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Immunity passports

16 replies

Alex50 · 04/05/2020 07:31

How would this work?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/03/coronavirus-health-passports-for-uk-possible-in-months

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Redolent · 04/05/2020 07:36

Uninformed speculation ensues.

LangClegsInSpace · 04/05/2020 08:41

So not content with WHO's explanation of why this is a shit idea, the government proposes to make it even worse by incorporating face recognition technology.

BrexpatInSwitzerland · 04/05/2020 08:52

It's a horrible idea! Even assuming we were confident in the data around immunity.

For one, it may lead to people deliberately getting infected out of desperation.

As a tech sector executive, I'm also recognising another familiar pattern: if it's new and "sexy" in technology, slap it onto everything you can because ... reasons. Face recognition is utterly unneccessary for this purpose. A piece of paper or a digitally signed app in combination with any piece of photo id suffices entirely and is a lot less intrustive.

This reminds me of that time a few years back when some idiot colleague of mine wanted to pitch the idea of tracking pilots using blockchain to a major airline client: first of all, it's not exactly as though there are a) multiple parties involved in a situation where no inherent trust can be built. It's also not as though b) it's at all likely that a pilot's leg would be silently switched with a shorter one in mid flight and noone was likely to notice. Pilots are physical being, not data! Long story short, this was obviously a fucking stupid idea that solved a problem long solved in a new and entirely unneccessary manner - but "blockchain" was sexy and hence had to be pushed. Happy to report we never did pitch this thanks to my boss being eminently sensible and listening to reason despite his initial enthusiasm.

Sometimes I despair of my industry. Let tech solve new problems or improve on things. That's what we're good at.

Also, we generally suck at epidemiology. It's not our field!

Nappyvalley15 · 04/05/2020 08:59

Sounds awful.
Plus facial recognition tech is rubbish for identifying people with dark skin.

MrsWhites · 04/05/2020 09:45

I think any sort of ‘immunity passport’ is a horrible idea. Are those not immune (likely because they followed the rules and stayed at home) to be plunged into poverty or will the government pay their wage until they catch the virus?

Remember chicken pox parties anyone? Will we have people holding the Coronavirus version of these?

CrunchyCarrot · 04/05/2020 09:49

Sounds like a Dominic Cummings idea, or something he'd like. I don't think immunity in the case of Covid-19 is so black and white and simple. I wish they'd spend the money and time on other ideas.

Alex50 · 04/05/2020 09:52

Yes I think it’s an awful idea, you would have 2 tier system, if you didn’t have an immunity passport, you wouldn’t be able to work, you wouldn’t be able to travel, enter buildings, it’s like something out of a horrible film.
There also talking about wristbands

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52470472

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LangClegsInSpace · 04/05/2020 09:58

Sounds like a Dominic Cummings idea, or something he'd like.

Yes I was thinking that. I also notice the contact tracing app now looks like it will be based on a centralised database and not locally held bluetooth data as originally proposed.

Fuck that shit.

Alex50 · 04/05/2020 10:01

It’s scary times, such control over the masses is more frightening than the virus. I don’t think our freedom will ever be the same again.

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BentBastard · 04/05/2020 10:20

I hate the idea, although I admit I hate it for selfish reasons. I've barely left the house bar one chemist visit. If I didn't get CV before lockdown, I'm not going to and I will be at the back of the queue for a vaccine.

Ariela · 04/05/2020 10:43

As I see it the best way forward would be testing made available in city/large town areas particularly to determine what % of the population has HAD the virus to determine how tight or lax the social distancing needs be.

Alex50 · 04/05/2020 10:52

I don’t know how true this is:

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1277346/testing-coronavirus-uk-antibody-testing-NHS-boris-johnson-latest-death-toll

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LangClegsInSpace · 04/05/2020 10:54

Yes Ariela, I think that's the most useful thing we could be doing with antibody testing at the moment.

Many countries are now testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at the population level or in specific groups, such as health workers, close contacts of known cases, or within households.21 WHO supports these studies, as they are critical for understanding the extent of – and risk factors associated with – infection. These studies will provide data on the percentage of people with detectable COVID-19 antibodies, but most are not designed to determine whether those people are immune to secondary infections.

www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/immunity-passports-in-the-context-of-covid-19

KenDodd · 04/05/2020 11:06

And look who got the contract for the tracker.

mobile.twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1254315149135151104

BirdieFriendReturns · 04/05/2020 11:11

KenDodd - I was just about to post that link!

No app for me thank you.

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