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Coronavirus

Coronavirus - The Poll

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    97
70! That's more like how I feel :p

Sorry it was daft joke that popped into my head whilst listening to Hancock. I was just trying to find some light in an otherwise depressing announcement.

"The two recently identified variants - one found first in the UK and the South African variant - share some similarities but have evolved separately.

Both have a mutation - called N501Y - which is in a crucial part of the virus that it uses to infect the body's cells."

Source

As a layman to virology, that's got to be slightly promising that it isn't completely off the scale to something we have seen before.
 
Thameslink Rail said:
Notice how only 2000 people are in tier 1 now, (Scilly). I hope some more places can join them soon.
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I was under the impression that nobody was in Tier 1 anymore; I thought that Cornwall, Scilly and Herefordshire were all moved to Tier 2, and the Isle of Wight was moved straight into Tier 3?
 
I’m seriously starting to question the meaning of all of this reporting now, there are literally 1000’s of strains, every time it infects a different person it can make a mistake in its make up, that’s how virus’s work.
The mutations that spread easier will obviously become more dominant ones.
 
It’s more to do with the number of changes that is of importance. 23 is the U.K. one is unheard of and which is why it caused so much concern. They still don’t know the significance of the changes except it spreads easier. The South African health minister says their strain is resulting in more severe illness but we don’t know if that’s due to virus or their healthcare until further studies are done.
As one artist I read says, the U.K. strain isn’t so much just a mutation but an actual biological change.
 
GaryH said:
It’s more to do with the number of changes that is of importance. 23 is the U.K. one is unheard of and which is why it caused so much concern. They still don’t know the significance of the changes except it spreads easier. The South African health minister says their strain is resulting in more severe illness but we don’t know if that’s due to virus or their healthcare until further studies are done.
As one artist I read says, the U.K. strain isn’t so much just a mutation but an actual biological change.
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The change can’t be too profound, though, as our original COVID-19 tests still pick the new variant up, and a lot of scientists are suggesting that vaccines and treatments will still be effective.
 
Matt N said:
The change can’t be too profound, though, as our original COVID-19 tests still pick the new variant up, and a lot of scientists are suggesting that vaccines and treatments will still be effective.
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There do because thankfully the PCR tests used at the moment detect 3 different genes in the virus. However, the new strains no longer have a “S” gene, so the tests are only detecting the virus from the other 2 genes which at the moment still exist. Not sure if this will have any impact in the already “dodgy” lateral flow tests which appear to have missed a lot of infections in Liverpool.
 
Wow; that’s outstanding! Considering this disease was only discovered in China a year ago, the fact that we now have three vaccines available (Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca) with over 90% efficacy is absolutely astounding, especially considering that the scientists were psyching us up for only 50-60% efficacy initially.

I do have a question, though; how did AstraZeneca suddenly manage to get from 62% efficacy right up to 95% efficacy? Is it something to do with this new dosage regimen?

As these vaccines have produced such brilliant efficacy levels, could we possibly see jabs using similar technology created for other things (e.g. flu) in the future?

Team edit (double post): It is now thought that Britain could be out of lockdowns by February once the 15,000,000 people most at risk of dying from COVID (as identified by the government) have been vaccinated, as there would no longer be any risk of the NHS getting overwhelmed: https://apple.news/A1d4mwvuPQ1yNQ7GE_cXgEw

Potentially very exciting news!
 
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Matt N said:
I do have a question, though; how did AstraZeneca suddenly manage to get from 62% efficacy right up to 95% efficacy? Is it something to do with this new dosage
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Im not totally sure but the initial confusion was about the dosage in the bottles supplied from Italy were incorrect. I believe since then a heck of a lot of work has been done looking in to the dose and the antibody response.

I believe they may have done a new trial but not 100% on that.

Edit: apparently vaccinations will commence 4th January

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/uk-to-roll-out-oxford-covid-19-vaccine-from-jan-4
 
Only primary school pupils and those in Y11 and Y13 plus keyworkers children will be back in January. Feel sorry for the parents.
 
skyscraper said:
Only primary school pupils and those in Y11 and Y13 plus keyworkers children will be back in January. Feel sorry for the parents.
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With an 8 year old at home we are considering not sending him back to school next week until there is more clarity about the ages of kids this new strain infects.
 
skyscraper said:
Only primary school pupils and those in Y11 and Y13 plus keyworkers children will be back in January. Feel sorry for the parents.
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I thought this was only for the first week? Y11 and Y13 back on the 4th, with all others returning on the 11th?

Have the government now changed it to be the whole of January?
 
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