Where do you go for COVID information?

[LAS14]

I find the CDC site mostly a mystery.

My current question is this. Does anyone know how effective the most recent booster is against the new XBB and B.Q1 variants, found in Europe and Asia?

tia
las

[Quakerfriend]

1. I go to NYT.

I believe that both of these variants escape immunity but, that the latest booster (against omicron) protects against severe disease, hospitalization and death from XBB.

[Blues Heron]

2. Id like to know where all the daily numbers are now that the CDC wiped them

Last edited Mon Oct 24, 2022, 12:18 PM - Edit history (1)

I cant believe they screwed with the database like they did, unless its available elsewhere on their site. They averaged all the daily reports into a weekly only format, and now post only on thursdays. I could see updating once a week, but to go in and destroy the numbers like that retroactively is unconscionable. The history of the pandemic was written in those numbers - things you dont see now that its weekly like DC witholding data for three weeks to make the pandemic appear to be waning enough to open up early. That kind of data manipulation was obvious on the daily charts - now its gone.

[we can do it]

3. Covidactnow.org

[Turbineguy]

4. How about this?

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/

[Pobeka]

5. I don't think you will ever get "real time" information like that from CDC.gov

Those strains are so new, the phase we are in is basically collecting data.

You may see some more anecdotal information from epidemiologists showing up on the web as twitter posts etc, but in terms of controlled, well designed analysis, it's just much too quick to expect more formal statements.

I think I saw mention somewhere (sorry to be so vague, but it's the nature of the beast), that there seemed to be early indications that people fully boosted and with the bivalent booster will be protected from severe illness. The worry with B.Q1 I believe was that the treatment medications (monoclonal antibodies, ...) were no longer effective (as effective?) against serious illness.

[Chainfire]

6. My primary care doctor is where I go for information. I trust her judgement.

[Raftergirl]

7. I listen to the pod This Week in Virology

Last edited Mon Oct 24, 2022, 01:39 PM - Edit history (1)

It’s an excellent source, imo. They discuss in great length studies regarding all things Covid and provide links to all of them. One of the hosts is an infectious disease specialist who has had Covid patients since the beginning of the pandemic. He has been shocked at the lack of knowledge most doctors have regarding Covid and treatment protocols - especially regarding Plaxovid.

I’ve also read that the bivalent vaccine is effective against the “scrabble” sub variants. I’ve read it in several places but don’t recall exactly where. A Google search will likely come up with information on this topic.

[LAS14]

8. Is "bivalent vaccine" the same as the booster released in September? nt

[Pobeka]

9. Yes, it is the same one. Bivalent is fancy talk for it works for Omicron too.