Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[SerenityNigh]

The image on this is useful and is the type of tweet which fully explains the point of the vaccine. Completely destroys the anti vaxx argument 'you can still catch it'.

This is entirely useful but doesn't destroy the anti vax argument because it's entirely true that you can "still catch it," the issue is with expectations and what people understand about science and medicine. "Why didn't it work" and "why is the vaccine expiring" are common questions here in the US. But soon we'll have data on hospitalizations and deaths for vaxxed vs unvaxxed and that might change some minds.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Nice one, what's happening in the body that makes you lose taste and smell? It is mad

Good question; not sure anyone really knows. I read/heard previously that this was thought to be a neurological issue, but this review suggests it's effecting some nasal/sinus cells related to smell function.

How COVID-19 Causes Loss of Smell

Olfactory support cells, not neurons, are vulnerable to novel coronavirus infection

hms.harvard.edu

 

[LinekersLegs]

Yep we’re opening up vaccines for under 18s now, going down to 12 year olds at the moment. The issue of vaccinating younger than that is a thorny one and needs to be handled very carefully, when approved. I suspect even from 15-12 we will see some parental hesitancy, even if the parents are fully vaccinated themselves.

Pretty good take up here in the Bay Area which has comparatively high adult vaccination rate. Schools were shut here for a long time so think for a lot of parents it is a desire for them not to miss out on any more school due to Covid class closures.

 

[Neiler]

Imperial’s work has been really beneficial and definitely helps paint a picture, but I’ve seen their figures misused in the past by a ‘Covid-denier’ when it implied cases were lower than what was being reported by the Govt. Really does worry me that people (of both extremes) think the Govt would go out of their way to doctor something as inconsequential as daily infection figures, like it would actually change anything.

All data can and should be critiqued mate, you can find flaws in it if you look at it hard enough, it’s just the nature of it, take the imperial figures did 60 odds really self report one day after testing positive - wouldn’t be the first thing that would come to my mind. Elsewise I’d question the U.K. death figures 28 day cut off from positive test what if you die after that. All data can and should be questioned, those that produce it should want to, to. You learn over time to be open minded about it all and naturally questioning of it.

Agree though data can be used for positive and negative of to push an agenda. Like stats in football, data can be framed.

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

Just speaking to my mate who lives out in NZ.

He's not getting vaccinated.

As well as those two countries (Aus) got it at first, can't help but think they've really cocked up with vaccine hesitancy.

He was like "studies have shown getting loads of vitamin D and magnesium is good for keeping you healthy'

I know comments like that aren't limited to NZ, loads of people are probably saying that here. And of course, being healthy and having lots of vitamins will likely help you be healthier, but it doesn't stop you getting it...

I tried to explain, told him what I've just had and that's with one jab. But he's not having it, and I'm not going to boss him, it's his choice. I suggested that they'll introduce it for travel and he said vaccine hesitancy is really common over there, nobody he knows is getting it... so he doubts they'd introduce something like that.

Can't help but think they really took a wrong approach in that regard. They waited for it to play out in Europe instead of going for it themselves.

No offence intended mate but you speaking to your one mate here in NZ is a pretty small sample size. The vast majority of my friends and family can't wait for their call-up to get vaccinated. Sure, there is one or two friends I've seen on social media who are seemingly anti-vaxxers, but I think you'd find, as always, there is a rough 80/20 split everywhere in the world.

I work in travel here, and the feel in the industry is that it's pretty much 100% that there'll be restrictions on unvaccinated travellers once the majority of the population here are vaccinated (likely to be January / February at the latest) and border restrictions are hopefully loosened.

 

[Neiler]

Isn’t the Imperial metric just the estimated actual new cases if the whole country was being tested? Whereas the gov one is actual test results being returned. Would make sense that over half of cases are missed

Apparently they use a self reporting methodology, not sure the exact extract of that, whether it’s individuals or health care workers getting in touch or whatever. The comparrisom came my way of another health care professional, who said they’d go to imperial for what they believe is more accurate data. Thought that was a bit of a leap of faith given the variance, perhaps the tweet is purposely designed to be controversial in the variance.

I don’t think the imperial data intention was to be comparibke or controversial to the U.K. gov data the tweet is spliced. But thought it was interesting, in terms of different methodologies (As I understand them).

 

[peteblue]

No Pete, why would I blame Boris for USA, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Canada, India, Brazil, Argentina?

Hes not the leader of those countries, just like the CCP isnt the leader of the UK.

But the CCP created the virus……

 

[HumbleWedbetters]

Seen something disturbing on twitter tonight.

A wba fan who clearly had been receiving and sharing misinformation about masks, covid and the vaccine. He is in a bad way in hospital, has a young family.

You have people giving him the I told you so, and the sceptics saying he's an actor as if he's there to convince people to take the vaccine.

The man is gravely gravely ill. Fortunately there are people wishing him well and sending him strength.

So much politicising because people want to be right. I'm frustrated that this guy is in the place he is because of people with platforms sharing wrong information.

The irony is that I came across it from seeing Matthew Marsden wishing him well.... Yet he is a person who has been anti lockdown, anti mask and against the vaccine.

Too many people are too far down the line to admit that their scepticism has gone too far. The likes of Gillian Mckeith, Matt le Tissier etc have a lot to answer for.

Life is too prescious to be gloating at others misfortune. Yes, they may have been foolish but no-one deserves that.

 

[Neiler]

Pretty good take up here in the Bay Area which has comparatively high adult vaccination rate. Schools were shut here for a long time so think for a lot of parents it is a desire for them not to miss out on any more school due to Covid class closures.

Good to hear mate. That might be a key parental motivation, nightmare for schools though, what do you do if 75% of a class are vaccinated and 25% aren’t. These are the type of debates that will be happing as we get to this cohort. Parents of children who haven’t reached the age of consent will have to make decisions for their children, that I think will be a wide spectrum between pro vax, antivax, even some in the middle who may have gotten the vaccinated themselves but may be a bit hesitant for their kids to get it. It’s a thorny one, in terms of risk, equity, consent, parental rights and inclusion or exclusion.

 

[LinekersLegs]

Some areas like Netherlands reintroduced restrictions, others didn’t.

Lots of different factors will be at play - Euros, weather, holidays, schools, vaccination rates and presumably also some people changing behaviour as they saw the rapidly rising rates or told to isolate.

 

[BlueToff]

Nice one, what's happening in the body that makes you lose taste and smell? It is mad

yeah no idea mate

it's that and the fatigue that really separated it from a normal bug to me

My initial symptoms were like tonisilitis. Managing them through painkillers. But the dizziness/fatigue i had on Friday night into Saturday morning really was rough, then the loss of smell/taste is just depressing.

Very glad it's all out of the way and I've only got one day of isolation left. Gonna be back on the bike Thursday, will see how much it's taken out of me! I was helping with some gardening today and was shot after five minutes!

 

[BlueToff]

To be fair to him, NZ has done so well controlling cases that unless he plans on traveling out of country, it's not necessary at the moment. He's probably still a nut, but that's not a bad decision given his circumstances.

oh of all the developed nations you can probably get away with not getting the jab in, it's NZ.

that being said,it's what happens when they open up to other travel again, and they will simply have to eventually.

If not enough of their population has been vaccinated, then the impacts could be deadly because the virus will have a breeding ground.

They have a small population and they're so well run. I love their PM, she's everything that we should want in a politician, but I fear that they did so well with the initial handling that maybe people over there - my mate included - seem to have forgotten what actually is needed and was always needed to get out of this.

 

[Deleted member 48881]

 

[BlueToff]

Some areas like Netherlands reintroduced restrictions, others didn’t.

Lots of different factors will be at play - Euros, weather, holidays, schools, vaccination rates and presumably also some people changing behaviour as they saw the rapidly rising rates or told to isolate.

I honestly think as well Legs, that on top of those reasons, we have to realise that COVID comes and goes in waves.

Delta has been like a seasonal bug. The symptoms are even easily similar, as is how long it lasts for most people.

Been doing a lot of reading up and people have described the symptoms as, commonly, lasting between 4 and 7 days – like a proper seasonal virus would.

I'm not meaning that in a way to downplay it, but it seems that is what has happened, and those things come in waves and then burn out quickly. We are now obviously all more hyper aware and that's a good thing as like you say it may have helped curtail it somewhat.

 

[BlueToff]

No offence intended mate but you speaking to your one mate here in NZ is a pretty small sample size. The vast majority of my friends and family can't wait for their call-up to get vaccinated. Sure, there is one or two friends I've seen on social media who are seemingly anti-vaxxers, but I think you'd find, as always, there is a rough 80/20 split everywhere in the world.

I work in travel here, and the feel in the industry is that it's pretty much 100% that there'll be restrictions on unvaccinated travellers once the majority of the population here are vaccinated (likely to be January / February at the latest) and border restrictions are hopefully loosened.

Oh I know, it was more that none of his friends are getting it too. And I feel that his hesitancy is basically complacency - he was acting like it's nothing to fear so why get the vaccine. I was trying to stress, it's not really just about him. And that's where I think given how well NZ handled it, and Aus, there's possibly a discrepancy. The fear factor isn't there as such, for some people. And I'm not sure how a government stresses that more. I suppose they're doing all they can. My main critique is their decisions to wait on the roll out. I get why they did it, but it wasn't just supply. I remember reading in March time that Aus - I think NZ as well - said they were going to wait and see how it played out in Europe. I think that gave time which ultimately fed into vaccine sceptics and then, possibly, people who were on the fence. When they could have just been as organised as they were for the initial lockdowns and got the roll out up and running and done sharpish.

He's the type of person who usually likes to be at the front of the queue for anything, including getting ill tbh. I think if he was over here, he'd have had it in a heartbeat. But he's basically had life as normal bar a few months in 2020 - he lives in Cambridge I believe.

I suggested the travel restrictions too so I hope you're right and he's wrong (I think he is wrong about that, btw). I tried to stress it to him, but he wasn't having it.

I don't think he's anti-vax really. He did say he was going to wait and see to see how it played out with other variants etc, but at that point I gave up and talked about something else cause I don't want to be bossing him around, it's his choice, just tried to stress it's to protect everyone.

He also put so many drugs into his system in the last 5 years before he moved to NZ that I was kind of like 'bit rich, mate'.