Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Sheilbh]

First successful legal challenge against covid restrictions in the UK (that I'm aware of) - a judge in the Court of Session in Scotland (highest civil court before the Supreme Court of the UK) has ruled that the Scottish government's closure of churches and other places of worship is unconstitutional and a disproportionate interference with individuals' ECHR rights.

[Syt]

The leaders of Burgenland, Lower Austria and Vienna will meet tonight with the Austrian health minister to discuss the situation in Eastern Austria. There may be new restrictions coming in these three states - there's talk of making FFP2 masks in all indoor areas mandatory (which, I think, would be non-public work spaces at this point, as shops, public transports, railway stations etc. already have an FFP2 mask mandate), and more testing.

Meeting lasted into the night. Rumors are experts were advocating for a hard lockdown for 2-3 weeks, but the politicians wouldn't have any of it and supposedly only want masks in more places and encourage people to get tested more. Results to be presented some time today.

Official statements tonight, but details have already leaked. Mask mandate indoors everywhere. The one week Easter break at schools will be extended by one week distance learning. Non-essential shops will close over the Easter weekend. When commuting into the three states across the border (CZ, HU, SK), negative Covid tests need to be 48 hours old, not up to a week.

That's it.

Burgenland and Vienna wanted a hard lockdown for a few weeks, but Lower Austria blocked it.

[Sheilbh]

There's reports that investigators found 29 million AZ doses in an AZ production facility in Italy?

The initial reports were these were doses for the UK - which apparently UK sources have been really surprised to hear because that's more vaccines than we've had at all. But since then apparently UK sources have said that this Italian plant (I think it's the finish and fill stage) is part of the EU supply chain but nothing to do with the UK.

Then the theory was that it's mainly due for Canada and Mexico. But the latest I've read is that these are covax supplies.

In short I've no idea and it's very mysterious

[Tamas]

There's reports that investigators found 29 million AZ doses in an AZ production facility in Italy?

The initial reports were these were doses for the UK - which apparently UK sources have been really surprised to hear because that's more vaccines than we've had at all. But since then apparently UK sources have said that this Italian plant (I think it's the finish and fill stage) is part of the EU supply chain but nothing to do with the UK.

Then the theory was that it's mainly due for Canada and Mexico. But the latest I've read is that these are covax supplies.

In short I've no idea and it's very mysterious

In other words, shilling around AZ continues. There is either something fishy around them, or there's a fairly concentrated effort to bring their vaccine down.

[Tamas]

Germany scraps strict Easter shutdown

Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, has cancelled a hard Easter lockdown just days after imposing it, according to media reports.

The chancellor told state leaders on Wednesday morning that she has decided to scrap the measure after heavy criticism.

Merkel said the strict Easter shutdown, which would have designated 1-5 April as "quiet days" when no more than five adults from two households would be able to meet at home at once, was her "mistake".

Spiegel quotes her as saying: "If possible, we need to correct this [mistake] in time. I do think that is possible." She hoped the German people would forgive her error.

[Sheilbh]

Strong deja vu

[celedhring]

The Magaluf Variant soon will ravage Europe 

[garbon]

[DGuller]

It's like watching a mouse infected with toxoplasmosis playing with a cat.

[Syt]

Austrian daily new cases and (thick line) running weekly average since last year:

[Sheilbh]

In other words, shilling around AZ continues. There is either something fishy around them, or there's a fairly concentrated effort to bring their vaccine down.

Six of one, half dozen of the other.

It really annoys me though because if you remove the data fuck-ups and AZ's repeated manufacturing issues - from everything I've seen from experts this is a really good, really cheap vaccine that is key to vaccinating the world. And perception of the vaccine is being hurt because of all the noise around it/the issues around data and production none of which impinge on the the safety or effectiveness of the vaccine itself but create a perception

Edit: So after the fevered reporting about the discovery of this 29 million that were apparently heading to Britain in La Stampa ("The treasure that Brussels and London are fighting over in these hours of intense negotiations is in Italy. A quantity of vaccines capable of making a difference on both sides of the Channel: for the EU it is a supply equal to twice the number of doses received so far"). Then the suggestions they might be for Mexico, Canada, Covax or someone else.

According to Reuters citing Italian officials it turns out they were scheduled to be heading to Belgium - so part of the EU supply chain for distribution for European orders

[Zanza]

Just read another take on it, unsubstantiated rumors and conjecture, but good enough to spread online. 

AZ did not deliver as promised/expected to the EU as we know.
AZ kept these 29 million doses in secrecy.
AZ did deliberately not file paperwork for one of its EU plants (Halix in NL), so that output from there cannot be sold in EU.
AZ hoped that the EU export registration scheme would expire on 31st March, so they would be free to export.

Overall the company seems to have a terrible public relations operation.

[Berkut]

I heard that it is all going to the US, where it will be stored so we can just sit there feeling smug and evil.

[Sheilbh]

And in more statements and counter-statements - La Vanguardia are reporting a statement from AZ that 16 million doses are for the EU and 13 million are for Covax. Which does makes sense in terms of the Belgium destination because Liege is the EU's vaccine distribution hub both for supplies within the EU and for Covax.

But that does raise a question of whether local authorities know the ultimate destination of vaccines (given the Italian official just said Belgium) - and if not is that something they're not requiring or that AZ are wrongfully not providing?

And agree on the Halix plant it is very mysterious. But I wouldn't let the EMA off the hook entirely. If there are two factories in the EU that you're responsible for authorising for manufacturing a crucial vaccine and someone hasn't filed the paperwork for one of them I feel like you should be chasing them up aggressively on when you can expect the data - you could even do it passive aggressively ("is there any help you need filing for authorisation?"). I think just waiting isn't really enough

Overall the company seems to have a terrible public relations operation.

Yeah - and it should be an easy win. A vaccine for the world at $3-4 with no profit is a great thing to be producing, but ultimately if you're fucking up regularly on production or data then PR won't fix that, at best it'll mitigate the perceptions damage.

As I say the thing that annoys me is that I think it has an impact on people's perception of the vaccine which is really unfortunate because it's a good, safe, effective vaccine

I heard that it is all going to the US, where it will be stored so we can just sit there feeling smug and evil.

Although I think the criticism of the US here is fair. I think the US AZ manufacturing has produced about 30-50 million doses which are largely in storage pending US approval. But it's not clear (see wider issues with AZ-FDA) that it'll be approved in time to actually be widely used in the US given the pace of vaccine roll-out there.

[Admiral Yi]

Shelf, you are such an AZ homer.