Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[Solid at the back]

Scientists have identified 16 cases of a new coronavirus variant in the UK, Public Health England (PHE) has announced. Prompting calls for an extension and tightening of lockdown.

Cases of the variant, referred to as VUI-202102/04, were first identified on 15 February through genomic horizon scanning. PHE said on Thursday that all individuals who tested positive and their contacts have been traced and advised to isolate. The variant, which is understood to have originated in the UK, was designated a “variant under investigation” (VUI) on 24 February.

Variants of Covid-19 can be identified as VUIs or “variants of concern” (VOCs). New variants emerge regularly and experts are conducting frequent analysis to see which are of concern, and which are not.

The latest identified variant, also known as B.1.1.318, contains the E484K mutation, which is found in two other VUIs present in the UK, but it does not feature the N501Y mutation that is present in all VOCs, PHE said. This makes it particularly concerning and means it is highly likely to evade the current vaccines available.

The findings mean there are now four VUIs and four VOCs being tracked by scientists in the UK. Other VUIs include one from Brazil, known as P2, which has had 43 probable or confirmed cases identified in the UK, but is not causing scientists serious concern. PHE said that, as of Wednesday, a total of 26 cases of P2 had been found in England where no travel links could be established.

Two further VUIs – dubbed A.23.1 with E484K and B.1.525 – have seen 78 and 86 probable or confirmed UK cases detected respectively. Both were first detected in the UK in December.

Additional testing is currently being made available for targeted areas of England to suppress the spread of VOCs. This includes surge testing in South Gloucestershire after cases of the Manaus variant of coronavirus were discovered.

This variant of concern – known as P1 – was detected in Brazil and in travellers from Brazil to Japan, and was associated with a surge of cases in Manaus late last year. Six cases of this variant of concern have been found in the UK – three in Scotland and three in England.

On Tuesday, the hunt for a missing person infected with the Manaus variant of coronavirus had been narrowed down to 379 households in the south east of England, the health secretary Matt Hancock said.

Where have you read this? E484K is the mutation that affects antibodies. N501Y is the mutation that increases transmission

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Where have you read this? E484K is the mutation that affects antibodies. N501Y is the mutation that increases transmission

It appears to be a copy of this article from the Irish Examiner with the poster adding his own text about calls for extending/tightening lockdown as that fits with his narrative/trolling.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40238183.html

 

[e77]

Have a look back through this and other threads and you will see i have been critical of the government in the past but in broad terms and so long as they are prepared to slow the process down if the figures don't improve as necessary I think they have it just about right.

The pact was we obeyed the lockdown restrictions but they weren't kept a moment longer than needed. The vaccine coverage is beginning to make that possible.

That said, coverage in the rest of the world is variable at best. Anyone booking holidays abroad this Summer doesn't really have my sympathy.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

I heard yesterday that an old friend of ours has died of Covid... in Brighton. I am still gutted.
You can read all the big figures about the numbers affected - but nothing brings it home to you like the death of someone who you knew. She was of previous good health but went down very quickly.
For God's sake, lets be careful out there !

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

A tale of two towns. Figures released today show that Horsham with a 96.8% take-up is the 3rd highest in the UK. Hastings (81.5%) is the 5th lowest. Horsham is 290 in the official ranking of deprivation; Hastings is 13th (!).

Data sourced from the I newspaper 12th March, p8

 

[beorhthelm]

A tale of two towns. Figures released today show that Horsham with a 96.8% take-up is the 3rd highest in the UK. Hastings (81.5%) is the 5th lowest. Horsham is 290 in the official ranking of deprivation; Hastings is 13th (!).

Data sourced from the I newspaper 12th March, p8

have to point out 81% take up is excellent in itself, if thats near lowest we're doing well.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I heard yesterday that an old friend of ours has died of Covid... in Brighton. I am still gutted.
You can read all the big figures about the numbers affected - but nothing brings it home to you like the death of someone who you knew. She was of previous good health but went down very quickly.
For God's sake, lets be careful out there !

Many condolences for your loss. You are right, it's easy to forget that each number is a loved friend or family member.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

have to point out 81% take up is excellent in itself, if thats near lowest we're doing well.

Agreed. The lowest was Tower Hamlets @ 66.3% but that seems to be something of an outlier..

 

[Granny on the wing]

UK government has not approved Ivermectin yet .Strong data from around the world that it is 83% efficacy .It can be taken in tablet form as a prevention but also straight after being infected with very good results for hospitalizations .Some people from around the world have taken the Ivermectin meant for Horses which has made them ill. I think the Government is going full throttle for the vaccines which is understandable .Certainly good for third world countries who can`t get enough Vaccine .

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Cases going up again in some of the more hairy-arsed locations on the planet, and even some waxed. India could be on the turn next.

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/new-cases

Vaccination here will have a massive benefit (obvs). I can still see another (small) upturn in April, though. Seasonal, and the season isn't done. No need for panic, but who knows with Boris and chums?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I heard yesterday that an old friend of ours has died of Covid... in Brighton. I am still gutted.
You can read all the big figures about the numbers affected - but nothing brings it home to you like the death of someone who you knew. She was of previous good health but went down very quickly.
For God's sake, lets be careful out there !

Very sorry to hear that. Let not any death be lost in the sea of statistics. Lives are precious. All.

 

[Driver8]

UK government has not approved Ivermectin yet .Strong data from around the world that it is 83% efficacy .It can be taken in tablet form as a prevention but also straight after being infected with very good results for hospitalizations .Some people from around the world have taken the Ivermectin meant for Horses which has made them ill. I think the Government is going full throttle for the vaccines which is understandable .Certainly good for third world countries who can`t get enough Vaccine .

https://www.newstatesman.com/scienc...id-sceptics-were-duped-wonder-drug-ivermectin

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Cases going up again in some of the more hairy-arsed locations on the planet, and even some waxed. India could be on the turn next.

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/new-cases

Vaccination here will have a massive benefit (obvs). I can still see another (small) upturn in April, though. Seasonal, and the season isn't done. No need for panic, but who knows with Boris and chums?

The main outstanding potential cock up in the pipeline is mixing and matching 1st and 2nd doses of different vaccines. Eg. AZ first then moderna 2nd dose. Backed up by dodgy pseudo science.

I should give them the benefit of the (massive) doubt for now.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The main outstanding potential cock up in the pipeline is mixing and matching 1st and 2nd doses of different vaccines. Eg. AZ first then moderna 2nd dose. Backed up by dodgy pseudo science.

I should give them the benefit of the (massive) doubt for now.

What do you know about the outcome of flipping the vaccine for jab 2? I would imagine that this has not been tested in humans (yet). My expectation is that it would do not harm at all and may actually give stronger immunization.

Edit: I now see that a trial is underway but the data won't be available till late this year at the earliest, and that the expectation is better protection not danger (there are precedents with vaccines for other conditions). https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55924433

The think about a vaccine is that it isn't a 'biologic' like a monoclonal antibody that, unless the epitope is specific, could trigger an attack on host cells, as in the Northwick Park debacle. Vaccines are attenuated organisms that express the antigenic epitope and have been disabled. This is good science, not dodgy or pseudo. If I'm missing something I apologise - please elaborate.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

What do you know about the outcome of flipping the vaccine for jab 2? I would imagine that this has not been tested in humans (yet). My expectation is that it would do not harm at all and may actually give stronger immunization.

Edit: I now see that a trial is underway but the data won't be available till late this year at the earliest, and that the expectation is better protection not danger (there are precedents with vaccines for other conditions). https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55924433

The think about a vaccine is that it isn't a 'biologic' like a monoclonal antibody that, unless the epitope is specific, could trigger an attack on host cells, as in the Northwick Park debacle. Vaccines are attenuated organisms that express the antigenic epitope and have been disabled. This is good science, not dodgy or pseudo. If I'm missing something I apologise - please elaborate.

I know nothing other than the fact the varying combinations haven't been tested together. And I have a fear that targets being met for vaccination numbers overrides everything else.

If it is safe, it is safe. But let's not rush the testing timescales to meet artificial headline targets.

 

[beorhthelm]

I know nothing other than the fact the varying combinations haven't been tested together. And I have a fear that targets being met for vaccination numbers overrides everything else.

If it is safe, it is safe. But let's not rush the testing timescales to meet artificial headline targets.

there has been no trails completed but no good reason to assume it would be bad, other than poor practice. at worse the first vaccine wouldn't reach peak efficacy, though the second may have same boosting effect. in fact if using two different types it could be beneficial and i've seen suggestion going forward vaccine treatments are alternated (if you got AZ this time get Pfizer the next). generally file under it doesn't really matter, one doesnt counteract the other.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

there has been no trails completed but no good reason to assume it would be bad, other than poor practice. at worse the first vaccine wouldn't reach peak efficacy, though the second may have same boosting effect. in fact if using two different types it could be beneficial and i've seen suggestion going forward vaccine treatments are alternated (if you got AZ this time get Pfizer the next). generally file under it doesn't really matter, one doesnt counteract the other.

This is encouraging.

 

[Granny on the wing]

What do you know about the outcome of flipping the vaccine for jab 2? I would imagine that this has not been tested in humans (yet). My expectation is that it would do not harm at all and may actually give stronger immunization.

Edit: I now see that a trial is underway but the data won't be available till late this year at the earliest, and that the expectation is better protection not danger (there are precedents with vaccines for other conditions). https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55924433

The think about a vaccine is that it isn't a 'biologic' like a monoclonal antibody that, unless the epitope is specific, could trigger an attack on host cells, as in the Northwick Park debacle. Vaccines are attenuated organisms that express the antigenic epitope and have been disabled. This is good science, not dodgy or pseudo. If I'm missing something I apologise - please elaborate.

I know little of the science but i did see something where the AZ and the Pfizer although send the message for the immunity in different ways get to the same point where they make the anti-bodies in the same same way which might explain the efficacy of the 2 will be very similar ? What do you think about the Ivermectin story do you think it is all BS ?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I know little of the science but i did see something where the AZ and the Pfizer although send the message for the immunity in different ways get to the same point where they make the anti-bodies in the same same way which might explain the efficacy of the 2 will be very similar ? What do you think about the Ivermectin story do you think it is all BS ?

First part, yes, that's about right. I'd expect them to be similar.

Ivermectin is being promoted by a weird collection of medics in the US who I got caught up with last year. I just checked a recent paper in the mainstream literature from Feb 2021 and the effects in mild Covid appear to be weak. If I got Covid would I take it? Yes, and anything else handy. Would I expect to benefit? Doubt it. Vaccination is the way forward, not weird off patent drugs....

Cheers

 

[Granny on the wing]

First part, yes, that's about right. I'd expect them to be similar.

Ivermectin is being promoted by a weird collection of medics in the US who I got caught up with last year. I just checked a recent paper in the mainstream literature from Feb 2021 and the effects in mild Covid appear to be weak. If I got Covid would I take it? Yes, and anything else handy. Would I expect to benefit? Doubt it. Vaccination is the way forward, not weird off patent drugs....

Cheers

OK thanks i did see this study by Dr Tess Lawrie who got what ever data from around the world and it had positive results .The big problem is Europe is miles behind with the Vacs and they heading for another surge so if they had something that worked or cut the deaths down that would be a bonus. I guess it will be quite a few months before we really know with more trials going on.