B.1.1.7 UK variant

[independent98]

I have been reading up on the new variants and it seems that the UK variant is of most concerning.

Reading this makes me wonder whether it is right to send the kids back to school for the timebeing
arstechnica.com/science/2021/02/new-mutation-spotted-in-b-1-1-7-variants-spells-trouble-for-covid-vaccines/

What are your thoughts?

@Eeeemac
I do not have an agenda, i have been researching and reading upon various scientific thesis about the current strain in the UK and abroad. The views I have stated is what I have derived from my own research. I am not stating my opinion as gospel and I am keen to find out the sentiment of others in terms of this. I do not understand why you are suspicious.

Have you also researched the effect this is having on the children as well. They are seriously struggling now with all of this. March seems a fairly sensible time

Chris Whitty I thought summed up the balanced needed perfectly on Weds

You do know the az vaccine is showing signs of being 67 per cent effective against transmission to ? It is showing that it can prevent you getting and spreading it.
It has also said to be fine to give the doses 12 weeks apart

This vaccine is more effective than the annual flu one. More effective than anyone could ever of hoped for

My thoughts are that education is a human right and tele-education works badly.

So what do you suggest, OP? How many more years would you like to keep children at home for?

@RedToothBrush

The E484K variant of the B. 1.1.7. Kent variant isn't concerning health officials just yet. (Lets just call it the Liverpool Variant to avoid confusion between the other others). Its associated with a cluster at Liverpool Women's Hospital apparently from a funeral.

Health official in the area have said that ANYONE regardless of whether they meet the official criteria for testing in Liverpool, St Helens, the Liverpool City Region and Lancashire where it has been detected, if they are ill and concerned should just get tested. They aren't taking further precautions at this stage.

My guess from that is they think they largely have contact traced anyone they were concer

Its not just Liverpool it's Bristol too various postcodes that has b117 with e448k. Bristol never had huge rates covid compared to up north. We still don't know if derived from Kent and UK or come here from elsewhere. The Oxford az guy seamed more worries about the south African variety.

Kids do need to be in school to get a quality education however there is a fine line between education and health at the moment. Thinking about it ( it could be deemed as radical- it's just a thought) that schools reopen on a phased basis I.e primary schools first then secondary schools weeks later or vice versa.
Some people will be getting thier second dose of the vaccine and it would be a good time to assess things at that point. I am open to thoughts and suggestions.

@RedToothBrush preston council have also put a message out about testing and say it's been found in preston too

www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-document-from-phe-about-the-b-1-1-7-variant-including-reference-to-detection-of-the-e484k-mutation-in-some-b-1-1-7-genomes/

Where has it been identified in the UK?

PHE confirmed to The BMJ that they have now identified 11 cases of the UK B1.1.7 variant carrying the E484K mutation around the Bristol area and 40 cases of the original SARS-C0V-2 virus carrying the same E484K mutation in the Liverpool area. Public health officials are carrying out enhanced contact tracing, additional laboratory analysis, and testing in these areas.

www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n359

@lljkk absolutely agree with you. My children attend the school due to being a key worker, they do a couple of worksheets there and then I’m expected to continue it once they get home to fit in with the learning plan! I’m NHS so I am shattered by the time I get in and so are the kids as they need to be up early to be dropped off, very difficult to get them to engage on any level so I for one welcome the news that p1-3 are hopefully going back on 22nd feb

my advice is to stop with the sofa virology degree from the uni of google.
you are drawing conclusions from very thin non peer reviewed evidence - this is not useful. Stop speculating and calling it research.

Well, it's reading. Isn't it. Somebody else has done the research and we can read it.

It's so google snarky to insinuate that we can't read scientists' publications.

Just stick google in front of a word to make the person seem deluded!

Stop google implying that reading a scientist's publication is speculating.

What I find troubling though is the lack of info for parents like me with vulnerable children
DS is 12. He has lung conditions. But there is no suggestion as far as I know that children will be vaccinated. It doesn't stop him being at risk though if it flies round school.
I don't know what to do about him and DD going back to school. It's still a huge risk. The Vaccine also doesn't stop people catching it or giving it to someone else, it does stop people being severely ill. But if vulnerable children haven't been vaccinated, then they are still at risk.

@PageBaileyandbookanOR

Well, it's reading. Isn't it. Somebody else has done the research and we can read it.

It's so google snarky to insinuate that we can't read scientists' publications.

Just stick google in front of a word to make the person seem deluded!

Stop google implying that reading a scientist's publication is speculating.

exactly my point though - scientific publications are not written for the general public with no training in evidence appraisal.