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

Yes, the dominant variant now (B.1.617.2) seems to be more transmissible but causes fewer hospitalisations (percentage wise) than most of the other variants.

Appears hospitalization rates are actually higher with the Delta variant - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/03/india-covid-variant-may-increase-risk-of-hospital-admission-early-data-suggests

What @jellybaby said.

Stay safe.

Yes, I came here to post the same thing (and to try and correct myself).

Will be interesting to see what the data says when it is more concrete.

[EDIT] Although some places are reporting it as the Nepalese mutation to the Indian (Delta) variant, but it hasn't been recognised by WHO yet so it doesn't have an official name.

I booked my first and second jabs via the nhs website when they became available for over 45s. Was due to have the second on June 30th.

This afternoon I had a text from my GP practice inviting me to book the second, and can get it done on Weds 9th.

That'd be nine weeks rather than twelve but I'd obviously be fully vaccinated sooner. Should I switch it?

Weighing up more immediate resistance against stronger slightly more long term resistance, but probably by an insignificant amount either way, I'd probably get it out the way sooner if it fit my schedule better.

Our NHS Trust moved from 12 weeks to 9 for second jab a while ago to get best bang per buck.... Hope the NHS stats bods know their job!

got dosed up on pfizer at The Wilson walk in today

Weighing up more immediate resistance against stronger slightly more long term resistance

With there being a strong likelihood of a booster jab later in the year I decided to go for earlier and moved mine from 12 weeks to 8 weeks.

Anyone know the reason for the 28 day wait after a positive covid result before getting the vaccine?
I can only guess its either
-to give time to recover
Or
-because you'll have antibodies anyway and vaccines should go to those with no protection

If you consider getting the disease equivalent to a “jab” then getting a second jab immediately after the first makes no sense.

(In some countries people who’ve had Covid are only offered one jab)

Exactly, the jab promotes an immune response which will help teach the body how to deal with the virus if (or more likely when) you get infected again. It's not injecting antibodies.

A jab within a few days of an active infection is not going to promote as much of an extra immune response, so it would effectively be wasted. Conversely, waiting a year after an active infection is waiting too long, so the cut off that has been decided on looks like it is 28 days.

Doesn't that contradict the earlier gov explanation of spacing to 12 weeks to get more bag per buck. As well as the greater/stronger response.

Like most things, it probably depends on the situation.

@lynx
Yep it does, jam today as the saying goes....

Tx grams and greenbank

No, it doesn't contradict anything. It's not an exact science, and it's not as simplistic as you describe.

As you say, the longer you leave it between doses the greater/stronger the eventual response will be (up until a point), but it leaves more people with a lesser/lower response for longer (prior to the second dose). Having more people with a lesser/lower response for longer could lead to more deaths overall especially in the presence of a more dangerous variant.

Without a more dangerous variant they'd probably be looking to get more 1st doses in rather than getting the 2nd doses in to the more vulnerable earlier.

Also, ending up with a slightly lower response is going to be offset by the likelihood of 3rd (and subsequent) boosters that might be tweaked for any future variants/mutations.

Got confirmation tonight by phone that I had the Indian variant, along with some questions from PHE about my activities in the 14 days pre-symptoms

Hope you are feeling better soon

Thanks! I'm past 10 days isolation now and approaching back to normal. Some breathlessness and fatigue left over but I think I got off lightly overall.

Bumped into a long time neighbour who I haven't seen much recently. Turns out that she had Covid pretty badly at the start of the 2nd wave. She has COPD and asthma so is in a high risk group.

Apparently she was hit for six by it. She lost 9kg in weight, her oxygen saturation dropped to 60% and carriedon falling. She thought she was dying so said goodbye to her (grown up) kids and made arrangements with her lawyers for probate etc. She fell asleep, woke up 72 hours later and her sats were up to 75 and increasing. She never stopped getting better from there. I think she was super lucky not to be put into an induced coma. Poor woman.

oh, and virtually no long term effects for her amazingly. Back playing tennis.

seems like third wave is here then, now what?

Oh hope you get off lightly.

So, Mrs Hammer got a positive PCR result and I got a negative result with same symptoms (3-4 days lag). I’ve been rapid testing every day too just in case. What are the chances she’s got asymptomatic COVID and we just happened to get a cold at the same time? It’s now over 2 weeks from our first jab (Pfizer) so I’m assuming that’s kicked in as it’s impossible to social distance with a toddler!

Hope it stays asymptomatic.

I have friends where one half of the couple tested positive and the other never did (both NHS staff so lots.of testing) even though they continued to share a bed etc.

There is talk of super spreaders being behind most cases, perhaps if you aren't one you are much less likely to shed virus and infect others?