Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[BlueToff]

lol

some of the medical people were threatened that if they *followed* the guidance from Pfizer (and gave their patients the doses that had been arranged with them) that they’d get into trouble pete

So to correct your hypothetical scenario - you as a 66 year old are sat in hospital, waiting for the treatment that you and your doctor had agreed, you get given one half of it and then some wild-haired toff storms in and says “crikey chaps, there’s not enough to go around” and gives your second dose to a 65 year old.

He flounces off to spend more time with his dad (who did get two doses) and then two grim faced twiglet-men assure you that everything is going to be alright whilst putting duct tape around your doctors mouth, and mutter about tough choices.

No one is able to tell you, when you ask, whether or not you are actually protected, since they are too busy slapping themselves on the back and telling the local paper (whose proprietor had two doses) that the other treatment you could have had definitely works.

If, as appears, the data shows that there's no adverse impact from the delaying of the doses, will you be okay with it?

Gonna caveat this again with the comment that I agree on Pfizer that it should have been kept as is, especially for the people pre-booked in, or at the latest pushed back to six weeks to minimse risk. I can just see the logic in it, and I can also see the logic in the approach of keeping it to 3 weeks. There's risks with both methods. But there is no actual concrete evidence so far that people are getting ill because of the UK's vaccination approach.

 

[JLW]

I hope that is our policy too:

"Documents suggest ministers expect more than 1,000 UK residents a day to return from places where new variants are prevalent"

Why are these people outside of the country? if they are not UK nationals, why are they trying to come here? entirely likely I am missing something obvious, but outside of initial repatriation I can't think of a single reason for people (travelers) to be crossing boarders since March 2020.

...so yeah, damn right they should pay themselves.

I work overseas and I'm currently here now, fortunately for me I'm not in one of the 33 'high risk' countries so i am exempt from quarantine although i do self isolate when i get home. A college of mine who is currently in Guyana South America will have to quarantine on his return from there in 2 weeks time. Our company will not pay for the hotel or expenses during this stay.

Its bollox as it will cost i guess over a grand with the hotel and meals, but what can we do just have to suck it up. I'm just lucky I'm still allowed to still go to work with the way the world is at the minute.

 

[JLW]

I think the example Moomin used was basically a person who lives in Aus having to travel back from Australia to the UK because their mother had a terminal illness and was basically on her last legs.

This person would then have to do the 2-week quarantine in Aus and pay for the entire thing by herself.

So that's the thing, you can't just judge because there's loads of possible scenarios.

Morally speaking, why shouldn't a person be able to go and see their own mother before they die?

You should under any circumstances.

 

[tsubaki]

If, as appears, the data shows that there's no adverse impact from the delaying of the doses, will you be okay with it?

Gonna caveat this again with the comment that I agree on Pfizer that it should have been kept as is, especially for the people pre-booked in, or at the latest pushed back to six weeks to minimse risk. I can just see the logic in it, and I can also see the logic in the approach of keeping it to 3 weeks. There's risks with both methods. But there is no actual concrete evidence so far that people are getting ill because of the UK's vaccination approach.

If there is an authoritative study saying that it’s fine to do this, then from that point on I’d be absolutely fine with it.

I just think doing it without that knowledge in place was, frankly, mindless and could have (and might still; we don’t know) put a million plus vulnerable people at risk. As a precedent for future policy makers it’s absolutely terrible.

I also don’t agree with the idea there are risks with both methods - we know one works at protecting people; we still don’t know the other one does.

 

[arminisgod]

Surely, it should just be proof of vaccine or proof of negative test by the summer?

That could easily be done for events too - outdoor ones with limited capacity.

No reason people shouldn't be able to go to the match in September, for example, even if it's 20,000 as opposed to 40,000.

Easy to do, just have the testing in place.

MURDERING TORY SCUM!!!

 

[Sy-]

I think the example Moomin used was basically a person who lives in Aus having to travel back from Australia to the UK because their mother had a terminal illness and was basically on her last legs.

This person would then have to do the 2-week quarantine in Aus and pay for the entire thing by herself.

So that's the thing, you can't just judge because there's loads of possible scenarios.

Morally speaking, why shouldn't a person be able to go and see their own mother before they die?

Yup, my scenario was more the people who've flagrantly pushed their luck for a jaunt sitting in a quarantine hotel on tax payers money, that's a definite no from me.

Absolutely though, there could/should be a sliding scale of gov subsidisation depending on other legitimate scenarios.

RE: visiting people before they die, I wasn't able to see my auntie before she passed in the summer and she was just down the road, I just accepted that as required, responsible behavior tbh? I didn't really think to contest it.

 

[Brennan]

Looks like Greece is preparing to open up to vaccinated pastie guzzlers and lager swillers in time for the Easter holidays.

Can't imagine this going down too well with younger generations who've had their lives put on hold, now to be told they have to stick in the UK for another summer while the over 50s go on their holidays abroad.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Can't imagine this going down too well with younger generations who've had their lives put on hold, now to be told they have to stick in the UK for another summer while the over 50s go on their holidays abroad.

Just look at Israel infection rates compared to their vaccination, and they have followed full guidelines on dosing. Also can't be sure these variants are not going have more of an impact on younger people health as they appear. Should be a move towards vaccination for all.

 

[Moomin]

I believe in Australia you have to pay for the quarantine room yourself. @Moomin mentioned something along those lines I believe?

Yes, been like that since it started last year.

 

[arminisgod]

The GOV have admitted (by accident) that the 9 priority vaccine groups will be done by May

 

[tsubaki]

The GOV have admitted (by accident) that the 9 priority vaccine groups will be done by May

sadly they’ve both said that and denied it:

All UK over-50s should get vaccine by May, No 10 confirms after confusion

Hancock confirms Covid jabs schedule after it was initially denied when revealed in election plan

www.theguardian.com

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

shocking this:

Up to 100 UK children a week hospitalised with rare post-Covid disease

Exclusive: 75% of children worst affected by paediatric inflammatory multi-system syndrome are BAME

www.theguardian.com

sadly they’ve both said that and denied it:

All UK over-50s should get vaccine by May, No 10 confirms after confusion

Hancock confirms Covid jabs schedule after it was initially denied when revealed in election plan

www.theguardian.com

The gravity of your post above about children and younger people in general will come into focus. We could very easily end up with a Spanish like flu strain of COVID that varies itself to be killer in younger more healthy age groups.

 

[BlueToff]

The gravity of your post above about children and younger people in general will come into focus. We could very easily end up with a Spanish like flu strain of COVID that varies itself to be killed in younger more healthy age groups.

I'll never leave the house again then, to be safe

 

[BlueToff]

sadly they’ve both said that and denied it:

All UK over-50s should get vaccine by May, No 10 confirms after confusion

Hancock confirms Covid jabs schedule after it was initially denied when revealed in election plan

www.theguardian.com

They'll keep playing it down but at this rate it would be done by May and it'd be into the groups of just healthy, younger people.

But, as Whitty said the other day, issue with any modelling right now is that come the start of March all the second doses are really going to be starting en masse, so even if it's 500/600k per-day doses, then a good proportion (close to half probably) will be second doses, so not new people getting a dose, so the rate will slow down.

 

[Mrk]

I can't be the only person who has been pleasantly surprised by how well the vaccine supply is holding up? I've been mentally preparing myself for the "UK faces vaccine shortage" headline for weeks. One of the few - if only - success stories of the past 12 months.