Coronavirus (Covid19) Corner

[plaques]

Covid jab arranged for tomorrow evening for Mrs P and myself at the Colne Health Centre.

[PanBiker]

[Sue]

Covid jab arranged for tomorrow evening for Mrs P and myself at the Colne Health Centre.

At last , long time to wait for me , about a month yet. Hope no adverse swollen arms etc

[Big Kev]

I think I'm way down the waiting list.

[plaques]

At last , long time to wait for me , about a month yet. Hope no adverse swollen arms etc

I spoke to a friend today who had his jab on saturday,. No problem with after affects just a bit of tenderness with exercise. His wife showed no problems. His only comment was " I've never seen as many pensioners in one room in all my life". (Must not go to church concerts)

My call from the health centre included a couple of questions..
Have you had any violent reactions from previous vaccinations.
Do you take Warfarin medication. Not a problem for me although I know that colds and other infections can easily upset the warfarin balance.

[Stanley]

Looks as though they are doing all the important people before me. That's all right, I'm as safe now as I have been all year. I wish you all a good second jab!

[Big Kev]

Looks as though they are doing all the important people before me. That's all right, I'm as safe now as I have been all year. I wish you all a good second jab!

What I have noticed is the jabs are at Colne Health Centre or Yarnspinners in Nelson. I'm not aware of anyone being called to Barlick Health Centre yet.

[Sue]

At last , long time to wait for me , about a month yet. Hope no adverse swollen arms etc

I spoke to a friend today who had his jab on saturday,. No problem with after affects just a bit of tenderness with exercise. His wife showed no problems. His only comment was " I've never seen as many pensioners in one room in all my life". (Must not go to church concerts)

My call from the health centre included a couple of questions..
Have you had any violent reactions from previous vaccinations.
Do you take Warfarin medication. Not a problem for me although I know that colds and other infections can easily upset the warfarin balance.

Good to hear. The butchers daughter at Bacup market was going on and on about her arm hurting. I tried to explain that it depends who does the injection and so e people react to intra muscular and others don’t. But you know you always het the person who likes to scare others !

[plaques]

Simple's brain's attempt to cut through the fog and hype of the new variant covid-19 virus.
First some definitions.
Dominant virus (D). the virus that has been circulating through the UK since last March
Variant virus, (V). the virus now found predominantly in London and the south of England.

1) Infectious dose, The number of virus particles required to enter the body to cause an viral infection.
(A) The infectious dose has not yet been determined on virus (D).
(B) The infectious dose has not been determined on virus (V). If the quantity is lower this may lead to a higher rate of infection.
2) Viral Load. The number of viral particles created within the body once the infection has taken hold.
(A) With virus (D) there appears to be no correlation between high and low virus load and the severity of the illness. This appears to be dependent
on individual physical condition or genetic make up.
(B) With virus (V) This work is ongoing but its suspected that the result will not be different to virus (D)
3) Viral shedding. Each cough or sneeze will eject virus particles. The heavier the viral load the more particles will be shed.
Depending on 1)(B) above this may increase the infection rate.
4) Static viral life. Virus (D) only lives for a very short time outside the body. There is no suggestion that this has changed for virus (V).
5) Vaccines. There is no suggestion at this point that the current vaccine won't be effective against virus (V). and (virus (D) is still with us.

Whether its virus (D) or (V) the need for personal separation, isolation and physical barriers are paramount in limiting the spread

Boris's cabinet has come up with a new plan Variant UK Universal Plan I'll leave it to the reader to supply the acronym.

[Tizer]

Thanks for the summary, Plaques. By the way, can you now hear Bill Gates talking to you in the background yet?

[plaques]

Back from our covid vaccination at Colne health centre. A very slick military style operation well organised, A large car park so no problem there. Met at the car park entrance with a guide to tell us where to enter the building. Ground floor. two receptionists taking preliminary details and temperature. Move on to a vacant vaccination room there looked to be at least four in service. More questions about possible reactions medication and instructions about 'what if' developments. Totally painless jab, handed next appointment booking card. Moved to waiting area for 15 minutes in case of delayed reaction. Total time about 20 minutes. Have a good day and see you in 3 weeks.

Stanley, I asked about if future vaccinations would be done at Barlick. The staff didn't know but said Colne was to be the main centre because of the space and organisation probably in the region 12+ staff on duty until 8.00 pm. Personally I would make the effort to get there.

[Stanley]

Thanks for the thought Ken. I'm in no rush and I think the picture will change when the Oxford vaccine is available because it is so much easier to distribute using normal fridges. Travel is difficult for me for many reasons. Don't ask for the full list. There are far more important people than me. Why aren't Mick and Susan being offered it, they are both carers?

[Gloria]

Husband had to go for his yesterday at Buckshaw Village surgery, all went well.

[plaques]

No adverse reactions to yesterday's vaccination. Just the same as an influenza vaccination. Just a bit peeved they wanted to see my birth certificate, you could be Mr P's son, I joke of course.

Big panic on about the backlog of 3,000 trucks in Kent with another 700 hanging about waiting to set off. All this happening over 2 /3 days. This may just be the tip of Pete's iceberg, add to this all the private cars etc: and you've thousands of people moving through the New Variant danger zone. No wonder that there are other local areas in the UK with the new virus. I know that this is pantomime season but one would think that even the wooden tops in No 10 would be able to see that leaving the petri dish of southern England open for through transport when it should have been closed weeks ago will spread the new variant. A quick review of the transport routes of these wagons should show why there are new hot spots. Or perhaps they just sprang up like magic mushrooms. Get your new book 'Boris in Wonderland' while the supermarkets still have them

[Tizer]

Give thought to the people who live in that part of Kent. Apparently lorries have been parking all over the place, on road sides, in car parks, housing estates etc.

This is a useful article. The impression in the general news media is that the UK is to blame for the new variant. This points out that the variant, or similar, might be in many other countries but we do much more research looking for variants so we find it here first.
`Covid: New variant found ‘due to hard work of UK scientists’' LINK
`A new variant of the virus causing Covid-19, first spotted in Kent, could already be circulating - or have originated from - outside the UK. But it was spotted here because of the strength of the UK's surveillance system, scientists have said. The Covid-19 Genomics Consortium (Cog-UK) has tracked the genetic history of more than 150,000 samples of Sars-Cov-2 virus. That equates to about half the world's genetic sequencing of coronavirus. Prof Sharon Peacock, head of Cog-UK, said the UK's high level of genomic surveillance meant "if you're going to find something anywhere, you're going to find it probably here first".

[Tripps]

I'm getting puzzled ref the vaccine. I'm pleased of course that OGFB members here have had the first jab, but based on age alone, they were supposed to be in the second tranche, behind NHS staff, care home residents, and their carers. Does that mean that all such have had it already? I hope so.

I'd expected the Oxford Astrazenica version to be available by now, but seems not yet. Is there a problem? Mr Blair has started manouevres today, and speaks a lot of sense. More will emerge over the day I think.

PS. 3.45 pm
Hancock evasive over dates of availability and roll out of the Astrazenica vaccine, and I've been promoted to Tier 4. Seems that, the more transmssible, new variant is increasing rapidly in the East of England. Oh dear.

A family member in Lancashire has had a positive test. Not good.

[Big Kev]

Hancock's press conference, at 15:00 today wasn't good news for the area around the current tier 4 parts of England. The north appears to be as is for now.

The 'newer' new variant of the virus, fresh in from South Africa, is causing a bit of concern. Anyone who has been in SA in the last 2 weeks has to lock themselves in the shed, not see anyone and await updates...

[plaques]

I'm getting puzzled ref the vaccine. I'm pleased of course that OGFB members here have had the first jab, but based on age alone, they were supposed to be in the second tranche, behind NHS staff, care home residents, and their carers. Does that mean that all such have had it already? I hope so.

Both Mrs P and myself are pleased we have started the vaccine course but no doubt like yourself we would have been content to sit it out until ALL the front line workers had been covered first. My niece works as a nurse in a hospital in Northumberland and although she gets checked twice a week it would have been far better for her to have the vaccine instead of us. Her nerves are on breaking point and I doubt if she'll continue under this regime which is a shame after more than 20 years service.
I think its all down to politics. Old people tend to vote Conservative no point in wrecking your support base.

Sorry about your lockdown, remember Gloria Gaynor 'I Will Survive'.

[Tripps]

Tier 4 will make no difference at all to me. I have been in it (self calculated, and imposed) since March 13th. 'I will survive' has been a mantra for a long time - not just for Covid 19.

Will you vote Tory now in an act of gratitude. I'd doubt it - anyway no major election due until 2024. Hopefully just a memory by then. If we're spared - as Mr Wogan used to say.

[Whyperion]

Dont think Blair understands, a two-dose vaccine if only given as one, leaves more virus to go out and wiggle out of vaccine control. the full blast as seen (either lo dose hi dose if meaningfully confirmed or hi - hi ) to assist the general, and individual elimination.


Some reports (from USA) that the newish strain has not been confirmed to have increased transmissibility, but Hancock/Johnson used it as reason to do what they should have done, but refused to, two weeks earlier.

[Stanley]

As usual David and I are singing from the same hymn sheet. I have been shielding since March and don't mind doing it for a few more months. As for the vaccine, I shall wait until I can walk to the surgery and get it. I am in no more danger now than I have been all year.
No. of trucks queuing for ferry at Dover was 5,000 last night and some silly bugger has arranged the Covid tests so that the trucks at the front of the queue have to go to Manston for the tests and join the back of the queue. You mean to say they couldn't see why this was not going to work?

[Sue]

I'm getting puzzled ref the vaccine. I'm pleased of course that OGFB members here have had the first jab, but based on age alone, they were supposed to be in the second tranche, behind NHS staff, care home residents, and their carers. Does that mean that all such have had it already? I hope so.

The Rochdale centre is said to have delivered 2000 vaccinations to the public. This of course is not a multiple of 923 or whatever it was so I presume the rest of the third batch approx 700 went to carers etc.

[Tizer]

I'd expected the Oxford Astrazenica version to be available by now, but seems not yet. Is there a problem? Mr Blair has started manouevres today, and speaks a lot of sense. More will emerge over the day I think.

Blair is pressing for the two-dose vaccine to be used as a one-dose so that you can vaccinate twice as many people. You can't do that unless you're sure that it will work satisfactorily in one dose. If it doesn't work then you'll have wasted millions of doses and left millions of people thinking they're going to be immune when they're not.

[Stanley]

I listened to the litany of doom yesterday and decided that shielding was still the best option. I'll bet David came to the same conclusion. Not looking good for post Xmas.....

[plaques]

A long explanation about the current vaccination programme. Vaccination. Rather long winded but worth a read. Most people will be concerned about side effects etc: discussed in the second part of the address. Basically very similar to the after effects of the influenza vaccine with tiredness being a common factor. Emphasises the need for continue awareness and precautions until herd immunity is achieved.
A reminder that at the current rate of vaccination it could be over a year before the population of the UK is vaccinated.