Coronavirus (2021) thread

[KS55]

People need to get back to their lives. The most vulnerable people have almost all be vaccinated, and so the need to keep people locked up is not there. Frankly I think the scientists at SAGE like this power to dictate public policy. I don't recall anyone voting for them.

Sage don't make the decisions, politicians do.
Voting bit is nonsense.

 

[unicorn]

Supply is the issue. We don't need to offer incentives at the moment. Open any place up and it's besieged by quques and they quickly run out. UK vaccine supply seems flat. I think they limited the Astrazeneca supply to the older people and hence supplies for young limited to Pfizer and Moderna

Exactly. My 22 year old his got his Pfizer this week, encouraged his 3 housemates to go down to Sheffield's Crucible for a pop-up vaccine centre yesterday. They'd "sold-out" before 9am, youngsters queueing at dawn.

 

[KS55]

My opinion on the impact of mutation and spike variants has changed significantly. I always thought that the whole virus vaccines would be less affected by escape mutations in the spike protein but that was just a feeling. Recent research has shown this to be so ('Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 VOC 501Y.V2 by human antisera elicited by both inactivated BBIBP-CorV and recombinant dimeric RBD ZF2001 vaccines'.) There's also a similar paper about this in Nature microbiology.

Therefore, doomsday views of never-ending cycles of vaccine and escape-mutation are very likely wrong imo are based on the 1st phase of Western vaccines which targeted a tiny mutagenic part of the virus. Scientists will learn from this. I think it's quite likely that Pfizer and Moderna develop another updated spike-based vaccine (Moderna already have) but there are other approaches too which is the important thing.

Edit: Probably wrong to say that the spike protein is mutagenic but it is key to getting into human cells and hence mutations here that confer an advantage are selected for. This virus is evolving from animal to human and it's point of contact is the spike protein hence this was a very convenient target for us but a changing target. What we need is a vaccine booster, and then a whole range of them, and there needs to be diversification so we aren't all focused on one region.

We raced ahead. But we're too quick to make assumptions based on one approach which was motivated by speed

Crickey, Marvin, you have really studdied this. Professional interest?
Glad to hear your view that doomsday idea is likely to be wrong. As you imply, we just have to keep going till this thing is under control. See flu: it's still here and kills some of the vulnerable and old but the pandemic of early 20th century does not happen, as updated vaccine is introduced every year.

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

Crickey, Marvin, you have really studdied this. Professional interest?
Glad to hear your view that doomsday idea is likely to be wrong. As you imply, we just have to keep going till this thing is under control. See flu: it's still here and kills some of the vulnerable and old but the pandemic of early 20th century does not happen, as updated vaccine is introduced every year.

Exactly. A 'good' flu year still results in around 6000 deaths and a bad one around 20,000.

 

[artfuldodger]

The US has been doing this. Million dollar lottery draw when your vaccinated, free beer, free tickets to sporting events etc.

We need to follow suit and start offering up perks. Anything to get the job done.

Didn’t one state do free spliffs?

 

[KS55]

Didn’t one state do free spliffs?

California. Cool, man!

 

[bluenova]

Exactly. A 'good' flu year still results in around 6000 deaths and a bad one around 20,000.

There was a quote I saw this morning, from Chris Whitty I think, making the same point about how we might be approaching flu comparisons.

What was really interesting is that he said, after the last year, the general public's views of what is acceptable might have changed. I doubt there would be any long lasting "rules" for everyday interactions, but maybe we'll see people being a lot more wary of others, more focus on hygiene at school and in more high risk areas like hospitals, nursing homes etc a continued focus on social distancing/mask wearing?

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

There was a quote I saw this morning, from Chris Whitty I think, making the same point about how we might be approaching flu comparisons.

What was really interesting is that he said, after the last year, the general public's views of what is acceptable might have changed. I doubt there would be any long lasting "rules" for everyday interactions, but maybe we'll see people being a lot more wary of others, more focus on hygiene at school and in more high risk areas like hospitals, nursing homes etc a continued focus on social distancing/mask wearing?

I'd still expect to see a proportion of people wearing masks and sanitising their hands when shopping when all restrictions are lifted (shops will have sanitising stations permanently from now on). That's a personal choice and as it won't affect me I'm perfectly fine with that.

 

[Healdplace]

Repeated this many times. Some are enjoying the time in the spot light and the power that brings. Makes them important and not irrelevant.

several posters are busy as fuck on this thread but ive NEVER seen them talking about City or any subject for that matter. Again, thy like the feeling of importance and dont want to return to irrelevance

I imagine that sweeeping generalisation was partially aimed at me and - if so - you cannot understand how wrong you are.

But I forgive that mistake - if it is not my error and I am misinterpreting your words.

Although in general it shows how wise we all should be not to leap to conclusions on the motivations of other people posting here as we cannot possibly know them by gussing or assuming that they desire attention.

I would never judge anyone like that for caring enough to post about one of the biggest things in my life. And I suspect I am much older than many of you so have seen a lot.

There are many good reasons people might post in this thread and assuming attention seeking might very occasionally be true but it is really a cop out of the imagination. As Covid is one of the biggest things that will happen to all of us and is bound to generate many different reasons why people would want to discuss it on a forum with a thread asking them to do so.

The moment I can get back to my real life without ever thinking about Covid again and never having to post one more word of data about it in here will be a very happy one for me. The quicker the better.

We are all seeking normality - fast. Just as soon as it is safe to do so.

Then I can get back to the two million readers I write for normally about very different subjects not Covid and not desperately seek a few hundred more on this thread anonymously.

Sorry for what will look like super ego level bragging but it was necessary to point out how easy it is to jump to conclusions on motivations that actually have no basis outside imagination about people whose concerns over Covid differ from your own - or indeed from my own - for all sorts of valid reasons.

But we are all worked up now. I get that. As we were so close to winning the Champions League after what seems like ten years and our leader made a major blunder and has set us back. But only in the short term. And I suspect we will be out of this thread before City DO win the Champions League. Even if that is 2022. Hopefully.

 

[Healdplace]

Great to see a crowd live now at Edgeley Park cheering on their team in a semi final. We forget that things like this HAVE already moved us forward and it is not all doom and gloom as it was. Small steps turn into big ones if you are patient. That is all we need right now. Patience and tolerance.