Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[celedhring]

So, the Catalan government is at the same time against holding the regional election in February and yet has just named political rallies "essential activity" which allows us to flout restrictions in order to attend them.

I'm currently checking out the next political rally in Barcelona so I can legally go there for the first time in months. 

[Sheilbh]

Die Zeit seems to be fairly supportive of AstraZeneca's viewpoint :

https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2021-01/astrazeneca-eu-kommission-corona-impfstoff-produktion-grossbritannien/komplettansicht

It's getting very messy - and needlessly and unhelpfully in my view. The EU has confirmed the contract is on a best efforts basis which is standard for contracts when the product is still in development (and that makes sense - I cannot imagine how an organisation could commit to firm figures and dates for something that's still being developed), but want to publish the contract now the CEO of AZ has referred to it. To me this would make sense - I'm not sure these types of contracts should be subject to confidentiality in any case but now it's become an issue.

It feels like there's a bit of ass-covering going on and it maybe needs someone senior - like VdL and Soriot - to step in because they need to work together to actually make the contract work.

Especially because there was meant to be a steering meeting between EU and AZ (and I think member states) today. The Commission spokesman said this wouldn't happen because AZ had pulled out and instead they'd be providing written responses by Friday - Brussels correspondents say that senior Commission figures were phoning round explaining that AZ have pulled out. Now an AZ spokesman has put out a statement saying they have not pulled out and are still intending to attend. Which is not a great look - and if they can't organise or agree on a meeting (or cancellation) it doesn't inspire great hope in working together on the contract. As I say I feel like the adults need to step in.

Edit: And I feel really sorry for the people working in AZ's comms office right now because as if all of this wasn't enough UK police are now dealing with an ongoing incident at the factory where the vaccine is produced in Wales - no details yet

[Richard Hakluyt]

A suspicious package was sent to the plant and the facility has been partly evacuated. There are reports of a controlled explosion taking place.

Daily Express comments are blaming "remoaners" 

A more believable theory revolves around anti-vaxxer loons.

It may be time to revive the D-notice system. I thought at the time that the location of the facility should not have been made generally public, but felt that I was being paranoid.....heigh-ho..

[Sheilbh]

One day the Daily Express will be able to connect Diana, Remoaners and a cure for Alzheimers - and then they'll close down, content that their work is complete

I think you're right that it probably should have been kept secret. Which is incredibly sad - I read that some of the details around deliveries etc were being kept secret for national security reasons and thought it was a bit ridiculous and over the top. Chances are that's probably the right decision after all

[The Larch]

It may be time to revive the D-notice system. I thought at the time that the location of the facility should not have been made generally public, but felt that I was being paranoid.....heigh-ho..

Well, it's not as if the location of industrial plants from large multinationals is a state secret or anything...

[Richard Hakluyt]

It may be time to revive the D-notice system. I thought at the time that the location of the facility should not have been made generally public, but felt that I was being paranoid.....heigh-ho..

Well, it's not as if the location of industrial plants from large multinationals is a state secret or anything...

Of course secrecy would not prevent a serious attack. But maybe we should not be broadcasting where the facilities are located to the many stupid people we share the planet with.

[Grey Fox]

It may be time to revive the D-notice system. I thought at the time that the location of the facility should not have been made generally public, but felt that I was being paranoid.....heigh-ho..

Well, it's not as if the location of industrial plants from large multinationals is a state secret or anything...

My company has ~72 public plants. My ceo once mispoke & quoted a different bigger number. We have more, way more.

[Sheilbh]

It may be time to revive the D-notice system. I thought at the time that the location of the facility should not have been made generally public, but felt that I was being paranoid.....heigh-ho..

Well, it's not as if the location of industrial plants from large multinationals is a state secret or anything...

Of course secrecy would not prevent a serious attack. But maybe we should not be broadcasting where the facilities are located to the many stupid people we share the planet with.

Although I think it's a Wockhardt site which is one of their partners. So without the press coverage/publicity I don't think anyone would necessarily know they're involved in the vaccine manufacture.

Semi-related there's now a real dip in vaccines roll-out here and this is more than just a weekend effect now:


The best case scenario is that this is because there's a focus on finishing the roll-out to care homes and housebound elderly which takes more time by vaccinators than normal doses. But I worry because this is otherwise a slightly worrying trend.

[Grey Fox]

This is how I feel any time Sheilbh post about vaccines :

[Richard Hakluyt]

7-day trendline looks flat at 350k or so to me; not bad but needs to be higher.

[Sheilbh]

This is how I feel any time Sheilbh post about vaccines :

According to that Airfinity paper that's doing the rounds Canada will hit herd immunity first based on orders and timelines

The UK apparently should get there by July (and the EU by October - which is about 3 months after, which is striking given that the EU entered into its contracts with Pfizer, AZ etc about three months after the UK).

7-day trendline looks flat at 350k or so to me; not bad but needs to be higher.

Yeah it's just it's now significantly lower for three days in a row so it's not just a weekend drop which is what slightly worries me.

[celedhring]

Most Spanish regions are already pausing vaccination due to lack of reserves. 

I say we gather our ships at Cádiz and raid England for the vaccines. That has always worked.

[Grey Fox]

This is how I feel any time Sheilbh post about vaccines :

According to that Airfinity paper that's doing the rounds Canada will hit herd immunity first based on orders and timelines

The defeatist in me :

We won't. The US won't sell us Vaccines. Europe is about to do the same. We have no local capacity.

[Syt]

[Richard Hakluyt]

Most Spanish regions are already pausing vaccination due to lack of reserves. 

I say we gather our ships at Cádiz and raid England for the vaccines. That has always worked.

You could use the ministry of time to retrieve the Duke of Medina Sidonia from the 16th century to command the fleet 

What could possibly go wrong  ?