Corona Virus main thread

[Yellow Fever 3,747]

ONS from Friday if anybody interested.

Largely little change in England and Wales, Scotland and NI up.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/26november2021

[ricardo 7,345]

2 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

ONS from Friday if anybody interested.

Largely little change in England and Wales, Scotland and NI up.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/26november2021

ZOE appears to be near peak.

[Aggy 752]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59442141

The Omicron Covid variant is "not a disaster" and some people may be "hugely overstating the situation", a scientist advising the government says.

Prof Semple - who sits on the UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies - told BBC Breakfast: "This is not a disaster, and the headlines from some of my colleagues saying 'this is horrendous' I think are hugely overstating the situation. 

"Immunity from the vaccination is still likely to protect you from severe disease. You might get a snuffle or a headache or a filthy cold but your chance of coming into hospital or intensive care or sadly dying are greatly diminished by the vaccine and still will be going into the future."

Like Prof Semple, Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, expressed cautious optimism that existing vaccines could be effective at preventing serious disease from the Omicron variant.

He told the Today programme that while it would still be weeks until scientists properly understood the effects of Omicron's mutations, most of them were similar to those seen in other variants.

"Despite those mutations existing in other variants, the vaccines have continued to prevent serious disease as we've moved through Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta," he said.

"At least from a speculative point of view, we have some optimism that the vaccine should still work against a new variant for serious disease but really we need to wait several weeks to have that confirmed.

"It's extremely unlikely that a reboot of a pandemic in a vaccinated population like we saw last year is going to happen."

Asked whether it was possible to update the vaccines if deemed necessary, Prof Pollard added: "The processes of how one goes about developing a new vaccine are increasingly well oiled. So, if it's needed, that is something that could be moved very rapidly."

Edited November 27, 2021 by Aggy

[KernowCanary 214]

1 hour ago, Aggy said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59442141

The Omicron Covid variant is "not a disaster" and some people may be "hugely overstating the situation", a scientist advising the government says.

Prof Semple - who sits on the UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies - told BBC Breakfast: "This is not a disaster, and the headlines from some of my colleagues saying 'this is horrendous' I think are hugely overstating the situation. 

"Immunity from the vaccination is still likely to protect you from severe disease. You might get a snuffle or a headache or a filthy cold but your chance of coming into hospital or intensive care or sadly dying are greatly diminished by the vaccine and still will be going into the future."

Like Prof Semple, Prof Sir Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, expressed cautious optimism that existing vaccines could be effective at preventing serious disease from the Omicron variant.

He told the Today programme that while it would still be weeks until scientists properly understood the effects of Omicron's mutations, most of them were similar to those seen in other variants.

"Despite those mutations existing in other variants, the vaccines have continued to prevent serious disease as we've moved through Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta," he said.

"At least from a speculative point of view, we have some optimism that the vaccine should still work against a new variant for serious disease but really we need to wait several weeks to have that confirmed.

"It's extremely unlikely that a reboot of a pandemic in a vaccinated population like we saw last year is going to happen."

Asked whether it was possible to update the vaccines if deemed necessary, Prof Pollard added: "The processes of how one goes about developing a new vaccine are increasingly well oiled. So, if it's needed, that is something that could be moved very rapidly."

Too damn right thanks for sharing the positive post and using South Africa with these 330-3300 or whatever the figures are comparison is a bad idea.

They only have a 25 percent completed vaccination rate and a country with a high completion rate that has reported a case of this new so-called “variant” should be looked at instead.

That’s me out this thread. Time to talk Norwich City, not doom and gloom “dystopian futures” and science boffins that Peston always agrees with.

[Yellow Fever 3,747]

Omicron is here now in UK. Just announced.

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

If a new variant is more infectious than Delta then keeping it out is basically impossible for a country like the UK which relies on international movement. What are we going to do, stop importing food? Fingers crossed and we need to monitor carefully but not panic.

[Yellow Fever 3,747]

Mandatory face masks back.

Extremely sensible in the circumstances.

For once Johnson hasn't dithered on this the smallest of restrictions.

[Icecream Snow 761]

15 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

Mandatory face masks back.

By the sounds of it isn't it just shops and public transport?

[Yellow Fever 3,747]

9 minutes ago, Icecream Snow said:

By the sounds of it isn't it just shops and public transport?

👍 

[ricardo 7,345]

National

39,567 -  131

rate of increase of 8.6%       

 

Local

Norwich   West rate             233.6     down again   Local   R  estimated 0.9 - 1.1

 

     

N&N Patients

23-11-2021             28 22-11-2021 27 21-11-2021 25 20-11-2021 24

Vax     

1st Dose      19,933              88.5% done                               Norwich numbers   77.4% 

2nd Dose     23,149              80.5% done                                                                  70.5%

Booster     351,195     total          17,130,851                 29.8%

In Hospital  

25-11-2021	7,633
24-11-2021	7,654
23-11-2021	7,903
22-11-2021	8,123
21-11-2021	8,029
20-11-2021	7,933
19-11-2021	8,058

[Herman 9,713]

2 hours ago, Yellow Fever said:

Mandatory face masks back.

Extremely sensible in the circumstances.

For once Johnson hasn't dithered on this the smallest of restrictions.

Credit where credit is due. He moved quickly just in case*. It could be all hot air but let's play it safe until we know what is going on for sure.

 

*He's still a **** though.😀

[Capt. Pants 4,195]

The speed at which the new variant has hit the UK is really worrying. 

Can't help thinking there's a lot more to what we are being told given the pretty rapid response. Hopefully the vaccines can control it, but I get the feeling it's about to hit the fan. 

[KernowCanary 214]

34 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

The speed at which the new variant has hit the UK is really worrying. 

Can't help thinking there's a lot more to what we are being told given the pretty rapid response. Hopefully the vaccines can control it, but I get the feeling it's about to hit the fan. 

Don’t worry, I think they have finally learnt their lessons from the past and are finally reacting early.

Its only two cases and both persons are linked. They are self isolating.

The day this thread gets locked and sunk to the bottom will be the day Norwich win the league. I just cannot see an end to this endless MSM scaremongering, members of the public fretting, new so called “variants” all the time all while mental health goes down the bog.

This is typical rinse and repeat tripe every time a new “variant” arrives….. “Oh the vaccines won’t work!!, we’re DOOMED!, to quote Clive Dunn!”….. then three weeks later “The vaccines work!”.

Rinse and repeat until all mental health has gone down the toilet and suicide rates are high. To think how often the importance of mental health was mentioned before Covid, now we hardly ever hear anything about it. Just what is going on in this fùcked up world!?.

Edited November 27, 2021 by KernowCanary

[Van wink 2,994]

55 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

The speed at which the new variant has hit the UK is really worrying. 

Can't help thinking there's a lot more to what we are being told given the pretty rapid response. Hopefully the vaccines can control it, but I get the feeling it's about to hit the fan. 

Highly infectious and appears to be rapidly infecting a population in SA that should have high immunity from previous infection. Early days.🤞

[Aggy 752]

1 hour ago, Capt. Pants said:

The speed at which the new variant has hit the UK is really worrying. 

Can't help thinking there's a lot more to what we are being told given the pretty rapid response. Hopefully the vaccines can control it, but I get the feeling it's about to hit the fan. 

More to it because of the fairly rapid …. requirement to wear masks? It’s about the least intrusive thing they could have done. Nothing “more to it” than has been quite clearly stated by pretty much everyone - seems to spread very quickly and we don’t know enough about it yet to know whether it’s more deadly. Really no need for conspiracy theory nonsense.

Edited November 27, 2021 by Aggy

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

Still no general requirement to wear a mask. Still no general requirement for a vaccine passport. And new travel restrictions issued without a start date. Not so much Whitehall farce as Downing Street farce.

[Herman 9,713]

 

[Well b back 3,190]

11 hours ago, Van wink said:

Highly infectious and appears to be rapidly infecting a population in SA that should have high immunity from previous infection. Early days.🤞

I know you like your stats as we saw in the the last six days in South Africa it went from 250-300 to over 3000 ( most cases in Tsnum ) on the 25/11 - 26/11 it has just increased from 3000 to over 6000.

[KernowCanary 214]

Look at the clickbait on the BBC News website, all to scare us. They are loving this….

Thumbnail says: “Facemasks compulsory in England from Tuesday” (with yet again a Getty Images free use photo of a man carrying a Christmas tree while wearing a mask)

Main article after you click the thumbnail: “Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said face masks will be compulsory in shops and on public transport in England from Tuesday in response to the new Omicron variant.”

Notice how they miss important words out from the thumbnail before you click on it and read the actual thing. This is not the first time they’ve done this and are just loving this pandemic so they can keep making money from people via clickbaiting. No more will I be their worm on a fishing line.

Edited November 28, 2021 by KernowCanary

[Yellow Fever 3,747]

11 hours ago, PurpleCanary said:

Still no general requirement to wear a mask. Still no general requirement for a vaccine passport. And new travel restrictions issued without a start date. Not so much Whitehall farce as Downing Street farce.

They've moved in the right direction PC and as we start to see the wood from the trees in the next few days they can quickly tighten it up if they have too (as I guess they will be forced too kicking and screaming).

If, as VW and now WBB infer, it is spreading quickly amongst those who have likely been pre-infected with earlier strains then yes we can assume it will largely negate the vaccines at least vs infection. 

Severity of any illness is to be proven - but you wouldn't want to find out it's severe after the horse has long bolted! Better be safe than extremely sorry.

Edited November 28, 2021 by Yellow Fever

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

24 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

They've moved in the right direction PC and as we start to see the wood from the trees in the next few days they can quickly tighten it up if they have too (as I guess they will be forced too kicking and screaming).

If, as VW and now WBB infer, it is spreading quickly amongst those who have likely been pre-infected with earlier strains then yes we can assume it will largely negate the vaccines at least vs infection. 

Severity of any illness is to be proven - but you wouldn't want to find out it's severe after the horse has long bolted! Better be safe than extremely sorry.

Perhaps I was overly harsh, but this government has a track record of putting off tough decisions by introducing measure piecemeal. And I do not understand why the UK does not have a general requirement for a vaccine passport for admittance to public places etc. It has been shown to work in other European countries that are just as keen in an ideal world on personal freedom as the UK is supposed to be.

[Well b back 3,190]

15 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

They've moved in the right direction PC and as we start to see the wood from the trees in the next few days they can quickly tighten it up if they have too (as I guess they will be forced too kicking and screaming).

If, as VW and now WBB infer, it is spreading quickly amongst those who have likely been pre-infected with earlier strains then yes we can assume it will largely negate the vaccines at least vs infection. 

Severity of any illness is to be proven - but you wouldn't want to find out it's severe after the horse has long bolted! Better be safe than extremely sorry.

Two days off from constant 12 hour shifts, so decided to stay over after the match yesterday and went to sunny Yarmouth lol. However just witnessed a full coach of let’s say more mature people getting on their coach. Not one of them wore a mask. 
with your other point I should point out the reports of people recatching are common but as yet unsubstantiated, so let’s hope for the best.

I saw Moderna say this morning that they expect their new vaccine ( if needed ) to be ready by early 2022, so I assume Pfizer being the same technology will be on par. This will be done as a further booster. I see Jarvid this morning finally saying he asked the NHS to open back up closed vaccination hubs. 

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

2 minutes ago, Well b back said:

Two days off from constant 12 hour shifts, so decided to stay over after the match yesterday and went to sunny Yarmouth lol. However just witnessed a full coach of let’s say more mature people getting on their coach. Not one of them wore a mask. 
with your other point I should point out the reports of people recatching are common but as yet unsubstantiated, so let’s hope for the best.

I saw Moderna say this morning that they expect their new vaccine ( if needed ) to be ready by early 2022, so I assume Pfizer being the same technology will be on par. This will be done as a further booster. I see Jarvid this morning finally saying he asked the NHS to open back up closed vaccination hubs. 

Wbb, I have been triple jabbed with Moderna, so what is different about this new vaccine of theirs? Is it just an upgrade intended as a fourth shot, or aimed at the Omicron variant?

[Yellow Fever 3,747]

2 minutes ago, Well b back said:

Two days off from constant 12 hour shifts, so decided to stay over after the match yesterday and went to sunny Yarmouth lol. However just witnessed a full coach of let’s say more mature people getting on their coach. Not one of them wore a mask. 
with your other point I should point out the reports of people recatching are common but as yet unsubstantiated, so let’s hope for the best.

I saw Moderna say this morning that they expect their new vaccine ( if needed ) to be ready by early 2022, so I assume Pfizer being the same technology will be on par. This will be done as a further booster. I see Jarvid this morning finally saying he asked the NHS to open back up closed vaccination hubs. 

 

2 minutes ago, PurpleCanary said:

Perhaps I was overly harsh, but this government has a track record of putting off tough decisions by introducing measure piecemeal. And I do not understand why the UK does not have a general requirement for a vaccine passport for admittance to public places etc. It has been shown to work in other European countries that are just as keen in an ideal world on personal freedom as the UK is supposed to be.

I agree PC - their track record on prompt action is not good (terrible) but some movement at least to kick the public out of complacency is a good thing (c.f. WBB coach load of 'pensioners').  

As to VAX hubs - one thing that shocked me recently was that there were NO walk-in centres in Norwich a month or two ago! Booster urgency - what urgency? I call that a policy failure (yes I know there are issues with Pfizer storage etc).

[Well b back 3,190]

Just now, PurpleCanary said:

Wbb, I have been triple jabbed with Moderna, so what is different about this new vaccine of theirs? Is it just an upgrade intended as a fourth shot, or aimed at the Omicron variant?

Yes it is, being developed as we speak. The time lag will be the manufacture. I suspect Pfizer will be in a similar situation.

I should point out they won’t know for 2 weeks wether the vaccines hold up, but I guess they are already looking at data.

[Indy 3,283]

5 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

 

I agree PC - their track record on prompt action is not good (terrible) but some movement at least to kick the public out of complacency is a good thing (c.f. WBB coach load of 'pensioners').  

As to VAX hubs - one thing that shocked me recently was that there were NO walk-in centres in Norwich a month or two ago! Booster urgency - what urgency? I call that a policy failure (yes I know there are issues with Pfizer storage etc).

But surely if we have a new threat, why the hell aren’t the coach company insisting that the pensioners wear a mask and also, why aren’t the pensioners themselves wearing them knowing what could happen if this hits in the numbers we expect? I can’t understand that humans are so thick they need to be told! Christ I went to the Rocky Horror Picture show last last month and we wore our masks through the show! Not rocket science but these will be the people to moan the most once we go into another lock down!

Edited November 28, 2021 by Indy

[Tetteys Jig 830]

34 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

They've moved in the right direction PC and as we start to see the wood from the trees in the next few days they can quickly tighten it up if they have too (as I guess they will be forced too kicking and screaming).

If, as VW and now WBB infer, it is spreading quickly amongst those who have likely been pre-infected with earlier strains then yes we can assume it will largely negate the vaccines at least vs infection. 

Severity of any illness is to be proven - but you wouldn't want to find out it's severe after the horse has long bolted! Better be safe than extremely sorry.

the problem with that last line is that we will basically forever be in this scenario long after Omicron does what it's going to do. I guess it's a little bit like the war on terror. There is always the fear of another massive terrorist attack in the same way there is probably already another variant even worse than Omicron manifesting.

It's about trying to be preemptive to these sorts of things whilst trying to keep going as best as possible.

Sure we could go nuts and go back to full lockdown but that would be incredibly destructive and may well achieve nothing anyway. Same to a lesser extent with other measures. There are always trade offs to consider.

[Well b back 3,190]

2 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

 

I agree PC - their track record on prompt action is not good (terrible) but some movement at least to kick the public out of complacency is a good thing (c.f. WBB coach load of 'pensioners').  

As to VAX hubs - one thing that shocked me recently was that there were NO walk-in centres in Norwich a month or two ago! Booster urgency - what urgency? I call that a policy failure (yes I know there are issues with Pfizer storage etc).

It was and note my posts not even hindsight needed. The NHS reappointed the person who did the initial roll out about 6 weeks ago, which was wise as you can see from the results.

[Indy 3,283]

1 minute ago, Well b back said:

Yes it is, being developed as we speak. The time lag will be the manufacture. I suspect Pfizer will be in a similar situation.

I should point out they won’t know for 2 weeks wether the vaccines hold up, but I guess they are already looking at data.

I read last year that the next generation vaccines we’re looking to target the the virus by recognising the nucleus rather than the protein, is that still the case WBB?

[Well b back 3,190]

Just now, Indy said:

I read last year that the next generation vaccines we’re looking to target the the virus by recognising the nucleus rather than the protein, is that still the case WBB?

I believe that once the pandemic is over ( see cos thread ) the vaccines will be developed against cancers ect, don’t think that’s changed