Corona Virus main thread

[Barbe bleu 826]

8 minutes ago, ricardo said:

I've been waiting a month for my flu jab appointment to come round (10.30 am this morning)

Phone call at 9am, sorry no vaccine please re-book online.

Go online, first available appointment nearly 4 more weeks.

A waste of time.

Hopefully this is just a local problem that works itself out.

In my view there is good reason to believe that, from now on, flu vaccination will be more important to public health than the next parts of the covid vaccine  campaign so it would be a shame if the priorities were set by loud voices and not loud data.

[ricardo 7,395]

15 minutes ago, Barbe bleu said:

Hopefully this is just a local problem that works itself out.

In my view there is good reason to believe that, from now on, flu vaccination will be more important to public health than the next parts of the covid vaccine  campaign so it would be a shame if the priorities were set by loud voices and not loud data.

I've managed to book at a different pharmacy for 16th Nov.

 

[ricardo 7,395]

National

41,299 - 217

rate of decrease of 9.7% over 7 days,

 

Local

Norwich rate 415.3  down 28.9% (7 days) now dropping sharply

 

Vax     

1st Dose      46,663             87.1% done                               Norwich numbers   75.4% 

2nd Dose     20,922             79.6% done                                                                  68.6%

Booster    296,670     total          8,652,842

In Hospital (admissions falling so we should see the in hospital number fall back quite soon)

01-11-2021                               9,538 31-10-2021 9,310 30-10-2021 9,157 29-10-2021 9,119 28-10-2021 9,035 27-10-2021 8,968 26-10-2021 8,870

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Redruth/Camborne the highest rates in the UK and the slowest uptake on the jab. Health Centre urging people to come or they will have to throw vaccine away.

[Well b back 3,203]

I keep banging on about to get to a ‘ walk in ‘ at 6 months, and get elderly friends and relatives to them as well. Nearly every centre up here is walk in, but I didn’t realise how difficult it was being made for you. It seems to have just got easier however, so no excuses and@Tetteys Jig this should help your wife get her booster.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/health/norfolk-walk-in-clinics-for-boosters-and-teenagers-8459882

[Tetteys Jig 830]

1 hour ago, Well b back said:

I keep banging on about to get to a ‘ walk in ‘ at 6 months, and get elderly friends and relatives to them as well. Nearly every centre up here is walk in, but I didn’t realise how difficult it was being made for you. It seems to have just got easier however, so no excuses and@Tetteys Jig this should help your wife get her booster.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/health/norfolk-walk-in-clinics-for-boosters-and-teenagers-8459882

my wife got booked in for next week thankfully... Guess I need to find out if I get a 3rd being in JCVI group 6. My 6 months will be up shortly.

[Well b back 3,203]

9 hours ago, Tetteys Jig said:

my wife got booked in for next week thankfully... Guess I need to find out if I get a 3rd being in JCVI group 6. My 6 months will be up shortly.

Just go to a walk in.

[Well b back 3,203]

Finally the pill I have been talking about re COVID gets uk approval

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59163899

 

 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

17 hours ago, Well b back said:

I keep banging on about to get to a ‘ walk in ‘ at 6 months, and get elderly friends and relatives to them as well. Nearly every centre up here is walk in, but I didn’t realise how difficult it was being made for you. It seems to have just got easier however, so no excuses and@Tetteys Jig this should help your wife get her booster.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/health/norfolk-walk-in-clinics-for-boosters-and-teenagers-8459882

My wife walked in last week and got her booster as she was accompanying an elderly neighbour. She was told that people could just walk in.

I had mine this morning and while waiting heard the receptionist telling "walkers in" that they couldn't have the booster as they needed an appointment, today was full and the first available was 13 November. Yet a chap walked in, said he had an appointment but  his wife had changed her mind and wanted the booster so could she have it now and was told yes.

[ricardo 7,395]

National

37,269 - 214

rate of decrease of 6.9% over 7 days,

 

Local

Norwich rate 424  down 23.7% (7 days)

 

Vax     

1st Dose      41,242             87.1% done                               Norwich numbers   75.4% 

2nd Dose     17,965             79.6% done                                                                  68.6%

Booster    359,843     total          9,012,676

In Hospital

02-11-2021                                 9,517 01-11-2021 9,564 31-10-2021 9,334 30-10-2021 9,180 29-10-2021 9,136 28-10-2021 9,050 27-10-2021 8,980

Edited November 4, 2021 by ricardo

[Well b back 3,203]

On 03/11/2021 at 09:30, Barbe bleu said:

Hopefully this is just a local problem that works itself out.

In my view there is good reason to believe that, from now on, flu vaccination will be more important to public health than the next parts of the covid vaccine  campaign so it would be a shame if the priorities were set by loud voices and not loud data.

Now there is even more real life data ( including the U.K. ) I really have to state again not only how important the boosters are, but that even in the U.K. we are following the Israel real life data. People are dying because they are not having boosters as ‘ they have become complacent ‘. The data shows with AZ hospitalisation efficacy goes to 77% and comes back up to 98% with a booster dose of Pfizer. That data is at 5 months, not 6. These are not ‘ catching it ‘ they are ‘ severe disease ‘ data. The flu jab is just as important this year as unlike the Southern Hemisphere we are not wearing masks to their levels. These data charts are also for @Van wink. My point by the way is not wether rates will go up or down, but please, please get your booster and maybe ‘ take a friend ‘. 

A study by Public Health England found that vaccine effectiveness against severe disease fell from 95% in the weeks after a second AstraZeneca dose to 77% after five months.

Flip that figure around and it means that the risk of someone who is double jabbed needing hospital treatment may already be five times higher now than in early summer.

The better news is that a booster dose appears to fix that problem very quickly. 

A study published in October found that it slashed the rate of severe disease in Israel. A week after being given the third jab, a person's risk of needing hospital treatment was 93% lower than someone with similar characteristics, but only two shots.

"You rarely see such incredibly clear observations," said immunologist Andrew Croxford. 

"I would expect absolutely the same thing to be happening in the UK. People who get a third dose will likely drop out of the hospital statistics in the same way as they have in Israel."

 

UK booster jabs

 

• 5.8mpeople eligible for booster now, but not been jabbed

 

• 4,409over 50s hospitalised in England in Oct, despite being double vaccinated...

• 2,148doubled jabbed over 50s died

Source: Actuaries Response Group and UKHSA

[sonyc 5,517]

17 minutes ago, Well b back said:

Now there is even more real life data ( including the U.K. ) I really have to state again not only how important the boosters are, but that even in the U.K. we are following the Israel real life data. People are dying because they are not having boosters as ‘ they have become complacent ‘. The data shows with AZ hospitalisation efficacy goes to 77% and comes back up to 98% with a booster dose of Pfizer. That data is at 5 months, not 6. These are not ‘ catching it ‘ they are ‘ severe disease ‘ data. The flu jab is just as important this year as unlike the Southern Hemisphere we are not wearing masks to their levels. These data charts are also for @Van wink. My point by the way is not wether rates will go up or down, but please, please get your booster and maybe ‘ take a friend ‘. 

A study by Public Health England found that vaccine effectiveness against severe disease fell from 95% in the weeks after a second AstraZeneca dose to 77% after five months.

Flip that figure around and it means that the risk of someone who is double jabbed needing hospital treatment may already be five times higher now than in early summer.

The better news is that a booster dose appears to fix that problem very quickly. 

A study published in October found that it slashed the rate of severe disease in Israel. A week after being given the third jab, a person's risk of needing hospital treatment was 93% lower than someone with similar characteristics, but only two shots.

"You rarely see such incredibly clear observations," said immunologist Andrew Croxford. 

"I would expect absolutely the same thing to be happening in the UK. People who get a third dose will likely drop out of the hospital statistics in the same way as they have in Israel."

 

UK booster jabs

 

• 5.8mpeople eligible for booster now, but not been jabbed

 

• 4,409over 50s hospitalised in England in Oct, despite being double vaccinated...

• 2,148doubled jabbed over 50s died

Source: Actuaries Response Group and UKHSA

Thanks as ever for the update WBB. I am one week away from my 6 month minus 4 days. I aim to take your advice to go to a walk in centre because I get the sense that if I try the NHS system at that time it will continue to say I'm ineligible until a full 6 months (plus a week?) have passed.

 

[ricardo 7,395]

1 minute ago, sonyc said:

Thanks as ever for the update WBB. I am one week away from my 6 month minus 4 days. I aim to take your advice to go to a walk in centre because I get the sense that if I try the NHS system at that time it will continue to say I'm ineligible until a full 6 months (plus a week?) have passed.

 

You should receive a text or email just before the 6 months deadline. My wife and I did and now today so has my son.

So far I have not heard of anyone eligible who has not received a reminder. Can't say the same about the flu jab though.

[ricardo 7,395]

 

Booster jabs accelerating nicely.

 

[Van wink 2,994]

1 hour ago, Well b back said:

Now there is even more real life data ( including the U.K. ) I really have to state again not only how important the boosters are, but that even in the U.K. we are following the Israel real life data. People are dying because they are not having boosters as ‘ they have become complacent ‘. The data shows with AZ hospitalisation efficacy goes to 77% and comes back up to 98% with a booster dose of Pfizer. That data is at 5 months, not 6. These are not ‘ catching it ‘ they are ‘ severe disease ‘ data. The flu jab is just as important this year as unlike the Southern Hemisphere we are not wearing masks to their levels. These data charts are also for @Van wink. My point by the way is not wether rates will go up or down, but please, please get your booster and maybe ‘ take a friend ‘. 

A study by Public Health England found that vaccine effectiveness against severe disease fell from 95% in the weeks after a second AstraZeneca dose to 77% after five months.

Flip that figure around and it means that the risk of someone who is double jabbed needing hospital treatment may already be five times higher now than in early summer.

The better news is that a booster dose appears to fix that problem very quickly. 

A study published in October found that it slashed the rate of severe disease in Israel. A week after being given the third jab, a person's risk of needing hospital treatment was 93% lower than someone with similar characteristics, but only two shots.

"You rarely see such incredibly clear observations," said immunologist Andrew Croxford. 

"I would expect absolutely the same thing to be happening in the UK. People who get a third dose will likely drop out of the hospital statistics in the same way as they have in Israel."

 

UK booster jabs

 

• 5.8mpeople eligible for booster now, but not been jabbed

 

• 4,409over 50s hospitalised in England in Oct, despite being double vaccinated...

• 2,148doubled jabbed over 50s died

Source: Actuaries Response Group and UKHSA

Thanks WBB, the efficacy levels after five months, in this case, are still pretty good I would suggest, the issue is that we have such a high infection rate that it actually translates into high numbers ending up in hospital and deaths, a few percentage points drop off in efficacy can be hugely significant. The rapid effect of the booster, that you quote, really is great news, we need to get this data out to the complacent asap. From what Ricardo as posted it does seem as if things are picking up on boosters, as usual though behind the curve.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Van wink

[ricardo 7,395]

ZOE dropping but quite slowly

Worrying signs of cases going up on the continent. Germany 35k yesterday, Netherlands 10k, Belgium 8k.

[1902 1,167]

52 minutes ago, ricardo said:

ZOE dropping but quite slowly

Worrying signs of cases going up on the continent. Germany 35k yesterday, Netherlands 10k, Belgium 8k.

For anyone who is interested, here in Belgium, the government have started boosters for all over 65s in response so hopefully that will cut down hospitalisation rates pretty swiftly. They have vaccines in stock or on order to do the whole population, but I suspect that they will wait until later in winter to roll those out, as it stands there is not enough public demand for boosters amongst the younger parts of the population to justify a campaign.

They have also reintroduced masks and have made vaccine passes compulsory country wide where they were previously only mandated in Brussels.

Incidentally, for the first time, we are seeing other areas as the epicenter of the pandemic and not Brussels, including fairly highly vaccinated provinces. Makes me wonder if the covid passports have reduced transmission fairly drastically in the capital.

All in all, I'm hoping it's a blip, Belgium is well vaccinated, aside from a few communes, so might be ok.

[Van wink 2,994]

15 minutes ago, 1902 said:

For anyone who is interested, here in Belgium, the government have started boosters for all over 65s in response so hopefully that will cut down hospitalisation rates pretty swiftly. They have vaccines in stock or on order to do the whole population, but I suspect that they will wait until later in winter to roll those out, as it stands there is not enough public demand for boosters amongst the younger parts of the population to justify a campaign.

They have also reintroduced masks and have made vaccine passes compulsory country wide where they were previously only mandated in Brussels.

Incidentally, for the first time, we are seeing other areas as the epicenter of the pandemic and not Brussels, including fairly highly vaccinated provinces. Makes me wonder if the covid passports have reduced transmission fairly drastically in the capital.

All in all, I'm hoping it's a blip, Belgium is well vaccinated, aside from a few communes, so might be ok.

Tim seems a bit more upbeat this week, reservedly so, makes reference to European situation 

 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

4 minutes ago, Van wink said:

Tim seems a bit more upbeat this week, reservedly so, makes reference to European situation 

 

I think we have to go through a winter to come to any conclusions. Many people may get ill this winter because they haven't built up any immunity to everything else because we have all been so careful. I think we will be too hasty if we slacken off now.

I know I shall say something if I'm in a supermarket for instance and people are coughing and sneezing without a mask.

[Van wink 2,994]

14 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

I think we have to go through a winter to come to any conclusions. Many people may get ill this winter because they haven't built up any immunity to everything else because we have all been so careful. I think we will be too hasty if we slacken off now.

I know I shall say something if I'm in a supermarket for instance and people are coughing and sneezing without a mask.

Definitely, the traditional winter respiratory viruses will be hitting people hard, it’s a vicious circle.

[Yellow Fever 3,783]

54 minutes ago, Van wink said:

Tim seems a bit more upbeat this week, reservedly so, makes reference to European situation 

 

Agree with all of that. I had noted before that despite the 'huge' drops in PCR confirmed tests the number of tests had also dropped by a similar amount - the difference being of the order of 5%! How strange 😉

Let's all hope the hiatus of the schools out and only recently back doesn't now refuel the virus! Give it a week to show. - infection - test - PCR confirmed.

[ricardo 7,395]

National

34,029 - 93

rate of decrease of 8.2% over 7 days,

 

Local

Norwich rate 424  down 23.7% (7 days) no update today so far

N&N Patients

02-11-2021

36

Vax     

1st Dose      43,731             87.2% done                               Norwich numbers   76.7% 

2nd Dose     20,482             79.6% done                                                                  69.8%

Booster    334,398     total          9,347,074

In Hospital ( looks to have peaked on the 1st Nov)

04-11-2021	9,160
03-11-2021	9,327
02-11-2021	9,556
01-11-2021	9,585
31-10-2021	9,350
30-10-2021	9,195
29-10-2021	9,148
28-10-2021	9,061

Edited November 5, 2021 by ricardo

[1902 1,167]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/nov/05/pfizer-covid-pills-highly-effective-at-preventing-deaths-trial-suggests

This is potentially excellent news if it proves safe. With a combination of antivirals and vaccines then by the winter after this one we should be in the clear.

[Herman 9,764]

They are much more positive numbers Ricardo. 👍

[Tetteys Jig 830]

30 minutes ago, ricardo said:

National

34,029 - 93

rate of decrease of 8.2% over 7 days,

 

Local

Norwich rate 424  down 23.7% (7 days) no update today so far

N&N Patients

02-11-2021

36

Vax     

1st Dose      43,731             87.2% done                               Norwich numbers   76.7% 

2nd Dose     20,482             79.6% done                                                                  69.8%

Booster    334,398     total          9,347,074

In Hospital ( looks to have peaked on the 1st Nov)

04-11-2021	9,160
03-11-2021	9,327
02-11-2021	9,556
01-11-2021	9,585
31-10-2021	9,350
30-10-2021	9,195
29-10-2021	9,148
28-10-2021	9,061

now those are case numbers to raise a glass to (relatively speaking)! Happy Friday 😎

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

4 hours ago, keelansgrandad said:

I think we have to go through a winter to come to any conclusions. Many people may get ill this winter because they haven't built up any immunity to everything else because we have all been so careful. I think we will be too hasty if we slacken off now.

I know I shall say something if I'm in a supermarket for instance and people are coughing and sneezing without a mask.

Too right !

[ricardo 7,395]

24 minutes ago, Herman said:

They are much more positive numbers Ricardo. 👍

Hopefully hospital numbers will continue to drop and this is not just a blip. The decline is slow but at least it is still going down.

[ricardo 7,395]

I don't know if anybody has noticed but there's a very sharp north-south divide in Europe right now: Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark (which had previously been almost completely spared) are all seeing accelerating case numbers, while in the South the numbers have barely budged. Could this possibly be weather related?

[Creative Midfielder 1,996]

2 hours ago, ricardo said:

I don't know if anybody has noticed but there's a very sharp north-south divide in Europe right now: Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark (which had previously been almost completely spared) are all seeing accelerating case numbers, while in the South the numbers have barely budged. Could this possibly be weather related?

Well the virus has certainly proved that it isn't seasonal at all but maybe you have a point because our behaviour is still very seasonal and with restrictions largely removed across Europe I guess it makes sense that the southern Europeans are managing to social distance much more effectively than the northerners.

 

 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

2 hours ago, ricardo said:

I don't know if anybody has noticed but there's a very sharp north-south divide in Europe right now: Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark (which had previously been almost completely spared) are all seeing accelerating case numbers, while in the South the numbers have barely budged. Could this possibly be weather related?

That is a slim one. We were the highest in Europe a couple of weeks ago. And it was unseasonably warm. I am still wearing shorts outside and I normally consign them to the bottom drawer by the middle of October. I played Golf in shirt sleeves on Tuesday.