Coronavirus Thread VI: Are We Nearly There Yet? (READ OP)

[New Visayan Islands]

Data for PH as of May 17th, 1600 PHT/0400 EDT.

Detailed update. Also:

• SFX: MENACING
• Bumping up priorities: local government officials now on par with essential healthcare workers. (Fuck, does that mean my aunt might get Sinovac? I hope not.)
• Dissecting a debunked conspiracy theory is one thing, see it in action is another!
• Good news if you're planning to go on Hajj this year.

[The Archregimancy]

Has IMPENDING DOOM as Walensky cried about happened yet?

I dined indoors without a mask at an Indian restaurant at every point of the process. I estimate I killed 3,000 grandmas.

That last sentence unambiguously moves this post into actionable territory given the specific context of this thread, and the knowledge that people contributing to NSG have lost loved ones to COVID; especially when combined with your posting history over COVID.

Since your last ban doesn't seem to have done the trick, let's move this up to a *** 7-day ban for trolling ***.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Has IMPENDING DOOM as Walensky cried about happened yet?

I dined indoors without a mask at an Indian restaurant at every point of the process. I estimate I killed 3,000 grandmas.

We vaccinated the 3000 grandmas first actually because we knew people like you would start acting even more fucking reckless the moment restrictions were loosened even a bit. So it's more likely you just killed a little girl with an immune system issue instead since fearless leader Donald Trump told you covid didn't exist and you threw all logic or reason out the window. What the actual hell happened to you Vetalia? You used to talk like a reasonable guy and then one day you just went full anti mask. 582000 Americans are dead and you and your ilk sure as hell are trying to make it 500,000 more with your lack of respect for safety guidelines. Frankly, I hope they soon REQUIRE the vaccine for you to work at your job or for you to go to the restaurants so your Friday night out can be eating gold fish crackers in the park and trying to keep the geese from stealing them from you.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

It was weird and unpleasant to have to give myself the CoVID swab test. The first time I had one, it was done by a lab tech last year. My nose isn’t happy.

Oh, I had to do that once.

I've had five COVID tests in the past fourteen months... three by nurses, one by test site personnel and once at home by myself. So, I sympathise.

Although, masks during flu season seems like something we should start doing. The most minor of inconveniences and it will save lives from both flu and covid every year.

And the increased handwashing and sanitiser stations in stores should always have been a thing and certainly should remain.

I agree, these would all be excellent measured to maintain.

Also, not cramming restaurant tables back together like sardines in a can, and maintaining the increased disinfection of businesses.

The fuck are you talking about, "train to doomtown"? There is no implication of "therefore we are doomed" in pointing out that vaccines are not a perfect miracle technology, or in suggesting that we not rush desperately to disregard the health of those around us.

Agreed. A slow and steady, cautious approach is needed.

Our poor noses. On the same token, it was quicker than I expected. Of course, the CN was right there walking me through the process, but it was still strange.

[Ifreann]

https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/553773-fauci-vaccinated-people-become-dead-ends-for-the-coronavirus

Fauci: Vaccinated people become 'dead ends' for the coronavirus

Yeah, that's how herd immunity works. Most people(for varying values of "most") are immune, and thus their bodies kill the virus before it can multiply and spread, thus protecting the people who aren't immune.

Of course, it doesn't work perfectly, because nothing our bodies do works perfectly, but it'll work well enough once enough people are immune.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/553773-fauci-vaccinated-people-become-dead-ends-for-the-coronavirus

Fauci: Vaccinated people become 'dead ends' for the coronavirus

Yeah, that's how herd immunity works. Most people(for varying values of "most") are immune, and thus their bodies kill the virus before it can multiply and spread, thus protecting the people who aren't immune.

Of course, it doesn't work perfectly, because nothing our bodies do works perfectly, but it'll work well enough once enough people are immune.

Also certain people can't get vaccinated due to medical conditions but by reaching herd immunity, you can protect them just the same.

[Caleonia]

Tomorrow can’t come any sooner for me... I’m ready to be done.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Tomorrow can’t come any sooner for me... I’m ready to be done.

Come join us in the winner's circle Cal. You got through the disaster alive and in one piece.

[Kowani]

Biden to announce US plans to export 20 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson, appoint Jeff Zients to lead the global vaccine distribution project

President Joe Biden plans to send an additional 20 million doses of U.S. coronavirus vaccines abroad by the end of June -- including, for the first time, shots authorized for domestic use, where supply is beginning to outstrip demand.

Biden will announce Monday that he’ll export 20 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. or Johnson & Johnson, on top of 60 million AstraZeneca Plc doses he had already planned to give to other countries, according to a senior administration official familiar with the plan.

The official, who asked not to be identified ahead of planned remarks from the president, stressed that the measures are only a first step as the U.S. pivots its attention to quelling the pandemic abroad. Biden has previously pledged that the U.S. would soon become an “arsenal” of global vaccine supply.

Biden will also announce that he is putting Jeff Zients, who has served as the White House coronavirus response coordinator, in charge of his effort to beat back the pandemic globally, the official said. Zients will work with the National Security Council and other agencies to steer doses abroad. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the announcement, saying that the doses would go “to help countries battling the pandemic,” without specifying which ones. The 60 million AstraZeneca doses are subject to a safety review before they’ll be shipped. “We are waiting for, of course, AstraZeneca, as you know, to go through the approval process of the FDA, but this will put 80 million doses out into the world by the end of June,” Psaki said. [...] The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for use in the U.S., but AstraZeneca’s shot is not. It wasn’t immediately clear which countries would receive U.S. shipments.

Mexico and Canada have already received doses of the U.S. AstraZeneca stockpile, and Pfizer has begun shipping doses of its U.S.-produced vaccine to countries including Mexico, Canada and Uruguay, apart from the Biden administration’s plans to share doses.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Biden to announce US plans to export 20 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson, appoint Jeff Zients to lead the global vaccine distribution project

President Joe Biden plans to send an additional 20 million doses of U.S. coronavirus vaccines abroad by the end of June -- including, for the first time, shots authorized for domestic use, where supply is beginning to outstrip demand.

Biden will announce Monday that he’ll export 20 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. or Johnson & Johnson, on top of 60 million AstraZeneca Plc doses he had already planned to give to other countries, according to a senior administration official familiar with the plan.

The official, who asked not to be identified ahead of planned remarks from the president, stressed that the measures are only a first step as the U.S. pivots its attention to quelling the pandemic abroad. Biden has previously pledged that the U.S. would soon become an “arsenal” of global vaccine supply.

Biden will also announce that he is putting Jeff Zients, who has served as the White House coronavirus response coordinator, in charge of his effort to beat back the pandemic globally, the official said. Zients will work with the National Security Council and other agencies to steer doses abroad. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the announcement, saying that the doses would go “to help countries battling the pandemic,” without specifying which ones. The 60 million AstraZeneca doses are subject to a safety review before they’ll be shipped. “We are waiting for, of course, AstraZeneca, as you know, to go through the approval process of the FDA, but this will put 80 million doses out into the world by the end of June,” Psaki said. [...] The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for use in the U.S., but AstraZeneca’s shot is not. It wasn’t immediately clear which countries would receive U.S. shipments.

Mexico and Canada have already received doses of the U.S. AstraZeneca stockpile, and Pfizer has begun shipping doses of its U.S.-produced vaccine to countries including Mexico, Canada and Uruguay, apart from the Biden administration’s plans to share doses.

According to literature I’ve read on the subject, the best way to contain variants and contain CoVID19 in general, is to go on a global vaccination campaign. This is a start. It protects us all.

[San Lumen]

Got my second shot today. Little to no side effects thus far.

[Xmara]

Biden to announce US plans to export 20 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson, appoint Jeff Zients to lead the global vaccine distribution project

President Joe Biden plans to send an additional 20 million doses of U.S. coronavirus vaccines abroad by the end of June -- including, for the first time, shots authorized for domestic use, where supply is beginning to outstrip demand.

Biden will announce Monday that he’ll export 20 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. or Johnson & Johnson, on top of 60 million AstraZeneca Plc doses he had already planned to give to other countries, according to a senior administration official familiar with the plan.

The official, who asked not to be identified ahead of planned remarks from the president, stressed that the measures are only a first step as the U.S. pivots its attention to quelling the pandemic abroad. Biden has previously pledged that the U.S. would soon become an “arsenal” of global vaccine supply.

Biden will also announce that he is putting Jeff Zients, who has served as the White House coronavirus response coordinator, in charge of his effort to beat back the pandemic globally, the official said. Zients will work with the National Security Council and other agencies to steer doses abroad. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the announcement, saying that the doses would go “to help countries battling the pandemic,” without specifying which ones. The 60 million AstraZeneca doses are subject to a safety review before they’ll be shipped. “We are waiting for, of course, AstraZeneca, as you know, to go through the approval process of the FDA, but this will put 80 million doses out into the world by the end of June,” Psaki said. [...] The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for use in the U.S., but AstraZeneca’s shot is not. It wasn’t immediately clear which countries would receive U.S. shipments.

Mexico and Canada have already received doses of the U.S. AstraZeneca stockpile, and Pfizer has begun shipping doses of its U.S.-produced vaccine to countries including Mexico, Canada and Uruguay, apart from the Biden administration’s plans to share doses.

According to literature I’ve read on the subject, the best way to contain variants and contain CoVID19 in general, is to go on a global vaccination campaign. This is a start. It protects us all.

Yes. If the virus has no one to infect, then it can’t mutate, as viruses require hosts in order to reproduce.

[Kowani]

Coronavirus lingers in penis, may cause impotence

Men now have one more compelling reason to get a COVID-19 vaccine—doctors suspect the new coronavirus could make it hard to perform in the bedroom. How? Coronavirus infection is already known to damage blood vessels, and vessels that supply blood to the penis appear to be no exception.

Researchers armed with an electron microscope found coronavirus particles in penile tissue samples taken from two former COVID-19 patients who became impotent following their infection, which had occurred six and eight months earlier.

Further study revealed evidence of blood vessel damage in the penises of the COVID-19 patients, compared to two other men with erectile dysfunction who'd never been infected, the researchers reported May 7 in the World Journal of Men's Health.

"We found that the virus affects the blood vessels that supply the penis, causing erectile dysfunction," said senior researcher Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, director of the reproductive urology program at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. "The blood vessels themselves malfunction and are not able to provide enough blood to enter the penis for an erection."

Ramasamy compared this to organ damage in the lungs, kidneys and brain that's been found in COVID-19 patients.

"We think the penis also could be affected in a similar way," Ramasamy said. "We don't think this is a temporary effect. We think this could be permanent."

The new report focused on two recovered COVID-19 patients undergoing penile prosthesis surgery for their erectile dysfunction. Both men had normal erectile function prior to their infections.

One of the men had been severely sick with COVID-19 and spent two weeks in the hospital before he recovered, but otherwise was free from chronic health problems.

The other man had a relatively mild case of COVID-19, but suffered from clogged arteries and high blood pressure before becoming infected.

Both men still had COVID-19 particles in their penile tissue, as well as evidence of endothelial dysfunction—a condition in which the linings of small blood vessels don't function properly and fail to provide adequate blood supply to different parts of the body.

By comparison, two COVID-free men also undergoing surgery for erectile dysfunction had no evidence of the same sort of small blood vessel damage in their penises.

"I think this is probably not something men are discussing right now with all of the things that are going on," Ramasamy said. "I'm fairly certain in the next six months to one year we will probably get a better sense of the true prevalence of erectile dysfunction among COVID-positive men."

It makes sense that COVID-19 could affect men in this way, given the virus' ability to cause inflammation and damage blood vessels, said Dr. Ash Tewari, chair of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City.

However, Tewari cautioned that men shouldn't panic until more research has been done.

"One or two patients don't make a fact, but this is worth investigating from our standpoint," Tewari said. "COVID is an endothelial dysfunction. The small arteries of the heart can get impacted in the same way that the penile blood vessels can get impacted."

Ramasamy urged former COVID-19 patients now suffering from erectile dysfunction to seek medical help.

"Don't think this is something that's going to go away on its own. We think this could be a long-lasting effect, and not a temporary one," Ramasamy said.

There's one other piece of advice he has for men worried about this.

"Don't get COVID. Get vaccinated, so you don't get COVID," Ramasamy said.

[Atheris]

Tomorrow can’t come any sooner for me... I’m ready to be done.

Come join us in the winner's circle Cal. You got through the disaster alive and in one piece.

H-Huh...? The Winner's Circle?

Why am I never invited...? /j

Coronavirus lingers in penis, may cause impotence

-snippy snippy snip snip-

Good thing this doesn't apply to me, haha!

[North Washington Republic]

Biden to announce US plans to export 20 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson, appoint Jeff Zients to lead the global vaccine distribution project

President Joe Biden plans to send an additional 20 million doses of U.S. coronavirus vaccines abroad by the end of June -- including, for the first time, shots authorized for domestic use, where supply is beginning to outstrip demand.

Biden will announce Monday that he’ll export 20 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. or Johnson & Johnson, on top of 60 million AstraZeneca Plc doses he had already planned to give to other countries, according to a senior administration official familiar with the plan.

The official, who asked not to be identified ahead of planned remarks from the president, stressed that the measures are only a first step as the U.S. pivots its attention to quelling the pandemic abroad. Biden has previously pledged that the U.S. would soon become an “arsenal” of global vaccine supply.

Biden will also announce that he is putting Jeff Zients, who has served as the White House coronavirus response coordinator, in charge of his effort to beat back the pandemic globally, the official said. Zients will work with the National Security Council and other agencies to steer doses abroad. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the announcement, saying that the doses would go “to help countries battling the pandemic,” without specifying which ones. The 60 million AstraZeneca doses are subject to a safety review before they’ll be shipped. “We are waiting for, of course, AstraZeneca, as you know, to go through the approval process of the FDA, but this will put 80 million doses out into the world by the end of June,” Psaki said. [...] The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for use in the U.S., but AstraZeneca’s shot is not. It wasn’t immediately clear which countries would receive U.S. shipments.

Mexico and Canada have already received doses of the U.S. AstraZeneca stockpile, and Pfizer has begun shipping doses of its U.S.-produced vaccine to countries including Mexico, Canada and Uruguay, apart from the Biden administration’s plans to share doses.

According to literature I’ve read on the subject, the best way to contain variants and contain CoVID19 in general, is to go on a global vaccination campaign. This is a start. It protects us all.

I agree. However, I get the feeling from some on this form is that if you lift the patents, it will solve all of the problems. The mock the idea of sending already made and ready to use vaccines.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

According to literature I’ve read on the subject, the best way to contain variants and contain CoVID19 in general, is to go on a global vaccination campaign. This is a start. It protects us all.

I agree. However, I get the feeling from some on this form is that if you lift the patents, it will solve all of the problems. The mock the idea of sending already made and ready to use vaccines.

I can’t speak to the patents topic. I’m not informed enough. But I do think global vaccination campaigns are desperately needed, particularly in places like India, Nepal, Africa, Bangladesh, and other countries.

[Stellar Colonies]

Coronavirus lingers in penis, may cause impotence

Men now have one more compelling reason to get a COVID-19 vaccine—doctors suspect the new coronavirus could make it hard to perform in the bedroom. How? Coronavirus infection is already known to damage blood vessels, and vessels that supply blood to the penis appear to be no exception.

Researchers armed with an electron microscope found coronavirus particles in penile tissue samples taken from two former COVID-19 patients who became impotent following their infection, which had occurred six and eight months earlier.

Further study revealed evidence of blood vessel damage in the penises of the COVID-19 patients, compared to two other men with erectile dysfunction who'd never been infected, the researchers reported May 7 in the World Journal of Men's Health.

"We found that the virus affects the blood vessels that supply the penis, causing erectile dysfunction," said senior researcher Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, director of the reproductive urology program at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. "The blood vessels themselves malfunction and are not able to provide enough blood to enter the penis for an erection."

Ramasamy compared this to organ damage in the lungs, kidneys and brain that's been found in COVID-19 patients.

"We think the penis also could be affected in a similar way," Ramasamy said. "We don't think this is a temporary effect. We think this could be permanent."

The new report focused on two recovered COVID-19 patients undergoing penile prosthesis surgery for their erectile dysfunction. Both men had normal erectile function prior to their infections.

One of the men had been severely sick with COVID-19 and spent two weeks in the hospital before he recovered, but otherwise was free from chronic health problems.

The other man had a relatively mild case of COVID-19, but suffered from clogged arteries and high blood pressure before becoming infected.

Both men still had COVID-19 particles in their penile tissue, as well as evidence of endothelial dysfunction—a condition in which the linings of small blood vessels don't function properly and fail to provide adequate blood supply to different parts of the body.

By comparison, two COVID-free men also undergoing surgery for erectile dysfunction had no evidence of the same sort of small blood vessel damage in their penises.

"I think this is probably not something men are discussing right now with all of the things that are going on," Ramasamy said. "I'm fairly certain in the next six months to one year we will probably get a better sense of the true prevalence of erectile dysfunction among COVID-positive men."

It makes sense that COVID-19 could affect men in this way, given the virus' ability to cause inflammation and damage blood vessels, said Dr. Ash Tewari, chair of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City.

However, Tewari cautioned that men shouldn't panic until more research has been done.

"One or two patients don't make a fact, but this is worth investigating from our standpoint," Tewari said. "COVID is an endothelial dysfunction. The small arteries of the heart can get impacted in the same way that the penile blood vessels can get impacted."

Ramasamy urged former COVID-19 patients now suffering from erectile dysfunction to seek medical help.

"Don't think this is something that's going to go away on its own. We think this could be a long-lasting effect, and not a temporary one," Ramasamy said.

There's one other piece of advice he has for men worried about this.

"Don't get COVID. Get vaccinated, so you don't get COVID," Ramasamy said.

I do hope that nobody tries to use this as a tactic for weaponizing male gender roles to encourage men to get vaccinated (possible benefit of more vaccinations, certain detriment of reinforcing harmful gender roles which should be getting dismantled).

All that aside, this is an unsurprising but nevertheless concerning manifestation of the already observed effects of the virus.

[Rusozak]

Coronavirus lingers in penis, may cause impotence

Men now have one more compelling reason to get a COVID-19 vaccine—doctors suspect the new coronavirus could make it hard to perform in the bedroom. How? Coronavirus infection is already known to damage blood vessels, and vessels that supply blood to the penis appear to be no exception.

Researchers armed with an electron microscope found coronavirus particles in penile tissue samples taken from two former COVID-19 patients who became impotent following their infection, which had occurred six and eight months earlier.

Further study revealed evidence of blood vessel damage in the penises of the COVID-19 patients, compared to two other men with erectile dysfunction who'd never been infected, the researchers reported May 7 in the World Journal of Men's Health.

"We found that the virus affects the blood vessels that supply the penis, causing erectile dysfunction," said senior researcher Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, director of the reproductive urology program at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. "The blood vessels themselves malfunction and are not able to provide enough blood to enter the penis for an erection."

Ramasamy compared this to organ damage in the lungs, kidneys and brain that's been found in COVID-19 patients.

"We think the penis also could be affected in a similar way," Ramasamy said. "We don't think this is a temporary effect. We think this could be permanent."

The new report focused on two recovered COVID-19 patients undergoing penile prosthesis surgery for their erectile dysfunction. Both men had normal erectile function prior to their infections.

One of the men had been severely sick with COVID-19 and spent two weeks in the hospital before he recovered, but otherwise was free from chronic health problems.

The other man had a relatively mild case of COVID-19, but suffered from clogged arteries and high blood pressure before becoming infected.

Both men still had COVID-19 particles in their penile tissue, as well as evidence of endothelial dysfunction—a condition in which the linings of small blood vessels don't function properly and fail to provide adequate blood supply to different parts of the body.

By comparison, two COVID-free men also undergoing surgery for erectile dysfunction had no evidence of the same sort of small blood vessel damage in their penises.

"I think this is probably not something men are discussing right now with all of the things that are going on," Ramasamy said. "I'm fairly certain in the next six months to one year we will probably get a better sense of the true prevalence of erectile dysfunction among COVID-positive men."

It makes sense that COVID-19 could affect men in this way, given the virus' ability to cause inflammation and damage blood vessels, said Dr. Ash Tewari, chair of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City.

However, Tewari cautioned that men shouldn't panic until more research has been done.

"One or two patients don't make a fact, but this is worth investigating from our standpoint," Tewari said. "COVID is an endothelial dysfunction. The small arteries of the heart can get impacted in the same way that the penile blood vessels can get impacted."

Ramasamy urged former COVID-19 patients now suffering from erectile dysfunction to seek medical help.

"Don't think this is something that's going to go away on its own. We think this could be a long-lasting effect, and not a temporary one," Ramasamy said.

There's one other piece of advice he has for men worried about this.

"Don't get COVID. Get vaccinated, so you don't get COVID," Ramasamy said.

I do hope that nobody tries to use this as a tactic for weaponizing male gender roles to encourage men to get vaccinated (possible benefit of more vaccinations, certain detriment of reinforcing harmful gender roles which should be getting dismantled).

All that aside, this is an unsurprising but nevertheless concerning manifestation of the already observed effects of the virus.

Okay, but... that's nature telling us to curb our birth rates if I've ever seen one.

[Stellar Colonies]

California will wait until June 15 to lift indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people

Same as the birthday for someone I know, neat.

California will lift its mask mandate for fully vaccinated people June 15, giving the state nearly a month to get vaccination rates higher, virus levels lower and businesses more time to figure out how to handle vaccine verification.

The guidance that state health officials announced Monday aligns with recommendations issued last week by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — but will take effect later in California than in many other states, some of which have already lifted mask mandates. The CDC’s guidance says people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may abandon their masks in most indoor and outdoor spaces.

Until June 15, current masking rules will remain in place in California: Masks are required in indoor settings outside the home, whether a person is vaccinated or not. Fully vaccinated people — those who had their final shot at least two weeks earlier — do not have to wear masks outdoors except in crowded settings.

“This four-week period will give Californians time to prepare for this change,” Dr. Mark Ghaly, California health and human services secretary, said during a news briefing. “Four weeks between now and June 15 allows a number of Californians who may be eligible to get vaccinated but were considering waiting a little longer — now that they see there will be less masking in our communities, they may decide this is the week to get vaccinated.”

June 15 is also the target date for California’s economy to reopen. Assuming COVID-19 hospitalizations remain low and vaccines are available to all who want them, most business sectors will be allowed to operate at higher capacity.

California has one of the lowest case rates and lowest hospitalization rates in the country. It is around the middle of the pack in vaccination rates.

Adopting federal mask guidance in a month, rather than immediately, will give the state and businesses time to determine how to verify whether people going into public settings are in fact vaccinated.

The state has said it will not oversee vaccine verification. But on Monday, Ghaly appeared to leave the door open to the idea, saying California is tracking New York’s digital vaccine verification system Excelsior Pass and is “continuing to watch and see how these technologies can be used to help support public health in our state.”

California’s decision to wait until June 15 to lift mask mandates for the vaccinated is in line with the state’s overall COVID pandemic policies, which have generally been more cautious than those of other states and the federal government. This pattern is holding true with masking, as many other states have already lifted their indoor mandates for vaccinated residents or have announced plans to do so sooner than June 15.

New York and Massachusetts, for instance, will lift mask mandates for vaccinated residents on Wednesday and May 29, respectively. Oregon and Washington state have already done so. And about half of states never had indoor mask requirements, nor did the federal government.

California is not alone, however. Both Hawaii and New Jersey are keeping their indoor mandates in place indefinitely.

“I think (June 15 is) a reasonable date. Looking at the vaccination rates in different states, California is one of the better states, so by June 15 more people will have been vaccinated by that time,” said Dr. Lee Riley, a professor of epidemiology at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. “Some other states may have been premature. They were doing this even before CDC came out with the guidelines. So I think it’s in keeping with California policy ever since the pandemic began.”

There are some exceptions to the looser mask restrictions. Masks will be required at California schools until the end of 2021, Ghaly said. And they will still be mandatory in some public spaces including hospitals, nursing homes, public transit, jails and prisons, and homeless shelters, under CDC guidelines.

As is the case with most COVID regulations, counties and businesses can choose to be stricter than the state and keep mask mandates in place after June 15 or pick a later date to lift them.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health said it supported the June 15 target date. The city has one of the highest vaccination rates in the state, with 53% of residents fully vaccinated as of Monday. Statewide, about 39% of the population is fully vaccinated.

“We just need to hang in there a little longer and for every eligible person to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” the department tweeted.

Supporters of the CDC mask-lifting guidance said it was reasonable, based on how effective the coronavirus vaccines are proving to be and how many Americans have already gotten them. But others worry that unvaccinated people will also drop their masks and put themselves and others at risk of infection.

Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of UCSF’s Department of Medicine, said California’s move is a “good call” and that the CDC’s recommendations were premature. “Simply too much virus and too many unvaxxed folks who won’t mask for no-mask indoor spaces to be safe now,” he tweeted Monday.

The CDC and state public health officials have come under increasing pressure to relax rules for what fully vaccinated people are allowed to do. Some experts had criticized health officials for being overly cautious, saying they were sending a message that the vaccines couldn’t be trusted.

The vaccines are up to 95% effective at preventing moderate illness, and close to 100% effective at preventing hospitalization and death. For a while, experts worried that vaccinated people could still become infected with no obvious signs of illness and unwittingly infect others, but the vaccines appear to be strongly protective against transmission, too.

UCSF’s Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician, said it became clear after the CDC announced mask guidelines that many Californians were not ready for the change just yet. She said state officials giving businesses and residents a month to adjust is “perfectly reasonable.” Still, she urged Californians to view the changes coming June 15 as a positive turning point.

“Instead of feeling trepidation about it, which I know a lot of people do, people should embrace it,” she said. “We have these astounding vaccines and have given access to all Californians since April 15. Any model will tell us cases and hospitalizations are going to stay low, and that our immunity as a population in California is high. This is something to embrace as a wonderful thing. I’m looking forward to June 15.”

[Stellar Colonies]

I do hope that nobody tries to use this as a tactic for weaponizing male gender roles to encourage men to get vaccinated (possible benefit of more vaccinations, certain detriment of reinforcing harmful gender roles which should be getting dismantled).

All that aside, this is an unsurprising but nevertheless concerning manifestation of the already observed effects of the virus.

Okay, but... that's nature telling us to curb our birth rates if I've ever seen one.

They're already being fairly well curbed, virus-related suppression or not.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Coronavirus lingers in penis, may cause impotence

Men now have one more compelling reason to get a COVID-19 vaccine—doctors suspect the new coronavirus could make it hard to perform in the bedroom. How? Coronavirus infection is already known to damage blood vessels, and vessels that supply blood to the penis appear to be no exception.

Researchers armed with an electron microscope found coronavirus particles in penile tissue samples taken from two former COVID-19 patients who became impotent following their infection, which had occurred six and eight months earlier.

Further study revealed evidence of blood vessel damage in the penises of the COVID-19 patients, compared to two other men with erectile dysfunction who'd never been infected, the researchers reported May 7 in the World Journal of Men's Health.

"We found that the virus affects the blood vessels that supply the penis, causing erectile dysfunction," said senior researcher Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, director of the reproductive urology program at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. "The blood vessels themselves malfunction and are not able to provide enough blood to enter the penis for an erection."

Ramasamy compared this to organ damage in the lungs, kidneys and brain that's been found in COVID-19 patients.

"We think the penis also could be affected in a similar way," Ramasamy said. "We don't think this is a temporary effect. We think this could be permanent."

The new report focused on two recovered COVID-19 patients undergoing penile prosthesis surgery for their erectile dysfunction. Both men had normal erectile function prior to their infections.

One of the men had been severely sick with COVID-19 and spent two weeks in the hospital before he recovered, but otherwise was free from chronic health problems.

The other man had a relatively mild case of COVID-19, but suffered from clogged arteries and high blood pressure before becoming infected.

Both men still had COVID-19 particles in their penile tissue, as well as evidence of endothelial dysfunction—a condition in which the linings of small blood vessels don't function properly and fail to provide adequate blood supply to different parts of the body.

By comparison, two COVID-free men also undergoing surgery for erectile dysfunction had no evidence of the same sort of small blood vessel damage in their penises.

"I think this is probably not something men are discussing right now with all of the things that are going on," Ramasamy said. "I'm fairly certain in the next six months to one year we will probably get a better sense of the true prevalence of erectile dysfunction among COVID-positive men."

It makes sense that COVID-19 could affect men in this way, given the virus' ability to cause inflammation and damage blood vessels, said Dr. Ash Tewari, chair of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City.

However, Tewari cautioned that men shouldn't panic until more research has been done.

"One or two patients don't make a fact, but this is worth investigating from our standpoint," Tewari said. "COVID is an endothelial dysfunction. The small arteries of the heart can get impacted in the same way that the penile blood vessels can get impacted."

Ramasamy urged former COVID-19 patients now suffering from erectile dysfunction to seek medical help.

"Don't think this is something that's going to go away on its own. We think this could be a long-lasting effect, and not a temporary one," Ramasamy said.

There's one other piece of advice he has for men worried about this.

"Don't get COVID. Get vaccinated, so you don't get COVID," Ramasamy said.

I do hope that nobody tries to use this as a tactic for weaponizing male gender roles to encourage men to get vaccinated (possible benefit of more vaccinations, certain detriment of reinforcing harmful gender roles which should be getting dismantled).

All that aside, this is an unsurprising but nevertheless concerning manifestation of the already observed effects of the virus.

Counterpoint: Imagine as a man without erectile dysfunction catching it permanently from a disease. It wouldn't be fun.

[Stellar Colonies]

I do hope that nobody tries to use this as a tactic for weaponizing male gender roles to encourage men to get vaccinated (possible benefit of more vaccinations, certain detriment of reinforcing harmful gender roles which should be getting dismantled).

All that aside, this is an unsurprising but nevertheless concerning manifestation of the already observed effects of the virus.

Counterpoint: Imagine as a man without erectile dysfunction catching it permanently from a disease. It wouldn't be fun.

It would not, yep.

[North Washington Republic]

Counterpoint: Imagine as a man without erectile dysfunction catching it permanently from a disease. It wouldn't be fun.

It would not, yep.

I hope this information convinces male Republicans to get vaccinated. At this point, I think the vast majority of unvaccinated people are never going to get vacationed. This is why we should be sending vaccines on mass to poorer countries and hotspots.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

My PRC CoVID19 test results came back negative. I was finally able to finish my travel declaration for the Puerto Rico Health Department. I’m good to travel this Wednesday! I’m seeing my mom after a year and five months!!

[Kowani]

My PRC CoVID19 test results came back negative. I was finally able to finish my travel declaration for the Puerto Rico Health Department. I’m good to travel this Wednesday! I’m seeing my mom after a year and five months!!

eiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
felicidades, cha'ala