Today's briefing.

No one became hospitalised after their first dose of the Oxford vaccine which is why they are confident that immunity starts to kick in after one dose. Yes, some people caught it but only mildly. And they don’t know yet know the most efficacious time to leave between doses. That’s still a bit of a work in progress. I know I keep saying this but if people need reassurance/information please listen to DrJohn Campbells utube blogs.

J52 I mistook your meaning. Thank you for the clarification. Growstuff The carrier effect you described at is from the virus not from the ^vaccination*, which was what I originally thought J52 meant.

I didnt see the full Peston interview but saw Peston on the six o'clock news and he appeared frustrated by Johnsons approach. That said I've a feeling they are pretty good chums!
Yesterday when the Oxford vaccines roll out was announced I was optimistic. That drained away as day went on.
When the first vaccine was made available I remember thinking it would be wonderful as long as they didnt make a mess of rolling it out.
Apparently it's not going as well as it could. On six o'clock news one thing Preston did say was apparently they havent got enough vials to put the vaccine in yet.!
It feels as though the government are continuing to provide positive soundbites but there is no planning or thought into what needs to be provided to ensure these things happen. My underlying feeling is that all that needs to be done and should be done cant be as there are insufficient resources and people to do it whether it's safe schools,staffing the NHS ,administering the vaccine. Now we are being told second doses will be much further apart. Seeing as the full affect doesnt seem to be felt until after the second dose I wonder how many more people will become very ill or die that needn't have.
I feel we are in a much worse position than we were in April despite advances in treatment and two vaccines.
I know many governments have struggling. I know it's an unprecedented situation. Despite that can anyone list the things that have gone to plan and been successful in our dealing with this virus? Anything?
January is showing all the signs of being horrendous. When we emerge in Spring I think any drop in deaths and infections will be due to natural conditions such as people meeting outside again. Until then it's just a case of going back to basics and trying to stay safe.

I find it really irritating when Boris says “ter” instead of “to”, though let’s be fair it could have been worse he could have adopted the glottal stop.

Teacheranne

I was horrified to find out the daily Covid death rate, really awful that we are back to such high rates. It’s hard to compare infection rates though as during the height of the first wave, they were not testing as many people.

I have followed all the lockdown guidelines but I’m going to hunker down even more now and become a total hermit!

You and me both. I can’t help but think that I’ll remain a hermit for a long time though. I always wanted to live in a small holding in the middle of nowhere with just my cats and dogs for company (a la Hannah Hawkswell) so maybe it’s part of my nature!

No one in the Oxford vaccine trial ended up being hospitalised if they caught the virus though: that’s the difference.

EllanVannin

You've only got to look how many died during the Spanish 'flu pandemic and this one's more lethal because of the variant.
Innoculation doesn't stop you from getting Covid.

There was no vaccine at that time for the Spanish flu.

A variant of the H1N1 influenza is still with is today (eg swine flu is an H1N1 type).

I was horrified to find out the daily Covid death rate, really awful that we are back to such high rates. It’s hard to compare infection rates though as during the height of the first wave, they were not testing as many people.

I have followed all the lockdown guidelines but I’m going to hunker down even more now and become a total hermit!

Really??
How insensitive. What is he thinking of?

Just saw Peston interviewing Johnson on ITV. Talking about how soon the vaccine could be rolled out. They were both grinning and smirking and trying not to laugh. In the middle of a pandemic. People are dying and it just seems like one big joke to Johnson. And Peston has completely let himself down. I’m disgusted.

I am Going to say it again. I’m all for liberty but it’s time to ENFORCE the rules. So far we’ve had No fines, no patrols, no compulsory masks, no proper test track trace, I feel like this is going from bad to worse.

Boris didn't spontaneously say 5th April. There was a question about Chris Whitty having mentioned Easter and 5th April is the date of Easter next year. Chris Whitty said last summer that it could be Spring of 2021 before we're past the worst. I remember him saying it and being horrified as I'd thought then that it would be over by the Autumn of this year!
Mind you I couldn't believe it last March when we'd originally been told to lock down for three weeks. I thought they must be mad, we'd never stand for three weeks!! Oh well we live and learn. Time will tell.

Do they think we are totally stupid?

It would appear so.

Elegran

J52 You can't be a carrier as you have not had the virus injected into you, just a small bit of its RNA, enough for your immune system to recognise it and attack it if and when it invades in the future - its RNA, not its DNA.

You can be a carrier, if you're infected by the virus because the vaccine takes a couple of days to start working.

I've always been in favour of more rigorous measures, including school closures; even though that makes life even more stressful for me.

Calendargirl

I do wish Boris wouldn’t give prospective ‘dates’ for when things may be better.

April 5th or thereabouts?

I wish he would just say, ‘We really don’t know, the more you follow the guidelines, the sooner it will be’.

I couldn't agree more. He always reminds me of a parent on a long car journey when the children keep asking "When will we be there?"

MissAdventure

Yes, grannygravy.
We're one of the worst areas, from what I can tell.
We must focus on the vaccine.

That's a two-edged sword. If people think the vaccine will solve everything, the situation will get worse. What everybody really needs to concentrate on is social distancing and preventing transmission as far as possible by wearing a mask and being in well-ventilated spaces and not seeing other people in person.

75% of indoor transmission takes place in household settings, including family members and visiting people from other households or receiving guests. Education settings are the second most frequent place of transmission. Put the two together and the result is disastrous.

GrannyGravy13

JVT looked extremely serious and worried.

The schools in our Borough and surrounding areas are not reopening MissA, that will be more teenagers hanging around parks etc.

Which is safer for them than being in classrooms.

I do so agree that Boris and his chums should stop pronouncing dates; and blowing trumpets "The best Test and Trace System" etc. and just say that they do not know how tings will pan out. We all know that, so why don't they just say it? Do they think we are totally stupid?

Apologies I did not make myself clear, I didn’t mean you would carry the virus having been vaccinated, but that you could still catch it thus pass it on.

50million people died in the 1918 Pandemic, when the world’s population was one-fifth of what it is now, so let’s try and keep things in proportion.
That was in reply to ev

this one's more lethal because of the variant
Do you have a reference for that ev?
From what I’ve read, the scientists think it’s more transmissible (but they don’t know for certain) and there’s no evidence that the case fatality rate is any higher.

You've only got to look how many died during the Spanish 'flu pandemic and this one's more lethal because of the variant.
Innoculation doesn't stop you from getting Covid.

But that is no different to passing it on if you had a mild dose of it without being vaccinated. What J52 posted was that you might pass it on after vaccination - implying that the vaccination might cause you to be a carrier.

Yes doodledog I think JVT said you would still be a potential "hazard" in the community, so don't expect to go to the bingo!