Canadian COVID-19 News

[GordMay]

Not limited to Canada, but, important information:

Natural COVID immunity might not last

Unvaccinated people, who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, are at risk of reinfection, within a couple years, according to a model [1], based on knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.
Researchers combined long-term data for ‘endemic’, or continually circulating, coronaviruses that can cause the common cold, with genetic data from SARS-CoV-2, and the closely related coronaviruses SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV.
The results suggest that the average reinfection risk rises from about 5% at 4 months after initial infection to 50% by 17 months, without measures such as masking and vaccination.
“Immunity is relatively short-lived,” says bioinformatician Jeffrey Townsend. “You should still get vaccinated even if you got infected.”

More about ➥ https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02825-8

[1] “The durability of immunity against reinfection by SARS-CoV-2: a comparative evolutionary study” ~ by Prof Jeffrey P Townsend, PhD et al
➥ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/l...219-6/fulltext


See also:
“COVID super-immunity: one of the pandemic’s great puzzles”
People who have previously recovered from COVID-19 have a stronger immune response after being vaccinated than those who have never been infected. Scientists are trying to find out why.
➥ https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02795-x

[danstanford]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Good points. Only one thing/question to add/ask:


Which of the two groups has resorted to violence and intimidation as their "GoTo" choice of first report?


I think there's a false equivalency going on here.


Only one side has protested AT hospitals and threatened health care workers.

First, I believe that there is a microscopic minority of the unvaccinated that protested and even a tinier fraction that threatened people . Second, if scary facts and pleas to consider others were going to work we would not have any unvaccinated.

I believe the objective is to get those more scared of the vaccine than they are Covid 19 to reverse their thinking. This article gives us a tool to use in that pursuit and I would encourage all of us to try it despite the fact that it will not work in lots of cases.

[desodave]

But,Vaccination isn't a personal decision because the consequences aren’t strictly personal. The point of getting vaccinated is to keep players from spreading Covid. People who are not vaccinated have made a conscious decision to jeopardize themselves, their colleagues , their family, and their community. It is a selfish antisocial decision.

I agree with your characterization Stu but it's obvious imo that the unvaccinated either reject that position because they view the individual as supreme, haven't thought about it at all, or just don't care. It is still an individual decision whether to get vaccinated or not and we have to appeal to people as individuals to get vaccinated. There may be no way of convincing that first group but the others may be reachable with careful arguments.

[danstanford]

Originally Posted by desodave

I agree with your characterization Stu but it's obvious imo that the unvaccinated either reject that position because they view the individual as supreme, haven't thought about it at all, or just don't care. It is still an individual decision whether to get vaccinated or not and we have to appeal to people as individuals to get vaccinated. There may be no way of convincing that first group but the others may be reachable with careful arguments.

Most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, will ultimately choose what we feel is best for us. We spend lots of time justifying the decisions but ultimately our altruism extends to the boundaries of self-interest.

A concept like Karma is used by many when making some of these decisions whereupon they use the long term gain model in the value equation for doing the right thing today.

[robert sailor]

One of the problems is that 95% of the people don't really know what's best for them...they are not properly educated but that doesn't stop them from decisions based on misinformation etc.

[nwdiver]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

One of the problems is that 95% of the people don't really know what's best for them...they are not properly educated but that doesn't stop them from decisions based on misinformation etc.

With over 80% double vaccinated, I don’t get your 95% reference?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

In other news I just blocked off April 28 to June 30, 2022. For the third time I am attempting to actually make it out to BC and get in some cruising time. Let's hope it goes better than the other two.

Of course I just made a bid for a large project that might scupper that idea before it even has a chance. This after two years of making piss-all in this stupid COVID economy. Is it bad I am actually hoping not to get the job?

Mac, just join the Big Quit.

I really hope that one of the lessons people take away from this pandemic is that they really can live on a lot less. They don't really need to work so hard.

This has worked for me for the past nearly seven years .

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

But, Vaccination isn't a personal decision because the consequences aren’t strictly personal.

I agree. My view remains that I am completely in favour of individual choice and action. But I am also completely in favour of individual responsibility and consequence for the choices we make.

You don't want to be vaccinated; fine. But there are consequences. Some of them include restrictions in discretionary activity like going to restaurants or some public spaces. And it may include impacts on employment.

I think we should stop pretending that hardcore anti-vaxxers just need to be reasoned or empathized with. As any parent will tell you, at some point you don't try and reason or empathize with a child. You lay down clear expectations, with clear consequences. And you follow through.

If this is the hill some want to die on, then so be it. Let them. It's their choice. The vast majority will get on with life.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by danstanford

Most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, will ultimately choose what we feel is best for us. We spend lots of time justifying the decisions but ultimately our altruism extends to the boundaries of self-interest.

Not to be a sciency nerd about this Dan, but this is not what human behavioural research tells us about us. Sometimes we are driven by self-interest, but not always. Humans are far more complex than the standard homo-economicus model suggests. Quite a lot of our behaviour, including altrusim, can't be connected to simple self-interest.

[Mike OReilly]

CBC:
Trudeau 'confident' other countries will accept Canadians' proof of vaccination

The standardized COVID-19 proof of vaccination includes the holder's name and date of birth, the number of doses received, the type of vaccine, lot numbers, dates of vaccination and a QR code that includes the vaccination history. Canadians can also request the proof by mail.
...
The government said that as of today, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon are issuing the standardized proof of vaccination.

Trudeau said all the provinces and territories have agreed to issue the accepted credentials ahead of the holiday season.

"Not every province has yet delivered on that but I know they are all working very quickly and should resolve that in the weeks to come," he said.

In Ontario, for example, fully vaccinated residents can download a QR code built to the SMART Health Card standard, which includes the Government of Canada "wordmark" or logo.

The SMART Health Card standard is a set of guidelines, approved by the International Organization for Standardization and endorsed by Canada, to store health information and is used by a number of tech companies, including Apple.

So... noticeably absent from the current list of provinces using the SMART standard is Alberta and BC. AB I can understand, but why BC?

[Mike OReilly]

CTV: Constitutional challenge by churches of Manitoba's public health orders dismissed

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

In other news I just blocked off April 28 to June 30, 2022. For the third time I am attempting to actually make it out to BC and get in some cruising time. Let's hope it goes better than the other two.

Of course I just made a bid for a large project that might scupper that idea before it even has a chance. This after two years of making piss-all in this stupid COVID economy. Is it bad I am actually hoping not to get the job?

There doesn't seem to be any reason NOT to come to BC. Last week in Vancouver I saw license plates from all over incurring California, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Maine for heaven's sake.

[desodave]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

CBC:
Trudeau 'confident' other countries will accept Canadians' proof of vaccination



So... noticeably absent from the current list of provinces using the SMART standard is Alberta and BC. AB I can understand, but why BC?

So the QR code produced by BC doesn't meet standards? How?

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

CBC:
Trudeau 'confident' other countries will accept Canadians' proof of vaccination



So... noticeably absent from the current list of provinces using the SMART standard is Alberta and BC. AB I can understand, but why BC?

I suspect it's because we put our system together in a hell of a hurry (like a week) and I suspect there was no time for consultations or do more than the absolute bare bones.

[GordMay]

About the Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination ~ Gov’t of Canada, IRCC
➥ https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...ccination.html