Coronavirus (Covid19) Corner

[Tizer]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[Stanley]

Isn't that what they have been doing mostly? Certainly I had two AZ and a booster of Pfizer.
I agree about his interview and took the point he made out of AZ being used in more vaccinations than Pfizer world wide because it is cheap and doesn't nee specialised refrigerators. He sounded like a man it would be good to work for.

[Tizer]

More on the AZ vaccine this morning - it looks like the Telegraph journalists listen to the Today programme!..

`AstraZeneca vaccine may give longer protection that is shielding UK from new Covid wave: Giving Oxford jab to elderly could be why Britain has so far avoided virus crisis hitting Europe, say experts' Telegraph
`AstraZeneca may offer longer-lasting immunity than other vaccines, scientists have said amid claims that the jab has helped Britain avoid the latest Covid wave in Europe. Pascal Soriot, the chief executive of AstraZeneca, said the decision to give the Oxford vaccine to older people in Britain could be one of the reasons the UK was not seeing not "so many hospitalisations relative to Europe" despite a high number of cases. The Telegraph understands that the pharmaceutical company is preparing to release data showing that its jab offers long term T-cell immunity for older people even after antibodies wane. Mr Soriot said the immunity provided by T-cells may be "more durable".'..

[Tripps]

Isn't that what they have been doing mostly? Certainly I had two AZ and a booster of Pfizer.

I think I will quietly give up here, and retire to a darkened room.

Mr Soriot said the immunity provided by T-cells may be "more durable".'..

Doesn't seem to have 'cut through' with the Americans though. I understand it's still not approved at all for use there. M.Soriot sounded like one of the good guys, but at the end of the day he still needs to sell his 'product'

[Tizer]

The Americans don't need anyone else's vaccines, they've got several American companies providing what they need and authorised a while ago. No need to buy in.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on a new and potentially more virulent variant detected in Africa. Not here yet but it's causing high alert on travel.

[Tizer]

It was bound to happen somewhere. It has a higher infection rate but we don't know yet if the mortality rate is higher too.

On a more general aspect of covid-19, I found this useful update on it's origin in an article published in June from an Oxford University prof...
`The wet market sources of Covid-19: bats and pangolins have an alibi' Oxford Uni

[Big Kev]

It's being discussed on the Jeremy Scaremongering Vine programme on Radio 2. After the usual 'we're all doomed' opener they had someone on saying they don't know the impact of the variant yet. The BBC are worse than the Daily Express with misleading 'headlines'.

[Big Kev]

On a more general aspect of covid-19, I found this useful update on it's origin in an article published in June from an Oxford University prof...
`The wet market sources of Covid-19: bats and pangolins have an alibi' Oxford Uni

Interesting read

[Tripps]

It was bound to happen somewhere. It has a higher infection rate

And gives ammuntion to the 'conspracy theorists who have been predicting for some time, that a new variant would be announced as winter comes, in order to further the plan to keep us all under control.

I noted in my 'Plague Diary' yesterday. "Heard first reference ever to a new Botswana variant".

I read that there are currently 59 cases - not enough I'd suggest to tell us anything at all about the rate of transmission. It was said there are 50 genetic variations, yet today I hear on BBC R4 that there are 32. I also hear that there is not yet any sample of the new variant in UK to analyse. That said I do remember from the last variant scare that the S.African labs were pretty good.

[Stanley]

"Bats are actually rarely consumed in Central China, where market photos generally depict Indonesia. Pangolin trade is still a significant issue in other Chinese cities and trading nodes, but not in Wuhan. What were there, however, were 47,381 individuals from 38 species, including 31 protected species, all kept in dreadful conditions and teeming with all kinds of other infectious diseases, ready to be slaughtered on demand, if not sold as pets. While pork retails for the equivalent of c. $5.75 /kg in Wuhan, a marmot would cost $25. Slightly cheaper were badgers and raccoon dogs at $15-20, or a snack of hedgehog for $2-3. Amongst birds, peacocks were popular at $56, or if reptiles were the order of the day, sharp-nosed viper could be had for $70 /kg. Pets included everything from squirrels ($25) to myna birds ($300). Clearly then this is not subsistence bushmeat, but a costly delicacy."
This was the paragraph that got my attention Peter.... It astonishes me that these animals are often expensive delicacies or pets and not simply hungry people eating whatever they can afford for subsistence..

[Stanley]

News coming in that Belgium has identified its first case of the new variant.....

[Big Kev]

Mr Javid added that the variant, first detected in South Africa, "may pose substantial risk to public health" as it could be "more transmissible than the delta variant" and could have the potential to evade current vaccines.

I'll be concerned when 'may', 'could be' and 'could have' are replaced with does and is in the statements.

[Tizer]

Stanley, I'm glad you picked out the paragraph on the types of animal sold in the Wuhan market and their prices. That's one of the main reasons I linked the article. Because they get called `wet markets' we Westerners wrongly assume that the customers are poorer because they're having to buy there instead of supermarkets like our shiny, glorious ones. I wonder what Chinatyke would tell us about the markets. These animal products may be bought not so much for an everyday meal but because people believe they make you live longer or have more active sex lives, or give better skin, or make you more intelligent etc...

It's not surprising that there's been a rapid outbreak in the new covid strain in the Gauteng area of South Africa. Vaccination has been low in SA and Gauteng is densely populated - it has 25% of the SA population in only 1.5% of the country's area and takes in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Now cases are popping up in other countries. Expect to see many more because they'll already be out there, we just haven't identified them yet. I think the medics are rattled because the variant has a shocking number of mutations, no matter whether it's 30 or 50 it's a hell of a lot!

[PanBiker]

It's already been detected in Belgium so effectively it will probably be here. Boris hasn't put travellers from there on the red list. I wonder if they will backtrack and revert to the simple act of mandatory face masks?

[chinatyke]

Wet markets are widely used here and they are not very hygienic. They usually include vegetables as well some strange animals. We live next to one and my wife buys from there daily. We've never had a problem but really they are not healthy places and often it is hold your nose when you go in. Meat from dogs, snakes, pork, chicken, beef, toads, crabs, etc is all on sale. I've seen live monkeys, pangolins, squirrels (awful meat), bamboo rats, civets, for sale in Nanning.
Dried bat in the supermarket went down to half price last year!
Just local culture.

[Stanley]

"Just local culture."
It may well be Graham but I'm glad we don't have it here.
I agree about masks such a simple, and as we now know, effective measure.

[Tizer]

..squirrels (awful meat)..

But did all the others taste any better?

[Big Kev]

61 passengers test positive for covid after arrival at Schiphol airport from Johannesburg, it would be interesting to know if they were tested before they left South Africa.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59442149

[PanBiker]

Like I suspected in my earlier post yesterday, two cases of the new variant in the UK have turned up.

[Big Kev]

Compulsory face coverings in shops and buses is back, be interesting to see how many comply.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prim ... ember-2021

[Tripps]

Indeed. . .

Dr Chris Smith the 'Naked Scientist' blog chap, has just said that 80 - 90 % of Covid transmission takes place in the home, where there is no requirement to wear a face covering. He also said face coverings vary from the Hospital grade surgical masks, to others which were less effective. I got the strong feeling that he was very anxious not to 'rock the boat' .

Here we go again. . . . let's hope not.
******************************************************************************

PS - just shops and public transport? Not pubs, night clubs, gyms, offices etc?

Professor Van Tam doesn't seem to think they're much benefit - though the words "who are well" adds a bit of doubt to it all.

Prof Van Tam on masks

[chinatyke]

..squirrels (awful meat)..

But did all the others taste any better?

Not really.

[Tripps]

Anything with legs which isn't a table

Anything with wings which isn't an aeroplane. . . . .or so they say.

[Stanley]

Well, I'm covered in the home as there is only me here! On masks in general, if they aren't effective why have surgeons always worn them when operating? Also, I think they have another benefit, they show that people are aware and I believe that mask wearers are more likely to observe social distancing rules.
"PS - just shops and public transport? Not pubs, night clubs, gyms, offices etc? "
A good question David.....