When will this shit end?

[FestivalJamie]

Which variant is B117?

[FestivalJamie]

Just now, Fuzzy Afro said:

Cases decreasing across Europe apart from in Spain and Portugal, likely due to the Brazilian variant. 

 

Yes, very concerning. I think over 33,000 cases in Spain yesterday. Looks like the Brazil variant arrives in other countries quicker than you’d expect.

[Reckoner]

16 minutes ago, st dan said:

So if the vaccine is seen as the only real way out of this nightmare, then maybe we are willing to do whatever it takes to get things back to ‘normal’ as soon as possible.

Would agree with this. You only need to look at the way Australia and NZ are dawdling along with their Vaccination plan. Its also reflected in the low score for Singapore. Much looser restrictions mean the drive to vaccinate your way out of things isn't as strong. 

[zahidf]

2 minutes ago, FestivalJamie said:

Which variant is B117?

South African

 

 

 

 

[steviewevie]

4 minutes ago, FestivalJamie said:

Which variant is B117?

B117 is the UK one.

[efcfanwirral]

5 minutes ago, st dan said:

Yeah, I’d say it’s a mixture as@Chapple12345 said, but I think another key element may be that us Brits seem to be struggling a lot more with lockdowns (actually complying with the rules, and the associated mental health issues this all brings) compared to many counties across Europe - certainly backed up by a couple of friends I have living in Spain and Germany. 
So if the vaccine is seen as the only real way out of this nightmare, then maybe we are willing to do whatever it takes to get things back to ‘normal’ as soon as possible.

Completely agree with all this 

Drinking culture perhaps? Primes people for mental health issues and means that many younger people's value for life is based on time drinking with friends (so many do so anyway in homes despite not being supposed to). Adding in our American influenced working life of work as much as you can compared to a more laid back European style and we have very little beyond work apart from "the pub" (majority don't go to events like we do on here).  From what I can tell drinking culture is a bit less unhealthy in other countries.

The country is also a bit grim in general - and a lot of us live for those 4 paltry weeks around the "everyday grind" where we can escape it every year. It's not a good base to start from if that's taken away (especially as we all deep down know such regular flying should probably be permanently removed anyway) 

There's also a huge lack of empathy here, many people don't really seem to care about others - from people I know there is so much "not allowed to do this" with no real thought about why its necessary when you probe further. Everywhere will have that to some degree but it seems particularly bad here and in America.

I think it's all just indicative of a very broken country.

[fraybentos1]

8 minutes ago, FestivalJamie said:

Which variant is B117?

Do you even know what that tweet means? He literally says ''Vaccines should be highly effective''

 

[zahidf]

3 minutes ago, efcfanwirral said:

Completely agree with all this 

Drinking culture perhaps? Primes people for mental health issues and means that many younger people's value for life is based on time drinking with friends (so many do so anyway in homes despite not being supposed to). Adding in our American influenced working life of work as much as you can compared to a more laid back European style and we have very little beyond work apart from "the pub" (majority don't go to events like we do on here).  From what I can tell drinking culture is a bit less unhealthy in other countries.

The country is also a bit grim in general - and a lot of us live for those 4 paltry weeks around the "everyday grind" where we can escape it every year. It's not a good base to start from if that's taken away (especially as we all deep down know such regular flying should probably be permanently removed anyway) 

There's also a huge lack of empathy here, many people don't really seem to care about others - from people I know there is so much "not allowed to do this" with no real thought about why its necessary when you probe further. Everywhere will have that to some degree but it seems particularly bad here and in America.

I think it's all just indicative of a very broken country.

I dont think a high vaccine uptake is a symptom of a broken country

[DeanoL]

47 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

Genuine question- Why is it so much higher in the UK than other countries? is it because there's been a lack of right-wing press opposition to vaccination? Is it cultural? Are they historically vaccine disasters in other countries? Greater trust in the NHS? What's going on in France, Japan and Germany for there to be such caution/hostility?

Few other bits of speculation:

Because we're really fucked, and people are scared. 

Because the way we've had medical advisors do a lot of the briefings, and they've actually turned out to be quite popular, people trust it more. The vaccine is coming from Chris Witty, not the government, and we like him. It's easy to not see it as a government thing, and I think it also pushes that British independent people thing, "Boris can't sort this out, he's useless, I'll have to go get a vaccine myself".

[Fuzzy Afro]

4 minutes ago, efcfanwirral said:

Completely agree with all this 

Drinking culture perhaps? Primes people for mental health issues and means that many younger people's value for life is based on time drinking with friends (so many do so anyway in homes despite not being supposed to). Adding in our American influenced working life of work as much as you can compared to a more laid back European style and we have very little beyond work apart from "the pub" (majority don't go to events like we do on here).  From what I can tell drinking culture is a bit less unhealthy in other countries.

The country is also a bit grim in general - and a lot of us live for those 4 paltry weeks around the "everyday grind" where we can escape it every year. It's not a good base to start from if that's taken away (especially as we all deep down know such regular flying should probably be permanently removed anyway) 

There's also a huge lack of empathy here, many people don't really seem to care about others - from people I know there is so much "not allowed to do this" with no real thought about why its necessary when you probe further. Everywhere will have that to some degree but it seems particularly bad here and in America.

I think it's all just indicative of a very broken country.

 

33 minutes ago, st dan said:

Yeah, I’d say it’s a mixture as@Chapple12345 said, but I think another key element may be that us Brits seem to be struggling a lot more with lockdowns (actually complying with the rules, and the associated mental health issues this all brings) compared to many counties across Europe - certainly backed up by a couple of friends I have living in Spain and Germany. 
So if the vaccine is seen as the only real way out of this nightmare, then maybe we are willing to do whatever it takes to get things back to ‘normal’ as soon as possible.

 

How much of that is just the fact that our lockdown is way stricter than most other European countries? Pretty much the entire country hasn’t been allowed to socialise indoors from 23/3/2020-4/7/2020 and then again 5/11/2020-present and large parts of the country were in local lockdown in between.

 

Looking at the restrictions in other countries, they usually DO make allowances for small group indoor socialising. Being able to see your best mate/partner/parents/sibling etc is REALLY important and I think the removal of that in the UK is driving a lot of mental health issues. 

[FestivalJamie]

4 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

Do you even know what that tweet means? He literally says ''Vaccines should be highly effective''

 

All I asked was which variant the tweet was relating to.. I didn’t even make any further comment, so have no clue where your nasty and aggressive reply has come from.

Hardly surprised to receive a reply like that though from you.

[Fuzzy Afro]

16 minutes ago, FestivalJamie said:

Yes, very concerning. I think over 33,000 cases in Spain yesterday. Looks like the Brazil variant arrives in other countries quicker than you’d expect.

Given that the travel corridors are shut down now I’m not that concerned. Very very few people should be travelling from Spain to the UK at the moment and the border with Portugal is completely closed. 

[DeanoL]

15 hours ago, Ozanne said:

Let us know what you decide to do. 

Was a moot point in the end, she travelled down last night intending to see him first thing this morning but he passed overnight.

Was admitted a couple of weeks back for something life-threatening but non-COVID related, caught it in the hospital. He was 59 and basically a recluse - you'd think if anyone would have been safe during this it'd be someone that had no social contact with anyone even in normal times.

The "hospitals being overwhelmed" thing is real. It might not mean they can't treat you at this point, but it might mean if you have to go in and get treated for a broken leg or some such they can't necessarily keep you safe. 

[fraybentos1]

3 minutes ago, FestivalJamie said:

All I asked was which variant the tweet was relating to.. I didn’t even make any further comment, so have no clue where your nasty and aggressive reply has come from.

Hardly surprised to receive a reply like that though from you.

It's the UK one not the SA one, so best to just google it cause few people are experts here/ just one.

My point was that the tweet you posted looks scary but if you look at the one below it he says vaccines should still be highly effective.

[Chapple12345]

5 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Because the way we've had medical advisors do a lot of the briefings, and they've actually turned out to be quite popular, people trust it more. The vaccine is coming from Chris Witty, not the government, and we like him. It's easy to not see it as a government thing, and I think it also pushes that British independent people thing, "Boris can't sort this out, he's useless, I'll have to go get a vaccine myself".

I was thinking this earlier and also the NHS and local authorities are having a much larger role in the roll out of the vaccine instead of the government and thankfully they know what they’re doing so it inspires more confidence amongst us, I’ve been speaking to a lot of my friends and the vast majority are willing to take it up whereas this time a month ago they were still sceptical 

[steviewevie]

Just now, FestivalJamie said:

All I asked was which variant the tweet was relating to.. I didn’t even make any further comment, so have no clue where your nasty and aggressive reply has come from.

Hardly surprised to receive a reply like that though from you.

Anyway...B.1.1.7 is UK one, SA is B1.351, and Brazil is B.1.248, just off the top of my head. We have to learn them off by heart because WHO says not cool to stigmatise dirty shitholes like UK by naming variant after them.

 

[efcfanwirral]

6 minutes ago, zahidf said:

I dont think a high vaccine uptake is a symptom of a broken country

I was replying to the bit about us seeming less equipped to cope with lockdowns 

3 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

Looking at the restrictions in other countries, they usually DO make allowances for small group indoor socialising. Being able to see your best mate/partner/parents/sibling etc is REALLY important and I think the removal of that in the UK is driving a lot of mental health issues. 

Maybe people comply more in other areas and also don't take the piss with such rules by actually sticking to just the people they're supposed to see and not finding what they see as loopholes to see everyone they know? 

[Zoo Music Girl]

7 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Was a moot point in the end, she travelled down last night intending to see him first thing this morning but he passed overnight.

Was admitted a couple of weeks back for something life-threatening but non-COVID related, caught it in the hospital. He was 59 and basically a recluse - you'd think if anyone would have been safe during this it'd be someone that had no social contact with anyone even in normal times.

The "hospitals being overwhelmed" thing is real. It might not mean they can't treat you at this point, but it might mean if you have to go in and get treated for a broken leg or some such they can't necessarily keep you safe. 

I'm sorry to hear this. Hope she is doing okay. 

[hodgey123]

8 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Was a moot point in the end, she travelled down last night intending to see him first thing this morning but he passed overnight.

Was admitted a couple of weeks back for something life-threatening but non-COVID related, caught it in the hospital. He was 59 and basically a recluse - you'd think if anyone would have been safe during this it'd be someone that had no social contact with anyone even in normal times.

The "hospitals being overwhelmed" thing is real. It might not mean they can't treat you at this point, but it might mean if you have to go in and get treated for a broken leg or some such they can't necessarily keep you safe. 

Sorry to hear this.

[steviewevie]

9 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Was a moot point in the end, she travelled down last night intending to see him first thing this morning but he passed overnight.

Was admitted a couple of weeks back for something life-threatening but non-COVID related, caught it in the hospital. He was 59 and basically a recluse - you'd think if anyone would have been safe during this it'd be someone that had no social contact with anyone even in normal times.

The "hospitals being overwhelmed" thing is real. It might not mean they can't treat you at this point, but it might mean if you have to go in and get treated for a broken leg or some such they can't necessarily keep you safe. 

Ah man that's so sad. Sorry to hear that Deano.

[zahidf]

 

[hodgey123]

13 minutes ago, zahidf said:

 

Again, probably too simplistic and subject to caveats (long COVID, don't know about possible reinfection etc.) but the amount of people already infected to date + vaccination targets would surely mean that herd immunity is within reach? Or, that restrictions may be able to be loosened relatively sooner and not solely reliant on vaccine numbers? This is not to mention that, from what I have read, some people that have been infected do not show antibodies after a certain period of time but this is not to say that they are not immune from reinfection and those antibodies/other bodily defence mechanisms would kick in if exposed? 

[Chapple12345]

https://www.nme.com/news/music/irish-government-proposes-future-live-aid-style-gigs-to-mark-end-of-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2859933

Fancy a post Covid party anyone? 

[tarw]

The one thing that I take from our response to COVID is that our success story (vaccinations) has been largely down to the fact that it has been implemented by the public sector (NHS.)

 

The failures (track and trace and testing) have been implemented by the private sector (Serco, Lighthouse Labs)

 

The real failure of this government has been sticking to their ideology (and rewarding their donors) instead of pragmatism.

[Ozanne]

39 minutes ago, DeanoL said:

Was a moot point in the end, she travelled down last night intending to see him first thing this morning but he passed overnight.

Was admitted a couple of weeks back for something life-threatening but non-COVID related, caught it in the hospital. He was 59 and basically a recluse - you'd think if anyone would have been safe during this it'd be someone that had no social contact with anyone even in normal times.

The "hospitals being overwhelmed" thing is real. It might not mean they can't treat you at this point, but it might mean if you have to go in and get treated for a broken leg or some such they can't necessarily keep you safe. 

I’m really sorry to hear that mate, that’s such a shame she couldn’t see him before he passed. I hope both of you are doing ok.