COVID-19/Coronavirus Information and Support Thread (see OP for useful links)
- Thread starter baldgye
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- 29,366
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
- 31,704
- Buckwheat City
- Dennisch
And yet, less than a week later, Portugal is now off the UK's "green list"... meaning that UK tourists "should not travel to the country" and returnees "must self-isolate for 10 days on return"
Quality logic.
- 2,677
- UK
- Outspacer
Daily Star, but it made me chuckle 
Oh, and, Michael Gove alerted by NHS Test and Trace after Champions League trip. I mean, if I was near Gove on a plane I'd be tempted to tell the app I had covid too
Oh, and, Michael Gove alerted by NHS Test and Trace after Champions League trip. I mean, if I was near Gove on a plane I'd be tempted to tell the app I had covid too
- 29,366
- Glasgow
- GTP_Mars
Today is an interesting day in Glasgow, as finally all pubs and hospitality venues are allowed to serve alcohol indoors - which, for some, means re-opening for the first time this year including my old favourite, Tennent's, which incidentally was also the last bar I went to before the first lockdown came about. Seeing the place open again today was quite emotional, and there is an unmistakable shift towards life starting to resemble something more like 'normality'. I was even tempted to go for a pint, had it not been midday and I was working.
However, I still very much have mixed feelings. My colleagues and I have all independently agreed that we won't be going to any pubs indoors for some time to come yet (despite the obvious temptation), and the signs from the case numbers in Scotland make for curious reading given the push towards lifting lockdown restrictions - new cases have doubled twice in the last 32 days, meaning that Scotland would reach the same number of daily infections as it did at the peak of the second wave in just over 1 month from now if that rate were to continue, let alone increase thanks to more restrictions being lifted today.
The big question is how this translates into hospitalisations and cases of illness, severe illness and deaths. So far, it must be said, things are looking optimistic - so far there has been no noticable increase in hospitalisations, even though the rise in cases started a few weeks ago... there is going to be a lag, but even with the lag taken into consideration, it looks OK for now.
That said, one of the most respected and well informed commentators on the subject, a member of 'Independent Sage' Prof. Christina Pagel, gave her assessment yesterday as part of a live streamed session on YouTube and it was very hard to watch. It was obvious that she was close to breaking down in tears by the end of it, and it was very sad to see. She and others have worked very hard, only to see their warnings and pleadings with the UK Government fall on deaf ears.
The upshot is that the UK has done brilliantly with the vaccine roll-out, but we have likely still not done enough to prevent a bad (and potentially calamitous) 3rd wave. I personally fully agree with Pagel and her colleagues... we are definitely not out of the woods yet. There is definite cause for hope, but I personally will not be taking any more chances than I have to for some time yet - not until 70-80% of the population has been 'fully protected' (both shots plus 2-3 weeks to take effect) at least.
I would personally urge everyone in sub herd-immunity areas to continue exercising caution too, and to urge their friends, families and everyone they can to get fully vaccinated as quickly as they can.
However, I still very much have mixed feelings. My colleagues and I have all independently agreed that we won't be going to any pubs indoors for some time to come yet (despite the obvious temptation), and the signs from the case numbers in Scotland make for curious reading given the push towards lifting lockdown restrictions - new cases have doubled twice in the last 32 days, meaning that Scotland would reach the same number of daily infections as it did at the peak of the second wave in just over 1 month from now if that rate were to continue, let alone increase thanks to more restrictions being lifted today.
The big question is how this translates into hospitalisations and cases of illness, severe illness and deaths. So far, it must be said, things are looking optimistic - so far there has been no noticable increase in hospitalisations, even though the rise in cases started a few weeks ago... there is going to be a lag, but even with the lag taken into consideration, it looks OK for now.
That said, one of the most respected and well informed commentators on the subject, a member of 'Independent Sage' Prof. Christina Pagel, gave her assessment yesterday as part of a live streamed session on YouTube and it was very hard to watch. It was obvious that she was close to breaking down in tears by the end of it, and it was very sad to see. She and others have worked very hard, only to see their warnings and pleadings with the UK Government fall on deaf ears.
The upshot is that the UK has done brilliantly with the vaccine roll-out, but we have likely still not done enough to prevent a bad (and potentially calamitous) 3rd wave. I personally fully agree with Pagel and her colleagues... we are definitely not out of the woods yet. There is definite cause for hope, but I personally will not be taking any more chances than I have to for some time yet - not until 70-80% of the population has been 'fully protected' (both shots plus 2-3 weeks to take effect) at least.
I would personally urge everyone in sub herd-immunity areas to continue exercising caution too, and to urge their friends, families and everyone they can to get fully vaccinated as quickly as they can.
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- 87,562
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
It'S jUsT fLu OnLy 0.2% Of PeOpLe EvEn DiE aNd ThEy'Re AlL oLd
Pay/subscriptionwalled on the Telegraph website: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...covid-exposed-376000-britons-suffer-symptoms/
Also a Twitter thread:
Also a Twitter thread:
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CodeRedR51
Premium
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- United States
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- Outspacer
How is Indie_SAGE something I haven't seen before?! Needless to say I also agree with Prof Pagel's assessment and their advice. Particularly about wearing masks in secondary schools, it's just dumb not to make use of such a basic measure. (And even dumber to deny that schools are key to this - again - when it's so clear in the data).
One thing missing though (and this isn't at all unique to Indie SAGE) was any estimate of immunity provided by previous infection. With all the focus on vaccination I haven't found much about this anywhere. Three aspects to it: how many have had covid already? how much protection does that give against reinfection (and for how long)? and finally how much protection against delta does having had alpha give?
Another relevant bit of data is how many of each vaccine have been given, which can be found buried in the Yellow Card reporting summary:
So right now, almost 64% AstraZeneca on first doses (about 58% on second doses) but since Pfizer or Moderna is preferred for under-40s that will end up closer to 50%. This is clearly relevant since the protection against delta is markedly worse for AstraZeneca. My recollection is that in early March the split was also about 50% (in terms of overall doses, but nearly all were first doses at that point) meaning that represents the split in the oldest age groups. I think it follows that the 40 to 65 age range has or will have had predominantly AstraZeneca, making the 50-69 group worth keeping an eye on.
Without running detailed analysis it looks to me like herd immunity from our mix of vaccines will fall short but it's hard to say to what extent and how that will affect hospitalisations, in no small part due to not being able to assess the contribution from other immunity well. It would be extremely useful to know for the teenage group, where infection rates were so high through autumn, how many of them are being reinfected with the delta variant.
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- 29,993
- a baby, candy, it's like taking.
- TexRex72
Pre-pandemic, a group of us neighbors would get together once a week for a rotating, potluck-ish dinner. We finally had one again last night with everyone in attendance fully vaccinated. There were only seven people, but we were still reasonably cautious. It was fun. It was definitely missed.
McLaren
Premium
- 45,610
- Texas
I keep my mask on me as it's still a bit here & there with stores dictating it. One of my local grocery stores only asks those who haven't been vaccinated to wear a mask. Kind of interesting to see a lot of people are still wearing them, though. More interesting is seeing stores where most employees are wearing them, but there's a good few that aren't. I have to imagine maybe those latter folks have proven they're vaccinated and others either aren't or still wanting to wear them.
odd transition period to witness, imo.
odd transition period to witness, imo.
- 2,330
- Michigan
- FuriousDemon
Im still wearing and being cautious everywhere. I’m glad cases are low, but for me a mask is not a big deal.
I actually love wearing one when doing yard work. I have extreme allergies in the spring and usually sneeze for hours and have a running nose for a day or two after spending a few hours doing yard work, even taking a daily allergy pill. Wearing a mask almost eliminated all of the symptoms this year. Yeah, it gets kind of hot eventually, but it sure beats not being able to breathe at all later in the day.
I actually love wearing one when doing yard work. I have extreme allergies in the spring and usually sneeze for hours and have a running nose for a day or two after spending a few hours doing yard work, even taking a daily allergy pill. Wearing a mask almost eliminated all of the symptoms this year. Yeah, it gets kind of hot eventually, but it sure beats not being able to breathe at all later in the day.
- 24,636
- Anoka, MN
Another thing has been added to my "things I actually liked about the pandemic" list. This time it's queuing, it was annoying enough before, but considering what we're still going through you would think people would be more observant of other's personal space and not stand so close you can feel their breath on your neck.
- 7,313
- Land of the smelly onion
While the state changed the rules so the fully vaccinated don't need to wear one, businesses are able to require everyone to wear a mask if they want to. I still keep one in the car and usually stick it in my pocket when I go inside someplace just in case I need it.
Unless it is super crowded, I don't wear one. Feels much better to go without it.
CodeRedR51
Premium
- 55,318
- United States
When I was in TN for work I stopped at a Target that wasn't requiring them for people that had been vaccinated, and a lady in line in front of me asked the cashier if she had to wear one still. She said that they were giving employees the choice, but only if they were vaccinated and she hadn't had her second shot yet.
- 4,001
- Null Island
Yeah the grocery store I work at is much along the same lines, albeit with the bulk of employees going maskless.
Mask wearing at this point for me is when required, unclear policy (i.e yesterday on my first trip to the library since the pandemic began), or colder weather in the name of some warmth.
- 1,626
- DFW Area
- KM964007
- KM9644
I've pretty much ditched the mask except for work, which makes sense since it is a hospital.
Our COVID cases are WAY down. Whenever someone at our hospital has COVID, we put a piece of paper on their door with a green crown and a tracking log, or in our ICU (which has sliding glass doors) we would write a plus sign with a marker. I deliver meds throughout the hospital - in January, it seemed like every other door would have one of those on it. Now, it seems like 3-5 doors max per unit - for reference, aside from the ICUs and postpartum unit, we have 3 36-room units in one tower, and two 31-room units in the other tower.
Speaking of ICUs, our cardio ICU (which was turned into the critical COVID ward) has reverted back to being a cardio ICU. Back in January, all 16 beds in that unit were constantly full, and I commonly saw carts from the morgue up there. Since then, they "closed" it as our normal ICU always had some beds open. They then opened it back up to put critical care cardio patients down there, and on average only 3-4 beds are occupied. And as of last check, we had a third of our 21-bed ICU unoccupied. The patients who are in the beds are in there for other reasons and not COVID, as evidenced by the lack of plus signs on the doors.
It's definitely getting better.
Our COVID cases are WAY down. Whenever someone at our hospital has COVID, we put a piece of paper on their door with a green crown and a tracking log, or in our ICU (which has sliding glass doors) we would write a plus sign with a marker. I deliver meds throughout the hospital - in January, it seemed like every other door would have one of those on it. Now, it seems like 3-5 doors max per unit - for reference, aside from the ICUs and postpartum unit, we have 3 36-room units in one tower, and two 31-room units in the other tower.
Speaking of ICUs, our cardio ICU (which was turned into the critical COVID ward) has reverted back to being a cardio ICU. Back in January, all 16 beds in that unit were constantly full, and I commonly saw carts from the morgue up there. Since then, they "closed" it as our normal ICU always had some beds open. They then opened it back up to put critical care cardio patients down there, and on average only 3-4 beds are occupied. And as of last check, we had a third of our 21-bed ICU unoccupied. The patients who are in the beds are in there for other reasons and not COVID, as evidenced by the lack of plus signs on the doors.
It's definitely getting better.
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- 35,421
- Downtown North Dakota
- Cy-Fi
We had our first in person weekly department meeting in 13 months this morning. It's was nice to get back into a room with people.
That said, I was at a graduation ceremony yesterday so my youngest could play in the school band and the corridor to get out of the Fargodome was 🤬 packed with people.
That said, I was at a graduation ceremony yesterday so my youngest could play in the school band and the corridor to get out of the Fargodome was 🤬 packed with people.
- 1,591
- United Kingdom
- VulcanSpirit
Literally booked both of my vaccine appointments a few moments ago: should receive my first jab tomorrow!
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