Coronavirus - how is it/has it affected you?

Tashyboy said:
Belatedly me and Missis Tash watched the Oxford Covid vaccine programme the other night. It was excellent. Even on there they said more than one vaccine is required. For me it is nit picking asking for one vaccine injection when six months ago the whole world was desperate for any kind of vaccine. Quite frankly Tony Blair has contributed nothing to this Covid “ fight” for 9 months then asks for one single vaccine. Am not saying owt about him coz A, we don’t discuss politics and B he is a plank.
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Blair is a polarising figure, but the subtext of what he is saying is important. The clock is running, and this new strain effectively means that our opponent the virus has got a speed boost, and even with currently supply promises, it will be June before they get into the over 50 group. Estimates for the cost in lives and admissions in the meantime must have just gone up. One shot is a more reliable population approach.
 
Ethan said:
It is probably all over Europe, but I think it is hard to blame France from stoping movement until they get some idea what is going on.

The whole thing has been political, in every country, whether it is Tory back benchers, SNP or whatever here, Sinn Fein vs Fine Gael and Fianna Fail in Ireland, Trump and the culture warriors versus the Dems and Fauci in the US etc etc.

If it wasn't so scary, the mutations and viral evolution is fascinating. Like a microcosm of human evolution but in a hugely compressed time period. Random errors in the viral genetics create small differences. Those which offer an evolutionary advantage take over at the expense of those that don't, so the virus refines itself over time, same way that humans are getting taller, stronger, living longer (OK, nutrition nd health are part of it, but they are products of evolution too). One interesting element is that viral replication is impaired if the host population dies off, so viruses tend to become more transmissible but less pathogenic over time. Even now and again a Frankenvirus pops up which breaks this pattern, but then it too tends to evolve in the same direction.
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When this is done and dusted and Covid 19 is history. Someone like Panorama or National Geographic is going to do a programme about this Covid. Similar to the way that all Black death, Spanish flu epidemics etc etc have killed billions over the years has been analysed. It will be a fascinating yet upsetting viewing.
I mentioned at the start of this Covid that it had the potential to be another Spanish flu. SF killed 50 million give or take a million. Yet only 3% of people infected died. Do the maths and how many worldwide were infected ( 1.6 billionish). Another factor was the Spanish flu Never differentiated between young and old. A lot of young fit people died with the Spanish flu. Wonder if the young Uns of today would of had a different mentality if they were as at risk as the elderly and those with underlying medical problems.
 
Ethan said:
Blair is a polarising figure, but the subtext of what he is saying is important. The clock is running, and this new strain effectively means that our opponent the virus has got a speed boost, and even with currently supply promises, it will be June before they get into the over 50 group. Estimates for the cost in lives and admissions in the meantime must have just gone up. One shot is a more reliable population approach.
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Ethan I understand one vaccine is quicker than 2, but from a development point of view, why was 2 vaccines the preferred route, an easier route, the quicker to develop route. ?
 
Saw Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall in Oban earlier. Probably heading for Tiree (has a place there).
Had a feeling that is pretty selfish behaviour, he resides Winchester I believe. Heading from Tier 3 soon to be Tier 4 (lockdown) England to Tier 1 and a remote island in Scotland.
Views?
 
Ethan said:
Blair is a polarising figure, but the subtext of what he is saying is important. The clock is running, and this new strain effectively means that our opponent the virus has got a speed boost, and even with currently supply promises, it will be June before they get into the over 50 group. Estimates for the cost in lives and admissions in the meantime must have just gone up. One shot is a more reliable population approach.
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I've read a few differing views of what protection a single dose would give. One said around 90% with a second moving to 95%, the other suggested something like 70% moving to 95%. If it's 90% with the first dose then it's a no brainer to do it.
 
SocketRocket said:
I've read a few differing views of what protection a single dose would give. One said around 90% with a second moving to 95%, the other suggested something like 70% moving to 95%. If it's 90% with the first dose then it's a no brained to do it.
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It depends how you measure it. Some of the data is reported as protection over the first X weeks, others as protection at X weeks. The first one is always going to be lower than the second. I think there is a growing view that a couple of weeks after you get the first jab, you are pretty well protected. To that extent, then giving the second dose to the same person then is less useful to society than giving it so someone else.
 
SocketRocket said:
I've read a few differing views of what protection a single dose would give. One said around 90% with a second moving to 95%, the other suggested something like 70% moving to 95%. If it's 90% with the first dose then it's a no brainer to do it.
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If it’s was a no brainier wouldn’t the manufacturer have recommended this and had the relevant authorities authorise it as a single dose followed by a second dose months down the line.

Now were all vaccine advisors I thought it’s was 50% on one of the offers.
 
IanM said:
We got ours. No substitutions or gaps. In and out of car park in about 10 mins max. Haven't been inside a supermarket in about 2 years
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MIL lives just outside of Dover as was supposed to go in today to pick up her order. Town as always when the French play their tricks completely gridlocked and no way in. The truckies have always, on purpose, blocked every road and roundabout as a form of protest and nothing moves, so along with no visit, no Christmas goodies.
 
Old Skier said:
If it’s was a no brainier wouldn’t the manufacturer have recommended this and had the relevant authorities authorise it as a single dose followed by a second dose months down the line.

Now were all vaccine advisors I thought it’s was 50% on one of the offers.
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I suggested it would be a no brainer if a single dose gave 90% protection. I didn't suggest it did but read an article in the BBC News saying this:

His proposal was backed up by Professor David Salisbury, the man in charge of immunisation at the Department of Health until 2013.

He told Today the numbers were "straightforward".

"You give one dose you get 91% [protection] you give two doses and you get 95% - you are only gaining 4% for giving the second dose," he said.

"With current circumstances, I would strongly urge you to use as many first doses as you possibly can for risk groups and only after you have done all of that come back with second doses."
 
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IanM said:
We got ours. No substitutions or gaps. In and out of car park in about 10 mins max. Haven't been inside a supermarket in about 2 years
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Had s couple subs but some were better things lol

Could only get one mince pie packs but was because they gave every one a free one!

Haven't been in a super market since covid really
 
Old Skier said:
MIL lives just outside of Dover as was supposed to go in today to pick up her order. Town as always when the French play their tricks completely gridlocked and no way in. The truckies have always, on purpose, blocked every road and roundabout as a form of protest and nothing moves, so along with no visit, no Christmas goodies.
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Not sure where she lives fella. But there are always ways in. I was at tesco in Dover this afternoon after golf and got there with no delays.

I agree the truckies get up to mischief, but having worked in freight for the last decade. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've actually been stuck in the traffic getting to the docs. It always takes the police a few hours to sort it. But by afternoon it's doable.
 
Papas1982 said:
Not sure where she lives fella. But there are always ways in. I was at tesco in Dover this afternoon after golf and got there with no delays.

I agree the truckies get up to mischief, but having worked in freight for the last decade. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've actually been stuck in the traffic getting to the docs. It always takes the police a few hours to sort it. But by afternoon it's doable.
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She has to rely on the bus and no buses turned up, at 83 and not a driver she is reliant on the buses unfortunately. Hopefully daughter no two will get across from Wingham at some time.
 
Old Skier said:
She has to rely on the bus and no buses turned up, at 83 and not a driver she is reliant on the buses unfortunately. Hopefully daughter no two will get across from Wingham at some time.
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Yeah that’ll make things worse! The back route from wingham is generally clear. It’s how I get around that park of Kent most of the time tbh.

I’d imagine the ports will be sorted after Xmas. Til brexit at least ??
 
Had to dive into Sainsbury's on the way home as HID had forgotten salad cream. lemons (why??) and nuts. Given it was 4.00pm it wasn't too bad and the fruit and veg aisles fully stocked. Still very busy and no concept of social distancing but all done. HID had a classic this morning getting the turkey. Had to wait and so went to pick up a few veggie bits. There was a woman with 8 bags of large carrots in her bag. A man who clearly wanted carrots asked her what she was going to do with all those carrots. After some back chat and the guy asking several times she said she was taking them all home to blanche them and freeze them. Why asked the gentleman. Without any thought of irony and straight faced she said "haven't you heard, there is going to be a food shortage" and went barging off down the aisle. Unbelievable Jeff. You can't legislate for stupidity like that
 
HomerJSimpson said:
Had to dive into Sainsbury's on the way home as HID had forgotten salad cream. lemons (why??) and nuts. Given it was 4.00pm it wasn't too bad and the fruit and veg aisles fully stocked. Still very busy and no concept of social distancing but all done. HID had a classic this morning getting the turkey. Had to wait and so went to pick up a few veggie bits. There was a woman with 8 bags of large carrots in her bag. A man who clearly wanted carrots asked her what she was going to do with all those carrots. After some back chat and the guy asking several times she said she was taking them all home to blanche them and freeze them. Why asked the gentleman. Without any thought of irony and straight faced she said "haven't you heard, there is going to be a food shortage" and went barging off down the aisle. Unbelievable Jeff. You can't legislate for stupidity like that
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I thought shopping for purely non-essential items was heavily frowned upon, or did I get that wrong?
 
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