Coronavirus Thread

[dsr-burnley]

All viruses are dumb.  Thay have no ambition, they have no strategy, they have no long term plan.

 

A virus is a microscopic particle that replicates and dies.  A virus in a host that lives and breathes and moves about, will spread more easily than a virus which makes its host seriously ill and immobile or dead.  That's just the nature of the beast, not an ambition.  And viruses, certainly viruses of the same family, do interfere with each other's ability to spread - you're unlikely to get two viruses in your body at once, and certainly not two very similar ones.  so the better spreading virus will overwhelm the less effective spreader.

Edited 28 December 2021 by dsr-burnley

[Bryn]

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Edited 28 December 2021 by Bryn
Duplicate

[Bryn]

I do feel like Omicron is a variant we are probably going to be able to live with. Think we probably need a few more weeks of data but I anticipate a relaxation of restrictions by March or so.

 

It seems to primarily replicate in the upper respiratory tract like a cold does. It doesn’t seem to have the same lung and multi system effects as delta. 

Edited 28 December 2021 by Bryn

[Babylon]

21 hours ago, Legend_in_blue said:

We had the letters back in June!  NHS get your vaccine... already had them.  How much does the NHS waste on postage costs a year?  They operate in the dark ages with regards to regular communication.  Constant letters for appointments which are then resent with changed appointment slots etc.  The whole service needs a modern day rethink to make it more efficient.

Unfortunately the costs of upgrading not only all the IT, but the systems across the entire NHS, and in this case vaccine centres in places like boots etc would be eye watering. Look what a poxy track and trace cost. The system is so vast, that by the time you've upgraded and sorted it all out, most of it would be obsolete already. 

[st albans fox]

1 minute ago, dsr-burnley said:

All viruses are dumb.  Thay have no ambition, they have no strategy, they have no long term plan.

 

A virus is a microscopic particle that replicates and dies.  A virus in a host that lives and breathes and moves about, will spread more easily than a virus which makes its host seriously ill and immobile or dead.  That's just the nature of the beast, not an ambition.  And viruses, certainly viruses of the same family, do interfere with each other's ability to spread - you're unlikely to get two viruses in your body at once, and certainly not two very similar ones.  so the better spreading virus will overwhelm the less effective spreader.

sometimes it’s easier to get a point across using simple terms ?? You’re making essentially the same point that I did anyway. 

 

Are you sure all virus’ lack ambition’ ?  Perhaps they just over achieve ………..

[leicsmac]

A virus may lack ambition, but it certainly doesn't want for "success" - for the first three billion years of life on Earth it and bacteria were the only organisms and they will both be here long after humanity has checked out.

[shade]

Remember when they told us the vaccines were 100% effective at preventing covid, now it turns out they're actually less than 0% effective at stopping covid. Good times, good times.

 

 

 

[leicsmac]

4 minutes ago, shade said:

Remember when they told us the vaccines were 100% effective at preventing covid, now it turns out they're actually less than 0% effective at stopping covid. Good times, good times.

 

 

 

If this turns out to be anywhere near true, what exactly is the point being made?

[Babylon]

6 minutes ago, shade said:

Remember when they told us the vaccines were 100% effective at preventing covid, now it turns out they're actually less than 0% effective at stopping covid. Good times, good times.

 

 

 

Would probably be advisable you read the actual link. 

[SpacedX]

2 hours ago, fox_favourite said:

If true, this is even better news. If it is slightly milder and protects against Delta as well, then the virus has scored an own goal? Yes it infects at an alarming rate, but would it burn itself out, or cause “just another seasonal bug”? 
 

im not a scientist in any shape or form, I got a D GCSE science so I’m definitely not qualified, but the optimism in me says this is the end game? 

 

1 hour ago, StanSP said:

That's how I understand it too? 

 

I got a B so I'm definitely qualified

Perhaps of interest? - starting 8.00pm tonight BBC4, Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, science of viruses - 

 

https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/2021-going-viral-how-covid-changed-science-forever

[leicsmac]

And just to add to the salient points made above and possibly repeating earlier points made.

 

That the scientific method sometimes has one result about something based on old data one week and a different result the next week based on newer data is, in a world that is naturally dynamic, a positive feature, not a negative bug.

 

It would be nice if more people would actually step away from thinking that dogma based on continuity is a good thing in a world that would change and see you dead in a heartbeat and recognise this.

[SpacedX]

51 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

And just to add to the salient points made above and possibly repeating earlier points made.

 

That the scientific method sometimes has one result about something based on old data one week and a different result the next week based on newer data is, in a world that is naturally dynamic, a positive feature, not a negative bug.

 

It would be nice if more people would actually step away from thinking that dogma based on continuity is a good thing in a world that would change and see you dead in a heartbeat and recognise this.

One of the many things that consistently amuses me on this thread in particular: "that's my opinion and nothing you can say will ever change it". 

[Facecloth]

15 minutes ago, Line-X said:

One of the many things that consistently amuses me on this thread in particular: "that's my opinion and nothing you can say will ever change it". 

It's the fact opinion often trumps facts too. You can prove something beyond doubt and people will still come back with "well in my opinion that's not true" and that apparently trump all data, scientific research etc.

[HighPeakFox]

26 minutes ago, Line-X said:

One of the many things that consistently amuses me on this thread in particular: "that's my opinion and nothing you can say will ever change it". 

 

8 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

It's the fact opinion often trumps facts too. You can prove something beyond doubt and people will still come back with "well in my opinion that's not true" and that apparently trump all data, scientific research etc.

It's not new - I was at school with countless people who had absolute disdain for being jolted out of their desire to not be educated - many of those keen to learn were sneered at.

[Facecloth]

BBC News - Covid: Evidence does not support more England curbs - minister

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59807241

 

Let's hope they are right.

[danny.]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/28/omicron-is-not-the-same-disease-as-earlier-covid-waves-says-uk-scientist Sounds positive 

[Buce]

43 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

BBC News - Covid: Evidence does not support more England curbs - minister

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59807241

 

Let's hope they are right.

 

And the rest of the world are wrong...

[Manini]

Just went round to our lass’ mums. We’re stood in the kitchen talking about how lucky we’ve all been with negative lat flows etc over Christmas. 
 

Her mum comes out with “I know yeah, all my tests have been a feint line but I know it has to be a thick line to indicate positive”. 
 

Well a can’t speak 

[st albans fox]

3 hours ago, Facecloth said:

It's the fact opinion often trumps facts too. You can prove something beyond doubt and people will still come back with "well in my opinion that's not true" and that apparently trump all data, scientific research etc.

Stop mentioning Trump ! 
 

it’s difficult enough in here as it is……

[st albans fox]

1 hour ago, Manini said:

Just went round to our lass’ mums. We’re stood in the kitchen talking about how lucky we’ve all been with negative lat flows etc over Christmas. 
 

Her mum comes out with “I know yeah, all my tests have been a feint line but I know it has to be a thick line to indicate positive”. 
 

Well a can’t speak 

There is a line of thought (pardon the pun) that a feint line is a low load infection (hopefully less likely to pass it on) 

[HighPeakFox]

1 hour ago, Manini said:

Just went round to our lass’ mums. We’re stood in the kitchen talking about how lucky we’ve all been with negative lat flows etc over Christmas. 
 

Her mum comes out with “I know yeah, all my tests have been a feint line but I know it has to be a thick line to indicate positive”. 
 

Well a can’t speak 

[Manini]

4 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

There is a line of thought (pardon the pun) that a feint line is a low load infection (hopefully less likely to pass it on) 

I’ve heard this round and about certain circles too, but the lack of knowledge to think that unless the line is as clear as the top line you’re negative sent my head west, especially as the booklet warns you of feint lines as well. She’s going for a PCR now. 

[st albans fox]

Just now, Manini said:

I’ve heard this round and about certain circles too, but the lack of knowledge to think that unless the line is as clear as the top line you’re negative sent my head west, especially as the booklet warns you of feint lines as well. She’s going for a PCR now. 

Indeed - my only experience of them is as the infection is ending and deciding If the kids can be allowed out of their rooms! 

[Manini]

3 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

Well exactly! 

[shade]

4 hours ago, Facecloth said:

It's the fact opinion often trumps facts too. You can prove something beyond doubt and people will still come back with "well in my opinion that's not true" and that apparently trump all data, scientific research etc.

Agreed, works on both sides of the argument with this one, I just want the truth, that's all.