Covid-19, Lockdown and repercussions

[Theb]

I'd like to discuss the financial and the mental repercussions of the pandemic plus, how do you cope with the Lockdown yourself?

For the financial part of things the company I am working with have successfully shifted from a work from home setup so I was one of the fortunate ones to be able to get fully pay even if I am not on an office, the sad thing about lockdowns is how you can't really socialize with your friends anymore aside from the social media which really I don't count as socializing, this for me is one of the toughest challenges as I always like to go out and eat with friends. I really don't watch the tv anymore as I don't see any goods news but always how the pandemic is getting more worst in my country so what it looks to me that a vaccine isn't really solving anything right now.

[Fatunad]

I'd like to discuss the financial and the mental repercussions of the pandemic plus, how do you cope with the Lockdown yourself?

Our country experienced a lockdown, and now I guess we'll experience it again as the COVID-19 cases per day are massively increasing. The only thing I'm doing during lockdown is to study and earn more knowledge in different aspects as it might help me to grow. It's kinda hard but I won't stay and chill at home during lockdown while everyone is struggling because this is the right time to develop ourselves in terms of physical, mental, and emotional because we need to be strong in order to survive the pandemic.

As if we do have some choice? Rather than on sitting and just waiting for some aid then its better to make yourself efficient even on the times like these.It might be hard but
its not impossible.Everything could really have their own solution and making yourself way more productive even on the convenience of your own home could still be done.
It is just on someones on how they do deal up with the problem and finding the possible solutions that could really help them out to survive this hard times.
Lock downs would be most likely be on domino effect specially now that the cases is gradually rising once again.People should at least mind when it comes to
discipline or following health protocols because this would really be a never ending problem if we do continue to behave like this.

[Sithara007]

Our country now is back to ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) for 1 week, people again go to supermarket (Panic Buying). This happened because many people are not following simple health protocol, that our government imposed because of these other people now suffer of losing again job and closing their business. Hopefully people will become responsible for their action to minimize spreading of virus.

Lockdown or any other restriction of less than two weeks will not cause any permanent dip in the number of new infections. The incubation period of COVID 19 ranges from 10 to 15 days and that means that these restrictions that last for one week or less are not going to work. At the most, we may see a temporary dip in the number of new cases for one week after the measure, but the rates will go back to the previous level in short time. IMO, the government should impose a complete lockdown of 3 weeks, which can reduce the caseload by 80% plus, if implemented carefully.

[Ipwich]

This lockdown caused by Covid-19 has surely affects the lives of people globally. Industries no matter how big or small was closed except for those industries that produces essential needs. Surely, some are glad because they can work from home and see their families everyday and some are also not happy because their works are limited or the company they work on was closed during this pandemic.

[bryant.coleman]

This lockdown caused by Covid-19 has surely affects the lives of people globally. Industries no matter how big or small was closed except for those industries that produces essential needs. Surely, some are glad because they can work from home and see their families everyday and some are also not happy because their works are limited or the company they work on was closed during this pandemic.

Blue collar workers such as masons and plumbers can't work from home. If the lockdown is imposed, then they will be losing their income. But the good thing this time is that even in case lockdown restrictions are imposed, they are unlikely to last more than a couple of weeks. Hopefully their employers can compensate them for this time period. The government should also step in and offer some sort of financial help to such people.

[Ultegra134]

Our country now is back to ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) for 1 week, people again go to supermarket (Panic Buying). This happened because many people are not following simple health protocol, that our government imposed because of these other people now suffer of losing again job and closing their business. Hopefully people will become responsible for their action to minimize spreading of virus.

Lockdown or any other restriction of less than two weeks will not cause any permanent dip in the number of new infections. The incubation period of COVID 19 ranges from 10 to 15 days and that means that these restrictions that last for one week or less are not going to work. At the most, we may see a temporary dip in the number of new cases for one week after the measure, but the rates will go back to the previous level in short time. IMO, the government should impose a complete lockdown of 3 weeks, which can reduce the caseload by 80% plus, if implemented carefully.

Couldn't agree more, and usually, that's not even enough. In Greece, the lockdown was imposed in early November, (7th of November if I remember correctly). The first prediction was that the lockdown would last till the end of the month, well they were wrong. We're currently entering our 6th month of strict lockdown, with the foreseeable future looking depressing, we still haven't reached the peak of the pandemic, flattening the curve will take weeks, or even months.

[Ucy]

Our country now is back to ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) for 1 week, people again go to supermarket (Panic Buying). This happened because many people are not following simple health protocol, that our government imposed because of these other people now suffer of losing again job and closing their business. Hopefully people will become responsible for their action to minimize spreading of virus.

I guess you mean not following the health safety protocol/rules is why the disease issue is increasing again, hence the Enhanced Community Lockdown? I want to be sure you do not mean the Panic buying was as a result of not following the safety rules.  While reading your post, I thought the panic buying was as a result of the lockdown or fear of lockdown.

[DrBeer]

Maybe International pharma companies can help India out and deliver vaccines from USA? Eventually all people in USA should be vaccinated and then the export of vaccine doses can start. I find it kind of sad that there is no international approach to the vaccination process. Every country is on their own and is trying to out bid others. India has so many more people than USA and UK. A distribution based on population would be fair.

It is harder to convince pharma companies to bring drugs from USA to any other nation, even big rich nations, and harder for them to do that for nations poor like India. Reason for that is the fact that in USA the health sector is unregulated, people could buy all stocks of a drug and 4000x increase the price and sell and there is nothing stopping them doing it, whereas if you did that in any other nation government would literally seize your production and stop you from doing that.

This is why they rather sell something in USA for 300 dollars instead of 10 dollars in big nations and maybe 3 dollars in small nations, why would they lose that? However if they can produce a lot of it and there is vaccines not being sold enough in USA that would spill towards other nations, but that will take some time, which is why I doubt it would be anytime soon.

Pharmaceutical companies are not charitable organizations. Moreover, there are much more pharmaceutical companies than Pizer and 3-4 more that have developed a vaccine. Why don't the rest of us sit and make a vaccine and sell it for a penny? For example, you can take out loans from banks, create a pharmaceutical company, invent a vaccine for Covid and give it away for free - why not? You are ready ?
Whatever it was - but there is no reason to demand from those who were able to get the vaccine, at their own expense, to help everyone who did not comply with the conditions of quarantine, who did not make the slightest effort to fight Covid, and simply do charity work. Well, at least because their capabilities are also limited, and as a maximum - why should they help someone for free, spending on this invention of strength, time, health, money?

[Ultegra134]

Maybe International pharma companies can help India out and deliver vaccines from USA? Eventually all people in USA should be vaccinated and then the export of vaccine doses can start. I find it kind of sad that there is no international approach to the vaccination process. Every country is on their own and is trying to out bid others. India has so many more people than USA and UK. A distribution based on population would be fair.

It is harder to convince pharma companies to bring drugs from USA to any other nation, even big rich nations, and harder for them to do that for nations poor like India. Reason for that is the fact that in USA the health sector is unregulated, people could buy all stocks of a drug and 4000x increase the price and sell and there is nothing stopping them doing it, whereas if you did that in any other nation government would literally seize your production and stop you from doing that.

This is why they rather sell something in USA for 300 dollars instead of 10 dollars in big nations and maybe 3 dollars in small nations, why would they lose that? However if they can produce a lot of it and there is vaccines not being sold enough in USA that would spill towards other nations, but that will take some time, which is why I doubt it would be anytime soon.

Pharmaceutical companies are not charitable organizations. Moreover, there are much more pharmaceutical companies than Pizer and 3-4 more that have developed a vaccine. Why don't the rest of us sit and make a vaccine and sell it for a penny? For example, you can take out loans from banks, create a pharmaceutical company, invent a vaccine for Covid and give it away for free - why not? You are ready ?
Whatever it was - but there is no reason to demand from those who were able to get the vaccine, at their own expense, to help everyone who did not comply with the conditions of quarantine, who did not make the slightest effort to fight Covid, and simply do charity work. Well, at least because their capabilities are also limited, and as a maximum - why should they help someone for free, spending on this invention of strength, time, health, money?

Of course, pharmaceutical companies aren't a charity, they expect to make money from vaccines or any Covid-19 related medicine. We're supposedly paying for taxes, which includes health care and any pharmaceutical assistance we may need. Thus, the governments are paying for these vaccines through taxation, it isn't exactly free for its citizens.

[Vishnu.Reang]

Of course, pharmaceutical companies aren't a charity, they expect to make money from vaccines or any Covid-19 related medicine. We're supposedly paying for taxes, which includes health care and any pharmaceutical assistance we may need. Thus, the governments are paying for these vaccines through taxation, it isn't exactly free for its citizens.

Here in India, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is mass produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII). In the beginning, they demanded the government that they should receive ₹1000 (around $13) per dose for the vaccine. But the government refused and after many rounds of hard negotiations, the price was fixed at ₹200 per dose (around $2.50). SII is not happy about it, but right now they can't do anything about it. On top of that, the government has also imposed export restrictions on the vaccines produced by SII, thereby further reducing their profits.

[CarnagexD]

Inb4 in the Philippines the government is so incompetent even after taking a loan worth $400 million to specifically use for vaccine purchase, they still managed to let greed and corruption take over and had every private company/entity who will buy COVID vaccines to forcibly give half of what they purchased to the government, imagine that lmao. Not to mention the fact that they chose Sinovac with 50% efficacy and a huge markup price over cheaper and more effective alternatives all to lick Xi Jinping's bootsoles.

[Oilacris]

Inb4 in the Philippines the government is so incompetent even after taking a loan worth $400 million to specifically use for vaccine purchase, they still managed to let greed and corruption take over and had every private company/entity who will buy COVID vaccines to forcibly give half of what they purchased to the government, imagine that lmao. Not to mention the fact that they chose Sinovac with 50% efficacy and a huge markup price over cheaper and more effective alternatives all to lick Xi Jinping's bootsoles.

Do you have some links that proves out this thing? This kind of accusation should really be at least have some solid back up on what you are saying here.

In corruption talks then we cant deny that PH is one on the list when it comes to this manner but its just really that too bad that they are even targetting out those funds which
should really be allocated with vaccine.

Why the hell they do consider on that 50% efficacy if there are other which are more better?

[BuNga_cute]

Inb4 in the Philippines the government is so incompetent even after taking a loan worth $400 million to specifically use for vaccine purchase, they still managed to let greed and corruption take over and had every private company/entity who will buy COVID vaccines to forcibly give half of what they purchased to the government, imagine that lmao. Not to mention the fact that they chose Sinovac with 50% efficacy and a huge markup price over cheaper and more effective alternatives all to lick Xi Jinping's bootsoles.

Do you have some links that proves out this thing? This kind of accusation should really be at least have some solid back up on what you are saying here.

In corruption talks then we cant deny that PH is one on the list when it comes to this manner but its just really that too bad that they are even targetting out those funds which
should really be allocated with vaccine.

Why the hell they do consider on that 50% efficacy if there are other which are more better?

I agree that it is better to include evidence that the Philippine government is corrupt in relation to the purchase of vaccines. Because this is
a serious accusation in my opinion, but whether true or not the Philippine government is committing corruption. Very heartless, if somebody
use a situation like this to enrich yourself. Indeed, greed can turn people into heartlessness. But the accusations against the Philippine government
do make sense, why did they choose to buy Sinovac with 50% efficacy if there was something even better. This indeed needs to be investigated further.
In order to know the real reason the Philippine government chose Sinovac.

[Sithara007]

Inb4 in the Philippines the government is so incompetent even after taking a loan worth $400 million to specifically use for vaccine purchase, they still managed to let greed and corruption take over and had every private company/entity who will buy COVID vaccines to forcibly give half of what they purchased to the government, imagine that lmao. Not to mention the fact that they chose Sinovac with 50% efficacy and a huge markup price over cheaper and more effective alternatives all to lick Xi Jinping's bootsoles.

Availability also needs to be take in to account. I guess Philippines was quite late to enter in to agreements with the vaccine manufacturers. All the "Western" vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Johnson & Johnson) are facing supply issues right now and whatever available supplies are there get gobbled up by the richer nations. That leaves just two options - Chinese vaccines (Sinovac Biotech with 50% efficacy, CanSino Biologics with 66% efficacy, and Sinopharm with 79% efficacy), or the Russian vaccine (Sputnik V with 92% efficacy). I guess the government went with the sole available choice, and it turned out to be Sinovac.

[rodskee]

Inb4 in the Philippines the government is so incompetent even after taking a loan worth $400 million to specifically use for vaccine purchase, they still managed to let greed and corruption take over and had every private company/entity who will buy COVID vaccines to forcibly give half of what they purchased to the government, imagine that lmao. Not to mention the fact that they chose Sinovac with 50% efficacy and a huge markup price over cheaper and more effective alternatives all to lick Xi Jinping's bootsoles.

This is a serious accusation mate , Do you have concrete proof about this ? or just Media is what you are depending ?

The Duterte administration is doing their best to managed this Pandemic and still aggressive in doing everything right to end this Covid.

So giving this accusation means you must have a Deep intel to learn every details of this?

[bryant.coleman]

Inb4 in the Philippines the government is so incompetent even after taking a loan worth $400 million to specifically use for vaccine purchase, they still managed to let greed and corruption take over and had every private company/entity who will buy COVID vaccines to forcibly give half of what they purchased to the government, imagine that lmao. Not to mention the fact that they chose Sinovac with 50% efficacy and a huge markup price over cheaper and more effective alternatives all to lick Xi Jinping's bootsoles.

This is a serious accusation mate , Do you have concrete proof about this ? or just Media is what you are depending ?

The Duterte administration is doing their best to managed this Pandemic and still aggressive in doing everything right to end this Covid.

So giving this accusation means you must have a Deep intel to learn every details of this?

Just another baseless accusation, I assume. Powerful circles are not happy with the Duterte regime and the Catholic church is very much pissed about his rule. If he made the vaccines available to ordinary people, then I guess the Filipinos should be thankful to him. Because a lot of nations are struggling to procure vaccines due to hoarding by USA, UK and some of the other richer nations. It is extremely difficult to procure vaccines right now, especially from Western manufacturers such as Pfizer, Moderna, J&J and AstraZeneca. 

[Ultegra134]

Inb4 in the Philippines the government is so incompetent even after taking a loan worth $400 million to specifically use for vaccine purchase, they still managed to let greed and corruption take over and had every private company/entity who will buy COVID vaccines to forcibly give half of what they purchased to the government, imagine that lmao. Not to mention the fact that they chose Sinovac with 50% efficacy and a huge markup price over cheaper and more effective alternatives all to lick Xi Jinping's bootsoles.

Availability also needs to be take in to account. I guess Philippines was quite late to enter in to agreements with the vaccine manufacturers. All the "Western" vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Johnson & Johnson) are facing supply issues right now and whatever available supplies are there get gobbled up by the richer nations. That leaves just two options - Chinese vaccines (Sinovac Biotech with 50% efficacy, CanSino Biologics with 66% efficacy, and Sinopharm with 79% efficacy), or the Russian vaccine (Sputnik V with 92% efficacy). I guess the government went with the sole available choice, and it turned out to be Sinovac.

I had recently read that there is discussion about importing and even producing the Russian Sputnik V, in Europe. If this actually happens, it would tackle any possible supply shortages, while having a high efficacy rate.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/31/merkel-macron-and-putin-sputnik-v-vaccine-eu

[Vishnu.Reang]

I had recently read that there is discussion about importing and even producing the Russian Sputnik V, in Europe. If this actually happens, it would tackle any possible supply shortages, while having a high efficacy rate.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/31/merkel-macron-and-putin-sputnik-v-vaccine-eu

Sputnik V is embroiled in a lot of political controversy. Even here in India the government has so far refused to issue EUA for Sputnik V. They don't have any issues with the efficacy of the vaccine, but due to tensions with Russia, they don't want to approve it. When the situation is like this in India, you can imagine the case with the European Union. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has refused to permit Sputnik V in Europe, once again purely due to political reasons. Christa Wirthumer-Hoche of EMA even threatened individual states against using the vaccine.

[Gyfts]

Maybe International pharma companies can help India out and deliver vaccines from USA? Eventually all people in USA should be vaccinated and then the export of vaccine doses can start. I find it kind of sad that there is no international approach to the vaccination process. Every country is on their own and is trying to out bid others. India has so many more people than USA and UK. A distribution based on population would be fair.

It is harder to convince pharma companies to bring drugs from USA to any other nation, even big rich nations, and harder for them to do that for nations poor like India. Reason for that is the fact that in USA the health sector is unregulated, people could buy all stocks of a drug and 4000x increase the price and sell and there is nothing stopping them doing it, whereas if you did that in any other nation government would literally seize your production and stop you from doing that.

This is why they rather sell something in USA for 300 dollars instead of 10 dollars in big nations and maybe 3 dollars in small nations, why would they lose that? However if they can produce a lot of it and there is vaccines not being sold enough in USA that would spill towards other nations, but that will take some time, which is why I doubt it would be anytime soon.

USA health sector is extremely regulated, and that regulation is what helps to contribute to higher prices.

It works very simply -- The US pays for all the R&D for any market drug or therapeutic because the company will sell it to the US market a huge mark up while other countries are quoted at a reasonable price. India is an unregulated mess where pharma companies go to manufacturer their drugs.

[Sithara007]

USA health sector is extremely regulated, and that regulation is what helps to contribute to higher prices.

It works very simply -- The US pays for all the R&D for any market drug or therapeutic because the company will sell it to the US market a huge mark up while other countries are quoted at a reasonable price. India is an unregulated mess where pharma companies go to manufacturer their drugs.

In the end, it is the US citizens who are losing out. The same medicine (from the same manufacturer) costs 10 times or more in the US when compared to the prices in Canada or Mexico. I have heard about people purchasing chemotherapy medicines from the dark market, because they can't afford to purchase it from the open market (despite the fact that it is extremely difficult to administer such drugs in your own). Biden administration should take steps to make medical care affordable to all (and Obamacare is not the answer).