Hello Readers,
How are you holding up in this pandemic? I wish all of you and your families the best of health. Happy Thanksgiving to all. I hope everyone follows the CDC guidelines, so you will not be impacted by coronavirus. When you are not infected by the virus, you may not realize how tough life becomes after the virus. Some people are only asymptomatic; they have enough antibodies to fight the virus. But some are not so strong. I wish everyone the best of health again.
The vaccines are coming out soon. Pfizer has already applied for FDA approval. They have one big problem though. It must be stored at -70 degrees temperature. All of the hospitals do not have facilities to store material at -70 degrees. Also, they cannot bring the patients near the storage facility. So, they have to take the vaccine out. Pfizer’s vaccine can only stay good for 24 hours in the refrigerator. So, they must use dry ice, and it is very difficult to reach to the masses.
On December 10th, the FDA board will meet and decide for a speedy approval. Usually, it takes about 6 to 9 months for the FDA to approve any vaccine. Pfizer, based out of New York NY and BioNTech, a German company, have already applied for emergency use. Hopefully it will be approved for both companies. They are ready to produce millions of vaccine doses. BioNTech’s CEO has already said that their vaccine has finished Phase 3 testing and is about 95% effective.
Another vaccine, from Moderna in Massachusetts, has almost finished the third phase and their result is about 94.5%. However, while Pfizer’s vaccine requires -70 Fahrenheit temperature to store, Moderna has stated that their vaccine can stay in a regular refrigerator for 30 days. BioNTech’s vaccine can stay in a regular refrigerator for 3 months and at room temperature for 24 hours.
Finally, AstraZeneca, located in Cambridge UK, has a vaccine with a 90% effective rate in its third phase. It will will require two shots. The BioNTech vaccine is like a flu vaccine and requires taking shots every year, as like the actual flu right now. The United Kingdom will approve the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine in a week, before the United State’s FDA approval. Many news channels have asked why the FDA is meeting on December 10th instead of immediately. Hopefully, with the vaccines, we can start living our regular lives by next spring.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka tried to lockdown the city of Newark for 10 days. People are taking this pandemic too easy and are not keeping up with social distancing when they go to restaurants and bars. The CDC guidelines are for you. New Jersey, and especially Essex County and Newark, have been heavily impacted by the coronavirus. I think a lockdown is necessary, but not like a dictatorship. You have to act like a leader and convince people to stay home.
The businesses are closed at 8 pm every day. People usually follow the leader, and their statement is good enough. However, the leader has to follow the system as well. As seen in a Facebook video, there were a fundraiser on October 20th, in support of Mayor Baraka, called the Ras Baraka Cigar and Sip Campaign Fund Raiser. We saw someone who looks like Mayor Baraka or his brother, but I am not positive that the Mayor himself was there. Local Talk sent a request to the Press Office to comment on the matter, but as of deadline, we have not received a reply yet. Either way, whoever was responsible for this event, which was held in the COVID-19 stricken East Ward, should be ashamed of themselves.
Have a wonderful week.
I’ll talk to you next week.
