Off Topic Coronavirus - 606 tales from the Inquiry

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Russia accused of hacking to steal Covid19 vaccine data from the US, UK and Canada.
I expect they are guilty of this.

But it does raise a different question in my mind;

Why is any Coronavirus vaccine research secret in the first place?

I can only think of two reasons - both of them unpleasant and unethical;
  • Money ... commercial gains to be made selling the vaccine.
  • Politics ... bragging rights, or even worse withholding the vaccine from countries considered to be enemies.
All Coronavirus vaccine research in every country should be completely open for any scientists around the world to access.
That is the way we will achieve a working vaccine most quickly.
It should not matter who takes the credit. A Covid19 vaccine should be a triumph shared by all Humanity.
 
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17th July update;

Seven more days of data added to the July table.
A worrying surge in daily infection numbers in Spain - well over 1,000 yesterday.

UK death rates are still falling gradually, but are usually still the highest in Europe by some margin.
 
Ah, the ravers are at it again. Making an unholy racket, getting all infected and taking naughty pills...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-53462514

Some advice for the Police;
Next time thousands of people have an illegal rave out in the open, just send over a helicopter to spray a mist of smart water over them.

The shower itself would be so innocuous that most there present would probably even notice it.
But if the smart water has a unique signature, people present at the rave can be picked up one at a time later. Even weeks later if I understand how smart water works. It's harmless, but will tag anybody who was there if it gets onto them.

Still a big demand on police time, but better than trying to handle a huge and hostile crowd.
With a bit of intelligence gathering too, the Rozzers could probably just arrest a few dozen ringleaders.
 
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An overview of Coronavirus infection rates across all continents

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NOTE: The Australia / Pacific region is not included as cases are relatively very low there.
 
The Coronavirus infection rates are creeping back up in the UK;

A week or two ago it was in the 500-600 per day range, now it is up to something like 600-750 per day.
Daily mortality rate is still gradually falling.
(and we are still nowhere near the peak of infections back in April, when it was about 5,000 per day or more).

In Spain infection rates have risen sharply - from a low of around 500 per day at the beginning of July to well over 1,000 per day now.
Their daily mortality rate is in single figures. But will that continue if infections rise further?

The reason that mortality rates continue to fall while infections are rising may be that people being infected now do not include many who are very old or vulnerable in other ways. My impression is that most new infections are among young people or working class folk (mostly below 40 years old) who are relatively healthy. Many of these will suffer the 'flu-like' Covid symptoms rather than the really serious breathing problems that lead to hospitalisations, ventilators and fatalities.

But those young people and working age folk will take the virus home, and in some cases infect vulnerable relatives.
 
First up...

Credit to Amazon for actually showing some of their workers wearing face masks in their adverts.
A while ago I was moaning that nobody did.

Second up...

I hear Matt Hancock might be in a bit of trouble over the Government's decision to allow the Cheltenham Festival to go ahead despite serious concerns over its potential to spread Coronavirus. He likes the horses apparently, and some serious wedge has come his way from the world of horse racing.
I don't know the details - it might just be left-wing press tittle-tattle.
 
25th July update;

8 more days of data added to the daily infections / daily mortality table for July.

There has been a big rise in infections in Spain.
This has not yet become a rise in their death rate, possibly because they are much more experienced now at treating Coronavirus cases when they become serious.

There are slight rises in infection rates in most countries, most notably France.
I'm guessing this is because of lockdowns more or less ending during the past three or four weeks.

The UK continues to suffer far more fatalities than any other European country, by a large margin.
We have lost over 100 people in 24 hour periods for 9 days this month so far.

The highest daily death rate in a 24 hour period outside the UK in July was 32 (in France on July 8th).
Most other countries are usually down into single figures each day for deaths.
 
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Had to wear a face mask today (one of those light blue pleated ones) - for the first and last time.

Big weekend supermarket expedition.
It was as uncomfortable as I thought it was going to be. Steamed up my specs and made me very conscious of breathing, to the point where I forgot some of the items I was shopping for.

Once upon a time I quite enjoyed shopping.
Then after the lockdown it became a necessary chore.
Wearing a mask has made it an unpleasant grind.
Next time I go to the supermarket I'll wrap a scarf round my neck and use that to cover up with while in the store.

I do not envy people who have to cover their faces every day.
Folk who travel by public transport or have to wear them while working.
I swear I will never accept having to wear a face mask as just part of everyday life.
 
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lardiman said:
Had to wear a face mask today (one of those light blue pleated ones) - for the first and last time.

Big weekend supermarket expedition.
It was as uncomfortable as I thought it was going to be. Steamed up my specs and made me very conscious of breathing, to the point where I forgot some of the items I was shopping for.

Once upon a time I quite enjoyed shopping.
Then after the lockdown it became a necessary chore.
Wearing a mask has made it an unpleasant grind.
Next time I go to the supermarket I'll wrap a scarf round my neck and use that to cover up with while in the store.

I do not envy people who have to cover their faces every day.
Folk who travel by public transport or have to wear them while working.
I swear I will never accept having to wear a face mask as just part of everyday life.
Click to expand...
They are a pain, although fair play to the driver who refused a passenger to board the bus at Bromley 30 minutes ago.
Whether we agree, the (belated)guidelines should be adhered to?
 
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The mighty Elfsborg said:
They are a pain, although fair play to the driver who refused a passenger to board the bus at Bromley 30 minutes ago.
Whether we agree, the (belated)guidelines should be adhered to?
Click to expand...

I'm not going to break the law.
And I'm not going to get my groceries delivered. That over-stretched service is needed by vulnerable people.
I'll even accept that face coverings in enclosed spaces like shops have a marginal net benefit.
But from now on I'll use a scarf instead of those disposable blue masks, while the law allows me to do so.

Sorry to bang on and on about this subject.
Unless the rules change again I won't return to it on this thread.
 
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I see the UK government has introduced a 14 day quarantine period fir anyone returning from mainland Spain, and advising people not to travel. Seems fair enough to me - we have a growing problem here that is driving us back towards lock down, and given how easily covid-19 infects people it needs to be contained fast.
Having said that, I'd just wrangled a trip home from Mrs Shabby to get a break from the mother in law and while I'd rather self isolate in the UK than sit in relative freedom with her logic dictates I'm staying put.
Font worry though, when I finally get home I will bring lots of masks, including a nice one with the EU flag for Lardi as I believe he's a bit of a closet fan of both:1980_boogie_down:
 
The mighty Elfsborg said:
Realising that the Northerners are behind the times in certain things, can our old friend @Chippy / Glory confirm COVID19 has reached Yorkshire?
Click to expand...
I can. We even build a nightingale hospital here! But according to the test I had I have had it. Nothing dramatic my symptoms were only very mild. Spent three days asleep and had a hacking cough which has taken weeks to get over. But apparently a mild dose means you don’t have immunity or if you do it don’t last long. Get a feckimg mask on, not for yourself but for those you might infect if you don’t. Not a scarf or a snood a proper mask. You too lardi!
 
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Unfortunately I think the public here are getting fed up with the landscape changing all the time.

Very few people have come out and welcome the 14 day quarantine imposition as a sensible and prudent move.
An awful lot have come out and said their holidays/holiday plans have just been ruined and it's the bungling Government's fault.
Folks have little tolerance for this "half in-half out" new normal.

For some, even a new full national lock-down (though economically impossible) would be preferable to this shilly-shallying.
Generally people feel secure when they know where they stand - and when we are all in it together.
 
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Chippy / Glory said:
I can. We even build a nightingale hospital here! But according to the test I had I have had it. Nothing dramatic my symptoms were only very mild. Spent three days asleep and had a hacking cough which has taken weeks to get over. But apparently a mild dose means you don’t have immunity or if you do it don’t last long. Get a feckimg mask on, not for yourself but for those you might infect if you don’t. Not a scarf or a snood a proper mask. You too lardi!
Click to expand...

I'll wear a proper mask when the law says I have to (which probably won't be long coming).

I've already reduced my pre-pandemic shopping habits by about 90%.
Not been into any kind of shop except a supermarket or chemists since March. And no intention to either.
I can't be much safer towards other shoppers than that <ok>
 
lardiman said:
I'll wear a proper mask when the law says I have to (which probably won't be long coming).

I've already reduced my pre-pandemic shopping habits by about 90%.
Not been into any kind of shop except a supermarket or chemists since March. And no intention to either.
I can't be much safer towards other shoppers than that <ok>
Click to expand...
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As mentioned before, I'll give up commenting on this subject now.
I probably should not have bothered making my thoughts on it public in the first place.
 
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