^{Recall that in the first weeks of the outbreak in China our satellites picked up gas clouds that were attributed to massive crematory operations.}

California suspends pollution-control limits to deal with backlog in cremations

https://www.smh.com.au/world/central-america/california-suspends-pollution-control-limits-to-deal-with-backlog-in-cremations-20210119-p56v7m.html

Coronavirus: California's cases down 50%; hospitalizations by 25%
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/01/29/coronavirus-california-has-cut-its-cases-in-half-and-hospitalizations-by-a-quarter/

We just got permission to restart lodging... and so the cycle begins again.

CDC ranking: NC COVID-19 vaccine effort leaps from almost bottom to near the top

https://www.heraldonline.com/news/state/north-carolina/article248868494.html#storylink=mainstage_card

The severe health conditions that qualify Californians under 65 for COVID vaccines
https://www.sfgate.com/coronavirus/article/covid-severe-health-conditions-qualify-vaccine-15951984.php

— Cancer, current with debilitated or immunocompromised state
— Chronic kidney disease, stage 4 or above
— Chronic pulmonary disease,  oxygen dependent
— Down syndrome
— Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
— Pregnancy
— Sickle cell disease
— Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (excludes hypertension)
— Severe obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 40 kg/m2)
— Type 2 diabetes mellitus with hemoglobin A1c level greater than 7.5%

I happen to know from studies that those with Chronic kidney disease are 4 times more likely to die from Covid-19. I would expect that transplants and heart conditions to have a similar mortality rate.

A lot of those conditions often have an overlap. 

I've read recently that pregnant woman are 14 13 times more likely to die from covid-19 than non-pregnant women of the same age.  That's huge, I'm not sure why it isn't getting more attention.

Apparently down symptoms patients are getting do not resuscitate status in UK hospitals.

Travel bans do little to stem COVID-19 spread
https://www.futurity.org/travel-bans-covid-19-spread-2525432

QuoteThe investigators also found that selective lockdown policies, for example restriction only on the activity of the elderly, seems not to have a great effect on the overall transmission of the epidemic.

Deploying their algorithmic framework to model scenarios in which restrictions are lifted, the researchers found that lifting restrictions on social activity must happen gradually to avoid a second wave, while the timing and swiftness of removal of travel restrictions seem not to have a great effect on the transmission.

>lifting restrictions on social activity must happen gradually to avoid a second wave

^{Just one of several;}

SC governor allows alcohol sales past 11 PM, lifts COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings
https://www.wbtv.com/2021/02/26/sc-governor-allow-alcohol-sales-past-pm-lift-covid-restrictions-gatherings/

Quote from: ergophobe on March 02, 2021, 02:23:49 AM
Travel bans do little to stem COVID-19 spread
https://www.futurity.org/travel-bans-covid-19-spread-2525432

Quoteis effective only in the first phases of the epidemic, and reduces in proportion to the spread of infection across a population.

I wonder if that means it is effective in stopping new variants.

Abbott Ends Texas Mask Mandate, Says Businesses Can Fully Reopen - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/world/greg-abbott-texas-masks-reopening.html

Meanwhile, in France, Macron is begging people to "just hang on" for another little bit, indicating without promising that the little bit will be in the 6-8 week range to give them time to get more people vaccinated.

"North Carolina is among the best-performing U.S. states when it comes to distributing vaccines evenly among Black and White residents. That's partly because the state is by far the best at collecting demographic data.

About 11% of North Carolina's Black population has received at least one shot, compared with 17% of the state's White residents, the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker shows. That puts North Carolina in fourth place for the smallest spread between the two groups among states with the most comprehensive data sets. Other states might be doing as well or better than North Carolina in terms of equality, though huge numbers of incomplete records obscure the national picture.

North Carolina's success is no accident."

One state's focus on data helps shrink its racial vaccine gap - The Boston Globe
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/06/business/one-states-focus-data-helps-shrink-its-racial-vaccine-gap/

Look Indiana is a heavily Republican state and has been forever. It's also a heavily pro Trump state.  So how do you get a bunch of people influenced by conspiracy theories to get vaccinated?

Do a mass vaccination event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the Indy 500 is run.
https://www.wishtv.com/news/coronavirus/theyre-on-it-agencies-help-with-vaccinations-at-indianapolis-motor-speedway/

All of a sudden the line of cars stretches back through 3 counties.  For Hoosier gear heads being able to drive into the Mecca of US car racing for free and all they need to do is get a little dinky shot in the arm, is like a pilgrimage.  All anti-vax reservations get forgotten in a heartbeat.

This is so Indiana.

>This is so Indiana.

Whatever it takes.

Quote from: littleman on March 07, 2021, 02:47:35 AM
>This is so Indiana.

Whatever it takes.

I'm with you.  It was a genius move and needed.  The J&J, one and done, shot helps.

The more successful jabs out there the more resistance to getting vaccinated weakens.