Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[BlueToff]

Anyway, didn't post them earlier but vaccination figures up to and including Thursday 21st Jan

I believe the UK is on course to hit 13.5m total vaccinations by Feb 15th, so around 1-1.5m short of the target.

Obviously that could change either way. Hopefully the rate picks up but not the end of the world if that target isn't hit in terms of it being any signpost for lockdown ending or whatever. Gonna be April at least isn't it.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

No vaccine alone is but with all of them combined, we stand a chance

The long term answer will require aggressive suppression strategies and vaccines that do not require specialist cold chain logistics and are affordable/open source.

 

[BlueToff]

The long term answer will require aggressive suppression strategies and vaccines that do not require specialist cold chain logistics and are affordable/open source.

Imagine it'll be administered yearly as a booster to those who need it, like the flu jab.

 

[degsy]

View attachment 115063reminds me of the sort of stuff id scramble together on a Monday morning when I'd forgotten to do my homework.
Who would have thought I was qualified to be Home Secretary at the age of 12!!!

A bit like this from Yes Minister...only they were taking the piss - I think
"I do see that there is a real dilemma here. In that, while it has been government policy to regard policy as a responsibility of Ministers and administration as a responsibility of Officials, the questions of administrative policy can cause confusion between the policy of administration and the administration of policy, especially when responsibility for the administration of the policy of administration conflicts, or overlaps with, responsibility for the policy of the administration of policy"

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

Imagine it'll be administered yearly as a booster to those who need it, like the flu jab.

I get that Dave hates the UK (vaccine) but it is a mile ahead of Pfizer and Moderna, as a feasible long-term solution from a price and distribution perspective. Let us hope the many new vaccines in the pipeline can join the battle too.

This is not dismissing the exciting potential of Mrna vaccines but as it stands even we in Europe and the US (west) don't have the all reaching cold chain facilities to deal with national speedy distribution.

 

[degsy]

Just watched the latest (UK) briefing.

And despite the reduction/levelling of infections, they were pretty frank that deaths will peak in a few weeks. They are also concerned that any tick ups of infections, from this still high base level, would be seriously bad news.

Cautiously optimistic that the single dose jabs will be really important in preventing that, as well as folk not being bellends.

That last bit is the real struggle...can't vaccinate against bellends...joe public is bad enough, before you even get to the elected ones.

 

[degsy]

The logic is that there is a better chance of stopping the virus from spreading/mutating as quickly if you have as many people with some protection than it is if you have less people with both doses.

The risks of the latter far outweigh the risks of the former.

People still have to get their second booster dose.

Possible translation...
"Not sure we have enough vaccine to give everybody 2 doses in 3mths. and I'm really sure we haven't got the infrastructure to do it - so 1 dose for everybody spread over 6mths it is then."

 

[degsy]

The Australian vaccine plans have been announced.
All the Metropolitian areas...Syd, Melb, Bris, etc, basically the big towns on the coast with -70c facilities are getting Pfizer.
Small towns in the middle...Dijabringthebeeralong...no -70c capacity, The Oxford.
Starts in April, at risk groups and frontline staff first.

 

[Brennan]

But again, boils down to the individual chains/stores doesn't it?

You didn't have police coming around in April checking how many people were in the store. It was just enforced by the store. So why isn't the same happening now?

The government isn't all seeing. There was never a law in March that only x amount of people were allowed in a shop. It was just the stores taking it upon themselves - so surely the same should be done now?

The whole reason queues outside supermarkets and 2m distancing became part of life was because of government policy, which businesses had to react to. No law was needed for this to happen, it was about language and instructions.

Once the government reduced 2m to 1m and started talking about maintaining distance “where possible” the door was opened for people to take the piss.

If Johnson came out tomorrow in a press conference and reaffirmed 2m distancing and instructed businesses to enforce stricter limits on capacity it would have an immediate impact.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Blood thinners may improve outcomes in 'moderately ill' COVID patients | Imperial News | Imperial College London

Treating less seriously ill COVID-19 patients with blood thinning drugs may help to reduce the need for vital organ support, a study has found.

www.imperial.ac.uk

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Serious bleeding issues this country not just with the supposed government running it but with those who put it there and happily cheer it's decisions despite the obvious contrary evidence from the onset. Disgusting that a vaccine has been so politicised for political gain.

Covid: Gap between Pfizer vaccine doses should be halved, say doctors

Delaying second Pfizer doses to give more people their first is "difficult to justify", says BMA.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[jinkyali]

Anyone who had the Oxford one..
Any side affects?

Woke up feeling [Poor language removed].

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Anyone who had the Oxford one..
Any side affects?

Woke up feeling [Poor language removed].

The Mrs had the Oxford she had mild flu like symptoms, not too unusual.

 

[grandjoeblue]

I am happy to support this lockdown but I'm starting to disagree with the lockdown extremists who want continuous lockdowns forever until deaths are essentially zero.

To vaccinate the whole country we would have to be locked down until October or later. We should reopen in April once the priority groups who account for 90% of hospitalisations are vaccinated. I'm not saying open stadiums at full capacity 1st April but you should be able to see your family at that stage. There needs to be a transition back to normality.

 

[PhilM]

Slightly off topic, we have a land line at home that we do not use apart from to contact my wife's father; nobody has the number bar a handful of close family.

We never gave the number out for years, so the only phone calls we got were close family. My daughter gave it to track and trace and guess what...

... we're now getting calls from scammers.