COVID-19

Donny  - as all gov'ts do they want to paint the very best picture possible. that is not always our experience.

For example - someone posts  an ad for an apt. Looks lovely in the photos you are shown and you think great value for the price. EXCEPT  - boots on the ground - you go see the apartment and those photos are  5 years old.  There is a loud colmado around the corner and the water only  comes  2 times a week.

What you think you see and what is reality can be two different things.

HEY  I JUST HIT  13,000 POSTS !   Thanks donny for pointing that out to me. 

I need to celebrate, open the rum!

And sorry that was off topic, but I dont even care.

On point Planner, I will make sure further notifications regarding this subject go directly to my deleted folder...Thank-you.

Well really you complained and if you dont like to read it, then why do you?

Holy crap

An update on covid19 in DR.

Steadily the positivity across the country is going up with day rates between 12% and 20% and hospital occupation is increasing with now 42% of UCI beds occupied with near full capicity reported in Santo Domingo again in some hospitals.

The true picture is not clear with testing levels day to day changing between regions. Yesterday shows more testing in Santo Domingo and less in some of the recently affected provinces compared to previous days.




According to Our World in Data, DR now has 47.96% fully vaccinated and 60.46% with one shot (for total population) as of 24th October.

Vacunaterd figures are:

Plan Nacional de Vacunación

Acumulados al 25 de Octubre de 2021

6,651,836
Primera dosis

5,269,681
Segunda dosis

1,188,866
Dosis refuerzo

13,110,383
Total dosis aplicadas

5,269,681
Población completamente vacunada

The US just raised the Travel Advisory for DR from Level 2 to Level 3.

Its justified

Don't judge me but does that mean it's getting bad. I plan to travel to the DR in December. I just want to know what to expect. I am fully vaccinated.
Thx in advance.

We are clearly in another wave!

All testing is included in the positivity numbers, correct? So every tourist from a country that requires a COVID test for reentry is diluting that metric?

We don't actually know how they calculate those numbers!  I  have never been able to find that info!

Lennox may have  a better idea!

I have an office employee just tested positive for covid yesterday.   Monday he worked he was fine. Monday night he has a fever and a cough. Tuesday he goes to get tested, he is positive!   

All my people who were in the same office as him are now home. Better safe than sorry. I am mostly staying home but am currently in my office alone!   I will go back home shortly. 

5 - 7  days after contact we can all test to make sure we are negative then I will let them come back to work. First sign of symptoms they are being sent home.

The employee got a huge runaround trying to get tested!   Good grief and remember he is symptomatic.  You have to go to a doctor to get a prescription for a damn test. Then go get tested.  Then wait. If that test is positive you get to go for a second test.  BUT to do that you need to see a pulmonologist!  They are the only ones allowed to request the  next test UNLESS you want to pay between  3,000 and 4,000 RD for it.

My  guess is most  of those infected have no damn idea they are infected and don't care.  We also have  the flu or gripe as its called here, making the rounds!  Very few will go through all this to get tested.  They will do so if insurance is paying or employer is paying!   That's it.  OR if they get very ill!  Then they get hospitalized and tested! Already too late and already spreading it everywhere.

We don't know if the government or private laboritories include tests for departing travellers in the numbers they submit provincially to the MOH. My raw guess is that they exclude in La Altagracia but perhaps include in Puerta Plata based upon provincial 4 week positivities and daily cases reported in those provinces.

What we do know is that this recent upward trend started a month ago and since then the hospital occupancy and positivity has risen steadily.

17.80% in todays bulletin.

Based on other countries this would suggest we have several more months to go with this developing wave.

We have a new wave on the up with over 1k cases for first time and day positivity at 19.12% and cases everywhere. ICU occupancy continues it's daily rise. All omens for a difficult holiday season ahead.

Wow, this is really  not good at all!

so it is not suggested to come over ?

please be safe friends!
I hope things are better by Jan

freeperson wrote:

so it is not suggested to come over ?

No - come.

If you are fully vaccinated and accept the protocols you can have a good vaccation in Las Terrenas.

We have to live with this virus and that is possible safely if fully vaccinated with boster if available and using recognized sanitary measures of social distancing, mask use in public places and hand santization. It is the unvaccinated that are the vast majority being hospitalized in DR as elsewhere.

For 95% of toursts visiting DR the tourism protocols work for their safety but with you being outside a resort it can work too.

Gamma is still the dominant variant in DR. Delta hasn't taken over yet.

Country enters the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2 … l-covid-19

The Dominican Republic is going through the fourth wave of the Covid-19 virus, the health authorities recognized yesterday, but pointed out that with an aggressiveness in the behavior of the indicators much less than the other three previous ones, as a result of the management that the country has given to the pandemic, vaccination, surveillance and treatments applied.

They pointed out that the current moment that the country is experiencing, with a sustained increase in recent weeks in the indicators of positivity, hospitalization, seven-day incidence and increased infections, indicates that it is going through the fourth wave of Covid-19, with greater intensity in some provinces than in others.

On the subject, Eddy Pérez Then, advisor to the Ministry of Public Health, and the director of Epidemiology, Ronald Skewes, spoke, who warned that new waves of the virus will continue to appear during this year and next, both in the country and in other nations, which will always depend on the behavior of the population, the government, the health sector and specialized societies to mitigate the impact.

They showed graphs on the behavior of the virus in the first, second, and third past waves, and the current fourth, showing incidence peaks that are decreasing between each of them, which, they pointed out, is linked to prevention actions, tests, effective vaccines and treatments applied.

"We can say that we are in a fourth wave, but we must always see that the waves are vulnerable people who have somehow been exposed to the virus and come out positive, so we must continue to emphasize vaccination and other preventive actions", Perez Then pointed out.

From 20 to 45 years old

The director of Epidemiology explained that the studies that are currently being carried out indicate that it is people between 20 and 45 years of age who are the population groups that carry the burden of transmission of the virus in the country.

Likewise, he pointed out that the Gamma variant is the one that continues to predominate in the virus samples that are analyzed in the country, being found in different provinces, but with a greater presence in Santiago and Santo Domingo.

He noted that in recent weeks there has been a sustained increase in positivity and the number of cases, but below the values ​​recorded in the last wave, and that the same occurs with the seven-day incidence that was placed this week at 42.52 per 100,000 population.

He said that among the provinces that register a more significant increase in cases are Santo Domingo and La Altagracia. While in incidence the greatest increase is seen in the Northwest Line and in provinces such as Pedernales and Peravia, among others.

what kind of proof to show for full vaccinated do they accept the proof on our cell?
or what they need because previously I understand they don't know how to read it.
I will be in an Airbnb rental house not in a resort. Is Las Terrenas have a high-level infection?

Bring your paper copy as in some places they accept digital and others no.

Infections are fluid and changing fairly quickly.  You are vaccinated and follow protocols, you should be fine.  However make sure you have travel medical insurance!

88% of those admitted for COVID-19 do not have the vaccine, according to the Minister of Health

Daniel Rivera affirms that no person with three doses has been hospitalized because of the virus

President of Pulmonology explains that unvaccinated people have higher risks of lung damage (see picture)

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … GK29766624



88% of those admitted for COVID-19 do not have a dose of the vaccine against the virus, meanwhile, 7% have only one.

The statement is made by the Minister of Public Health, Daniel Rivera , in statements to Diario Libre , when he pointed out through chest x-rays that the unvaccinated arrive at hospitals with highly compromised lungs.

According to the epidemiological bulletin issued this Thursday, 45% of the beds enabled to care for critical patients with coronavirus are occupied and 28% of those in intermediate care. Meanwhile, 34% of the fans are in use.

To care for patients with COVID-19 currently, the Health authorities have enabled 587 intensive care beds, another 2,266 for intermediate care and 500 ventilators.

Rivera pointed out that 5% of those admitted for COVID-19 have the two doses of the vaccine. He explained that these are influenced by age and comorbidities, which is why he recommended the booster dose.

On the other hand, Rivera pointed out that no one who has the three doses of the vaccine has been admitted to a COVID-19 unit, thus reaffirming the importance of the reinforcement.

To date 1,242,001 people have received the third dose of the vaccine, which represents 23% of those who have completed the two-dose schedule.

Lung deterioration

Meanwhile, the president of the Society for Pulmonology and Thorax Surgery, Evangelina Soler, explained that patients who become infected with COVID-19 have a very different course of the disease depending on the risk factors of each person; however, those with all three doses are little affected.

"It has been seen in a special way that despite the risk factors those vaccinated with three doses, that is, two doses of Sinovac and a third either Pfizer or AstraZeneca have presented very few symptoms in most cases that seek medical attention", said.

Soler indicated that the opposite occurs in unvaccinated patients, who have moderate to severe conditions, depending on risk factors.

"They can have significant damage to the respiratory system, with limitations to physical activity and in many cases there is significant dependence on oxygen, which translates into greater respiratory effort," he indicated.

The specialist explained that this situation causes patients to consume a lot of energy and loss of muscle strength occurs and it becomes a vicious circle that leads to further deterioration of lung function.

Pretty much similar  statistics everywhere, we are no different. Get vaccinated.

planner wrote:

Pretty much similar  statistics everywhere, we are no different. Get vaccinated.

Best guess - The vaccine doesn't stop you getting covid, but it stops most people experiencing serious (or any) symptoms.

Works well enough for me 

I find the posted gov't results a bit confusing -

They state the highest number of cases are in SDQ & STI
That makes sense... highest populations

The highest percentages of infection are mostly in outlying provinces -
Pedernales, Monte Cristi, Dajabon and so on -- low populations

That too makes sense.... probably less vaxed people

But in STI the % is only 11% - POP the same - National District 11.7%

So what skews the national percentages up is the outliers.

The highest cases areas throw off about 11%
The bulk of the rest of the country is less than that.... 10% or less
4 week % is 11.86%

I maintain the bulk of the country is actually safer than the numbers reported.
Unless you plan on going to the outlying provinces..... I wouldn't plan that!

I'm open to other ideas.........

Covid 19 continues to infect all around DR but has not hit the high rates of transmission seen in other countries yet.

The number of tests being carried out daily have increased due to many people suffering from flu and other pulmonary viruses seeking tests and so the day positivity is perhaps skewed on the low side.

Influenza pushes people to get tested for covid; more than 35 thousand in five days
https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2 … cinco-dias

Hospitalization numbers are not growing quickly which is a good sign.

Today's bulletin:



The virus is to be found in every province and is apparently spreading fast in areas outside Santo Domingo with Santiago and around and Puerto Plata seeing high daily numbers.

The MOH said today they will decide if additional controls will be put in place for the festive season depending on how the virus spreads over the next 3 weeks.

On the vaccination front Our World In Data reports 49.74% of the total popluation is fully vaccinated and 62.17% with one dose upto 11th November.

The vacunate rd site gives the following figures:

Plan Nacional de Vacunación
Acumulados al 12 de Noviembre de 2021

6,816,238
Primera dosis

5,460,820
Segunda dosis

1,279,731
Dosis refuerzo

13,556,789
Total dosis aplicadas

5,460,820
Población completamente vacunada

In case you missed it, DR has approved vaccination of children from 5 to 11 and that has started with Sinovac jabs. Pfizer jabs for young children will not be available until March next year.

As is being reported in the news worldwide, we need to be careful not to confuse 'cases' with 'hospitalizations'....

The whole idea of the vaccine is to reduce CV19's severity and subsequent hospitalization

We are seeing that here in this country

Correct but it is the high numbers of unvaccinated that can pose DR a problem. And add to that the vaccines will start waning soon.

Just look what is happening in Europe and even beginning again in the USA.

So far DR is not in the worst shape compared with previous waves but that can change with half the population unvaccinated and the partying due to begin in a couple of weeks. At least we do not have the cold and damp winters.

This whole "testing " issue is a lot of BS.  Testing numbers being inflated to show lower positivity. Tests are still expensive and people don't have the money for it. 

The flu and gripe season is upon us and it is confusing things. 

I am torn on how I feel about more controls. Not sure it will make any difference. We don't enforce the ones we have.

https://noticiassin.com/pais/salud-publ … da-1188168

If you read the last paragraph this confirms most daily tests are for work or travel.

And so the reported 11% positivity is lower than reality.

On the postive side there has been no rapid surge of hospitalizations. Steady ICU, ventilator and death numbers and nearly all the non vaccinated and none of those with booster shots.

Delta and its apparently more transmittable variants are dominant everywhere in the world except Latin America where Delta, Mua, Gamma and Lambda survive together as is the case in DR.

As for more festive season controls, new vaccination numbers are now slow so the possibility of restrictions on parties and drinking hours will be assessed in the next two weeks. But first a new period of vaccination card enforcement starts from Friday.

Dominican govment run an study about how effective was Sinovac, and was published by profamilia, the study find that in a group of 80 people only 52% their inmun system react generatin antibodies with the 1st dose, after applyed the 2nd. dose went up to 92% and leaving 8% of vaccinated people that their inmune systema didnt react properly to Sinovac with none antibody present.

Thats why goverment decided to apply a booster with diferent laboratory than the 1st dose.   A lot  people think that vaccinated people  that died is because the vaccine is not good, but truth is that is their inmun system who has the problems.

A friend of mine before to take the booster he went to a lab to count his antibodies and the count says he had 324 antibodies, after applyed the booster when went back for a test  and went up to almost 10,000 his antibodies.

This is the link of the study published. https://profamilia.org.do/profamilia-pr … -covid-19/

On the face of recent bulletins the current wave is not getting any worse based upon possitivity, active cases and hospitalization. There is a lot of testing taking place but this includes testing for employment and  travel.

The government says it is assessing the figures and trends before deciding if there will be any additional restrictions for the festive period. It does look as though DR is not going the way of Europe and USA. But some restrictions on drinking hours (traditionally in DR during Decemeber there are no restrictions on opening hours) and parties might be a good move to avoid a surge in infections.

On the vaccination front the current DR whole population status is 50.63% fully vaccinated and 62.54% with one shot according to Our World in Data. And as such, we are well below Europe where there is a big surge in cases.

Recent studies indicate the recent surge of cases in Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany) are more a result of relaxed social protocol.... beer gardens etc w/o masking and distancing.

The protocol of masks & distance is a proven one - and not difficult.

We are fortunate here to be outdoors the majority of our time -
not cooped up in the wintertime.

======================



The dramatic surge in coronavirus cases in western Europe has several causes but at least part of it is explained by a boom in social mixing ahead of the latest wave.

Many experts have noted in recent days how parts of Austria and Germany have relatively low vaccination rates - but that alone does not tell the full story.

The Netherlands, for instance, has experienced a terrifying jump in cases over the last two weeks despite the fact 73 per cent of its population is fully vaccinated - a full five points ahead of the UK.

A Telegraph analysis of Google mobility data across western Europe suggests a jump in social mixing during the early autumn may help explain the new viral surge.

It shows people have been returning to the office in much greater numbers on the continent than in the UK.

The protocol of masks and social distancing is  too much to expect in most of DR yet the cases are not growing - yet.

I recall last November all seemed under control but come December and the parties and the case load exploded and the government reacted but too late.

It appears today MOH inspectors have been enforcing vaccine card presentation in the major SD malls and at Metro stations taking over from guards.

A new variant of covid19 (B.1.1.529) with many new mutations has been found in southern africa and a few other places too. It may well get a designation by WHO today as they meet in Geneva.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59427770

It is being reported as being 500 times more competatively transmittable than Delta by one source and another gives it a R value of 2. It also could evade vaccines and the bodies defences having so many mutations.

Some countries have already banned flights from South Africa. EU is apparently recommending all member countries ban flights from there too.

It is being widely reported in today's news in DR.

WHO: It will take weeks to find out the true scope of the new variant

https://listindiario.com/las-mundiales/ … a-variante

Variant B.1.1.529: Fear, international alarm and suspension of flights

https://hoy.com.do/variante-b-1-1-529-m … de-vuelos/

World share prices are plumetting again as a result especially travel associated such as airlines.

This is what happens when vaccines are not widely available AND people do not do everything possible to stop the spread.

I hope it is not as bad as they think it may be!

WHO have given the virus the name Omicron and it is a variant of concern.

Looks like we could be hearing much more of Omicron, which is overtaking Delta in South Africa, and is probably much more transmittable. And the reported cases in Hong Kong, Belgium and Israel are of fully vaccinated people.

Omicron, name of the South African Covid-19 variant

https://hoy.com.do/omicron-nombre-de-la … sudafrica/

Classification of Omicron (B.1.1.529): SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern

https://www.who.int/news/item/26-11-202 … f-omicron-(b.1.1.529)-sars-cov-2-variant-of-concern

Was in Bavaro July & August...At that time, La Altagracia province had a 77% full-vax rate...With Pfizer there now, I would think they would be over 80%...Creeping up on Canadas 89% full-vax rate...Impressive