Coronavirus

[jamespevans]

I went to a pharmacist this afternoon to pick up a prescription for my wife. I wore a mask as I always do in shops etc, the two people in front of me didn't. Not wearing a mask in a pharmacy is one hell of a definition of personal responsibility!

Were they together?

No

[Dunners]

Anyone else watching what is happening in Israel with concern? Despite their vaccination programme, the Delta variant is still driving up cases and hospitalisation. There's even talk that further lockdowns may need to be considered.

A lot of firms here in London are planning hybrid working pilots from September, so we're going to see an increase in commuters and office workers. Packed tube trains and office air conditioning. This should be fun.

[Long slender neck]

What are their numbers like?

Been told to go back to work 4 days a week from September, not looking forward to it.

[Dunners]

Here's their dashboard: https://datadashboard.health.gov.il/COVID-19/general

I've been going into the office these last couple of weeks because with the school holidays I needed some peace and quiet to do my boarding. But so far the tubes have been relatively quiet and I have an entire office floor to myself. From September we're going to be working 2 days in, and 3 days from home.

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Looks like 56% of population vaccinated, right? So I guess the unvaccinated are driving that. The severely ill trend is far higher for unvaccinated than vaccinated too (approximately four times higher for unvaccinated)

[JimbO]

Here's their dashboard: https://datadashboard.health.gov.il/COVID-19/general

I've been going into the office these last couple of weeks because with the school holidays I needed some peace and quiet to do my boarding. But so far the tubes have been relatively quiet and I have an entire office floor to myself. From September we're going to be working 2 days in, and 3 days from home.

Going in on Thursday for the 1st time in 17 months as I'm meeting a mate for a beer.

It's being made compulsory for us to go in at least once a week from the week of the 6th September. I've not missed the 3hr (Total commute) one bit.

[Harlow]

Question, and apologies if it has been asked/answered before. Does anyone know if being exposed to Covid without actually catching it boosts the immune system? Does it make a difference if one has been fully vaccinated, as I have?

Whilst I am not aware of having caught it, I cannot believe that I haven't been exposed to it-does that mean my immune system and vaccination are working as they should ?

[ComeOnYouOs]

Question, and apologies if it has been asked/answered before. Does anyone know if being exposed to Covid without actually catching it boosts the immune system? Does it make a difference if one has been fully vaccinated, as I have?

Whilst I am not aware of having caught it, I cannot believe that I haven't been exposed to it-does that mean my immune system and vaccination are working as they should ?

As you have been vaccinated, then presumably you will have antibodies, meaning you are protected. By how much I wouldn't know

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Question, and apologies if it has been asked/answered before. Does anyone know if being exposed to Covid without actually catching it boosts the immune system? Does it make a difference if one has been fully vaccinated, as I have?

Whilst I am not aware of having caught it, I cannot believe that I haven't been exposed to it-does that mean my immune system and vaccination are working as they should ?

I've wondered the same actually. In the past when working in the office and getting the train/tube I'd seem to come down with a cold/cough etc seemingly really easily so I'm a bit surprised that I've not had at least a moderate form of Covid despite all the steps I've taken to try to avoid it.

[Harlow]

Question, and apologies if it has been asked/answered before. Does anyone know if being exposed to Covid without actually catching it boosts the immune system? Does it make a difference if one has been fully vaccinated, as I have?

Whilst I am not aware of having caught it, I cannot believe that I haven't been exposed to it-does that mean my immune system and vaccination are working as they should ?

As you have been vaccinated, then presumably you will have antibodies, meaning you are protected. By how much I wouldn't know

We are lead to believe that our immunity wanes, for example look at flu-we are being told that flu will be worse this year because we weren't exposed to it last winter-so will being regularly exposed to Covid help maintain our immunity?

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Cornwall tourists urged to stay away as cases rise : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58318695

If you can get a surge like that there from tourism it makes you wonder what the return of football crowds is going to do nationwide.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Cornwall tourists urged to stay away as cases rise : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58318695

If you can get a surge like that there from tourism it makes you wonder what the return of football crowds is going to do nationwide.

Will be interested to see. The thing with football crowds is the away fans. Literally thousands of people every weekend travelling up and down the country, potentially spreading covid.

[tuffers#1]

Question, and apologies if it has been asked/answered before. Does anyone know if being exposed to Covid without actually catching it boosts the immune system? Does it make a difference if one has been fully vaccinated, as I have?

Whilst I am not aware of having caught it, I cannot believe that I haven't been exposed to it-does that mean my immune system and vaccination are working as they should ?

As you have been vaccinated, then presumably you will have antibodies, meaning you are protected. By how much I wouldn't know

We are lead to believe that our immunity wanes, for example look at flu-we are being told that flu will be worse this year because we weren't exposed to it last winter-so will being regularly exposed to Covid help maintain our immunity?

Im sure thats not what was said about flu .
They said add Flu to the Covid virus & Hospitals may
Experience difficulty coping as the numbers of people with both could be in a life threatening situation .
Only with both or covid
Not realistically with flu .

[Harlow]

As you have been vaccinated, then presumably you will have antibodies, meaning you are protected. By how much I wouldn't know

We are lead to believe that our immunity wanes, for example look at flu-we are being told that flu will be worse this year because we weren't exposed to it last winter-so will being regularly exposed to Covid help maintain our immunity?

Im sure thats not what was said about flu .
They said add Flu to the Covid virus & Hospitals may
Experience difficulty coping as the numbers of people with both could be in a life threatening situation .
Only with both or covid
Not realistically with flu .

Tuffers-below is a bit from the Telegraph last February-I have seen nothing to contradict this (but I am not a scientist) but I have seen comments suggesting that scientists have struggled to identify which flu vaccines needed to be produced for this winter.

However there were suggestions last year that catching flu could help protect against Covid-that was pre vaccination

" I would guess that we are likely to get a more severe epidemic in the coming winter - assuming restrictions are fully lifted by then,” said Prof John Edmunds, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and a member of the government’s Sage committee of scientific advisors.

“We have effectively missed out on flu this winter, so the levels of immunity are less than would be typical. In fact, it is not impossible that we will have an out-of-season epidemic perhaps in the autumn, rather than winter,” he told the Telegraph"

[tuffers#1]

We are lead to believe that our immunity wanes, for example look at flu-we are being told that flu will be worse this year because we weren't exposed to it last winter-so will being regularly exposed to Covid help maintain our immunity?

Im sure thats not what was said about flu .
They said add Flu to the Covid virus & Hospitals may
Experience difficulty coping as the numbers of people with both could be in a life threatening situation .
Only with both or covid
Not realistically with flu .

Tuffers-below is a bit from the Telegraph last February-I have seen nothing to contradict this (but I am not a scientist) but I have seen comments suggesting that scientists have struggled to identify which flu vaccines needed to be produced for this winter.

However there were suggestions last year that catching flu could help protect against Covid-that was pre vaccination

" I would guess that we are likely to get a more severe epidemic in the coming winter - assuming restrictions are fully lifted by then,” said Prof John Edmunds, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and a member of the government’s Sage committee of scientific advisors.

“We have effectively missed out on flu this winter, so the levels of immunity are less than would be typical. In fact, it is not impossible that we will have an out-of-season epidemic perhaps in the autumn, rather than winter,” he told the Telegraph"

Yes , thats a flu epidemic which is unlikely to kill in massive
Numbers , however sage & co & others have said Covid plus flu
Will put pressure on Hospitals

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Something a bit off with the reported figures lately. Mainly been in the mid 30s this week and today 42k, but the total is only up by 0.4% in the 7 day rolling average.

[Long slender neck]

Why is that off?

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

Why is that off?

Cos last week I think the daily totals were a lot lower.

[ComeOnYouOs]

We are heading for a 4th wave, no doubt

Both new infections and deaths are slowly going up

When schools go back this will further increase totals
Many people's immunity from being jabbed, is also waining, as we knew it would, with plans only to give 1% a booster jab, leaving 99% with little or no immunity .

In my opinion, there will start to be restrictions during November, and possibly a lockdown before or just after the new year.

We have to hope too, that this virus doesn't mutate into a really deadly strain, or we will be in real trouble
The government's handling has been abysmal.... No wonder they don't want a enquiry.

[Long slender neck]

Schools have already gone back.

People wont have little or no immunity without a booster, thats totally fake news. You always predict the worst.

[faldO]

Why is that off?

Cos last week I think the daily totals were a lot lower.

The numbers are correct, though somewhat skewed by the Bank Holiday last Monday when I guess the people who process the tests were on holiday and therefore not processing tests.

If Bank Holiday Monday (~26k) had showed as many positive test cases as today's (~42k) it would have shown about a 7% increase this week over last instead of the reported 0.4%.

No justification for further another lockdown whilst hospitalisations and deaths remain low compared to how they were previously. The number of daily cases is largely irrelevant except when the BBC and others find another way to alarm people - most recently by picking a period when cases were very low (last August) and saying how much worse things are now than they were a year ago.

[Long slender neck]

I don't see how we'll ever see low case numbers or zero covid, if we don't have it now. If thats the case, they may as well stop testing and i guess they will do so if deaths remain low long term.

[BoniO]

Why is that off?

Cos last week I think the daily totals were a lot lower.

The numbers are correct, though somewhat skewed by the Bank Holiday last Monday when I guess the people who process the tests were on holiday and therefore not processing tests.

If Bank Holiday Monday (~26k) had showed as many positive test cases as today's (~42k) it would have shown about a 7% increase this week over last instead of the reported 0.4%.

No justification for further another lockdown whilst hospitalisations and deaths remain low compared to how they were previously. The number of daily cases is largely irrelevant except when the BBC and others find another way to alarm people - most recently by picking a period when cases were very low (last August) and saying how much worse things are now than they were a year ago.

Apart from New Cases, Critical bed numbers have also been rising steadily for a while now. Sure they are lower than peak numbers but it shows a declining situation which needs to be reversed or we could be facing a new crisis where lockdown will return.

[Long slender neck]

What can be done?

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

What can be done?

Third jabs seem to be helping in Israel.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58432776

Think I'd do it for over 50s to get through this winter without huge disruption to NHS services. Immunity for other things is down and going to mean people hospitalised for other things too.