Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[jimmy olsen]

My test is negative. 

For COVID or foreignerness? 


That's good. What's the vaccine distribution like over there?

Extremely low.

[jimmy olsen]

Brazil is melting down
That death line is disturbing.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/brazil/

[Razgovory]

The cost of fascism is high.

[The Larch]

Spain's health ministry is now proposing to employ the AZ vaccine for all the under 65 vaccinations, keeping the Pfizer and Moderna ones for over 65s and at risk groups. It will probably be approved this afternoon.

[Sheilbh]

Spain's health ministry is now proposing to employ the AZ vaccine for all the under 65 vaccinations, keeping the Pfizer and Moderna ones for over 65s and at risk groups. It will probably be approved this afternoon.

On AZ - this was before the EMA statement but shows what I was worried about that the suspension might damage trust:


I've seen various European politicians getting vaccinated with AZ - and I believe Draghi has said he will when it's his turn. I think that's a good idea and I think there needs to be a lot of PR/government messaging about the EMA's position (and the data from the UK) that this is safe and effective just like the other vaccines. At the minute given the conflicting messages (and even the conflicting approaches by different countries: France only using it on the over 65s, Spain only using it on the under 65s) and the bad PR so far I think there may be a challenge in getting people to take it.

[Josquius]

I'm confused by the latest news. BJ talking about a third wave from Europe....
But... Isn't the third wave picking up in continental Europe now just the third wave from Britain on a delay?

[Sheilbh]

I'm confused by the latest news. BJ talking about a third wave from Europe....
But... Isn't the third wave picking up in continental Europe now just the third wave from Britain on a delay?

I think so - in some cases literally. Apparently there's some evidence in Poland tracing back their third wave and B117 becoming dominant to the annual December exodus of Poles from the UK. It was smaller this year but hundreds of thousands still went home to see family

In other news AZ have published their US clinical trials: 80% effectiveness against symptomatic covid, 100% against severe covid, no difference in effectiveness between the under and over 65s. So it might get approved by the FDA soon after all - also no safety issues identified including a review based on the new blood clot concerns.

[Syt]

Austria's 7 day case average per 100k people is 236, Vienna's at 301. More people are in ICU in Vienna than during the peak in November. B117 being the main culprit (about 90% of cases).

New restrictions have not been decided today, but there will be talks this week for regional measures, but they say nothing much will change until the number hits 400. Currently shops and services (e.g. hairdressers) are open. Bars, cafés, restaurants are closed (except in Vorarlberg).

For reference, Germany considers harsher measures while hitting 100 7 day average.

[Syt]

All in all, the big announced presser today was a nothing burger. "Over 400 there will be measures!"  - "What measures?" - "That will be decided then."

"Probably no major changes till numbers go significantly down or majority of Austrians is vaccinated."

"Wanted to set more measures, but states refused."

Etc.

[Sheilbh]

Sounds bad and a mistake - UK hit 400 per 100k over Christmas, and we all know what happened after that

How much is legit down to state resistance do you think? Or is that just a cover for internal indecision?

[DGuller]

I have to say, my opinion of the Western civilization has taken a hit over the last year.  The inability to act responsibly on a collective level when faced with deadly pandemic is frankly disgraceful.  I guess there is no position on the individualism/conformism slider that is right for every situation.

[Syt]

Sounds bad and a mistake - UK hit 400 per 100k over Christmas, and we all know what happened after that

How much is legit down to state resistance do you think? Or is that just a cover for internal indecision?

Little bit of both. Government blames 3 main reasons: B117, people meeting privately (against which the government can do little - they tried to limit people meeting in private residences, but the constitutional court said the state has no coercive power there, besides you can't police every residence), and schools.

Experts were suggesting to shut down all non-essential businesses again, to make home office mandatory, FFP2 masks mandatory indoors, but nothing came off it.

EDIT: Der Standard summed it up nicely: "Government decides they might decide something."

[Sheilbh]

With the little carve out of Australia and New Zealand, I agree. And I think the most striking contrast with them isn't necessarily conformism/individualism but border restrictions plus quarantines. So I wonder if it's more open/closed that's the key distinction? Because across Europe there were lockdowns that got the cases down to the low hundreds in many countries, but I don't think anyone got on top of quarantines or borders.

It's something we still haven't managed to implement in the UK (and I think other hubs have struggled too) or elsewhere in Europe. In fact the Commission keeps criticising Belgium for trying to impose border measures.

[Sheilbh]

Little bit of both. Government blames 3 main reasons: B117, people meeting privately (against which the government can do little - they tried to limit people meeting in private residences, but the constitutional court said the state has no coercive power there, besides you can't police every residence), and schools.

Interesting - I've mentioned before but schools were re-opened in the UK until B117. They were finding outbreaks in schools but it was contributing to R because it allowed infections to jump from household to household. I think because while it's still not dangerous for children but the 50% increase in transmission applies to them too.

They only re-opened again a couple of weeks ago. There's been a huge increase in testing this time with schools re-opening (up to 1.5 million a day) and so far the positive rate in schools is very low.

Also interesting on constitutional position

EDIT: Der Standard summed it up nicely: "Government decides they might decide something."

Fair.

[viper37]

2 schools have been closed in my home town due to covid-variants infecting staff and students.  So far, the spread seems to have been noticed very early, but nonetheless, globally in the county, cases are ticking up

The variant has not been specified, but I'm guessing it's the UK one.  And I'll bet it comes from student sports. If it's a teacher that visited friends/family in Montreal, I don't know who he/she is or where he/she is, but I'm going him to find him/her and kill him/her.