When will this shit end?

[Fuzzy Afro]

Dunno about you guys but I can live with waiting a bit more for step 4 as long as step 3 goes ahead nationwide and it maintained with no further reimposition. 

[balthazarstarbuck]

I don’t understand this at all.

The stance so far has been the majority of the protection (and prevention of transmission) comes from the first dose. Have we seen anything from the Indian variant that disputes that? If so, then why are we slowing down first jabs for the reminder who have been unvaccinated (because that’s essentially what we’re doing if we’re prioritising second jabs with a potentially lower efficacy)

[efcfanwirral]

1 minute ago, steviewevie said:

maybe...we'll see..Johnson has been cautious, but he'll be wanting to hit that date.

I was listening to a podcast earlier and it had an interview with a couple of Sunday Times journalists who have written a book about the govt response to the pandemic (Failues Of State) and they were saying that Johnson had been reluctant to lockdown all three times, and desperate to lift lockdown. Was pretty interesting. Definitely the advise he was getting in Feb and early March was treat it like flu, mitigate, herd immunity...but that changed mid March but still it took him over a week to actually agree to lockdown which cost a lot of lives...and then we know what happened in the autumn and winter with the late decisions to lockdown. But, also says he was being advised to opening everything on July 4th last year...and what that led to over the summer and then into the autumn.

So...in short...I think he really will want to be lifting all lockdown restrictions next month...but maybe he's listening to science advice more now.

Honestly the stakes are so high here i think we're at the point where it's a couple more weeks now or a few more months in the worst case scenario. I just feel its another reckless decision allowing Monday knowing all this. But in their desperate need to be liked its clear this was suppressed until after the elections and the announcement of easing. They're gambling again and we could pay with another long lockdown 

[steviewevie]

4 minutes ago, Radiochicken said:

Ffs that’s my vaccine delayed even longer. Also, not putting India on the red list quick enough - more common, obvious, avoidable mistakes.

yeah, that was a weirdly shit mistake.

[Ozanne]

3 minutes ago, Radiochicken said:

Ffs that’s my vaccine delayed even longer. Also, not putting India on the red list quick enough - more common, obvious, avoidable mistakes.

It's very frustrating, isn't it. They should've closed down travel from those area along before they did. 

[efcfanwirral]

1 minute ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

Dunno about you guys but I can live with waiting a bit more for step 4 as long as step 3 goes ahead nationwide and it maintained with no further reimposition. 

I totally understand how hard its been for people - I think I'm in the minority who isn't at all bothered about step 3 - 2 was an easing for me, 3 makes no difference when the weather is warmer and 4 is the fun stuff

[steviewevie]

1 minute ago, efcfanwirral said:

Honestly the stakes are so high here i think we're at the point where it's a couple more weeks now or a few more months in the worst case scenario. I just feel its another reckless decision allowing Monday knowing all this. But in their desperate need to be liked its clear this was suppressed until after the elections and the announcement of easing. They're gambling again and we could pay with another long lockdown 

that was the problem with having these dates in the roadmap I guess...even though they are earliest possible dates they are fixed in the public's mind.

[steviewevie]

I'm actually planning on leaving Manchester for the first time in ages next week. Will I make it? Escape from Manchester.

Edited May 14, 2021 by steviewevie

[Copperface]

8 minutes ago, august1 said:

They seem to think second dose protects against the variant better so better to get it done asap, more antibodies with a longer gap though

No idea. I just seem to remember that it was decided that 12 weeks was subsequently found to be the optimum interval.  I suppose that the term once derided term 'fully vaccinated' was actually fully justified.

Edited May 14, 2021 by Copperface

[Radiochicken]

7 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

It's very frustrating, isn't it. They should've closed down travel from those area along before they did. 

Boris’ reason was “it wasn’t logged as a variant of concern at the time”

So, the strategy seems to be let it all in until we work out it’s a concern then react after / after horse has bolted.

Completely nuts.

[steviewevie]

So, I'm 50 and had my first dose more than 8 weeks ago (but less than 12)...I guess I can book that 2nd dose earlier...? 

[Ozanne]

2 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

So, I'm 50 and had my first dose more than 8 weeks ago (but less than 12)...I guess I can book that 2nd dose earlier...? 

Yeah I think also, I'd give it a day or so for the NHS app and GOV website to update but I think you should be ok.

[zahidf]

 

[Copperface]

7 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

So, I'm 50 and had my first dose more than 8 weeks ago (but less than 12)...I guess I can book that 2nd dose earlier...? 

Mine was eight weeks ago exactly so might see what happens on the booking system.

Is this a national thing or just concentrated on areas of concern?

[steviewevie]

1 minute ago, Copperface said:

Mine was eight weeks ago exactly so might see what happens on the booking system.

Is this a national thing or just concentrated on areas of concern?

I don't know...but I can't book an earlier one yet.

[Radiochicken]

Goodbye.

[Copperface]

The classic shit sandwich:

The prime minister said he did not believe that the "present evidence" showed a need to delay the next stage in the easing of lockdown in England on Monday.

But Mr Johnson warned: "I have to level with you that this new variant could pose a serious disruption to our progress and could make it more difficult to move to step four in June."

He said there was "no evidence to suggest that our vaccines will be less effective in protecting people against severe illness and hospitalisation".

[zahidf]

 

[zahidf]

 

[JoeyT]

 

[jannybruck]

There needs to be some serious conversations after this around some of the factors that have lead to these flare-ups, because it's happened multiple times in the past year in hotspots where they've found it difficult to control.

Certain communities not only live in extreme poverty, in poor quality multigenerational HMOs, but also work in close quarters with poor conditions, often factories. Add on top of this skepticism of vaccines and misinformation, lack of communications getting to them because of language barriers, and fear of government because of notoriously bad experiences with authority.. it's a huge fucking mess of a tinderbox, really.

I don't expect the government to acknowledge this because it exposes poverty and neglect and community isolation in huge swathes of the country, but if anything (god forbid) happens again like this then these pressure points need a tonne of funding and attention placed on it before we even start looking at elsewhere.

Edited May 14, 2021 by jannybruck

[Memory Man]

These vaccines just need to get done as quickly as possible

there is no evidence to suggest older vaccinated people are going to be going to hospital and dying and franky if you havent taken up the vaccine then i’ve no sympathy

full steam ahead and come end of july hopefully all restrictions will go as the last 18 year olds get their first dose

keep the vaccines available for those changing their mind of course. The nhs is not going to be close to being troubled, that seems very clear now

[shoptildrop]

Had my 2nd Pfizer jab this morning!! arm currently feeling like it's been filled with lead again lol

 

Based on tonight's update I think Boris is bracing us for a delay on lifting everything on 21st June, but tbh I think that's be the case for awhile now 😞 

 

[Hannibal Schmitt]

A corona mutant is only worrying "if it turns out that the variant leads to serious illnesses even in those who have already recovered or who have been vaccinated," says Prof. Richard Neher, head of the research group on the evolution of viruses and bacteria at the University of Basel. 

A permanently increased number of severe courses is also a warning signal. For the time being, the expert was not worried: "So far, there are no indications for either one or the other."

Neher spoke out in favor of continuing to "closely monitor" the spread of B.1.617. The scientist went on to say: “I would not be surprised if it turns out in the end that this variant is not as worrying as some are currently concerned. Of course, that doesn't mean that one shouldn't try to do everything possible to contain the spread. "

[st dan]

21 minutes ago, zahidf said:

 

Surely that’s only the case if the vaccines don’t work? I mean it must be, because we’ve now got 30m+ of the most vulnerable vaccinated, so it would be impossible to be higher than previous peaks wouldn’t it?