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And on that abusive, conspiracy-wibbling note, your time on this thread is over.

They have been trashing the 'General Coronavirus (COVID-19) chat' thread too, can they be banned from that as well?

Actually. ideally the whole covid forum, except perhaps the 'Discussion: UK anti-vaxx 'freedom' morons, protests and QAnon idiots' thread. :thumbs:
 
What is it about the fact that one of the most vaccinated countries in the world is experiencing a surge in deaths that you cannot comprehend?
Because the very effective but not perfect vaccine does not completely stop a global pandemic. But, as you must have read, their death rate is tiny, even with a surge as you put it. They are a fantastic success compared to the uk.
 
Important article. Worth reading.


"But it’s easier to clean surfaces than improve ventilation — especially in the winter — and consumers have come to expect disinfection protocols."

Yep - while studies have shown transmission via surfaces is theoretically possible, I'm not sure if there's been a single confirmed case of it actually happening.
 
"But it’s easier to clean surfaces than improve ventilation — especially in the winter — and consumers have come to expect disinfection protocols."

Yep - while studies have shown transmission via surfaces is theoretically possible, I'm not sure if there's been a single confirmed case of it actually happening.
True, but it will help with some other pathogen transmission.
Mostly it is down to "the theater" now, but from my observations it will also make some vulnerable people feel more confident/less worried in shared spaces, as long as the airborne transmission message gets passed on too it can't hurt.
 
True, but it will help with some other pathogen transmission.
Mostly it is down to "the theater" now, but from my observations it will also make some vulnerable people feel more confident/less worried in shared spaces, as long as the airborne transmission message gets passed on too it can't hurt.

Yeah, while hand-washing etc. apparently not going to protect anybody against COVID, I don't think any public health figure is going to want to come out and say "It's OK everybody, you can stop washing your hands!"

I just hope they stress that ventilation should be by far the most important priority so nobody thinks that poor ventilation, distancing etc. can be partially compensated for by very thorough hand-washing and surface cleaning.
 
I see that Singapore's case rate and death rate now very closely match the UK's.

Screenshot 2021-11-01 at 16.15.45.jpgScreenshot 2021-11-01 at 16.16.13.jpg


The Singapore govt seems to be saying that they should expect about 2,000 Covid deaths per year in the long term. If I have my sums right, the UK equivalent would be about 20,000 per year.
 
Hmm so like 400 a week of mostly old or otherwise unproductive strains on the Economy, yep that'll make balancing the books a bit easier for our chums beside the Thames....luvvly jubbly
 

Further work on this points to repeated reverse zoonosis (zooanthroponosis), with obvious inferences for endemic/enzootic progression.
Preprint abstract said:
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), the predominant cervid in North America, are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and experimentally infected fawns transmit the virus to other captive deer. To test the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 may be circulating in deer, we evaluated 283 samples collected from 151 free-living and 132 captive deer in Iowa from April through December 2020 for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. 33.2% were positive. Notably, between Nov 23, 2020, and January 10, 2021, 82.5% had detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

Whole genome sequencing of the positive samples identified 12 SARS-CoV-2 lineages, with B.1.2, and B.1.311 accounting for ~75% of all samples. The geographic distribution and nesting of clusters of deer and human lineages strongly suggest multiple zooanthroponotic spillover events and deer-to-deer transmission. The discovery of sylvatic and enzootic SARS-CoV-2 transmission in deer has important implications for the ecology and long-term persistence, as well as the potential for spillover to other animals and spillback into humans.
Epidemic curve showing SARS-CoV-2 weekly cases (per 100,000) in humans and the monthly change in SARS-CoV-2 positivity in White-tailed deer in Iowa.
DOI: 10.1101/2021.10.31.466677v1.
 
But 15% of the NYPD, around 5,000 cops, are still unvaccinated - we might see many more placed on leave when the city gets around to evaluating the thousands of requests for medical or religious exemptions.

With the FDNY, more than 2,300 firefighters called in sick Monday, the first day of the mandate, compared to between 800 and 1,000 on a normal day.


Yip - been reading about the protests that seem to be erupting throughout the States.

The creators of the meme must have put a lot of work in on finding a low number.
 
Woah, Germany now gone up to 35000 daily cases (from around 4000-8000 a month or two ago iirc).

Their daily average is still under 20k, although that's around double in 2 weeks, early Sept. around 8k, early/mid Oct. 10k.

 
Woah, Germany now gone up to 35000 daily cases (from around 4000-8000 a month or two ago iirc).

Just glad that my dad got his booster yesterday; mum getting hers this week as well I think.

Need to check with my brother who had the one-shot Johnson/Janssen which I think is being shown to benefit from a booster.
My company's HQ is in Germany and a thing went out this morning about the company tightening up Covid measures (and they're already pretty tight tbh). My colleague who's in Munich was saying his kids (primary/nursery age) are having daily tests.
 
My company's HQ is in Germany and a thing went out this morning about the company tightening up Covid measures (and they're already pretty tight tbh). My colleague who's in Munich was saying his kids (primary/nursery age) are having daily tests.
Wow… that’s not very fair on the kids
 
Woah, Germany now gone up to 35000 daily cases (from around 4000-8000 a month or two ago iirc).

Just glad that my dad got his booster yesterday; mum getting hers this week as well I think.

Need to check with my brother who had the one-shot Johnson/Janssen which I think is being shown to benefit from a booster.
Not just Germany -

Screenshot 2021-11-04 at 15.17.14.jpg
 
From the genetic risk department comes something substantial:


University of Oxford scientists have uncovered a gene that doubles the risk of lung failure and death from Covid.

They say 60% of people from South Asian backgrounds and 15% of people of European ancestry carry the high-risk version of the gene.

The Nature Genetics study sheds light on why some communities in the UK and South Asia are at higher risk from Covid - but does not fully explain it.

Building on previous genetic work, researchers used a combination of artificial intelligence and new molecular technology to pinpoint the exact gene - called LZTF1 - responsible for the increased risks.

They estimate the risky version of the gene is present in about 2% of people from African-Caribbean backgrounds and 1.8% of people of East Asian decent.

When cells lining the lung interact with coronavirus, one of their defence strategies is to turn into less specialised cells and become less welcoming to the virus.

This despecialisation process reduces the amount on the surface of cells of a key protein called ACE-2, which is key to coronavirus attaching itself to cells.

But for people with the risky version of the LZTFL1 gene this process does not work as well, and lung cells are left vulnerable to invasion of the virus.
 
After an embarrassingly slow start to the vaccine rollout, Australians are picking up the pace pretty well.


The Premier of WA announced today that the state border will re-open when we reach 90% double vaxxed, which is predicted to be early Feb. I think then we have to go back to wearing masks in crowds and public transport. Its going to be a bit of an adjustment to going from zero restrictions (except travel) and zero locally transmitted cases ( we have had 9 deaths in total), but it needs to be done. I am hoping by next (Northern hemisphere) summer I will be able to come back to the UK and see my mum again, I haven't seen her since 2017.
 
Pfizer COVID pill sounds very promising - company says risk of hospitalisation or death was reduced by 89% when the pill was taken within three days of the onset of symptoms in a trial involving high-risk unvaccinated patients with other health issues.


I wonder how many of the people who rejected the Pfizer vaccine will be demanding a Pfizer pill when symptoms kick in.
 
Everyone has been going on how we should help out with vaccinations on a global scale. I thought it was going terribly. But actually its not too bad.

7.23 Billion vaccinations administered globally. Not perfect but its coming along. Central Africa is a problem as people are often hard to reach.

 
Pfizer COVID pill sounds very promising - company says risk of hospitalisation or death was reduced by 89% when the pill was taken within three days of the onset of symptoms in a trial involving high-risk unvaccinated patients with other health issues.


I wonder how many of the people who rejected the Pfizer vaccine will be demanding a Pfizer pill when symptoms kick in.

This does look impressive if further trials show the same results, this would end COVID pressure on health services.

E2A: I've been reading more and then this

Dr John Cambell doing his thing

If what Pfizer are saying works out in practice, the Coronavirus pandemic will be behind us. Did anyone expect this to happen so soon. I was resigned for it to rumble on for a while longer.
Plus it might work on a all coronaviruses such as the common cold.
 
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