yes, and the key word there is manageable. Although the Pfizer drop off isn’t as bad as for AZ, this aspect isn’t cause for celebration for how the US might fare in the next few months. The recent federal position has implied that the government basically considers Covid to be done and dusted at this point. Sleepy Joe isn’t going to interrupt his hot wet American summer for anything.
The increase in reproduction rate through weakened vaccine response considered in the context of the abandonment of non-pharmaceutical interventions is bad news. Whilst this particular variant might not directly neutralise the Pfizer vaccine, given distancing and masks are now a thing of the past it’s still going to lead to more deaths and also increase the chances of a more effective variant emerging.
Of course it’s still a probability game and maybe we’ll get lucky and we won’t get an escape variant of significance for a long time, but the likelihood is increasing :sadness:
Rates are gonna be slow during summer regardless. Last time they fell almost everywhere when it got hot. I hope that if they continue to fall as rapidly as they are worldwide, rates should be low enough during summer that new mutations will be avoided while more people get vaccinated.
Yes, and the key word there is manageable. Although the Pfizer drop off isn’t as bad as for AZ, this aspect isn’t cause for celebration for how the US might fare in the next few months. The recent federal position has implied that the government basically considers Covid to be done and dusted at this point. Sleepy Joe isn’t going to interrupt his hot wet American summer for anything.
The increase in reproduction rate through weakened vaccine response considered in the context of the abandonment of non-pharmaceutical interventions is bad news. Whilst this particular variant might not directly neutralise the Pfizer vaccine, given distancing and masks are now a thing of the past it’s still going to lead to more deaths and also increase the chances of a more effective variant emerging.
Of course it’s still a probability game and maybe we’ll get lucky and we won’t get an escape variant of significance for a long time, but the likelihood is increasing :sadness:
Rates are gonna be slow during summer regardless. Last time they fell almost everywhere when it got hot. I hope that if they continue to fall as rapidly as they are worldwide, rates should be low enough during summer that new mutations will be avoided while more people get vaccinated.