COVID Vaccine !

[Craig the cyclist]

What you really need to make a vaccine work better is a dangerous sounding name.

Spikevax will do it, that will soon get the wimpy sounding Covid on the run

 

[Archie_tect]

Just heard that two people who I worked with ten years ago have had bad Covid reactions.

One, an anti-vaxxer, smoked 40 a day in his twenties- went to the first Newcastle match- he's 35 now and was hospitalised as he couldn't breathe. The other, a social smoker, 40, had the first jab but caught Covid two days before his second jab, at a rugby do. He's been bed-bound for 2 weeks and struggles to get up and down stairs.

Both have been telling everyone who's been in touch with them to get jabbed asap...

 

[lazybloke]

Just heard that two people who I worked with ten years ago have had bad Covid reactions.

One, an anti-vaxxer, smoked 40 a day in his twenties- went to the first Newcastle match- he's 35 now and was hospitalised as he couldn't breathe. The other, a social smoker, 40, had the first jab but caught Covid two days before his second jab, at a rugby do. He's been bed-bound for 2 weeks and struggles to get up and down stairs.

Both have been telling everyone who's been in touch with them to get jabbed asap...

Thinking about friends and family who had covid before jabs were available, the ex-smokers both came close to death; everyone else has had it much more mildly.

Far too small a sample size me me to suggest any correlation, but I wonder if smoking history vs covid severity has been studied.

 

[Craig the cyclist]

I wonder if smoking history vs covid severity has been studied.

I can't find it now, but there was a piece published (probably in 'Fag Smokers weekly@ or something) by some idiots that showed the effect of nicotine was having on the Covid virus, in as much as it killed it and the benefits of smoking were underestimated! WTAF

 

[KnittyNorah]

I can't find it now, but there was a piece published (probably in 'Fag Smokers weekly@ or something) by some idiots that showed the effect of nicotine was having on the Covid virus, in as much as it killed it and the benefits of smoking were underestimated! WTAF

Even if nicotine did produce a totally-unexpected side effect of offering a degree of protection against coronavirii in long-term addicts, the damage done to the respiratory system by the tars in the smoker's chosen method self-administration of the drug would be more than enough to negate any (highly implausible) benefit that even a conspiracy theorist could think up!

 

[Low Gear Guy]

I recall there was a news item last year that stated that smokers were less likely to catch covid. However, for those that caught it the consequences were worst.

 

[MartinQ]

I can't find it now, but there was a piece published (probably in 'Fag Smokers weekly@ or something) by some idiots that showed the effect of nicotine was having on the Covid virus, in as much as it killed it and the benefits of smoking were underestimated! WTAF

Sponsored by Marlboro? Not that the tobacco companies would ever "commission" "research" to say that their product was beneficial of course

 

[Ajax Bay]

Am going to miss these COVID threads (in NACA), but the sub-forum's furloughing (or redundancy), as they say at the end of a work meeting ending early (on-line) "will give us some time back!(?)" People attempting to score political brownie points has been tiresome, but mostly attenuated by sharing of on topic information and opinions.

Is Scotland's massive spike being caused by reopening schools? No, young adults drove the initial spike, which is subsiding and only now is school related growth taking its place in the data. England and Wales follow (term starts next month) and and a retrospective of the case data will display the effect of all pupils back in school (with some NPI (masking +) here in the SW).
Why can't we get on with vaccinating kids sharpish, like some other countries are doing? Will that will fix that issue?
As children are rarely going to hospital or getting ill, them catching the virus isn't so much of an "issue" though it does adversely affect their schooling and that of others (bubble) and (SAGE) "subsequent consequences for parents and carers, and the wider workforce implications". It's their contribution to spreading the virus which is an issue whilst even a small %age of adults (O/18) remain unvaccinated. (+14 days from second dose this is currently 24% but will be down to roughly 16% by end Sep). Heterogeneous vaccination rates will also adversely affect things.
16 and 17 year olds: JCVI Advice
Not all the expert bodies out there have agreed on vaccinating non-vulnerable U/16s. JCVI appear to be deliberating on this and the press are hinting we expect a verdict at some point. MHRA gave the 'OK' 8 weeks ago: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57358446
In Germany, aiui, the government have overruled their scientific panel (STIKO) in decided to vaccinate adolescents. We'll see if JCVI update their guidance; in England the government is legally bound to follow that; Scotland's government would likely choose to rubber stamp it, but don't have to.
Comment from SAGE documents (recent):
SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) says it is still difficult to work out whether schools are drivers of transmission, or simply reflecting the spread of the virus in the communities where they are located. - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58357021 2

 

[classic33]

Some kids aren't going to a school in their community. Some have a two bus journey to get to school, 7 - 8 miles away. Some of them in another borough/council area.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Sorry - don't quite get the point you may be making. Care to share deductions? You're agreeing that it's "difficult to work out whether schools are drivers of transmission, or simply reflecting the spread of the virus in the communities" - is that right?
Are schools back already over the water?

 

[classic33]

Sorry - don't quite get the point you may be making. Care to share deductions? You're agreeing that it's "difficult to work out whether schools are drivers of transmission, or simply reflecting the spread of the virus in the communities" - is that right?
Are schools back already over the water?

Back over the water? You're not in the UK?

I simply pointed out that there are some kids of school age not going to schools in "their communities". Some are having to travel out of their local council districts to go to school. How would that reflect on the figures? They test positive for arguments sake, does that count at point of testing, their school or their local communities.

 

[Craig the cyclist]

does that count at point of testing, their school or their local communities.

A positive test counts against your home postcode.

 

[Johnno260]

Am going to miss these COVID threads (in NACA), but the sub-forum's furloughing (or redundancy), as they say at the end of a work meeting ending early (on-line) "will give us some time back!(?)" People attempting to score political brownie points has been tiresome, but mostly attenuated by sharing of on topic information and opinions.

Is Scotland's massive spike being caused by reopening schools? No, young adults drove the initial spike, which is subsiding and only now is school related growth taking its place in the data. England and Wales follow (term starts next month) and and a retrospective of the case data will display the effect of all pupils back in school (with some NPI (masking +) here in the SW).
Why can't we get on with vaccinating kids sharpish, like some other countries are doing? Will that will fix that issue?
As children are rarely going to hospital or getting ill, them catching the virus isn't so much of an "issue" though it does adversely affect their schooling and that of others (bubble) and (SAGE) "subsequent consequences for parents and carers, and the wider workforce implications". It's their contribution to spreading the virus which is an issue whilst even a small %age of adults (O/18) remain unvaccinated. (+14 days from second dose this is currently 24% but will be down to roughly 16% by end Sep). Heterogeneous vaccination rates will also adversely affect things.
16 and 17 year olds: JCVI Advice
Not all the expert bodies out there have agreed on vaccinating non-vulnerable U/16s. JCVI appear to be deliberating on this and the press are hinting we expect a verdict at some point. MHRA gave the 'OK' 8 weeks ago: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57358446
In Germany, aiui, the government have overruled their scientific panel (STIKO) in decided to vaccinate adolescents. We'll see if JCVI update their guidance; in England the government is legally bound to follow that; Scotland's government would likely choose to rubber stamp it, but don't have to.
Comment from SAGE documents (recent):
SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) says it is still difficult to work out whether schools are drivers of transmission, or simply reflecting the spread of the virus in the communities where they are located. - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58357021 2

I suppose one test on if schools are driving numbers up will be a few weeks after the schools go back, it won’t be that clear cut as I know many peoples offices are re-opening to coincide with the school term starting.

The question on what age groups should be vaccinated has to be lead by the data, and only data, politics and all other factors can’t be used in this.

 

[MartinQ]

I suppose one test on if schools are driving numbers up will be a few weeks after the schools go back, it won’t be that clear cut as I know many peoples offices are re-opening to coincide with the school term starting.

The question on what age groups should be vaccinated has to be lead by the data, and only data, politics and all other factors can’t be used in this.

Tbh, last year the numbers increased when schools returned after summer.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...les/coronaviruscovid192020incharts/2020-12-18
I know the causal / correlation argument, but it would hardly be surprising.

 

[Julia9054]

I'm fully resigned to the fact that I'm probably going to catch covid sooner or later when schools go back.
Difference is that I am a lot less scared now I'm vaccinated