Promising New Coronavirus Vaccine

[degrub]

long overdue

[Alan Klein]

A quote from the article you linked...

"As Madison, Hamilton and Jay published the Federalist essays, they protected their identities closely, using the pseudonym “Publius” and denying their involvement to all but their closest associates. Yet some contemporaries quickly and accurately guessed their identities.

Their use of a pseudonym was probably not intended to avoid detection or retribution. Rather, they probably hoped that their pseudonym would focus their readers’ attention on their arguments rather than their personalities."

Of course, They weren't alone in their use of pseudonyms...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pseudonyms_used_in_the_American_Constitutional_debates

I doubt if there are any Madisons or Hamiltons posting here. 

[Alan Klein]

Some posts submitted by anonymous posters are superior to rushed tripes contrived by posters under real names.

On the other hand, some newbie accounts are obviously fake or troll accounts. Facebook stated that they removed just in the last quarter of 2020 1.3 billion fake accounts.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/facebook-disables-13-billion-fake-accounts-oct-dec-last-year-2021-03-22/

How can they decide what's misinformation when experts themselves disagree on practically every subject if not all?  Plus knowledge is changing constantly and being upgraded.  Is it 6 feet or 3 feet that's right?  Will inflation stir the economy or just cause the price of everything to go up? 


It sounds like they're making arbitrary and political decisions. 

[TechTalk]

Facebook stated that they removed just in the last quarter of 2020 1.3 billion fake accounts.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/facebook-disables-13-billion-fake-accounts-oct-dec-last-year-2021-03-22/

Your link didn't work for me. This link should work.

https://www.reuters.com/article/Facebook says took down 1.3 billion fake accounts in Oct-Dec

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Monday it took down 1.3 billion fake accounts between October and December and that it had over 35,000 people working on tackling misinformation on its platform.

The company also removed more than 12 million pieces of content about COVID-19 and vaccines that global health experts flagged as misinformation, it said in a blog post.

False claims and conspiracies about the coronavirus vaccines have proliferated on social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter during the pandemic.

Facebook’s disclosure of data on misinformation comes ahead of an inspection by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce into how technology platforms including Facebook are tackling misinformation.

[TechTalk]

U.S. says Russian-backed outlets spread COVID-19 vaccine 'disinformation' - March 7, 2021

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-covid-disinformation/u-s-says-russian-backed-outlets-spread-covid-19-vaccine-disinformation

Excerpt below...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has identified three online publications directed by Russia’s intelligence services that it says are seeking to undermine COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna, a State Department spokeswoman said on Sunday.

The outlets “spread many types of disinformation, including about both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as international organizations, military conflicts, protests, and any divisive issue that they can exploit,” the spokeswoman said.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) first reported on the identification of the alleged campaign on Sunday. A Kremlin spokesman denied the U.S. claim Russia was spreading false information about vaccines to the WSJ.

Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

[Alan Klein]

Your link didn't work for me. This link should work.

https://www.reuters.com/article/Facebook says took down 1.3 billion fake accounts in Oct-Dec

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Monday it took down 1.3 billion fake accounts between October and December and that it had over 35,000 people working on tackling misinformation on its platform.

The company also removed more than 12 million pieces of content about COVID-19 and vaccines that global health experts flagged as misinformation, it said in a blog post.

False claims and conspiracies about the coronavirus vaccines have proliferated on social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter during the pandemic.

Facebook’s disclosure of data on misinformation comes ahead of an inspection by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce into how technology platforms including Facebook are tackling misinformation.

FB is worried about losing its monopoly and be broken apart.  So they're sucking up to Democratic control committees to show they're "woke". They're cowards.  The last time the CEO was up in the Capitol, he defending not getting involved in these things.  He took a lot of static for supporting free speech.  So he's worried.  Money talks.  He's backing off that position showing he'll back democratic positions and social policy as long as they don't hurt him and his company.  What a disgrace.  He's selling out. 

[Alan Klein]

U.S. says Russian-backed outlets spread COVID-19 vaccine 'disinformation' - March 7, 2021

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-covid-disinformation/u-s-says-russian-backed-outlets-spread-covid-19-vaccine-disinformation

Excerpt below...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has identified three online publications directed by Russia’s intelligence services that it says are seeking to undermine COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna, a State Department spokeswoman said on Sunday.

The outlets “spread many types of disinformation, including about both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as international organizations, military conflicts, protests, and any divisive issue that they can exploit,” the spokeswoman said.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) first reported on the identification of the alleged campaign on Sunday. A Kremlin spokesman denied the U.S. claim Russia was spreading false information about vaccines to the WSJ.

Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The article didn't say what the disinformation was.  It could have just been typical competitive arguments whose products are better just like American advertisers do.  It would have been nice if the article gave examples.  Russian vaccines are not being used in America.  So it would have to be that they're being sold in the rest of the world against Moderna, Pfizer, and Chinese vaccines.  There's a lot of profit to be made.  So competition is normal.  I would hope that American organizations will be trying to diminish our competitor's ads.  By the way, the article says that the Russian product was peer-reviewed at 92% effective.  That's less than Moderna and Pfizer but more than J&J and Astra Zeneca. Not that I would use it, but it seems the Russian version is pretty good. 

[TechTalk]

The article didn't say what the disinformation was.

COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Are Spreading Thanks to Russian Propaganda: What to Know - March 12, 2021

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/covid-19-vaccine-myths-are-spreading-thanks-to-russian-propaganda-what-to-know

The websites involved have questioned the efficacy of the vaccines, exaggerated the risk of side effects, and claimed that the vaccines were rushed through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process, the WSJ reported.

This misinformation campaign comes as the vaccine rollout continues across the United States. Recent polling, though, suggests that public willingness to be vaccinated is on the rise.

Still, health officials face an ongoing fight against the spread of COVID-19 misinformation — some of it perpetuated byTrusted Source the algorithms of social media sites such as Instagram.

[TechTalk]

CDC information on variants circulating in the United States

SARS-CoV-2 Variant Classifications and Definitions

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-surveillance/variant-info

Variant Proportions in the U.S.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-proportions

[LesPalenik]

How can they decide what's misinformation when experts themselves disagree on practically every subject if not all?  Plus knowledge is changing constantly and being upgraded.  Is it 6 feet or 3 feet that's right?  Will inflation stir the economy or just cause the price of everything to go up? 

3ft is a minimum safe distance, 6 ft is recommended and 8ft is even better.
Staying at home is the best.

new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that 3 feet may be as safe as 6 feet, so long as everyone is masked. The authors compared infection rates at Massachusetts schools that required at least 3 feet of distancing with those that required at least 6 feet, and found no significant difference in the coronavirus case rates among students or staff in the two cohorts.

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/03/15/977564878/cdc-looks-at-whether-3-feet-instead-of-6-is-safe-for-schools-social-distancing

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Russians again!?

Hahahaha... you guys never learn. Should we call Mueller again?

[Alan Klein]

COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Are Spreading Thanks to Russian Propaganda: What to Know - March 12, 2021

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/covid-19-vaccine-myths-are-spreading-thanks-to-russian-propaganda-what-to-know

The websites involved have questioned the efficacy of the vaccines, exaggerated the risk of side effects, and claimed that the vaccines were rushed through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process, the WSJ reported.

This misinformation campaign comes as the vaccine rollout continues across the United States. Recent polling, though, suggests that public willingness to be vaccinated is on the rise.

Still, health officials face an ongoing fight against the spread of COVID-19 misinformation — some of it perpetuated byTrusted Source the algorithms of social media sites such as Instagram.

Your article confirmed my guess.  It is because different manufacturers are competing with each other.  Not much different than the misinformation you read in photography forums about Nikon vs. Canon vs Leica vs Sony, each highlighting or downright lying about the other's camera's problems. 

From your article:
The campaign against the widely used Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is likely due to its potential competition against Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, a report by the Alliance for Securing Democracy said.

[Alan Klein]

3ft is a minimum safe distance, 6 ft is recommended and 8ft is even better.
Staying at home is the best.

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/03/15/977564878/cdc-looks-at-whether-3-feet-instead-of-6-is-safe-for-schools-social-distancing

That's not what the study you quoted said.    If we go by your "rule", schools would stay closed indefinitely.

quote from your article: new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that 3 feet may be as safe as 6 feet, so long as everyone is masked. The authors compared infection rates at Massachusetts schools that required at least 3 feet of distancing with those that required at least 6 feet, and found no significant difference in the coronavirus case rates among students or staff in the two cohorts.

[LesPalenik]

That's not what the study you quoted said.    If we go by your "rule", schools would stay closed indefinitely.

quote from your article: new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that 3 feet may be as safe as 6 feet, so long as everyone is masked. The authors compared infection rates at Massachusetts schools that required at least 3 feet of distancing with those that required at least 6 feet, and found no significant difference in the coronavirus case rates among students or staff in the two cohorts.

I don't need a study to come to that conclusion.

[Alan Klein]

More health problems from the shutdown.  Even I put on an extra 5 pounds. Isn't helping my back problem when I have to carry heavy camera equipment. 

How Much Weight Did We Gain During Lockdowns? 2 Pounds a Month, Study Hints
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/health/virus-weight-gain.html

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

For anyone curios, I had not significant reaction to neither first, nor second Pfizer shot, short of going to bed on both days around 11pm, while my usual time would be around 1am or 2am. I did have Covid last March, however, so probably still some antibodies present. I also never ever had any reaction to the multitude of vaccines from my childhood, all the way to the last 10-15 years of regular flu shots.

[LesPalenik]

More health problems from the shutdown.  Even I put on an extra 5 pounds. Isn't helping my back problem when I have to carry heavy camera equipment. 

How Much Weight Did We Gain During Lockdowns? 2 Pounds a Month, Study Hints
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/22/health/virus-weight-gain.html

Extra weight might hamper also sex life.

[Alan Klein]

Extra weight might hamper also sex life.

Oh.  So that's the problem.

[TechTalk]

Russians again!?

Hahahaha... you guys never learn.

Yeah! Putin and his pals are comedy gold! I mean, their efforts to undermine democracy in the U.S. and Europe—HeeHee! And when they put their critics in prison or assassinate them—HoHoHo! Invading their neighbors causing death and destruction—HaHaHa! Just looking at how Putin and his corrupt, criminal, comedic, cronies steal the resources and wealth in their country and launder the money all over the world is always good for at least a chuckle or two.

Putin probably polished his comedic talents when he was in the KGB. I hear he used to crack up the Stasi in East Germany with his jokes! I'm sure that he'll give you plenty of laughs and giggles into the foreseeable future! It's nice to know that his attempt to undermine the health and safety of Americans, by spreading propaganda about vaccines, has brought a smile to your face. Thanks for teaching us how to laugh about it!

[Alan Klein]

Yeah! Putin and his pals are comedy gold! I mean, their efforts to undermine democracy in the U.S. and Europe—HeeHee! And when they put their critics in prison or assassinate them—HoHoHo! Invading their neighbors causing death and destruction—HaHaHa! Just looking at how Putin and his corrupt, criminal, comedic, cronies steal the resources and wealth in their country and launder the money all over the world is always good for at least a chuckle or two.

Putin probably polished his comedic talents when he was in the KGB. I hear he used to crack up the Stasi in East Germany with his jokes! I'm sure that he'll give you plenty of laughs and giggles into the foreseeable future! It's nice to know that his attempt to undermine the health and safety of Americans, by spreading propaganda about vaccines, has brought a smile to your face. Thanks for teaching us how to laugh about it!

99% of the propaganda was spread by Democratic politicians