Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[The Larch]

There is something very Russiany about peddling vaccine all over the world while your own country is unvaccinated and excessively dying at alarming rates.

I guess they see the vaccine as a PR/geopolitical tool and/or a cash cow for the Russian state, selling it at home doesn't check any of those boxes.

[mongers]

FT guy has updated the excess mortality figures:


I really don't think the coverage of this we've received in the UK, at least, give us a sense of how badly this has hit Latin America and, increasingly, CEE. Obviously we have a huge number of deaths here and that's where most of the media's attention will be (rightly). Brazil gets mentioned from time to time, but I don't think we've had nearly enough coverage of how awful this has been in Peru, Mexico, the CIS states etc - it's been very Western Europe and US-centric

Also I'm going to rein in my all of Europe has failed even though some countries, like Germany, have done far better than others, because based on that I think Denmark, Finland and Norway have done as well as many Asian countries which should get recognition.

Shelf you should watch Al Jazeera English, they have good coverage of Africa and Latin America, their 30 minutes News Live invariable has one item from one of their correspondents in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Columbia or Mexico*.


*those are the five reporters I consistently see, they may have one or two more who cover central America.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Second that on Al-Jazeera; I often switch to them if the BBC news is getting on my nerves for being too parochial.

[Sheilbh]

To be honest I don't really watch any news - just have the streaming services through a console or laptop. So 90% of that criticism is aimed at The Guardian and other newspapers/online media

From when I did have a normal TV, I did quite like Al Jazeera.

Edit: Interesting that EMA and UK regulators are making statements on AZ and clotting at the same time. I imagine the regulators have been sharing information with each other and certainly in my area regulators informally talk to each other quite a lot. I wonder how aligned their conclusions/guidance will be

Edit: EMA referring to data in the EMA and UK and advising that the benefits outweigh the side effects. I imagine the UK will do the same and it sounds like they've been sharing information and coordinating on their response which is sensible.

Edit: Actually regulators in England taking a slightly different approach (I imagine the other nations will take a similar view). Under 30s should be offered another vaccine if available, if they've already had one dose of AZ they should still get a second dose of AZ. I imagine this will largely only affect a few people at this stage because in general the under 30s won't be vaccinated for a month or two (unless they're healthcare workers or have a condition that puts them at risk).

[Sheilbh]

Quite helpful slides from regulator' briefing in the UK showing the risks of serious side effects (including this) v covid by age group. First one is in a low prevalence environment:

Then medium prevalence which is basically where the UK is now:

And in a high prevalence which is based on the second wave:

[Tamas]

So, like, can you raise concerns about not getting the AZ jab in the UK or your only options are to not get a vaccine or take one and shut up? My wife is over the 30 mark but her family has a history that really makes me not keen on her rolling the dice on AZ. And it seems like by the time it's her turn there should be plenty of alternatives around.

[Tamas]

Then medium prevalence which is basically where the UK is now:

I am not sure it's that helpful, you look at the 30-39 one for example, I could understand people going like "are those really good enough odds improvements to risk getting a stroke before I hit 40?"

[Sheilbh]

So, like, can you raise concerns about not getting the AZ jab in the UK or your only options are to not get a vaccine or take one and shut up? My wife is over the 30 mark but her family has a history that really makes me not keen on her rolling the dice on AZ. And it seems like by the time it's her turn there should be plenty of alternatives around.

So my understanding is there is a way to choose when you're making the booking - but I think what it is when you choose a vaccination centre it tells you what vaccine they will have that day so you can sort of choose by going for a vaccine centre that will be doing Pfizer/Moderna/J&J. I don't remember seeing that personally but I have been told it's an option. If you're not in and around the under 30s group then I think that's the way you make a choice here.

They have said there'll be some operational changes by the NHS which, from what they said, will basically be that people around the under-30s may have to go to specific vaccination centres.

[Tamas]

So, like, can you raise concerns about not getting the AZ jab in the UK or your only options are to not get a vaccine or take one and shut up? My wife is over the 30 mark but her family has a history that really makes me not keen on her rolling the dice on AZ. And it seems like by the time it's her turn there should be plenty of alternatives around.

So my understanding is there is a way to choose when you're making the booking - but I think what it is when you choose a vaccination centre it tells you what vaccine they will have that day so you can sort of choose by going for a vaccine centre that will be doing Pfizer/Moderna/J&J. I don't remember seeing that personally but I have been told it's an option. If you're not in and around the under 30s group then I think that's the way you make a choice here.

They have said there'll be some operational changes by the NHS which, from what they said, will basically be that people around the under-30s may have to go to specific vaccination centres.

Did you use a link received from a hospital when you were offered a choice on the vaccination centre? I got my link from my GP and there was never any choice of a centre, I was told which one I am going to and that's it.

[Sheilbh]

I am not sure it's that helpful, you look at the 30-39 one for example, I could understand people going like "are those really good enough odds improvements to risk getting a stroke before I hit 40?"

Really?

The covid side is only ICU - it doesn't take into account hospitalisations, long covid or not passing it on to others. And, maybe I'm just blase, but I feel like almost every medicine probably has a risk of serious harm of about 0.8 per 100,000 (and that includes all serious harms - not just this issue), no?

Whenever you take medicine my understanding is the common side effects = 1 in 100; the serious side effects = 1 in 10,000. So just looking at a medicine I take every week, thrombosis and embolism is in the 1 in 10,000 category. In the 1 in 100,000 category side effects may include:

aphasia; chills; cognitive disorder; defective oogenesis; dizziness; hemiparesis; leukoencephalopathy; metabolic change; mucositis; nephropathy; pancreatitis; pulmonary oedema; skin ulcer; sudden death; tinnitus

I feel like the severity change from sudden death to tinnitus is extreme

Edit: And I should point out I am one of those sickos who reads the leaflet in all medicines I take to see the side effects

Edit: Also it is harm so this counts all harms, not just death. But I often think of those weird deaths recorded every year. I live in London. I cross the road all the time. I cycle. Lightning exists. I have a very weird and specific theory about being accidentally pushed onto railway tracks in an over-crowded platform incident. And today could be the day that I die in a tragic falling furniture accident. Now if I stayed in my flat I'd improve my odds a lot, but it'd be a kind of shitty life. As I say I think about this every time I have a new course of treatment for a chronic condition that wouldn't kill me but would make my life very uncomfortable and difficult.

[Legbiter]

skin ulcer; sudden death; tinnitus

[Sheilbh]

Did you use a link received from a hospital when you were offered a choice on the vaccination centre? I got my link from my GP and there was never any choice of a centre, I was told which one I am going to and that's it.

I used the link sent by the central NHS I think. But the best bet may just be to call the GP when invited for it to explain your concerns.

[Tamas]

Did you use a link received from a hospital when you were offered a choice on the vaccination centre? I got my link from my GP and there was never any choice of a centre, I was told which one I am going to and that's it.

I used the link sent by the central NHS I think. But the best bet may just be to call the GP when invited for it to explain your concerns.

Yeah that's what we have been planning, thanks. It's just that, the ladies there are not very.... enthusiastic so I am not expecting too much in way of helping.

[Sheilbh]

Maybe call for an appointment but don't tel them what it's for?

My GP surgery has one incredibly helpful receptionist and one who is the human embodiment of "computer says no"

[celedhring]

It recently came to light over here that representatives from the region of Madrid (who will do anything in their power to spite the central government) met on their own with Sputnik representatives that were offering it for buyers.

One of the most hilariously dispiriting things of Spanish political life is seeing Catalonia and Madrid's performative political and rethorical gymnastics in order to spite the government while at the same time spiting each other.