When will this shit end?

[MEGABOWL]

1 hour ago, Leyrulion said:

So the context to this rule is that it was actually added in to the regulations because it wasn't in the original ones. 

So they already have given it back once.

If it’s just been added they can’t have given it back already. They just missed an opportunity first time around.

 

And they’re a Hard Right, demonstrably untrustworthy Government. I don’t believe in Father Christmas, and I don’t trust them.

[danmarks]

Its not as simple as that though. Govenrment policy has been a,shambles but people's own self entitlement has been a huge factor too. If everyone took a bit of self ownership of this then hopefully the numbers wouldn't be as bad, if they were then totally it would be only the policymakers to blame. Rave by me on Saturday. 700 people who feel they can do what they want cos ' its halloween innit. We deserve some fun.' Numbers from that 1incident could be anything between 0 and a couple of hundred when you take other family members into account etc. And the police who had to attend. Etc. Its crap but its crap for everyone so selfownership isnt the same as i can do what i like. There's a collective responsibility surely just to keep doing at least the minimum.

[Homer]

40 minutes ago, Chrisp1986 said:

What scale events does this organisation run?

She represents the whole of the hospitality industry. Though reckon it will need a bit of time to ramp up from putting events on in general to something Glastonbury's size!

[JoeyT]

8 minutes ago, Homer said:

She represents the whole of the hospitality industry. Though reckon it will need a bit of time to ramp up from putting events on in general to something Glastonbury's size!

I think a lot depends on how well the mass testing goes in the first few cities / places it happens in.

If event / festival organisers see it being successful they can hedge their bets and start planning on doing the equivalent at their events.

I guess it'll ultimately come down to how accessible the tests are to the private sector / how much they cost.

Could an event such as glastonbury raise ticket prices in order to cover the cost? 

[JoeyT]

Decrease in positive cases in NI, Scotland and Wales today compared to last Tuesday.

Positive news!

[northernringo]

Just now, JoeyT said:

Decrease in positive cases in NI, Scotland and Wales today compared to last Tuesday.

Positive news!

Yeah, NI's figures have been on a downward trend for a good few days now but a little worryingly the rate of positives haven't really changed.

[Fuzzy Afro]

Vallance and Whitty being scrutinised by MPs 

[JoeyT]

 

Quote

 

Exclusive A new DES is set to be announced imminently for practices and PCNs to start administering a Covid vaccine from the beginning of December, Pulse understands.

Practices and PCNs will be asked to prepare to give the vaccine to over 85s and front line workers from the start of December, numerous sources have confirmed to Pulse.

There are currently two vaccines that are being prepared, with one requiring two shots and needing to be kept at minus 70 degrees.

Alongside GPs and PCNs, there will be teams delivering it to care homes, and at-scale delivery centres.

Pulse understands there will be sufficient resources allocated to practices.

A number of sources have confirmed to Pulse that an announcement around the DES is imminent, potentially by next week.

It is expected that the vaccines will be delivered in a number of ways, with teams going to care homes and delivery centres, such as those reported by the Economist and the Sun.

Pulse reported last month that the NHS was looking to start the rollout of the vaccine from December, with sources close to the issue putting the chances at ’50/50′.

It has now been confirmed to Pulse by numerous sources that GPs and the whole of the NHS are going to be put on standby to start vaccinating over-85s and frontline workers from early December.

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2020 by JoeyT

[JoeyT]

 

[zahidf]

3 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

 

If true, that would fit it in with coming our lockdown around then 

[steviewevie]

So...vaccine and mass testing by christmas then?

[squirrelarmy]

How are they going to keep large supplies of a vaccine at -70 degrees? 
 

Your standard industrial kitchen freezer only goes down to around -20. 
 

Specialist equipment does exist to cool things down to those extreme cold temperatures but having enough of that equipment in the volume required is going to take some serious investment. 

[Fuzzy Afro]

What’s a DES and what’s a PCN?

[fraybentos1]

1 minute ago, squirrelarmy said:

How are they going to keep large supplies of a vaccine at -70 degrees? 
 

Your standard industrial kitchen freezer only goes down to around -20. 
 

Specialist equipment does exist to cool things down to those extreme cold temperatures but having enough of that equipment in the volume required is going to take some serious investment. 

Sounds like one for @Toilet Duck

[The Nal]

Maybe Glasto can go ahead then but only for healthcare workers and people over 85.

[zahidf]

7 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

So...vaccine and mass testing by christmas then?

Makes Sense. Then, have the over 70's vaccinated in Jan, over 60's in Feb and over 50's by end of March

[zahidf]

2 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Maybe Glasto can go ahead then but only for healthcare workers and people over 85.

As i said before, once there is a working vaccine, the govt will ignore scietific calls for social distancing e.t.c

[steviewevie]

Vallance saying graphs shown on saturday were models, not forecasts...🤔

Edited November 3, 2020 by steviewevie

[JoeyT]

6 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

What’s a DES and what’s a PCN?

DES = Directed Enhanced Service’ (DES). A DES is the name given to directions from the Government for GPs to be rewarded for doing extra work to improve the health of their patients.

PCN = Primary Care Network.

(this is what google told me anyway...)

[JoeyT]

Should I have tagged @Toilet Duck?

Foolish of me not to tag our resident expert for his opinion.

The floor is yours... 

[squirrelarmy]

17 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

How are they going to keep large supplies of a vaccine at -70 degrees? 

Partly answering my own question here. The temperature the vaccine needs to be at is similar to the temperature of dry ice. 
 

I know a few bars that use dry ice in cocktails so a supply chain must already exist for those. Plus those bars won’t be using dry ice anytime soon. 
 

If anyone wants to make a short term investment buy stocks in dry ice making companies! They are about to be in high demand. 

[Toilet Duck]

12 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

Should I have tagged @Toilet Duck?

Foolish of me not to tag our resident expert for his opinion.

The floor is yours... 

😁

The -70 storage is the Pfizer one (the Moderna one is the same, which actually is only a few weeks behind the other two). While -80 freezers won't be all that common in a GP surgery or a Pharmacy, they are standard equipment in every hospital (I have 3 of them in my lab!...there's about 20 of them in my department, though they are chock full of all sorts of stuff, a few years back one of the old ones was being cleared out and someone found a vial of smallpox stuck to the side of one of the drawers!..had to ship it off to the CDC). However, that's for the longer term storage. Shelf life of the vaccine in a fridge is about 24 hours, but Pfizer have developed a custom "cool box" to ship the vaccine in (keeps about 5000 shots at -70 for up to 10 days), so it will be distributed in the cool boxes, and can be thawed and used from the fridge for a day. It's not a simple one logistically, but planning for it has been built in from early on as they knew it would be an issue. When we ship stuff around at these temperatures, we use a specialised logistics firm, with temperature probes in the boxes and GPS tracking so we know exactly where the shipment is and what temperature its at for the entire journey (we send RNA between labs in research consortia all the time). Anyway, onwards!

[Avalon_Fields]

36 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

How are they going to keep large supplies of a vaccine at -70 degrees? 
 

Your standard industrial kitchen freezer only goes down to around -20. 
 

Specialist equipment does exist to cool things down to those extreme cold temperatures but having enough of that equipment in the volume required is going to take some serious investment. 

I don't know the full answer, but I do know a number of hospitals are already storing quantities of the vaccine in readiness.

[JoeyT]

2 minutes ago, Toilet Duck said:

😁

The -70 storage is the Pfizer one (the Moderna one is the same, which actually is only a few weeks behind the other two). While -80 freezers won't be all that common in a GP surgery or a Pharmacy, they are standard equipment in every hospital (I have 3 of them in my lab!...there's about 20 of them in my department, though they are chock full of all sorts of stuff, a few years back one of the old ones was being cleared out and someone found a vial of smallpox stuck to the side of one of the drawers!..had to ship it off to the CDC). However, that's for the longer term storage. Shelf life of the vaccine in a fridge is about 24 hours, but Pfizer have developed a custom "cool box" to ship the vaccine in (keeps about 5000 shots at -70 for up to 10 days), so it will be distributed in the cool boxes, and can be thawed and used from the fridge for a day. It's not a simple one logistically, but planning for it has been built in from early on as they knew it would be an issue. When we ship stuff around at these temperatures, we use a specialised logistics firm, with temperature probes in the boxes and GPS tracking so we know exactly where the shipment is and what temperature its at for the entire journey (we send RNA between labs in research consortia all the time). Anyway, onwards!

Sorry to play stupid but does the Oxford vaccine require the same sort of storage / transfer?

If not then does the article in Pulse suggest that Pfizer & Moderna are now the front runners?

[stuartbert two hats]

1 hour ago, northernringo said:

Yeah, NI's figures have been on a downward trend for a good few days now but a little worryingly the rate of positives haven't really changed.

So testing has decreased?