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!

My good news is I've just had my jab

Mid 30's, no underlying health conditions - just lucky.

Congratulations!

Teen great, isn't it. I actually got a bit emotional when I read that.

@TeenMinusTests

I found this article on The Recovery Trial very interesting, showing how getting good data from the drugs they tried helped save lives.

I posted on one of the EU Vaccine threads, when a poster accused UK of gloating and triumphalism, that actually I thought we weren't pushing our successes enough, and linked the Recovery programme. Another Oxford/UK Government/Bill Gates funded enterprise, which has done excellent work on drug trials. Also how many UK residents have taken part in all these vaccine and drug trials, we can be quite altruistic when we need to be . Also COG-UK the genomics testing consortium Cambridge/UK government/Wellcome Sanger.

@TeenMinusTests

I found this article on The Recovery Trial very interesting, showing how getting good data from the drugs they tried helped save lives.

That study was a bit unorthodox in its design but yielded really solid data. We were very thankful in the US for the clinical insights, particularly on the efficacy of dex. That saved a lot of lives in my hospital. Well done!

I've just read an article that said the head of NHS had states that the alert level should be lowered from 4 to 3.

Brilliant news!

I had my vaccine this morning . Centre was very quiet . I'm late 40s. Slowly trickling down .

Colleague of mine late 20s has been called in Bristol today. My husband 43 still waiting , might need to tell him that he ain’t getting it cuz he’s too old :)

Lat4 20s with no health conditions?

Some good news on the travel front.

• A new report from Oxera and Edge Health demonstrates that air passenger testingg_ can be used to safely reopen international air travel from 17 May. It found that a single rapid antigen test on-arrival was as effective as completing 10 days quarantine and demonstrates how a risk based ‘traffic light’ framework could be safely introduced to re-open international travel at scale. A single test strategy could be appropriate for countries categorised as medium-risk, with testing and a three days isolation could be used for higher risk countries. The key findings of the report are:

◦ Rapid antigen tests can reduce the number of ‘infectious days’ of an international arrival by 63% — the same as ten days of self-isolation once compliance is taken into account ◦ A two-test strategy (antigen and PCR) with three-day quarantine could be an effective strategy for screening arrivals from countries with higher prevalence rates of COVID-19, capturing 87% of infectious days – and enabling genomic sequencing to mitigate variants of concern. ◦ Analysis of real-world 2020 US/EU passenger data shows that even a single test at the border would have reduced the imported case rate below existing UK community transmission levels.

https://www.oxera.com/publications/effectiveness-of-dual-testing-schemes-for-air-passengers/?utmsource=UKH+CV19+-+update+email&utmcampaign=4f493ef9e9-EMAILCAMPAIGN8720201258COPY01&utmmedium=email&utmterm=0_5608eb3d21-4f493ef9e9-57364442

ONS is showing vaccine confidence levels have remained steady in the UK despite all the politicking shenanigans, 94% have or will roll up their sleeve.

Ourworldindata now showing the fully vaccinated at 4.1% - there's more in the tank but that data updates are a little slow on this site, I think. Anyway - good progress - should rise at speed now.

The UK gov site coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/vaccinations is showing 55% UK adults have had at least 1 shot, including 5% who have had 2.

Oh, brilliant, that's good.

@TeenMinusTests

The UK gov site coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/vaccinations is showing 55% UK adults have had at least 1 shot, including 5% who have had 2.

You'd have to hope that once you get to 60% of people having had a shot a few weeks ago, plus another few % who hopefully have immunity due to having had covid, that makes the whole thing significantly harder to spread.

That all said the main caveat is of course that it won't be anything like 60% of working age adults immunised for a while, as it's skewed heavily towards the older people who won't be so likely to spread anyway.

@KikoMiko that’s made my entire year so far 😍 fingers crossed these Oxera people are part of the travel task force reporting to the government in April 🤞

Vaccination against COVID-19 has now started in 148 locations, covering 90% of the world population

I just saw this buried at the bottom of the OurWorldinData site.... this is soooooo good

[quote Iamclearlyamug]@KikoMiko that’s made my entire year so far 😍 fingers crossed these Oxera people are part of the travel task force reporting to the government in April 🤞[/quote]
@Iamclearlyamug I think they are!

@KikoMiko oh my gaaaad virtually sending you copious amounts of chocolate and wine for cheering me up 🤦‍♂️😂😂

@KikoMiko threats really interesting thank you. I wonder why stuff like this doesn’t get reported more. Instead the foil is on the negative as ALWAYS!

I’m still really hopeful for trace corridors like last year. If rates have dropped significantly here and in other places I really can’t see why we should be in a worse situation than last year. Adding in possible testing plans like this and I’m even more hopeful...
Although of course the anxiety about testing positive and the holiday being over would be bad.... like when our bags go through the x-ray scanner and I’m convinced we will be stopped and searched, but worse!

*foil = focus
trace = travel

@Iamclearlyamug you can see for yourself here

https://www.oxera.com/supporting-safe-restart-of-international-travel/

and the last, important paragraph...

The report has been submitted to the UK government’s Global Travel Taskforce to inform its new risk-based framework to facilitate international travel.

Just marking place as it dropped off TIO on my phone. Fingers crossed for some good news this week

Interesting article which is generally very positive I think
Only 1 out of 25 people being hospitalised with covid are vaccinated and those that have are hospitalised within a few days of having the jab, before it has had a chance to work
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/26/one-in-25-people-hospitalised-with-covid-in-uk-since-december-have-had-vaccine?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Excellent news this morning about booster jabs to protect against variants being planned for vulnerable groups in September. My understanding is that we don’t expect there to be any/many more different variants (as in with different mutations) so I’m hoping this means that with a third jab we should be well protected going forward. Just got to get though summer, which should be fine given how last summer was with no vaccine

Did I read somewhere that the booster shots could be administered at the same time as the flu shot? I think I did but I can't find the link but it would be a good way to drive demand and to cut down on admin.