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

Just £37bn down the shitter, but they can't pay doctors and nurses.

Covid-19: NHS Test and Trace 'no clear impact' despite £37bn budget

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56340831

Anyone who thought that was a good idea was a plank. From the off it was obvious it was pointless and a waste of money. Some in here were banging on like it would cure covid :lol:
 
Anyone who thought that was a good idea was a plank. From the off it was obvious it was pointless and a waste of money. Some in here were banging on like it would cure covid :lol:

Contact tracing as a concept works, proven in many Asian countries. The problem is when you outsource to try to deploy at scale, quickly. The local councils and NHS trusts have proven to have more effective contact tracing than the centralised system. Putting that money into the local system would have problem generated different results in this pandemic.
 
Track and Trace, it came too fast. RedCafe said it had a chance.
37 billion down the drain, local councils and NHS trusts win again.
 
All they had to do was spend a fraction of that on just getting this country masked up back in late spring and we would never have gone over the 100k death mark. Sounds like hindsight, it really isn't.
 
I havent time to read all of it now but the general gist is that we should let the less vulnerable people back out and only shield the older more vulnerable people.
I agree 100%.
Locking everyone up is only prolonging the misery.

You know whose prolonging the misery? cnuts. Thats who. Went into a shop yesterday, a small petrol station so I could return something to Amazon. Next I hear is two guys coming in behind me who hadn't seen each other for a bit. Heres who that conversation went.

"Whats up with you?"

"I don't know, Ive got a covid or a cold. Something killing me."

The cnut might have had covid but he was still happy to walk around and pass it on to other people in shops and at his work. This cnut, and cnuts like him are why the misery is prolonging.
 


Good thread on what the end game looks like.


Interesting thread, basically could be a few more years of behavioural change to cope with the spread of the virus as the variants take their course in the seasonal periods. Boosters will no doubt help ease the burden.
 
You know whose prolonging the misery? cnuts. Thats who. Went into a shop yesterday, a small petrol station so I could return something to Amazon. Next I hear is two guys coming in behind me who hadn't seen each other for a bit. Heres who that conversation went.

"Whats up with you?"

"I don't know, Ive got a covid or a cold. Something killing me."

The cnut might have had covid but he was still happy to walk around and pass it on to other people in shops and at his work. This cnut, and cnuts like him are why the misery is prolonging.

Stupid is as stupid does.
Probably buying smokes from his dole money as well!
 


What the?

It's the disruption and uncertainty, in people's lives, routines, income, and other. There's a solution to adjust some of these demographic issues down the line, at least for desirable countries, but I don't see it being used broadly enough: immigration.
 
Anyone who thought that was a good idea was a plank. From the off it was obvious it was pointless and a waste of money. Some in here were banging on like it would cure covid :lol:
Track and trace is an essential tool to control a pandemic. It has worked very well in various countries e.g. Taiwan, Australia and NZ. However, it only works if you don't allow the virus to run riot as track and trace will then be overwhelmed.

At least the Tories managed to filter billions of your hard earned tax dollars to their mates.

Why do you keep electing these evil clowns?
 
Was just out with the dog, saw two kids breaking curfew rules, numbers on the rise, whats the point? Open up and let natural selection take place.
 
The trials didn't compromise safety in any way.



You need to be vaccinated to go to school in many countries. US Universities also usually demand it. Yoy can't travel to some countries without being vaccinated against various things. Airlines and most countries will demand it.

So you have a choice to not vaccinate and have your opportunities restricted accordingly.



For one Dr Peter Doherty stated that he thought we could have a vaccine by September and he wasn't far off.



These vaccines are just as safe as every other vaccine that you have ever taken without question. They have had exactly the same safety trials. The large number of infections, streamlining of the admin process and accepting the financial risks from producing millions of doses in the hope they wouldn't have to be binned is why it was quick. Safety was in no way compromised.

Normal long term post approval monitoring find very very rare side effects that you don't find in phase 3 trials because they are so rare. In this case very very rare side effects, if any, are orders of magnitude better than not vaccinating.

Thank you for your response. Let's take a look..

The trials didn't compromise safety in any way.

They went through the phases from what I read, but I also read the FDA didn't officially "approve" the vaccine, they just gave it EUA (Emergency Use authorization). The testing went directly to humans and skipped animal testing. From what I read the flu vaccine was tested on animals. This makes me uneasy.

You need to be vaccinated to go to school in many countries. US Universities also usually demand it. Yoy can't travel to some countries without being vaccinated against various things. Airlines and most countries will demand it.

So you have a choice to not vaccinate and have your opportunities restricted accordingly.

Right, but I don't think you can compare this to going on a trip to Thailand and getting your shots. This vaccine will alter the way we change our life and the above scenarios you wrote is not really a choice, is it?


For one Dr Peter Doherty stated that he thought we could have a vaccine by September and he wasn't far off.

Okay so one or two people. The rest were saying it would take years (including everybody's Corona God Mr. Fauci)

Look, I'm not against vaccines but if one doesn't realize how this is a huge violation of our freedoms then there's something seriously wrong with that.

Also.. we know nothing about MRNA technology, how can you determine it is safe? It has NEVER been used up until now, this is the first of it's kind - so a few months of trials do not sit well with me.

My problem with this vaccine, this virus, is the divide it has caused between people. My problem is that 1 year onwards from the breakout, we are still treating this virus as if it was an extremely deadly virus that we thought from day one, when it's not (the figures prove between healthy people it has a 99% survival rate).

My problem is that if we mention all of the bad things that have come from lockdowns, then we are Trump supporters. We are ignoring the fact that the byproduct of lockdowns have killed us more than this virus! Looking around my family, I feel we have all aged 10 years the last year of being in lockdown. I believe our approach to these lockdowns given the survival rate, given the fact that we have pushed aside surgeries has proved our response to this virus to be embarrassing.

My best friend's mother could not get chemotherapy done last year because the hospital was "overflooded" with covid patients. A cancer patient was left to die! Small businesses have been wiped out in my city, mental illnesses, divorces, suicides... all this has sky rocketed. Our kids have developed anxiety. It's just awful man, and I'm really disappointed in humanity that if you bring up the above points then you're a conspiracy theorist.
 
Thank you for your response. Let's take a look..



They went through the phases from what I read, but I also read the FDA didn't officially "approve" the vaccine, they just gave it EUA (Emergency Use authorization). The testing went directly to humans and skipped animal testing. From what I read the flu vaccine was tested on animals. This makes me uneasy.



Right, but I don't think you can compare this to going on a trip to Thailand and getting your shots. This vaccine will alter the way we change our life and the above scenarios you wrote is not really a choice, is it?




Okay so one or two people. The rest were saying it would take years (including everybody's Corona God Mr. Fauci)

Look, I'm not against vaccines but if one doesn't realize how this is a huge violation of our freedoms then there's something seriously wrong with that.

Also.. we know nothing about MRNA technology, how can you determine it is safe? It has NEVER been used up until now, this is the first of it's kind - so a few months of trials do not sit well with me.

My problem with this vaccine, this virus, is the divide it has caused between people. My problem is that 1 year onwards from the breakout, we are still treating this virus as if it was an extremely deadly virus that we thought from day one, when it's not (the figures prove between healthy people it has a 99% survival rate).

My problem is that if we mention all of the bad things that have come from lockdowns, then we are Trump supporters. We are ignoring the fact that the byproduct of lockdowns have killed us more than this virus! Looking around my family, I feel we have all aged 10 years the last year of being in lockdown. I believe our approach to these lockdowns given the survival rate, given the fact that we have pushed aside surgeries has proved our response to this virus to be embarrassing.

My best friend's mother could not get chemotherapy done last year because the hospital was "overflooded" with covid patients. A cancer patient was left to die! Small businesses have been wiped out in my city, mental illnesses, divorces, suicides... all this has sky rocketed. Our kids have developed anxiety. It's just awful man, and I'm really disappointed in humanity that if you bring up the above points then you're a conspiracy theorist.
Have heard this said but many supposedly healthy people have passed away from it, including one of my neighbours. It’s the randomness which makes it particularly dangerous
 
If the virus mutates and we get a varient that the current vaccines don't work on does that mean we have to tweak the vaccines and 'revaccinate everyone from scratch?
 
How bad are things in Brazil? Just going by the numbers, they were never good, and they have started getting worse.
 
If the virus mutates and we get a varient that the current vaccines don't work on does that mean we have to tweak the vaccines and 'revaccinate everyone from scratch?

Not from scratch. The South African variant is the most resistant so far and every vaccine tested on it has at least given some protection. So a booster dose with a tweaked vaccine should give excellent cover. Plus I think there’s only so many ways the virus can change to avoid existing immunity. Otherwise it will change so much it might no longer have the same effects (i.e. being highly contagious/making us sick etc)
 
I heard on BBC radio today reports coming in that those suffering long term covid effects have found quick relief from those symptoms once vaccinated. Anecdotal evidence so far as no study has been done but the numbers reporting relief has been encouraging apparently
 
They went through the phases from what I read, but I also read the FDA didn't officially "approve" the vaccine, they just gave it EUA (Emergency Use authorization). The testing went directly to humans and skipped animal testing. From what I read the flu vaccine was tested on animals. This makes me uneasy.
They didn't skip the animal trials, but some of the animal trials ran alongside human trials. In particular phase 1/2 volunteers were receiving the first test doses of vaccine while the research team were doing animal trials.

Animals used during testing included mice (toxicity, dosage and mutagenicity). Chimps and macaques were used to check dosage, antibody response and efficacy (yes - that does mean they deliberately tried to give the animals covid)

In diseases with known human/animal correlates - that is where the animal seems to respond to the virus and the vaccine the same way humans do - they can do a lot more of the efficacy testing on animals. You can test flu jabs on ferrets for example. But before you can do that you have to know for sure that a jab that's effective in ferrets/mice/guinea pigs or whatever is also effective and safe in humans.

We don't have those known animal comparisons for covid, so we had to have clinical trials with tens thousands of people getting the vaccines, and wait for them to get infected in the course of their daily lives instead. It's those large scale human trials that provided the safety and efficacy data for the authorisation.
 
I heard on BBC radio today reports coming in that those suffering long term covid effects have found quick relief from those symptoms once vaccinated. Anecdotal evidence so far as no study has been done but the numbers reporting relief has been encouraging apparently

The long covid groups I'm on have been saying this for months. It's not always successful but like you say anecdotally it has worked.

I called my GP to get my daughter a jab to help her out of all this pain and suffering. The cnuts aren't interested because they're following the government priority group guideline and doing zero groundwork themselves. And her bloodwork is clear so nothing they can do. I don't use the word cnuts lightly in this instance.
 
The long covid groups I'm on have been saying this for months. It's not always successful but like you say anecdotally it has worked.

I called my GP to get my daughter a jab to help her out of all this pain and suffering. The cnuts aren't interested because they're following the government priority group guideline and doing zero groundwork themselves. And her bloodwork is clear so nothing they can do. I don't use the word cnuts lightly in this instance.
Shit, what a pain. Hope you can get your daughter a jab soon. I wish that there was some capacity for doctors etc to operate with the guidelines but also have the ability to act where exceptional circumstances require outside the guidelines thinking.
 
Shit, what a pain. Hope you can get your daughter a jab soon. I wish that there was some capacity for doctors etc to operate with the guidelines but also have the ability to act where exceptional circumstances require outside the guidelines thinking.

This is exactly where the government needs two way collaboration with GPs to be collating and then offering pathways back up the chain. Even if it's rejected by those higher up. So far for the past year GPs (the 5 or so that I know) have done the opposite. They try to convince you it's in your head, and when you strongly push back the best they can do is shrug their shoulders and say they're following guidelines.

For my daughter I'm waiting for a welcome letter to one of the newly formed Covid clinics. Been waiting for six weeks.
 
This is exactly where the government needs two way collaboration with GPs to be collating and then offering pathways back up the chain. Even if it's rejected by those higher up. So far for the past year GPs (the 5 or so that I know) have done the opposite. They try to convince you it's in your head, and when you strongly push back the best they can do is shrug their shoulders and say they're following guidelines.

For my daughter I'm waiting for a welcome letter to one of the newly formed Covid clinics. Been waiting for six weeks.

Are they accepting people at long Covid clinics without any evidence they’ve ever had Covid? I’d have thought serological evidence of past infection (or a history of positive PCR test) would be among the main criteria for referral?
 
Are they accepting people at long Covid clinics without any evidence they’ve ever had Covid? I’d have thought serological evidence of past infection (or a history of positive PCR test) would be among the main criteria for referral?

My daughter tested negative for anti bodies. I asked the GPs if this means she could have something else (lupus, etc?). Quiet. Then they referred me/her to the long covid clinic.

I think the delay in any response is due to the clinics and their resources being sidetracked with the large number of covid cases over Christmas and New Year, understandably. Now that has calmed down quite significantly I'm hoping things progress.
 
My daughter tested negative for anti bodies. I asked the GPs if this means she could have something else (lupus, etc?). Quiet. Then they referred me/her to the long covid clinic.

I think the delay in any response is due to the clinics and their resources being sidetracked with the large number of covid cases over Christmas and New Year, understandably. Now that has calmed down quite significantly I'm hoping things progress.

Ok then. If you’ve been referred then you should get an appointment. 6 weeks isn’t that long a wait to be seen about a chronic condition. And I think you’re right about the recent surge delaying NHS outpatient services.
 
Have heard this said but many supposedly healthy people have passed away from it, including one of my neighbours. It’s the randomness which makes it particularly dangerous

Many out of how many? It's widely accepted that most who get covid experience little to no symptoms. I feel sorry for your neighbour and all the other outliers, I feel very bad for those who suffered and died from this virus.

I know one person who died from this virus, personally. Unfortunately he was obese and diabetic (similar to my dad). What may also have added to his death is he had a bad life style (drinking lots of booze, smoking, not getting enough sleep, etc). I know 25+ people who got covid in my circle (including relatives over the age of 60 years old) who are thankfully all fine now. It was a bad couple of days but they're all living their lives normally now.

I'm sorry that covid exists and impacts a small amount of people much more harshly than the majority, but treating this disease one year later as if it was the Spanish Flu of 1918 is wrong.
 
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That's all you can add to what I said? Or are you bothered because I said it has a 99% survival rate. I know that bothers a lot of people when that fact is mentioned so I don't blame you. The covid effects I believe are real if you had it, but I don't believe they're as widely existent as they say it is. From an anecdotal experience of knowing again more than 25 people who have had it, none have had any lingering effects.

Covid is so politicized that we can't even have an open and honest debate anymore without being labelled a conspiracy theorist.
 
Many out of how many? It's widely accepted that most who get covid experience little to no symptoms. I feel sorry for your neighbour and all the other outliers, I feel very bad for those who suffered and died from this virus.

I know one person who died from this virus, personally. Unfortunately he was obese and diabetic (similar to my dad). What may also have added to his death is he had a bad life style (drinking lots of booze, smoking, not getting enough sleep, etc). I know 25+ people who got covid in my circle (including relatives over the age of 60 years old) who are thankfully all fine now. It was a bad couple of days but they're all living their lives normally now.

I'm sorry that covid exists and impacts a small amount of people very harshly than the majority, but treating this disease one year later as if it was the Spanish Flu of 1918 is wrong.

The Spanish flu killed just over 2% of the people it infected. Based purely on people you know, covid is killing 4% of the people who catch it. Not a very convincing argument that covid is less dangerous than Spanish flu.
 
That's all you can add to what I said? Yes Or are you bothered because I said it has a 99% survival rate. No, I've said so myself I know that bothers a lot of people when that fact is mentioned so I don't blame you. The covid effects I believe are real if you had it, but I don't believe they're as widely existent as they say it is. From an anecdotal experience of knowing again more than 25 people who have had it, none have had any lingering effects. Everybody loves an anecdote

Covid is so politicized that we can't even have an open and honest debate anymore without being labelled a conspiracy theorist. You haven't demonstrated any interest in open debate at any point in this thread
 


What the?


Yeah, there were a few tabloid stories forecasting a baby boom based on the premise that more time shacked up = more baby-making, which a lot of people seemed to take at face value despite it being completely at odds with the psychology of sex, contraception, parenthood...but economists were predicting a big decline months ago.