Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[BlueToff]

Correct.

The rub is this: the data should be there before licensing it. AZ appear to have not tested enough to make this a no brainer for older groups in the same way that Pfizer / Moderna is. It might well be efficacious enough, but until they get the evidence back from ongoing take up, it's an issue.

8% of the people in a study being between an 11-year age gap is in no way outrageously low, though?

This is the curious thing, the UK have been rolling out the AZ for weeks and likely on a larger scale then the AZ clinical trial, it should be very easy to analyse that data, but there doesn't seem to much either good or bad unless im missing it. I mean that in the same way that Israel have been providing a lot of data on the Pfizer vaccine.

That said there was a significant drop in the number of cases yesterday and if that continues to today, there might be a strong set of data to suggest that vaccine roll out - including AZ is making a significant difference to the UK rate of infection.

AZ the roll out started 3 weeks ago yesterday - we’re only just starting to see large scale results from Israel and they’ve been administering Pfizer for much longer?

surely any certain results we see now will start to be from the Pfizer roll out which started before Xmas in the UK, and then the first doses of AZ?

 

[Neiler]

Leaving aside the fact it's an abhorent apartheid state, the Israelis are a drilled nation and proving to be a leader on roll out and drawing conclusions. This place doesn't have the ability to test people for the virus properly, never mind conduct ongoing follow up studies of a vaccine roll out.

I think the Israelis did a lot of work with Pfizer in facilitating and developing the vaccine, as such i think they got priority vaccine in a very decent supply with Pfizer and are further along, of course logistics would be a key skill for them as well. They are doing great and the data coming out is very encouraging for those of us probably months behind them in progress at this stage.

 

[peteblue]

@peteblue where you based mate? I assume out in the sticks but once we are all vaccinated and allowed back out do you do any GOT offers on your pub grub?

Anything like 40% off and I'll be more than happy to eat out to help out

We can give you a 100% reduction on meals as we only do drinks and crisps...proper pub.....

 

[Neiler]

8% of the people in a study being between an 11-year age gap is in no way outrageously low, though?

AZ the roll out started 3 weeks ago yesterday - we’re only just starting to see large scale results from Israel and they’ve been administering Pfizer for much longer?

surely any certain results we see now will start to be from the Pfizer roll out which started before Xmas in the UK, and then the first doses of AZ?

That might be a fair point mate, the 30 of Dec i think it was granted emergency approval in the UK. Still i don't think its unreasonable to see early trends or data a month later.

As i say the rate of infection seemed very positive yesterday for the UK - is that the result of 7 mill people having one dose vaccination or increased environmental restrictions, what % are AZ, what age sub sets are in that? Thats the type of stuff you want to see analysed this early and thats just me, raising that anecdotal point and possible trend and correlation, researchers should be all over that, i can think of loads more.

 

[Tubey]

I think the Israelis did a lot of work with Pfizer in facilitating and developing the vaccine, as such i think they got priority vaccine in a very decent supply with Pfizer and are further along, of course logistics would be a key skill for them as well. They are doing great and the data coming out is very encouraging for those of us probably months behind them in progress at this stage.

Netanyahu has a lot of political capital on the line when it comes to the vaccine. It was very much in his interests to nail this rollout.

 

[davek]

Indeed.

Which is why this confused me;


'This place' being the UK, or Israel?

The UK

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Something for the future perhaps - an oncology drug like that is exceptionally expensive, unfortunately we cannot farm sea squirts very effectively (plus it's often not the actual animal, but a symbiont that produces the natural product) and they produce minute quantities, so it has to be synthesised de novo. But I guess it's a very different play to global population vaccination, it could be used to treat the serious ill in hospitals which we hope in the future will diminish to a low number. So a drug like that could make a big impact there.

 

[davek]

I think the Israelis did a lot of work with Pfizer in facilitating and developing the vaccine, as such i think they got priority vaccine in a very decent supply with Pfizer and are further along, of course logistics would be a key skill for them as well. They are doing great and the data coming out is very encouraging for those of us probably months behind them in progress at this stage.

IIRC Im sure I read that AZ produce vaccine in Israel? They haven't licensed there yet though.

 

[davek]

Netanyahu has a lot of political capital on the line when it comes to the vaccine. It was very much in his interests to nail this rollout.

Not just roll out but follow up.

 

[BlueToff]

That might be a fair point mate, the 30 of Dec i think it was granted emergency approval in the UK. Still i don't think its unreasonable to see early trends or data a month later.

As i say the rate of infection seemed very positive yesterday for the UK - is that the result of 7 mill people having one dose vaccination or increased environmental restrictions, what % are AZ, what age sub sets are in that? Thats the type of stuff you want to see analysed this early and thats just me, raising that anecdotal point and possible trend and correlation, researchers should be all over that, i can think of loads more.

I agree mate, just thought it worth pointing out that 4th jan was the day the first AZ vax was given and I think the general roll out didn’t start until later that week (because there was that great moment where they sent Hancock to a surgery that hadn’t yet received its delivery!)

 

[peteblue]

Its going to be interesting to see what happens this week, with the EMA and the AZ vaccine.

I think is clear now there is some misinterpretation to the 8% reports, which we all found strange last night.

AZ are right in their statement last night in terms of reporting their study, but it was from results of a small sample size of over 65s.

The EMA will either sanction it, or put in caveats, depending on their findings.

Individual governments i think are responsible for their vaccine policy and roll out so even if it is fully approved, Germany might decide to use Pfizer or Moderna for over 65s.

Hopefully there ae no concerns though and this proves a storm in a tea cup and bad journalism.

The EU could do with a third vaccine option.

If the EMA approves it Germany will look stupid, so I expect the EMA to put in the caveats that Germany tells them to... So let’s see, Germany has a vaccine costing x20 times a British vaccine and is a pain to distribute, and they want to sell it globally, now how can it compete...’I haf ze cunning planz’......

 

[Tubey]

Something for the future perhaps - an oncology drug like that is exceptionally expensive, unfortunately we cannot farm sea squirts very effectively (plus it's often not the actual animal, but a symbiont that produces the natural product) and they produce minute quantities, so it has to be synthesised de novo. But I guess it's a very different play to global population vaccination, it could be used to treat the serious ill in hospitals which we hope in the future will diminish to a low number. So a drug like that could make a big impact there.

There'll be a lot of focus going on general coronavirus/influenza therapeutics over the next few years as we wait for the 'big one' - there's a general belief COVID-19 isn't actually the 'Disease X' we've been fearing.

The complacency in recent decades in preparing for it though will hopefully be a thing of the past and this 'trial run' with coronavirus will make us better prepared.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Who'd have thought it?

The EU in overregulation SHOCKER.

 

[davek]

That might be a fair point mate, the 30 of Dec i think it was granted emergency approval in the UK. Still i don't think its unreasonable to see early trends or data a month later.

As i say the rate of infection seemed very positive yesterday for the UK - is that the result of 7 mill people having one dose vaccination or increased environmental restrictions, what % are AZ, what age sub sets are in that? Thats the type of stuff you want to see analysed this early and thats just me, raising that anecdotal point and possible trend and correlation, researchers should be all over that, i can think of loads more.

Pfizer roll out well before Christmas, AZ after the new year. You'd think if the rate of infection is being influenced by the vaccines then it'd be mostly down to Pfizer, given there's a 3 week wait for the vaccines to provide immune response?

 

[arminisgod]

Who'd have thought it?

The EU in overregulation SHOCKER.

That twitter thread from Peston is very damming on the EU.