Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[Bruce Wayne]

Amazing news. AZ vaccine is incredible. By far the most viable option to save the planet.

If it saves lives I couldn't care if its made in Russia, Birkenhead or Tonga. The Russians are a very well developed nation and they have always had very bright scientists.

Reversing climate change might be a step too far

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Given we have 100m doses of AZ on order I'd say the likelihood is AZ, but obviously won't know for sure.

May well be Moderna or any other ones we've got coming because yeah people who have had their first dose should get the same vaccine as their second dose (though I know it wouldn't be against the trend for the government to change that, I don't think they will).

I don't really care tbh, happy to just have it when my time comes - which fingers crossed is going to be a lot sooner than first expected.

Think we have 60m of Novavax so once that gets the greenlight I think we'll see that and AZ become the main ones in the UK as think Novavax will be produced largely in the UK.

 

[xena]

The Guardian, Independent and Mirror would report it, as would all of the main TV news outlets. I'm not aware of any negative reports whatsoever. That may change in the near future as more evidence is collated but suggesting that problems may be getting suppressed seems somewhat extreme to me.

They'd be all over it like a rat up a drain pipe.

 

[grandjoeblue]

Reversing climate change might be a step too far

Will we ever be able to fly as easily in future?

Will be interesting to see how that goes.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

... and yet if you search for “Pfizer second dose” you get a story on Sky:

COVID-19: Delaying second dose of Pfizer jab may leave elderly at risk of catching South African variant, study suggests

Lab tests showed that one dose of the vaccine may not stimulate the immune system to produce enough antibodies to kill the virus.

news.sky.com

Even though that’s been out for 15 hours, that’s the only outlet that I can find who reported it. “Yes, but it’s not peer reviewed!” I hear you cry - but the positive AZ one that’s been mentioned above hasn’t yet been either, according to this:

Single dose of AstraZeneca vaccine could cut transmission by 67%

One jab could also offer protection of up to 76% for up to 12 weeks, a new study shows

www.theguardian.com

I thought I might get better results searching for the name of the scientist quoted, one Dami Collier - and it worked, with stories found from goradio, the peninsular (of Qatar) and a medical site reporting it. No mainstream U.K. outlets though.

Then though I remembered how absurd it is to google search news reports to see if something is happening or not. I resolved to instead look at what the experts, the people who developed the thing. They said:

BioNTech warns ‘no data’ to support UK plan to space out Covid shots

German manufacturer says vaccine was only tested on basis of two doses 21 days apart

www.ft.com

Some more detail on Cambridge's prelim findings here, mate.

Pfizer BioNTech vaccine likely to be effective against B1.1.7 strain of SARS-CoV-2

The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine BNT162b2 is likely to be effective against the B1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2, even though its efficacy is modestly affected, say

www.cam.ac.uk

 

[BlueToff]

Papers being more left wing or right wing than each other doesn't make 'the media' biased.

@Moomin I'm talking about when people refer to 'the media' as one entity. There's obviously biased elements within it, but BBC, Sky, ITV etc, they aren't biased.

 

[Sy-]

Virologist Chris Smirh on the Jeremy Vine show again.

He's so knowledgeable and reassuring and explains things in a way that is both calming and easy to understand.

Johnson could do a lot worse than rolling him out at the covid briefings

I have a lot of time for Prof Jonathan Van Tam who gets rolled out once in a while.

Then again I will always gravitate towards an expert with no notable charisma or sense of self importance, much stronger chance they are there for their knowledge.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

I want one of these dogs lol

Heat to use COVID-sniffing dogs to screen fans

The Heat plan to use coronavirus-sniffing dogs at AmericanAirlines Arena to screen fans who want to attend their games, starting with Thursday's game against the Clippers.

www.espn.com

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

The "team up" with Sputnik line was trotted out prior to the new year.

Not one for the vaccine nationalism, mini satellites floating around the immune system or something.

 

[Moomin]

@Moomin I'm talking about when people refer to 'the media' as one entity. There's obviously biased elements within it, but BBC, Sky, ITV etc, they aren't biased.

I find the BBC to be impartial, and for this reason they have for years been slammed by Murdoch's papers and the likes of the Mail and Express have joined in with the bashing of it.

They want rid of the BBC and its gaining traction.

Defund the BBC will be the new Brexit campaign. It can't be bought and controlled and for this reason certain people want rid of it.

The imminent arrival of GB news and Murdoch's new 24 hours news channel are going to push the narritive of the TV media more rightwing biased.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

So somebody who is an expert in his field with an important message to pass on to the public, should turn down the biggest stage he will ever get to do that out of principle.

That sounds reasonable

Yep do it before or after the Boris and chums enter stage... Just not with. There have been times health and social care professional have hung their in embarrassment at Whitty and Valence et al. Christmas being an example.
And when they have been naughty and off political agenda they are punted like the head of nursing naughty girl she was.

 

[BlueToff]

I find the BBC to be impartial, and for this reason they have for years been slammed by Murdoch's papers and the likes of the Mail and Express have joined in with the bashing of it.

They want rid of the BBC and its gaining traction.

Defund the BBC will be the new Brexit campaign. It can't be bought and controlled and for this reason certain people want rid of it.

The imminent arrival of GB news and Murdoch's new 24 hours news channel are going to push the narritive of the TV media more rightwing biased.

not being contrary here but I've seen plenty of people who are remain voters or definitely more left than right also bashing the BBC, and the other major channels. Both sides do it, that's my point.

I have this argument with my dad - who is older and yeah becoming a bit more conservative in his ways - all the time. If everyone's p***** off, then I reckon they're pretty impartial.

Papers and editors pick and choose their fighters. It's just how it works. People need to stop bloody chebbing about it like we live in Russia or Saudi Arabia. Not saying you're doing this, because I agree with you mate that there is a lot of elements that are biased, but as an entire entity, it's not.

 

[BlueToff]

So somebody who is an expert in his field with an important message to pass on to the public, should turn down the biggest stage he will ever get to do that out of principle.

That sounds reasonable

Ah, the Jeremy Corbyn method.

So principled that you fail to do anything.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I want one of these dogs lol

View attachment 116478

Heat to use COVID-sniffing dogs to screen fans

The Heat plan to use coronavirus-sniffing dogs at AmericanAirlines Arena to screen fans who want to attend their games, starting with Thursday's game against the Clippers.

www.espn.com

It'd be like they've just smelt a Terminator if they ever came across some RS.

 

[Walken]

View attachment 116468

No mate its all even mate, to be fair mate, I see your point mate, lets hope so mate, mate yeah the government could have done better mate.... but, mate mate mate