Covid - coming out of Lockdown 3 - no politics, less opinion and more facts and information.

[beast66606]

Discovered - on the local community group - that myself and quite a few others from the same GP surgery who had their initial vaccine at one particular location have been "missed", my second jab is due in 2 weeks and I now have to contact the location myself to register for a call back to book the appointment, not a major hardship as such BUT only because I found out about it. I haven't contacted them yet as I need the Mrs here so I can be sure I have a co-pilot just in case.

 

Moral : if it gets close to your 12 week 2nd jab due date and you've heard nothing then check.

 

 

[MJI]

Just had second this morning

[boxbrownie]

10 minutes ago, beast66606 said:

Discovered - on the local community group - that myself and quite a few others from the same GP surgery who had their initial vaccine at one particular location have been "missed", my second jab is due in 2 weeks and I now have to contact the location myself to register for a call back to book the appointment, not a major hardship as such BUT only because I found out about it. I haven't contacted them yet as I need the Mrs here so I can be sure I have a co-pilot just in case.

 

Moral : if it gets close to your 12 week 2nd jab due date and you've heard nothing then check.

 

 

I was getting worried at 11 weeks, but we got a letter the same day asking us to attend for the second jab at the same local centre we used before. It was actually 11 weeks and 4 days between jobs, which I though pretty accurate.

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

 

I was given a card with my second appointment (week on Monday) on it when I attended my first at my surgery.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Oldddudders]

Just now, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

I was given a card with my second appointment (week on Monday) on it when I attended my first at my surgery.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Ditto - but mine is 28th June!

[Neil]

Further good news re. vaccines from a world perspective. Good to see the US taking the lead on this; morality is back in the white house.

[Oldddudders]

3 minutes ago, Neil said:

Further good news re. vaccines from a world perspective. Good to see the US taking the lead on this; morality is back in the white house.

It is in every country's interest to do anything that gets Covid on the ropes fastest. But the stock market response, with a lowering of values in major pharma stocks, is the predictable result. And companies have a legal duty to shareholders to manage their affairs to maximise profits. Irresistible force and immovable object stuff, this. 

 

I infer that the UK deal with AZ about vaccine costs etc is a sort of parallel.  

[Hobby]

35 minutes ago, hayfield said:

I seem to recall over 55's for the booster jab, perhaps combined with the flu, was it one in each arm that one source suggested?

 

I vaguely remember hearing that as well.

[Hobby]

4 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

It is in every country's interest to do anything that gets Covid on the ropes fastest. But the stock market response, with a lowering of values in major pharma stocks, is the predictable result. And companies have a legal duty to shareholders to manage their affairs to maximise profits. Irresistible force and immovable object stuff, this. 

 

I infer that the UK deal with AZ about vaccine costs etc is a sort of parallel.  

 

I remember discussing prices a while ago, I can't find the link I found before, but this one shows the massive differences between the AZ vaccine and the rest. It's surprising that the EU are so negative to the AZ one considering the billions of euros more they will be forking out for the others...

 

https://www.statista.com/chart/23658/reported-cost-per-dose-of-covid-19-vaccines/

 

There's this as well...

 

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n281

[AY Mod]

1 hour ago, John M Upton said:

this puts the availability of many model rail show venues in severe doubt

 

I wouldn't say 'many', possibly 'some'. The only venue in this area which this relates to is Staffordshire County Showground but Guildex and Stafford Railway Circle's shows would use the usual show space whereas the vaccination centre is in a separate suite at the other end of the complex so it can't necessarily be assumed that because an address is in use it precludes the use of other, unused, space.

[boxbrownie]

46 minutes ago, Neil said:

Further good news re. vaccines from a world perspective. Good to see the US taking the lead on this; morality is back in the white house.

It is, but it’s the distribution rather than the manufacture and cost which is the big stumbling block.

[stewartingram]

29 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

I wouldn't say 'many', possibly 'some'. The only venue in this area which this relates to is Staffordshire County Showground but Guildex and Stafford Railway Circle's shows would use the usual show space whereas the vaccination centre is in a separate suite at the other end of the complex so it can't necessarily be assumed that because an address is in use it precludes the use of other, unused, space.

Peterborough is anther one being used at the moment.

[hayfield]

55 minutes ago, Neil said:

Further good news re. vaccines from a world perspective. Good to see the US taking the lead on this; morality is back in the white house.

 

As you say in one instance this is great news, but I can understand the issues which worry and concern both Pharmaceutical companies and countries, that is of intellectual(?) wrights of medicines. Like all things if you give an inch some will take a mile.  There is a very fine balancing act as we must not deter research and development of new products/cures which in most cases cost tens of millions to fund with no guarantee of a return

 

But no one is protected till everyone is protected 

[hayfield]

46 minutes ago, Hobby said:

 

I remember discussing prices a while ago, I can't find the link I found before, but this one shows the massive differences between the AZ vaccine and the rest. It's surprising that the EU are so negative to the AZ one considering the billions of euros more they will be forking out for the others...

 

https://www.statista.com/chart/23658/reported-cost-per-dose-of-covid-19-vaccines/

 

There's this as well...

 

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n281

 

Sadly its the murky world of politics, plus income for the German economy which feeds back into local wages then taxes. Plus no one knows the actual prices paid.

 

Astra Zenica has also not been completely blameless in this matter, given the two manufacturing sites in the EU (or has Italy got one as well) how could they supply the numbers which they agreed ?

 

In the UK we have had shortages of the AZ  vaccine, owing to no supplies coming from India and Holland. Perhaps over enthusiastic salesmen ?

 

 

[hayfield]

Our local surgery which is a vaccination centre has been back on the local corona virus facebook page, outlining the next vaccination plans. They are constrained by quite stringent rules so are still going through the over 40's with supplies of Pfizer and Astra Zenica for first doses

 

Vaccination centres are reported to be vaccinating younger groups, presumably to use up supplies rather than waste them

 

The good news is increased supplies of 1st dose vaccines in the next 2 weeks and will be contacting the over 30's soon 

[Neil]

5 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

As you say in one instance this is great news, but I can understand the issues which worry and concern both Pharmaceutical companies and countries, that is of intellectual(?) wrights of medicines. Like all things if you give an inch some will take a mile.  There is a very fine balancing act as we must not deter research and development of new products/cures which in most cases cost tens of millions to fund with no guarantee of a return

 

But no one is protected till everyone is protected 

 

I don't think that there's much scope for taking a mile here as it's only Covid vaccinations which will be exempt. Apparently something similar has already happened with Aids medication. In some ways it's in big pharmas interest to preserve life as it gives them more people to sell their products to. Sometimes though you just have to do the right thing even though it may come at a cost to you.

 

Further good news; it looks as though the EU is moving the same way, with some countries already coming out in full support.

[Oldddudders]

We know the AZ vaccine was able to be developed rather quickly because in effect the developers tweaked an existing formula, developed in response to another threat. They are confident of further tweaking being feasible if new strains prove resistant to current versions. I suppose that releasing the formulae for Covid vaccines might mean that any firm could perform the same trick without having gone through the painstaking original process. Is this like giving everyone a master-key to a whole range of future products? 

 

That said, if AIDS meds secrets have been released thus, then a morally-comparable precedent has been set. 

[hayfield]

14 hours ago, Neil said:

 

Further good news; it looks as though the EU is moving the same way, with some countries already coming out in full support.

 

Don't speak too soon, Germany is breaking ranks and is opposing the scheme according to the latest info

 

You will fine in various parts of the world its like the old wild west, care must be taken especially in stopping fake products etc

[hayfield]

13 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

We know the AZ vaccine was able to be developed rather quickly because in effect the developers tweaked an existing formula, developed in response to another threat. They are confident of further tweaking being feasible if new strains prove resistant to current versions. I suppose that releasing the formulae for Covid vaccines might mean that any firm could perform the same trick without having gone through the painstaking original process. Is this like giving everyone a master-key to a whole range of future products? 

 

That said, if AIDS meds secrets have been released thus, then a morally-comparable precedent has been set. 

 

I think this tweaking goes for the rest of the covid vaccines and seems standard practice for influenza vaccines

[hayfield]

I see from the press that green holiday destinations will be published very soon, however looking at some of the larger European countries the pandemic is far from over

 

As of yesterday Italy's death rate crept over 122,000, and they are still seeing 12,000 infections daily, sadly they may be joining us at the top of the death table in two or three weeks

France has nearly 106,000 deaths and 22,000 daily infections, more worryingly well over 800,000 active cases

Spain is still seeing 8,000 infections a day

And whilst Germany is not as popular destination  are still seeing 17,000 daily infections

Eastern Europe looks no better, and many of the smaller western and northern countries also no better

Choice looks as it will be limited

 

The UK's infections are down over a 7 day period, but there seems a small upward movement locally and nationally in the past couple of days. Perhaps this is the pattern that will develop, two or three steps forward and one back. On the brighter side 66% of the adult population has their first jab, and 31% have had both. Thankfully hospital admissions are still falling, serious and critical cases are stable and the death rate is still falling. Lets hope these trends continue to fall

 

[Andy Hayter]

8 minutes ago, hayfield said:

 

France has nearly 106,000 deaths and 22,000 daily infections, more worryingly well over 800,000 active cases

 

 

Beware the active cases numbers for France.  I have no idea how they are arrived at but they are clearly wrong.  With 22000 cases per day (sadly much too high), 800000 active cases would imply that the infection  lasts for 38 days on average here.  Even with "vive la difference" that is stretching things!

 

 

[Reorte]

52 minutes ago, hayfield said:

The UK's infections are down over a 7 day period, but there seems a small upward movement locally and nationally in the past couple of days. Perhaps this is the pattern that will develop, two or three steps forward and one back. On the brighter side 66% of the adult population has their first jab, and 31% have had both. Thankfully hospital admissions are still falling, serious and critical cases are stable and the death rate is still falling. Lets hope these trends continue to fall

 

I've noticed a tendency for there to be local clusters that die out within a week but don't show much sign of spreading further. But these keep appearing, scattered seemingly at random, which is why the numbers don't seem to be going down much.

 

On the other hand deaths are still very much going down, I can only imagine that that's due to vaccination really having a positive impact.

[Andy Hayter]

Each relaxation of the lockdown was bound to increase the number of new cases - or at least slow down the reduction.  This was why the UK government wisely have had a slow release and 5 week gaps between each step.  This ensures that if a step too far has been taken, there is the opportunity to put the brake back on slightly. 

 

What I think you are seeing is the result of the lockdown easing - people mixing more and so some people contracting the virus.  What I think you are also seeing with the quick local eradication, is the tracing system eventually working well.  Individuals are identified, informed, isolated and the mini-outbreak stops dead.

[Hobby]

1 hour ago, hayfield said:

I see from the press that green holiday destinations will be published very soon,

 

1700 today.

[Oldddudders]

The latest stats for France. Sadly my Département, Sarthe, is a bit redder than those around it, but is nevertheless improving daily.

 

https://mapthenews.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/5df19abcf8714bc590a3b143e14a548c