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[Badgers]

Patient reinfected with South African COVID variant in serious condition

In late January, an Israeli who was infected with the novel coronavirus in August was found to be reinfected with the South African variant.

m.jpost.com

In late January, an Israeli who was infected with the novel coronavirus in August was found to be reinfected with the South African variant.

 

[Petcha]

So New Zealand has 3 new cases and shuts down their biggest city with roadblocks and huge fines.

New Zealand's Auckland Covid outbreak is UK variant, says Ardern

Some 1.6 million Kiwis face bans on non-essential movement until Wednesday under strict new lockdown as Australia suspends travel bubble

www.theguardian.com

Overreaction?

 

[elbows]

Overreaction?

Their approach absolutely requires this level of reaction. I wouldnt change a thing about their approach until vaccination changes the game.

 

[Petcha]

Their approach absolutely requires this level of reaction. I wouldnt change a thing about their approach until vaccination changes the game.

Their population must be a whole lot more compliant and docile than ours. The moaning here about restrictions is absurd. But hey, it seems to be working. I believe they have relative normality there, if you exclude the fact nobody can actually enter the place!

edit, maybe it's actually because they trust their leadership, unlike here

 

[LDC]

Their population must be a whole lot more compliant and docile than ours. The moaning here about restrictions is absurd. But hey, it seems to be working. I believe they have relative normality there, if you exclude the fact nobody can actually enter the place!

edit, maybe it's actually because they trust their leadership, unlike here

I don't think calling them 'docile' in this context is a useful or accurate term though.

 

[Petcha]

I don't think caliing them 'docile' in this context is a useful or accurate term though.

No, you're right. Obedient maybe.

 

[2hats]

Situationally aware?

 

[elbows]

I cant make claims about how people in the UK would have responded to such an approach because we were never given the option.

 

[Petcha]

They have a calm, reassuring leader fully explaining why she's doing this. We have Boris. I have leader envy.

 

[weltweit]

So New Zealand has 3 new cases and shuts down their biggest city with roadblocks and huge fines.

New Zealand's Auckland Covid outbreak is UK variant, says Ardern

Some 1.6 million Kiwis face bans on non-essential movement until Wednesday under strict new lockdown as Australia suspends travel bubble

www.theguardian.com

Overreaction?

Nope, a predictable reaction of a country that has managed to keep infections to a level where track and trace can function, and where wider spread can be minimised.

If only the UK was still at such low levels, or if UK could hold the lockdown until we reach such levels. Sadly I think the pressures on Gov are to open up way before we reach manageable levels like this.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

No, you're right. Obedient maybe.

We've been obedient. Both main lockdowns have been observed pretty well here, probably just as well as in New Zealand. But they did their first lockdown at a time when they could effectively squash the initial outbreak. They controlled the border. They've seen results. 25 dead, I think it is so far. Multiply by 12 to give an equivalent to the UK and you have 300. 300 dead compared to 120,000 dead. NZ has done 400 times better than Britain so far, and has spent most of the last year in near- or complete normality.

 

[Petcha]

We've been obedient. Both main lockdowns have been observed pretty well here, probably just as well as in New Zealand. But they did their first lockdown at a time when they could effectively squash the initial outbreak. They controlled the border. They've seen results. 25 dead, I think it is so far. Multiply by 12 to give an equivalent to the UK and you have 300. 300 dead compared to 120,000 dead. NZ has done 400 times better than Britain so far, and has spent most of the last year in near- or complete normality.

I'm looking out my window here in east london and I can assure you lockdown is not being adhered to. It looks like daily life. I assume lockdown in NZ means lockdown.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I'm looking out my window here in east london and I can assure you lockdown is not being adhered to. It looks like daily life. I assume lockdown in NZ means lockdown.

I think it's a mistake to think that NZ's success has been down to a difference between the populations wrt responding to lockdown orders.

The difference is found in the timing, order and nature of the actions undertaken. Here in the UK, it has been the Morecombe and Wise approach.
Taking all the right measures, not necessarily in the right order.

 

[Chairman Meow]

Day 16 of zero local transmission in WA. On Sunday we ended our transitional week after our five day lockdown. Which means we don’t need to wear masks any mor which most people are happy about. We only had to wear them for two weeks, and everyone did, even in the car if you were sharing.l Like NZ we are more compliant, or docile if you wish, for couple of reasons. Firstly, we aren’t fatigued with it all, wearing a mask for a few weeks is no biggie compared to what is going on in most of the rest of the world. Also, like NZ we have strong clear leadership. Mark Macgowan our state Premier has incredibly high approval ratings and is affectionately known as the State Daddy as the main consensus is that he has stood up to the Federal Government to keep the WA border closed, and keep WA safe. Anyway, here are some of his fb valentine memes.

 

[teuchter]

Presumably the people of NZ watch the news and can see very well what's happened in countries which were slow with their lockdowns. I would imagine that would have a strong influence on how willing they are to comply with one just now. The UK population were in a different situation this time last year: the example of what could happen was not there. And the UK population are in a different situation as far as the current lockdown is concerned too: it's a lockdown aimed at reducing the spread rather than one aimed at stopping any spread whatsoever. So it all seems a bit meaningless to compare UK and NZ reactions to lockdown.

 

[elbows]

I'm looking out my window here in east london and I can assure you lockdown is not being adhered to. It looks like daily life. I assume lockdown in NZ means lockdown.

The failure to adhere to rules is often visible, but is still only a fraction of the picture. Adherence overall has been high, what you are seeing is only a fraction of normal daily life. And when I say high, I do not mean anything close to 100%. Which is also what authorities expect, and indeed the combination of measures involved take this into account, if they actually expected 100% compliance then they could have made the rules slightly weaker since they wouldnt need to compensate for non-compliance.

 

[Flavour]

Scientists on the advisory board for Italian government are pushing for another strict lockdown.

 

[Buddy Bradley]

Looks like we're on course to dip below Spain in terms of deaths:

 

[William of Walworth]

My immediate reaction just now, when I saw the above graph, was just sheer relief that the death-rate is coming down so significantly in Spain and the UK

 

[Mation]

My immediate reaction just now, when I saw the above graph, was just sheer relief that the death-rate is coming down so significantly in Spain and the UK

Aye. Let's hope the downward trend continues for all of us x

 

[2hats]

World's first SARS-CoV-2 human challenge trials, to better understand minimally infective viral loads, shedding and transmission.

Call for volunteers for world’s first coronavirus human challenge study | Imperial News | Imperial College London

The UK will be the first country to run a Covid-19 human challenge study, following a favourable opinion from the UK’s clinical trials ethics body.

www.imperial.ac.uk

 

[weltweit]

World's first SARS-CoV-2 human challenge trials, to better understand minimally infective viral loads, shedding and transmission.

Call for volunteers for world’s first coronavirus human challenge study | Imperial News | Imperial College London

The UK will be the first country to run a Covid-19 human challenge study, following a favourable opinion from the UK’s clinical trials ethics body.

www.imperial.ac.uk

Thanks for the link 2hats but there is no way I am volunteering

 

[SpineyNorman]

Thanks for the link 2hats but there is no way I am volunteering

They don't want old cunts like us anyway

 

[Mation]

World's first SARS-CoV-2 human challenge trials, to better understand minimally infective viral loads, shedding and transmission.

Call for volunteers for world’s first coronavirus human challenge study | Imperial News | Imperial College London

The UK will be the first country to run a Covid-19 human challenge study, following a favourable opinion from the UK’s clinical trials ethics body.

www.imperial.ac.uk

Can't help feeling that this will be the cause of much regret, even if it ultimately provides useful information.

 

[ska invita]

excess deaths - Russia a disaster

 

[two sheds]

From reddit, and confirmation:

France rewards hundreds of frontline immigrant workers with citizenship

"They have proved their commitment to the nation. It is now up to the Republic to take a step toward them."

www.cbsnews.com

Why can't our government act like human fucking beings sometimes the cunts

 

[teuchter]

More detail on that excess deaths stuff here

GitHub - dkobak/excess-mortality: Excess mortality during COVID-19 pandemic

Excess mortality during COVID-19 pandemic. Contribute to dkobak/excess-mortality development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

The suggestion seems to be that the UK is not really under-counting its Covid deaths but some other countries are, including Italy, Portugal, Spain, Poland and quite a few Eastern European countries.

So for example if you look at UK vs Spain somewhere like here then UK appears to be worse, at 180 vs 140 deaths per 100,000, but according to the numbers above Spain might actually be about the same.

 

[elbows]

The suggestion seems to be that the UK is not really under-counting its Covid deaths but some other countries are, including Italy, Portugal, Spain, Poland and quite a few Eastern European countries.

So for example if you look at UK vs Spain somewhere like here then UK appears to be worse, at 180 vs 140 deaths per 100,000, but according to the numbers above Spain might actually be about the same.

There was UK underreporting in the first wave, which is somewhat visible when comparing death certificate Covid-19 deaths to deaths from all causes. There is less underreporting in the second wave, in great part due to much higher amounts of testing, but it is also less easy to establish the extent of any underreporting due to less deaths than normal from other causes such as influenza.

I would say that yes, it is quite likely that there are plenty of countries with more significant undercounting at the moment than the UK.

 

[platinumsage]

A thread of EU vaccine refusers following ill-advised pronouncements by politicians:

 

[elbows]

edit - moved vaccine stuff to a more appropriate thread that has popped up.