Topic: COVID-19:VERIFIED news sources, 0 politishit, 0 CONSPIRACY SHITE

[rob1966]

Not arguing with you mate. Merely pointing out that Nick Gibb has pissed all over the previous schools advice by now saying masks are not compulsory and neither are the tests.

Another shambolic attempt at a response from Government

Missed all that, Seriously, no masks and test? That's taking the piss. Teenagers, from what I have seen, will wear the masks, so whats wrong with protecting them and the staff, regardless of whether the risk is high, medium or low? The rest of us have to do this, I can't even go into the office without Director approval in my main job and on the trucks I have to wear a mask all around the depot and at every customers premise.

Tests I'm unsure of, as none of the Transport staff I know have ever been offered a test and the impact of losing drivers is huge, remember the fuel strikes?. I remember a rant from our kids mate 12 months ago "not Key workers are we?, seriously then, lets go on strike for a week and see if the c*nts still think we aren't key, as everything stops and they fucking starve to death".

[Zeb]

I mean I fail to see how teachers aren't more at risk - they've shut schools for the best part of 6 months in total because they are clearly dangerous.

Supermarket staff would be easy as all have ID and again names could be provided. Not sure on drivers but prob a bit harder for sure.

They closed schools to lower transmission which is different again to individual risk from catching coronavirus. Scottish boffin who does a lot of their science comms was just on telly putting it nicely - doctors and nurses didn't get a vaccination ahead of others because they were at higher risk from their profession but because they were regularly working with people who were. Not saying anyone's said it couldn't be done to identify people's jobs btw, just that it would be slower than pulling off the ages from NHS records and cracking on from there. So unless there's good reason to vaccinate every X over Y then it seems reasonable to go by the individual risk from catching it and ending up with serious illness to me.

[Qston]

It’s the least controversial way of doing it. Anything else will always lead to a what about xxxxx profession that hasn’t been prioritised, or xxxxx other group

It is. You can never please all of the people all of the time with any system for mass vaccination. There has to be a strategy that you stick with that is based on the science and the pressing needs of the NHS and the most vulnerable. Otherwise you end up in a position exactly as you describe. I have every sympathy with frontline workers including teachers, supermarket staff and a whole host of other professions but you could easily end up in a position where you are, for example, comparing lets say a 30 year old teacher with no underlying health conditions at all with a 55 year old male with a high blood pressure issue. Where do you draw the line ? It is far from easy but I think generally speaking the JCVI has got the list about as right as it can be. It will never be 'perfect'.

[RainbowFlick]

I find that really hard to risk asses. Partly due to my ignorance about festivals.
Mostly it's outdoor.  If the vaccine significantly reduces transmission and we have lowered cases significantly, then it might be fine.  I'd guess even hugging outdoors is medium risk. If camping is involved that's totally different!

I think festivals can *potentially* be superspreader events dependent on the setup and amount of people there but there's mitigating factors (and hopefully the vaccine significantly does reduce transmission).

- Camping (probably end up with a few different people all close together) but I guess a chosen risk at that stage.
- Indoor tents: there are usually a few open-air stages and then several stages in a tent, although ventilated on the sides. That said, somewhere like Wireless Festival or Reading Festival those tents are PACKED and people will have no room to move and likely will be waiting for an act to appear for 30+ minutes and then see the performance in cramped conditions.
- More than likely people lose their 'guard' on drugs and alcohol and will be necking strangers or whatever.

If they do go ahead, I hope event promoters are sensible with the numbers they allow and the setups and that the majority are vaccinated by then. Otherwise, you'll have little case peaks in some areas with the locals whilst everyone else filters out to wherever they came from and potentially spread there.

The vastness of these events makes me a bit sceptical as to whether they're a good idea to hold a few weeks after a pandemic vaccine rollout to the population.

[Thepooloflife]

I get that it's all outside but they will be pissed up, sharing tents with mates, shagging god knows who and presumably exchanging body fluids.  The vast majority of people who attend these events will not have been fully vaccinated due to their age, even if they have had a first dose, I imagine some won't bother.

As you can tell I have never been to a festival so I might be completely wrong about what goes on at them!!

Yep - and no doubt some will definitely get that too ! 

[west_london_red]

I think the amount of work behind the scenes simply getting the list of people for the next few weeks and getting them contacted is really underestimated. Complicating this really could slow things down considerably - especially if you are asking an outside institution to provide a list (eg supermarket workers) which you then have to cross reference with the nhs database. It’s possible if that outside institution can provide name and NHS number, but in reality they won’t. There’ll be a tonne of gaps and extra work for the surgeries. And that’s at a time when we want them to continue to deal with significant covid load and begin to get back to what they normally do.

Speed is much higher priority at this moment than focusing on particular work settings in my mind. I’d like them to vaccinate teachers over the Easter break if possible but beyond that I’d like them to prioritise the speed (and ease) of roll out.

It’s very messy, on top of the above you have services contracted out to third parties and their staff, you have zero hours contracts (they may work at more then one place or have not worked for month at a particular place), some older staff will have already been vaccinated because of their age, there’s going to be an awful lot of factors at play if we were to go down the profession route.

[Indomitable_Carp]

Honestly the rate at which people are being vaccinated in the UK....I don´t think there is much cause for complaint at all.

[Welshred]

I get that it's all outside but they will be pissed up, sharing tents with mates, shagging god knows who and presumably exchanging body fluids.  The vast majority of people who attend these events will not have been fully vaccinated due to their age, even if they have had a first dose, I imagine some won't bother.

As you can tell I have never been to a festival so I might be completely wrong about what goes on at them!!

I mean you're not far wrong you just missed out.the drugs

Although I do seem to remember someone saying that polls of young people showed 80% will take the vaccine, most may not want it but they'll see it as a way back to normality so they'll take it.

[RainbowFlick]

I mean you're not far wrong you just missed out.the drugs

Although I do seem to remember someone saying that polls of young people showed 80% will take the vaccine, most may not want it but they'll see it as a way back to normality so they'll take it.

I wouldn't personally be against requiring attendees to be vaccinated (assuming the rollout had filtered to everyone by then). I know of a few younger people that are completely unbothered and wouldn't be keen on voluntarily taking a vaccine unless it hindered their plans for holidays/festivals/whatever.

[Zeb]

Although I do seem to remember someone saying that polls of young people showed 80% will take the vaccine, most may not want it but they'll see it as a way back to normality so they'll take it.

Group of boffins got Yougov to poll attitudes towards vaccination in September/October and then start of this month: https://rpubs.com/benwansell/729135

18 to 29 year olds now at 82% to take the vaccine when offered. Up 10% from September/October last year.

Also touches on the current discussion on priorities. Prof. Ansell pointing out elsewhere that the support for doing by vulnerability then age is broad. It just wobbles a bit when it gets to someone's individual best interest (which is thoroughly human).

[west_london_red]

Honestly the rate at which people are being vaccinated in the UK....I don´t think there is much cause for complaint at all.

That’s a very fair point, plus there may even be updates/improved vaccines by the time those at the end of the program get seen

[Red-Soldier]

Honestly the rate at which people are being vaccinated in the UK....I don´t think there is much cause for complaint at all.

Steady.....have you seen the number of moaners in here 

[[new username under construction]]

Steady.....have you seen the number of moaners in here 

Are you moaning about the number of moaners?

[Andy_lfc]

Honestly the rate at which people are being vaccinated in the UK....I don´t think there is much cause for complaint at all.

I'm with you on this, if we had been told 8-10 months ago that this will be what we are arguing over now, I think we would have been very happy and likely disbelieving it.  I get the argument about front line professions - I am married to a teacher, but I have nothing but respect for what the NHS and JVCI have accomplished so far and are continuing to do. I don't think any of us understand the complexities of this roll out fully and the strategy of vaccinating the most vulnerable as quickly as possible so far seems to be correct.  I trust the JVCI to continue to do what is right with this.

Also, an 82% uptake rate in the younger cohorts is extremely encouraging when you look at some of the vaccine hesitancy issues in other countries.  After a full year of awful news and horrendous government missteps, the vaccine rollout is refreshingly positive to me.

[PaulF]

west_london_red pointed out when I posted the pic below, taken when 500,000 people descended on Bournemouth beach, this and all the other mass beach invasions and things like when I was in the lakes and it was battered, had no effect on infections, neither in the visitors nor the locals.

Now most will be vaccinated

That lack of spike was a) outdoors b) there wasn't that many infected people at the time. I think cases are still very much higher than then. Obviously coming down fast. And we didn't have a good measure on cases then.  I know for a time no case seemed to have been caught outdoors.  Maybe no overnight festivals and radically different toilets.

[Red-Soldier]

Are you moaning about the number of moaners?

Judging by the  emoji, I'd suggest it's more statement/joke/sarcastic comment, as opposed to a moan.

[Red-Soldier]

I, for one, cannot wait to spend some summer evenings on the beach.

[rob1966]

That lack of spike was a) outdoors b) there wasn't that many infected people at the time. I think cases are still very much higher than then. Obviously coming down fast. And we didn't have a good measure on cases then.  I know for a time no case seemed to have been caught outdoors.  Maybe no overnight festivals and radically different toilets.

This is one bit we will never know, the estimates had it at 100,000 per day in March but with no testing its just guess work. I'm sure me and the missus, her brother and his wife all had it in March, had plenty of symptoms between us all and felt pretty rough for a few days, we know a lad he was out with in the pubs just before lockdown tested positive for antibodies a few weeks later.

[djahern]

This is one bit we will never know, the estimates had it at 100,000 per day in March but with no testing its just guess work. I'm sure me and the missus, her brother and his wife all had it in March, had plenty of symptoms between us all and felt pretty rough for a few days, we know a lad he was out with in the pubs just before lockdown tested positive for antibodies a few weeks later.

Imperial's REACT infection survey had infections at 1 in 770 in May and 1 in 1300 in June, around the time of these beach days.

For comparison, their latest results for early February (2021) had infections at 1 in 200, down from 1 in 64 in January. Of course as you say we can't know what it was in March (2020) as this study hadn't started.

Just for interest - the prevalence they measured for early February 2021 (1 in 196) is pretty similar to what they measured for end of September last year (1 in 166). The big difference being of course the infection rate was rising then, but is decreasing now (and will have decreased further since they did the latest round at the beginning of the month). Would be great to be back to those days of June with such low prevalence, but at least we're heading in that direction.

[filopastry]

Declines seem to be resuming again after a pretty significant slowing (may have been the weather)





Best vaccine day for a couple of weeks

[Hedley Lamarr]

Could the slowing down of the rate of decline be something to do with the amount of surge testing ?  It was being carried out in five or six areas, I know Bristol finished theirs on Sunday.

[west_london_red]

485k first doses and 35k second doses so looks like they have picked up again

[rob1966]

Contacted my GP this week, they just messaged me back, they've reviewed my records and moved me into group 6, got my appt for a week tomorrow

[Babel Time]

Best vaccine day for a couple of weeks

Indeed, looks like the dip is reverting. Hopefully can keep improving from here.

[west_london_red]

Indeed, looks like the dip is reverting. Hopefully can keep improving from here.

I’m sure I read they are opening 10 new vaccination centres so they must have the supply to make it worth opening these additional centres.

[classycarra]

Contacted my GP this week, they just messaged me back, they've reviewed my records and moved me into group 6, got my appt for a week tomorrow

Great stuff, really pleased to hear that mate. Glad you and your partner (who i hear is a united fan) are both getting your first dose soon!

[rob1966]

Great stuff, really pleased to hear that mate. Glad you and your partner (who i hear is a united fan) are both getting your first dose soon!

Cheers mate. Yeah, she's booked in 2 hours before me.

[jillcwhomever]

Contacted my GP this week, they just messaged me back, they've reviewed my records and moved me into group 6, got my appt for a week tomorrow

Great stuff, getting mine done tomorrow. 

[spen71]

I should probably ring up.    50 this year with A.Fib.   

[Wabaloolah]

Yep - and no doubt some will definitely get that too ! 

[Wabaloolah]

Contacted my GP this week, they just messaged me back, they've reviewed my records and moved me into group 6, got my appt for a week tomorrow

Good news Rob, amazed you weren't in Group 6 anyway given what you've shared about your health history!

[So… Howard Philips]

I should probably ring up.    50 this year with A.Fib.

Definitely. A fib is not a minor condition if ignored, a mate ended up having a very lengthy procedure to cure the damage

[Wabaloolah]

This must be a slight cause for concern, according to JVT cases are rising in 69/315 local authorities in England Public Health England data has revealed.

[Hedley Lamarr]

This must be a slight cause for concern, according to JVT cases are rising in 69/315 local authorities in England Public Health England data has revealed.

Hopefully theses are low population areas where there’s been a workplace outbreak or something.  Swindon is one of the areas, it has a population of 230,000 so an outbreak in a warehouse/distribution centre could sway the stats.

[spen71]

Definitely. A fib is not a minor condition if ignored, a mate ended up having a very lengthy procedure to cure the damage

I’ve had 3 ablations.   It’s a lot better and only get the odd hour spell.    Not like it used to be when it was days

[Wabaloolah]

Hopefully theses are low population areas where there’s been a workplace outbreak or something.  Swindon is one of the areas, it has a population of 230,000 so an outbreak in a warehouse/distribution centre could sway the stats.

ah fair enough, yes fingers crossed. Thanks for the info

[djahern]

485k first doses and 35k second doses so looks like they have picked up again

All over 60's asked to make their appointment too. Making great progress.

[filopastry]

Even with second doses to administer, I suspect we get the first doses finished before July

[djahern]

I imagine we will beat every vaccination target that the government puts forward and beat it by a bit of distance in most instances.

They know this full well when they publicise the target dates.

[west_london_red]

Even with second doses to administer, I suspect we get the first doses finished before July

Well supply seems to be stabilised for the two vaccines in use currently, Moderna should start delivering in the next month or two, we shouldn’t see many if any days of severe weather, the days start to get longer and there was talk of vaccination centres being open longer hours as they get lower down the age groups, and we could have J&J and Novavax vaccines available soon so the numbers could conceivably go much higher then the already impressive 500k a day that has been hit yesterday.