Good News Part 12 - So Much Good News - We Needed Another Thread

[BigWoollyJumpers]

Useful links:

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/www.coronavirus.data.gov.uk
www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/www.worldometers.info/coronavirus
www.covidmessenger.com/
ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

This is a thread to share all good news with regards to Covid.
We also share pictures of small furry animals and cute birds.
Posts on other random good news also gladly accepted.

Doomploppers will be met with scorn and derision!

Does anyone know if the drop in vaccine supply over the next 6 weeks or so takes into account the Moderna and J&J vaccines? So might it not be so bad when they are approved? Or is that factored in? Or might they be too late to help?

I think they’ll be too late to help.
It seems unlikely they would announce a big drop if they thought it would be ok after all because of the others. (Unless they had an ulterior motive like making sure we kept on distancing?)

Thanks, makes sense.

Will be nice when we finally don't have to think about this all on a daily basis.

Does anyone know when novavax would be due to arrive?

I’m just wondering, with the delay to first doses, if maybe they will use novavax with a 3 week gap, or J&J one dose for younger people- not waiting 12 weeks for second doses could accelerate the “end” of the rollout for those of us at the back of the queue??
Thinking this could help ease some of the inequality for those waiting for any freedoms which may come as a result of being fully vaccinated.

It seems unlikely they would announce a big drop if they thought it would be ok after all because of the others. (Unless they had an ulterior motive like making sure we kept on distancing?)

'They' didn't announce it. The BBC leaked an internal NHS communication they'd got their hands on, then sprung the question on Matt Hancock at a briefing minutes after breaking the story on their website.

Thank you UserEleventyNine. No need for the sarcasm though

Does anyone know when novavax would be due to arrive?

I posted about this up thread. Bear in mind that I have no idea what the NHS has agreed to with Novavax.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4189268-Good-News-Part-12-So-Much-Good-News-We-Needed-Another-Thread?msgid=105684361

@TheChineseChicken

Does anyone know if the drop in vaccine supply over the next 6 weeks or so takes into account the Moderna and J&J vaccines? So might it not be so bad when they are approved? Or is that factored in? Or might they be too late to help?

I don’t think (?) we have approved j&j yet so that might be a way off. I def read that although starting in April we are not expecting Moderna in large quantities at least not initially

However plenty of stuff in media today suggests April will be comparable to february in numbers which is not bad. I think it will feel like we’re making less progress though because April is the month where second jabs have to be done in huge numbers.

Also read that officials are having secret talks with India to try and work something out

Oh the secret talks sound very exciting! 🤪

Ooo as a person of 49 years old I really hope they work out!

Just read this on another thread:

• The problem is the South African variant seems pretty resistant to natural immunity, and immunity from the vaccines we’re using. If it takes root here we’ll be pushed back so far and locked down until new vaccines are available. I don’t see how this summer can go well if we relax international travel given it’s 5-10% of the cases in Europe.*

Is this true? Can someone talk me down from the beginnings of a major panic please? The next post suggested this is the dominant strain in France.

@Reachersloveinterest

Just read this on another thread:

• The problem is the South African variant seems pretty resistant to natural immunity, and immunity from the vaccines we’re using. If it takes root here we’ll be pushed back so far and locked down until new vaccines are available. I don’t see how this summer can go well if we relax international travel given it’s 5-10% of the cases in Europe.*

Is this true? Can someone talk me down from the beginnings of a major panic please? The next post suggested this is the dominant strain in France.

This is a little old now but basically says everything I know. Also from what the scientists have been saying lately all the vaccines should work on all the variants. Though some more than others. Someone else probably will help you more later.

(Reuters) - British drugmaker AstraZeneca said it believed its COVID-19 vaccine developed with the University of Oxford could protect against severe disease caused by the South African variant of the virus.

AstraZeneca confirmed that early data from a small trial, first reported by the Financial Times, had shown limited efficacy for the vaccine against mild disease primarily due to this variant.

"We do believe our vaccine could protect against severe disease, as neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to that of other COVID-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to 8-12 weeks," a spokesman said in a statement.

@TeaInTheGarden

Oh the secret talks sound very exciting! 🤪

And not very secret

I found this too

Vaccines are still said to work against the South Africa variant - and people are still being urged to get vaccinated - but efficacy is not to the same level as those registered for the previously tested variants.

Dr Hopkins said that three of the trialled vaccines were shown to be effective "at a level greater than what was set as a minimum standard set by the WHO".

According to the French announcements it's actually the Kent variant which is dominant in France accounting for 3/4 of their current infections. So they are implementing a local lockdown in 16 departments which sounds very similar to ours in October/November - schools staying open, curfew at 7pm. Apparently they considered a national lockdown in January but that would have meant being in lockdown for three months which would have been intolerable 😂 Their vaccine rollout with AZ starts again tomorrow they'll already done nearly half of people over 75, and their target is 10 million first doses by mid April, 20 million by mid May, 30 million by mid June.
They're basically in the same situation we were in back in November.
Wish they'd hurry up with the vaccines.

Is there any good news for us unfortunate 49 year olds?

@Frequentflier

Is there any good news for us unfortunate 49 year olds?

Yes, your odds of having a severe case are quite low, especially if you are a woman.

Am a woman but also BAME, hideous term tho that is!

Yes BAME does sound like there is something wrong with you which isn't a good way to portray diversity after all.

Early days yet, and obviously still being studied and investigated, but some early suggestions that the vaccines are helping reduce the symptoms of Long Covid.

www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/health/coronavirus-patients-and-vaccine-effects.html?fbclid=IwAR0AbZVmLUK7V7WVc_VkoLd-WMcPbnqs0aKwFTP3eFZha8e31qDHFbE4vJQ

Just checking in as I haven't for a while. Nothing useful to post though so apologies. However, it's a lovely day here and washing is on the line, my morning run is complete so life feels good today.

Really hope the SA strain doesn't make anything worse here, we finally feel like we are getting somewhere.

I hate to go all tin foil hat, but it really does seem that whenever things are starting to look good and people becoming less strict about the roolz then stories like this start being pushed again. 🤔

BigWoolly has been jabbed . Feeling OK so far, will let you know later how I get on.

Keep losing you. I’m in 40’s so my hopes have been dashed for my vaccination. DC at school and DH at work. Bit nail biting.

I agree @Bordois Every time we seem to feel like we are getting somewhere and can start to feel hopeful along comes a story to piss on our chips. I'm really hoping that it is bad in Europe due to the Kent strain that we've already had and that vaccines do have some effect on the SA variant. Then things will look better in the UK.

So my countdown today says:

29th March (rule of 6 or 2 households outside, don't have to stay as local, outdoor sports) - 9 more sleeps (1 more week)

12th April (non essential retail open, pubs/restaurants allowed to open for outside service, gyms/spas, libraries, zoos and theme parks allowed to open) - 23 more sleeps (3 more weeks)

17th May (30 people allowed to meet outside, indoor entertainment like theatres, cinemas and museums can open, hotels and B&Bs can open, pubs/restaurants can serve food/drinks indoors for household or possibly rule of 6 cant remember) - 51 more sleeps (8 more weeks)

21st June (end of most SD rules, not sure about mass gatherings etc though) - 93 more sleeps (13 more weeks)

The wait is coming down, just got to keep fingers crossed that there are no major delays.