Coronavirus (NO POLITICAL OR SOCIAL COMMENTARY PLEASE)

[Mavsfan41]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

DoD 11/16/2020

And I’m truly sorry for your loss. Nobody should have to lose a friend or loved one to this virus.

I just wanted to let you know that since my last post was offering a different opinion from yours on the vaccine.

[mar3o]

Curious what people's thoughts are about this article:

https://news.yahoo.com/pfizer-modern...130000898.html

There are two significant concerns. First, both Pfizer and Moderna candidates use synthetic mRNA technology to activate the immune system against the virus and must be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius (-94 F) or below, or at refrigerated levels for no more than 30 days and freezing at -20 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Second, mRNA technology has never been approved as a vaccine previously, meaning that both short and long-term safety risks are not as well understood. Moreover, this may have particular implications for repeated use of the vaccine (e.g., should yearly vaccinations be required).

As a first-generation submission, the mRNA vaccine candidates should be applauded. But, the next-generation of heat-stable alternatives, like Soligenix's (NASDAQ: SNGX) CiVax, may offer a better and more viable platform to meet global dosing initiatives. That premise is supported in a Reuters' article that quoted Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, as saying, "The cold chain is going to be one of the most challenging aspects of the delivery of this vaccination...and this will be a challenge in all settings because hospitals even in big cities do not have storage facilities for a vaccine at that ultra-low temperature."

The article also noted that even one of the most prestigious U.S. hospitals, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, does not currently have that capability. Therefore, don't count on your local pharmacy, grocery chain, or town hospital to have the equipment to store the vaccine either.

Of particular value for them would be to distinguish that the CiVax subunit vaccine does not use live-virus components. That may be the most compelling argument in favor of considering how a CiVax solution compares against dosing a billion people with the Pfizer or Moderna candidate with multiple unknowns.

A year from now, absolutely nobody knows the potential after-dosing effects of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine candidate. That's probably not the case with Soligenix's subunit vaccine since subunit proteins have been used for decades. It also differs substantially from inactivated whole-cell vaccines by including only the pathogen's antigenic parts -- the parts necessary to elicit a protective immune response. Thus, the vaccine's premise may be safer from the start and provide a similar therapeutic value.

Moreover, subunit vaccine candidates, like CiVax, are safe and follow a long list of vaccines that have been universally well-tolerated and effective for decades.

The arguments against speed over potential efficacy are warranted. After all, before potentially growing an extra ear three years from now because a pharmacy technician allowed the cold-chain to break, it's essential to look at feasible alternatives. In that measure, CiVax can check off many of the boxes that the Pfizer and Moderna drug does not.

Also noteworthy is that CiVax demonstrated the ability to generate both neutralizing antibodies AND cell-mediated immunity - both of which are considered critical to generating a potent immune response. Better still is that robust responses were measured even after one vaccination. Thus, a single dose CiVax vaccine may be feasible.

The differences may be better shown in comparison. If a (-94 F) drug is challenging to deliver as a single dose, the subsequent effort to re-dose the population can present insurmountable challenges even in perfect conditions. And, circumstances that allow for even minimal refrigerated conditions won't exist for most of the world's population, especially those outside of metropolitan areas or who live in remote regions of the world.

It definitely sounds like Soligenix's Civax may offer some large benefits over the other 2 vaccines (no temperature storage requirements; based off proven safe vaccine methods), but then there's this disclaimer at the bottom of the article:

This communication was produced by PCG Digital Holdings, LLC, and affiliate of PCG Advisory Inc., (together "PCG"). PCG is an integrated investor relations, communications and strategic advisory firm. The information contained on this may be 'Paid Advertising' for purposes of Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (together with the rules and regulations there under, the "Securities Act"). PCG may be compensated by respective clients for publicizing information relating to its client's securities.

So how much of this is truth and how much is hyperbolic paid advertising?

[Lee A Stewart]

This handout photo taken in Oct. 2020 and provided by Pfizer shows part of a “freezer farm,” a football field-sized facility for storing finished COVID-19 vaccines, in Puurs, Belgium. Pfizer’s experimental vaccine requires ultra-cold storage and are being stored in special freezers until approval and distribution. Pfizer Inc. said Monday, Nov. 9, 2020 that its COVID-19 vaccine may be a remarkable 90% effective, based on early and incomplete test results that nevertheless brought a big burst of optimism to a world desperate for the means to finally bring the catastrophic outbreak under control

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

DoD 11/16/2020

Sorry to hear that. My thoughts will be with you and your family.

[ctujackbauer]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Curious what people's thoughts are about this article:

https://news.yahoo.com/pfizer-modern...130000898.html


It definitely sounds like Soligenix's Civax may offer some large benefits over the other 2 vaccines (no temperature storage requirements; based off proven safe vaccine methods), but then there's this disclaimer at the bottom of the article:

So how much of this is truth and how much is hyperbolic paid advertising?

It's a press release from what is essentially a penny stock which lost nearly all of its value and has no track record.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Mavsfan41

I’m all for people getting vaccinated if that’s the choice they want to make, but my employer definitely shouldn’t be able to force that on me.

Until all the side effects of the vaccine are revealed then I’m definitely not getting it. Why should I get it, and risk serious health damage later on just because my employer thought they should make that choice for me?

It should be just like the yearly flu shot (which I do get) in that it’s up to each individual person as to whether they think it’s safe or not.

Oh, employers have the right to require employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine, keeping in mind the caveats I listed above. Unfortunately, in light of exemptions and the risk of meritless discrimination claimed by unscrupulous employees, some/many? employers may ultimately choose to take the easier path and simply encourage employees to take the COVID-19 vaccine rather than to mandate it.

If the vaccines pass FDA approval, my feeling on this is the same as with states stepping up to require that parents vaccinate their children against various diseases, including polio and measles, as a prerequisite to enrolling them in public schools, which is a good thing, because the presence of too many unvaccinated children presents a clear public health risk as will COVID-19 unvaccinated adults. The safety of COVID-19 vaccination for children is yet to be determined.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Mavsfan41

And I’m truly sorry for your loss. Nobody should have to lose a friend or loved one to this virus.
I just wanted to let you know that since my last post was offering a different opinion from yours on the vaccine.

Thank you, we had sort of prepared ourselves for the poor outcome after learning he had coded over the weekend and being familiar with his deteriorating clinical data. The most discouraging thing to us has been that he wasn’t overweight at all (actually on the thin side), carried no comorbidities and was not really ‘old’, having just entered his 5th decade of life – not to mention, between Attendings, residents and nursing staff, he received excellent care at a university affiliated hospital.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Sorry to hear that. My thoughts will be with you and your family.

Thanks Steed (and Batman above). The family has given so much. His father, as a young teen, despite being wounded, helped rescue the POWs in The Great Raid - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0326905/

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

That ^ ... read the fine print. No need to have a PhD in rocket science.
Elon Musk must be into something with SpaceX ...

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Thanks Steed (and Batman above). The family has given so much. His father, as a young teen, despite being wounded, helped rescue the POWs in The Great Raid - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0326905/

Wow!

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

DoD 11/16/2020

Very sorry to hear.

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by ctujackbauer

It's a press release from what is essentially a penny stock which lost nearly all of its value and has no track record.

Is that all there is to it? I mean, that article makes some pretty extraordinary claims about their vaccine if there's any truth to it. If that vaccine holds so much promise, why are we not hearing anything about it?

[ctujackbauer]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Is that all there is to it? I mean, that article makes some pretty extraordinary claims about their vaccine if there's any truth to it. If that vaccine holds so much promise, why are we not hearing anything about it?

It disclaimed in the article that its entirely based on preclinical trial results. It's not even in the same ballpark as Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna.

That "article" (actually a press release) has a bunch of pharma buzzwords aimed at people who fall for that. It had two reverse splits of 1 for 20 and 1 for 10, mostly to stay publicly traded, in hopes that some sucker buys it. And it has been publicly traded for 22 years without any FDA approved drugs in its history.

That said, if one of its orphan drugs/rare disease drugs actually gets approved, it could be worth something.

[LordoftheRings]

Mouthwash ...
• https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-54971650

[Pondosinatra]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

DoD 11/16/2020

So sorry to hear that.

[Batman1980]

2100 new cases of COVID today in New Mexico, a new record...

[Staying Salty]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

DoD 11/16/2020

May he RIP. Shalom to you and all of the family.

[LordoftheRings]

Every few days they have to revise their numbers (new cases and new deaths) and readjust them accordingly for those past few days.
Nowadays more than ever; deaths of few hundreds more and cases by several thousands more.
Today doesn't look good...on the number of new deaths worldwide...in the five digits.

They'd better hurry up with those vaccines.

20201117_184052.jpg

[LordoftheRings]

More on vaccines ...
⚕ https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...w/?arc404=true

[atomik kinder]

My nephew's stepdaughter went to her dad's two weeks ago. (Her mom and dad have joint custody so switch off every week.) Her dad did not bother to tell my nephew's wife that he and his mother had been tested for Covid when they did the switch. Two days later, he called and said they both tested positive! Now the daughter has tested positive too! So far she has no symptoms. My nephew has Crohn's Disease and is on an immunosuppressant and their son has lung problems because he was born prematurely. They cannot let her come back to their house until she tests negative.

My sister just texted me this morning that her husband has tested positive. He had chills and fever, etc. Their son works for the govt. and has six people in his office who have it. They think they may have been exposed by him, but both he and his girlfriend have come back negative all the times they have been tested. My sister has some mild symptoms and is being tested tomorrow. Both my sister and brother-in-law are in their late sixties. I haven't seen them since September.

I know one person who was in the hospital for a month on a ventilator, and another who had lung cancer, got it and died. Both of whom I used to work with.