Peter wrote:
Very interesting data Medewok, though not surprising.
Yeah, indeed. Not many surprises here. It will be interesting to see what the impact of Christmas will be on the numbers in 2 or 3 weeks. Our “lockdown” was explicitly relaxed for Christmas (Dec 24 to Dec 26), with people being allowed to meet up to four adults from other households and an unlimited number of kids under 14, as long as they were related to them (not that being related protects from infection in any way). The exact rules were very complicated, which always tends to lead to everyone interpreting them “their way”.
I am sure that Christmas will lead to a further rise in infections.
Also, the B.1.1.7. Covid strain has since been detected in several European countries, so all UK-specific travel restrictions seem pointless. One German epidemiologist suggested that the entirety of Europe, meaning the continent and not just the EU, should go into lockdown together now, because there was (in her opinion) no other way now to reduce the number of infections to a sensible level.
The number of ICU patients with Covid has long since surpassed its April peak in Germany and is now well above 5000 (April was 3500ish).
kwlf wrote:
How the AZ vaccine fiasco came to be.
Interesting reading…
There are several versions of how the “1.5 dose” fiasco came about. This is from a BBC article
The basic point is that the regulator approved this “hack” at the time 
The Oxford vaccine will be much more relevant than the Biontech one (the only one currently approved) because (a) it doesn’t need the -80C storage and (b) should arrive after the care home residents (who are extremely slow to do, because they aren’t really mobile) have been done. So probably most of us will get the Oxford one. So I am quite interested whether we will get the “60%” or the “90%” version
MedEwok wrote:
I am sure that Christmas will lead to a further rise in infections.
Unfortunately I think you are right. There is hope however, apparently in the US, thanksgiving had surprisingly few impact.
But with enough incompetence and ignorance, you don’t even need a holiday season.
Let me relate the following scenario. A school goes into vaccation on Friday the 18th. On the 23rd, parents of the relevant classes are informed, that two teachers have been confirmed as infected with covid. The message goes on saying that since the persons in question did not develop symptoms until after 3 days since the last contact so probably Monday or Tuesday, according to the contact tracing center, no measures are required on the side of the parents, nobody needs to be quarantined.
Ok, sure Wilbur. So two teachers get the virus, approximately at the same time. The contact center concludes that they are no danger because they have not been in contact for about 3 days prior to displying symptoms. But what about where they got it from? IMHO it is more than likely they got it from one of the kids, who HAS been in touch with the whole class. The usual quarantine if you have been in touch is 14 days, so the whole bunch should have gone in quarantine until new year if my math is not off.
When some of the parents tries to get their kids tested, they are sent away, as they do not display symtoms.
Today our papers show the tightly packed queues for the ski slopes. Obviously there are people who value a day on the slope more than their lifes. What do you want to do with people like that?
Now does anyone wonder, why we have exponential figures?
Mooney_Driver wrote:
What do you want to do with people like that?
I guess they identify with Patrick Henry and value liberty above all.
My personal view is that it is up to individuals what they do, I don’t want to intervene in their activities If I agree with them or not.
We can’t have exponential figures over the long term because it will reach a saturation point. I’m not convinced we’ve seen exponential growth over any reasonable sustained length of time, but do see that we have had peaks, declines and rises in different areas. Whether or not this is down to social distancing working or lockdowns is up for debate.
Is it still the general consensus that it’s very difficult to catch outdoors? I guess I’d be less concerned about skiing outside than perhaps the apres ski.
Today our papers show the tightly packed queues for the ski slopes.
No queues at all in Zermatt – not even with the gondolas operating at half capacity.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
There is hope however, apparently in the US, thanksgiving had surprisingly few impact.
Don’t know where you get that info from, it certainly isn’t correct for California. Here the numbers are exploding, with hospitals being overwhelmed. We’ve prob99 not even seen the worst yet, as enough covidiots are traveling over Xmas / New Year.
Doesn’t california have the strictest lockdown measures pretty much in the country?
Don’t know where you get that info from, it certainly isn’t correct for California. Here the numbers are exploding, with hospitals being overwhelmed. We’ve prob99 not even seen the worst yet, as enough covidiots are traveling over Xmas / New Year.
Oh dear…. another bit of fake news then and as it was coming from a previously considered serious outlet I fell for it. Apologies for spreading it.
I guess they identify with Patrick Henry and value liberty above all.
I would consider that statement an insult to the memory of this remarkable individual. Patrick Henry did not fight for the liberty to go and infect and kill people. He sought liberty for his fellow countrymen if necessary at the proce of his own death, not others.
