[News] The Coronavirus Good News thread

[macbeth]

That's the bit that caught my attention on this morning's news channels. It doesn't bear thinking about if it finds it's way over to the UK.
I think I'll try and erase that thought from my mind.

To counter this, John Bell from Oxford says the vaccine could be adapted for the South African variant in 4-6 weeks. And that it's highly unlikely the variant would render the vaccine useless, more just dampen the efficacy. Says, and I quote, "everyone should stay calm. It's going to be fine"

https://twitter.com/TimesRadio/status/1345695150165663745?s=19

No need to panic.

 

[dazzer6666]

To me, the data and analysis that drives this decision and the fact that the tactic has changed is essentially very good news, given the situation we are now in. Time is of the essence and we need to get that vaccine into as many arms as possible as quickly as possible.
If a single jab gives anywhere close to that level of protection and (as seems to be the case) the limiting factor will soon be the number of doses available rather than the capacity to give the jabs, then it's far better that every single dose for the next two months goes into a fresh arm.

Personally, I wonder if they should not have at least kept with the second jab appointments that had already been made, to avoid the confusion and inevitable complaints, and switched to the longer time frame for all first jabs onwards, but that's not a major issue in the larger scheme of things.

Obviously there are very difficult times ahead in the next few months, but my thinking on numbers is that there are three key moments in time we now need to be looking for:

Assuming we have done close to a million jabs already and will get up to 2 million/week fairly quickly now.

1. Around 3-4 million jabs done + two weeks. This should happen around late January and should mean that the majority of over 80's + highly vulnerable people + a substantial % of front line health and care staff have some level of protection and we'll be getting the first discernable benefits in terms of hospitalization and serious illness.

2. Around 10-12 million jabs done + two weeks. Probably mid-late February. This is when over 70's + most health workers, care workers, teachers etc should be largely protected. At this stage we should see a very real difference in infection rates and serious illness and should be the point at which we can begin to (permanently) lift restrictions.

3. 25-30 million jabs done. By end March/early April. This is when we have effective levels of community protection and can start getting back to near 'normal' in terms of how we can live our lives.

Interested to know how others see it?

Pretty much the same here. Feeling pretty positive - 2-3 months of tight restrictions is a price worth paying if it means we can largely nail this by the end of March. Apparently some of the supermarkets (Tesco included) have offered to help with distribution- their existing countrywide networks would be excellent.

 

[Spiros]

The following sites have been set up by the Field Engineers in my department:
The Meads Surgery, Uckfield
River Lodge Surgery, Lewes
Park Surgery, Horsham
Saxonbrook Medical Centre, Crawley
Angmering Surgery
Glebe Surgery, Pulborough
Christ’s Hospital Sports Hall, Horsham
HERE, Park Surgery Brighton (I assume this is Preston Park Surgery)
Hampden Park Surgery
Princess Park/Sovereign Practice, Eastbourne
Pulborough Medical Group
Sidley Medical Practice, Bexhill
Leacroft Medical Practice , Crawley
Clair Hall (a civic centre in Haywards Heath run by Saxonbrook)

The following were starting to be done this week:
Bognor Medical Centre
Broadwater Medical Centre, Worthing
Durrington Health Centre, Worthing
New Pond Row Surgery, Lancing
Northbourne Medical Centre, Shoreham-By-Sea
Pound Hill Medical Group, Crawley
Saxonbury House Surgery, Crowborough
Strand Medical Group, Goring-By-Sea
Tangmere Hall
Westcourt Medical Centre, Rustington
The Kings Church, Hastings

It's great to see the effort that's going on to make this happen. Our news outlets sadly prefer to concentrate on the rise in cases rather than these good works

Yoda: any chance of an update?

 

[Chicken Run]

It's great to see the effort that's going on to make this happen. Our news outlets sadly prefer to concentrate on the rise in cases rather than these good works

Yoda: any chance of an update?

Totally agree, I deleted the Sky News app today, they seem to be tripping over themselves to report the latest negative story, scummy little rats.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Billy the Fish]

Totally agree, I deleted the Sky News app today, they seem to be tripping over themselves to report the latest negative story, scummy little rats.

Yep, MSM is exclusively bad news at the moment. I know the situation is worsening and they have to report it but as this thread proves it doesn't hurt to report the good stuff as well.

Thanks everyone for keeping this going, it definitely cheered me up this morning

 

[Yoda]

It's great to see the effort that's going on to make this happen. Our news outlets sadly prefer to concentrate on the rise in cases rather than these good works

Yoda: any chance of an update?

Trying to get this weeks schedule as both my team leads are off today (one A/L, the other Sick) and it normally comes via them.

 

[highflyer]

I read this as in +2 weeks from now. The next one a further 2 weeks from now.

So If today is D Day then D Day +2 weeks for 3-4 million jabs and D Day +4 weeks for the next stage

Just to clarify - I know nothing more than anyone else, and less than many. I have just been following the news and thinking things through, based on a set of assumptions.

But the '+ 2 weeks' phrase I used reflects that it takes a couple of weeks for protection to kick in after you've been jabbed.
So we need to get 3-4 million people vaccinated and then wait a couple of weeks before all of those have a significant level of protection.

If that makes sense?

 

[A1X]

Totally agree, I deleted the Sky News app today, they seem to be tripping over themselves to report the latest negative story, scummy little rats.

If reporting the bad news keeps people obeying the rules then I'm 100% fine with that. Better to keep people wary than be happy clappy and let people think it's all over when it very much is not, and isn't close to being.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

To be fair the MSM, they're the ones putting the pressure on this shambolic government to lockdown again. Boris doesn't listen to anyone apart from the media

 

[Notters]

I posted on the main covid thread but as it would appear to be good news, the case rates appear to be falling in most of the areas recently affected so badly? Particularly Kent, London and Wales, as per the Guardian map. Whether this is part of the natural curve or the tiers working i don't know. Seems odd that many are suggesting the new tiers aren't working when a) the effects should only just start appearing and b) the numbers are indeed starting to fall in these areas.

 

[Yoda]

I posted on the main covid thread but as it would appear to be good news, the case rates appear to be falling in most of the areas recently affected so badly? Particularly Kent, London and Wales, as per the Guardian map. Whether this is part of the natural curve or the tiers working i don't know. Seems odd that many are suggesting the new tiers aren't working when a) the effects should only just start appearing and b) the numbers are indeed starting to fall in these areas.

Yep, there are far too many people willing to jump on the government at the moment without waiting to see if restrictions are working. We saw it with the November lockdown when cases in the likes of Liverpool were actually falling when we moved into, then other areas followed suit not long after due to the tiering measures not the lockdown.

We are seeing it again with the current calls for a lockdown when we (West Sussex) haven't even been in tier 4 for little more than a week when areas that have been longer, London and Kent are showing signs of tier 4 working.

London:


Kent:

 

[Marshy]

300 and still going strong at PRH so far today

Legends the lot of them

 

[phoenix]

I hope your right, however:

1. The Government have a proven record of over promising and under delivering
2. I'm still not convinced that extending the time between the jabs is the correct way to go, as it may lead to further issues down the line
3. The South African variant may need a different vaccine

Just being my usual pessimistic self.

Thread Title

Thread: The Coronavirus Good News thread.

So kindly bugger off with your Doom and gloom

There is enough of that supporting our Football Team at the moment.

 

[nwgull]

I hope your right, however:

1. The Government have a proven record of over promising and under delivering
2. I'm still not convinced that extending the time between the jabs is the correct way to go, as it may lead to further issues down the line
3. The South African variant may need a different vaccine

Just being my usual pessimistic self.

I have a suspicion that the SA variant may be being used as a political tool. There is no evidence either way about its resistance to the vaccine, but the current vaccines are 90-95% effective so in the words of the prof of medicine at Oxford, ' there is room to manoeuvre because the vaccines worked much better than any of us thought they were going to' and 'I think it’s unlikely that these mutations will turn off the effects of vaccines entirely'.

There has been some bollox written on this thread over the months though. At least people have stopped pasting Tweets by that charlatan Karol Sikora.

 

[The Wizard]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ised-Covid-patients-dying-80-study-finds.html

Another potential drug treatment, hair lice drug no less, not enough data to confirm anything yet but could be another string to the bow for those who do get seriously ill, hopefully should the vaccine work, not many will need this but good to see they are still researching all sorts of different drugs.

 

[nwgull]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ised-Covid-patients-dying-80-study-finds.html

Another potential drug treatment, hair lice drug no less, not enough data to confirm anything yet but could be another string to the bow for those who do get seriously ill, hopefully should the vaccine work, not many will need this but good to see they are still researching all sorts of different drugs.

The vaccine will probably still be effective enough. It's just **** Mancock either using I for political gains or, more likely, not engaging his brain before speaking.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...r-calm-over-new-covid-variant-in-south-africa

 

[The Wizard]

The vaccine will probably still be effective enough. It's just **** Mancock either using I for political gains or, more likely, not engaging his brain before speaking.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...r-calm-over-new-covid-variant-in-south-africa

Whilst I agree with you, this is the good news thread. Only good news related posts otherwise the thread will get derailed and good news stories will get lost amongst the Matt Twatcock rants and Boris bashing.

 

[Bodian]

To me, the data and analysis that drives this decision and the fact that the tactic has changed is essentially very good news, given the situation we are now in. Time is of the essence and we need to get that vaccine into as many arms as possible as quickly as possible.
If a single jab gives anywhere close to that level of protection and (as seems to be the case) the limiting factor will soon be the number of doses available rather than the capacity to give the jabs, then it's far better that every single dose for the next two months goes into a fresh arm.

Personally, I wonder if they should not have at least kept with the second jab appointments that had already been made, to avoid the confusion and inevitable complaints, and switched to the longer time frame for all first jabs onwards, but that's not a major issue in the larger scheme of things.

Obviously there are very difficult times ahead in the next few months, but my thinking on numbers is that there are three key moments in time we now need to be looking for:

Assuming we have done close to a million jabs already and will get up to 2 million/week fairly quickly now.

1. Around 3-4 million jabs done + two weeks. This should happen around late January and should mean that the majority of over 80's + highly vulnerable people + a substantial % of front line health and care staff have some level of protection and we'll be getting the first discernable benefits in terms of hospitalization and serious illness.

2. Around 10-12 million jabs done + two weeks. Probably mid-late February. This is when over 70's + most health workers, care workers, teachers etc should be largely protected. At this stage we should see a very real difference in infection rates and serious illness and should be the point at which we can begin to (permanently) lift restrictions.

3. 25-30 million jabs done. By end March/early April. This is when we have effective levels of community protection and can start getting back to near 'normal' in terms of how we can live our lives.

Interested to know how others see it?

Pretty much what Boris said tonight.

 

[Bodian]

Our local NHS sends an email round to all staff towards late afternoon saying something along the lines of 'x number of people haven't turned up for their planned vaccine jab today - so there is spare capacity for staff; first come first served'. Nothing going to waste, health staff getting vaccinated quicker than planned.

 

[clapham_gull]

Boots doing their bit to help.

Three stores acting as vaccination sites with more to follow.

https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/bu...alifax-open-covid-19-vaccination-site-3084778