Lots of good news at the moment!

[FrugiFan]

www.bbc.com/news/health-53467022
A trial of a drug which could reduce ICU admission by 79%, and is already in use for other things so doesnt need human trials for side effects etc.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53469839
Promising news about one of the many vaccines in production.

Hospital admissions have not increased, more than 2 weeks after pubs and restaurants reopened.

Lots of reasons to think positive at the moment

@Ellsbells12

Any news on vaccine people hanging by a thread here :-)

Sort of. I don't have any inside knowledge, and don't even know what the current position re testing/approval is, but I do know that my bit of the NHS has in the last couple of weeks been given quite detailed instructions re planning for the rollout of the mass vaccination programme, with a start date from mid October. The general feeling at work is that it's unlikely to be quite that early, but potentially within a few weeks after that (and probably just healthcare workers to begin with).

@rubbishatballet that is good enough for me xx

And me, this is potentially incredible news.

Sort of. I don't have any inside knowledge, and don't even know what the current position re testing/approval is, but I do know that my bit of the NHS has in the last couple of weeks been given quite detailed instructions re planning for the rollout of the mass vaccination programme, with a start date from mid October. The general feeling at work is that it's unlikely to be quite that early, but potentially within a few weeks after that (and probably just healthcare workers to begin with

Really? That sounds interesting, however it's my understanding that this mass vaccination plan was for flu only at present?

It is definitely Covid.

@rubbishatballet 👍

I listened to an interesting interview with Sarah Gilbert. She said that the vaccine trials will complete once a particular number of participants in the control group have been infected. It will then need to be approved by a regulatory body.
Her prediction was that at the earliest it would be the end of this year, start of next year. Which isn't that far away.

I can't help thinking that they must feel (know?) they are pretty close, given the level of detail in the request and the fact that delivery of physical infrastructure and confirmation re workforce plans are expected over such a tight timescale.

I suppose they want to be ready to roll it out as soon as it's approved.

It's absolutely shit that there is a second wave coming but the one positive that can be taken is that more infections = an increase chance of the vaccine trials being able to conclude as more participants become infected.

@Mybrowneyedgal

I suppose they want to be ready to roll it out as soon as it's approved.

It's absolutely shit that there is a second wave coming but the one positive that can be taken is that more infections = an increase chance of the vaccine trials being able to conclude as more participants become infected.

Very true - this is a very welcome discussion after the media storm of bad news yesterday.

There doesn't seem to be a second wave though - they're just testing way more people than they were so the positives include people who are asymptomatic and a number of false positives too. I've attached a graph from twitter showing what the rate of infections would look like if we were testing like we were earlier in the year (i.e. testing people with symptoms). Deaths are still very low and hospital admissions are still pretty low too which is why it's maddening they're trying to lock things down again - we know so much more about this virus now.

@Sojo88

There doesn't seem to be a second wave though - they're just testing way more people than they were so the positives include people who are asymptomatic and a number of false positives too. I've attached a graph from twitter showing what the rate of infections would look like if we were testing like we were earlier in the year (i.e. testing people with symptoms). Deaths are still very low and hospital admissions are still pretty low too which is why it's maddening they're trying to lock things down again - we know so much more about this virus now.

I agree with this ...... I don't believe in conspiracy theories but something don't feel right .... I wonder if they are doing the circuit breaks as a vaccine is near ... I think lots and lots of people are finding it a bit much now x

@rubbishatballet. That’s amazing.

The only positive about cases increasing so fast is that it helps the trials. We might get one this year presumably if infections rise again quickly . I don’t mind if I have to wait until next summer , as long as things start moving in the right rather than the wrong direction. Think teachers should be vaccinated as priority along with health workers and very vulnerable.

Sorry just saw this has already been mentioned 😁. Guess it doesn’t hurt to repeat!!

Denying that there is a second wave is just silly. It's not at the same level as the first wave and may never be. The rate of increase in the north is worrying and hospital admissions are rising there. I dont believe that justifies a national lockdown.

@alreadytaken totally agree hardly any cases here

Interesting letter in the Guardian today:

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/18/is-covid-end-closer-than-we-think

www.cebm.net/covid-19/spains-outbreak-updated-on-regional-differences-and-proportion-of-asymptomatics/

Reassuring article about Spain. Appears not to be one national neak but different areas experiencing smaller peaks at different times. Many areas in decline again. High % of asymptomatic cases

I'm glad I found this thread. It is very reassuring and, well, just nice.
Rubbishatballet, yes we have been told to prepare from November for vaccinating. Does seem optimistic but still encouraging.
I have been looking at the Spanish figures for some time and they are very confusing. I wonder why so many are asymptomatic? Presumably they must be doing a lot of screening which can only be good.

Crowds back at some football games today! Good news for football fans !

Lots of promising stuff in the pipeline outlined here:

www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-01/covid-19-vaccines-and-treatments/12600744

This is a good article - it makes a lot of sense. Stops us all locking down and allows us to make our own choices

apple.news/AvpZ1c6ALS4m_3OyQP1DndA

Something I spotted in the Irish media today. The mortality rate for those diagnosed over the age of 65 was 1 in 5 at the start of the pandemic but is now 1 in 20.

And while they were quick to point out that this is not a negligible number, it's significantly better than it was.

That looks to be consistent across Europe. As cases surge, deaths are remaining comparatively low.

Been following this thread.

Has anybody else noticed that the situation in Spain seems to be improving? Cases seem much lower, bit of hope?

That looks to be consistent across Europe. As cases surge, deaths are remaining comparatively low

I wonder if this is because of better treatment. I’m presuming hospital admissions are now given medication that has been identified as helpful at the right time whilst earlier on they obviously weren’t.