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

1 in 69 people in the UK currently have symptomatic COVID

Aaaaand according to the news, as of today it's up to 1 in 60.

I was planning on going to Bespoked this weekend, but am not sure spending hours in an enclosed space with hundreds or thousands of other people is looking like the best of ideas, masked and double-jabbed or not...

This is the second site to be announced isn't it, Newbury was announced shortly before Wolverhampton as having an issue with their lab
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-public-urged-to-get-retested-after-false-negative-results-at-newbury-showground-in-berkshire-12434107

Yep it's not just one site. BBC saying South West and to a lesser degree the South East and Wales.

I'm surprised cases in the Netherlands, where restrictions are pretty much lifted, are lower than the UK.

Just took a look at the Netherlands Gov Covid web site. You still need covid passes to go to bars and restaurants and face masks in public indoor places....thats a big difference to the UK!

Edit: My mistake, face masks are mandatory on transport and in bars/restaurants but its up to the company in question whether they require masks for supermarkets and other shops.

Tx, perhaps the COVID passes make the difference?

My kids came back from school today with a letter saying that on the advice of the council, they're reintroducing some infection-control measures - mainly stuff like after-school clubs being limited to single-class bubbles (though to what extent they're going to operate with class bubbles again elsewhere is somewhat unclear). This doesn't include staggered start/end times, so presumably the kids are all going to be mixing on the playground/in the cloakrooms anyway...

Tx, perhaps the COVID passes make the difference?

IMHO they either make a difference directly or the constant reminder that the pandemic isn't over, through having to plan ahead, makes a difference.

Just left bespoked and know-one is wearing a mask and that included the students ramming the train back to leeds.

In that graph are the rates per 100k for the age cohort as a whole or is it split?
i.e. the rate for 40-49 per 100k includes both vaccinated and unvaccinated rather than taking 100k unvaccinated and showing how many will test positive?
Be interesting to know the difference between 2 groups of 100k rather than a mixed group.
Or have I got that totally wrong? I don’t deal with numbers/spreadsheets/stats so forgive my ignorance.

I wonder how significant the 'single-vaccinated' group is and what the 3rd column would look like for the other 2 graphs

So why are the right wing so anti vaccination/mask etc, especially in Italy.

I had assumed that the NHS PCR walk-in test sites had someone do the swabbing, but not so (at least the Camden site I went to this morning); they just give you a test pack and a space to diy

I cant swab the back of my throat properly myself for 10-15 seconds without touching tongue or cheeks. I suspect that I'm not alone, and that they majority of self-tests arent done to standard.

(No doubt this was discussed at length a year ago, so excuse the minor rant)

I had assumed that the NHS PCR walk-in test sites had someone do the swabbing, but not so (at least the Camden site I went to this morning); they just give you a test pack and a space to diy

This was always the case - I went in the early days hoping they'd have someone expert to do the 3-yr old rather than my shaky hands (have always had an essential natural tremor, so not great at that kind of stuff), but no. However, when I had to have a private one done returning from abroad, they did it, and they barely touched the back of the throat for a couple of seconds - I was literally out of the room less than a minute after entering and some friend of Matt Hancock was £100 richer.

I can do it myself no problem, but not without a mirror and fairly bright light - I've not had to use a walk-in yet - did they have that or should I take my own?

They provided a small hand held mirror

Well that's all I'd take too. I'll try and remember to take a bike light too!

Rates should be per 100k of each age group

Nice thread on where we are vs Europe and why
https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1449801652207239176

Want to visit my 89 year old gran but cases seem too high. Can't isolate as I have to now be in work 2 days a week and she hasn't yet had a booster. All still so shit isn't it.

Something is going to have to be done, hospitals are not being overwhelmed but so many covid cases are taking up beds and ITU spaces that routine / elective stuff is being shelved. Not to mention the deaths, long covid and all the rest.....

Interesting, never considered waning immunity may have such a big impact.

The double vaccinated figures for the UK are barely going up... perhaps that also doesn't help.

Netherlands case figures are rising sharply even though some measures stayed in place. Hopefully government will intervene.

Be nice to see my parents with Christmas but not looking good as NL going red again on travel list of many countries :(

The double vaccinated figures for the UK are barely going up...

I don't understand the figures anymore. They now include 12+ but 12-15 are only being offered one jab so do they count as single or double vaccinated? If single then the double aren't going to get very high ever.

Yeah that's fair if they adjusted it would make a difference.

I'm looking at the guardian dashboard, I'd imagine it would dip first if they added the 12-15 group?

Still no news on my son being offered a jab in Belfast. Luckily school is keeping masks on and windows open indoors.

hey now include 12+ but 12-15 are only being offered one jab so do they count as single or double vaccinated?

Single. The government's daily figures are just the raw number of either first or second doses, so it's impossible to distinguish half-vaccinated adults from fully-vaccinated children.

They don't seem to be publishing third dose numbers.