Staying the Course -- December 8, 2020

[Superbob]

Happy New Week, all you hale and hearty Coursers out there! Hope all is well along your courses.

AMYBL put up a question on the Nov. 9 thread that would make a timely subject for this week's edition. She had read, on Facebook I believe, about one cardiologist recommending that heart patients not take the Covid-19 vaccine right now, presumably until more is known about potential harmful side-effects to folks like us. She asked if we had received any guidance from our cardiologists. I haven't, but I am going to ask right now on my Patient Portal.

I read a lot and I haven't come across any medical warnings such as the above, apparently solitary one seen somewhere on FB. However, we certainly need to get all the information we can, so with vaccinations starting potentially next week, let's share what we can find right here.

My intent right now is to take the vaccine. My wife is a little more hesitant about it. But I know we all want all available information about potential side-effects and any folks who might be particularly at risk.

Here is Amy's post on the Nov. 9 Staying the Course.

Hi folks! On a heart valve FB page, someone wrote that their cardiologist said he didn’t recommend the vaccine for people like us, at this time. My guess is that because it is so new, and we don’t have a great deal of experience with it but I don’t know for certain.
Have any of you communicated directly with your docs yet?

I think a couple of Coursers may have posted follow-up comments there. If they'd like to transfer those here, that would be fine.

Cheers,
Superbob

 

[Superman]

Waiting to find out if the cure is worse than the illness, and all vaccine recipients turn into Zombies and we have a true apocalypse ala I Am Legend (read the book from my recovery chair after my most recent OHS) or The Walking Dead. A bit too rushed for my taste. Still hiding in the basement here.

Had a porch pirate swipe a couple things. That was disconcerting. Fortunately the vendors were very quick to make us whole, which was way easier than expected. Filed a report with the police. The neighbors camera got a picture of the vehicle. I told the assigned detective that all they have to do is CSI it and zoom in on the drivers face and get the vin number from the window. Fortunately he could tell I was joking. My only hope is they have enough to tack another charge on if they do get caught elsewhere. I don’t expect to have enough to catch anyone with our meager evidence.

In my frustration and in keeping with the holiday spirit and new hobby, I took a 40 image macro of an ornament on our tree. Stacked them all together for a nice sharp front to back image with a lovely out of focus background. This is with the birthday lens. Big Dale fan. One of my first stuffed animals that I remember. Got him at Disneyland when I was 6.

 

[dornole]

Nice photo Superman. My son is getting into film photography and developing his own film. Just scored some darkroom equipment too. So now he’s cleaning out some of the other stuff to make room for it. Woo!

 

[tom in MO]

Now is the time to buy film photography equipment. There are a lot of elderly former hobbyists getting rid of some very nice and expensive equipment for next to nothing before they downsize. I was in a photo store buying film and a guy in his early 70s couldn't unload his Nikon F equipment due to a glut of supply.

They've already been giving vaccines in Russia and China with no reported ill effects. In China, since their natural Covid rate is next to nothing now, they've been vaccinating business travelers to get data on effectiveness. There's been talk that they will help Africa to get needed doses. There will be no definitive answers when it comes to safety until more people are vaccinated. Give it about 4 months.

 

[Superman]

Film photography sounds like an expensive and time consuming hobby. I think if I ever wanted to broach that, I’d look into large format. The big boxes with 4x5 film sheets. Strictly manual focus. No batteries required. Ans Adams style.

Bodies aren’t crazy expensive for that. They just have to be light sealed. The lenses are where it’s at. The shutter, aperture, everything is controlled in the lens.

I did a new one. I think pandemic and sheltering and porch pirates are finally starting to get to me. Calling this my therapy.
I like to share. Feel free to disregard if you find it boring. I know how it is to sit through other people’s slide shows.

 

[Paleowoman]

Hi @Superbob - I am definitely going to go for the vaccine as getting Covid could be worse for sure ! And having a heart 'problem' increases risk from Covid.

I've not heard of any side effects from the vaccine apart from two people reported in the British press who are highly allergic and carry EpiPens, who had an allergic reaction to the vaccine but were susequently okay. It is suggested here that no one who is highly allgeric, that is those who carry EpiPens, take the vaccine. They're also not giving it to pregnant women in the UK since it's not been tested on them.

Gearing up for Christmas here. I'm still shielding but ordering lots of goodies for Christmas, including a turkey. It will just be DH and me and hopefully DS.

 

[rich01]

There will be no definitive answers when it comes to safety until more people are vaccinated. Give it about 4 months.

Or 5 to 10 years. This is the 1st of its kind vaccine. I may change my mind in a month or 2, but for right now I have decided to probably not get it. I think once the pharmaceutical companies make their money back, there will be some great therapeutics for treatment. Since I never get a cold or the flu, I also think there is a good chance I have natural immunity.

 

[Protimenow]

The nightmare scenario is that the mRNA vaccine will work - but it will also cause some negative effects at some time in the future. What if this vaccine doesn't stop at the coronavirus and affects other RNA in the body and we wind up with a generation or two of people with major problems? Perhaps with something that just messes with the mRNA of the virus, this is unrealistic, and perhaps I'll just wait until enough people are vaccinated to get to some kind of widespread immunity and I can take my mask off when I go out.

Being at risk sure doesn't help -- and I'm the one who goes out of the house.

 

[daVinci]

I actually decided to take the plunge and got the vaccine a few days ago now when it was offered to me.

I'm fascinated by mRNAs, did a dissertation on them once upon a time. We'll see how this new technology holds up! But feeling fine for now... Had a very sore arm for about 36 hours, a headache for a little while and felt fatigued- none of this lasted long.

With where I work plus a valve probably not too far from operation I felt the potential pros outweighed the cons. Also, I thought of all the people before us that'd taken the risk on OHS and new valve technologies. I know it's not exactly the same, but if no one took the chance on anything we'd never get anywhere.

Will update if anything happens / I grow an extra limb or something.

 

[rich01]

Also, I thought of all the people before us that'd taken the risk on OHS and new valve technologies. I know it's not exactly the same, but if no one took the chance on anything we'd never get anywhere.

But they were going to die soon, so the risk was worth it.

Will update if anything happens / I grow an extra limb or something.

Please do. Otherwise, we might think the vaccine killed you!

 

[daVinci]

But they were going to die soon, so the risk was worth it.

I agree with this, hence saying not the same scenario.

Please do. Otherwise, we might think the vaccine killed you!

Watch this space!

I mean they must have some true confidence in it in my opinion. It's being offered to healthcare workers, pretty much all those in ITUs. You don't just risk the health hard to replace staff on a whim or if it's not overall deemed to be worth it. Otherwise no one wins.

Hopefully my new mRNA software works, could pave the way for new and better medical technologies! Lots of applications for it with cancer medicine.

 

[rich01]

Watch this space!

I mean they must have some true confidence in it in my opinion. It's being offered to healthcare workers, pretty much all those in ITUs. You don't just risk the health hard to replace staff on a whim or if it's not overall deemed to be worth it. Otherwise no one wins.

Hopefully my new mRNA software works, could pave the way for new and better medical technologies! Lots of applications for it with cancer medicine.

Let us know if you test positive for HIV.

 

[MartinF]

I'm glad I'm not going to have to make the decision for at least 6 months. It will take that long to get the vaccines out to "normal" people. I haven't read much about the vaccine but need to do a search on what it does to your body. The long term side effects are unknown. If I had to make the decision today I would say NO.

 

[daVinci]

Let us know if you test positive for HIV.

I can't tell if this is a joke or you're being serious

 

[rich01]

I can't tell if this is a joke or you're being serious

From Dec 11, 2020
"The Australian government has abandoned a promising domestic Covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Queensland and biotech firm CSL after participants in an early-stage clinical trial falsely tested positive for HIV, highlighting potential setbacks faced by scientists in efforts to bring safe and effective vaccines to market. "
Australia Drops Promising Covid-19 Vaccine After Volunteers Falsely Tested Positive For HIV

My limited understanding is that HIV had been inserted into the Sars-Cov2 virus, so when the virus was reversed engineered to create a vaccine, it included Hiv dna.

A German scientist warned about this early in the year. I'm not suggesting it is still included in any of the vaccines, but it is a question I would like to know the answer to.

Also from that article:

"This is not the first time a Covid-19 vaccine has given cause to worry about HIV. In October, a group of researchers warned that some vaccines currently in development could cause an increased risk of recipients acquiring HIV. "

 

[Superman]

From Dec 11, 2020
"The Australian government has abandoned a promising domestic Covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Queensland and biotech firm CSL after participants in an early-stage clinical trial falsely tested positive for HIV, highlighting potential setbacks faced by scientists in efforts to bring safe and effective vaccines to market. "
Australia Drops Promising Covid-19 Vaccine After Volunteers Falsely Tested Positive For HIV

My limited understanding is that HIV had been inserted into the Sars-Cov2 virus, so when the virus was reversed engineered to create a vaccine, it included Hiv dna.

A German scientist warned about this early in the year. I'm not suggesting it is still included in any of the vaccines, but it is a question I would like to know the answer to.

Also from that article:

"This is not the first time a Covid-19 vaccine has given cause to worry about HIV. In October, a group of researchers warned that some vaccines currently in development could cause an increased risk of recipients acquiring HIV. "

That’s Australian science for you. Upside down and backward, just like their toilets flush.

 

[Protimenow]

If you have a mechanical valve, this probably automatically increases your risk - and may make you eligible for the vaccine before some others.

 

[rich01]

Does anyone know what Resuscitation facilities mean? I did a search, but all I find are articles about the vaccine and the requirement to have resuscitation facilities, but no explanation of exactly what that means. When they start doing vaccines at pharmacies, will they have resuscitation facilities or won't they be giving vaccines at pharmacies?

 

[vitdoc]

Usually at least epinephrine. But at pharmacies anything beyond that would be outside their abilities.
I received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine yesterday. This was done in the hospital. There was epinephrine available and a crash cart. i.e. Defibrillator , Oxygen mask and an IV setup. These would not be available in a pharmacy. Probably the need for anything more than epinephrine is remote.

 

[Protimenow]

They may also have defibrillators --but would have to have the intelligence to know when they should use it.