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

Interesting thanks

I was very sick 3 weeks ago, but negative on pcr. But I do wonder if it was covid. And was thinking of getting antibody to see.

I think the reason for that is BoJo having a spat. And the delta variant being dominant now anyway. Germany still wears mask and has mass testing in place for nightlife and prostitution.

Find it interesting that this is supposedly for opening up the economy, personally I'm now a lot less likely to get public transport, or head to the shops, queue at the bar in pubs etc if no-one is wearing masks.

I think I read that Delta cases are < 10% in Germany a week or two ago but I could be mistaken I suppose.

Edit: Now thought to be 15 to 30%

Germany does relatively little sequencing so the data on that is always lacking. Zeit reports the most recent figure of 37% in the third week of June.

Isn't this just classic Tory libertarianism and the absolute abhorrence of being told what to do?

England Cricket team has just gone down with it.

There would be a crazy irony if the football gets fucked up by this. It feels like it is already everywhere.

It melts my head. Whitty said he rather has a peak in summer not later in the year when flu also kicks in. Right ok I guess...

Ok...relax maybe some school rules on isolation, crank up vaccination even more, but why remove the mask rules and make it look to young people "Covid isn't a big deal you'll live" as long covid is definitely a thing!

Ugh. Note the contrast with NI Scotland Wales where the Cons don't get to make the decisions.

This clearly isn't an economic decision but a herd immunity one.

I reckon it's not even that thought out, I reckon it's a "we're getting rid of all those nasty restrictions, please like us" decision.

just appealing to anti maskers, anti vaxxers, right winger and 'muh freedoms' who think that mask wearing is politcal wokeism. Meanwhile majority of people probably all agree continuing to wear masks is the sensible thing to do but will still vote tory anyway.

I was very sick 3 weeks ago, but negative on pcr. But I do wonder if it was covid. And was thinking of getting antibody to see.

If you've had a jab then there's no point having an antibody test as it'll just come back positive.

Isn't it just fucking infuriating that the government won't update their guidance on when to get a Covid test to the symptoms caused by the latest variants? It's almost like they don't want us to test...

Simply put, they don't have the capacity to cope with the number of people who would want a test if they extended the symptom list.

See the twitter link I posted above from Prof Pagel.

[EDIT] https://twitter.com/chrischirp/status/1411753797764923393

"
Test return times are getting longer in England (test and trace report & comparing specimen to report dates).

A lot of testing capacity was closed in the spring in the expectation cases would never get that high again. They will (as govt admits!) - what's the plan? No testing?
"

Can you reference that, as I believe your wrong from what I was reading. I'll go find a link.
I understand you could be vaccinated, effectively, but still not show 'positive' on an antibody test.

see 'laboratory testing' it might not show any antibody if you've had certain vaccines etc
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html

I thought mask wearing in general life was hard to do effectively enough to stop yourself getting infected?

I don't expect a mask to guarantee that I won't be infected, but it provides some prevention, much better than no mask at all.

If I wanted to avoid infection completely I'd be shielding at home, not going out at all and getting everything delivered. But there's little point doing that with an 11yo child that is in school each day and has a range of activities (friends, swimming, cricket, ballet, etc) along with a load of school related volunteering that we'd also have to stop, but that's a step too far in my book.

I'm just doing what is easy and simple to do to reduce my chance of infection where I can. I'm still playing 5-a-side football twice a week and then going to the pub, and that's probably my most likely chance if I'm ever going to get it. Next up would probably be 3 visits to the gym/pool each week.

That's my motivation. It's like washing my hands before cooking dinner.

Indeed. I spent years working in catering and so good hand hygiene (and specifically not touching my face) has been drilled into me. Even though it's some 25 years since I last worked in a kitchen.

Can you reference that, as I believe your wrong from what I was reading. I'll go find a link.

Sure, I'll look for the docs that came with the ONS study that we're in as we now get antibody testing as part of that. (Can't get to where the paperwork is at the moment, Mrs GB is on a conf call.)

A quick google gives:-

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveyantibodyandvaccinationdatafortheuk/latest

"
In England, it is estimated that over 8 in 10 adults, or 86.6% of the adult population (95% credible interval: 84.6% to 88.5%) would have tested positive for antibodies against coronavirus – SARS-CoV-2 – on a blood test in the week beginning 7 June 2021, suggesting they had the infection in the past or have been vaccinated.
"

...

"
Antibodies

We measure the presence of antibodies in the community population to understand who has had the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past, and the impact of vaccinations. It takes between two and three weeks after infection or vaccination for the body to make enough antibodies to fight the infection. Having antibodies can help to prevent individuals from getting the same infection again. Once infected or vaccinated, antibodies remain in the blood at low levels and can decline over time. The length of time antibodies remain at detectable levels in the blood is not fully known.
"

...

"
It is important to draw the distinction between testing positive for antibodies and having immunity. Following infection or vaccination, antibody levels can vary and sometimes increase but are still below the level identified as "positive" in our test, and other tests. This does not mean that a person has no protection against COVID-19, as an immune response does not rely on the presence of antibodies alone.
"

thanks appreciate it

I see what you're reading, however it doesn't give any info on if that 1 vaccine, 2, how many weeks etc.

You might find more info on that in these links:-

"
Our methodology article provides further information around the survey design, how we process data, and how data are analysed. The study protocol specifies the research for the study.
"

Thabks ill read.

Either way antibody is 14eur here, so seems a small cost for some potential info

Received a box of FFP3 masks today. Brought them for an upcoming (essential) flight but starting to think I might wear them to the supermarket.

I'm beginning to think that the Government's long term plan was to get people trained on a direct correlation of numbers of deaths and how much shit the country is in with Covid.

Unlocking soon because the death figures aren't rising (as quickly as before), but expecting the cases figures to soar ("Cases could rise to 100,000 a day - Javid") and this not to have serious effects on the NHS or, as others have mentioned, present the nigh on perfect breeding ground for a vaccine resistant strain to emerge, is nothing short of insanity.

But, even if all of this shit happens, I'm sure I'll see:-

CON: 51% (+7)

in the opinion polls at some point.

Surprised they haven't called a referendum about mask wearing, seems to be the preferred way of making irreversible decisions these days.

I think you'll find they're being driven by data, not just making seemingly arbitrary decisions.

Unfortunately the data in question are the number of backbench MPs that would rebel against the whip and therefore they have to bow to this pressure instead of doing what might actually be the right thing to do.

my sister (a nurse) had antibody test before jab (never had covid symptoms), no antibodies then one after first jab = antibodies then another test weeks after second jab = strong antibody response. Her colleagues have all done the same and shown antibodies after having jab.

Pfizer btw

thanks good anecdotal evidence.