Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[COYBL25]

Half expecting to be the only people at our local tomorrow. Hope not because the whole idea is to socially engage with people again, socially distanced of course.

But, whilst the forecast is sunny, it'll be too cold for most of the residents in our village, most of who will probably be too frightened to come out anyway.

You say that mate, but the old boys have been the first back into my local after every lockdown.

 

[Goat]

You say that mate, but the old boys have been the first back into my local after every lockdown.

Zimmer frame room only tomorrow at 10am I reckon.

 

[peteblue]

Zimmer frame room only tomorrow at 10am I reckon.

Check in at our pub....

 

[Neiler]

@davek

Good article, a lot of truth in it, that pretty much how the market operates, it’s driven by capitalism and greed really. To be fair to the drug companies they do invest a hell of a lot in R&D and I do think there has to be a pay off for them in that when things work out and in a way it supports future development and innovation. I can understand why they want to keep IPR for as long as possible. All that said, you can see that a few companies have become so dominant that it’s almost impossible now for true scientific innovation or aultrrustic treatment for the whole of humanity is possible, without hitching to one of the big company’s wagons. Essentually, AZ and Pfizer have just piggybacked Oxford and Biontechs work - Moderna are a bit different mind. Generally big pharma don’t care about vaccines, most companies don’t produce them as they are generally single use and inexpensive they prefer a painkiller or another treatment, you take regularly and are more expensive.

Yet I would suggest its a bit easy to wholly blame big pharma companies, they have a role and are out to make money, yet often governments have policies that support them, like not licensing generic alternatives and protecting intellectual property rights. Governments have no interest in nationalising healthcare development and research and happy to let private companies at it, health care reserch is massively expensive. In fact most goverments have very close relationships with big pharma companies, in this country, there is a Pfizer plant near me that employs thousands. It was incentivised to set up here, with all types of tax breaks, perks, facilities and infrastructure built for them and licensing given, it’s the same around the world. AZ and U.K. is another example. You also find in these countries generic medicines are strictly regulated or tariffed, it’s often a cartel.

On a micro level, every Friday morning I go to what’s called a Grand Round - essentially colleagues presenting research on a study and a discussion ensues, it’s at 8.30, every week a different drug company, provides breakfast, essentially, coffees, pastries, juices, fresh fruit and the like. They hang around and push their drugs, there will be some conference going on abroad and they will offer to pay for you to go or help fund attendances at other courses or something else, if their drugs are used etc.

It’s a murky self serving area, with loads of self interested noses at the troughs And operates on capitalism, but been allowed to by a non interested governments, until something like this happens. Thats not to say great work isn’t done, it is, it’s just that the relationships involved are based on self interest rather then public good. The pandemic will show these things up periodically and people will tut or be surprised but once this is over no one will really care and the whole thing will just continue.

Think in the US are a bit out of hand mind, they’ve had huge problems with the misuse of prescribed drugs, which is evidence of all the self serving relationships I described above getting way out of hand to the detriment of public health.

 

[peteblue]

Men’s, women’s and kid’s clothing/footwear/accessories, beauty products, home goods and electronic accessories

That reminded me of the opening voiceover to ‘Are you being served’ at Grace Brothers....

 

[roydo]

That reminded me of the opening voiceover to ‘Are you being served’ at Grace Brothers....

Going Up.

Lost on the yoof that.

 

[davek]

Yes, they did.

They came through with facilities to bring it to a huge scale of production and distribution. But one of the points the article underlines is that it was not what we'd call traditional Big Pharma that came through with the formulas.

 

[davek]

Remember this conversation we had Dave just before the schools went back last month.






Well it's 5 weeks since schools returned, so plenty of time to see the spike in infections that you were so adamant was going to happen. IIRC the daily infection rate immediately prior to schools reopening was hovering around the 5.5k/6k mark. Yesterday we saw 1730 new infections, with an average of 2629 over the last 7 days.

So I think it's fair to say that infection rates have continued to fall despite schools reopening, albeit it at a slightly slower rate than we were seeing earlier.

It DID go up, and we've also just had Easter vacation.

 

[BlueStevie35]

Yeah, I recall you saying now.

Was it your shop where people were getting changed in the store because the changing room were closed? lol

Yep, we’ve been told to crack down on that, the customers can try on jackets/coats and footwear but anything else and we have to step in

 

[davek]

Half expecting to be the only people at our local tomorrow. Hope not because the whole idea is to socially engage with people again, socially distanced of course.

But, whilst the forecast is sunny, it'll be too cold for most of the residents in our village, most of who will probably be too frightened to come out anyway.

Itls understandable people will be nervous. The country has been through a torrid time, and over the channel it still is that way.

We have to see the ending of restrictions as a time to make good the connections broken by the lockdown...it is NOT a time to get 'kin rotten and riot and have a free for all in the shops.

If that starts to happen, we need the lockdown back.

 

[Charro]

We're counting the hours now until all hell breaks loose again.

Please - if you do go to beer gardens etc - act responsibly.

Let's not screw this up and be back in lockdown by mid-summer.

People can have a pint without your public service advice.

Would love to get a glimpse inside your head at what you think is going to happen tomorrow.

 

[peteblue]

People can have a pint without your public service advice.

Would love to get a glimpse inside your head at what you think is going to happen tomorrow.

Dave said it’s going to rain.....

 

[peteblue]

They came through with facilities to bring it to a huge scale of production and distribution. But one of the points the article underlines is that it was not what we'd call traditional Big Pharma that came through with the formulas.

I thought AZ came out well enough.....

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Out with the missus at lunch time for some swill and muck.

I’m taking my air pistol just in case I see a big, fat, miserable orange face lurking in the bushes with a megaphone.

Careful, you'll get a reputation.

 

[davek]

@davek

Good article, a lot of truth in it, that pretty much how the market operates, it’s driven by capitalism and greed really. To be fair to the drug companies they do invest a hell of a lot in R&D and I do think there has to be a pay off for them in that when things work out and in a way it supports future development and innovation. I can understand why they want to keep IPR for as long as possible. All that said, you can see that a few companies have become so dominant that it’s almost impossible now for true scientific innovation or aultrrustic treatment for the whole of humanity is possible, without hitching to one of the big company’s wagons. Essentually, AZ and Pfizer have just piggybacked Oxford and Biontechs work - Moderna are a bit different mind. Generally big pharma don’t care about vaccines, most companies don’t produce them as they are generally single use and inexpensive they prefer a painkiller or another treatment, you take regularly and are more expensive.

Yet I would suggest its a bit easy to wholly blame big pharma companies, they have a role and are out to make money, yet often governments have policies that support them, like not licensing generic alternatives and protecting intellectual property rights. Governments have no interest in nationalising healthcare development and research and happy to let private companies at it, health care reserch is massively expensive. In fact most goverments have very close relationships with big pharma companies, in this country, there is a Pfizer plant near me that employs thousands. It was incentivised to set up here, with all types of tax breaks, perks, facilities and infrastructure built for them and licensing given, it’s the same around the world. AZ and U.K. is another example. You also find in these countries generic medicines are strictly regulated or tariffed, it’s often a cartel.

On a micro level, every Friday morning I go to what’s called a Grand Round - essentially colleagues presenting research on a study and a discussion ensues, it’s at 8.30, every week a different drug company, provides breakfast, essentially, coffees, pastries, juices, fresh fruit and the like. They hang around and push their drugs, there will be some conference going on abroad and they will offer to pay for you to go or help fund attendances at other courses or something else, if their drugs are used etc.

It’s a murky self serving area, with loads of self interested noses at the troughs And operates on capitalism, but been allowed to by a non interested governments, until something like this happens. Thats not to say great work isn’t done, it is, it’s just that the relationships involved are based on self interest rather then public good. The pandemic will show these things up periodically and people will tut or be surprised but once this is over no one will really care and the whole thing will just continue.

Think in the US are a bit out of hand mind, they’ve had huge problems with the misuse of prescribed drugs, which is evidence of all the self serving relationships I described above getting way out of hand to the detriment of public health.

Absolutely mate.

I think the point the article does very well is give a historical overview on how vast sums into R&D on crucial projects once upon a time saw the state very much in control of what was produced with that investment; now it's part of the deal for states to hand over massive cash to develop and then to hand it to private capital to own and exploit. That's typical of how this moribund market system survives in its 21st century deformed condition.