Coronavirus SARS-Cov2 (COVID-19)

[jayakris]

As expected --- Pfizer's CEO cashed out 60% of his stock on the same day the company unveiled the results of its COVID-19 vaccine trial

Smart guy, I guess. In other words, this was also a bit of a stunt! Can't believe that the markets fell for it again.

Meanwhile, Delhi had +8600 cases today. We it seems we will still will get a drop in the 7-day average, despite Delhi. But for these unbelievable numbers from Delhi (and an extra 1500 from nearby places like Gurugran, Faridabad, Noida, Meerut), we would've dropped to at around +40K cases per day. Instead it will be +48.3K today... It was +50.5K on last Wednesday.

West Bengal's death numbers dropped below 50 after a long time. Another indication that the worst is over in WB. But I have a sneaky suspicion whether Gujarat is starting to have a second wave, after months of not being in the news (EDIT: haha, I was right, and surprised myself... A bad-growth area of 400+ cases from Gujarat joined the list, right today... See the summary and bad area analysis today)

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ICMR Update: 121,962,509 total tests... Wednesday tests: 1,193,358... Lab count: 2085

[jayakris]

Looks like we are again on a down-trend for the time being, after the Delhi area numbers had flattened our daily cases curve for a week. We had only +44.6K today... From about 1160K tests, at a great 3.84% positivity. Delhi fell to +7K today, but the 104 deaths in Delhi is just way too much .... I hope this is past the peak and a drop will start in the deaths, which typically tracks the daily additions a few days behind... But some projections, like from NITI-AAYOG has Delhi potentially going up to +12K cases per day soon. Hope not.

[PKBasu]

As expected --- Pfizer's CEO cashed out 60% of his stock on the same day the company unveiled the results of its COVID-19 vaccine trial

Smart guy, I guess. In other words, this was also a bit of a stunt! Can't believe that the markets fell for it again.

Wow! Looks truly scandalous. On 19th August, he authorized the sale of 60% of his stock holdings at a pre-determined price -- i.e., he knew as CEO that a vaccine was coming, and that it would cause Pfizer's stock price to spike. Presumably, Pfizer and BioNTech held back their vaccine announcement until a couple of days after the US election result was clear. And the following day, CEO Bourla cashed in!! If this doesn't amount to insider trading, I don't know what does!

[jayakris]

^^ That is what I thought too... But apparently he had filed a 10b5-1 or whatever for this sale, back in August (I am no expert on these things; I don't even invest any money!) ... Here - Lucky Pfizer CEO Bourla cashes out $5.6M worth of stock—perfectly legally—as COVID vaccine data lifts market

I guess he had made a calculation way early that if any announcement was to come, it would be right after the election? He assumed that it would be good news pushed by the followed by bad news on the caveats that would follow too?

Hmm! To me, it feels like something smells in Denmark, still...

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ICMR Update: 123,101,739 total tests... Thursday tests: 1,139,230... Lab count: 2091

[jayakris]

Looks like we are back on a downward trend. The seven day average of daily additions dipped by a 500 today... We had +44.6K from about 1155K tests at a 3.86% positivity. Kerala has improved, and WB has not got worse. Delhi keeps going, and HP is in a bit of trouble with tests being too few and the case numbers and positivity going up drastically. Otherwise, generally everything is calm.

The numbers we are seeing from around the world are mind-blowing right now. Case numbers going through the roof. 183K new cases today in the US. Unbelievable. Pakistan has a serious second wave starting off, and Europe is out of control. What a change from just 2 months ago when every place was calm and we were so frustrated that India was the only place where Covid was raging.

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ICMR Update: 124,031,230 total tests... Friday tests: 9,29,491... Unusually low for a Friday, due to Diwali ... Lab count: 2091

[Kumar]

I guess he had made a calculation way early that if any announcement was to come, it would be right after the election? He assumed that it would be good news pushed by the followed by bad news on the caveats that would follow too?

Hmm! To me, it feels like something smells in Denmark, still...

Could it be that as a first vaccine, the price of this stock is at the peak! Success of other vaccines will push the share price down even if this vaccine is highly successful! Ideally we would have wanted the CEO to wait to cash in, but in today’s times I can’t blame him!


I am still not able to understand how share market is at its highest levels in spite of the fact that economy has been fairest depressed!

[depleter]

With Delhi still going haywire, Amit Shah is coming into scene again. Will Chair a meeting about the situation today.

[rajitghosh]

Finally after a long battle with covid the 2nd greatest Bengali actor Soumitra Chartered passed away today.

[Omkara]

Finally after a long battle with covid the 2nd greatest Bengali actor Soumitra Chartered passed away today.

Acting wise the best probably, yup on charm and charisma may Uttam was superior.

[depleter]

[jayakris]

^^^ Yeah, I don't know what took so long for Amit Shah or somebody to get involved. Delhi screwed things up big time again. If you do only AG tests and you are showing positivity over 4 or 5 percent, you are in trouble. They did that for months. With AG, you better get under 2.5% (preferably under 2) like UP, BIH, GUJ, JH, ASM were doing. These things were elementary and a lot of us figured this out months ago. But Kejriwal and his idiot advisors never did.

Now places like Rajasthan are screwing up big time (over 20% positivity the last couple of days). I don't know who will get involved to save them. Kerala is still clueless too, but got over the peak anyway like Maharashtra and TN. Karnataka, luckily, learned things properly and got it done (thanks to a proper change to minister K. Sudhakar as the man in charge, maybe). Now basically it seems to have taken a politicial color. Non-BJP states which did not listen to general advice from ICMR have screwed up more. TN is one state that actually screwed up due to arrogance that they know better than others, but that is another discussion. AP survived. Telangana came out with flying colors, so Kachara was not bad at all once he decided to stop lying and started doing something, Testing never dipped even one bit there after that, and it showed. This is all from the first national wave. As and when we start our second wave, we will see who does what. That wave may start in a few weeks, or sooner in some states... In fact some places like Delhi are on the second or third wave.

There was no case report from Punjab and Chandigarh on Saturday, and we finished with +41.7K... No testing report from Maharashtra either, but it was approximately 1020K tests (+/- 5K) for India yesterday for a 4.08% positivity.

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ICMR Update: 124,836,819 total tests... Saturday tests: 805,589... Lab count: 2094

[jayakris]

Coronavirus live updates: More ICU beds in Delhi; RT-PCR tests to be doubled, assures Shah

Finally! What took you this long Amit Shahji? Argh! ... Only about 3 months late in increasing the RT-PCR tests.

[jayakris]

Finally after a long battle with covid the 2nd greatest Bengali actor Soumitra Chartered passed away today.

Sad to see that Covid has taken away some great ones like him and SPB that millions loved...

[prasen9]

Finally after a long battle with covid the 2nd greatest Bengali actor Soumitra Chartered passed away today.

Acting wise the best probably, yup on charm and charisma may Uttam was superior.

Chatterd? d - for dead? Or a typo?

I agree with Sumanta that Soumitro was a better actor than Uttom.

[rajitghosh]

Typo. Autocorrect. Yes the great man passed away yesterday due to covid related complications. Just hope this doesn't have an escalating effect on Calcutta. From what I saw on TV thousands were out in the streets yesterday to pay him last respects.