Pharmaceutical companies have come to the world’s rescue with Covid vaccines, but the Biden Administration is under pressure to steal their patents. wsj.com/articles/watch… via @WSJOpinion
I think this is right, for a myriad of reasons:

1. Opening up these patents really isn't going to increase short or mid term supply of vaccine. The supply of raw materials needed is scarce. It would take at least a year, or two, for these countries to expand production.
2. If we want to vaccinate the world....WE CAN AND SHOULD. The cost would be minimal, and the benefits would be huge (STAMP A US FLAG ON EVERY DOSE!).

3. Bush's AIDS program, PEPFAR, is the obvious model for this.
4. Biden should go big on this. If, say, we want to vaccinate a billion people, if we get money from other countries the cost would be very, very small, with huge benefits for the world, and the US.

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More from @Neoavatara

30 Mar
So, the US is improving. Brazil is a disaster. Europe is hitting its third wave.

What about India?

India appears to be entering a new wave, which is interesting for a bunch of reasons. Image
First, lets note that case numbers are spiking. And this is problematic, because India really hasn't vaccinated that many people (less than 4% have received a single dose). Image
Deaths are a lagging indicator, but the wave appears to be starting. Image
Read 5 tweets
30 Mar
"More effective health strategy"

Such as...?

I mean, this super secret, magic wand solution...wasn't implemented by the following countries:

UK
France
Germany
Spain
Belgium
Italy
Brazil

So what is this plan they are talking about?
Literally the ONLY STRATEGY that could have saved this many lives was strict, legally enforced quarantines and travel restrictions.

That is how South Korea, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand were able to succeed.

Name me a single prominent US politician that supported that.
I mean, could someone have done a better job than Trump? ABSOLUTELY.

But they are saying something that would have reduced deaths by 80%.

Biden certainly would not have done that, that is for sure.
Read 4 tweets
29 Mar
The biggest problem with rules after vaccination is that it really, really depends on common sense.

Mandates aren't going to work.
If you tell vaccinated people (who often had two shots, and maybe fever and pain) that they still have to live life EXACTLY the same as before... That is a tough sell.
Scientifically, it's bets of everyone wore masks.

But we live in a society, with humans. Not robots. And we have to accept people are emotional, social beings. Ignoring fact undermines policy.
Read 4 tweets
29 Mar
The way to beat COVID, once and for all?

1. VACCINATE. JAB, JAB, JAB.
2. After that....vaccinate the rest of the world.
3. And...that is it.

There is no zero risk alternative. Masks are good in certain environments, but vaccines are the only solution.
As for the rest of the world...I think we have a moral duty, and a pro-life duty, to vaccinate as many as we can.

The cost is so minimal. The upside is so great.

This is a slam dunk no brainer.
We need to reduce the number of potential future variants. That means CRUSHING the virus where ever it exists.

SHOCK AND AWE.

Flood these countries (starting with Brazil!) with vaccines as fast as we can make them and distribute them.
Read 7 tweets
29 Mar
At what point will we admit the US did slightly, if not significantly ultimately, better job on COVID than Europe?

And note: I don't think the US did great.
This is as of today.

As we vaccinate our elderly (we are doing a GREAT job of that) what are the Europeans doing?

Largely failing.

Note the UK also did terrible early on, and are doing far better than the EU now.
The vaccine tracker helps tell the tale.

bloomberg.com/graphics/covid…
Read 5 tweets
29 Mar
#COVIDUpdate

So on March 10, Texas stopped their COVID mandate. We are now almost three weeks later. What have we seen?

Well...not much.

If there is increased spread, we aren't seeing it.
Mississippi did the same with masks earlier this month...and has been horrible through out the pandemic.

The surge never came.
Florida?

Nope.
Read 7 tweets

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