Mutating Corona Virus

[honeybee13]

As the government doesn't want to have its own Covid enquiry any time soon, Keep Our NHS Public has carried out its own, with Michael Mansfield QC chairing it.

 

 

This Lawyer Thinks Boris Johnson Could be Prosecuted for Misconduct. Here’s Why, and How – Byline Times

BYLINETIMES.COM

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There are grounds to pursue a legal case against the Prime Minister and his Cabinet over their role in the COVID pandemic, a leading barrister says

 

[honeybee13]

Good Law Project [Jolyon Maugham] has established how Matt Hancock's pub landlord friend was awarded an NHS contract at the start of the pandemic.

 

 

[honeybee13]

As I understand it, people coming into the UK just have to do a test 48 hours after they arrive, has that changed for arrivals from southern Africa, TJ?

[honeybee13]

Encouraging news from a study in the Lancet of how much immunity is boosted by a third vaccination.

 

Covid booster shots significantly strengthen immunity, trial finds | Coronavirus | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

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Jabs offer far higher protection than that needed to prevent hospitalisation and death, Cov-Boost trial lead says

 

[honeybee13]

I don't get this. If anything, you're more likely to catch covid at a party than in normal working conditions, aren't you?

 

If it's as you say and parties are being allowed because of no 10's little local difficulties, that's very cynical. Let's hope that a lot of people decide for themselves like they have before when they didn't agree with government advice.

[honeybee13]

You're probably right, UB. It's the hospitals and the NHS that will suffer.

 

Would the problem be this bad without 'Freedom Day'?

[honeybee13]

I think I've read that they're less effective than Pfizer and possibly Moderna. But if two AZ are topped up with one Pfizer or Moderna, the protection is very good, including against omicron, I believe.

 

I saw an article the other day, I'll go and look for it.

[honeybee13]

Here you go. The BBC article mentions AZ being topped up with an MRNA vaccine like Pfizer or Moderna.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59489988

 

And this is about why AZ isn't being used for boosters.

 

https://www.scotsman.com/health/coronavirus/booster-jags-why-astrazeneca-isnt-used-as-a-covid-booster-vaccine-and-if-you-can-have-a-pfizer-booster-after-an-az-jab-3461843

 

[honeybee13]

Interesting about the wait, HT. Was it lack of stock, not wanting to pay the money earlier?..

 

France has only just reduced the gap to five months but there's talk of doing boosters in the spring. They're introducing more restrictions as of Monday. 

[honeybee13]

That's reassuring, HT. Remind me please, have you had a booster shot?

[honeybee13]

There's an awful story from France today.

 

A young mum arived at A&E with respiratory symptoms and when asked, said she'd been vaccinated twice. She had a health pass and a vaccination certificate.

 

When they checked her antibody levels, they found she didn't have any anti-covid ones so they asked her husband about it. He told them she never wanted to be vaxxed, so she'd bought a fake health pass for 200€ and a fake vaccine certificate as well.

 

Sadly, they were unable to save her.

[honeybee13]

Do you think people are going to be prepared to abandon Christmas, UB? IMO part of the appeal is that it's something to look forward to when the days are getting shorter and the weather is cold.

[honeybee13]

Oh dear. Fingers crossed.

[honeybee13]

Opinion of some on Twitter is that this is a party political broadcast in disguise.

[honeybee13]

So has Johnson overpromised again? Boosters for all by the end of the year - a million people a day and I'm not sure if that includes Christmas Day. It's not clear if the health system has ever managed that many in a day and I doubt if it's done that consistently.

 

Several doctors who have commented only found out what they're meant to be doing by watching the broadcast last night.

[honeybee13]

Reading around, it seems that 15 million people are eligible for a booster now - plus the ones who are already in the system?

 

The best day for vaccinations by the NHS was 840,000 doses and is currently running at about 400,000 a day, so to get to his 1 million a day, Johnson wants staff and volunteers to exceed the best ever day and keep going at that rate daily until the end of the month.

 

I feel very sorry for the people who are going to be under pressure to carry out his new wizard wheeze.

[honeybee13]

TJ, the latest I read is that NHS 'sources' are saying that people should have been offered a vaccination by the end of the year but may not have received it by then.

[honeybee13]

1 hour ago, hightail said:

Right from the start of this booster campaign the strategy seems to have been to blame the public - who in the main have a healthy appetite to do the right thing but can't. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Reicher of SAGE agrees with you, HT. I wonder how much longer he'll be on SAGE though, having spoken out.

 

The weakest link in fighting Covid is not the public, it’s the UK government | Stephen Reicher | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

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People tend to follow the science when it comes to Covid restrictions, says Stephen Reicher, a member of the Sage subcommittee on behavioural...

 

[honeybee13]

I wonder if case numbers are bad in London because fewer people are vaccinated compared with other areas? I can't remember the percentage of unvaccinated I saw in the last day or two but it was pretty shocking.

[honeybee13]

I guess it depends if you mean greater London and greater Paris and I'm not sure where to look. But Westminster is trailing badly on vaccination rates. 

[honeybee13]

Not just Wales, BN. France is making it quite tough for Brits to get in, especially for tourism.

[honeybee13]

Are you saying it's a north-south thing, BN?

[honeybee13]

Is that LFTs, TJ?

[honeybee13]

But it doesn't affect children...

[honeybee13]

I know I keep saying it but they could do more good by getting good air quality in schools. Someone's worked out they could make every school in England I think it was, for half the cost of the 'royal yacht.