Virus And Riding.

[Marin]

Why does it take until after OCTOBER to vaccinate everyone??!!! Ridiculous!

There's not enough vaccine, but supplies are growing.

Once you have enough of the juice, it's a logistics problem to get everyone the 2 shots.

And then you have 30% children (current vaccines are 16+) , antivaxers, sceptics and hard to reach ppl - that's a huge number for the virus to spread through, so you better remain careful.

Plus: Most of the world won't have access to a vaccine in 2021, so that's billion who can still get sick.

[ms6073]

No major side-effects for me with the first shot of Pfizer. Just a bit of soreness at the injection site. Seems like very few people experience side-effects with the second dose either. Moderna on the other hand, hits some people like a sack of bricks.

Second one I actually felt fine most of the day then the night came and I had some significant aches and chills.

My wife and I have both received our second does of the Pfizer vaccine this past week. Got mine first thing in the morning last Wednesday and as stated above, I felt fine until the late afternoon. We rode the trainers fir an hour that evening and by bed time, I felt like I was about to get the flu but felt just fine the next monring. Wife got her second jab of the Pfizer vaccine Sunday morning, after which we headed over to a local park and did a 2.5 hour leasurely multi-surface ride on our gravel bikes and best I can tell, aside from a sore arm, she had none of the after effects I experienced.

[iheartbianchi]

I also quite like my food and wine but know two people who have permanently lost their sense of taste (despite being otherwise completely well). These kind of "long COVID" symptoms such as palpitations, chronic fatigue etc. are kind of crappy if you think about it.
Point being, I guess a lot of people on here are very low risk for the kind of ICU admission I describe. But if you are in the social and financial position to do it limiting your contacts until you have had the jab seems like a pretty sensible balance of risk/benefit. 100% I would continue to do non-contact exercise outside.

It's certainly a tough issue. My brother is an ER doctor in a major city so he also deals with COVID. We've had a few fights and quibbles over COVID (he insists that we all stay home and hibernate), which is easy for him to say when he is single with no kids and his job is more secure than ever, while the rest of us are trying to stay employed, earn a living and also doing side gigs playing teacher to our kids because remote learning is sort of a joke. Also, young kids really don't copy well indoors so you have to deal with more emotional kids than normal.

Agree 100% on everyone getting the vaccine ASAP so we can get over this mess.

[Bigger Gear]

Here in Canada we are in a tough spot. We've had 20 years of backing off funding science (blame to both major federal political parties) and as a result we have no vaccine manufacturing in the country. Our globalization strategies have resulted in us mainly focusing on oil and gas, and forestry while relying on partners for tech and science. We are now paying the price, as our vaccine rollout has been very slow, much like Western Europe and Australia. Most provinces here have switched to a strategy of getting as many single shots into the public, and extending the 2nd shot interval by up to 4 months. Supply has been pretty good through March into April from Pfizer, but Moderna supply has been very erratic. We are now getting less Pfizer here for a 2-3 week period. AZ is limited to only 55-65 age group because of the clotting situation. I'm in BC, and as an essential HC worker (non-physician, not ICU/ER) I received my first shot of Pfizer in late February, but I will not likely receive my 2nd shot until June. I'm OK with this strategy, with Pfizer and Moderna there seems to be good efficacy even with a single shot and I understand we are trying our best to mitigate the situation. Our elderly in long term care have been fully vaccinated with 2 shots, as have most front line HC workers.

However, we are now facing the 3rd wave here complete with the more transmissible variants like B117 and P1. Most populated areas are starting to see cases skyrocket and Ontario, Alberta and BC have all seen significant rises in hospitalizations and ICUs. For months we've thumbed our noses at the American response, patting ourselves on the back for doing better. And I'm not going to dodge the fact that per capita our death toll has been much better. But now we are actually doing worse in terms of cases per capita America has gained a strong partial immunity through previous infection, plus their vaccine rollout has been pretty fantastic. Same with the UK. Now our governments are having to put more restrictions and people are losing their minds. If I hear one more Canadian crying on social media about how we should just be like Texas, I'm going to have to delete all my apps. We cannot compare ourselves. We have saved lives, but it has had a cost. America will open up soon, but it has cost lives.

Anyway, hope everyone here is doing well. Canada's pandemic situation is "death by 1000 cuts" and it is going to drag on for a while longer.

[Andrew69]

But I don't think Australia is acting fast enough with vaccinations. Now they are even talking about still not having everyone here vaccinated by OCTOBER!
Why does it take until after OCTOBER to vaccinate everyone??!!! Ridiculous!

Mate, seriously, you need to pull your head it
We are lucky to be geographically isolated with such few cases
Means I can drive down the road and see my father and mother in law, both of whom have got their first shot of the AZ vax in the last week or so

The reason the government has been slow to vaccinate is two-fold
1. They are being overly cautious, which we can afford to be because we have had so few cases
2. Supply.
There simply isnt enough vaccine to go round and now with the possible side-effects of the AZ vax for those under 50, it means that the millions of doses being manufactured in Melbourne wont be used as intended

We now are at the mercy of Pfizer and have to wait till we get increased supply. We currently get only 100K doses per week and Pfizer has only licenced one non-pfizer facility to make the vax and that is in China (where is you dont partner with a local manufacturer, you cant do anything)
All pfizer vax is coming from their facilities in the EU and US and both regions are ensuring they get their contracted doses first
Hell, the EU has even threatened Pfizer that if they try to export doses before they get their doses, they will take over the facilties

You live in a sparsly populated region and the chances of you contracting anything is low
We are not locked down and are free to travel (and ride) to anywhere in the country

OTOH, my extended family in the EU have all had Covid, several of the older folk have died as a result, others have severe ongoing effects and are expected to live long and my cousins all have some form of long-covid ranging from moderate to mild symptoms

Think youself lucky you live where you live and we are seperated from the rest of the world till this all settles down

[synchronicity]

No, I will not "pull my head in". Who are you to tell me that? Nobody. So bugger off! I am allowed to express my own opinions you know.

5 months is a long time. Anything can happen. That's all it took for some countries to have hundreds of thousands of cases...

[Andrew69]

And thats exactly why you need to pull your head in.
Our government is doing probably the best job in the world in keeping us safe and youre here having a bloody whinge

Im betting no one in Europe would be complaining if they lived here in Australia
No local cases, no lockdowns and an economy thats already surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but youre crying because you cant get a vaccine as fast as you would like

[synchronicity]

How about you sod off? Eh?
How do you know we won't have a 100,000 cases before October? You don't. So maybe it's you who should "pull your head in"?
Bloody plonker.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-02/ ... t/13197518
https://www.theguardian.com/news/databl ... -countries

[gravity]

@synchronocity my goodness - i hope you're just trolling.

[synchronicity]

If you notice, I don't go around telling people to "pull my head in". Other people start with the personal attacks, I will respond accordingly.

[Andrew69]

If you notice, I don't go around telling people to "pull my head in". Other people start with the personal attacks, I will respond accordingly.

Reading comprehension isnt your strong suit is it?
See, thats a personal attack

You live in the least affected country in the world with one of the best economies and the highest personal freedoms and yet you still manage to complain.

Peace out mate. Have a long and happy life

[Mr.Gib]

If I hear one more Canadian crying on social media about how we should just be like Texas...

I'm guess I missed this, I don't spend much time on social media. Texas is a perfect example of why the Canadian border remains closed to Americans. Maybe we could adopt Texas' system for the provision and regulation of electricity. That would work great in February.

I really feel for everyone that has had their lives upended. In some cases it is the simply the luck of the draw - where you live and what you do. Bigger Gear I see you are on the West coast. I'm on the Island and live in a quiet neighbourhood - essentially no Covid. For most of us here life goes on as if nothing has changed. But I am pissed I won't be in Europe this summer. Riding here is great but you Euro's have the best roads. Very jealous.

[Bigger Gear]

If I hear one more Canadian crying on social media about how we should just be like Texas...

I'm guess I missed this, I don't spend much time on social media. Texas is a perfect example of why the Canadian border remains closed to Americans. Maybe we could adopt Texas' system for the provision and regulation of electricity. That would work great in February.

I really feel for everyone that has had their lives upended. In some cases it is the simply the luck of the draw - where you live and what you do. Bigger Gear I see you are on the West coast. I'm on the Island and live in a quiet neighbourhood - essentially no Covid. For most of us here life goes on as if nothing has changed. But I am pissed I won't be in Europe this summer. Riding here is great but you Euro's have the best roads. Very jealous.

Yes, I'm just across the Strait in the sleepy hamlet of White Rock. Fraser Health has been hit very hard by the virus, there are many reasons for this and it's unfortunate to see the racial undertones flying about. Locally we are not so bad, but I work in north Surrey which is a completely different story. For sure I am jealous of the Island, and I wish the mainlanders would stop traveling across to up your risks. Anyway, you've got some great riding over there, my experience is limited to my racing days 2000-2010ish but I loved the Metchosin area and of course the Sooke-Port Renfrew-Sooke route (back when it was the Gary Lund RR!).

[Mr.Gib]

If I hear one more Canadian crying on social media about how we should just be like Texas...

I'm guess I missed this, I don't spend much time on social media. Texas is a perfect example of why the Canadian border remains closed to Americans. Maybe we could adopt Texas' system for the provision and regulation of electricity. That would work great in February.

I really feel for everyone that has had their lives upended. In some cases it is the simply the luck of the draw - where you live and what you do. Bigger Gear I see you are on the West coast. I'm on the Island and live in a quiet neighbourhood - essentially no Covid. For most of us here life goes on as if nothing has changed. But I am pissed I won't be in Europe this summer. Riding here is great but you Euro's have the best roads. Very jealous.

Yes, I'm just across the Strait in the sleepy hamlet of White Rock. Fraser Health has been hit very hard by the virus, there are many reasons for this and it's unfortunate to see the racial undertones flying about. Locally we are not so bad, but I work in north Surrey which is a completely different story. For sure I am jealous of the Island, and I wish the mainlanders would stop traveling across to up your risks. Anyway, you've got some great riding over there, my experience is limited to my racing days 2000-2010ish but I loved the Metchosin area and of course the Sooke-Port Renfrew-Sooke route (back when it was the Gary Lund RR!).

Ha, if you go into any serious facility, medical, government services etc. you get asked if you have been off the Island in the last 14 days or had contact with anyone from off the Island. And then you are denied entry.

Yes, the Gary Lund RR. Extinct before I arrived here but the road from Port Renfrew to Cowichan Lake was paved about 10 years ago so we can now ride a loop: Victoria - Renfrew - Cowichan Lake - Duncan - Victoria. 270 km door-to-door. A good day on the bike.

We have a couple hundred active Covid cases on the South Island, so not a lot to get worked up about. No illusions though, could have an outbreak at any time so everyone here is cautious.

Canadians wanting to be like Texas - don't get it. Didn't know that was a thing. Texans don't even live that long. Perhaps they have more fun while they're alive so it's worth it.

[OnTheRivet]

If I hear one more Canadian crying on social media about how we should just be like Texas, I'm going to have to delete all my apps. We cannot compare ourselves. We have saved lives, but it has had a cost. America will open up soon, but it has cost lives.

I'd preface by saying I'm not from Texas or live there, born and raised in SoCal. Texas dropped all covid mandates on March 2nd, the doomsayers predicted a bloodbath. So for the last 8 weeks Texans have been living like pre-covid and deaths from the virus are down significantly and projected to keep going down. The media doesn't tell you this because fear makes for great ratings and thats all they care about. Also Texas is ranked 23rd out of 55 states and territories for deaths per capita. The 4 worst are all blue states that heavily locked down. The information is out there you just have to wade through the msm and shitty media to get it.

Graph is from today April 16th 2021