Coronavirus (2021) thread

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roubaixtuesday said:
Health workers, care workers, school children too now, are all tested routinely regardless of symptoms.

Probably a lot of school kids in there.
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Those people weren't included in the survey I don't think? The survey says it excludes anyone tested in care homes and hospitals and refers only to private household testing in the community. Maybe it's the school kids swaying the data but I don't know, you'd expect whole households to be infected anyway if their kids are.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey - Office for National Statistics

The characteristics of people testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) from the COVID-19 Infection Survey. This survey is being delivered in partnership with the University of Oxford, the University of Manchester, Public Health England and Wellcome Trust.
www.ons.gov.uk
 
People taking sides and either defending or attacking the AZ vaccine need to understand that not even 1 death is acceptable and not in-line with the company values to follow the science and to put patients first.
My colleagues don't just shrug off knowing our product has killed 19 people (potentially) and justify it as an 'acceptable risk'. It simply isn't, no medicine should ever come with the admonishment that it may make you ill or worse.
 
inbetween said:
Those people weren't included in the survey I don't think? The survey says it excludes anyone tested in care homes and hospitals and refers only to private household testing in the community. Maybe it's the school kids swaying the data but I don't know, you'd expect whole households to be infected anyway if their kids are.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey - Office for National Statistics

The characteristics of people testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) from the COVID-19 Infection Survey. This survey is being delivered in partnership with the University of Oxford, the University of Manchester, Public Health England and Wellcome Trust.
www.ons.gov.uk
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Ah ,OK, thanks. We were at cross purposes. They take a random sample of the population for the survey, so almost all of the people tested would be without symptoms at the point of testing.

I would guess it's likely that many of those who tested positive would be presymptomatic ie have only recently become infected but would later get symptoms.

The proportion of positives asymptomatic at the point of testing doesn't seem to change over time according to that report.
 
PannickAtTheDisco said:
It will. Which is why the quicker they get to the bottom of these issues and they're resolved the better for everyone. I've only been offering my perspective from conversations I've had with my peers, doesn't reflect everyone or even the majority in my age group but it's certainly enough of a sentiment and I don't see why I can't share it. It's not telling anyone not to take a vaccine because if they want one, they should. I'm only offering an explanation as to why some people will inevitably end up delaying until they have more confidence as it's taken a dent.
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It has dented confidence but this is where calm explanations are needed in the media. Many women under thirty will take the contraceptive pill every single day and not realise the risk of blood clots from that are 100x higher. Even common everyday tablets like Ibuprofen carry multiple potential complications.

COVID in itself also carries a heightened risk of blood clots. Clots are seen in 10% of infected moderately/severely ill people and in 50% of those who end up in an ICU. No matter what, the benefits of getting the AZ vaccine far outweighs the very rare risks that occur irrespective of your age.

However, it is right that the vaccine has been paused in the under 30's because there is no reason whatsoever to take a risk (no matter how small) on a vaccine for a disease that is currently not prevalent.

So few people have COVID at the moment that it's a fact that no-one whatsoever under 30 will die of COVID but 1 or 2 may die if millions of under 30's were vaccinated today. We therefore have the luxury where we can eliminate both risks because it's impossible that millions of young people will catch COVID overnight and we can prevent the blood clot risk by moving to alternate vaccines.

It's a statistician's game really. I'm 32 and I've had the AZ first dose but what's the clinical difference between me and someone under 30?
 
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I feel in developed countries we've come to the end of our cycle of using adapted Adenoviruses (or similar) off the back of this. They will remain an option whilst they are cheaper than mRNA equivalents, but that won't last forever.

I made a post in the previous thread about how excited I was to see the advancements of mRNA vaccines. On paper they are our trump card in this area of treatment and so rightly or wrongly, we must be thankful that COVID has brought us forward probably 20+ years.
 
03 March 2002 said:
I feel in developed countries we've come to the end of our cycle of using adapted Adenoviruses (or similar) off the back of this. They will remain an option whilst they are cheaper than mRNA equivalents, but that won't last forever.

I made a post in the previous thread about how excited I was to see the advancements of mRNA vaccines. On paper they are our trump card in this area of treatment and so rightly or wrongly, we must be thankful that COVID has brought us forward probably 20+ years.
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I posted something similar here last year as I think medical treatment on so many things will be transformed once we have this under control and can use what we have learned at 10 x normal pace out of necessity and apply it to other things that up to now have been hard to handle.

As the space race did to science this has booted us like a certain City players penalty out of the stadium and far away.

The true legacy of Covid can be a better world.

But it is going to need a more cooperative link up between nations. A global health care system in some regards.

Based on what we have seen in Europe easier said than done.

But the lasting message from Covid is no island is really an island if they want to be part of the world

So what happens here is NOT the only thing that matters. Not even the most important thing that matters.
 
England hospital deaths - 34 - but with a whopping 11 of those in the NW.

Last week was 43 with just 2!

Bit of a concern as NW ventilator numbers were up in the hospital data yesterday too.

Though NW is incredibly tardy every weekend at reporting deaths and always has been even without Easter.
 
03 March 2002 said:
I feel in developed countries we've come to the end of our cycle of using adapted Adenoviruses (or similar) off the back of this. They will remain an option whilst they are cheaper than mRNA equivalents, but that won't last forever.

I made a post in the previous thread about how excited I was to see the advancements of mRNA vaccines. On paper they are our trump card in this area of treatment and so rightly or wrongly, we must be thankful that COVID has brought us forward probably 20+ years.
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mRNA could be the biggest game changer in medicine in 50 years, and the pandemic has not only shown it can be safe, the money that's flooded into companies like Moderna that specialise in mRNA should be a massive slingshot for progress with it.
 
More on 34 England hospital deaths:

6 are more than a month old

Regions:- 11 North West, 7 MIdlands, 6 NE & Yorkshire, 4 South East, 3 South West, 2 London, 1 East.

In the NW the most were:- 4 Liverpool, 3 Stockport, 2 Southport with 1 each Wirral and Pennine Acute

Outside NW 4 in Leicester was the most.

20 of the 34 were aged over 80 - highest number recently.
 
domalino said:
mRNA could be the biggest game changer in medicine in 50 years, and the pandemic has not only shown it can be safe, the money that's flooded into companies like Moderna that specialise in mRNA should be a massive slingshot for progress with it.
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For sure the industry is trending towards Oligonucleotide/DNA therapies but at something in the order of 250k-$1m / gramme in development costs, significant advances are certainly needed!

The Human Genome Project whilst incredibly successful was most useful in identifying the need for the Human Proteome Project.
 
Healdplace said:
Zoe App update:


The number of symptomatic cases has plummeted once again by 2486 in the day to 44, 736. It was 64, 574 last Thursday - so another massive week to week drop.
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This fast falling estimate of symptomatic cases, along with hospitalisation numbers, is the most encouraging evidence that the virus is under control despite schools re-opening, unskewed by test numbers and frequency.
 
Scotland data:

1 death - was 8 last week

364 cases - was 400 last week

1.6% positive - was 1.8% last week

174 patients - down 18 on yesterday - was 215 last week

21 ventilator ICU - same as yesterday and last week. Not fallen in a while now. But not risen either.
 
Healdplace said:
Everything in life comes with risk. We do what we do usually unthinking of that.

They are just setting out the balance of risk here. That is all.

It is VERY rare for all age groups but the younger you are the MUCH lower is your risk from Covid. That 53% testing positive data with zero symptoms shows that to most younger people Covid can much of the time be barely noticeable.

Whereas the older you are the far more risky and severe it gets because it triggers other latent problems caused by ageing.

So it is perfectly sensible for those where the likelihood that even if they get covid it will probably be brushed off not to take an unnecessary risk whereas the older you get the more that tips the exact opposite direction.

Just like when you are 20 you might well think jumping off a cliff in a hanglider is a great idea as your body can cope with a few bumps. Whereas the older you are the risk any bump will be more serious will likely make you think twice and balance the risk/benefit equation.

We all do it every day when crossing the road. At 20 we think if a car is coming and you are in a hurry - I can get over in time as I am fast and will not fall. And if you are 70 you think - um no - I will wait 2 minutes instead of hoping I do not stumble.
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Quite.
 
Scotland vaccination update:

2, 608, 831 first doses given - 14, 899 today - was 16, 116 yesterday & 27, 786 last week

500, 376 second doses given - 21, 137 today - was 15, 459 yesterday & 26, 958 last week

Again a little up on yesterday but down about 18 K week to week
 
Northern Ireland data:

2 deaths - was 0 last week

98 cases - was 107 last week (third straight sub 100 case total)

5.1% positivity - was 4.4% last week

5 care home outbreaks - was 5 yesterday & last week. Been stuck here for a while now.

Rolling 7 day case total 535 - was 561 yesterday & 915 last week

102 patients - down 1 on day - was 124 last week

9 ventilated - was 10 yesterday and 9 last week.
 
England hospital deaths wk to wk:

254 / 47 NW / 19% (18 % fall wk to wk)

184 / 30 NW / 13% (28 % fall wk to wk)

159 / 22 NW / 14% (14 % fall wk to wk)

97 / 17 NW / 18% (39 % fall wk to wk)

73 / 16 NW / 22% (25 % fall wk to wk)

43 / 2 NW / 5% ( 41 % fall wk to wk)

34 / 11 NW /32% (21 % fall wk to wk) TODAY
 
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