Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

Ah that’s interesting and would make sense. I had a young female colleague who went to donate and she couldn’t because they couldn’t get a good enough vein, she’d never given blood before though so I expect she would have had the same issue with that.

Thanks. Just registered as I’m male, over 35.
I feel a bit weird about it being returned to me. I know that might sound odd but hey. My father nearly died from a blood infection so has passed this irrational fear on to me.

For others they particular want you to register if;
Over 35
Male
Asian
Hospitalised with Covid

It wouldn’t surprise me if it was one of those, I just had a cursory look on the NHS website and it just mentioned the BMI thing but I’m sure I remember a quick blood test too.

Me: so they separate it out and return the other elements to you
Wife: what do you do with it then?
Me: erm it’s returned inside me I presume

Oh how we laughed

Good on you, and I completely get why you’d have that fear given the family history! It doesn’t ‘feel’ like anything’s going back in if that helps at all.

I think I remember reading your antibodies peak about 6 weeks after infection so hopefully if they can fit you in soon you’ll be able to make a real difference to someone.

People miss appointments and isn't it a good idea to use up the shots rather than just throw them away? If you really want to jump the queue, why not?

A bit like @Fox my team is supporting a vaccine hub twice a week, working a nine and a half hours day, spending large chunks of that outside in the freezing cold. People rocking up in hope of a jab, when they’re not on the list is really unhelpful to them for all sorts of reasons, and will be a waste of time for the chancer. Yes, there is wastage at the end of each shift and it would be good to find a solution, but your suggestion isn’t it.

Do you understand the difference between gaming a system and deliberately defrauding a system? Or are they the same to you?

Drink driving and driving at 60 in a 30 aren’t the same either...

You get free biccies (usually bourbon, nice and digestive) and tea and bad coffee.

Are there gluten free, vegan options?

Your link doesn’t work so I can’t find the story. Does he offer any evidence/research findings that extending the gap to 12 weeks reduces protection? Odd that he would say something as imprecise as

I wouldn't mind if the second dose of the vaccine is given three weeks, four weeks, maybe five weeks, even up to six weeks might still be okay

All the sections quote don’t actually support the argument being made.
It’s essentially an exercise in sitting on the fence.
Like so many specialists they are usually overly conservative and biased to what they know but also don’t want to be proven wrong.

I also don’t really sentences starting with ‘as a scientist’...

I totally get not wanting to deviate from the tested 3 week gap, in the absence of having tested anything else, but then to say well, maybe 4 or 5, or possibly 6, is odd without evidence of diminishing returns. Would be interesting to see the full interview

@Markyboy link fixed. Think it would be interesting to hear the full transcript.

@GoatandTricycle The sub heading: Professor Ugur Sahin says the UK should provide evidence to back up its vaccination strategy.

@Acliff What is the reading age of sky news?

Not a clue, I don't eat the biscuits.

Finally feeling a bit more alive. Antibiotics have done their thing, and the grizzly productive cough is under control, temps are back to normal, sense of smell and taste are coming back.

Was considering when and how I should get back on the bike, just saw the timely GCN video on cycling and Covid, it makes sense to have at least another 2 weeks off the bike. As I've had intermittent periods of SVT, especially when under the weather fighting some kind of cold/flu virus, I'm going to take it really easy.

Well we’ll have evidence pretty soon either way.
Vaccination isn’t new, some of these might be quite new technologies but there is still precedent.

That comment was aimed at specific person, who wanted to jump the queue.

Also said that it would be a good idea to contact your gp and make sure that they have you uptodate contact details as GP surgeries are calling people in at short notice for people to get vaccinated.

Great news and has the taste and smell comeback different to before? My cough is still hanging around. Over six weeks now, only think that clears things is sudafed tablets that are not good long term.

Also fucking hell you talking about getting on the bike, I hope you meant the turbo as cold weather is not good for chest infections.

good to hear

I haven’t tasted all the things, but I think I have got more sensitive to salt.

I try an avoid Sudafed and nasal decongestants as a rule, as it tends to block up my sinuses, give me headaches and sinus infections.

I definitely meant something like 30 minutes zone 1 on the turbo.
Probably going to start doing some daily yoga, some calisthenics, keeping an eye on HR and breathing rate.
Will leave sets of burpees till next month..

I definitely meant something like 30 minutes zone 1 on the turbo.

I'd start with 30 minutes walking round the block first. A few years ago after I had pneumonia it was ages until I could get the tube to work without needing a 5 minute sit down each time I changed lines.

By contrast I had it, fairly mildly, around 5 weeks ago I’m now doing V02 sessions. I started with fairly steady state sessions.
If you train/ ride a fair amount you’ll know how you feel pretty quickly and the sort of numbers that are indicators.

Glad to hear you are on the mend :)

yeah heal up, bosschief, take it easy.

Your post may have been aimed at someone in particular, but everyone could read it.

If you're going to suggest stupid things that everyone can read, then quite rightly you will get called out on it. It's not like it's a one off, I seem to remember you recently thinking out loud about whether you could 'nip' off to France then return without self-isolating, when travel to France is illegal and you are legally obliged to quarantine, but also it's fucking obvious that there's a moral imperative there too.

I do understand the difference between gaming a system and deliberately defrauding it and guess what - yes they are the same to me in that I would find doing either unconscionable during a global pandemic.

On our vaccination centre: no, we don't use up all of the allotted vaccine and we don't have 100% attendance. You wouldn't get either of these at any vaccination centre in the country, but ours is in the most deprived area of London, which has a 69% minority ethnic population.

You may have heard in the news that uptake is worrying low among these groups, which is ironic because they are most at risk of being hospitalised or dying from Covid. So our priority is vaccinating these at risk groups. Like everyone else running vaccination centres, we haven't been given a proper plan for how to use up the leftover vaccine by the Government/NHS, but we're doing our best.

Either way, having a bunch of worried well turning up to try and game the system would be deeply unhelpful and it's not going to work either as so far if we can't find people from the appropriate groups in the local community they have gone to our staff, many of whom are essential/key workers.