SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)

[theyneverlearn]

Twitter reporting that the NHS England booking system is accepting booster bookings from 30+ group now (even though the message says 40+) It was expected to change on the 13th but it's not unusual for the system to change before the message does. May not be working in every region yet or offering nearest test centre etc.

@Rado_N

Just managed to book mine. Thanks.

 

[Rado_N]

Twitter reporting that the NHS England booking system is accepting booster bookings from 30+ group now (even though the message says 40+) It was expected to change on the 13th but it's not unusual for the system to change before the message does. May not be working in every region yet or offering nearest test centre etc.

@Rado_N

Thanks Jo!

 

[groovyalbert]

Ok. Honestly didn't know that hordes of people standing shoulder to shoulder and screaming and shouting for about 90mins are safe just because they are in an outdoor setting.

Haha - I agree. But I genuinely think that's the logic applied.

 

[choccy77]

Cases have risen 50% since yesterday

 

[P-Ro]

Twitter reporting that the NHS England booking system is accepting booster bookings from 30+ group now (even though the message says 40+) It was expected to change on the 13th but it's not unusual for the system to change before the message does. May not be working in every region yet or offering nearest test centre etc.

@Rado_N

A huge thank you for posting this @jojojo . I booked mine earlier and let all my mates know too.

 

[Tibs]

Why are two jabs now seemingly useless - but a third shot of the same vaccine a game changer?

Is it just because of the timescale?

 

[choccy77]

Why are two jabs now seemingly useless - but a third shot of the same vaccine a game changer?

Is it just because of the timescale?

3 jabs are 75% affective at best.

2 Jabs especially the AZ ones are deemed to offer very little protection against the new mutation according to the earliest of data.

 

[jojojo]

Why are two jabs now seemingly useless - but a third shot of the same vaccine a game changer?

Is it just because of the timescale?

In terms of protection from infection the timing matters. Circulating antibodies aren't supposed to just stay at high levels forever - they're supposed to kill an infection then fade away. The booster helps keep circulating antibodies high, because that helps us right now.

However initial results (test tube, clinical trials and early deployment) say that it doesn't just get you back where you were after dose two, it does better. You get higher circulating antibodies, but you also improve the number and variety of the immune system memory cells that respond to the covid virus.

Again that's a normal immune system response. If we see a threat keep coming back, the immune system assumes it will happen again and prepares accordingly. The immune system also has a, "and things like that," kind of response, that helps it start turning out modified antibodies when it sees a new variant.

It's those memory cells that help to protect us from severe disease even if we catch it.

 

[FootballHQ]

3 jabs are 75% affective at best.

2 Jabs especially the AZ ones are deemed to offer very little protection against the new mutation according to the earliest of data.

It's sad to think so many people have done the right thing in last 18 months. Had to work from home/shield and not socialise and see friends or family for long periods and got the two jabs when required yet if they've had AZ on both occasions it's basically all for nothing if exposed to the variant and then it's pot luck.

Just shows what a bugger this virus actually is. Surely it can't just keep coming back and back and back every 6 months, by 5th-6th wave it must be massively reducing in impact? Perhaps Omicron will turn out to be that wave in around three months time.

 

[Dan_F]

I think I put in this thread a while ago how my partner’s mum wouldn’t get the vaccine. Fast forward to now, she’s in the hospital and didn’t even tell my partner. She only found out because she hadn’t received any messages for a few days and rang a neighbour, who knew but was asked not to say anything.

I’m assuming it’s down to shame/embarrassment as they’ve had big arguments about it over the last year, but it really just feels like we’ve been waiting for this to happen for the last 12 months. You can’t help but be really angry at the anti vaxxers, who influence otherwise sane people and have massively negative impact on other people’s lives.

 

[jojojo]

I think I put in this thread a while ago how my partner’s mum wouldn’t get the vaccine. Fast forward to now, she’s in the hospital and didn’t even tell my partner. She only found out because she hadn’t received any messages for a few days and rang a neighbour, who knew but was asked not to say anything.

I’m assuming it’s down to shame/embarrassment as they’ve had big arguments about it over the last year, but it really just feels like we’ve been waiting for this to happen for the last 12 months. You can’t help but be really angry at the anti vaxxers, who influence otherwise sane people and have massively negative impact on other people’s lives.

That's really sad. Hopefully her mum will soon be on the mend and they'll have plenty of time to get over the arguments and enjoy talking together again.

The cruel thing is that it won't be the con artists and grifters who drove the misinformation campaigns who it kills and injures, it'll be the people who got confused or scared because of them.

 

[choccy77]

It's sad to think so many people have done the right thing in last 18 months. Had to work from home/shield and not socialise and see friends or family for long periods and got the two jabs when required yet if they've had AZ on both occasions it's basically all for nothing if exposed to the variant and then it's pot luck.

Just shows what a bugger this virus actually is. Surely it can't just keep coming back and back and back every 6 months, by 5th-6th wave it must be massively reducing in impact? Perhaps Omicron will turn out to be that wave in around three months time.

I had to AZ jabs which both times (especially the 2nd time) made me feel ill for 3 weeks after.

I'm gonna have the booster, but if its the AZ again, I'm not sure how much protection that offers overall.

 

[jojojo]

I had to AZ jabs which both times (especially the 2nd time) made me feel ill for 3 weeks after.

I'm gonna have the booster, but if its the AZ again, I'm not sure how much protection that offers overall.

Which country are you in?

 

[choccy77]

Which country are you in?

UK.

Some of my friends had Pfizer both times as did my parents.

Myself and my brother had AZ.

 

[decorativeed]

I had to AZ jabs which both times (especially the 2nd time) made me feel ill for 3 weeks after.

I'm gonna have the booster, but if its the AZ again, I'm not sure how much protection that offers overall.

I'm fairly sure nowhere is using AZ as a booster. Also, I'm sure a few pages back it said the best combo was 2 AZ and 1 Pfizer, so once you've had your booster, you'll be optimal.

 

[jojojo]

UK.

Some of my friends had Pfizer both times as did my parents.

Myself and my brother had AZ.

You'll get Pfizer or Moderna, unless you know you're allergic to one of the ingredients.

AZ + Pfizer looks like a good combination in trials.

 

[choccy77]

Fingers crossed

 

[stw2022]

Two weeks a go cases averaged around 43,000 a day, similar to where cases were towards end of December 2020. With the delay of severe symptoms, hospitalisations and deaths this is what has happened 2 weeks after both dates (28/12/20 and 28/11/2021)

Taking a look at the comparison of the situation 2 weeks on from each date:

11th Jan 2020 (Today's data*)
Daily COVID Hospital Admissions: 3045 (839)
Patients in hospital with COVID: 36,751(7,413)
On mechanical ventilation beds 3,363 (900)

*I've used the most recent data available. Of course the major difference is the vaccine. It will be interested to see what impact Omicron has on those numbers as cases climb.

 

[Skills]

Twitter reporting that the NHS England booking system is accepting booster bookings from 30+ group now (even though the message says 40+) It was expected to change on the 13th but it's not unusual for the system to change before the message does. May not be working in every region yet or offering nearest test centre etc.

@Rado_N

Hmm, I was one of the early under 30s to get vaccinated (spares at the end of a day) - and it's been almost 6 months since I had my 2nd one. Is it already open for everyone who had it 6+ months ago (regardless of age?)

 

[Shakesy]

That's really sad. Hopefully her mum will soon be on the mend and they'll have plenty of time to get over the arguments and enjoy talking together again.

The cruel thing is that it won't be the con artists and grifters who drove the misinformation campaigns who it kills and injures, it'll be the people who got confused or scared because of them.

And this is why I can't dance on the graves of dead people.

 

[Tony Babangida]

UK.

Some of my friends had Pfizer both times as did my parents.

Myself and my brother had AZ.

I had AZ twice then Pfizer. Felt crap for a week after the first AZ shot, nothing for the second, then really crap for a week for the Pfizer booster. I'm in the minority though, most people I know have had very little reaction to the booster other than some fatigue and a sore arm.

 

[esmufc07]

Hmm, I was one of the early under 30s to get vaccinated (spares at the end of a day) - and it's been almost 6 months since I had my 2nd one. Is it already open for everyone who had it 6+ months ago (regardless of age?)

They’ve reduced the timeframe between 2nd dose and booster from 6 months to 3 months.

 

[Skills]

They’ve reduced the timeframe between 2nd dose and booster from 6 months to 3 months.

Yes, but they've only opened boosters to over 30s.

My question is if you're under 30, but had your second dose over 6 months ago - can you get your booster now? Or we'll just get it whenever it opens for the age group.

 

[esmufc07]

Yes, but they've only opened boosters to over 30s.

My question is if you're under 30, but had your second dose over 6 months ago - can you get your booster now? Or we'll just get it whenever it opens for the age group.

Ah sorry, shouldn’t post when I’ve just woken up (some people would say I shouldn’t post at all).

I don’t think it will be available for under 30s just yet, but it may be worth trying to book on the NHS website as it may let you. Allowed me to book mine yesterday (31) even though the site says it was only available for over 40s.

 

[rcoobc]

Ah sorry, shouldn’t post when I’ve just woken up (some people would say I shouldn’t post at all).

I don’t think it will be available for under 30s just yet, but it may be worth trying to book on the NHS website as it may let you. Allowed me to book mine yesterday (31) even though the site says it was only available for over 40s.

Surely it was always available to over 30s... If they live with someone vulnerable (thats what its said on the website when ive checked multiple times).

Im not booking booster until it officially lets me

 

[esmufc07]

Surely it was always available to over 30s... If they live with someone vulnerable (thats what its said on the website when ive checked multiple times).

Im not booking booster until it officially lets me

I’ve tried before and it hasn’t let me.

Apparently it is opening up to over 30s this week.

 

[jojojo]

Yes, but they've only opened boosters to over 30s.

My question is if you're under 30, but had your second dose over 6 months ago - can you get your booster now? Or we'll just get it whenever it opens for the age group.

Some walk-in centres apparently will do anybody over 6 months and any over 40 who's past 3 months. It seems to depend where you are - the Reddit group https://www.reddit.com/r/GetJabbed?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share lists several London sites this weekend, plus others in cities like Manchester, Southampton and even Harrogate.

Vaccine busses are often good bets as well if there's one local.

I think it's all a bit hit or miss though. If the queue isn't too big, if there's a doctor or someone on site who can override the computer checklist, if they've got jabs waiting that they need to get through by the end of the day then they do it.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

I’m starting to get cautiously optimistic about omicron. The data out of South Africa is getting more and more reassuring.

 

[Dan_F]

That's really sad. Hopefully her mum will soon be on the mend and they'll have plenty of time to get over the arguments and enjoy talking together again.

The cruel thing is that it won't be the con artists and grifters who drove the misinformation campaigns who it kills and injures, it'll be the people who got confused or scared because of them.

Exactly. I’m going to really struggle to bite my tongue any more when I hear people spouting utter shit.

It really brings it home when you see the hospitalisation numbers each day and think that all those people have families that are going through everything we’ve dealt with the last 24 hours. And that’s happening on a daily basis, yet people still can’t bother to wear a mask for 5 minutes in a shop.

 

[gormless]

Got my booster this morning after seeing the post from @jojojo yesterday. Moderna after my two AZ at the beginning of the year. Haven’t seen any studies on efficacy for those but assuming broadly similar to the AZ and Pfizer study

 

[stw2022]

Seen suggestions that appears to suggest in some regions in SA the variant has peaked and deaths are tracking at 25x lower than at similar time in curve with Delta

 

[Pexbo]

Send suggestions that appears to suggest in some regions in SA the variant has peaked and deaths are tracking at 25x lower than at similar time in curve with Delta

Jesus if that’s true that would be incredible. We still need to manage the curve so hospitals aren’t overwhelmed and can treat those who do get sick but at 25x less deadly it would be much less dangerous than your average flu.

I’m getting cautiously optimistic about it now.

 

[Dante]

Covid-19 and the Common Cold had a baby, and now the baby is spreading peace and joy and runny noses across the world. It's a Chris Armas miracle.

 

[jojojo]

Seen suggestions that appears to suggest in some regions in SA the variant has peaked and deaths are tracking at 25x lower than at similar time in curve with Delta

There's a bit of caution needed in interpreting the SA numbers. A lot of them are using "reporting date" not specimen date - which means the data is prone to sudden leaps and drops as batches of results from labs, hospitals etc come in. The central database has been going through some upgrades as well to deal with IT problems.

That said, there's data coming from individual hospitals and regional hospital boards that suggest that fewer people hospitalised for covid are going on to die from it. Again though, there's a need for caution - most cases and admissions there are in younger people right now. There's also a question mark about which of the listed patients are in hospital because of covid and which ones are there for a different reason, but have covid (in some hospitals this is the bigger group).

It is good news so far though (at least for anyone who is either vaxxed or had a previous infection) so we can only hope it stays that way. There are now lots of covid cases in lots of countries - we'll soon know a lot more about it.

 

[stw2022]

There's a bit of caution needed in interpreting the SA numbers. A lot of them are using "reporting date" not specimen date - which means the data is prone to sudden leaps and drops as batches of results from labs, hospitals etc come in. The central database has been going through some upgrades as well to deal with IT problems.

That said, there's data coming from individual hospitals and regional hospital boards that suggest that fewer people hospitalised for covid are going on to die from it. Again though, there's a need for caution - most cases and admissions there are in younger people right now. There's also a question mark about which of the listed patients are in hospital because of covid and which ones are there for a different reason, but have covid (in some hospitals this is the bigger group).

It is good news so far though (at least for anyone who is either vaxxed or had a previous infection) so we can only hope it stays that way. There are now lots of covid cases in lots of countries - we'll soon know a lot more about it.

Interesting. How long after reporting data does specimen data come through?

 

[jojojo]

Interesting. How long after reporting data does specimen data come through?

In the UK it takes between 1 and 3 days for almost all cases to appear, and there's a fairly predictable pattern of how many cases are missing each day. SA is similar but the predictability is worse at the moment because the numbers have been moving too fast, and they've been adding lots of extra test capacity.

News from SA is reassuring though.

This is one of the attempts to use specimen date data and scale it for later arrival of results based on typical reporting lags:

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Cases do seem to be stabilising and hospitalisations don't seem to be as common or as long as were needed for Delta. It may be good news for other countries with a lot of immunity already in the population - whether through past infection or vaccination. The UK is in that category.

It might not look mild at all if you haven't had it and haven't been vaxxed.

 

[Garethw]

Yes, but they've only opened boosters to over 30s.

My question is if you're under 30, but had your second dose over 6 months ago - can you get your booster now? Or we'll just get it whenever it opens for the age group.

You won’t be able to book online until your age group (under 30’s) opens up.

It might be worth calling your GP and seeing whether they can fit you in now though.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Omicron? I hardly knew her!

 

[ManchesterYoda]

I've been eating mackerel and salmon every day since 2016 for Omega 3. Since the pandemic started I haven't had so much as a cold. I am unvaccinated. I have heard people talk about Vitamin D. Recently I googled Vitamin D food sources and found this on NHS

Sources include:

• oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
• red meat
• liver
• egg yolks
• fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals

Does this mean anything at all? Have I got a good immune system? Or am I just really lucky?

If Omicron is mild and becomes the dominant variant, please explain why people still want me to be vaccinated?

 

[Tarrou]

I've been eating mackerel and salmon every day since 2016 for Omega 3. Since the pandemic started I haven't had so much as a cold. I am unvaccinated. I have heard people talk about Vitamin D. Recently I googled Vitamin D food sources and found this on NHS

Sources include:

• oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
• red meat
• liver
• egg yolks
• fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals

Does this mean anything at all? Have I got a good immune system? Or am I just really lucky?

If Omicron is mild and becomes the dominant variant, please explain why people still want me to be vaccinated?

not potentially dying from covid is one of the main plus points