Good news Part 9

[BBCONEANDTWO]

Previous thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4151264-Good-News-Part-8?pg=37

Useful links:

coronavirus.data.gov.uk

www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

www.covidmessenger.com Thanks to LittleOwl for all her hard work!

ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

www.omnicalculator.com/health/vaccine-queue-uk

NB Please don’t take this too seriously- it depends what vaccine delivery speed and uptake you estimate so it’s not written in stone.

@Chickenqueen

Professor Van Tam sounding very reassuring on AstraZeneca, affirming he thinks it will still prevent serious illness and death and also that South African variant is not a concern at the moment. I think the media reporting about that trial has been extremely irresponsible.

Yes. JVT said as much.

Checking in to my safe zone. I see a few of us on here have been doing battle with the doom mongers on other threads trying to inject some positivity - well done.

I feel much happier tonight having read some of the articles posted on here about the SA strain so thank you all.

Particularly our capabilities with vaccine production and genomic sequencing

I love that JVT just chats rather than presents. It’s a great communication style

MH also just saying that no new cases of the SA variant have been found in the last 2 days. I know it hasn’t gone away but in my head I feel like the press were making out like we were about to be overrun with it in a matter of days.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

According to Prof Peter Openshaw, an immunologist from Imperial College London, mild forms of the illness meant that the virus was only present in the nose and upper airway, whereas "the disease that we are most fearful of is when it gets down deep into the lungs" and potentially affects other organs of the body.

"I think there is very little doubt these vaccines will prevent that sort of spread of the virus outside the confines of the upper respiratory tract," he told the BBC.

This is what I was hoping they would say. We can cope with people contracting what will be a mild illness!

The other thing I keep thinking is, how many different strains of the common cold circulate each year?? Why don’t we ever panic about them becoming mutant? Or am I misunderstanding the difference?

@TheChineseChicken - yes, I like that about JVT too. And if he doesn’t have the answer he just says he doesn’t know rather than trying to bullshit his way round it.

Yes I found JVT very reassuring today and in stark contrast to some of the unhelpful news headlines. I also think that the very clear statement that we need to get to the point where we can manage this in the community vs in hospital is really helpful - clearly stating the goal isn't to completely eradicate Covid from the UK.

I could have cheered when JVT said he wished the press wouldn't put out scary headlines.

I didn't get to watch the briefing because baby had other ideas but it sounds like they did a good job calming everything

Van Tam explains things wonderfully. Love Whitty to but his factual way of speaking confuses the public sometimes. JVT was definitely the right choice today.

My phone tells be they did a shout out to the 70s+ to book online or phone now. Which is brilliant too. Don't want anyone to miss out because of waiting for a letter

@mrshonda

I could have cheered when JVT said he wished the press wouldn't put out scary headlines.

Did he? Fantastic

Wherediditgo - All I know is WHO advises each year on which strains of the flu are likely to be going around. Then vaccines are made to tackle those strains. So yes we already do what they are planning for covid. Annual booster for the vulnerable (maybe also for everyone else)

Hey guys, having a bit of a down day, usually got for a run but the snow stopped it today. Going out tomorrow though as I'm not up for another crappy mental health day.

Can I have positive opinions of when we'll be able to get rid of this bloody masks (can you tell I hate them?!). Don''t want to ask on the main board as I know some people will say they're here to stay, FOREVER! And I just can't cope with that

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

Wherediditgo - All I know is WHO advises each year on which strains of the flu are likely to be going around. Then vaccines are made to tackle those strains. So yes we already do what they are planning for covid. Annual booster for the vulnerable (maybe also for everyone else)

My understanding is that we survey the strains circulating in the Southern Hemisphere in their winter, and produce vaccines accordingly, presumably with some modelling added in. I expect it will be a few years before covid falls into this kind of seasonal pattern.

Disclaimer: I’m not an expert so the above could be bollocks

JVT was fab! Talked proper doctor sense - deal with what's happening now and don't extrapolate on what could come to you in the future !!

My mid 70s parents had their vaccines yesterday as well

JVT was very good - the key takeaway was that they don’t expect the sa variant to become dominant here, perhaps because our very own mutant variant has become so dominant

I also thought MH was in a hopeful mood. He’s quite good at putting a massive downer on things sometime.

I’ve not read the thread yet as just finished work but I just wanted you all to know there has been approx 30% reduction in paediatric admissions. There is also less pressure on adult beds 😊

I love JVT he is so down to earth and tonight so reassuring which I think a lot of people needed to hear 😊

@TheChineseChicken

I love that JVT just chats rather than presents. It’s a great communication style

I love him, he communicates so effectively - use a little jargon to show he is appropriately qualified to comment, but also cuts straight to the point and you can guarantee he’ll give his honest opinion.

I agree, JVT was great this evening “I agree the headlines are scary, I wish they weren’t”, reassuring and hopefully his message was understood by the journalists.

So good to read some positive news. Had a rubbish day at work and didn't get into London marathon (which was no surprise) so its been good to read something to lift my spirits a little.

Hi folks - As many of you know, I run www.covidmessenger.com on a voluntary basis.

I'm trying to reduce my time on it a bit so I have enough time to support my DD in homeschooling which I am finding pretty hard at the moment.

So, while I will be updating the website every day, and continuing to run the daily email service, I am going to have to cut back on my social media presence. So I won't be popping on here as regularly to let you all know when I spot positive trends in the data - of which there are so many (thankfully) at the moment.

So, for anyone who usually looks out for my message before checking the website, please know that I will continue to publish the cases in each council in England on www.covidmessenger.com every day, shortly after the govt data release, even if you don't see a message here from me.

I hope you all stay safe and hopefully when things are a bit more manageable I can be back on here.

All the the best and stay safe. Your support has meant so much to me.

H x

@littleowl1

Hi folks - As many of you know, I run www.covidmessenger.com on a voluntary basis.

I'm trying to reduce my time on it a bit so I have enough time to support my DD in homeschooling which I am finding pretty hard at the moment.

So, while I will be updating the website every day, and continuing to run the daily email service, I am going to have to cut back on my social media presence. So I won't be popping on here as regularly to let you all know when I spot positive trends in the data - of which there are so many (thankfully) at the moment.

So, for anyone who usually looks out for my message before checking the website, please know that I will continue to publish the cases in each council in England on www.covidmessenger.com every day, shortly after the govt data release, even if you don't see a message here from me.

I hope you all stay safe and hopefully when things are a bit more manageable I can be back on here.

All the the best and stay safe. Your support has meant so much to me.

H x

Thank you for doing this you take care and see you back when you are ready.

We have young Frenchmen without t-shirts now

If anyone wants further reassurance on the SA variant and Oxford vaccine check out @sailorrooscout rant on Twitter.....