Coronavirus (2021) thread

[Toney’s bookie]

Gotcha. You're absolutely right, it's a clinical study rather than real world monitoring.

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

www.bloomberg.com

Perhaps ahead of using AZ as a booster in other parts of the world?

Actually, my leaflet when I went for my booster did say that AZ could be offered as a booster in the UK in certain circumstances. I believe we’re using the mRNA boosters due to stock levels but could be wrong

 

[inbetween]

Yeah, I spotted that too.

Although I suspect the confidence intervals overlap (the numbers of hospitalizations is just 8 for the AZ cohort) so probably there's no measurable difference vs severe disease.

I also thought the lack of difference of the booster vs hospitalisation was interesting, and maybe very good news; implication is that a double jab gives good long term protection vs severe disease?

The lack of difference should be expected. I still really believe that the reduced Omicron severity is only true because of the fact that most people have either had COVID or they've had some sort of vaccine.

If you think about it, the initial variant last year was a complete unknown whereas now the vast majority of the population (9/10) has been exposed in one way or another.

You'd really struggle to find someone who is unvaccinated and immune naive but you'd need quite a few to prove a baseline Omicron severity. That's something these reports always miss, unvaccinated does not mean unprotected. It's why I'm in favour of mandating vaccines in certain environments but I'm against vaccine passports.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

And there is the difference.
One organisation, Oxford, produces a paper and publishes it for peer review. All comments heavily caveated in light of pending review.
Another, Imperial, announces a survey last Friday by Twitter "Breaking news". No caveating for peer review etc.
One is good science. One is scaremongering.

And what Imperial say:

The work, which is not yet peer-reviewed, is presented in the latest report from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Modelling within the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Jameel Institute, Imperial College London

Some reduction in hospitalisation for Omicron v Delta in England: early analysis | Imperial News | Imperial College London

Estimates suggest Omicron cases are 15% less likely to attend hospital, and 40% less likely to be hospitalised for a night or more, compared to Delta.

www.imperial.ac.uk

Embarrassing.

 

[BlueAnorak]

And what Imperial say:

The work, which is not yet peer-reviewed, is presented in the latest report from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Modelling within the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Jameel Institute, Imperial College London

Some reduction in hospitalisation for Omicron v Delta in England: early analysis | Imperial News | Imperial College London

Estimates suggest Omicron cases are 15% less likely to attend hospital, and 40% less likely to be hospitalised for a night or more, compared to Delta.

www.imperial.ac.uk

Embarrassing.

I'd compare the respective twitter feeds before making that claim.

 

[blueinsa]

Just because the press have a target doesn't mean the target has done anything wrong.

He's a highly respected scientist, whatever the Telegraph print.

Respected by who? The Grim fucking Reaper? ;-)

 

[MCFC1993]

Think I've picked up tonsilitis since Sunday, usually get it every year, doctors given me antibiotics.

Then my mum who I've seen recently got a positive LFT and I've just now tested positive on LFT.

Is there any chance my tonsilitis, enflamed throat, white spots etc... could be screwing with the results?

 

[Healdplace]

It seems 18,829 NHS England staff are off work - a big jump in the past week since Omicron appeared.

3874 in London alone are for Covid related reasons (having it or isolating). This will be replicated all over the UK as Omicron spreads.

This is going to prove more crucial to how the NHS cope than if Omicron is 40% or 70% less likely to create hospitalisations.

 

[Giovinco]

Think I've picked up tonsilitis since Sunday, usually get it every year, doctors given me antibiotics.

Then my mum who I've seen recently got a positive LFT and I've just now tested positive on LFT.

Is there any chance my tonsilitis, enflamed throat, white spots etc... could be screwing with the results?

have you done another test?

 

[SWP's back]

The BBC still saying 'might' about any hospital reduction this morning. That ship has sailed. It did so in most eyes at least a week ago but is now on the other side of the ocean. Maybe they are afraid they will have to find a new story to keep people hooked by doing journalism. God help us if an asteroid ever heads this way and we have to listen to the BBC for months telling us as it sails off into the galaxy that there remains a possibility it might turn around and come back.

There is being cautious and being scaremongering. I have worked for the beeb and sadly these games are not new.

Very well said.

 

[Rammy Blue]

Yay! I’m negative, it’s pub time!