Coronavirus (2021) thread

[cleavers]

The mutations in the strain 501Y.V2 have been shown to evade antibodies generated by previous infection / vaccines to two regions of the spike protein: N-terminus and RBD. That is not the whole immune response but anything that compromises the immune response will get attention.

You have scientific proof of this ?

I was none too impressed with the response to the UK variant but it was possibly unstoppable because it had a transmissibility advantage

Yes we didn't know about it until long after it had spread widely, hence the huge increase in case numbers in late december. You can't act on stuff like this until you know about it.

 

[Marvin]

Hopefully by then things will be released anyway with good reason, a lot more will be vaccinated for one thing, and hopefully we will have case numbers, hospitalisations, and deaths at a low level, and that's the key.

There is something else that's key and that's the extent to which a variant could replicate in a vaccinated population. If it can then the mild illness (worst case scenario) could eventually evolve into a more serious illness. I don't think the extent of this problem is understood yet.

 

[BlueHammer85]

No it wouldn't

Without going over all the old issues and I have first hand experience this week of more people refusing the vaccine due to what the have heard on the news.

With that in mind they are causing future deaths that didn't need to happen.

I'm not advocating happy clapping news reporting but just fair, accurate and sensible reporting.

Imagine this whole pandemic with no news. No one aware of social distancing, no one aware of masks etc it would be complete chaos.

the news you should be attacking is social media news, where people tweet or whatever that it’s all a hoax, stats are made up, the vaccine will kill us etc.

If everyone just had one source of news like the BBC only - the country would be in a much better state.

 

[paulchapo]

Hopefully by then things will be released anyway with good reason, a lot more will be vaccinated for one thing, and hopefully we will have case numbers, hospitalisations, and deaths at a low level, and that's the key.

I hope so. I have no idea how the youngsters are coping I can vaguely remember my youth and I was out every night. To have been sat in the house every night watching TV with my parents, as much as I love them, would have driven me insane. I guess at least they have the internet now.

 

[paulchapo]

There is something else that's key and that's the extent to which a variant could replicate in a vaccinated population. If it can then the mild illness (worst case scenario) could eventually evolve into a more serious illness. I don't think the extent of this problem is understood yet.

Yes that's a worry.

 

[Marvin]

You have scientific proof of this ?


Yes we didn't know about it until long after it had spread widely, hence the huge increase in case numbers in late december. You can't act on stuff like this until you know about it.

We knew of a correlation between variant and rapid growth of clusters for weeks but no conservative action was taken until the correlation was proven to have a causal basis. That's known. Dr Susan Hopkins has given an account of the chronology.

Nature

You might not have access. I never know what's subscription-only or what's available in the public domain. There will be plenty of pre-prints on bioRxiv
"

 

[cleavers]

I hope so. I have no idea how the youngsters are coping I can vaguely remember my youth and I was out every night. To have been sat in the house every night watching TV with my parents, as much as I love them, would have driven me insane. I guess at least they have the internet now.

Many aren't giving a shit, and that's why we are we were we are.

I see it every day where I live, a complex of 400+ flats, some people are not staying away from each other, and haven't been for 12 months now.

Most are complying, but many are not and never have.

 

[Bluesince1979]

Many aren't giving a shit, and that's why we are we were we are.

I see it every day where I live, a complex of 400+ flats, some people are not staying away from each other, and haven't been for 12 months now.

Most are complying, but many are not and never have.

Many ARE giving a shit. Its still a minority that AREN’T. Dont tar them all with what youve seen mate. You cant say many dont give a shit and most are complying in the same post :)) cant have it both ways

its total shite for the kids.

From my 5 & 8 yr old little ones who havent seen pals, no play dates, no swimming, football, martial arts, brownies etc to my 19 year who is in a house in fallowfield (uni) since aug and got to the pub about 3 times before lock down.

so no, most DO give a shit. In fact, its older people in super markets, on jobs etc that dont comply in my experience

 

[SB Blue]

Yes of course it should be a concern, but if you also factor in their poverty and lack of medical availability then it also could equally point to nothing more than a normal covid varient.

I'm not saying the authorities shouldn't be watching it carefully, but the reporting is all out of proportion and causing much misery and concern when there is no real evidence for it being an additional problem for the UK or our current vaccines.

Possibly misinterpreted your initial post as thought it suggested it wasn’t a concern.

Agree that reporting is a big issue, always have to make a big headline without a thought for the impact on people. I guess a more balanced approach wouldn’t generate the clicks they need.

 

[ayrshire_blue]

On January 11th, the 7 day moving average of daily new cases in South Africa was 19,042. Today it is 2,771.

On 19th January the 7 day moving average of deaths was 575, today it is 275.

Interesting, but then again I really don't know what this tell us without the following:

How severe is their lockdown/restrictions? Are these reductions more a cause of social restrictions than vaccines at this stage, or both?

How is their vaccination rollout process going? Has there been any or many as yet severe illnesses or death in people already vaccinated (talking people who weren't prior infected before receiving their vaccine)?

And, daft enough as it sounds, is their 'own' SA strain the dominant one within their own country? Or is the original or even the UK strain taken over as most transmissible over there?

We hear a lot about a South African strain, but so far I've heard little about what's actually happening in South Africa itself. Israel is newsworthy almost daily, for obvious reasons, but at this stage surely SA is worthy of very close watching to help us with what we're actually dealing with?