If that peak doesn't cause severe illness or death in people then where's the problem? At the moment we have very high levels of infection in particular groups for obvious reasons and other than kids being off school it doesn't appear to be anywhere near as bad as was predicted.

On raw numbers it does sound awful but when I look at who's infected I'm not worried. The point of restrictions was always to protect the NHS, at least that's what we were told. Vaccination appears to have worked in that regard stopping severe disease so infection rate raw data isn't what matters.

In my area the number of infections is horrendous - the rate per 100k was well over 1k at one point but it is going down again now. Sounds awful but it wasn't reflected in hospital admissions or deaths as it was/is schoolchildren. At one point there were 15 children off with confirmed cases from a single class in the local primary school. I believe their parents' generation are also showing disproportionate rates of infection but it doesn't appear to be hitting others.

He seems very bullish about high wages - while keeping very quiet about that being the one thing he's not prepared to take into account over the state pension.

It shows the complete disconnect between MPs and the reality of grinding poverty suffered by so many. I do wonder if he said it more as a dig at GPs.

Maybe we're looking at this all wrong and there is a master plan - Food shortages and subsequent price rises will solve the obesity crisis. Fuel shortages and subsequent price rises will curtail all social interaction as the unwashed masses will only be able to undertake linited journeys to work. Effectively another lockdown so Covid solved. Essential utilities such as gas and electricity are set to become unaffordable which will have a positive effect on the social care bill as the aged and vulnerable freeze to death. Those of us who survive the coming winter can come out of our homes next Spring blinking in the sunlight just like all the best disaster movies - and Boris will call it a success and take the credit.

On the surface yes. Like all antivirals it works best if given early so if it requires a prescription, and therefore a GP appointment, we can whistle for it in this country on the NHS.

'Could have'? Ya think? Just maybe I guess. Problem is it gives all the frenzied xenophobes someone else to blame and gets Boris off the hook - yet again. It isn't the incompetence of our own, it's those nasty foreigners being unreasonable.

I prefer the humerous ones TJ. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to manage even hysterical laughter. I used to laugh at doomsday preppers - not any more. I predict the next shortage will be firewood. Everyone I know with a wood burning stove has ordered far more in for the winter than they normally would.

As far as I can see I could just have scanned in a QR code of an unused or unreported test and declared it negative. It is a venue asking for this and it's utterly pointless. They'd be much better asking everyone to bring an LFT with them and randomly picking 10% out on entry to test in front of a witness

OMG I can't stop laughing - in a hopeless sort of way. Tomorrow I'm going somewhere which requires a negative LFT - done within the previous 48 hours and with the appropriate official notification. First time I've had to do this. So - 'I' do the test 'I' scan in the QR code 'I' tick a box which declares a negative result I get the NHS notification to my phone saying I've tested negative. Somebody please explain the point of the exercise to me. Did I even need to bother sticking something up my nose? I could probably have just scanned in a QR code without testing.

Plus the dreadful conditions and lack of facilities for HGV drivers in this country compared with mainland Europe.

I'm sure we all await his proposals with baited breath. We still have a global pandemic, the earth is melting, we face a winter of discontent, the figures for non covid related extra deaths are beyong depressing, shelves are empty in supermarkets already and every petrol station which still has fuel also has queues of cars stretching off the forecourt and down the street. But it's OK because our esteemed leader has made it a priority that we buy apples in pounds and ounces again.

I envy him. I'm not entitled but luckily my children are.

My Belfast born husband, raised in a Unionist family, obtained his Irish passport soon after the Brexit vote if only to hedge bets. A reunited Ireland didn't seem a million miles away.

Everything I find on past pandemics (Ancient civilisations through to Spanish flu) indicates that they last for three years. I don't have access to anything special, only documentaries etc. but it does seem to be a constant. We may think of ourselves as better than previous generations/civilisations and we do have access to so much more science and technology but although we can stop so many diseases now, once one gets hold seems it will run the course no matter what.

Isn't that the idea of herd immunity? Those who can get vaccinated do so to protect both themselves and those who can't.

Do you have a link to the study TJ? I would be interested in the numbers.

It was the right choice as it turns out. I'm just thinking there seem to have been further benefits which were not forseen, more luck than judgement maybe.

They did but what is maybe more interesting was the tests I did at twelve weeks post first dose and around four months (maybe more) post second. Most recent was only a couple of weeks ago and although antibody levels are not as high as they were four weeks after the second dose they are still at a comfortingly adequate level - about a 25% drop.

I agree but the headline is written by journalists and the figures quoted in the article are true. I also agree that figures for the following months will be more indicative of true vaccine efficacy though I really doubt they'll show vaccination wasn't worthwhile. We also seem to be faring better than some other well vaccinated countries against the Delta variant. Is this because we left a longer gap between doses? I was so impressed with Israel's vaccination programme but now wonder if our 8-12 weeks between jabs has given better protection.

I'd say it's of prime importance. Going back to my real world experience with my neighbours, the first member of the family to be infected was the mum who had started a new job as a teaching assistant the previous week. We run a 5k together every Sunday and that Sunday (4 or 5 days post new job start) she said she didn't feel up to a serious run and we walked it instead. Obviously if we'd even suspected Covid we wouldn't have gone at all but it never crossed our minds. Tuesday she sent me a text to say she'd tested +ve for Covid. Point is I spent almost an hour walking and chatting with her, not exactly shoulder to shoulder but probably not 6ft apart at all times. I've tested every day since and I'm fine. I can only put that down to being out in the fresh air and moving constantly ie as we were walking we were never breathing in the same air we'd just breathed out.

How many of them are overweight or have other conditions which means the vaccine doesn't work too well? Not saying it isn't happening but there's also the other side of the coin - my neighbours, family of five and four of them have it right now. Oldest (47), obese but working on it and much fitter than a year ago, had two days of aching ribs and a sore throat and now feels as if she has a slight head cold. Next, (45) has a cough but hasn't felt ill though is tired. 16 year old not ill but tired and 7 year old completely symptomless. I'd say the vaccine has done its job for the adults in that family. Four cases has really screwed the 'per 100k' figures for my village area mind you and that could easily frighten some.

The lack of newer variant vaccines is exactly why I wouldn't bother with a booster even if it were offered. As for vaccinating younger children - the cynical side of me might think it's more a political decision. Boris cannot offer it and then get lousy take up, something I think quite likely from parents worried about side effects. Also, the suggestion that parents wishes can be ignored if a child is deemed competent to decide for themselves is laughable. That can work both ways round so kids themselves could refuse it and any hint of coercion followed by a single heart issue would kill the programme stone dead.

I don't believe I need continuous high levels of antibodies. Admittedly I have no scientific background or knowledge but as I understand it a vaccine primes my system to be able to produce antibodies against a given threat, in this case Covid. The first dose gave my system the info and I produced a very mediocre antibody response. However, my body knew what to do when I had the second dose and produced a much more robust response. It's how long that ability to mount an approprate response lasts for which matters and nobody knows that.