To jab or not to jab

[TheOctopus]

The very rare hematological disorders seen in European recipients are perhaps the most worrisome development for the vaccine, but many scientists are still unsure what to make of them. Germany, Italy, Austria, Norway, and Denmark have all reported cases of people who developed widespread blood clots, low platelet counts, and internal bleeding; at least seven have died. “It's a very special picture” of symptoms, says Steinar Madsen, medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency. “Our leading hematologist said he had never seen anything quite like it.”



In the global battle against COVID-19, the vaccine made by British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca has been a source of great hope. It's easy to store—requiring only refrigeration, not a deep freeze—and the firm has partnered with several other manufacturers as part of its pledge to make the vaccine, developed by researchers at the University of Oxford, available to countries around the world at low cost.

But the vaccine's journey has been anything but smooth. The company's early efficacy claims were confusing and, in some cases, disappointing. And over the past 2 weeks, the waters got particularly choppy. More than 20 European countries suspended use of the shots after more than a dozen recently vaccinated people developed unusual clotting disorders. Immunizations resumed in most countries after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) investigated the matter.

Then, the company announced the long-awaited results of a large trial in the Americas that seemed to end lingering doubts about the vaccine's efficacy—only to be rebuffed by the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) overseeing the study, which, in a highly unusual clash, suggested the company had presented “outdated information” on efficacy. “It appears that [AstraZeneca] may have been using the most favorable data, and the DSMB wanted to make sure they corrected that,” says Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which appointed the DSMB and made the discord public in a 23 March statement. (The DSMB saw no safety concerns, however.)

The company promised to publish more up-to-date data by 25 March. But the drama left public health experts reeling and raised fears that trust in the vaccine would erode further.


New problems erode confidence in AstraZeneca's vaccine | Science

[the professor]

I don't think he is evil. But .... his history at Microsoft certainly shows that he is ruthless in getting what he wants in business. But business billionaires pretty much all have that quality - w a few exceptions of course. I also don't get the feeling he wants to rule the world. If that was the case he would have made a play for that when he was the richest man. But he didn't.

As far as the vaccine - I will get it when available to me. I hope to get the Johnson and Johnson cause it's older tech but will accept whatever they have at the time.

That is correct, they tell us what they are going to do before they do it knowing that most will not actually pay attention. The guy is pure evil in my opinion. He has invested Billions of dollars in Vaccines and said it's all about the return on his money. What better way to create the return by finding ways to "need" more vaccines.

[TheOctopus]

Science is wonderful but do dare to ask questions if something just doesn't seem right...


Texas children sprayed with dangerous pesticide DDT in 1940s clip | Daily Mail Online

[W9TR]

Three weeks after my second Pfizer dose. No side effects from either. A little muscle pain at the injection site.

Surprising mental health benefits - things seem just a bit lighter and brighter.

Stereo sounds better - increased midrange detail and more realistic instrumental timbres. Effect similar to changing out a USB cable. Oh wait, that could be some system changes I’ve made. Hard to tell really.

I remember growing up with teachers and siblings of friends just a few years older than I having to deal with the crippling and debilitating impacts of polio - before Jonas Salk IPV was approved by the FDA.

Polio cases dropped from 35,000 on 1953 to 161 cases in 1961. I got vaccinated as a child in a mass vaccination drive using Jet Injectors. There was no question- we all got the shot. All us kids. There were no religious, political, or moral objections. No one in our school got polio.

The list of diseases eradicated (or nearly so) by vaccines includes polio, smallpox, measles mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis.....I’m sure I forgot many.

[TheOctopus]

Three weeks after my second Pfizer dose. No side effects from either. A little muscle pain at the injection site.

Surprising mental health benefits - things seem just a bit lighter and brighter.

Stereo sounds better - increased midrange detail and more realistic instrumental timbres. Effect similar to changing out a USB cable. Oh wait, that could be some system changes I’ve made. Hard to tell really.

I remember growing up with teachers and siblings of friends just a few years older than I having to deal with the crippling and debilitating impacts of polio - before Jonas Salk IPV was approved by the FDA.

Polio cases dropped from 35,000 on 1953 to 161 cases in 1961. I got vaccinated as a child in a mass vaccination drive using Jet Injectors. There was no question- we all got the shot. All us kids. There were no religious, political, or moral objections. No one in our school got polio.

The list of diseases eradicated (or nearly so) by vaccines includes polio, smallpox, measles mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis.....I’m sure I forgot many.

Glad to hear you are doing well after the second injection Tom. Yes, vaccines did eradicate a dozen plus diseases. Some did cause problems but statistically it was insignificant just as the outliers from the covid vaccines today...

By the way, those jet injectors were banned for health reasons in the early 2000's. Sometimes it just takes a while to convince scientists not to do things they so believe in

[W9TR]

Yes - there were problems with some Polio vaccines that were improperly made. The Jet Injectors spread hepatitis in a few cases so have fallen out of favor. Probably a good thing.

[TheOctopus]

I don’t know what they are going to do if the new variants spread and the vaccines already in the arms don’t work. That will be a major problem to say the least. Brazil and the younger groups dying in the second wave with the new mutated variant is no joke.




Researchers are monitoring new COVID variants closely. This includes research to see whether new variants may change the protective effects of the current vaccines. So far studies suggest that antibodies gathered through vaccination with the current authorized vaccines do recognize new variants.

The increase in both illness and death in younger people has coincided with the rise of at least one Covid-19 variant in Brazil.
The so-called P.1 variant, which scientists say originated from Brazil, is widely agreed upon to be more easily transmissible, up to 2.2 times so according to a recent study.

According to a March 4 study of eight Brazilian states by national health research institute Fiocruz, over half of all Covid-19 cases in six states were "associated with variants of concern" including P.1, as well as variants first identified in the UK and South Africa.

[TheOctopus]

Recent research similarly found that mRNA vaccines illicit antibodies in pregnant women that can be transferred to their babies, though this is the largest study on vaccines in pregnant women, to date. Pregnant and lactating women were not included in the initial clinical trials of the vaccines.

It’s a brave new world out there....

[TheOctopus]

Drum roll.....

Ilana Rachel Daniel came with an emotional outcry for international help from Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. At record speed, the government is vaccinating the entire population - including pregnant women and children - against the coronavirus. "Civil rights are put aside and people are not allowed participation in multiple places in society unless they've been vaccinated or in some places of work, after repeated PCR testing every 2-3 days

OUTCRY TO THE WORLD, FROM ISRAEL!!! (NL+ENG subtitles) - YouTube

[Pearce Harrison]

Three weeks after my second Pfizer dose. No side effects from either. A little muscle pain at the injection site.

Surprising mental health benefits - things seem just a bit lighter and brighter.

Stereo sounds better - increased midrange detail and more realistic instrumental timbres. Effect similar to changing out a USB cable. Oh wait, that could be some system changes I’ve made. Hard to tell really.

I remember growing up with teachers and siblings of friends just a few years older than I having to deal with the crippling and debilitating impacts of polio - before Jonas Salk IPV was approved by the FDA.

Polio cases dropped from 35,000 on 1953 to 161 cases in 1961. I got vaccinated as a child in a mass vaccination drive using Jet Injectors. There was no question- we all got the shot. All us kids. There were no religious, political, or moral objections. No one in our school got polio.

The list of diseases eradicated (or nearly so) by vaccines includes polio, smallpox, measles mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis.....I’m sure I forgot many.

I wonder how many people out right rejected the Polio vaccination at the time it came available and ultimately suffered the consequence of their action. I'm pretty sure there must have been folk, like Shadowfax, who were talking of vast conspiracies even in those days...

[TheOctopus]

With numbers like 100 Billion invested into vaccines from Bill Gates, I would certainly not be surprised.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opi...strial-complex

[Pearce Harrison]

With numbers like 100 Billion invested into vaccines from Bill Gates, I would certainly not be surprised.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opi...strial-complex

One could also argue that the Chinese paper face mask maker(s) were also involved in the distribution of the virus, after all--how many have they sold worldwide since the pandemic began? Same goes for the people making the needles/glass vials/PPE etc.,
Bill Gates is either extremely disingenuous and dangerous ( as some of you would like us to believe), OR he is a philanthropist looking to help his fellow mankind. I know which one I believe.

[TheOctopus]

If you have watched the outcry from Jerusalem I posted above, here we go with the Green Passports... In-Depth: Could '''green passports''' for COVID immunity come to San Diego?

[TheOctopus]

One could also argue that the Chinese paper face mask maker(s) were also involved in the distribution of the virus, after all--how many have they sold worldwide since the pandemic began? Same goes for the people making the needles/glass vials/PPE etc.,
Bill Gates is either extremely disingenuous and dangerous ( as some of you would like us to believe), OR he is a philanthropist looking to help his fellow mankind. I know which one I believe.

As long as we agree on the traditional definition of the word "believe"... Believing is not knowing for a fact.

[Pearce Harrison]

As long as we agree on the traditional definition of the word "believe"... Believing is not knowing for a fact.

That is correct, but it swings both ways.... I believe.

[TheOctopus]

Yeah... I do try to stay away from conspiracies but this guy Bill Gates just makes it so damn hard.... Event 201, a pandemic exercise to illustrate preparedness efforts

[nicoff]

I wish there was a “dislike” button.
I could use it to “dislike” the posts of the conspiracy theorists on this thread.

Or maybe we should let the “conspirators” reach their own herd immunity by ignoring this thread.

[TheOctopus]

I wish there was a “dislike” button.
I could use it to “dislike” the posts of the conspiracy theorists on this thread.

Or maybe we should let the “conspirators” reach their own herd immunity by ignoring this thread.

I only post that which is true. Facts speak for themselves. Some people have to learn to deal with reality and facts whether they like it or not. Ignore it, shut it down, whatever, it won't change the facts.

[TheOctopus]

Amazon's Utopia: Season 1 Official Trailer (2020) John Cusack, Rainn Wilson - YouTube

[Pearce Harrison]

I only post that which is true. Facts speak for themselves. Some people have to learn to deal with reality and facts whether they like it or not. Ignore it, shut it down, whatever, it won't change the facts.

Your 'fact' about the hospital admin staff gaming the system with Covid--we are still waiting to see the proof from you, of this 'fact'.
Your theories are far from facts. Facts have clearly observable proof behind them, none of which you have supplied so far...which is in fact speaking for itself

[TheOctopus]

Your 'fact' about the hospital admin staff gaming the system with Covid--we are still waiting to see the proof from you, of this 'fact'.
Your theories are far from facts. Facts have clearly observable proof behind them, none of which you have supplied so far...which is in fact speaking for itself

While your tone is very condescending, I will reply but will ignore your posts if it continues. I have already stated that I only post that which I am sure of. Stop being naïve, there are billions of dollars involved with Medicare Fraud and Abuse annually. There are Medicare task forces that arrest people for it. 2020 was no different and some will pay for it when they catch up with them.

"Given this 20 percent increase in payment associated with the COVID-19 diagnosis for hospitalized Medicare patients, there has been speculation that this “windfall” is incentivizing fraudulent behavior. Headlines have claimed that because hospitals are getting paid more for patients if they include a COVID-19 diagnosis on the patient’s chart, and are paid even more for each COVID-19 patient on a ventilator, some hospitals are adding the COVID-19 diagnosis to the charts of patients who do not actually have COVID-19.



Also...

When it comes to the $100 billion fund to help providers, future grants by HHS are supposed to focus on providers in areas hit hard by the outbreak, among others. But the initial allocation of $30 billion from that $100 billion fund to assist hospitals wasn’t distributed in that way. Instead, it was based on prior Medicare business.

A Kaiser Health News analysis found that the distribution of that initial $30 billion resulted in hospitals in states less affected by the pandemic — such as Minnesota, Nebraska and Montana — being given funding that worked out to be about “$300,000 per reported COVID-19 case.” In New York, which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases, the grant money amounted to “only $12,000 per case.”


Also...

"Many health-care companies and hospital industry groups are fighting a Trump administration policy tying extra federal coronavirus reimbursements to test results proving that patients are positive for Covid-19, saying the requirement unfairly deprives them of relief money established by Congress.

Legislation in March provided hospitals a 20% boost to the standard federal Medicare reimbursement for each patient admitted for coronavirus.

But the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services added a requirement, which took effect Sept. 1: For hospitals to receive the funding, each patient must have a documented positive Covid-19 lab test.

CMS officials said the requirement was added to protect against fraud since the funding was increased. “As part of Medicare’s longstanding standard payment policies, Medicare providers are required to accurately document and bill for services provided based on a beneficiary’s diagnosis,” a spokesman said.

CMS is concerned that without a lab test showing someone has Covid-19, hospitals may code them incorrectly as having the virus and erroneously receive the 20% add-on. The agency said that it will review patient records after payments are made to confirm positive test results, and those lacking results would see their payments accounted for as overpayments."

[TheOctopus]

The recent suicide of the Texas Roadhouse CEO due to post vaccine Tinnitus was in the headlines. No clear link to covid vaccine No clear link between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden hearing loss - Drug Discovery and Development

[Pearce Harrison]

While your tone is very condescending, I will reply but will ignore your posts if it continues. I have already stated that I only post that which I am sure of. Stop being naïve, there are billions of dollars involved with Medicare Fraud and Abuse annually. There are Medicare task forces that arrest people for it. 2020 was no different and some will pay for it when they catch up with them.

"Given this 20 percent increase in payment associated with the COVID-19 diagnosis for hospitalized Medicare patients, there has been speculation that this “windfall” is incentivizing fraudulent behavior. Headlines have claimed that because hospitals are getting paid more for patients if they include a COVID-19 diagnosis on the patient’s chart, and are paid even more for each COVID-19 patient on a ventilator, some hospitals are adding the COVID-19 diagnosis to the charts of patients who do not actually have COVID-19.



Also...

When it comes to the $100 billion fund to help providers, future grants by HHS are supposed to focus on providers in areas hit hard by the outbreak, among others. But the initial allocation of $30 billion from that $100 billion fund to assist hospitals wasn’t distributed in that way. Instead, it was based on prior Medicare business.

A Kaiser Health News analysis found that the distribution of that initial $30 billion resulted in hospitals in states less affected by the pandemic — such as Minnesota, Nebraska and Montana — being given funding that worked out to be about “$300,000 per reported COVID-19 case.” In New York, which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases, the grant money amounted to “only $12,000 per case.”


Also...

"Many health-care companies and hospital industry groups are fighting a Trump administration policy tying extra federal coronavirus reimbursements to test results proving that patients are positive for Covid-19, saying the requirement unfairly deprives them of relief money established by Congress.

Legislation in March provided hospitals a 20% boost to the standard federal Medicare reimbursement for each patient admitted for coronavirus.

But the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services added a requirement, which took effect Sept. 1: For hospitals to receive the funding, each patient must have a documented positive Covid-19 lab test.

CMS officials said the requirement was added to protect against fraud since the funding was increased. “As part of Medicare’s longstanding standard payment policies, Medicare providers are required to accurately document and bill for services provided based on a beneficiary’s diagnosis,” a spokesman said.

CMS is concerned that without a lab test showing someone has Covid-19, hospitals may code them incorrectly as having the virus and erroneously receive the 20% add-on. The agency said that it will review patient records after payments are made to confirm positive test results, and those lacking results would see their payments accounted for as overpayments."

Like I stated before, the web is a dangerous place. All that you posted above is interesting, and all of it is irrelevant to supplying the 'proof' that one would need to actually indict the people whom you are so sure are gaming the system. Is it possible that this is occurring...sure anything is possible, but your theory is exactly that, nothing but a theory. Your facts are missing here, as are your facts about the other conspiracies that you allude to.
As to a condescending tone..well I do not believe I was the one who posted this: "I only post that which is true"and "some people have to deal with reality and facts whether they like it or not".

[TheOctopus]

Rauch suspects that there may have been an uptick in post-vaccine hearing loss symptoms among people with pre-existing inner ear disease — such as Meniere’s disease, autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) and vestibular migraine — especially after the second dose. Though, he cautioned that his view is anecdotal.

Said Rauch: “These effects seem to occur within the first two weeks post-injection and sometimes within just a few days. They appear to be temporary. The actual likelihood of this phenomenon and its clinical course are not well-defined — it’s just too soon to know.”

[TheOctopus]

Like I stated before, the web is a dangerous place. All that you posted above is interesting, and all of it is irrelevant to supplying the 'proof' that one would need to actually indite the people whom you are so sure are gaming the system. Is it possible that this is occurring...sure anything is possible, but your theory is exactly that, nothing but a theory. Your facts are missing here, as are your facts about the other conspiracies that you allude to.
As to a condescending tone..well I do not believe I was the one who posted this: "I only post that which is true"and "some people have to deal with reality and facts whether they like it or not".

Can you not be satisfied with words from the horse's mouth? Medicare themselves? Why are they concerned with COVID fraud and made specific requirements for the COVID diagnosis to be backed up by actual lab tests? Who are they implying is gaming them?

[TheOctopus]

One of the largest health care fraud schemes investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and prosecuted by the Department of Justice resulted in charges against 24 defendants, including the CEOs, COOs and others associated with five telemedicine companies, the owners of dozens of durable medical equipment (DME) companies and three licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving more than $1.2 billion in loss, as well as the execution of over 80 search warrants in 17 federal districts. In addition, the Center for Medicare Services, Center for Program Integrity (CMS/CPI) announced today that it took adverse administrative action against 130 DME companies that had submitted over $1.7 billion in claims and were paid over $900 million.


Federal Indictments & Law Enforcement Actions in One of the Largest Health Care Fraud Schemes Involving Telemedicine and Durable Medical Equipment Marketing Executives Results in Charges Against 24 Individuals Responsible for Over $1.2 Billion in Losses | OPA | Department of Justice

[TheOctopus]

[TheOctopus]

Protect Yourself from COVID-19 Medicare Scams!

Protect Yourself from COVID-19 Medicare Scams! - YouTube

[TheOctopus]

Elon Musk says he won’t take coronavirus vaccine, calls Bill Gates a ‘knucklehead’

SpaceX founder Elon Musk stirred the pot yet again after claiming that neither he nor his family would take a COVID-19 vaccine even if it was readily available.

Elon Musk says he won?t take coronavirus vaccine, calls Bill Gates a ?knucklehead? | New York Post - YouTube

[Rob181]

Serge - your post 121 is speculation only - you may believe it to be true BUT that does not make it a fact. 1+1= 2 is an irrefutable fact - demonstrable - nothing you have stated in 121 has any irrefutable data to validate the speculation - I wish you well.

[Pearce Harrison]

Serge - your post 121 is speculation only - you may believe it to be true BUT that does not make it a fact. 1+1= 2 is an irrefutable fact - demonstrable - nothing you have stated in 121 has any irrefutable data to validate the speculation - I wish you well.

Thank you.

[TheOctopus]

Serge - your post 121 is speculation only - you may believe it to be true BUT that does not make it a fact. 1+1= 2 is an irrefutable fact - demonstrable - nothing you have stated in 121 has any irrefutable data to validate the speculation - I wish you well.

Then it is speculation on Medicare's part. They are the ones that require an actual covid lab test in order to pay the hospital a premium. Having been involved with medical businesses and billing practices, I am informed on this topic. Medicare typically makes "reactive" changes, not proactive when they make policy changes such as the one we are discussing here. Yes, big surprise that private entity hospitals would be suspect of up-charging Medicare... This is getting old. Is there a point here?

[TheOctopus]

Big surprise and google is full of examples of billing fraud. United States Government gets $12 million settlement from the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania over allegations of medicare billing fraud - False Claims Act Law Firm

[TheOctopus]

Justice Department Recovers Over $2.8 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2018

The Department of Justice obtained more than $2.8 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2018, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio and Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division announced today. Recoveries since 1986, when Congress substantially strengthened the civil False Claims Act, now total more than $59 billion.

[Pearce Harrison]

Then it is speculation on Medicare's part. They are the ones that require an actual covid lab test in order to pay the hospital a premium. Having been involved with medical businesses and billing practices, I am informed on this topic. Medicare typically makes "reactive" changes, not proactive when they make policy changes such as the one we are discussing here. Yes, big surprise that private entity hospitals would be suspect of up-charging Medicare... This is getting old. Is there a point here?

Yes, there is a point here...and it's this: you persist on and on with points that are irrelevant. Which now leads me to my point, have a nice day and I too wish you well!

[TheOctopus]

Yes, there is a point here...and it's this: you persist on and on with points that are irrelevant. Which now leads me to my point, have a nice day and I too wish you well!

Ok, you are done with replies from me. You have a great day as well..

[TheOctopus]

How are COVID-19 deaths counted? It’s complicated.

As the U.S. death toll nears a half-million, confusion continues over whether people die “of” COVID-19 or “with” COVID-19. Here’s what’s behind the numbers.

How are COVID-19 deaths counted? It’s complicated | AAMC

[TheOctopus]

Pfizer launches trial to test Covid vaccine in children as young as 6 months

The trial, along with similar studies that Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and others are conducting, aims to guide how the shots should be administered to young children, who are not thought to be the most vulnerable to Covid-19 but can be infected and spread the virus.


Pfizer launches pediatric trial to test Covid vaccine in children

[kzhtoo]

Bill Gates this and Bill Gates that and all I could think about is if he were an audiophile, what his system(s) would be like.

Oh wait, if he were an audiophile, he would be scheming to depopulate the audiophiles. Never mind. We definitely don’t want that.