[News] The Coronavirus Good News thread

[Mellotron]

And, just to reiterate, efficacy is determined completely independent of Pfizer themselves.

As is safety.

 

[blue-shifted]

Wow, this is huge, huge news, perhaps indicated by the fact that it is currently the lead story on the likes of the BBC and Sky News, rather than being buried beneath a wall of depressing negativity.

The >90% efficacy figure appears to fly in the face of 'experts' quoted in recent weeks suggesting that the first vaccines off the production line would essentially not be very good and that we'd need to continue to batten down the hatches for years to come.

I'm sure hurdles remain, not least logistical ones by the sound of it, but this could potentially be one of the greatest single scientific achievements of all time. Absolutely astounding.

Sounds like it should be hyperbole .... but it isn't

 

[Notters]

90%. I'm almost at a loss for words. I would have been happy even if they had said something like 65%.

It says 90% effective after 7 days of the second dose, which may well equate to 65% longer term - I don't know?

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Amazing to hear.

My wife (who produces radiopharmaceuticals / nuclear medicine) says we should be a bit cautious still though, as it will be difficult to store at the necessary -80 degrees that shes read has been stated (& how many places would have the facilities to do that?)
Im sure this will have been factored in to the process though, and we should all feel a little more positive about things today with this news.

As Blue says above...help is on the way.

 

[Farehamseagull]

Magnificent work! Great news.

On a day when my 6 year old has just been sent home from school for 2 weeks as his teacher has just tested positive and, the subsequent concern for all, disruption and chaos that causes, this is just the news I needed today.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Wow, this is huge, huge news, perhaps indicated by the fact that it is currently the lead story on the likes of the BBC and Sky News, rather than being buried beneath a wall of depressing negativity.

The >90% efficacy figure appears to fly in the face of 'experts' quoted in recent weeks suggesting that the first vaccines off the production line would essentially not be very good and that we'd need to continue to batten down the hatches for years to come.

I'm sure hurdles remain, not least logistical ones by the sound of it, but this could potentially be one of the greatest single scientific achievements of all time. Absolutely astounding.

Yes the logistical hurdles like this.

Two doses, three weeks apart, are needed. The trials - in US, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and Turkey - show 90% protection is achieved seven days after the second dose.

Pfizer believes it will be able to supply 50 million doses by the end of this year, and around 1.3 billion by the end of 2021.

However there are logistical challenges, as the vaccine has to be kept in ultra-cold storage at below minus 80C.

 

[Hugo Rune]

This is like the space race.

No surprise that a US firm was first to announce.

However, in terms of a vaccine for the UK, I’ve still got my money on the Oxford one where they have already manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses. Hopefully it beats Pfizer’s 90%, does not need to be stored at -80 and only needs one jab instead of two.

 

[Uter]

This is like the space race.

No surprise that a US firm was first to announce.

However, in terms of a vaccine for the UK, I’ve still got my money on the Oxford one where they have already manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses. Hopefully it beats Pfizer’s 90%, does not need to be stored at -80 and only needs one jab instead of two.

Oxford / AZ vaccine is refrigerated not frozen, but is also a 2 dose affair.

The Johnson & Johnson candidate, also in Phase 3 trials, is refrigerated and, I understand, single dose.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

This is like the space race.

No surprise that a US firm was first to announce.

However, in terms of a vaccine for the UK, I’ve still got my money on the Oxford one where they have already manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses. Hopefully it beats Pfizer’s 90%, does not need to be stored at -80 and only needs one jab instead of two.

Would it be possible / safe to take more than 1 type of vaccine close together?

 

[saulth]

However, in terms of a vaccine for the UK, I’ve still got my money on the Oxford one where they have already manufactured hundreds of thousands of doses. Hopefully it beats Pfizer’s 90%, does not need to be stored at -80 and only needs one jab instead of two.

Isn't that Johnson & Johnson?

Anyway what you say can be taken as positive news as well. There should be more options.

 

[Change at Barnham]

This is far more enjoyable reading than analysing our draws against West Brom and Burnley.

 

[Uter]

Would it be possible / safe to take more than 1 type of vaccine close together?

I doubt it will be allowed as one of the exclusion criteria in the trials would be participation in another clinical trial, so any interaction would be completely untested.

I also doubt any vaccine would be initially available to children or pregnant women for the same reason.

 

[Sheebo]

Wow, this is huge, huge news, perhaps indicated by the fact that it is currently the lead story on the likes of the BBC and Sky News, rather than being buried beneath a wall of depressing negativity.

The >90% efficacy figure appears to fly in the face of 'experts' quoted in recent weeks suggesting that the first vaccines off the production line would essentially not be very good and that we'd need to continue to batten down the hatches for years to come.

I'm sure hurdles remain, not least logistical ones by the sound of it, but this could potentially be one of the greatest single scientific achievements of all time. Absolutely astounding.

This is exactly what I was wondering as I’m rightfully sceptical after so much fake news / contriving opinions etc on this - but this does genuinely seem like huge news no?!

 

[blue-shifted]

Can almost taste the Jalfrezi pie

 

[nicko31]

90% is a staggering number. Once rolled out, the virus is going to find it very hard to spread.

No safety concerns as well.

Stunning success and wonderful achievement. Now the hard work really starts

First Trump dumped, now this. Could be a good week

 

[driller]

1. They haven't.
2. This is the same story that has been on here for about a week or so now - scroll back a few pages.
3. This is about the NHS getting ready to rapidly distribute a vaccine when one is available.
4. ...which one isn't yet as no vaccine has passed phase 3 trials and no-one knows when one will. That said, there is optimism that this month could be the month.
5. When phase 3 trials are passed and sticking needles in arms is possible, no one gets to sign-up to receive it - there's a very clear plan for who gets it first.

Not wishing to piss on your fireworks, as the vaccine newsflow is all really positive and is likely close now, which is fantastic, but the key thing is that no trial has passed phase 3 - THE key step.

Told ya

 

[Bozza]

Told ya

You really didn't.

We'd already covered the news you mentioned earlier last week >>> http://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/show...-News-thread&p=9577400&viewfull=1#post9577400

It's not a day for petty squabbling though.

 

[beorhthelm]

This is like the space race.

No surprise that a US firm was first to announce.

well sort of but not for the right reasons. they've announced interim results. their trials are a month or two behind others, which announced equivalent stage in July/August. the storage temperature of this will be impractical for widespread roll out too, expect to be limited to hospitals only.

 

[swindonseagull]

thanks.

Be interesting to know timescales as says 50m initially produced. If we can get the 2m vulnerable covered then hopefully life can be better/more normal than it has been since March at least.

I'd take normality March 2021 if offered , maybe being optimistic.

Im sure it will be produced under licence in many many places.....

 

[Driver8]

I doubt it will be allowed as one of the exclusion criteria in the trials would be participation in another clinical trial, so any interaction would be completely untested.

I also doubt any vaccine would be initially available to children or pregnant women for the same reason.

This was a question I asked last week as I’m taking part in the Novavax trial.

The answer was as long as it’s at least 28 days after the last injection (Novavax is two jabs 21 days apart) it should be fine to take the second vaccine. The trial doctor will confirm whether you had the the actual vaccine or a placebo and confirm it is safe to take the alternative vaccine. You would of course have to pull out of the trial.

Novavax in particular is a different type of vaccine to the Pfizer one and they would not conflict with each other.