River Cruisers: How Are Things Where YOU Are?

[Canal archive]

Capillary leak syndrome is a symptom of Clarksons Disease and Sepsis. CA

[notamermaid]

 

33 minutes ago, Coral said:

We have one case in Omaha with blood clots and Johnson and Johnson vaccine. They are investigating if there could be a link. We have a case in Lincoln this week where someone prominent in our city had a small stroke later in the day after getting the Pfizer vaccine. They are also investigating this.

We have had reports here of strokes and heart problems after the Pfizer vaccine of course. They have been partly explained by the higher number of that vaccine used especially in older people, but all events are taken seriously and investigated.

 

It was interesting to read that the EMA quickly reacted to the FDA reporting about the syndrome occurring in connection with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

 

Canal archive wrote (quote function not working):

"Capillary leak syndrome is a symptom of Clarksons Disease and Sepsis. CA"

 

I saw that mentioned in the literature. I am not too convinced yet that the authorities are unto something there, but I am glad they are vigilant. I hope they are wrong, I fear they are not.

 

I have had a look at the report by the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute and my head is spinning a bit with statistical data. What I can quickly say though is that some columns in the list are striking - strikingly full of incident numbers with the AstraZeneca vaccine and strikingly void of incidence numbers with both the Pfizer/BioNTech and the Moderna vaccine. I am referring to what is called in German "Venöse Thrombosen +Embolien mit Thrombozytopenie", i.e. what became a safety signal and has led to countries reacting with the age restrictions. The bars showing the percentages of incidence rate men against women is also revealing, the greatest difference being in the group 20 to 29 where almost no men are affected and women the most affected of all age groups (they looked at under 30 to 69).

 

I just hope that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not plagued by the same problem. Then we have a problem in the Western world (leading to problems elsewhere, I know). If the same problem does not happen with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine I think some scientists will scratch their heads as the vector technology of both vaccines is the same and give them another puzzle to solve.

 

Time to replenish brain power with tea and some biscuits...

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

4 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

I just hope that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not plagued by the same problem. Then we have a problem in the Western world (leading to problems elsewhere, I know). If the same problem does not happen with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine I think some scientists will scratch their heads as the vector technology of both vaccines is the same and give them another puzzle to solve.

 

I have a relative who I have tried to schedule and she was holding out for J&J. I found an appointment this morning and quickly called her - she wanted to think about it. I was like "I am booking you and you have until Tuesday to cancel". One of her good friends is a Respiratory Therapist at a Hospital. I told her she could cancel but she has to call this friend first. 

[rcaruso]

Just got word from my friend in Karlstadt, Germany.  She received the Moderna this week, shot 1.  Her husband and 17 year old son will get Pfizer/Biontech this coming week. Her 80 year old parents got Astra Zenica and second shot scheduled June 5.  It was good to hear.

[notamermaid]

@rcaruso

That is good to read. I have had a look at the figures. More than 15 percent of the German population has now had a first dose. Monday to Friday this week more than 2.5 million jabs were given, that is more than were given from the start on 27 December till 31 January together. Looks great. We could continue like this. You may have guessed it: there is a "but" coming.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Canal archive]

We have moved the start of our French barge holiday to July, hopefully we will be clear to take it, no air travel involved. Our hotels are booked so Nevernais here we come really looking forward to sitting down to a large plate of French bread and cheeses with copious glasses of excellent wine. Just need to make sure we are stocked up if we have to isolate on our return. Noticed a remark on one of your writings Notamermaid at the moment apart from COVID, Brexit (revolting expression) has not changed anything detrimentally where we are in the U.K. and I haven’t heard of any changes anywhere else. CA

[notamermaid]

Here is the "but"...

 

The AstraZeneca vaccine roll-out has become notoriously difficult to plan with many setbacks, again the EU will have fewer vaccines delivered than promised: https://www.ft.com/content/df5020f4-461e-443e-8d55-f3234690d049

 

I have had a look at what my local newspaper printed as an official announcement from the government. Published in the week ending 13 February, it said that Germany would get around 5.6 million doses of the vaccine in the first quarter, meaning that an additional 1.7 million people could get a first jab in February. That did not work as by 28 February only 1,452000 doses had arrived.  AstraZeneca did deliver more in March but by 30 March we were still quite short of vaccines of that original figure of 5.6 million. As the statistics changed on the website I cannot say what was delivered on 31 March but a large delivery happened after that so that by 4 April AstraZeneca got close to what was supposed to have been delivered by 31 March, i.e. by 4 April there were 5,577600. To be fair, Moderna also underdelivered. Pfizer/BioNTech was able to deliver a bit more than promised in that official government announcement.

 

Here in the EU we may have put age restrictions on the vaccine but that does not mean we do not want it. So reading a story like this - of course I cannot verify how accurate it is - is all the more frustrating. The US citizens come first understandably and promises give hope to a stricken nation but perhaps, just, you know, please, Sir, perhaps you will not need them all, after Mexico et al. could we perhaps just have a few, please? https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-08/biden-s-orphaned-astrazeneca-stockpile-rises-to-20-million-doses

 

Figures and info on this (newspaper article excluded) and in previous posts taken from https://impfdashboard.de/

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

On 4/9/2021 at 2:44 PM, Coral said:

I actually live in the middle of no where. It take some 8-10 hours of driving to get somewhere interesting. And those places I have visited often. The best near location (8 hours) is where @dogs4fun lives and I have been in that area several times. 

 

There is literally nothing near me.

 

Beyond that - I am looking at a 2-3 day drive each way to get somewhere where I haven't been that is interesting or have been and can't wait to visit. I wish I lived on the East or West coast and could easily drive to cool US cities!

That is a real pity. It sounds like you live in much explored countryside.

 

I usually take the same roads, go to the same places, but I have learned over the last year that although everything looks so similar in my area and is far from exciting, it is nice to go to villages I have not been to for many years. I found one today. It makes me morose to only travel within a perimeter of two hours but I could enjoy the village despite the constant rain today (I am glad this day is nearly over) thinking that when it is better weather I should go again and sit in that tiny beer garden at the small stream beneath the picturesque castle ruin. I try to picture that and it feels good. Large cities I miss little right now.

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

That is a real pity. It sounds like you live in much explored countryside.

 

I usually take the same roads, go to the same places, but I have learned over the last year that although everything looks so similar in my area and is far from exciting, it is nice to go to villages I have not been to for many years. I found one today. It makes me morose to only travel within a perimeter of two hours but I could enjoy the village despite the constant rain today (I am glad this day is nearly over) thinking that when it is better weather I should go again and sit in that tiny beer garden at the small stream beneath the picturesque castle ruin. I try to picture that and it feels good. Large cities I miss little right now.

 

notamermaid

 

Country side sides nice. It is pure farmland. Cows and cornfields. Nothing scenic about it. 

 

I wish I was near some cool German towns! 

[notamermaid]

1 minute ago, Coral said:

Country side sides nice. It is pure farmland. Cows and cornfields. Nothing scenic about it. 

 

I wish I was near some cool German towns! 

Okay, you need a crazy neighbour who likes follies and who builds a hill and puts a castle on top of it. Some Hollywood actor who is sick of Beverley Hills. Putting a castle in a cornfield is cooler than a 20-room-villa, much cooler.

 

Or something like that Marie Antonette village in Versailles...

 

Oh my, I better get to bed, mind going funnier than it already is.

 

notamermaid

 

[cruiselvr04]

I’m sorry to hear about any complications to any vaccines.  I guess that is a risk we take with something that had to come out quickly.

 

I feel fortunate to have gotten my second Pfizer this week.  I am under treatment which boosts my own immune system to fight my cancer.  After the second shot I had some pretty bad pain in the area of my spleen.  (I’m a nurse.)  It only lasted a few hours in the night.  It did wake me up and I couldn’t sleep.  If it had been any worse or lasted longer I’d have gone to the emergency room.  I’ll consult my physician this week on his opinion to put it in VEERS. 
 

Otherwise I only had extreme fatigue the next day.  And by that I mean I had trouble just getting to the sofa and later to the kitchen and back.  However the next day I was fine.  
 

 

[Daisi]

13 hours ago, Coral said:

Country side sides nice. It is pure farmland. Cows and cornfields. Nothing scenic about it. 

 

 

We can spend a whole day driving through farmland, looking at the cows & cornfields.  We will hit the odd small town, but much prefer nature.

[Coral]

49 minutes ago, Daisi said:

 

We can spend a whole day driving through farmland, looking at the cows & cornfields.  We will hit the odd small town, but much prefer nature.

Maybe because I have lived here my entire life and most of the time, I literally have been a block from farmland - it is very plain for me. I am maybe 3 blocks from it now. I have always lived on the outskirts of a city that is now about 300,000 in population. A lot of my friends are from the farm, etc... Nature is far better. I think our state ranks last in tourism. I am about 8 hours to Chicago and 8 hours to Denver. Not much between here and there. Minneapolis is a tad closer - maybe 6.5 hours.

[Daisi]

10 minutes ago, Coral said:

Maybe because I have lived here my entire life and most of the time, I literally have been a block from farmland - it is very plain for me. I am maybe 3 blocks from it now. I have always lived on the outskirts of a city that is now about 300,000 in population. A lot of my friends are from the farm, etc... Nature is far better. I think our state ranks last in tourism. I am about 8 hours to Chicago and 8 hours to Denver. Not much between here and there. Minneapolis is a tad closer - maybe 6.5 hours.

We've never lived anywhere else than in the country, but still enjoy watching the progress of the fields & animals in them.  I guess it's just in our blood.  While we are looking forward to actually living somewhere where we can get take-out, we are still moving to an area in the city where there are a lot of parks, a canal to walk along, and not in a high crowded area.  My dream home was (and still is, but unachievable now) a house in the middle of a big field with a stream nearby...not a sole in sight.  Unfortunately, that doesn't work with our future plans, so maybe a cottage on the sea will turn into a summer home and long empty beaches will have to suffice.  

[notamermaid]

18 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Noticed a remark on one of your writings Notamermaid at the moment apart from COVID, Brexit (revolting expression) has not changed anything detrimentally where we are in the U.K. and I haven’t heard of any changes anywhere else. CA

That is good to read. Not sure what I expect to be really different "on the ground" but I know that things will be different for me as I am no longer able to travel on ID card from October but need a passport which I will have to get now as my old one has expired. For entry not much of a change as the UK has never been part of the Schengen area, but I need to check duty free allowances and prohibited goods. There things will be different. Also from my perspective here, things have dramatically changed for the worse as trade has been much decreased and I can personally see it in my latest order from a UK expats supplier (I am not an expat but the company is open for all British food lovers). Only two of the products I wanted to order I could put into my shopping basket, around ten were blocked for Germany. No more Genoa cake - unless I choose a different supplier whose delivery charges are even more outrageous. I could not get a single proper Cadburys chocolate egg anywhere! Hardly any deliveries to Germany and if I could find one on a website it was already marked sold out. This whole thing may lead to specialist dealers and shops closing down. I am not willing to pay 10 euros for a chocolate egg and spend five euros on postage, for something the British buy for 5 pounds round the corner at Tesco's. My love is not boundless as my purse does not magically refill.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[rcaruso]

3 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

That is good to read. Not sure what I expect to be really different "on the ground" but I know that things will be different for me as I am no longer able to travel on ID card from October but need a passport which I will have to get now as my old one has expired. For entry not much of a change as the UK has never been part of the Schengen area, but I need to check duty free allowances and prohibited goods. There things will be different. Also from my perspective here, things have dramatically changed for the worse as trade has been much decreased and I can personally see it in my latest order from a UK expats supplier (I am not an expat but the company is open for all British food lovers). Only two of the products I wanted to order I could put into my shopping basket, around ten were blocked for Germany. No more Genoa cake - unless I choose a different supplier whose delivery charges are even more outrageous. I could not get a single proper Cadburys chocolate egg anywhere! Hardly any deliveries to Germany and if I could find one on a website it was already marked sold out. This whole thing may lead to specialist dealers and shops closing down. I am not willing to pay 10 euros for a chocolate egg and spend five euros on postage, for something the British buy for 5 pounds round the corner at Tesco's. My love is not boundless as my purse does not magically refill.

 

notamermaid

 

 

I understand.  We just spent $80 to send some flavored coffee beans (3 twelve ounce) and Hard Rock T Shirts, coffee mugs, keychains to our friends in Germany.  The $80 was for express mail.  It took 5-6 weeks to get to Germany.  The cost to mail was almost more than what was in the small package.  We had several more bags of coffee beans but couldn't fit in the package.

[Canal archive]

Well I can see a small sideline opportunity here. No joking apart although Cadbury’s is or was a British company it is owned by Kraft foods an American company so similar challenges. There are hiccups to sort out especially with Northern Ireland all set to challenge us. I know there is a lot of work being done requrding the amount of paperwork which is an awful bugbear.  Passports are no problem for us as were used to having them being an island, we don’t have identity cards so there our only international identification. 
What is interesting is the amount of contact we’ve been having from our various French contacts regarding our holiday, one in particular is amazed that we would want to go to France for a holiday because we’ve left the EU. CA

[notamermaid]

Big news today is that in the EU the roll-out to countries of the J&J vaccine is starting. Germany will get around 10 million from now till the end of June. I just hope we do not get any problems as regards nasty adverse effects. Unfortunately we did not get any delivery of the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines last week.

 

Over the weekend we have had protests here, not what you may think, people were campaigning for a hard lock down! They say there are too many things still open for the virus to spread, like kindergarten and office blocks and sectors of the industry that could reduce production.

 

A shocking figure I have read today is the deaths by 100,000 population. Think it is the US or Brazil? No, it is the Czech  Republic, this is the graph of today from the Federal Government website for the first five countries, they are all in Europe:

 

It is quite disturbing that this is one of our neighbouring countries. Belgium, our neighbour to the West, is in sixth position. The UK has suffered hard as well, as we all know. All the better that we now see a gradual opening up of the island. Stay vigilant folks, you are doing well!

 

notamermaid

 

[CoolNickname]

6 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Big news today is that in the EU the roll-out to countries of the J&J vaccine is starting. Germany will get around 10 million from now till the end of June. I just hope we do not get any problems as regards nasty adverse effects. Unfortunately we did not get any delivery of the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines last week.

 

Over the weekend we have had protests here, not what you may think, people were campaigning for a hard lock down! They say there are too many things still open for the virus to spread, like kindergarten and office blocks and sectors of the industry that could reduce production.

 

A shocking figure I have read today is the deaths by 100,000 population. Think it is the US or Brazil? No, it is the Czech  Republic, this is the graph of today from the Federal Government website for the first five countries, they are all in Europe:

 

It is quite disturbing that this is one of our neighbouring countries. Belgium, our neighbour to the West, is in sixth position. The UK has suffered hard as well, as we all know. All the better that we now see a gradual opening up of the island. Stay vigilant folks, you are doing well!

 

notamermaid

 

 

Certainly different to here with folks campaigning for a lockdown. I'm in Texas and a good segment of the population has been pretending nothing is happening since last May. Recently things have gotten worse. Sad to hear about rates in the Czech Republic. Despite how free people are being in Texas our vaccine program is going at a fair clip and rates of illness are dropping here.

 

Sorry you did not get any Moderna or AstraZeneca last week. I live in a tiny rural county. We had a few weeks back in late January to very early February where we did not receive any vaccines and it is so frustrating. Thankfully things have improved.

 

I hope folks aren't having too many side effects from any of the vaccines. I heard about the goings on with AstraZeneca and I've been hearing there are some concerns with Johnson and Johnson perhaps as well.  

 

I got my second dose of the Modera two weeks ago today and my husband got the second dose of the Pfizer two weeks ago tomorrow. Husband only had slight pain at the injection site both times. I had a little mild muscle soreness the night after my second shot but still only very mild discomfort. I really think I may have simply clenched up so tightly when I got the shot I made myself feel sore later as I hate needles. I hate being sick more, though. My Mother-in-law got the Johnson and Johnson and didn't really have anything other a bit of soreness in her arm. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 minutes ago, CoolNickname said:

I got my second dose of the Modera two weeks ago today and my husband got the second dose of the Pfizer two weeks ago tomorrow. Husband only had slight pain at the injection site both times. I had a little mild muscle soreness the night after my second shot but still only very mild discomfort. I really think I may have simply clenched up so tightly when I got the shot I made myself feel sore later as I hate needles. I hate being sick more, though. My Mother-in-law got the Johnson and Johnson and didn't really have anything other a bit of soreness in her arm. 

Your family is blessed.  My experience, and that of my friends and neighbors, is that all three of these vaccines can provoke side effects similar to Shingrix – but there is no pattern to predict who will get them and who will not.  I have read that women are more likely, and thought it might be because women are generally smaller than men but all doses are the same size [and DW suffered more than me, which seemed to fit my theory] – until some very slim women we know had no side effects but a really obese one suffered greatly.  There is just no knowing!

[CoolNickname]

2 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Your family is blessed.  My experience, and that of my friends and neighbors, is that all three of these vaccines can provoke side effects similar to Shingrix – but there is no pattern to predict who will get them and who will not.  I have read that women are more likely, and thought it might be because women are generally smaller than men but all doses are the same size [and DW suffered more than me, which seemed to fit my theory] – until some very slim women we know had no side effects but a really obese one suffered greatly.  There is just no knowing!

 

I hadn't read women were more likely. I'm sadly not a slim woman anymore so maybe that's what saved me. Who knew a little extra padding could help ward off vaccine side effects? 🤣 I expect we will know more before long with so many reporting their experiences. I'm sorry you and your loved ones and friends wasn't as good as ours. I read Moderna and Pfizer are already looking at potentially doing boosters to cover some of these new variants. Perhaps they'll get it sorted by then.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, CoolNickname said:

 

I hadn't read women were more likely. I'm sadly not a slim woman anymore so maybe that's what saved me. Who knew a little extra padding could help ward off vaccine side effects? 🤣 I expect we will know more before long with so many reporting their experiences. I'm sorry you and your loved ones and friends wasn't as good as ours. I read Moderna and Pfizer are already looking at potentially doing boosters to cover some of these new variants. Perhaps they'll get it sorted by then.

Even if I have to experience these same side effects with a yearly booster – it will be worth it.

[Canal archive]

Maybe someone could make a chart of the different vaccines, sizes of people, gender, area they live in etc. It would still be as correct as the previous assumptions that have been thrown at us. It’s a lottery and we WILL come out the other end stronger eventually.

We’ve just been told all over 50s and special cases who wanted to have been vaccinated and over 45s have been asked to make appointments to be vaccinated. We’re a huge lot smaller country that the US so it could be said easier for us to get to this position but we still have like you no sayers. Keep the faith. CA

[Coral]

They are pausing of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine in the US. Due to blood clot concerns.

Edited April 13, 2021 by Coral

[notamermaid]

39 minutes ago, Coral said:

They are pausing of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine in the US. Due to blood clot concerns.

Oh that is not good, I did not expect that at all. Here is a report: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/13/us-regulators-reportedly-call-for-pause-in-use-of-johnson-johnson-vaccine-due-to-clotting-issues.html

 

That will have our own Paul-Ehrlich-Institut busy with thinking about this. We are set to administer the first shots in Germany tomorrow. Bug***

 

Australia will not be using more Adenovirus based vaccines, by the way, they are going to order more mRNA vaccines instead.

 

Edit: checked CNN coverage - yep, very similar pattern to the AstraZeneca : all six cases are in younger women.

 

German news outlets have already picked up on the announcement.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited April 13, 2021 by notamermaid
See edit