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!

Hi everyone. Checking in. I have realised that this thread is the only real place I look for info regarding the virus and what's happening everywhere. I am not sure if this is good or bad tbh!

I got a newsflash on my phone a few days ago about a third wave in the summer and more deaths - I don't understand how this can happen considering we are doing so well on the vaccination front? Also, if the vaccines are showing they reduce transmission so much, surely this is going to have an effect too? Can someone translate for me (I am not being lazy about looking it up but don't want to put myself on a downer if I don't need to!)

From the BBC website:

Public Health Scotland and the University of Glasgow monitored 300,000 NHS workers between 8 December - the first day of vaccination in Scotland - and 3 March.

The researchers looked at the records of people who lived with vaccinated and unvaccinated healthcare workers, finding the workers who had had one dose were at least 30% less likely to have passed the virus on.

Given that people living with healthcare workers could also catch the virus from other sources, researchers say the 30% figure is a low estimate.

Those who had had both doses of vaccine were found to have been at least 54% less likely to have transmitted the virus.

As I understand it, some countries un Europe are facing a third wave at the moment and for some reason the belief that the UK are a couple of months behind Europe still persists. Completely discounting the difference in vaccination numbers between the UK and some countries in Europe.

@JemimaPyjamas

Hi everyone. Checking in. I have realised that this thread is the only real place I look for info regarding the virus and what's happening everywhere. I am not sure if this is good or bad tbh!

I got a newsflash on my phone a few days ago about a third wave in the summer and more deaths - I don't understand how this can happen considering we are doing so well on the vaccination front? Also, if the vaccines are showing they reduce transmission so much, surely this is going to have an effect too? Can someone translate for me (I am not being lazy about looking it up but don't want to put myself on a downer if I don't need to!)

I think it is because waves covers any kind of rising in cases. What Whitty has said is with easing of restrictions a wave is expected. When nobody can be sure. It will happen because vaccines are not 100% and cases will never be zero.

The good news is the wave he talks about is likely to be not much different than the regular flu deaths. So long as we get enough people vaccinated and continue to be careful for a bit longer. As in slowly unlocking as planned.

@Bordois

As I understand it, some countries un Europe are facing a third wave at the moment and for some reason the belief that the UK are a couple of months behind Europe still persists. Completely discounting the difference in vaccination numbers between the UK and some countries in Europe.

This belief I don't get because the wave they are experiencing is the Kent variant.

Which means that wave started here. So we have already experienced it and the ripple is going outwards.

Also we know the vaccines are very good against the Kent variant. Plus a lot of people will have some immunity to that one at least from having it before.

We definitely will have another wave but I don't believe like Europe are getting now or that deadly at all

Just 5,494 people became ill with Covid every day last week. Down a third from the 8,111 figure last week according to the Covid Symptom Study, run by ZOE and King's College London

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum thank you!

I'm in Asia but booked in for my jab a week today and the 2nd one 3 weeks later. I am returning to the UK, my home, early May. I will be with my only daughter during her pregnancy, she is 19 weeks today and is really wanting me home. DH will have to work here for a little while longer but his company have been suggesting voluntary redundancy and he would bite their hand off.

So after a shit year, I have some hope and feel a bit lighter.

@OrraBoralis

I'm in Asia but booked in for my jab a week today and the 2nd one 3 weeks later. I am returning to the UK, my home, early May. I will be with my only daughter during her pregnancy, she is 19 weeks today and is really wanting me home. DH will have to work here for a little while longer but his company have been suggesting voluntary redundancy and he would bite their hand off.

So after a shit year, I have some hope and feel a bit lighter.

That sounds like a lot of hope to me. Should end up as a brilliant year for you

A new baby to hug and love. Plus your not the ones having sleepless nights with it😉

In case anyone is worried about AZ and blood clot chances. Firstly there is no evidence of this but they have to investigate.

However even if so someone on another thread did the maths from the cases reported compared to how many shots given so far.

"0.0006% blood clot chance. At this rate the vaccine should be marketed as an anti-coagulant"

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum - thanks for re-posting the stats on the blood clotting. It is at the back of my mind as I had the AZ vaccine on Weds and have to take aspirin daily. Very reassuring.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

In case anyone is worried about AZ and blood clot chances. Firstly there is no evidence of this but they have to investigate.

However even if so someone on another thread did the maths from the cases reported compared to how many shots given so far.

"0.0006% blood clot chance. At this rate the vaccine should be marketed as an anti-coagulant"

Exactly this. If there is a typical % of blood clot cases in the population as a whole, then it would be more surprising if there were no cases in the vaccinated population than if there are a few cases broadly in line with the % seen in the population as a whole.

The issue would be if we were seeing a statistically significant higher % of blood clots in vaccinated people than the general population. (And if we were seeing a statistically significant lower % in the vaccinated population, we could start to wonder if we'd found a cure!)

Today I saw a study showing that those taking low dose aspirin were less likely to get covid and recovered faster if they did. I didnt bookmark it so I'll have to find it again if I can. I have some lowish dose aspirin in the cupboard in case of covid because it seems likely to help, I was glad to see it being confirmed.

This is the study - but as I had to google it I found one saying the opposite. Oh well, at least no harm was seen - and this was thee bigger study www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/bu-auf031021.php

Signing in - am a lurker on this thread, thanks to everyone for keeping it going.

Got my best (late) birthday present as I was 53 yesterday and my jab invite came today!

Thanks for new thread @BigWoollyJumpers

Not sure if anyone's posted this - just a warning it talks about animal studies if that isn't something you want to hear about.

Essentially says that even with v low antibody levels from AZ vax (including one undetectable) there was still a complete protection from severe disease
twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/1370378272282980352?s=19

@tobee

Got my best (late) birthday present as I was 53 yesterday and my jab invite came today!

🥳

[quote ArianaVenti]Not sure if anyone's posted this - just a warning it talks about animal studies if that isn't something you want to hear about.

Essentially says that even with v low antibody levels from AZ vax (including one undetectable) there was still a complete protection from severe disease
twitter.com/sailorrooscout/status/1370378272282980352?s=19[/quote]
Thank you for the warning. I don't like reading about all that. So won't click

Sounds very positive news though

My mum is 53 and booked her jab for next Thursday. My Dad (62) only had his this week so they're really getting through them quickly!
Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but adequate days ago the mail had an interactive map which showed percentage of over 65s vaccinated. I doubt it has been updated but still interesting to look at. My area is 96%!
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9326381/amp/Covid-19-Gloucestershire-neighbourhood-vaccinated-20-65s.html?__twitter_impression=true

Checking in!

I'm 53.
I keep checking the website to see if it has opened up for 50+ yet.

@TeenMinusTests

I'm 53. I keep checking the website to see if it has opened up for 50+ yet.

I’m only 40... but once it gets down to 53 and over it won’t be long until it tips into the 40-49 category, which doesn’t seem too far away

The telegraph is reporting that we’ll be ramping up to 1m doses a day and that over 40s will be offered a vaccine by Easter! Official sources refusing to be drawn, but wouldn’t it be amazing if that happened.
Off to see if the vaccine calculator can cope with the idea of 1m doses a day....