DON'T PANIC.... well, maybe a little bit.

Difficult decisions to be made by governments because whatever is done will have it's downsides.
The more difficult discussions seem to be with the doctors that have to decide if they can hopefully treat someone or send them home to die. To turn people away because they have no empty space for them even if there was a chance to save them if they had said space. Governments are supposed to be for and by the people in any democracy. It should always be people first and never who can I blame for not doing my part first.

Yes, there are downsides to every government decision but choosing economy first over the health and welfare of the residents should not be one of them. Choosing to let health flounder will cause more damage to the economy in the long run than looking out for them now.
 
Perhaps the best thing that can be said about lock-downs is that by slowing the spread the medical services are better placed to deal with cases. Meanwhile the impact on jobs and economies is becoming catastrophic.

I think everyone agrees that lockdowns are not long-term solutions. Keeping certain very high-risk businesses closed indefinitely is unfortunate for some, but sustainable in broad economic impact.

But the abandonment of simple measures like masks is depressing.

The study indicated that the use of both physical distancing and masking between 50 and 80 percent of the population results in a substantial reduction of infections.

But what’s most critical is that the models indicate that if 80–90 percent of the population wears masks, the disease will eventually be eliminated.

Without masking, the study says, we could be looking at a second wave in 4 to 5 months.

“What you want is 100 percent of people to wear masks, but you’ll settle for 80 percent,” said Rutherford. In one simulation, researchers predicted that 80 percent of the population wearing masks would do more to reduce COVID-19 spread than a strict lockdown.

The latest forecast from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation suggests that 33,000 deaths could be avoided by October 1 if 95 percent of people wore masks in public.
 
Indonesians are saying things like "they are already numb" or "they need to work otherwise they will starve to death instead", that's understandable. However, they have to be reminded again and again to wear mask when they go out, not to protect themselves but to protect others. I heard excuses like "I'm not afraid, or whatever will be will be". That's not the point, you may be carrying the virus and passing it to others. The government should work in reminding the population again and again to wear mask at all times. If herd immunity is the strategy now, then about 60% will be infected = >160 million. And if fatalities are 5% of infected = >8 million. The question is how long to get to 60%, and will it stop at around 60%? And when hospital beds become scarce, some will be refused medical care, so fatalities may increase to maybe 10% = >16 million.
 
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Vietnam is reporting a new more virulent strain of virus killing more people who contract it than Covid 19. I wonder what the implication is for the various vaccines being developed around the world.
 
Possible vaccine is yearly, just like cats & dogs need vaccination yearly.
 
Of more immediate concern is whether or not these newly developed vaccines will deal with the new strain found in Vietnam?
 
Of more immediate concern is whether or not these newly developed vaccines will deal with the new strain found in Vietnam?

Asia got hit first with the original D strain, which later mutated in Europe to become the more infectious (but similarly deadly) G strains, which are now dominant in Europe and the Americas. Because of global travel restrictions, only recently has the more infectious G strain started to spread in Asia, including Vietnam.

The latest statistic is that the G strain now comprises 74% of all global infections and consistently increasing, so that should be the primary target for a vaccine, but the good news is that scientists expect a vaccine to be universal for all known strains. I hope they are right.
 
What vaccinations to cats and dogs need on a yearly basis?

Annual vaccine for cats: PUREVAX RCP > Cat Panleucopenia, Herpes / Rhinotracheitis, Calici

Every 3 years for cats: RABISIN > Rabies

Annual vaccine for dogs: EUROCAN 6 + RABISIN > Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirosis, Parainfluenza, Leptospirosis + Rabies

Note: PUREVAX RCP, RABISIN, EUROCAN 6 are brands owned by Merial (a Sanofi Company).
 
Interesting, I don’t have a dog or cat here, but my older kid does in the US, and I don’t recall any yearly shots there. Is this something just for Indonesia?
 
Interesting, I don’t have a dog or cat here, but my older kid does in the US, and I don’t recall any yearly shots there. Is this something just for Indonesia?

Let's stay on subject & not stray to scamming veterinarians ....
 
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I found this interesting and I like when someone leads by example, so, kudos to Ridwan kamil for this step:
"
West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil announced on Monday that he would volunteer in the upcoming human trials for a potential COVID-19 vaccine that is being developed by China-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech in partnership with state-owned pharmaceutical holding company PT Bio Farma.

“My medical team has helped me to register online. I have received some sort of a digital receipt [of the registration form],” Ridwan said in an official video for the press on Monday.

“However, I have not yet received any confirmation of my request. I still have to wait for the result of my health assessment, which declares whether I am qualified to be a volunteer in the trials,” he added.

Ridwan said he would follow all medical procedures without any special treatment to become a volunteer and he would accept any result, including if the trial committee declared him unqualified for the trials.

The governor said that his decision to volunteer would hopefully send a message to the public that the government would always actively take part in efforts against COVID-19.

“We are all in this together. Even the governor is willing to take part in the process,” he said, adding that he would be honest in delivering any result from the trials of the potential vaccine to the public.

In the meantime, Indonesian scientists are set to start phase III clinical trials of the vaccine on Tuesday in six different locations in the West Java provincial capital Bandung."

 
Ridwan said he would follow all medical procedures without any special treatment to become a volunteer and he would accept any result, including if the trial committee declared him unqualified for the trials

Call me overly cynical, but that seems to me to be a get-out clause.

"Aw, shucks - the committee has said that I can't take part. And I was so looking forward to being a guinea pig, too."
 
Call me overly cynical, but that seems to me to be a get-out clause.

"Aw, shucks - the committee has said that I can't take part. And I was so looking forward to being a guinea pig, too."
Possibly so, time will tell. He is quite dynamic though so I shall be kind & give benefit of the doubt until proved wrong :D
 
so if a vaccine comes . will we all be forced to have it??
For some reason I find that disturbing
 
so if a vaccine comes . will we all be forced to have it??
For some reason I find that disturbing
My guess: nobody is forced to vaccinate.
Vaccines will be a requirement for international travel. One can survive without traveling internationally (as has been painfully demonstrated over the past few months). For expats, the choice may be either vaccinate and travel or live illegally. In that case, there is a stronger case that they are being "forced" to vaccinate.
All that said, I anticipate taking multiple vaccines in order to ensure my ability to visit my aging parents in the US.
 

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