Indian variant - why the panic?

[Doireallyneedaname]

Multiple news stories over the last 24 hours stating that the vaccines are effective against it; as well as lab studies last week showing the same, yet the panic continues. Why?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57134181

@Ddot

Because a lot of muslims will not have vaccine due to it containing a very small amount of alcohol.

This is nonsense. It’s the sort of silly misinformation that prevents some Muslims from getting vaccinated

@Ddot

Because a lot of muslims will not have vaccine due to it containing a very small amount of alcohol.

I think this is what we used to call fake news

The majority of extremely vulnerable people, the elderly and at risk have now had two doses. Even with one dose the chances of infection then leading to a hospitalisation are reduced to around 85%. One dose also reduced transmissibility significantly. So yes there are under 40s still to be vaccinated but that cohort of people with no other serious underlying conditions are very unlikely to be seriously ill from it. In same tests 7 out of 10 people in the UK nor have antibodies present on their blood which is way higher than even the vaccination rate. I guess there are unknowns still, but agree with OP

This is nonsense. It’s the sort of silly misinformation that prevents some Muslims from getting vaccinated

I understood that the leaders of all the main religions have said there is nothing in their beliefs to prevent people from being vaccinated.

Because not everyone has been vaccinated yet. Duh

We are far and away the most affected country outside India. The last set of figures which I read showed, for instance, 33 cases of the Indian variant in Switzerland, 36 in France, 464 in the USA. The UK had 1,576 cases. That was a couple of days ago, so the figures may need updating, but they show that we are again leading something that we don't want to lead.

It seems as if the scientists are reasonably confident that vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna will be effective against the Indian variant, but less so where ones like Astra Zeneca and Johnson and Johnson are concerned. This is worrying as a lot of vulnerable people have had Astra Zeneca. That includes my DH, which is why I am very anxious.

Because it seems to be a lot more infectious and spreading/growing quickly. We were doing quite well with dwindling cases until this variant started to take off.

@Fatredwitch I though the AstraZeneca was holding up well to the Indian variant? Where did you see this?

@Bard6817

There’s behavioural scientists on the vaccine groups. They are using such event to encourage vaccine take up.

Personally i’ve taken it, second dose shortly, but some people are anti vaxxers or dumb enough to think it’s a grand conspiracy, bill gates culpable, and so a bit of fear is required to get numbers up.

I thought all anti-vaxers were dumb too. I'm surprised to find out my usually very sensible cousin and usually very intelligent friend seem to be leaning that way. They must be having moments of madness.

allmyarseandpeggymartin An immunologist being interviewed on Sky News said that the vaccines like Pfizer and Moderns - they are a particular type but I can't remember the name - look like they will be effective against the Indian variant but they weren't sure about Astra Zeneca, etc. More research needed, I think.

Right before you have a go google it, vaccine has small amount of alcohol. Medical professional told me, and I double checked.

Two reasons.

1. It's spreading incredibly rapidly just like it did in India. The Kent variant was a game changer which led us to the worst set of lockdowns imaginable. This is yet another step change in a worse direction, and one we haven't yet worked out the impact of in this current state of open schools, shops etc.

2. Anecdotal evidence, which is looking much worse at the moment than the supposed official line that the vaccine is effective against it. I have three family members who have it, two of them (husband and wife) have been vaccinated ages ago with one jab. They are both ill, one worse and really suffering. Even the teenager is ill, less so.

Even in hospital admissions, 5 of the admissions have had one jab out of 18. That doesn't really ring true with "the vaccine is still as effective".

The govt are keen to appease right wingers, not to mention reluctant to admit their own failure to control travel, and I think the are minimising this.

Some people worry vaccine may contain animal products which apparently it doesn't

@MarshaBradyo

I was interested I how you know which variant

Do you have access to a central system or how does it work

We've had a message to our school via local PHE, detailing rising cases and also that it's the Indian variant.

But we've also had a couple of children infected this week, primary. So bubbles closed etc. And I'm hearing of it affecting other local schools too.

Anon666 where is this please?

At the moment, we don’t know how effective the vaccine is against the Indian variants. Many scientists believe we need more data and should have deferred the indoor activity for another couple of weeks.

Chloemol for prime minister
I don't feel pity those not being able to go abroad this year health is wealth but some don't see it like that

Here in Blackburn we have a shiny new light up van that says 'warning, VOC in this area' so cases will start to decline now obviously 🙄🤦🏻‍♀️

@Fatredwitch

We are far and away the most affected country outside India. The last set of figures which I read showed, for instance, 33 cases of the Indian variant in Switzerland, 36 in France, 464 in the USA. The UK had 1,576 cases. That was a couple of days ago, so the figures may need updating, but they show that we are again leading something that we don't want to lead.

It seems as if the scientists are reasonably confident that vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna will be effective against the Indian variant, but less so where ones like Astra Zeneca and Johnson and Johnson are concerned. This is worrying as a lot of vulnerable people have had Astra Zeneca. That includes my DH, which is why I am very anxious.

The reason we have ‘more’ cases of this variant is because we sequence many many more cases than pretty much anywhere else in the world. Other countries will have just as many of not more cases but they don’t look for them as much as we do.

www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-u-k-became-world-leader-in-sequencing-the-coronavirusgenome-11612011601

(Yes I know that’s about a different variant, but it makes clear how much more sequencing we do)

[quote Unsure33]@LadyEnolaHolmes

But no one has ever said the vaccines are 100% effective plus with a doctor you should take into account the increased exposure and viral load both of which sadly are relevant , especially with their current conditions.[/quote]
@Unsure33 I agree that with doctors there is exposure to a higher viral load, but given the extreme PPE they wear now, their exposure is not necessarily more than what we would have currently on public transport with a flimsy mask on (and not all people wear masks anyway).

The idea behind the vaccine was to avoid severe, life threatening levels of the infection in everyone, regardless of the viral load. And while I am not saying the vaccine won’t largely do that with the older variants, we simply cannot make assumptions with new ones, particularly given recent examples.

I’m not opposed to lockdowns lifting and staying lifted by the way- so this isn’t me saying whether or not the reaction to the Indian variant is OTT or not. My only issue is the lack of social distancing, refusal to wear masks etc, but that’s another conversation.

Anyhoo, I am simply trying to say that all things considered, some people (particularly those with underlying health conditions or family in India), are rightfully cautious. However those who are not worried are currently at liberty to carry on with more normalcy than we’ve had in months.

@knittingaddict They were fully protected which means they had already gotten their second shot over a month before the symptoms first appeared.

I know it takes 3 weeks for the immunity to kick in.

I think we need to be balanced about this and not panic or go into hiding in our homes again , but at the same time second guessing facts and worrying incidents won’t help either.

@Ddot

Right before you have a go google it, vaccine has small amount of alcohol. Medical professional told me, and I double checked.

It contains less alcohol than you get in bread and a lot of other food. No religious leader has suggested that the alcohol content is a problem.

It contains less alcohol than you get in bread and a lot of other food.

British Islamic Medical Association
@BritishIMA
·
28 Jan
The amount of ethanol present as an excipient in 1 of the vaccines is many times less than found in a banana.

twitter.com/britishima/status/1354706975150501888

Because it's the government's MO for controlling us, look at everything people have willing given up because of fear. They'll be wanting to put us back into Lockdown for the winter, and the story will be it's because not enough people took the vaccine despite the majority doing so, then it will be we need vaccine passports to get back to normal because they want ultimate tyrannical control of every part of our lives and they won't stop until we make them stop! Vaccine passports will do nothing to contain the spread just control where you can go, who you can see and what you can do and only if master government (aka the elites with the money) permit their lowly slaves to do so.

Cases and deaths lower than last Wednesday

Still no sign of the Indian variant having much impact