So, coronavirus...

[Saint]

Overall the UK has now delivered 51.4% of the total number of jabs planned, assuming 100% takeup.

67.8% of over-18s have received their 1st jab; 35% have their 2nd. And England have opened the 1st jab up to all 38 and 39 year olds, although many areas are running ahead of that

[Marylandolorian]

Meanwhile in Germany, sad to see this type of behavior.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-heal ... SKBN2CT0SW

[tabascoboy]

I wonder how much difference it would have really made if the WHO had acted sooner, given our own and many other government's inertia ( and our Dear Leader being MIA last Feb )

Covid: Serious failures in WHO and global response, report finds

The Covid-19 pandemic was preventable, an independent review panel has said. The panel, set up by the World Health Organization, said the combined response of the WHO and global governments was a "toxic cocktail".

The WHO should have declared a global emergency earlier than it did, its report said, adding that without urgent change the world was vulnerable to another major disease outbreak.

The panel argued that the WHO's Emergency Committee should have declared the outbreak in China an international emergency a week earlier than it did.

It should have done so at its first meeting on 22 January last year, the report said, instead of waiting until 30 January. The month following the WHO's declaration was "lost" as countries failed to take appropriate measures to halt the spread of the virus.

The WHO was then hindered by its own regulations that travel restrictions should be a last resort, the panel said, adding that Europe and the US wasted the entire month of February and acted only when their hospitals began to fill up.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-57085505

[Flockwitt]

I wonder how much difference it would have really made if the WHO had acted sooner, given our own and many other government's inertia ( and our Dear Leader being MIA last Feb )

Covid: Serious failures in WHO and global response, report finds

The Covid-19 pandemic was preventable, an independent review panel has said. The panel, set up by the World Health Organization, said the combined response of the WHO and global governments was a "toxic cocktail".

The WHO should have declared a global emergency earlier than it did, its report said, adding that without urgent change the world was vulnerable to another major disease outbreak.

The panel argued that the WHO's Emergency Committee should have declared the outbreak in China an international emergency a week earlier than it did.

It should have done so at its first meeting on 22 January last year, the report said, instead of waiting until 30 January. The month following the WHO's declaration was "lost" as countries failed to take appropriate measures to halt the spread of the virus.

The WHO was then hindered by its own regulations that travel restrictions should be a last resort, the panel said, adding that Europe and the US wasted the entire month of February and acted only when their hospitals began to fill up.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-57085505

Given that it took them until March to declare an actual pandemic, that they balls up the travel restriction recommendations (and Chyna supported them complaining at anyone who did the prize plums), and the non-mask recommendations, WHO came out of this looking pretty ratshit, people not seeing any transparency in their decision making nor leadership when needed.

[Biffer]

Vaccines work

[Biffer]

Vaccines work

[BnM]

https://www.reuters.com/business/health ... ce=twitter

Giving a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine but delaying a second dose among people younger than 65 could lead to fewer people dying of the disease, but only if certain conditions are met, a predictive modelling study showed....

...Separately, an Oxford University-led study on giving shots from different manufacturers for the two doses reported its first findings - on the frequency of common post-vaccination symptoms such as sore arm, chills or fatigue.

It found that people vaccinated with a shot of Pfizer's vaccine followed by a dose of AstraZeneca's, or vice versa, were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms such as headaches or chills than if they received two of the same type.

[TheNatalShark]

Gotta love US wealth

https://abcnews.go.com/US/ohio-give-peo ... d=77656133

Five vaccinated Ohioans will win $1 million each through a new lottery announced Wednesday, in one of the largest financial incentives announced by a state to combat declining demand for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Starting May 26, the state will award $1 million each week to an adult who has received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Mike DeWine said. There will be five total drawings.

"I know that some may say, 'DeWine, you’re crazy! This million-dollar drawing idea of yours is a waste of money,'" the governor said during an address Wednesday. "But truly, the real waste at this point in the pandemic -- when the vaccine is readily available to anyone who wants it -- is a life lost to COVID-19."

[mat the expat]

Got my first Pfizer vaccine today

It's still a own process here in Oz

[Saint]

https://www.reuters.com/business/health ... ce=twitter

Giving a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine but delaying a second dose among people younger than 65 could lead to fewer people dying of the disease, but only if certain conditions are met, a predictive modelling study showed....

...Separately, an Oxford University-led study on giving shots from different manufacturers for the two doses reported its first findings - on the frequency of common post-vaccination symptoms such as sore arm, chills or fatigue.

It found that people vaccinated with a shot of Pfizer's vaccine followed by a dose of AstraZeneca's, or vice versa, were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms such as headaches or chills than if they received two of the same type.

No big shocks there

[Saint]

BA starting to test the Pelican Antigen test. This is a 25 second saliva test, which is supposed to provide PCR levels of accuracy - 98% sensitivity and 100% specificity.

Very promising for outbreak testing, and also for allowing travel, especially alongside some sort of immunisation certificate/passport

[mat the expat]

Got my first jab finally - my AZ one was cancelled 5 weeks ago.

Pfizer today at the mass-vaccination centre.

[tabascoboy]

Scientists fear possible delay to 21 June end of lockdown as UK cases of Indian variant ‘triple in one week’

https://inews.co.uk/news/scientists-fea ... eek-998811

[Dinsdale Piranha]

AZ vaccine bitchslapping COVID in Italy.

[Saint]

AZ vaccine bitchslapping COVID in Italy.

Pretty much aligning with data from the UK (unsurprisingly)

[Sandstorm]

Local high school just sent all their Year 2 + 4 students home! Too many positive Covid tests detected today.

[BnM]

More info https://www.ft.com/content/5f742765-61a ... 119cd7d46c

Ravi Gupta, professor of clinical microbiology at Cambridge university and one of the leading scientists investigating new strains of Sars-Cov-2, told the Financial Times he had identified “worrying” cases of post-vaccination infection involving at least one of the new variants first identified in India — B.1.617.2.

At one care home in Delhi, 33 staff members who had been fully vaccinated with the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab tested positive for the B. 1.617.2 strain, he said, though none became seriously ill. “We thought everyone would be protected [but] the virus was able to get around the vaccine,” Gupta said.

Gupta’s findings add to the many reports in the Indian media of fully-vaccinated doctors and medical workers testing positive for Covid-19 over the past two months, as the country has been slammed by a ferocious second wave of infections.

Indian virologist Shahid Jameel, a member of the Indian Sars-Cov-2 Consortium on Genomics, said that severe cases of Covid-19 following vaccination remained “very very rare” and that the few incidents were drawing public attention because of the pervasive anxiety in the country, where an average of 388,000 people are testing positive every day.

[Raggs]

Still testing positive is to be expected, even after vaccination. If it prevented serious illness, it's done exactly what you expect of a vaccine surely?

[Margin__Walker]

Still testing positive is to be expected, even after vaccination. If it prevented serious illness, it's done exactly what you expect of a vaccine surely?

Yeah, I don't really understand that one. It's a trend of vaccinated people getting seriously ill that's the red flag I thought (in numbers above what would be expected)

[Margin__Walker]

Fairly good thread here. Ironically originating from the same publication

[Calculon]

Good piece on the media's obsession with covid varients:

https://unherd.com/thepost/the-focus-on ... obsession/

It is tempting to feel sorry for SAGE, given the criticism they receive from all sides. This week, the fuss is over a meeting they called regarding the B.1.617.2 variant of the coronavirus (among other matters).

Normally such a meeting would be unremarkable. After all, SAGE exists to advise the Government on unfolding developments. It is entirely routine and proper for them to meet when a new variant arises. But against the backdrop of loosening restrictions and plans to drop compulsory face coverings in schools from the 17th May, the meeting was taken by some as a sign that this progress might be halted or reversed.

Doubtless, had SAGE not met, they’d have been accused of ignoring the situation. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

But the interest came from the latest obsession in the Covid story: variants. The fact is that variants are inevitable. For as long as SARS-CoV-2 exists, there will always be mutations, and as long as there are mutations, there will be new variants. Short of eradicating Covid from the globe — the likelihood of which Chris Whitty has described as “close to zero” — there is the potential for some of these variants to spread.

The question then, is how do we respond? Like Kent variant (B.1.1.7), the emergence of its cousin, B.1.617.2, is subject of dramatic headlines. There are comment pieces and vox pops declaring that their existence justifies ongoing restrictions and indefinite border closures. When will this end? As I say, there will always be a new variant around the corner.

What has gained comparatively little attention is the fact that neither variant has shown evidence of having a complete vaccine escape mutation. Vaccines continue to offer strong protection against serious illness and death. In this country, nearly 70% of people over the age of 18 have had received at least one jab, and 35% have had two. Hospitalisations and deaths have plummeted.

At the end of an achingly long year — during which rates of depression have doubled, we need to question if this constant fixation on new variants is helpful or productive. Of course, the public should be kept informed, but many of the discussions around variants consist of pessimistic warnings about the endless potential for catastrophe, interspersed with impenetrable technical detail. Do most people really need to know about the finer points of an E484K mutation on vaccine efficacy?

Perhaps this is a rare example of where more information is not always a good thing — public interest would be better served by returning analysis of Covid variants back to the lab.

[tc27]

Well the cost of keeping airports open is the Indian variant is now well established here.

Fantastic.

[Sandstorm]

Well the cost of keeping airports open is the Indian variant is now well established here.

Fantastic.

But it’s racist not to allow Indians to fly home.

[Rinkals]

Well the cost of keeping airports open is the Indian variant is now well established here.

Fantastic.

It's certainly the expected result.

What on earth was the benefit of delaying closing the border? Were they worried about upsetting Modi?

I can't think it was out of consideration for the inconvenience it would have caused. Unless, of course, one of the Prime Minister's close friends or colleagues were involved. In which case, risking the lives and livelihoods of the British population would be entirely justified.

[Rinkals]

Well the cost of keeping airports open is the Indian variant is now well established here.

Fantastic.

But it’s racist not to allow Indians to fly home.

I very much doubt that would have stopped them for a nanosecond.

[tc27]

Cant understand why the government prioritised international travel over returning to normal domestic life.

BAA must have the mother of all lobbying operations.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

Well the cost of keeping airports open is the Indian variant is now well established here.

Fantastic.

>6% positive test rate on flights from India before red listing IIRC. Not ideal.

[Slick]

Cant understand why the government prioritised international travel over returning to normal domestic life.

BAA must have the mother of all lobbying operations.

It’s madness. No one coming back from holiday to Portugal is going to isolate, let’s not pretend.

Just lock the thing down for the rest of the year

[dpedin]

Good piece on the media's obsession with covid varients:

https://unherd.com/thepost/the-focus-on ... obsession/

It is tempting to feel sorry for SAGE, given the criticism they receive from all sides. This week, the fuss is over a meeting they called regarding the B.1.617.2 variant of the coronavirus (among other matters).

Normally such a meeting would be unremarkable. After all, SAGE exists to advise the Government on unfolding developments. It is entirely routine and proper for them to meet when a new variant arises. But against the backdrop of loosening restrictions and plans to drop compulsory face coverings in schools from the 17th May, the meeting was taken by some as a sign that this progress might be halted or reversed.

Doubtless, had SAGE not met, they’d have been accused of ignoring the situation. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

But the interest came from the latest obsession in the Covid story: variants. The fact is that variants are inevitable. For as long as SARS-CoV-2 exists, there will always be mutations, and as long as there are mutations, there will be new variants. Short of eradicating Covid from the globe — the likelihood of which Chris Whitty has described as “close to zero” — there is the potential for some of these variants to spread.

The question then, is how do we respond? Like Kent variant (B.1.1.7), the emergence of its cousin, B.1.617.2, is subject of dramatic headlines. There are comment pieces and vox pops declaring that their existence justifies ongoing restrictions and indefinite border closures. When will this end? As I say, there will always be a new variant around the corner.

What has gained comparatively little attention is the fact that neither variant has shown evidence of having a complete vaccine escape mutation. Vaccines continue to offer strong protection against serious illness and death. In this country, nearly 70% of people over the age of 18 have had received at least one jab, and 35% have had two. Hospitalisations and deaths have plummeted.

At the end of an achingly long year — during which rates of depression have doubled, we need to question if this constant fixation on new variants is helpful or productive. Of course, the public should be kept informed, but many of the discussions around variants consist of pessimistic warnings about the endless potential for catastrophe, interspersed with impenetrable technical detail. Do most people really need to know about the finer points of an E484K mutation on vaccine efficacy?

Perhaps this is a rare example of where more information is not always a good thing — public interest would be better served by returning analysis of Covid variants back to the lab.

Interesting but it completely ignores the emerging and growing evidence about the impact of long covid and the impact of the virus on those who don't die. Of course the vaccines are fantastic but as the article says 65% of folk are not fully vaccinated yet. It is all about timing - lets get more folk vaccinated before we open up our borders and population to a dangerous variation? We have already seen the impact of opening up too early - increased deaths, lock downs and hits to the economy.

[SaintK]

Well the cost of keeping airports open is the Indian variant is now well established here.

Fantastic.

And the fact that they were not put on the red list immediately and thousands came in before it was implemented. Of course we know how well self isolation and quarantine checks are going!

[dpedin]

Well the cost of keeping airports open is the Indian variant is now well established here.

Fantastic.

And the fact that they were not put on the red list immediately and thousands came in before it was implemented. Of course we know how well self isolation and quarantine checks are going!

The Blonde Bumblecunt looked very nervous yesterday and I suspect he has been told what the emerging picture looks like and the easing of lock down will be slowed down because of the Indian variant. He will also be under pressure to explain why he didn't close the border to Indian arrivals sooner and if it is, as most commentators suspect, for political reasons associated with his desire to develop trade agreement with India etc then he is back into the 'let the bodies pile high' scenario. The advice from SAGE and others was pretty clear re the risks involved yet they chose to ignore it. The argument presented in the briefing about we didn't close border as it wasn't identified as a VOC until the data began to emerge in the UK is a smoke screen - surely you would act prudently, look at the evidence emerging within India and wait until the research provided the evidence to say 'don't worry' first? By the time the evidence is clear within the UK the VOC is already spreading in the community and it's too late to avoid community transmission of a variant with up to 50% increase in transmissability? This is not what I understand as good professional PH advice - my understanding is they act prudently, conservatively and not wait for a virus/pathogen to start spreading in the community first before deciding if it is dangerous or not! I suspect the BB is on an extremely dangerous and sticky wicket over this.

[dpedin]

7 day case rates in age categories up to 45 year olds in Scotland going up - minimal increases in 45-64 age category and above. Looks like combination of easing lock down and new variants having an impact in Scotland but looks like those vaccinated ie over 50s are not catching the virus which looks good. Hospitalisations and deaths also continue to trend downwards. Some of the smaller boards have closed down covid beds and ICU beds completely. However increase in cases in under 45s shows the virus is still spreading amongst those not vaccinated and the impact of long covid in those still susceptible still a big worry. Also an obvious worry about the new Indian variant which appears to be anything up to 50% more transmissible than current Kent variant. Things looking positive but we need to keep the head and see this thing out. Hopefully we should see this under control by mid summer as vaccination programme makes progress but there are worries about exposure to flu, particularly for kids, emerging over the winter.It would be sensible to keep/reintroduce masks and social distancing in autumn and winter and perhaps combine the booster covid jab and flu jab too?

[Marylandolorian]

Question for the UK guys, do you still have the masks mandate ?

We are easing up even tho only 50% of the pop has been vax, masks mandatory in planes, public transportation, hospitals, some stores, in my state positive rate is around 2% and going down.

[Fangle]

Question for the UK guys, do you still have the masks mandate ?

We are easing up even tho only 50% of the pop has been vax, masks mandatory in planes, public transportation, hospitals, some stores, in my state positive rate is around 2% and going down.

Over here we are only up to 37% first doses and 28% second doses, but new cases are also way down. It’s a struggle to get the populace to come in, but it’s edging up slowly

[Dinsdale Piranha]

Question for the UK guys, do you still have the masks mandate ?

We are easing up even tho only 50% of the pop has been vax, masks mandatory in planes, public transportation, hospitals, some stores, in my state positive rate is around 2% and going down.

Yup. Masks everywhere indoors.

[laurent]

restrictions easing off before reopening on 19th still restricted on bar restaurants... (only outside with currently the most miserable weather in a long time).

Apparently 20 million 1st doses mark passed today (13th was last official numbers with 19 299 124 1st doses off which 9 145 922 fully vaccinated)
best day so far was 11th 647 118shots total best days of last 2 weeks are over 500 000 but so many bank holidays are slowing things down.

[Biffer]

7 day case rates in age categories up to 45 year olds in Scotland going up - minimal increases in 45-64 age category and above. Looks like combination of easing lock down and new variants having an impact in Scotland but looks like those vaccinated ie over 50s are not catching the virus which looks good. Hospitalisations and deaths also continue to trend downwards. Some of the smaller boards have closed down covid beds and ICU beds completely. However increase in cases in under 45s shows the virus is still spreading amongst those not vaccinated and the impact of long covid in those still susceptible still a big worry. Also an obvious worry about the new Indian variant which appears to be anything up to 50% more transmissible than current Kent variant. Things looking positive but we need to keep the head and see this thing out. Hopefully we should see this under control by mid summer as vaccination programme makes progress but there are worries about exposure to flu, particularly for kids, emerging over the winter.It would be sensible to keep/reintroduce masks and social distancing in autumn and winter and perhaps combine the booster covid jab and flu jab too?

Only 3 covid cases in ICU in Scotland.

[Sandstorm]

Boris can’t commit to border closures, no matter how much good advice and advance notice he gets. Idiot.

[Fangle]

7 day case rates in age categories up to 45 year olds in Scotland going up - minimal increases in 45-64 age category and above. Looks like combination of easing lock down and new variants having an impact in Scotland but looks like those vaccinated ie over 50s are not catching the virus which looks good. Hospitalisations and deaths also continue to trend downwards. Some of the smaller boards have closed down covid beds and ICU beds completely. However increase in cases in under 45s shows the virus is still spreading amongst those not vaccinated and the impact of long covid in those still susceptible still a big worry. Also an obvious worry about the new Indian variant which appears to be anything up to 50% more transmissible than current Kent variant. Things looking positive but we need to keep the head and see this thing out. Hopefully we should see this under control by mid summer as vaccination programme makes progress but there are worries about exposure to flu, particularly for kids, emerging over the winter.It would be sensible to keep/reintroduce masks and social distancing in autumn and winter and perhaps combine the booster covid jab and flu jab too?

Only 3 covid cases in ICU in Scotland.

My daughter in Scotland sent me a graph showing the numbers of vaccinated. Tremendous percentages amongst the oldies with numbers of age groups with 100% first vaccine and very high second doses.

[Sandstorm]

7 day case rates in age categories up to 45 year olds in Scotland going up - minimal increases in 45-64 age category and above. Looks like combination of easing lock down and new variants having an impact in Scotland but looks like those vaccinated ie over 50s are not catching the virus which looks good. Hospitalisations and deaths also continue to trend downwards. Some of the smaller boards have closed down covid beds and ICU beds completely. However increase in cases in under 45s shows the virus is still spreading amongst those not vaccinated and the impact of long covid in those still susceptible still a big worry. Also an obvious worry about the new Indian variant which appears to be anything up to 50% more transmissible than current Kent variant. Things looking positive but we need to keep the head and see this thing out. Hopefully we should see this under control by mid summer as vaccination programme makes progress but there are worries about exposure to flu, particularly for kids, emerging over the winter.It would be sensible to keep/reintroduce masks and social distancing in autumn and winter and perhaps combine the booster covid jab and flu jab too?

Only 3 covid cases in ICU in Scotland.

My daughter in Scotland sent me a graph showing the numbers of vaccinated. Tremendous percentages amongst the oldies with numbers of age groups with 100% first vaccine and very high second doses.

Apart from Dozy, I don’t know anyone in UK who is anti-Coved-vax