Coronavirus

[Roslynmuse]

Can anyone answer this? We're told that the new variant is transmitting more easily. But what does that mean for our behaviour? Does this mutation get through our masks more readily? Do we need to be physically distanced even further than with the 'old' Covid? Is it surviving on surfaces longer? Is it attacking people who had greater resilience against the old virus? Everything else being equal, the huge increase in cases - even leaving aside the socialising that has gone on in the run-up to Christmas - suggests that our behaviour needs to change again, with even greater awareness of social distancing and hygiene, but s far as I am aware we haven't been given any specific information about this.

[Frances_iom]

Can anyone answer this? We're told that the new variant is transmitting more easily. But what does that mean for our behaviour? ...

My take is that the new variant can more readily latch onto a cell to which it then transmits a payload - thus I assume a lower amount of virus needs to be passed to create the same effect as the original covid - in practice I suspect this still requires the parties to be within fairly close proximity and whereas with the original covid the probability of success was low the new variant is more successful thus many encounters that in past, possibly due to short time of encounters, which would not see transmission now do see this - masks if correctly worn + of the right type will still reduce transmission but it seems to me that physical separation is probably the key but this is seldom possible in a domestic environment - and if the variant can better infect children then these now become major vectors within a household thus between generations.

[Anastasius]

Can anyone answer this? We're told that the new variant is transmitting more easily. But what does that mean for our behaviour? Does this mutation get through our masks more readily? Do we need to be physically distanced even further than with the 'old' Covid? Is it surviving on surfaces longer? Is it attacking people who had greater resilience against the old virus? Everything else being equal, the huge increase in cases - even leaving aside the socialising that has gone on in the run-up to Christmas - suggests that our behaviour needs to change again, with even greater awareness of social distancing and hygiene, but s far as I am aware we haven't been given any specific information about this.

I seem to recall reading an article that was suggesting that the surge was down more to people's behaviour and lack of mask wearing/social distancing as much as to the new variant.

MY wife, an avid World Service listener, reports that there have been some studies suggesting that the aerosol infected 'bits' in the air can travel much, much further than 2m. I think there is some merit to this since one can easily smell cigarette smoke sometimes from a smoker some diustance away.

[Dave2002]

Do we now have to deal with mink as well? https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...ndemic/617476/

Unfortunately re mink Covid-19 appears to be zoonotic - and probably reverse zoonotic also.

[oddoneout]

Do we now have to deal with mink as well? https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...ndemic/617476/

Unfortunately re mink Covid-19 appears to be zoonotic - and probably reverse zoonotic also.

The mink saga in Denmark has been gruesome and worrying with buried bodies surfacing... Whatever the concerns about transmission cannot be helped by not even getting the ' infection reservoirs' properly contained.

[Frances_iom]

...MY wife, an avid World Service listener, reports that there have been some studies suggesting that the aerosol infected 'bits' in the air can travel much, much further than 2m. ...

There is a detailed report on several cases by the Singapore Authorities (sorry can't find my ref) of which one example was infection in a restaurant, a basement room thus no windows but the ventilation was a fan extractor and it appeared that the infection was carried in the air movement from a distant infected customer to one near the wall mounted extraction fan.

[Dave2002]

The mink saga in Denmark has been gruesome and worrying with buried bodies surfacing... Whatever the concerns about transmission cannot be helped by not even getting the ' infection reservoirs' properly contained.

Yes, but if it has spread to other continents, and also out into the wild population, which the article indicates, then the problem is going to be much harder to get on top of.
The chances of proper containment seem very low to me.

[oddoneout]

Yes, but if it has spread to other continents, and also out into the wild population, which the article indicates, then the problem is going to be much harder to get on top of.
The chances of proper containment seem very low to me.

Indeed. I just felt it was unfortunate(to say the least) that added to all the transmission and other uncertainties, and overheated press attention, there was the added health concern of inadequately buried culled animals - to say nothing of the general yuk factor of semi-decomposed bodies surfacing. I tend to assume that a country like Denmark will do a better job than a re-run of the UK Foot and Mouth ineptitude.

[Cockney Sparrow]

I'm sure the WHO authority are saying Covid 19 is most likely to become endemic, in the same way the Flu virus is endemic. Remains to be seen if that will mean annual vaccines in relation to changes and where the line is drawn in protecting the vulnerable.

[LHC]

I'm sure the WHO authority are saying Covid 19 is most likely to become endemic, in the same way the Flu virus is endemic. Remains to be seen if that will mean annual vaccines in relation to changes and where the line is drawn in protecting the vulnerable.

It is possible that, as the virus mutates over time, it will become more infectious, but less deadly. This is generally the case, as the most successful viruses don't tend to kill their host (in part because ultimately this reduces transmission). As with seasonal flu, we can hope that in time vaccinations may help to control both its spread, and the impact of the disease on the infected.

[Dave2002]

Cases in our relatively Covid free area have tripled in the last few days. Irrespective of Brexit or other factors, we are taking executive action and now avoiding shops once again for the foreseeable future.

[teamsaint]

Cases in our relatively Covid free area have tripled in the last few days. Irrespective of Brexit or other factors, we are taking executive action and now avoiding shops once again for the foreseeable future.

Does anybody have info on where ( which settings ) infections are taking place ?

[Anastasius]

Does anybody have info on where ( which settings ) infections are taking place ?

Who knows, TS? To the K-Doze, it's all over. Vaccinations...yeah...mine's a pint. Oh...they said and drank that before the vaccinations. Seriously, it is down to 'us'....or in most cases 'them'.

[teamsaint]

Who knows, TS? To the K-Doze, it's all over. Vaccinations...yeah...mine's a pint. Oh...they said and drank that before the vaccinations. Seriously, it is down to 'us'....or in most cases 'them'.

If your OH works in a school, esp in a classroom setting, as mine does, it is a relevant question.
Wide open to it.......

[Dave2002]

If your OH works in a school, esp in a classroom setting, as mine does, it is a relevant question.
Wide open to it.......

Actually we looked at the data available to us and reporting a bit further. There is almost certainly a surge in cases, but allowing for days when there were no reported cases we figure that rather than a tripling of cases it may really be a doubling, though that is still rather significant. We will monitor things closely and avoid close contact with others, and I will probably be more cautious than in recent months about going into shops.