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

@RaspberryCoulis

Because it has taken hold in areas where a higher population than average have not taken up the offer of vaccination.

Not taken up or not yet eligible?

@Ddot

I think the problem was that we thought we were heading for the touch line and then another variant popped up. We need to get the whole world vaccinated or as many as possible to end the cycle. It annoys me that India were given vaccines for the poor and sold them to other countries that is criminal. And yes I have read a few articles about that fact. I hope it's fake news but knowing people maybe not.

India are one of the largest manufacturers of vaccines, and have been supplying other countries, although that has now been put on hold.

To my knowledge, they haven't been selling donations!

There should be surveillance on variants in scientific circles, but until there is solid evidence that they are more deadly or bypassing vaccines, there is no need for the public to know- and especially to this degree. Instead, it is dominating UK news. You have anxious people even more anxious, and laypersons all over the internet doing their own "modelling". And the fear cycle continues.

I've been told from people in many different countries that variants is just not something getting any attention in their media. Covid itself has taken a backseat in many.

At this point it's just malicious.

@Ddot

I think the problem was that we thought we were heading for the touch line and then another variant popped up. We need to get the whole world vaccinated or as many as possible to end the cycle. It annoys me that India were given vaccines for the poor and sold them to other countries that is criminal. And yes I have read a few articles about that fact. I hope it's fake news but knowing people maybe not.

That's not true. India was not "given" any vaccine. India had a tie-up with Astra Zeneca to manufacture vaccine. Serum Institute of India is the largest vaccine manufacturer of the world. They were initially exporting vaccines to Africa (not for profit) along with vaccinating their own population as Europe and US were stockpiling vaccines and not sharing with countries of Africa. Since the Covid situation has worsened in India, they've simply followed what the West was doing all along and that is to think of their own people first and so have stopped exporting to Africa. Needless to say this is absolutely not fair to all those dependent on Indian vaccines in Africa. But the understanding is that the exports would resume once the situation in India is stabilised.

Small increase in positive cases

Deaths and hospital admissions continue to fall

@Ianar

There should be surveillance on variants in scientific circles, but until there is solid evidence that they are more deadly or bypassing vaccines, there is no need for the public to know- and especially to this degree. Instead, it is dominating UK news. You have anxious people even more anxious, and laypersons all over the internet doing their own "modelling". And the fear cycle continues.

I've been told from people in many different countries that variants is just not something getting any attention in their media. Covid itself has taken a backseat in many.

At this point it's just malicious.

It's pretty obvious that something is going on in Bolton though. It's better people in that area know that there is a more infectious strain going around.

Hospital cases in hospital have increased today.

SatyajitRayFan
India received one third of the total vaccines from covax programme. Or so I read. I also read that India are neglecting the poor.

So have hospital admissions gone up or down today? @EducatingArti @AlecTrevelyan006

@DenisetheMenace

Report on PM today from Chris Whatshisname, the Naked Science one. Real time study of 3,000 healthcare workers in India has reported that the AZ vaccine is 97% effective against the so-called India variant. Excellent news.

Do you have a source for this? I’d love to read it.

www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/COVID-19-daily-admissions-and-beds-20210521.xlsx

Up according to this from 749 yesterday to 766 today.
That's total Covid occupied beds.

@ajandjjmum people in hospital is up from 895 to 913 nationwide but admissions are down. An increase by less than 20 nationally isn't anything to get too worried about as it's generally stable.

@EducatingArti
That's beds with confirmed covid case. So not necessarily in because of covid.

But there aren't any stats for "because of Covid" so that is all we have to go on.
Increasing cases with covid in hospital can still be an indication of growing Covid numbers.

Thanks @LivinLaVidaLoki - so not rocketing at the moment! Fingers crossed these vaccines keep doing the job.

I understand that arti but "total covid occupied beds" makes it sound like that is the primary reason for them being there. Like Covid is the only reason they are in hospital.

Exactly PP.
Bookmark

Today 11:51 Belladonna12

“Many of those who are vulnerable have not yet received two doses”.

Where are you? We’re in NW. CEV husband received second jab over 6 weeks ago. I’m 57, no underlying conditions, I’ve had both, our eldest (27, no conditions) had their first this week and we’re expecting our youngest (18) to receive theirs in about 3 weeks.

Anyone “vulnerable” who has not yet received theirs is likely to be through choice (in the UK).

@DenisetheMenace

Exactly PP. Bookmark

Today 11:51 Belladonna12

“Many of those who are vulnerable have not yet received two doses”.

Where are you? We’re in NW. CEV husband received second jab over 6 weeks ago. I’m 57, no underlying conditions, I’ve had both, our eldest (27, no conditions) had their first this week and we’re expecting our youngest (18) to receive theirs in about 3 weeks.

Anyone “vulnerable” who has not yet received theirs is likely to be through choice (in the UK).

The 32 million people in the JCVI 9 priority groups are 48% of the U.K. population.

32.4% of the U.K. population has had a second dose.

So you can see that millions of the vulnerable on the JCVI 9 priority list still haven't had a second jab yet.

@Ddot - can you please share links to the article that expose this fact?

PrincessNutNuts

Every vulnerable person in the UK has been offered vaccines.
Those who are unable to take it for medical reasons are in an incredibly difficult position, I really feel for them and they need the rest of us to take ours in order to protect them. I have nothing but concern for them and urge everyone else to help protect them.

If eligible “vulnerable” people have not yet had a vaccine, at this stage that was a purely personal decision, their responsibility and the rest of the population cannot be expected to suffer as a consequence.

My fully vaccinated CEV husband and I - and worst our 18 year old youngest child who has lost so much these past 14 months - have no intention, once he is vaccinated, of restricting our wider family life because of vaccine refusers.

People on the JCVI 9 priority list who haven't yet had their second doses are not vaccine refusers, though, are they?

Perhaps I have misunderstood? You seemed to be saying in your earlier post that they were?

My uncle in his 60s asked me to go online and bring his second jab forward if I could, but the best I could do was bring it forward a week to May instead of June.

It's my understanding that second jabs for those in their 50s continue into July.

PrincessNutNuts

People on the JCVI 9 priority list who haven't yet had their second doses are not vaccine refusers, though, are they?

Perhaps I have misunderstood? You seemed to be saying in your earlier post that they were?

My uncle in his 60s asked me to go online and bring his second jab forward if I could, but the best I could do was bring it forward a week to May instead of June.

It's my understanding that second jabs for those in their 50s continue into July.“

I am confused now.
It is now May, yes? So your uncle can have his second jab very soon.

If he were clinically extremely vulnerable (which is what I thought you were saying?), he would have had his second vaccine weeks ago.
If he is not CEV, he did not need to receive his second vaccine weeks ago.

Sorry but vulnerable people who can’t have the vaccine have to make the decision about whether or not they go out. They could come into contact with people who haven’t been vaccinated yet, can’t be vaccinated or are vaccinated but not immune. There are no guarantees so they just have to weigh up their risks - just as immunocompromised people have always had to do.

My uncle is now scheduled for May 29th @DenisetheMenace.

He's in group 7 of the priority groups because he is considered vulnerable on grounds of his age.

I was responding to where you said that anyone "vulnerable" who hadn't had their second jab in the U.K. was through choice.

Give this quiz a go and see if you can spot the effectiveness of the different government measures.

www.CovidChartsQuiz.com