SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)

[Wibble]

Interesteind guote about vaccine effectuveness in South Africa in today's AU edition of The Guardian.

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Some medical experts are speaking at the National Press Club today.

Prof Robert Booy is first up. He is providing some analysis of the news that South Africa is pausing its AstraZeneca vaccinations after preliminary data showed it had a 10% effectiveness against the South African strain.

He says that economic and social issues in South Africa also effect vaccine effectiveness.

“We have had reports in the last week of Johnson & Johnson, of Novavax, having 90% protection but then in South Africa only 60% or so.

“I’d like to contend that the effect in South Africa may not just be the virus, but it might also be the population of the people because they live in such a crowded situation in many cases, apart from a few rich people...the virus can spread more easily from person-to-person.

“So a 60% effectiveness in South Africa might actually be 80% in a richer country with less crowding and a better health system.

“Now, the South African variant is worrying us. I’m not trying to down play it, I’m just trying to put it into perspective.”

 

[mu4c_20le]

Just watching BBC news after the United game. No record of Corona in any animal in the wet markets so that's been ruled out.

They are claiming it couldn't possibly be from that lab that was experimenting on coronaviruses because there's no records of a virus like that in the lab and are suggesting the virus came to Wuhan in frozen food from abroad.

This is definitely making me think it was a lab all along.

That's not what the report said. WHO suggested that the theory of a lab leak was 'extremely unlikely', and that they also explored the frozen foods theory but the most likely cause was still jumping from an intermediate, probably a bat. Your last sentence is dangrously close to sounding like a Q supporter.... "the scientists and medical professionals failed to convince me, therefore I will stick to the theories that I personally find most believable"

 

[prateik]

Just watching BBC news after the United game. No record of Corona in any animal in the wet markets so that's been ruled out.

They are claiming it couldn't possibly be from that lab that was experimenting on coronaviruses because there's no records of a virus like that in the lab and are suggesting the virus came to Wuhan in frozen food from abroad.

This is definitely making me think it was a lab all along.

No record of coronavirus in the wet markets .. can't be the wet markets.
No record of a similar virus in the labs -- must be the labs.

 

[Wibble]

By far the most likely origin is a bat virus infected an intermediate host such as a pangolin and then from the intermediate host to a human, who then spread it around Wuhan with patient zero, or someone they infected, causing a super-spreader event at the wet market.

We also know it wasn't engineered for certain.

 

[RoyH1]

Yeah this whole investigation is rubbish. China have had a year to create (or remove) any evidence they wanted to. Not that it was necessarily from a lab, but just that this investigation is pointless.

It feels like an exercise in futility for me too. What evidence could they possibly find in a totalitarian state a year after the fact? What's the point?

 

[Penna]

What's the general % expected to take it up in Italy once the vaccine is in widespread use?

I just found some info from a survey of 800 people which was carried out towards the end of last year, and 40% of them said they had misgivings. Obviously it's a small sample.

I know in the village here every single person in our care home had it (residents and staff), but that was probably because it was administered by our village GP who has been here for decades and is highly-regarded by everyone. And of course, he'd already had it himself by that point.

https://www.euronews.com/2020/11/26...alians-hesitant-about-taking-covid-19-vaccine

 

[Withnail]

That's not what the report said. WHO suggested that the theory of a lab leak was 'extremely unlikely', and that they also explored the frozen foods theory but the most likely cause was still jumping from an intermediate, probably a bat. Your last sentence is dangrously close to sounding like a Q supporter.... "the scientists and medical professionals failed to convince me, therefore I will stick to the theories that I personally find most believable"

My comment was sightly tongue in cheek. I didn't believe it was from a lab in the first place.

 

[lynchie]

Looks like an infected person was using a nebuliser that was venting into the corridor of the quarantine hotel that caused the spread.

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...081476baec53af#block-602323b78f081476baec53af

This is actually reassuring in a way. If it was just from naturally produced aerosols at such a distance, that would mark a significant step up in the airborne transmission risk. Hopefully this whole thing gets properly investigated and written up as a case study.

 

[Penna]

Spoiler

This remarkable French nun, Sister Andre is Europe's oldest person and the second oldest person in the world (she's 117 tomorrow). She has just recovered from Covid and she didn't even have any symptoms. If only we could bottle the DNA of these super-centenarians.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56005488

 

[Grinner]

If you have to be a nun for a century to survive I think I'd choose the 'rona.

 

[golden_blunder]

By far the most likely origin is a bat virus infected an intermediate host such as a pangolin and then from the intermediate host to a human, who then spread it around Wuhan with patient zero, or someone they infected, causing a super-spreader event at the wet market.

We also know it wasn't engineered for certain.

Could it not have been simply extracted from a bat for scientific purposes and then somehow the virus got out?

 

[golden_blunder]

Spoiler

This remarkable French nun, Sister Andre is Europe's oldest person and the second oldest person in the world (she's 117 tomorrow). She has just recovered from Covid and she didn't even have any symptoms. If only we could bottle the DNA of these super-centenarians.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56005488

Personally I don’t think these cases are to do with super dna or such, think it’s more to do with how much you got exposed to. That’s my theory at least

 

[Sparky_Hughes]

If you have to be a nun for a century to survive I think I'd choose the 'rona.

 

[golden_blunder]

Anyone see the RTE documentary filmed in TCU last night? VERY sobering. Don’t know how anyone could watch that and still harp on about 99% recovery rates, etc

@Pogue Mahone did you see it?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Anyone see the RTE documentary filmed in TCU last night? VERY sobering. Don’t know how anyone could watch that and still harp on about 99% recovery rates, etc

@Pogue Mahone did you see it?

Yeah it was good. I know a couple of the docs featured in it, so had been getting the inside track on how grim things have been for a while now.

 

[Wibble]

Could it not have been simply extracted from a bat for scientific purposes and then somehow the virus got out?

Not impossible but unlikely.

 

[Grinner]

Anyone see the RTE documentary filmed in TCU last night? VERY sobering. Don’t know how anyone could watch that and still harp on about 99% recovery rates, etc

@Pogue Mahone did you see it?

Can you post it?

I reckon the Beeb and others should have been regularly screening reports from IC wards every night for 15 minutes at primetime just to remind people what's at stake.

 

[worldgonemad]

Can you post it?

I reckon the Beeb and others should have been regularly screening reports from IC wards every night for 15 minutes at primetime just to remind people what's at stake.

Completely agree Grinner. I've been critical of the journalism throughout the whole thing. It's like they've had a hard on for any negative news, but not been responsible enough to show the consequences of the virus, grieving families, dying patients etc. It's like there has been a detach from the numbers of deaths and infected, from the real human cost.
I for one want to know how people are recovering, long term health effects from this 'cold' want it to be shown how debilitating it can be. Empty places at the dinner table etc.
Might have a watch at the program later if a link is available?

 

[FootballHQ]

Ted to Dougal "Nuns are real people aswell."

 

[golden_blunder]

Can you post it?

I reckon the Beeb and others should have been regularly screening reports from IC wards every night for 15 minutes at primetime just to remind people what's at stake.

Not sure if you’ll be able to view this from your location;

https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/rté-investigates-covid-19-the-third-wave/182973991973

 

[mitChley]

A friend of mine died from Covid a couple of days ago, only just found out. Only 34 years old. He was overweight so was at a higher risk.

 

[golden_blunder]

A friend of mine died from Covid a couple of days ago, only just found out. Only 34 years old. He was overweight so was at a higher risk.

Sorry to hear that. May he RIP

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Can you post it?

I reckon the Beeb and others should have been regularly screening reports from IC wards every night for 15 minutes at primetime just to remind people what's at stake.

It's illegal to film patients without consent I believe so they can't.

 

[Sparky_Hughes]

Ted to Dougal "Nuns are real people aswell."

I need to rewatch this again, its the perfect antidote to stress.

 

[golden_blunder]

It's illegal to film patients without consent I believe so they can't.

They can blur people out, others will give consent

 

[AltiUn]

A friend of mine died from Covid a couple of days ago, only just found out. Only 34 years old. He was overweight so was at a higher risk.

My condolences, hope you're doing okay mate.

 

[NYAS]

“Assistant Professor of Global Health” from LSE was just on Sky talking about how “we will have to live with some form of travel restrictions for years to come”. Thought that was a bit over the top.

It seems to me this year should be the final “lockdown” year - in the sense that I’ve read that many countries hope to complete a large percentage of vaccinations by the end of the year. The “booster jabs” for the variants are expected to be ready by the autumn, and if I’m not mistaken, even without the booster jabs, the vaccines currently available are still effective at preventing severe infections, hospitalisations and deaths from the new variants. At which point I assume a vaccinated person contracting Covid would only have a mild flu-like experience at worst.

It seems that the point where vaccines have been offered to everyone, and are readily available, is the point when restrictions may be fully lifted and social distancing not required any longer. I mean sure, some behaviours are likely to change forever (I’ve already gotten more used to fist-pumping than hand-shaking); but surely we can’t stay under restrictions just because your average anti-vaxxer hasn’t had his/her jab.

 

[Eire Red United]

“Assistant Professor of Global Health” from LSE was just on Sky talking about how “we will have to live with some form of travel restrictions for years to come”. Thought that was a bit over the top.

It seems to me this year should be the final “lockdown” year - in the sense that I’ve read that many countries hope to complete a large percentage of vaccinations by the end of the year. The “booster jabs” for the variants are expected to be ready by the autumn, and if I’m not mistaken, even without the booster jabs, the vaccines currently available are still effective at preventing severe infections, hospitalisations and deaths from the new variants. At which point I assume a vaccinated person contracting Covid would only have a mild flu-like experience at worst.

It seems that the point where vaccines have been offered to everyone, and are readily available, is the point when restrictions may be fully lifted and social distancing not required any longer. I mean sure, some behaviours are likely to change forever (I’ve already gotten more used to fist-pumping than hand-shaking); but surely we can’t stay under restrictions just because your average anti-vaxxer hasn’t had his/her jab.

You’d like to think that once all at risk people have been vaccinated (hopefully by the summer) then we can go back to almost normal, with maybe some travel restrictions i.e. 2 negative tests. Can’t see it though....

 

[Grinner]

Not sure if you’ll be able to view this from your location;

https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/rté-investigates-covid-19-the-third-wave/182973991973

Cheers, I have Nord VPN.

 

[golden_blunder]

Cheers, I have Nord VPN.

Let me hear your thoughts once you’ve watched it.

 

[golden_blunder]

https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2021/0210/1196272-travel-fines/

60% of air travellers coming into the country are Irish people returning from holidays. Government are thinking of increasing the fine for non essential travel to €500 to €2000

 

[SirAF]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-masks-idUSKBN2AA28O

Making sure a mask fits snugly on the face and use of two masks is likely to significantly reduce a person’s exposure to the coronavirus, laboratory experiments described by U.S. health officials on Wednesday showed.

 

[Dumbstar]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-masks-idUSKBN2AA28O

I don't travel much on buses but whenever I do it's always with two masks on. Without having a medical background I use the no shit Sherlock method to be safe. I wish this information could have been made public months ago.

Anyway, 1001 deaths reported today sadly. Was hoping for sub 1000 but hopefully this is the last 4 digit number we see.

 

[SirAF]

I don't travel much on buses but whenever I do it's always with two masks on. Without having a medical background I use the no shit Sherlock method to be safe. I wish this information could have been made public months ago.

Anyway, 1001 deaths reported today sadly. Was hoping for sub 1000 but hopefully this is the last 4 digit number we see.

It seems pretty logical yeah, but it’s nice to see the science confirming it as well.

 

[esmufc07]

Interesting read

 

[Compton22]

Interesting read

Highlights the importance of keeping infection rates low so that the virus has less and less chances to mutate. Unthinkable that almost a year ago, the UK government were trying to achieve herd immunity.

 

[Wolverine]

Can you post it?

I reckon the Beeb and others should have been regularly screening reports from IC wards every night for 15 minutes at primetime just to remind people what's at stake.

It's available here
https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/rté-investigates-covid-19-the-third-wave/182973991973

I've got friends from med school working in Irish hospitals, can't imagine a more resilient group of people. The working conditions for them, nursing staff and healthcare assistants including workload have always been criminal but even more so during the pandemic

 

[Grinner]

It's available here
https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/rté-investigates-covid-19-the-third-wave/182973991973

I've got friends from med school working in Irish hospitals, can't imagine a more resilient group of people. The working conditions for them, nursing staff and healthcare assistants including workload have always been criminal but even more so during the pandemic

Cheers for that. @golden_blunder your link didn't work for me.

That was a good watch. There's so many facets to this pandemic but clearly the debt of gratitude owed to those carers is huge.

 

[Dante]

A friend of mine died from Covid a couple of days ago, only just found out. Only 34 years old. He was overweight so was at a higher risk.

Sorry to hear that, mate. That's no age.

 

[Eire Red United]