Coronavirus - how is it/has it affected you?

[Ethan]

@Ethan on vaccination, as across the world a huge number of people are going to be vaccinated wouldn’t it be quicker and easier to have the delivery method an EpiPen or is it likely cost being an issue bearing in mind the cost of professional vaccinators comes out of the equation.

A device would help with speed to some degree, although it is quite common for people to deliver stuff into the wrong tissue (fat, sub-cutaneous) and the device would be more expensive and require separate regulatory approval.

 

[Blue in Munich]

@Ethan on vaccination, as across the world a huge number of people are going to be vaccinated wouldn’t it be quicker and easier to have the delivery method an EpiPen or is it likely cost being an issue bearing in mind the cost of professional vaccinators comes out of the equation.

You seem to be suggesting self-vaccination; given the inability of no small percentage of the population to cope with a mask, would you trust them with an Epi-pen?

 

[Old Skier]

You seem to be suggesting self-vaccination; given the inability of no small percentage of the population to cope with a mask, would you trust them with an Epi-pen?

Wouldn’t surprise me if most of them and the poor soles “unable to wear a mask” already use them.

 

[NearHull]

Once the EU borders are fully shut and so lorries etc in and out of the UK are stopped what happens to the food supply chain. Will be back to shelves stripped and panic buying by the new year

My daughter was due to do her weekly shop today. She turned back when she saw the very large queues outside the Supermarket. Panic has started.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Played yesterday and without realising it I travelled from a Tier 2 area where we live all of 3 miles to my club in a Tier 4 area. I had no idea that the club was in a Tier 4 area - indeed I didn't realise that Guildford District started 2 miles from my front door in Waverley. I am thinking that I shouldn't have done that. I note that the clubhouse was closed and we had returned to 2-balls only - but I'm thinking that I shouldn't have travelled to the club at all.

Shortest route to hospital for me is 9 miles where I drive in and out of the neighbouring LA for about 500 yards
Other [legal] route is 12 miles.
In an emergency I know what route I shall take.

Newmarket must be a nightmare with those rules apply, you continually criss/cross the Suffolk/Cambridge borders on most routes in and out.

 

[Billysboots]

My daughter was due to do her weekly shop today. She turned back when she saw the very large queues outside the Supermarket. Panic has started.

Really? Do you not think that might just be because it’s Christmas week and the ongoing need to maintain social distancing inside means there are queues outside?

There was a queue on Saturday morning outside both of my local supermarkets BEFORE the PM’s announcement, quite simply because they were busier on the last Saturday before Christmas.

It’s not panic buying, but quickly will become just that with irresponsible journalism.

 

[GB72]

Really? Do you not think that might just be because it’s Christmas week and the ongoing need to maintain social distancing inside means there are queues outside?

There was a queue on Saturday morning outside both of my local supermarkets BEFORE the PM’s announcement, quite simply because they were busier on the last Saturday before Christmas.

It’s not panic buying, but quickly will become just that with irresponsible journalism.

Have to agree, not necessarily panic buying. Going to be a lot of people who expected to be away for the 5 days over Xmas who now need to stock up as well as the normal shop and a bit extra just because some people are at home for the next 2 weeks. Supermarkets are always busy the week before Xmas so the queues are a good sign that they are keeping the numbers down inside and not cramming them all in like normal.

 

[IanM]

My wife went into Chepstow this morning for final pre Xmas food shop... was pretty quiet, in and back in no time.

Supermarkets are always packed in the week before Christmas... but I wonder how the BBC will report it this evening??

 

[larmen]

With all these people on trains up north I hope London supermarkets will be empty
(of people, not on the shelves)

 

[bobmac]

News on the vaccine rollout including the Oxford vaccine

 

[Doon frae Troon]

As if things could not get any worse £ now equal value to Euro.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

As if things could not get any worse £ now equal value to Euro.

It is not bad news if you export. Anyway, temporary blip. The markets do love a brief panic. Normal service will be resumed within a day or two.

 

[larmen]

EU has now signed off on the Pfizer vaccine as well. Should give done more confidence to people think that the UK/US licenses were rushed.

 

[road2ruin]

Have to agree, not necessarily panic buying. Going to be a lot of people who expected to be away for the 5 days over Xmas who now need to stock up as well as the normal shop and a bit extra just because some people are at home for the next 2 weeks. Supermarkets are always busy the week before Xmas so the queues are a good sign that they are keeping the numbers down inside and not cramming them all in like normal.

I think this is exactly it for the majority. There are a huge number of people (myself included) who were looking forward to a Christmas of being fed and watered. Then, announcement made and I was off into the wilds of Surrey to track down the full Christmas menu which I wouldn’t have been doing otherwise.

Looking at my trolley (and those around me) it may well have looked like panic buying however the reality was it was going from needing no provisions to the full works.

 

[Slab]

Shortest route to hospital for me is 9 miles where I drive in and out of the neighbouring LA for about 500 yards
Other [legal] route is 12 miles.
In an emergency I know what route I shall take.

Newmarket must be a nightmare with those rules apply, you continually criss/cross the Suffolk/Cambridge borders on most routes in and out.

In the case of a genuine "emergency" are you really prohibited from using the shorter route?

 

[larmen]

Similar to when we went from little shops twice a week to a big weekly shop, and we all did it at the same time back in March.
Back then they released the stats that only 4% was hoarding, but it looked like a lot more than that.

 

[fundy]

As if things could not get any worse £ now equal value to Euro.

still an exchange rate of 1.1 on my screen, where do you get equal?

 

[DanFST]

still an exchange rate of 1.1 on my screen, where do you get equal?

He doesn't, but we all already knew that.

 

[Ethan]

You seem to be suggesting self-vaccination; given the inability of no small percentage of the population to cope with a mask, would you trust them with an Epi-pen?

I read it more as speeding up throughput at a vacc centre, with stuff already drawn up, needle on and ready to fire. There are a variety of auto injectors which are used by people who need injections for conditions like MS and who often have dexterity issues. They are designed to be somewhat foolproof. You place the end of the device over the target, press a button and the auto injector fires the needle and administers the medicine.

 

[Ethan]

EU has now signed off on the Pfizer vaccine as well. Should give done more confidence to people think that the UK/US licenses were rushed.

Well, the UK one was rushed for [prohibited in the forum] purposes. The EMA had reached more or les the same conclusion at the same time but chose to go through their process slightly more slowly in order not to feed the perception of undue haste. The real differences, if any, in the rate of vaccine rollout between different European countries will be down to infrastructure and how much vaccine they can get. Germany has good systems, some other places less so. The EU have secured quite a bit of vaccine, including BioNTech/Pfizer, Oxford and Moderna and a few of the others that haven't yet made the headlines but should be around by late spring.