Coronavirus

[teamsaint]

Regardless of how the vaccine works, is administered etc, there are vital questions about how as a society we use any immunity.
These are really dangerous times politically, and it is critical that we choose carefully how we react to “ solutions” offered.Dido Harding’s comments about health passports on phone apps, talk of freedom and day passes should have us very concerned indeed.

I agree with the previous post about hope, but for different reasons.

[oddoneout]

Regardless of how the vaccine works, is administered etc, there are vital questions about how as a society we use any immunity.
These are really dangerous times politically, and it is critical that we choose carefully how we react to “ solutions” offered.Dido Harding’s comments about health passports on phone apps, talk of freedom and day passes should have us very concerned indeed.

I agree with the previous post about hope, but for different reasons.

I'm aware of your concerns about the direction of travel ts, but if Baroness Calamity Carthage is involved I don't think you need to worry overmuch about any of those things coming to pass ...

[teamsaint]

I'm aware of your concerns about the direction of travel ts, but if Baroness Calamity Carthage is involved I don't think you need to worry overmuch about any of those things coming to pass ...

Yes, incompetence may yet prove to be a great ally.

( I have say I am also very concerned about the talk of widespread scaling back of GP services to enable delivery of the vaccine. I appreciate that GP surgeries will be important, but after a year of badly disrupted services, the best solutions need to be found).

[Anastasius]

The more I read about the vaccine, or more accurately the handling thereof, the more I think it's another case of wishful thinking by an ignorant administration.

Why ? It's a solution. We'll figure a way.

Firstly I read about it being a two step process, which causes problems from the start.

Why ? So you go to the doctor twice....it's down to logistics.

Now I read that the storage requirements are 'somewhat different' from the flu vaccine - not just needing freezers rather than fridges, but ones capable of -70 degrees, .

Ever heard of dry-ice ?

and then a phased temperature rise, so more freezers..

I can find no reference to 'phased temperature rise'. Isn't that just the same as switching it off? Methinks you do protest too much. But if what you say is based on watching Hopeless Hancock then I can see where you're coming from.

The low temperature requirement is a kiss-of-death for the Third World though. Which means other vaccines are needed. So despite being in one of the age groups that will get the Pfizer vaccine sooner rather than later, I'm still going along next Friday to take part in a Phase 3 trial of the Novovax vaccine that is more suitable for other climes.

[Bryn]

Why ? It's a solution. We'll figure a way.


Why ? So you go to the doctor twice....it's down to logistics.



Ever heard of dry-ice ?


I can find no reference to 'phased temperature rise'. Isn't that just the same as switching it off? Methinks you do protest too much. But if what you say is based on watching Hopeless Hancock then I can see where you're coming from.

The low temperature requirement is a kiss-of-death for the Third World though. Which means other vaccines are needed. So despite being in one of the age groups that will get the Pfizer vaccine sooner rather than later, I'm still going along next Friday to take part in a Phase 3 trial of the Novovax vaccine that is more suitable for other climes.

If not dry ice, which I don't think would quite do the job (but stand to be corrected*), then liquid nitrogen. It's only until 48 hours before use. Agreed on the other counts. Unfortunately, age and other vulnerabilities rule me out as a guinea pig at this time, I think.

* I'll correct myself. Dry ice would indeed do the trick.

[oddoneout]

Why ? It's a solution. We'll figure a way.


Why ? So you go to the doctor twice....it's down to logistics.



Ever heard of dry-ice ?


I can find no reference to 'phased temperature rise'. Isn't that just the same as switching it off? Methinks you do protest too much. But if what you say is based on watching Hopeless Hancock then I can see where you're coming from.

The low temperature requirement is a kiss-of-death for the Third World though. Which means other vaccines are needed. So despite being in one of the age groups that will get the Pfizer vaccine sooner rather than later, I'm still going along next Friday to take part in a Phase 3 trial of the Novovax vaccine that is more suitable for other climes.

No, my comments weren't based on anything Hancock said - if I want a fact free read the comments BTL of my local rag do quite well... It was an article I had read(which I now can't find) about what is happening in Germany in terms of preparation for storing,distributing and administering the vaccine. The Guardian link Cockney Sparrow provided was rather more reassuring( I'm not sure why I missed it originally), not least because it seems some sort of plan does in fact exist.

[Anastasius]

If not dry ice, which I don't think would quite do the job (but stand to be corrected*), then liquid nitrogen. It's only until 48 hours before use. Agreed on the other counts. Unfortunately, age and other vulnerabilities rule me out as a guinea pig at this time, I think.

* I'll correct myself. Dry ice would indeed do the trick.

I don't know how old you are Bryn but the Phase 3 trials is open up to the age of 84. And I don't believe that one needs to be fit and healthy either. Perhaps contact them and go through the telephone initial screening process?

[Bryn]

I don't know how old you are Bryn but the Phase 3 trials is open up to the age of 84. And I don't believe that one needs to be fit and healthy either. Perhaps contact them and go through the telephone initial screening process?

Thanks. I will.

[Anastasius]

.....I'm still going along next Friday to take part in a Phase 3 trial of the Novovax vaccine that is more suitable for other climes.

Damn. The muppets at the call-centre have been double and even triple booking appointments and so mine has just been cancelled. No new date set. Just a tad annoyed.

[Bryn]

Tonight's Dispatches on Channel 4 (Lockdown Chaos) is a devastating exposé of government incompetence of corruption re the testing failures.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/lockdown-chaos

[Serial_Apologist]

Tonight's Dispatches on Channel 4 (Lockdown Chaos) is a devastating exposé of government incompetence of corruption re the testing failures.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/lockdown-chaos

Thanx Bryn - will have a watch of that tomorrow.

[johnb]

Christ Almighty.

Today, some of the case figures since 1st September have been reallocated between local authorities. (This mainly affects October/November.)

The reason is, I kid you not, that Dido Harding's lot had been using the NHS medical record address to allocate a positive test to the relevant local authority, rather than using the address given by the person at the time of the test.

There has been a very high prevalence of infections amongst university students - so the majority of those cases have suddenly been switched from the student's home address to their term time address.

I've just spent the last three hours tearing my hair out trying to figure out why today's October case figures for 15-19 year olds are dramatically different to those in data published yesterday. (I thought I must have cocked things up.)

Before:


After:


Incidentally, as far as the cases/100k are concerned, I used the ONS population estimates by local authority by age group, which are supposed to include students at their term time address.

[Frances_iom]

Isn't this the sort of thing that happens when you appoint totally inappropriate people based purely on party or family affiliation - such nepotism was thought to have been ended in the 19th C reorganisation of the civil service.

[Bryn]

Radio 4's The Long View, on the history of oposition to vaccination, looks to be worth tuning in to: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000pffk just after the 09:00 News, i.e. in about 25 minutes time.

[oddoneout]

Christ Almighty.

Today, some of the case figures since 1st September have been reallocated between local authorities. (This mainly affects October/November.)

The reason is, I kid you not, that Dido Harding's lot had been using the NHS medical record address to allocate a positive test to the relevant local authority, rather than using the address given by the person at the time of the test.

There has been a very high prevalence of infections amongst university students - so the majority of those cases have suddenly been switched from the student's home address to their term time address.

I've just spent the last three hours tearing my hair out trying to figure out why today's October case figures for 15-19 year olds are dramatically different to those in data published yesterday. (I thought I must have cocked things up.)

Before:


After:


Incidentally, as far as the cases/100k are concerned, I used the ONS population estimates by local authority by age group, which are supposed to include students at their term time address.

Have those folk who know about such things been squashed when they try to point out problems or given up banging their heads against a brick wall? Having an ignoramus at the helm doesn't have to cause chaos if good advice is available and is taken - but I suppose the problem comes when the ignoramus has delusions of competency.