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

FYI - For anybody who doesn't know Leicester. It's one of the strangest places in terms of socio-economic divide. As Wolvz has mentioned, the outbreaks are contained in the largely poor inner cities suburbs where housing is tight and social distancing not always properly applied (from what I've seen anyway). You can walk a few hundred yards out of a badly-hit area like Evington into Stoneygate where suddenly all the houses are massive, wide roads and generally it feels really different because the people - of all ethnicities, I should add - are more likely to stay away from each other. Even more so if you venture into Knighton, which is also within walking distance yet feels like a very different place (it's so quiet, middle-class and affluent there).

I've lived in a few cities and Leicester is easily the strangest for this. So much changes within a short space.
 
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Scrumpet said:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53222182

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Really useful graphs.

The BBC and Guardian have been excellent throughout this.

It's too soon to compare/only the UK knows how to count.
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Vidyoyo said:
FYI - For anybody who doesn't know Leicester. It's one of the strangest places in terms of socio-economic divide. As Wolvz has mentioned, the outbreaks are contained in the largely poor inner cities suburbs where housing is tight and social distancing not always properly applied (from what I've seen anyway). You can walk a few hundred yards out of a badly-hit area like Evington into Stoneygate where suddenly all the houses are massive, wide roads and generally it feels really different because the people - of all ethnicities, I should add - are more likely to stay away from each other. Even more so if you venture into Knighton, which is also within walking distance yet feels like a very different place (it's so quiet, middle-class and affluent there).

I've lived in a few cities and Leicester is easily the strangest for this. So much changes within a short space.
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Apparently going to be announced this evening
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/...0EhIuVSluynexFQbABGUJIewYoEuz_x9Kzja84XXQIWwI

Mr Hancock is expected to say while restrictions were being eased from this weekend in the rest of the UK they would remain in place for the city of Leicester - but it is now understood crucially he has indicated areas just outside the city boundaries are set to be included.
More details are expected from Mr Hancock later but LeicestershireLive understands areas such as Oadby and Birstall, at least, were likely to be included.
The localised lockdown will see current restrictions in Leicester maintained for at least two weeks after July 4 when measures to relax them, like the re-opening of pubs and restaurants, come into play elsewhere.
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I think these motherfeckers just don't ever want me to get a haircut
 
Pogue Mahone said:
This is pretty crazy. Basically enrolling the army as trial subjects in a massive phase 3 study. Seriously unethical. I just hope they at least make sure to collect and share all the data it generates (good and bad)
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Damn

CanSino declined to disclose whether the innoculation of the vaccine candidate is mandatory or optional, citing commercial secrets, in an email to Reuters.
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Wolverine said:
Damn
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Even if it’s optional, there’s bound to be a tacit incentive to sign up. Doing their patriotic duty and all that. There’s not an ethics committee in the whole of the UK/Ireland that would sign that off.

That said, my biggest worry is that they get round this by not treating it as a clinical trial at all. Which would be an infuriating waste of valuable data.
 
Vidyoyo said:
FYI - For anybody who doesn't know Leicester. It's one of the strangest places in terms of socio-economic divide. As Wolvz has mentioned, the outbreaks are contained in the largely poor inner cities suburbs where housing is tight and social distancing not always properly applied (from what I've seen anyway). You can walk a few hundred yards out of a badly-hit area like Evington into Stoneygate where suddenly all the houses are massive, wide roads and generally it feels really different because the people - of all ethnicities, I should add - are more likely to stay away from each other. Even more so if you venture into Knighton, which is also within walking distance yet feels like a very different place (it's so quiet, middle-class and affluent there).

I've lived in a few cities and Leicester is easily the strangest for this. So much changes within a short space.
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Sounds like Washington DC
 
F-Red said:
Either temporary closures or restricted measures to allow only essential retail.
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I think that would be wise. I don't see what difference extending the restaurants and pub opening date on its own would do when the cases are already climbing quickly without them being open at the moment. The city centre is definitely a hot spot for spreading i would say.
 
Utdstar01 said:
I think that would be wise. I don't see what difference extending the restaurants and pub opening date on its own would do when the cases are already climbing quickly without them being open at the moment. The city centre is definitely a hot spot for spreading i would say.
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Just confirmed now by Matt Hancock.
 
Regarding Leicester, Matt Hancock confirms
1) further testing - including walk-in centre, symptomatic testing
2) council get funding to translate comms (as needed) to target cluster areas
3) non-essential retail to close, schools also to close in leicester (along open for vulnerable and key workers)
4) shielding measures to stay in leicester
5) they will "monitor closely" to ensure social distancing rules adhered to
6) glenfield, oadby, birstall affected
7) all measures will be kept under review and review in 2 weeks
8) "support" for businesses affected

In Leicester, 7 day infection rate 135 cases per 100,000 which is 3x higher than next highest city + accounts for 10% of all cases in last week, hence the intevention
 
Does this mean Leicester's home matches have to be prosponed?
 
Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China

A new strain of flu which has the potential to become pandemic has been identified in China by scientists.

It emerged recently and is carried by pigs, but can infect humans, they say.

The researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak.

They say it has "all the hallmarks" of being highly adapted to infect humans - and needs close monitoring.

As it's new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus.

(BBC)
 
SteveJ said:
Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China

A new strain of flu which has the potential to become pandemic has been identified in China by scientists.

It emerged recently and is carried by pigs, but can infect humans, they say.

The researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak.

They say it has "all the hallmarks" of being highly adapted to infect humans - and needs close monitoring.

As it's new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus.

(BBC)
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Shouldn’t this have its own thread?
 
SteveJ said:
Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China

A new strain of flu which has the potential to become pandemic has been identified in China by scientists.

It emerged recently and is carried by pigs, but can infect humans, they say.

The researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak.

They say it has "all the hallmarks" of being highly adapted to infect humans - and needs close monitoring.

As it's new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus.

(BBC)
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Well it's a matter of time then isn't it.
We're all fecked
 
SteveJ said:
Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China

A new strain of flu which has the potential to become pandemic has been identified in China by scientists.

It emerged recently and is carried by pigs, but can infect humans, they say.

The researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak.

They say it has "all the hallmarks" of being highly adapted to infect humans - and needs close monitoring.

As it's new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus.

(BBC)
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I was just about to have an early night, always good to go to bed on good news. :lol:
 
Not now, flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China!
 
SteveJ said:
Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China

A new strain of flu which has the potential to become pandemic has been identified in China by scientists.

It emerged recently and is carried by pigs, but can infect humans, they say.

The researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak.

They say it has "all the hallmarks" of being highly adapted to infect humans - and needs close monitoring.

As it's new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus.

(BBC)
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So it’s basically another swine flu. Which we coped ok with.
 
711 said:
I know you're qualified and all but isn't that what they said about Covid?
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Pretty much! Although new strains of influenza seem to come around much more often than new strains of coronavirus. Basically, it’s VERY unusual for a virus to be capable of doing to us what this fecking coronavirus has done. It needs to be almost perfectly “designed” to have this sort of impact. So it would be ridiculously bad luck for another virus with similar potential to pop up so quickly. Much more likely this is just another one of the relatively frequent false alarms (or, if we’re extremely unlucky, about as nasty as swine flu)
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Pretty much! Although new strains of influenza seem to come around much more often than new strains of coronavirus. Basically, it’s VERY unusual for a virus to be capable of doing to us what this fecking coronavirus has done. It needs to be almost perfectly “designed” to have this sort of impact. So it would be ridiculously bad luck for another virus with similar potential to pop up so quickly. Much more likely this is just another one of the relatively frequent false alarms (or, if we’re extremely unlucky, about as nasty as swine flu)
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I guess the media will be jumping on every brief put out about viruses now and spinning it to sensational if they can. I will be reassured by your good self sir.
 
711 said:
I guess the media will be jumping on every brief put out about viruses now and spinning it to sensational if they can. I will be reassured by your good self sir.
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I’m glad you’re reassured. I mainly said what I did to reassure myself! I basically don’t have the headspace to even contemplate another fecking pandemic.
 
Pogue Mahone said:


This is pretty crazy. Basically enrolling the army as trial subjects in a massive phase 3 study. Seriously unethical. I just hope they at least make sure to collect and share all the data it generates (good and bad)
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They allegedly usually use prisoners for such things.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
So it’s basically another swine flu. Which we coped ok with.
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Although the current flu vaccine doesn't strictly protect against it is is likley that many people have some degree of immunity even if it is just enough to reduce the severity of the disease. This turned out to be the case with the 2009 flu which is why it wasn't as bad as we first thought. As we have identified it I think it could be added to flu vaccines in the event it jumps to humans far more than is currently the case.
 
Well today is my first day of running covid tests at work.

We’ve been doing them for a couple of months now and I’m going to take over the operation as of today.

First training session this morning.
 
Leicester reporting unusually high level of positive cases within the under 18 age group.
 
Wumminator said:
I mean.. isn't it far more likely that it is the return to school of these age groups rather than 14/15 year olds going to raves?
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Yes it's wrong to assume that raves are the result of higher cases in under 18s, it's a probable combination of school and poor social distancing. 'Raves' haven't really appeared in Leicester.
 
Wumminator said:
I mean.. isn't it far more likely that it is the return to school of these age groups rather than 14/15 year olds going to raves?
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Maybe? I don’t know how many secondary schools are open though? And at least they’re being forced to social distance in school. You just get the impression kids in their late teens have completely given up on even a pretence of social distancing. You can see it all around us and the article on raves is full of that sort of attitude. We got a month or two out of them and that’s it. They’re not willing to sacrifice their social lives any more.

Not a specific Leicester thing, mind you. More of a general observation. It is understandable though. I’d have probably done the same at their age.
 
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