Covid-19 pandemic

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

That Captain Howdy tweet image that SOTS posted is way over my head. A trawl down the Twitter thread eventually revealed that the superimposed mugshots are anti-mask twats Laurence Fox and Neil Oliver, but what is the scene from? Some kids' film?

[steveeeeeeeee]

https://twitter.com/footballport/status/1465254550898630657

Anyone other than me getting a bit excited at the thought that this is over? Omicron looks ultra-contagious and a fairly mild variant. Of course, it's going to be a while before we know, but there's hope.

[Sheep]

It's the hope that kills you. But yeah, I'm getting excited too.

[San Bernardhinault]

I mentioned that three or four days ago. And I'm holding out hope. It's worth bearing in mind, though, that with a super-young variant you just really don't know how mild it is. Mildish cases and bad-ish cases seem to start largely the same, and it's only after two or three weeks that the bad cases become really bad cases in hospital. The fact that bad outcomes haven't been observed yet is great, but I'd hold back a bit on the celebrations.

On the other hand, given that there don't seem to be particularly bad outcomes yet, the whole "World is falling" narrative that seems to have completely suffused every part of all media in the last 4 days does seem a fraction overblown. Although perhaps useful in the UK's case of finally getting people to wear masks on public transport and in schools?

[steveeeeeeeee]

Yes, it was your post that pointed it out to me SB and got me just looking for rays of hope in the news. The interview with Dr Angelique Coetzee on Andrew Marr yesterday being the biggest trigger of hope for me since your posting, so far.

It will be schadenfreude if those countries shutting borders soon realise opening borders may be the way out of this thing, but who cares, I just want this over, please let it be over...

[Gangster Octopus]

It will never be over...

[Patrick Thistle]

Lrrrrr, the ruler of Omicron Persiei 8 always pronounces it Ommycron.

[caja-dglh]

Got booster this morning. Was given a choice between Pfizer and Moderna, which was really weird.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Day one (of the latest edict of) mandatory face coverings on London Transport.

There are a huge number of people who apparently don't know what mandatory means (yes, I know, exemptions. But as previously observed, these are people with the demeanour of someone spoiling for an argument).

[Felicity, I guess so]

Got booster this morning. Was given a choice between Pfizer and Moderna, which was really weird.

Got mine coming up next Thursday, so would welcome any advice on what to choose (I'm double-AZ since June)

[Patrick Thistle]

Whoever is selling those sunflower lanyards is going to get a boost in funds again. I hope it is actually a charity and not just some grubby individuals with a printer.

[Wouter D]

Got an email last week from someone who had been sitting right next to me at a company event. We'd been talking for a full hour. Now, she turned out to be positive for Covid. I have no symptoms, but I ran a few self-tests to be on the safe side. They came back as negative as they can be. Don't know exactly how to feel about this. Did I cheat the disease? Am I bulletproof? Did she only catch the disease on the way back home? Are my vaccinations working really well? Any of these will do for me.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Another announcement from the thunderous throbber at 4pm today apparently.

[Discordant Resonance]

From Friday, all travellers into Ireland will either have to take a PCR test 72 hours beforehand, or an antigen tests 48 hours before their flight - this includes everyone arriving from GB.

[Moonlight Shadow]

Day one (of the latest edict of) mandatory face coverings on London Transport.

There are a huge number of people who apparently don't know what mandatory means (yes, I know, exemptions. But as previously observed, these are people with the demeanour of someone spoiling for an argument).

I noticed an uptick in masks on train yesterday, but still well below 50%. Doubt it will change significantly in coming days

[S. aureus]

Got mine coming up next Thursday, so would welcome any advice on what to choose (I'm double-AZ since June)

I believe based on the available evidence, that Moderna gives a slightly stronger boost to antibodies if you didn't get Moderna in the first place, though Pfizer's not really much different. Longer term protection is obviously unknown at this point, but Moderna seemed to have fared best of the original set in this regards also.

[lambers]

Following recent government announcements, my partner's work has cancelled their Christmas party (for 100 odd people in London). Which I guess goes to show that the company is listening to the government more than the COVID reports.

After my partner's next team meeting, I'm expecting to hear tales of outrage from the more "individualist" members.

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1465278131082862597?s=21

[Lang Spoon]

Now that it's clear Omicron was in Europe before South Africa discovered it, will the racist authorities of the U.K. and across the EU continue to ban flights to the affected countries?

[San Bernardhinault]

The question remains whether if it's widespread in southern Africa and there are only isolated cases in Europe then the ban could still make sense (to slow down the rate of transfer and give time to prepare)

[hobbes]

Got an email last week from someone who had been sitting right next to me at a company event. We'd been talking for a full hour. Now, she turned out to be positive for Covid. I have no symptoms, but I ran a few self-tests to be on the safe side. They came back as negative as they can be. Don't know exactly how to feel about this. Did I cheat the disease? Am I bulletproof? Did she only catch the disease on the way back home? Are my vaccinations working really well? Any of these will do for me.

The cub had it in the summer. Obviously we weren't going to make an 8 year old stay in his room alone, we all isolated together. P and I didn't get it, despite plenty of close proximity and hugs etc.
Vaccines rock.

[Felicity, I guess so]

I believe based on the available evidence, that Moderna gives a slightly stronger boost to antibodies if you didn't get Moderna in the first place, though Pfizer's not really much different. Longer term protection is obviously unknown at this point, but Moderna seemed to have fared best of the original set in this regards also.

Great, ta

[Nocturnal Submission]

Great, ta

I don't know if we're given a choice in England, FIGS. I can't recall anyone reporting such.

[San Bernardhinault]

If you are given a choice, I believe the evidence that I saw (which admittedly might be thin) is that a mix of mRNA and viral vector works best. So if you started with AZ you want Pfizer/Moderna, or vice-versa. Unfortunately in the US we really only have mRNA vaccines - the J&J one is very hard to come by. If you only had the regular course, mRNA seems to work better, but once you're in booster territory you seem to be better with a soup of different ones.

[Nocturnal Submission]

If you are given a choice, I believe the evidence that I saw (which admittedly might be thin) is that a mix of mRNA and viral vector works best. So if you started with AZ you want Pfizer/Moderna, or vice-versa. Unfortunately in the US we really only have mRNA vaccines - the J&J one is very hard to come by. If you only had the regular course, mRNA seems to work better, but once you're in booster territory you seem to be better with a soup of different ones.

I believe that the majority of 1st/2nd jabs in the UK were Ox-AZ and that the boosters will usually be either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, so that appears to be the strategy either by accident or design.