Canadian COVID-19 News

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

G&M:
COVID-19 vaccine registration open for kids aged 5-11, B.C. health officials say


Great news I'd say. I continue to be bemused by the idea that schools aren't major drivers of the pandemic in our societies. Kids might not come down with the disease, but they sure as heck can catch and carry the virus.

I have two grandchildren, one over 12 who has been vaccinated and one who is too young yet, in an elementary school in North Vancouver. I recently had an extended conversation with their principal (I offered to put HEPA filters in their classrooms) about the whole Covid situation in the schools. In conjunction with Dr. Bonnie Henry's crew they really have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the students, staff, etc. safe. My hat is off to them.

[TrentePieds]

You are quite right in what you say, Stu.

One of my recurring thoughts is that it would be enormously illuminating and entertaining to have some means of determining what the correlation is - statistically speaking - between a particular individual's anti-vaccination position and a) his highest year of formal education. b) his "earned income" on his latest T1 Tax Return, c) the type of job he last held, d) his religious affiliation (including "none"), e) his place of domicile between birth and age 7 (the "age of reason" as expounded by the Church of Rome), and last (on my impromptu list) but by no means least, f) the broadcaster or "social medium" he watches the most.

Im sure you can add a dozen personal characteristics to that list!

We might even be able to develop an "Ignorance Quotient". The imagination runs amok! We might even conceive of including this "new style" IQ on people's driver's licenses and Citizenship cards. And perhaps, if he has one, his PCOC ;-)

TP

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

I have two grandchildren, one over 12 who has been vaccinated and one who is too young yet, in an elementary school in North Vancouver. I recently had an extended conversation with their principal (I offered to put HEPA filters in their classrooms) about the whole Covid situation in the schools. In conjunction with Dr. Bonnie Henry's crew they really have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the students, staff, etc. safe. My hat is off to them.

Oh, I agree schools have generally done a lot to create safer spaces. And we know that age is a major correlate to development and severity of Covid-19. But we also know the SARS-CoV-2 virus is carried asymptomatically by many. No matter how safe schools are, they still put people in relatively close proximity. And we know from other diseases that kids are excellent propagators of all that ails us.

I understand why we've pushed so hard to keep schools open. Without schools parents can't work, and the economy really does fall apart. It's a rational choice to want to keep them open. I just wish we'd stop pretending schools aren't a key aspect of getting this virus under control.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

You are quite right in what you say, Stu.

One of my recurring thoughts is that it would be enormously illuminating and entertaining to have some means of determining what the correlation is - statistically speaking - between a particular individual's anti-vaccination position and a) his highest year of formal education. b) his "earned income" on his latest T1 Tax Return, c) the type of job he last held, d) his religious affiliation (including "none"), e) his place of domicile between birth and age 7 (the "age of reason" as expounded by the Church of Rome), and last (on my impromptu list) but by no means least, f) the broadcaster or "social medium" he watches the most.

Im sure you can add a dozen personal characteristics to that list!

We might even be able to develop an "Ignorance Quotient". The imagination runs amok! We might even conceive of including this "new style" IQ on people's driver's licenses and Citizenship cards. And perhaps, if he has one, his PCOC ;-)

TP

I'm not sure I'd want to go too far with negative labelling, but as I mentioned in another thread, I do suspect there is a strong overlap with anti-vax beliefs and other other anti-scientific/conspiratorial positions.

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I understand why we've pushed so hard to keep schools open. Without schools parents can't work, and the economy really does fall apart. It's a rational choice to want to keep them open.

Not to forget that kids themselves need all the things going to school provide (and "formal education" might not be the primary thing)

[desodave]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I'm not sure I'd want to go too far with negative labelling, but as I mentioned in another thread, I do suspect there is a strong overlap with anti-vax beliefs and other other anti-scientific/conspiratorial positions.

I agree. I think that the real anti-vaxx'ers are a smaller subset than the vaccine hesitant who have consumed way too much info from unreliable/BS sources. The latter group won't change their minds if we continue only to vilify them imo. There is so much media discussion of significant rare side effects that the hesitant have lost sight of the real risk equation. We also hear constantly of younger sports figures who have contracted the disease and fully recovered which also serves to minimize the risks attached to it.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Not to forget that kids themselves need all the things going to school provide (and "formal education" might not be the primary thing)

Very true. Lots of benefits to having schools operating. It just feels like we've downplayed the part they play in perpetuating the pandemic. We've done a great job getting most adults vaccinated. Getting most kids vaccinated would really fill in the gaps (and help take up the slack that all those anti-vaxxers are creating).

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

... We might even be able to develop an "Ignorance Quotient". The imagination runs amok! We might even conceive of including this "new style" IQ on people's driver's licenses and Citizenship cards. And perhaps, if he has one, his PCOC ;-)
TP

NOT addressed to anyone. I only quoted TP, as the originator of the concept [on this thread].

[Mike OReilly]

OK, since we're sharing memes, here's a photo of someone's Halloween decorated yard, apparently here in Calgary (brave person):

[GordMay]

Unvaccinated Quebec nurses to have licences suspended as of Friday

The Quebec order of nurses (OIIQ) announced Monday that members who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will have their permits to practice suspended as of Friday.

The decision comes only a few days ahead of the Oct. 15 province's deadline, after which unvaccinated employees in the health sector face suspension without pay.

OIIQ [Google Translate] ➥ https://www-oiiq-org.translate.goog/..._tr_pto=nui,sc

CBC ➥ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montr...ense-1.6207301

[TrentePieds]

Quote: "Unvaccinated Quebec nurses to have licences suspended as of Friday"

Now this IS interesting! Not because it addresses the present pandemic particularly, but because it illuminates again the difference in fundamental ethos between the deux nations that comprise us. Quebec has always been far less reluctant to compel conformity by way of edict and to impose measures that nous autres sometimes consider heavy-handed. Yet we hang together!

Perhaps a comparative study of ethea, and not just of those of the deux nations, might throw some light on what has permitted Covid19 to become so devastating.

TP

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Quebec has always been far less reluctant to compel conformity by way of edict and to impose measures that nous autres sometimes consider heavy-handed.

Quoi?? J'aime beaucoup la belle province, but sometimes their hand can be quite heavy.

[desodave]

I thought that this was an interesting article related to the vaccine hesitant among us.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid...risk-1.6205199


The story from a friend is more powerful than the logic of a statistical analysis for many people. And of course many people have all kinds of Facebook friends to tell them those stories too.

[danstanford]

Originally Posted by desodave

I thought that this was an interesting article related to the vaccine hesitant among us.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid...risk-1.6205199


The story from a friend is more powerful than the logic of a statistical analysis for many people. And of course many people have all kinds of Facebook friends to tell them those stories too.

For what it is worth, this is a great perspective on the risk analysis of the vaccines for Covid19. We should however be using a similar framework for other elements of Covid19 risks instead of the binary model many of us seem to use.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by desodave

I thought that this was an interesting article related to the vaccine hesitant among us.


https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid...risk-1.6205199


The story from a friend is more powerful than the logic of a statistical analysis for many people. And of course many people have all kinds of Facebook friends to tell them those stories too.

Apparently a number of unvaccinated people being admitted to hospital - and to the ICU - are asking doctors and nurses to give them the shots. "Too late" they are being told.