News Worldwide impact of the novel coronavirus (covid-19)

[Survivor3]

We have a new strain in the uk. It transmits faster. We are now in full lockdown. Only to go out for food and meds.

 

[ms spock]

Last time they thought there was an extra infectious variant it turned out to come from a super spreader event. ***fingers crossed***

The rapid spread of B.1.1.7 might be down to chance. Scientists previously worried that a variant that spread rapidly from Spain to the rest of Europe—confusingly called B.1.177—might be more transmissible, but today they think it is not; it just happened to be carried all over Europe by travelers who spent their holidays in Spain. Something similar might be happening with B.1.1.7, says Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Georgetown University. Drosten notes that the new mutant also carries a deletion in another viral gene, ORF8, that previous studies suggest might reduce the virus’s ability to spread.

The photos of London Xmas shopping didn't show much mask wearing, so it could be human behaviour combined with a bit more infectious variant? ***crosses fingers again***

But the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy (taking it seriously) announced they were halting passenger flights from the UK. The Eurostar train between Brussels & the British capital will stop running at midnight tonight. So they are taking it seriously. Hopefully this is not so. I really want it to be not so.

Science | AAAS

www.sciencemag.org

Usually I am a few weeks ahead of the Australia media, not this time, which is probably good, as I am not as focused on this as much anymore.

Of course Australia is not. Australian health officials cast doubt on claim new UK Covid strain more infectious even if they are wrong surely it's worth taking some precautions? It's escaped from quarantine and is spreading throughout Sydney at the moment. No masks mandate, no serious lock down ***commences eye rolling***

Why Sydney is facing a super-spreading disaster

Christmas Day and New Year's Eve are very dangerous super-spreading accelerants. But there are things we can, and must, do to stop that happening.

www.smh.com.au

Professor Raina McIntyre is usually on the money. Usually she's quite reserved and circumspect. So that gives pause for thought.

Has NSW's luck run out? - ABC listen

Throughout the pandemic, NSW has mostly managed to keep a lid on outbreaks without imposing hard restrictions like we saw in Victoria and South Australia. While those states went into various stages of hard lockdown, NSW used a fast, efficient contact tracing system to get on top of things...

www.abc.net.au

Are we out of the woods? Or is it the calm before the storm? - ABC listen

There was slightly better news yesterday on the Northern Beaches outbreak front when the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced 15 new cases of COVID. The majority were from people who live in the Northern Beaches, with only four cases from outside the main outbreak area. And add a huge...

www.abc.net.au

Dr Swan and Tegan have been two I have followed this year.

Australia's ‘flawed’ quarantine system to blame for NSW COVID outbreak

Australians can strap themselves in for continuous outbreaks that put the country at risk if the "flawed" quarantine system isn't fixed.

thenewdaily.com.au

"We are at a tipping point and this is quite serious and it has all happened because the quarantine and the entry into the country isn’t quite tight enough,” Professor McLaws said. (WHO Adviser on Covid19)
Not happy Jan.

I really hope I am wrong but it looks like there will be a proper lock down and masks mandated after it's spread quite away. It's annoying and frustrating. We were so close to having it contained.

Third world countries are getting vaccinated right now - but we don't even have enough vaccines in Australia to vaccinate our first responders and medical staff involved in the Avalon cluster. That is a poor outcome.

I have been watching the press briefings and they don't seem that organised and didn't even know what the current infections were - I am finding this most annoying and frustrating.

NSW hotel quarantine: who is exempt and who makes the rules?

It’s been claimed the wealthy are being exempted and foreign airline crew started the northern beaches cluster. We look at the evidence

www.theguardian.com

How it was okay to let pilots and cabin crews be exempt from quarantine or manage their own quarantine I will never know.

 

[ms spock]

New mutation in South Africa is hitting the young hard.

Israel bans visitors from the UK, Denmark, S. Africa due to new strain | The Jerusalem Post

"We need to close the whole world immediately," Netanyahu said in a cabinet meeting.

www.jpost.com

That's not good. B.1.1.7 might be down to chance. I hope it's like B.1.177 = it just happened to be transmitted all over Europe by travelers who spent holidays in Spain. Something similar might be happening with B.1.1.7. Yes the names are similar!

holy crap.

***nods agreement***

We have a new strain in the uk. It transmits faster. We are now in full lockdown. Only to go out for food and meds.

I was so hoping that they had gotten it wrong, like last time, currently I will stick to my denial until there's more evidence.

 

[ms spock]

My friend's Father and brother got it, and her Mother. I didn't want to ask when I saw her on Zoom but jumped right on. Father was has pre-existing conditions and is quite elderly and her Mother also quite elderly, so I was a bit concerned. Father was sick - but came through. Brother 36, fit as, almost didn't make it, and her Mother had a mild temperature and was off colour for a few days. She never tested positive. So relieved. She said it is crazy how very different it can manifest in people. Very grateful.

I have been frustrated and angry with NSW. Premier lied about kids not being able to be infected.

Largest COVID-19 contact tracing study to date finds children key to spread, evidence of superspreaders

Researchers from the Princeton Environmental Institute find the continued spread of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is driven by only a small percentage of those who become infected.

t.co

So not wanting to accept it's going to spread down there. Really grateful our borders are closed. But it is so easy to not let it spread. It's just nuts. Shut down and use masks - Taiwan used masks - 7 deaths and 757 infections and the same population as Australia with direct flights from Wuhan.

It doesn't seem possible that there won't be super spreader events.

Why Sydney is facing a super-spreading disaster

Christmas Day and New Year's Eve are very dangerous super-spreading accelerants. But there are things we can, and must, do to stop that happening.

www.smh.com.au

Epidemiologist warns NYE will be largest ‘super-spreader’ event

A leading epidemiologist is urging authorities to impose an immediate lockdown across Greater Sydney, warning New Years Eve will be the ultimate super-spreader event.

www.skynews.com.au

Experts fear 'worst-case scenario' as Christmas celebrations bleed into New Year

With Sydney on a knife-edge as the Avalon cluster continues to grow, experts are concerned that celebrations over the next week, particularly New Year's Eve, could become coronavirus superspreading events.

www.abc.net.au

Hopefully the experts will be wrong.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Has anyone had any experience with this vaccine? I can't find a straight answer about it anywhere. Any news on how well it works yet and any side effects? It maybe too soon to ask all of this as the data is probably not in yet but wanted to see if anyone has yet had any experience with it yet.

 

[Chris-duck]

Has anyone had any experience with this vaccine?

Our clarkess and domestic/catering/pharmacy staff have had the vaccine but it hasn't reached nursing staff yet. No side effects I've heard of, for effectiveness it's better looking at the trial group, where it appears to have been effective.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Thank you @Chris-duck! That's helpful!

 

[Freida]

I've got a couple of friends who have gotten the first one - so far so good. But immunity doesn't come until after the second shot and they won't get that for another few weeks. So no way to tell what it's gonna look like in the long run. Plus there are three different versions of the vaccine out there right now so who knows which one will turn out to be the "one".

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Gotcha! Thanks @Freida!

 

[EveHarrington]

At the current rate of vaccination, we will all be vaccinated in 10 years! (Or something crazy like that.) I am hoping that vaccination can accelerate as so many people need to get it in order to even leave home. It’s hopeful that more vaccines will be released soon!

 

[Marvel545]

Has anyone had any experience with this vaccine?

I know a few people who have had the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. No side effects to report as of yet.

Scotland has just announced a month long lockdown for the month of January. Boris Johnson is addressing the nation at 8pm tonight to announce further measures to combat the spread, looks like another lockdown for England as well.

 

[notsurewheretoturn]

We're back in lockdown, probably until mid February from what I've heard. I sort of guessed it was going to happen. Cases are rising, but I'm not sure if that's just because they're testing more so naturally finding more. Who knows?

What I can't understand is why the uk is only fining the organisers of rule breaking parties etc, why aren't they fining everyone whose there? Surely that would be more of a deterant to not go if you knew you were going to be hit with a £10k fine. Instead they are fining one person and letting the rest just walk away.