What evidence is there that asymptomatic transmission is a major contributor, if a contributor st all? Prediction - the use of lateral flow test will produce fewer positives compared to PCR, which they will then use to demonstrate how lockdowns and vaccines are working.
We are getting into technical points here. Is assymtomatic transmission defined as the approximately 5 days before you get sick, or transmission in people who just feel tired, or just a change of taste or people who can clinically be shown never to show any symptoms at all. It is difficult...but let's say people with a cough and a temperature in these days generally will isolate...in these times So I will say over 90% of transmission is from people who are not overly showing symptoms at the time they give it to other people. I suspect you are wrong on the second point woody....current estimates are the false positive rate is around 5-10% on the laminar flow test. So in a million tests that is 50-100,000 people. Two of my friends have had it now one and one got indeterminate and the other was positive ( this test was important as he was being moved from a hospital to a rehab place...) It was rechecked twice by PCR and he was negative both times. He never had any symptoms ( he was in hospital and being supermonitored). So the flow was declared false positive. Interesting the Liverpool doctors said it wasn't picking up as positive patients who werePCR positive and actually pretty ill
I remember I was asked about people on immunosuppression and the effect of the virus, by Steel or Bobmid I think. I asked consultant immunologist I know and here is his answer. I do not think we can be absolute about this but immunosuppression does not mean complete immune deficiency. If that was the case, patients on immunosuppression should be having severe life-threatening infections every day, and they are not. Most are very healthy. Yes, it is true that vaccine efficacy may be variable – but that does not mean this is either predictable or that the vaccines do not work at all. The recommendation is that vaccines should be taken, if offered – the protection may be 60% as opposed to 90%, but from a public health point of view, this is better than 0%. It is nothing to do with the current vaccines or their technology – all vaccines have this same caveat in patients on immunosuppression. Of course, live vaccines should NOT be given. There are no current live vaccines for Covid though. However each patient should consult there own GP/consultant as only they know the state of each patient
To be honest, let the jocks deal with lies north of the border, we have enough lies to contend with down here.
Most of the Scottish media are turning a blind eye, not a healthy situation when serious questions are not being asked...
We’d be doing just fine if people just stopped unpatriotically pointing out that we aren’t doing fine.
Everybody deserves better - I'm not a fan, but generally her management of this crisis has been far better than what I've seen come out of Westminster. At least she bothers to turn up to her press briefings, every single day, instead of the part time bumbling fool of a PM. Was she right to close schools more than two weeks earlier than England? Errmmm - Yes. Was she right to implement a harsher lockdown prior to that in England - probably (time will tell). Did they make a **** up of the exams - yes. Did they rectify that **** up - yes. Did England then replicate exactly the same **** up, forewarned by the outrage in Scotland - yes. The list goes on....I think I remember someone saying "Now is not the time" to start to pull apart all the **** ups - concentrate on your own back yard
BBC, which has had a ****ing mare throughout this pandemic whether we are talking telly, radio or online, finally gets what a public service broadcaster is by offering ‘lockdown learning’ programmes on telly and online, following the curriculum, for kids who aren’t going to school. Good. And on that topic, my understanding is that kids of key workers can still go to school. Fair enough, but who are the key worker? Apparently university lecturers are, even though all university teaching will be online only for the foreseeable future, apart from a couple of subjects, and even though some university staff are balloting to strike if they are asked to go back on campus. Tighten up a bit please.
Dont be daft, people dont mind being lied to down here, it's part of the norm nowadays! Everything is going swimmingly.
On the issue of key workers - some outrage in Wales as supermarket staff are denied "key worker" status, as are teachers. Personally, I think only those teachers who are in school should be given key worker status... Covid: Teachers and supermarket staff ‘not key workers’ By Carys Betteley BBC News Unions have hit back at decisions from some councils in Wales to deny childcare to certain groups of key workers. The Welsh Government compiled a list of jobs deemed critical at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, which was provided to local authorities. However, some councils compiled their own lists which do not include jobs such as food workers and teachers. Teaching union Nasuwt said it was "nonsensical". Schools will stay closed to most pupils until the February half term unless there is a "significant" fall in Covid cases, with childcare provided to vulnerable children and the children of key workers. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55544545
Nursery school staff should be, but of course they're not. ****ing Boris just casually states that all nurseries will remain open without giving a second's thought about the people working there.