COVID19

[Lizard]

We’ve got your nasty little colonial British variant here in NZ now. Three whole cases have been detected so after 129 days of normality I’m back teaching Home School (poorly and with bad grace). Thanks a lot you filthy, soap-dodging, mask-averse, unsanitised, socially proximate disease vectors.

[cashead]

Cool. Try doing that with 100+ kids.

[Lizard]

Cool. Try doing that with 100+ kids.

Try doing it while working full time at another job.

[Digby]

You've got to like the first people having to quarantine in Scotland were released because technically they didn't need to be there, on the basis they might have originally travelled from the USA but because they stopped off in Ireland to catch a connecting flight they're deemed not to have come from an at risk country. We're not even pretending to take this seriously

[Sandydragon]

You've got to like the first people having to quarantine in Scotland were released because technically they didn't need to be there, on the basis they might have originally travelled from the USA but because they stopped off in Ireland to catch a connecting flight they're deemed not to have come from an at risk country. We're not even pretending to take this seriously

Yeah, this red country thing is a farce. It might put some people off travelling just in case they need to spend another seventeen hundred quid each quarantining in a hotel for ten days but as a tactic for stopping a disease that increasing in virulence irs pretty pathetic.

[Sandydragon]

So over 15 million vaccinations now. Media seems to be picking up on the left behind cases now of elderly and vulnerable people who haven’t had a vaccine yet, but I’m not sure that’s terribly helpful given the scale of this.

[Stom]

Anyone heard anything more about "Vaccine passports"? I know it's different as the situation in the UK means we probably couldn't get back before jab time anyway, but if it's just going to end up like a flu jab (as in only really works with one set of strains, not all of them, so will be useless if it mutates again), I don't really see the point of vaccination...

And, well, that's looking likely...

We've got one of the worst records with death rate over here. It's really hard to keep conspiracy theories in check considering the fact hospitals are pretty much just killing people. It's a grim situation. We've got an overall death rate of more than 3.5% of infections...UK is 2.9% for comparison and neighbouring Slovenia is 2%, Austria 1.9%, Czech 1.7%, Romania 2.5%, Slovakia 2.1%...

We don't see a lot of it as we're as isolated as you can get while still living (just) in a capital city and that's probably the worst thing: this must be seriously big in some areas as it's pretty non-existent in our area or friends areas... Of our friends who live in the country, we can count on one hand those who have been officially exposed to the virus, never mind officially having it...

It just makes it that much harder to deal with conspiracy theories, especially considering the fact Hungarians are already so isolated here in Europe with no common language, no common ancestry (officially), and a media that is at best questionable...

I'm far more likely to meet someone who doesn't believe in the virus or who believes Bill Gates wants to get us all vaccinated in order to profit from it in some way they cannot possibly explain...

They've had a huge history of being fucked over when they trust others, and it's really coming out badly... Really badly.

People are so damn extreme here and while I seriously love our neighbourhood for the nature, the nursery, the proximity of everything we could want...

I sometimes really do wish I was somewhere else.

[Sandydragon]

The UK government isn’t that keen on covid passports it seems. It may be that they are forced to do something if enough countries think it’s actually a good idea but so far it doesn’t seem likely.

[Digby]

Covid passports are a problem in terms of being practical (and often in terms of being worthwhile given the level of corruption standard in many bureaucracies around the world). But because they're not practical it does raise the importance of quarantine

[Sandydragon]

Covid passports are a problem in terms of being practical (and often in terms of being worthwhile given the level of corruption standard in many bureaucracies around the world). But because they're not practical it does raise the importance of quarantine

Good points. Not sure how this resolves long term as quarantine on arrival and return will destroy the travel industry. I’m assuming some sort of world wide hit list where local flare ups result in that country’s citizens and visitors to there facing additional controls?

[Digby]

Covid passports are a problem in terms of being practical (and often in terms of being worthwhile given the level of corruption standard in many bureaucracies around the world). But because they're not practical it does raise the importance of quarantine

Good points. Not sure how this resolves long term as quarantine on arrival and return will destroy the travel industry. I’m assuming some sort of world wide hit list where local flare ups result in that country’s citizens and visitors to there facing additional controls?

On this if I had a good idea I'd probably be shouting about it not looking to monetise it, as is so often the case I do not have a good idea. We might well just be looking at much, much less travel even if there's little to no public or political appetite for that.

Nobody has put forwards a good plan yet because any limits to travel is hardly devoid of problems. It's not even obvious what the least worst option might be.

[Stom]

Covid passports are a problem in terms of being practical (and often in terms of being worthwhile given the level of corruption standard in many bureaucracies around the world). But because they're not practical it does raise the importance of quarantine

Good points. Not sure how this resolves long term as quarantine on arrival and return will destroy the travel industry. I’m assuming some sort of world wide hit list where local flare ups result in that country’s citizens and visitors to there facing additional controls?

On this if I had a good idea I'd probably be shouting about it not looking to monetise it, as is so often the case I do not have a good idea. We might well just be looking at much, much less travel even if there's little to no public or political appetite for that.

Nobody has put forwards a good plan yet because any limits to travel is hardly devoid of problems. It's not even obvious what the least worst option might be.

I've got an idea, and sorry if this is...radical... but full lockdown of borders until cases are gone, then open borders in "travel corridors" approved by a third party.

I mean, we just paid host to Liverpool and Leipzig here, ffs. That's just a completely unnecessary risk. The government here should be shot. All private businesses are shut down, but their casinos are open, of course, even though Weiner already died, someone else owns them, probably Meszaros.

Fucking ridiculous.

[Digby]

Good points. Not sure how this resolves long term as quarantine on arrival and return will destroy the travel industry. I’m assuming some sort of world wide hit list where local flare ups result in that country’s citizens and visitors to there facing additional controls?

On this if I had a good idea I'd probably be shouting about it not looking to monetise it, as is so often the case I do not have a good idea. We might well just be looking at much, much less travel even if there's little to no public or political appetite for that.

Nobody has put forwards a good plan yet because any limits to travel is hardly devoid of problems. It's not even obvious what the least worst option might be.

I've got an idea, and sorry if this is...radical... but full lockdown of borders until cases are gone, then open borders in "travel corridors" approved by a third party.

I mean, we just paid host to Liverpool and Leipzig here, ffs. That's just a completely unnecessary risk. The government here should be shot. All private businesses are shut down, but their casinos are open, of course, even though Weiner already died, someone else owns them, probably Meszaros.

Fucking ridiculous.

Full lockdowns meaning some travel, or out and out full lockdown? Just thinking a number of countries are not self sufficient on the power, food or even water front and they'd be in something of a bind.

Beyond the actual essential I'd still not probably go full lockdown, but I would have obligatory quarantining and I'm sold in advance I'd have exceptions for sport, though maybe sport has its place to entertain society and does warrant a certain freedom.

I wouldn't want third party approval of opening of borders, I'd much prefer we can vote on the people responsible.

[Galfon]

Belgium has had some stick early on with high infection and death rates 'not following rules'...'high population density, big international travel hub - like uk' ... suggested.
but they have kept things pretty well at a steady low level through the holiday period where others have taken a devastating hit:

..Belgium imposed one of the toughest lockdowns in Europe. It closed most non-essential shops as well as restaurants, bars and hairdressers; imposed a nightly curfew; and allowed only one close contact outside the household — even over Christmas Eve — in sharp contrast to much looser socialization rules in other countries.
More recently, the country effectively banned non-essential travel from January 27 until March 1, forcing Belgians to spend their traditional February week off for “carnival” at home. That also contrasts with most other EU countries, with a few exceptions...

https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium ... -lockdown/

[Galfon]

India's declining cases before the vaccine roll-out has really taken off, is a bit of a mystery (c.10% of earlier high levels), but a leading doctor takes a view:

"Rural areas have lesser crowd density, people work in open spaces more and homes are much more ventilated," said Dr K Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India.

Therefore, he added, if some cities are edging toward achieving herd immunity, and also taking precautions with masks and social distancing, then the slower transmission in rural areas of India may provide an explanation for the sudden drop in cases.

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-exp ... a-12219684

[Which Tyler]

Not seeing this anywhere else but if true, what are the implications?

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/02/17/euro ... index.html

[Sandydragon]

Not seeing this anywhere else but if true, what are the implications?

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/02/17/euro ... index.html

It’s interesting. if the contract is the same then why prioritise the UK? I have no doubt that a number of people are trying to find that out. Possibly an agreement not in the contract?

[Which Tyler]

It’s interesting. if the contract is the same then why prioritise the UK? I have no doubt that a number of people are trying to find that out. Possibly an agreement not in the contract?

£££

[Son of Mathonwy]

It’s interesting. if the contract is the same then why prioritise the UK? I have no doubt that a number of people are trying to find that out. Possibly an agreement not in the contract?

£££

We need to keep eyes on how much the NHS pays AZ for drugs over the next few years, or if it buys from AZ when there's cheaper elsewhere.

Can imagine the EU taking AZ to court over this (when Covid is undér control in Europe).

[fivepointer]

Meantime we have this - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56125462

"Matt Hancock acted unlawfully when his department did not reveal details of contracts it had signed during the Covid pandemic, a court has ruled.

A judge said the health secretary had "breached his legal obligation" by not publishing details within 30 days of contracts being signed.

The public had a right to know where the "vast" amounts spent had gone and how contracts were awarded, he added"

When the dust has settled on this crisis there will be a torrent of revelations about cronyism, waste, failed procurement protocols, inadequate oversight and plain corruption.

The arrangement with AZ may well come under greater scrutiny too.

[Digby]

Not seeing this anywhere else but if true, what are the implications?

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/02/17/euro ... index.html

It’s interesting. if the contract is the same then why prioritise the UK? I have no doubt that a number of people are trying to find that out. Possibly an agreement not in the contract?

The part in the article about the dates could well be misleading, and we don't know what relative prices were agreed nor plenty of other things

[Digby]

All the schools open all the time for all of the children.

[Which Tyler]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... admissions

Scotland vaccination drive linked to big drop in hospital admissions
Pfizer jab cuts risk of admission by up to 85% four weeks after first dose, while AstraZeneca jab cuts risk by 94%, study finds.

One dose of vaccine against Covid-19 in Scotland has cut hospital admissions by more than 85%, according to the first data to be published on the impact of the UK programme.

[Sandydragon]

All the schools open all the time for all of the children.

Apparently individual schools can put some initial constraints in place, but essentially that’s what’s happening.

At least they appear to be insisting on secondary school pupils wearing face masks now which is somewhat overdue.

[Sandydragon]

Meantime we have this - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56125462

"Matt Hancock acted unlawfully when his department did not reveal details of contracts it had signed during the Covid pandemic, a court has ruled.

A judge said the health secretary had "breached his legal obligation" by not publishing details within 30 days of contracts being signed.

The public had a right to know where the "vast" amounts spent had gone and how contracts were awarded, he added"

When the dust has settled on this crisis there will be a torrent of revelations about cronyism, waste, failed procurement protocols, inadequate oversight and plain corruption.

The arrangement with AZ may well come under greater scrutiny too.

On the one hand, government procurement is a shambles at the best of times so I’m not surprised they missed a deadline.

Of greater interest would be how individual contracts were awarded and to whom. And I agree that the AZ contract is going to demand further attention. Something isn’t right about this situation