[News] The Coronavirus Good News thread

[dazzer6666]

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the reproduction rate of the virus - known as the R number - has fallen to between 0.6 and 0.8 in Scotland, as of last Friday, 5 June.

In addition, recent data revealed positive cases of coronavirus in Scotland have fallen from 11,500 a week ago to 4,500.

But the first minister cautioned that the number of cases previously calculated was probably inflated - and the number of cases had not halved in a week, as figures suggested.

Nonetheless, Sturgeon called the data "encouraging", adding "there is no doubt we are making very real progress in combating and suppressing the virus".

She said she was hopeful that next week the Scottish government would be able to lift more restrictions as the country moves to the next phase of its reopening plan.

"We want to move to greater normality as quickly as possible," she said.

Among the immediate restrictions lifted are changes to the construction industry in Scotland, with workers allowed to return to sites "gradually".

"We still have a long way to go before the construction industry will be working at full capacity," Sturgeon warned.

Asked whether the Scottish government might review the 2m social distancing rule, Sturgeon said there were no current plans to change the guidance but she would continue to heed the scientific advice.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Well, if you starve a virus of new hosts via social distancing and good hygiene it will eventually fizzle out.

Yep, bound to have helped .......but the lack of second waves pretty much anywhere is odd.

I wonder if it's done more than help, it's actually just the way to wipe out a virus. I'm assuming this is the first time these measures have been put in place and taken seriously on a global level. Each country is essentially a sealed environment and with no air travel once it's gone it's gone.

I wonder if there will be a knock on effect with other viruses next winter so less cold and flu going around.

 

[The Wizard]

83 NHS England deaths, another double digit weekday. Real progress being shown now. Just 151 deaths announced in all settings in the U.K and 1200 new cases, a slight increase in positive cases but 27000 more tests. All coming down nicely.

 

[The Wizard]

7 day rolling average of hospitals deaths

 

[A1X]

Yep, bound to have helped.......but the lack of second waves pretty much anywhere is odd.

Plenty of diseases over the years have just mysteriously disappeared and nobody can explain why (most notably the sweating sickness of the Tudor era).

 

[highflyer]

Plenty of diseases over the years have just mysteriously disappeared and nobody can explain why (most notably the sweating sickness of the Tudor era).

Prince Andrew may have some answers to that particular mystery.

 

[Farehamseagull]

https://www.festivalrepublic.com/news/full-capacity-plan

Reading festival organisers proposal to help bring sport and live music back at full capacity. Think it's a positive step

What an excellent piece of work and it really does show a practical way of moving forward which we’ve all been crying out for.

 

[LamieRobertson]

[tweet]1271068239607595008[/tweet]

Update to hospital date of death..Wizzy might like to comment

Oops sorry Wizz u beat me to it

 

[LamieRobertson]

One death in NI ..first reported in five days
No reporting of deaths in care homes in NI since May 30th

[tweet]1271077845545234434[/tweet]


RIP the one

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Just shy of 200,000 tests in a day.
Great achievement.

 

[dazzer6666]

This really is interesting..............

'The results convincingly suggest that "infections were in decline before UK lockdown, and that infections in Sweden started to decline only a short time later." The paper is carefully worded and does not pursue an obvious political agenda'

[tweet]1271111312530178049[/tweet]

 

[CHAPPERS]

This really is interesting..............

'The results convincingly suggest that "infections were in decline before UK lockdown, and that infections in Sweden started to decline only a short time later." The paper is carefully worded and does not pursue an obvious political agenda'

[tweet]1271111312530178049[/tweet]

Forgive my ignorance but what is the good news bit here?

 

[Bozza]

Moderna expects to begin phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial next month

Moderna confirmed it expects to begin a phase three study of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate in July, according to a statement on Thursday.

The final phase of the placebo-controlled study will include 30,000 subjects in the United States. Participants not in the placebo group will receive 100 micrograms of the vaccine candidate, which was determined to be “the optimal dose level to maximize the immune response while minimizing adverse reactions,” according to the statement. Phase three of the trial will be conducted with the National Institutes of Health.

 

[dazzer6666]

Forgive my ignorance but what is the good news bit here?

For me, more evidence of the weakening of the virus potentially......interesting read anyway

 

[Poojah]

For me, more evidence of the weakening of the virus potentially......interesting read anyway

I think, in this instance, it’s more probable that any pre-lockdown decline was people voluntarily locking down before anything official was in place. At my workplace, we began a phased shift to working from home a full two weeks before it became mandatory, and I recall consciously going out for a meal the Friday before pubs and restaurants were shut and thinking how eerily quiet it was.

All that said, this is the good news thread, and I don’t think that should detract from the signs in this country and beyond that the virus is becoming less transmissible, less virulent, or both. I’m a big believer that this thing is on its way out - no one will officially say otherwise for understandable reasons but you just have to look at the signs.

 

[dazzer6666]

I think, in this instance, it’s more probable that any pre-lockdown decline was people voluntarily locking down before anything official was in place. At my workplace, we began a phased shift to working from home a full two weeks before it became mandatory, and I recall consciously going out for a meal the Friday before pubs and restaurants were shut and thinking how eerily quiet it was.

All that said, this is the good news thread, and I don’t think that should detract from the signs in this country and beyond that the virus is becoming less transmissible, less virulent, or both. I’m a big believer that this thing is on its way out - no one will officially say otherwise for understandable reasons but you just have to look at the signs.

We did the same - we split into A and B rosters on a fortnightly basis, but never got to a handover as lockdown came in.....you’re probably right re the measures.

Nobody is going to go public on what we think might be happening yet as if not the case the implications could be disastrous, but signs are becoming reasons to be optimistic at least.

 

[bha100]

[tweet]1270103002960072705[/tweet]

 

[vegster]

Yet more fuel for the 'fizzling out' theory I reckon....half-expecting to see something formal from one or more of the more reliable/accredited research groups at some point soon.

Is it possible that the virus has been in contact with most of us already and all those susceptible have already caught it?

 

[dazzer6666]

Is it possible that the virus has been in contact with most of us already and all those susceptible have already caught it?

Dunno.......I'd like to think so but the antibody testing seems to suggest not - although susceptibility could be a factor. Not even seen much in the way of research published on that - vulnerability factors yes (BAME, obesity, diabetes etc), but just imagine if great swathes of the population were essentially immune anyway.......

 

[The Wizard]

Antibodies testing - although useful to an extent, doesn’t identify people that have some previous immunity from other coronaviruses and T cell response is thought to be a possibly even more powerful response than your immune response, as these cells remember viruses and attack them, without your immune system.

More evidence does seem to be emerging on T cells being potentially the biggest weapon, I simply do not buy that in Stockholm only circa 10% of people are immune, just seems a totally unrealistic number to me.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8412807/Can-cold-coronavirus-immunity.html