Coronavirus

[Aruntraveller]

Seen in The Guardian:

Vallance & Whitty - the two gentleman of corona.

[SteveH]

Seen in The Guardian:

Vallance & Whitty - the two gentleman of corona.

Also in the Grauniad: Dido Harding - Dido Queen of Carnage.

[Udayana]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/10/deadly-pig-disease-could-have-led-to-covid-spillover-to-humans-analysis-suggests

Guardian report on a study suggesting: "An outbreak of a deadly pig disease may have set the stage for Covid-19 to take hold in humans, a new analysis has suggested. African swine fever (ASF), which first swept through China in 2018, disrupted pork supplies increasing the potential for human-virus contact as people sought out alternative meats. "

[Roses]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55676034

I think this article about how hypodermic syringes were invented is interesting.

[Nearly Sane]

Struggling to understand the reactions by certain govts


https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-56357760?__twitter_impression=true

[Aruntraveller]

Struggling to understand the reactions by certain govts


https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-europe-56357760?__twitter_impression=true

Europe's ongoing antipathy towards AZ.

[Roses]

My husband and I had the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, so the reports of blood clots are a bit concerning. However, we seem to be ok, and will have our second dose in mid April.

[Nearly Sane]

Friend stuck in hospital with Covid,  no underlying conditions

[ad_orientem]

Starting to piss me off this whole thing. You got most people who try to follow the rules and then some who couldn't give a shit and are prolonging the whole thing. People breaking quarantine and going abroad on holiday. They should be met at the airport with a good fucking kicking. Starting to affect my mum as well. Hasn't done anything for a year now. Selfish selfish people!

[Harrowby Hall]

My husband and I had the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, so the reports of blood clots are a bit concerning. However, we seem to be ok, and will have our second dose in mid April.

Try thinking instead of just reacting.

Apparently there have been 37 reported cases of blood clots in people who have recently received the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine in the EU countries concerned. The total number of vaccines administered is over 17,000,000. Translated into something a little more understandable than a number followed by lots of noughts this suggests that there is one case of blood clotting in the total population - men, women and children - in a city the size of Bristol.

There is no reasonable way, given these statistics, in which the blood clotting incidences can be attributed to the vaccine.

[SteveH]

Apparently there have been 37 reported cases of blood clots in people who have recently received the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine in the EU countries concerned. The total number of vaccines administered is over 17,000,000. Translated into something a little more understandable than a number followed by lots of noughts this suggests that there is one case of blood clotting in the total population - men, women and children - in a city the size of Bristol.

There is no reasonable way, given these statistics, in which the blood clotting incidences can be attributed to the vaccine.

And even if they could, having the jab remains much safer than not having it.

[Udayana]

Try thinking instead of just reacting.

Apparently there have been 37 reported cases of blood clots in people who have recently received the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine in the EU countries concerned. The total number of vaccines administered is over 17,000,000. Translated into something a little more understandable than a number followed by lots of noughts this suggests that there is one case of blood clotting in the total population - men, women and children - in a city the size of Bristol.

There is no reasonable way, given these statistics, in which the blood clotting incidences can be attributed to the vaccine.

The suspensions are not really to do with science or statistics but optics. It could help maintain confidence in the various national institutions and governments to pause the roll out and, after investigating each case, go back and say they all had other causes, and resume vaccinating.

The vaccines may be perfect but at the current time the main defence against the virus is to keep spread as low as possible through social distancing. The same will remain true for some time. even in the UK, with over 20m vaccinated.

The power of fake news, or analysis, on social media is enough to drown out anything else.
 

[Roses]

We are quite happy to have our second Astra Zeneca jab next month as we believe it is safe.

[Nearly Sane]

Very worrying in Brazil

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/brazil-e2-80-99s-rolling-coronavirus-disaster-is-a-threat-to-the-world/ar-BB1eFhPN

[Udayana]

Some details of the blood clotting cases being investigated.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/03/it-s-very-special-picture-why-vaccine-safety-experts-put-brakes-astrazeneca-s-covid-19

[Roses]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56440139

The European Medicines Agency has stated that the Astra Zeneca vaccine is safe and effective.

[Sriram]

Is the gap between two Astrazeneca doses 12 weeks in the UK?  Here, in India, it is 4 weeks which I think lowers the efficacy to 60% from 90%.

Also, people who have had covid can stop with one jab, I think. The immunity in such cases is said to be 500 times that for people who have not had covid.

Any views?

[SteveH]

Is the gap between two Astrazeneca doses 12 weeks in the UK?  Here, in India, it is 4 weeks which I think lowers the efficacy to 60% from 90%.

Also, people who have had covid can stop with one jab, I think. The immunity in such cases is said to be 500 times that for people who have not had covid.

Any views?

On a pedantic point, "views", like "opinions", are irrelevant when we're talking about verifiable, objective facts. "Everyone is entitled to their own pinion, but not to their own facts" - DP Moynihan.

[Harrowby Hall]

Is the gap between two Astrazeneca doses 12 weeks in the UK?  Here, in India, it is 4 weeks which I think lowers the efficacy to 60% from 90%.

Also, people who have had covid can stop with one jab, I think. The immunity in such cases is said to be 500 times that for people who have not had covid.

Any views?

You may like to have a look at this, Sriram. It has been posted by the British Medical Journal and so can be regarded as reliable.
https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n326



This note also looks at another consequence of the extended interval: assuming that vaccine delivery resources are limited, then a very much greater number of people can receive the benefits of a first dose in a relatively short time than if the resources were also used to deliver a second dose  within the same period. This exemplified by the situation in the UK where more than a third of the total population has already received the first dose.

[Roses]

Our next dose of the Oxford vaccine is next month, 12 weeks after the last one.

[Sriram]

Our next dose of the Oxford vaccine is next month, 12 weeks after the last one.

Yeah...that's what I wanted to check. Thanks.

[Sriram]

You may like to have a look at this, Sriram. It has been posted by the British Medical Journal and so can be regarded as reliable.
https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n326



This note also looks at another consequence of the extended interval: assuming that vaccine delivery resources are limited, then a very much greater number of people can receive the benefits of a first dose in a relatively short time than if the resources were also used to deliver a second dose  within the same period. This exemplified by the situation in the UK where more than a third of the total population has already received the first dose.

Saving vaccines is just one issue. I think Astrazeneca have clearly stated that a gap of 12 weeks increases the efficacy to 90%. 4 Weeks reduces the efficacy to 60%.

Secondly France have issued guidelines that people who have recovered from covid need only one dose.

[Stranger]

Saving vaccines is just one issue. I think Astrazeneca have clearly stated that a gap of 12 weeks increases the efficacy to 90%. 4 Weeks reduces the efficacy to 60%.

This is the most recent statement on the subject from AstraZeneca themselves that I've been able to find:-

"Results demonstrated vaccine efficacy of 76% (CI: 59% to 86%) after a first dose, with protection maintained to the second dose. With an inter-dose interval of 12 weeks or more, vaccine efficacy increased to 82% (CI: 63%, 92%)." (source)

[Sriram]

This is the most recent statement on the subject from AstraZeneca themselves that I've been able to find:-

"Results demonstrated vaccine efficacy of 76% (CI: 59% to 86%) after a first dose, with protection maintained to the second dose. With an inter-dose interval of 12 weeks or more, vaccine efficacy increased to 82% (CI: 63%, 92%)." (source)

Thanks Stranger!

[Nearly Sane]

Incredibly good news though I am about the last of my cohort that I know with no date as yet.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56477291