Coronavirus week 34: More US magic bullet fails

The title is in part my reference to last week's COVID roundup. 

The American public would love to have a "magic bullet," but even a "successful" vaccine won't be one. That's as, per the New York Times, Merika has a new record — two weeks in a row with a million or more cases. And, contra minimizers who say it killed off all the weak in the spring? Deaths are the highest since May.

The Times has a longform on Moderna and Pfizer's work to develop a vaccine and navigate the world of Trumpism at the same time. Sadly, some of the analogies about how the vaccine is supposed to work come off as a bit gimmicky. 

Skeptical Raptor talks about Pfizer getting its FDA review for emergency use authorization starting on Dec. 10. No clue as to how long the review, or time to make a decision, will take. I expect that an EUA will be granted — with a number of parameters.

In addition, per this Guardian piece, we don't know how long the vaccine's protections will last. Nor do we know how much the virus may mutate to wiggle outside of a vaccine "box."

And, there's another issue. Since both vaccines require two "jabs" not one, and at least 21 days apart, will adverse reactions to the first mean a lot of people don't get the second?

What's wrong with how antimask wingnuts have interpreted that new Danish study? Plenty. Orac has the most complete takedown. In light of all the threads above, of course, masks and social distancing will remain important well into next year.

The World Health Organization last week said that Gilead's hyped remdesivir does NOT reduce deaths in COVID patients.

Fauci says a vaccine may NOT prevent person-to-person spread. #WearADamnMask.

Carl Zimmer explains the numbers behind the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines while, sadly, continuing not to turn too sharp of an eye on Moderna and Pfizer PR. 

Ed Yong describes how what is arguably one of the US' best prepared hospitals, the University of Nebraska-Omaha medical center, is getting absolutely slammed, how it's likely to get worse, and how Gov. Ed Ricketts, maybe the worst governor in the nation on the issue outside of Kristi Noem, is a contributor to the problem.

Speaking of? Two states, both well under 1 million, two GOP governors. Contrast Noem and South Dakota with Pete Scott and Vermont. (I've already told Noem's chief of staff on Twitter that his boss is a liar about presenting complete medical evidence to the public and taking it under consideration herself. And she is.)

COVID-Texas

Yet, Gov. Strangeabbott touts another magic bullet, this one from Eli Lilly, bamlanivimab. 

"But they should know that, listen, the cavalry is coming as it concerns COVID-19," Abbott said, again nodding to the treatments.

Uhh, wrong. Beyond that, in the state with the nation's highest percentage of uninsured, how many can afford it?

That's our weaselly gov. That's our afraid of being primaried in 2022 gov, is more like it.

TEA Commish Mike Morath is as ball-less as Strangeabbott, and Peaster's superintendent will continue defying state regs on school safety until Morath actually does something.

Reality? You can get it even living out on a ranch, when then folks in small towns continue to go maskless and small town stores continue to post signs and not enforce them. 

Meanwhile, it's "the Wild Wild West" on coronavirus test sites in Dallas County. Probably a lot of scamming going on. Our Man Downtown, John Wiley Price, is probably miffed in part because none of these sites have contacted him to hire JWP-connected minority vendors.

Remote learning isn't working in Texas. It's not working well in New Mexico, but it's better than in Texas. Why? Gov. Strangebbott's schwaffles, his legalistic stances on education and COVID, like with all things and COVID. That's the bottom line.

Sports is often touted as a release from other societal problems, or at least a distraction. Rather, it's often an addiction, especially when $$$ are involved. Note that the University of New Mexico basketball teams have looked for temporary playing locations in Texas COVID hotspots Lubbock and Amarillo, because N.M. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has a selective shutdown in place, with more brains than Abbott.

Robert Moore is very worried about El Paso's short-term future.  

Christian Wallace visits Loving County, the last county in the US to have no reported COVID cases. (Until last week; it now has three, in a county of 169.)

Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell pleads guilty to violating his own county's mask order. Unfortunately, other charges, which were arguably more serious (not dismissing what he did) were dropped as part of the plea deal.

Final national note: Hard to see how Biden as president-elect gets a real stimulus package passed in the lame-duck, or whether Trump would veto it just to be petulant. Part of this depends on Mulish Mitch (more true than Moscow Mitch). Contra GOP senators, the economy is NOT "getting better."