Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Sheilbh]

Local lockdown for Dunkerque

Wasn't too effective last time. 

Yeah - and outdoor booze drinking is outdoors. I don't see how that links to transmission. Or buying takeaway booze

It's the same issue I have here - and I don't understand why it's still the case - of not emphasising ventilation and air quality.

[Duque de Bragança]

Local lockdown for Dunkerque

Wasn't too effective last time. 

I said lockdown, not state of siege. 

Brits may disagree with your statement though.

[Sheilbh]

Incidentally - there's a lot of vagueness here and no real easily quantified metrics, but I actually think the government's proposed "roadmap" out of lockdown seems sensible and relatively cogent:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021#executive-summary

And it actually seems reasonably detailed instead of the usual big announcement followed by chaos/lack of explanation. Again low expectations and they may still fuck it up, but it seems like lessons have been learned on how to communicate things like this. I now fully expect Johnson to announce that Chris Grayling will be taking over as the "Covid Tsar"

[mongers]

Incidentally - there's a lot of vagueness here and no real easily quantified metrics, but I actually think the government's proposed "roadmap" out of lockdown seems sensible and relatively cogent:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021#executive-summary

And it actually seems reasonably detailed instead of the usual big announcement followed by chaos/lack of explanation. Again low expectations and they may still fuck it up, but it seems like lessons have been learned on how to communicate things like this. I now fully expect Johnson to announce that Chris Grayling will be taking over as the "Covid Tsar"

So expect weeks of constant moaning from Tory back-benchers and an eventual full blooded revolt because what we really need is our freedom back a fourth wave and because all of those potential variants need a chance to grow and prosper too.   

[Sheilbh]

Yes. We've also moved from the government saying it will be led by "data not dates" and each stage of lifting restrictions will take place no earlier than 5 weeks after the last stage (so its impact can be assessed) to half the media declaring that we'll have no lockdown restrictions whatsoever by 21 June and the other half bemoaning the recklessness of lifting lockdown on 21 June.

[Tamas]

Unfortunately this video is in Hungarian so of no use to you guys, mainly linking to ask if in the West are ICU nurses/doctors still using these space suits as well?
https://youtu.be/7XHzz7Q88gA

The hospital is in Slovakia BTW, just on the Hungarian-inhabited parts so most of the staff and patients are Hungarians. I very much doubt you'll be allowed to make such videos in Hungary.

One interesting note is the doctor says at some point that the last 2-3 weeks they noticed some minor differences in how people react the different treatments, he doesn't elaborate but they attribute it to the British strain taking over.

Otherwise quite shocking and scary hearing the stories and seeing the ICU patients. The doctor said if your birth decade is in the 60s or older and you get on a respirator there's hardly a way back, but he also highlighted an example (can't recall the age) where the patient was on death's door for weeks but have managed to recover and he emphasised that people should not give up.

When asked if he learns from the patients where they caught it, he says he doesn't bother them with such questions since they are already severe cases by the time they get to him, but based on his colleagues stories, often it is birthday parties and family get-togethers that people name as when probably caught it.

[celedhring]

Yeah, those seem rather standard PPE.

[Tamas]

OMG this video I wish Youtube would have English subtitles for it. Quite an insight into how things go on ICU.

One of the doctors complained that she has stopped trying to convince "sceptical" people. She said within her own family, who know she works at the ICU, but they argue with her claiming this isn't a big deal.

[Iormlund]

Does seem there's real reluctance to take the AZ vaccine in Germany. Apparently there are over 1.5million doses have been delivered to Germany but under 250k have actually been used. Hopefully it's not similar in other countries because that's a significant amount vaccine that's just sat in a fridge.

I'd almost be inclined if that's an issue to go off list and offer it to people who aren't otherwise eligible just now but would want to take the AZ vaccine.

Many of those refusing seem to be health workers. A factor might be the poor performance reported of AZ against the SA strain. If I had the choice of waiting a week or two and getting instead a seemingly more effective mRNA vaccine I would do so as well.

[ulmont]

Does seem there's real reluctance to take the AZ vaccine in Germany. Apparently there are over 1.5million doses have been delivered to Germany but under 250k have actually been used. Hopefully it's not similar in other countries because that's a significant amount vaccine that's just sat in a fridge.

I'd almost be inclined if that's an issue to go off list and offer it to people who aren't otherwise eligible just now but would want to take the AZ vaccine.

Many of those refusing seem to be health workers. A factor might be the poor performance reported of AZ against the SA strain. If I had the choice of waiting a week or two and getting instead a seemingly more effective mRNA vaccine I would do so as well.

And concern that if you get AZ now you won't be eligible for something later that would work against the SA strain.

[Sheilbh]

Many of those refusing seem to be health workers. A factor might be the poor performance reported of AZ against the SA strain. If I had the choice of waiting a week or two and getting instead a seemingly more effective mRNA vaccine I would do so as well.

I can see that - and health workers are likely to be younger so they are less at risk. My own view is that the best vaccine is the one I can get now - I will take whatever I am offered as soon as I am offered it

Not least because I think we will all be getting booster shots and variant specific boosters until there's a global drive (and I think there's already a planned South Africa vaccine/booster by autumn).

And I think it would be a different risk for the elderly especially because the vaccine they could get that's available now is effective against the old variants and the UK variant which is becoming dominant in Europe. I think the risk from them is higher by far (for the elderly) than the risk of a lower effectiveness vaccine against another variant - especially one that isn't becoming dominant in Europe (yet). In the same way as I want the vaccine that I can get now, my worry would focus on the variants that are here now.

I also think from my understanding the AZ vaccine effectivenss against the SA variant is lower for mild to moderate infections, but from what I'd read still worked for severe cases leading to hospitalisation and death. And I think it's similar for Pfizer - I read that it also still protects against severe cases and death - but protection against mild to moderate infections is two-thirds lower than for the old variants (and the UK variant). I could be wrong but my understanding is the risk isn't necessarily that it would not be sufficient to protect you as an individual, but that it wouldn't stop transmission by reducing the asymptomatic/mild/moderate cases - or am I wrong?

[The Larch]

Does seem there's real reluctance to take the AZ vaccine in Germany. Apparently there are over 1.5million doses have been delivered to Germany but under 250k have actually been used. Hopefully it's not similar in other countries because that's a significant amount vaccine that's just sat in a fridge.

I'd almost be inclined if that's an issue to go off list and offer it to people who aren't otherwise eligible just now but would want to take the AZ vaccine.

I saw something on twitter yesterday (from the Suddeutsche Zeitung, but the article was only in German so I had to rely on the summary provided by whoever posted it) that the issue was that it was not being offered broadly enough, rather than there being refusals to get it.

[viper37]

Plus no more booze drinking in the street allowed, nor takeaway alcohol buy, for the whole département. 

Facists!  When are people going to rebel against such insanity???  Don't they know alcohol kills the virus?  It should be an essential good. 

[viper37]

Unfortunately this video is in Hungarian so of no use to you guys, mainly linking to ask if in the West are ICU nurses/doctors still using these space suits as well?
https://youtu.be/7XHzz7Q88gA

The hospital is in Slovakia BTW, just on the Hungarian-inhabited parts so most of the staff and patients are Hungarians. I very much doubt you'll be allowed to make such videos in Hungary.

Afaik, they use such suits in the designated places for confirmed covid-19 patients, but not in the regular hospitals.  Well, I know for sure they don't use it in the regular hospitals, I just don't know for certain in the covid-19 places.

Otherwise quite shocking and scary hearing the stories and seeing the ICU patients. The doctor said if your birth decade is in the 60s or older and you get on a respirator there's hardly a way back, but he also highlighted an example (can't recall the age) where the patient was on death's door for weeks but have managed to recover and he emphasised that people should not give up.

I'd love to not give up if I end up there, but frankly, I don't think I'll be in a state to care

When asked if he learns from the patients where they caught it, he says he doesn't bother them with such questions since they are already severe cases by the time they get to him, but based on his colleagues stories, often it is birthday parties and family get-togethers that people name as when probably caught it.
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[Zanza]

Does seem there's real reluctance to take the AZ vaccine in Germany. Apparently there are over 1.5million doses have been delivered to Germany but under 250k have actually been used. Hopefully it's not similar in other countries because that's a significant amount vaccine that's just sat in a fridge.

I'd almost be inclined if that's an issue to go off list and offer it to people who aren't otherwise eligible just now but would want to take the AZ vaccine.

It's unclear if this is reluctance, which exists, but likely not at that level, or rather the amateur logistics of our government. They invited people from the highest priority groups to get vaccinated, but limited AZ to below 65. At least in some locations, all prio 1 people below 65 had already been vaccinated...
The way the vaccination campaign is managed here decentrally will lead to major inefficiencies.