This time next month, virus.

[Mouser]

For those who have acquired an immunity by catching covid, the vaccinations are boosters. Wait 28 days after infection, and then eligible to take a vaccine.

Within our immune system are a type of cell that stores a memory of previous infection, which, on the next challenge, instructs production of antibodies against that renewed threat. It's fascinating how it all works.

Mass vaccination will shorten the pandemic. The more people with immune systems primed to fight the virus, the less chance it has to mutate, as well.

Is there any point priming it to fight original wuhan strain though?

 

[Sid]

Positive rate is about 10%..... I think it was about 9% a few weeks ago. It's about the only stat worth looking at but they make it quite awkward to find.

plenty around here have claimed to have had it twice...... I call b0llocks with most on that though.

Some round here reckon they had it months before it was even officially in the country

 

[Gong Farmer]

I just wish that the Beeb, instead of frightening us with daily figures, would tell us how many new cases are in vaccinated as opposed to unvaccinated.

If it fitted the narrative, they would.

 

[primmiemoo]

Is there any point priming it to fight original wuhan strain though?

I don't know how much the vaccines have been adapted yet, but it's strongly indicated the original vaccines plus booster are working against the variants in Britain.

 

[Fake it ‘til you make it]

Xmas presents? Stocking fillers?

For my workplace, in case staff can’t get free tests elsewhere. Was tempted to have a punt on a few for myself, they’ll probably outperform Bitcoin etc!

 

[Macsky]

I’m not vaccinated. I’ll roll the dice with COVID rather than have the vaccine.

Neither am I, didn’t fancy the novel technology vaccine and with my age and general health didn’t think I was at risk of serious complications, caught covid in October and had a couple of achey fluey days and then it cleared after that, I was up and about, albeit rather slowly, throughout.

I don’t hold it against anyone getting the vaccine, I’m sure it’s saved countless folk, but I don’t regret not having it. If mandatory vaccination is pursued in this country I think it will be a very worrying attack on individual liberty, and opens a door that should remain firmly shut.

 

[Bogweevil]

Face masks do NOT stop you catching or passing on Covid unless you wear the medical grade masks!

And you say not to socialise in big numbers? so what happens to all the industry's like pubs/ resturants/ cinemas/ etc etc if everyone does that and these sectors and their suppliers get no GOV help??

They have some effect, cost little and cheer up anxious folk, so why wouldn't you?

Abstract​

The science around the use of masks by the public to impede COVID-19 transmission is advancing rapidly. In this narrative review, we develop an analytical framework to examine mask usage, synthesizing the relevant literature to inform multiple areas: population impact, transmission characteristics, source control, wearer protection, sociological considerations, and implementation considerations. A primary route of transmission of COVID-19 is via respiratory particles, and it is known to be transmissible from presymptomatic, paucisymptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals. Reducing disease spread requires two things: limiting contacts of infected individuals via physical distancing and other measures and reducing the transmission probability per contact. The preponderance of evidence indicates that mask wearing reduces transmissibility per contact by reducing transmission of infected respiratory particles in both laboratory and clinical contexts. Public mask wearing is most effective at reducing spread of the virus when compliance is high. Given the current shortages of medical masks, we recommend the adoption of public cloth mask wearing, as an effective form of source control, in conjunction with existing hygiene, distancing, and contact tracing strategies. Because many respiratory particles become smaller due to evaporation, we recommend increasing focus on a previously overlooked aspect of mask usage: mask wearing by infectious people (“source control”) with benefits at the population level, rather than only mask wearing by susceptible people, such as health care workers, with focus on individual outcomes. We recommend that public officials and governments strongly encourage the use of widespread face masks in public, including the use of appropriate regulation.

An evidence review of face masks against COVID-19

The science around the use of masks by the public to impede COVID-19 transmission is advancing rapidly. In this narrative review, we develop an analytical framework to examine mask usage, synthesizing the relevant literature to inform multiple areas: population impact, transmission...

www.pnas.org

 

[unlacedgecko]

Are you not getting worried?

About what?

 

[unlacedgecko]

Neither am I, didn’t fancy the novel technology vaccine and with my age and general health didn’t think I was at risk of serious complications, caught covid in October and had a couple of achey fluey days and then it cleared after that, I was up and about, albeit rather slowly, throughout.

I don’t hold it against anyone getting the vaccine, I’m sure it’s saved countless folk, but I don’t regret not having it. If mandatory vaccination is pursued in this country I think it will be a very worrying attack on individual liberty, and opens a door that should remain firmly shut.

When someone asks me why I'm not jabbed I tell them to Google gulf war syndrome

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

That's only for a vaccine that prevents transmission. Plenty of countries with high vax rates and twice weekly pcr tests for unvaccinated have just the same transmission as ones with low vax rates.

Three shots with the Booster does prevent transmission on evidence so far.
The problem has been children (who have not had the vaccine yet)and the idiots who have not been vaccinated.

 

[Courier]

Neither am I, didn’t fancy the novel technology vaccine and with my age and general health didn’t think I was at risk of serious complications, caught covid in October and had a couple of achey fluey days and then it cleared after that, I was up and about, albeit rather slowly, throughout.

I don’t hold it against anyone getting the vaccine, I’m sure it’s saved countless folk, but I don’t regret not having it. If mandatory vaccination is pursued in this country I think it will be a very worrying attack on individual liberty, and opens a door that should remain firmly shut.

NZ now has a minimum of 90% vaccinated (Pfizer) in each District Health Board.
They have had a total of 47 Covid related deaths and 0 vaccine related deaths.
They were promised a relaxation of restrictions for Christmas above the 90%.

 

[MRT]

Three shots with the Booster does prevent transmission on evidence so far.
The problem has been children (who have not had the vaccine yet)and the idiots who have not been vaccinated.

Sorry thats just not true. If the boosters do prevent spread they are only just being administered so everyone has been spreading up to that point at least. The problem has not been children who have suffered little with it mercifully and are poor spreaders, when 40% of London adults are not vaccinated. Further more the children have been taking lateral flow tests twice a week on mass, how does that compare to your older population?

 

[tullah]

Whitty is one of the few logical thinkers. Those 18 to 40 think short term and fewer want to bother isolating or taking precautions. 40 plus it's long term.
The young were put onto the D Day beaches as they were less likely to take cover.

 

[TheTallGuy]

I just wish that the Beeb, instead of frightening us with daily figures, would tell us how many new cases are in vaccinated as opposed to unvaccinated.

Data is produced weekly & is always behind the trend because it takes time to collate and process the data from a variety of sources.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-weekly-surveillance-reports

Table 11 gives a good insight into the efficacy of vaccination, for instance in the latest report (week 49) for the 40-49 age group the hospitalisation rate is 7.6 per 100,000 for the vaccinated, whereas the unvaccinated runs at 29.1 per 100,000. Absolute numbers don't particularly help because they don't reflect the difference in absolute numbers of those vaccinated or not etc.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Reports from SA suggest that Omicron is already in decline. Seems to affect the young and the unvaccinated.

Masks are not really to protect us from catching it, rather to prevent us from spreading it.

I just don't believe that masks prevent us from spreading it. Even the whole idea that you can't catch it but can stop spreading it is part of the nudge technique to maintain the fear

 

[SilliamWhale]

I just wish that the Beeb, instead of frightening us with daily figures, would tell us how many new cases are in vaccinated as opposed to unvaccinated.

Well what is a case? A runny nose for a 6 year old, a clinically obese 45 year old on oxygen or a 96 year old dementia sufferer who hasn't been able to feed themselves for 2 years?

All of them are cases but there is a totally different sense of importance needing to be attatched to each of them

 

[farmerm]

There are about 5% of patients in hospital with covid. 25% of them didn't go in for covid. Of the rest about 50/50 seem to vaccinated give or take.

There's seems an inordinate focus on the unvaccinated in my eyes

So using your 50:50 figures... if 50% of those in hospital come from the less than 20% of population that are unvaccinated whilst the other 50% comes from over 80% of the population..... then it is very clear vaccination is giving a very significant reduction on the pressure on hospital beds. Hospitilsation rates per 100,000 are far higher in the unvaccinated despite those in this group scoring on average far lower in risk factors of age and underlying health problems. When just 10-20% of the population account for 50% of the problem then focusing on that group is very ordinate! From the start it was the optics of overrun hospitals in Italy that have scared government and healthcare professionals around the world more than anything else. Avoiding the overwhelming of ICU beds has been the primary driver behind all their decision making throughout the pandemic. By your own figures vaccination has very clearly played a big part in achieving this to date.

 

[TheTallGuy]

I just don't believe that masks prevent us from spreading it. Even the whole idea that you can't catch it but can stop spreading it is part of the nudge technique to maintain the fear

It's not rocket science, coronaviruses are primarily transmitted attached to droplets of fluid exhaled during breathing, coughing and sneezing. By wearing a mask you attenuate the volume that gets into the air & how far it travels.

 

[farmerm]

I just don't believe that masks prevent us from spreading it. Even the whole idea that you can't catch it but can stop spreading it is part of the nudge technique to maintain the fear

Most masks will not entirely stop transmission but it is reasonable logic that preventing large droplets being ejected into the air by coughs and sneezes should have an effect on reducing the likilhood of those around inhaling virus particles and particularly virus particles concentrated in large numbers. Small marginal gains can make big differences in the numbers when exponential growth is at play!

 

[SilliamWhale]

Anyone who works in areas with other people are irresponsible if they don't get jabbed and if they live a hermit's life.

As someone who is double vaxxed I still don't think that is a fair statement. There are a host of reasons why people may not want a vaccine (or can't have). Its not for you to judge them anymore than a unvaxxed person should think somone with a vaccine is a sheep or an idiot.

Besides well over 85% of the vulnerable have been vaccinated. It is not the unvaccinated spreading covid - it is everyone. Don't let the govt scapegoat the unvaccinated to cover its own other issues - it will be another group next month