Stats on the up

Oh thank you for letting me know that Wheniwasyourage. I wondered if I might have improved immunity but I hadn’t seen anything that explicitly said that. I am concerned about the rising numbers of cases given that so many of us are double jabbed. I sometimes wonder if we’ll ever get out of this situation and so I like reading the posts of positive posters.

Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, was at crisis point yesterday, and we are still in August!

You're welcome, maddyone. It is indeed cheering when you get some good news like that, and I was glad for one of our AC, who had proven covid last autumn and has had both vaccine doses since.

Is your daughter and family just temporarily in New Zealand maddyone? I seem to remember you mentioning 2 years?

New Zealand I believe is attempting to pursue a zero covid policy, but that means repeated lockdowns even with a tiny number of cases.

It’s interesting to read about different countries differing approaches to the pandemic.

I agree with those who say that, within reason, we need to just get on with our lives.
Surely everyone agrees that another lockdown would be completely disastrous.

We are due to hear soon about the booster jab, which should help to reassure those who are still very apprehensive.

Jennifer
Hi, yes our daughter and family have gone for two years, but of course we understand that they may decide to stay longer, or indefinitely. Or they may come home sooner, especially if the lockdowns continue over there, because lockdowns were one of the things they were trying to escape. They also thought it would be a good experience to live and work in a different country for a while. They were particularly fed up of the stress NHS staff have been working under since the pandemic began, so there were a few reasons why they went. She was very homesick a couple of weeks ago, and we wondered if they would just come home, but it appears to have settled somewhat now. She did tell me before she went that if Covid had never happened, they wouldn’t have gone.

It must be so hard for you maddyone but what I do know is that homesickness is a very powerful feeling and even though you say your daughter has since settled, I don’t think it’s a feeling which ever completely disappears.

I would also be encouraged by the fact that you say that, being doctors, they only went to NZ to escape the worst of the workload and lockdowns here, rather than it being a country they were really keen to make home.

Latest report (below) from the Zoe app data published yesterday, if these figures continue to rise, then when children are back at school, we may once again be struggling. I don't think anyone wants to see another full lockdown but continuing reminders to wear masks and socially distance would only be sensible. As it is, lots of people are behaving as though Covid infection is now of little importance.

According to ZOE COVID Study incidence figures, there are currently 51,961 new daily symptomatic cases of COVID in the UK on average, based on PCR and LFT test data from up to five days ago [*]. This is up 19% from 43,693 new cases last week. It’s estimated there are currently 15,309 new daily symptomatic cases in fully vaccinated people in the UK, cases in this group have been rising steadily for the last week and now make up 29.4% of the total new daily cases

Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist on the ZOE COVID Study app, comments on the latest data:
“Unfortunately, we’re back in a position where cases, hospitalisations and deaths are all going up and the UK has the highest rates of COVID in Europe, despite our superior vaccination rates. The main difference between the UK and Europe is our lack of restrictions. In many parts of Europe, people are still wearing face coverings and observing some social distancing. In the UK, where we eagerly declared ‘freedom’ from COVID and did away with even the most basic social measures, COVID has found an opportunity to spread.

According to data from the ZOE COVID Study, fully vaccinated people now make up nearly 30% of positive cases and so it’s critical to be aware of the symptoms of COVID after vaccination.

I have a lot of time for Spector. I'd have even more time for him if he was more careful about the difference between the UK and England.

What does "struggling" mean? Nobody, but nobody, has even mentioned full lockdown.

Ok so young people need to have fun . 5000 estimated to result from board masters in Newquay . Why , when double jabbed people are getting Covid , are they still exempt from giving negative flow test results at these events. Huge one in Reading coming up soon

Well death rates are nowhere near as bad as last year thats the figure we should be interested in.l had to laugh our local newsreader informed us 4 people had died of covid in our region today then added that two of them had died in March and January of this year but had not been added to the offical covid deaths ,so just tagged them on todays figures!
So in fact 2 had died. Just the media catastrophing yet again!

In the western world, with all our achievements re medicine, technology and more prosperity for many, I suspect we subconsciously think that we can/shall find a solution for everything, but COVID has come along, and perhaps we won’t find a definitive way out, but instead, as many suggest, will have to learn to ‘ live with it ‘. Pandemics are not a new phenomenon, though recent generations have possibly become somewhat complacent due to scientific advances. However, we may have to accept that we can still be faced with new adversities that are outwith our experience and expertise.

My DD lives in the US and all her family are vaccinated except the youngest, but she will get it later. She is 10. They will all get boosters 6 months after their second jabs, so that will be sometime in October.

Are we getting boosters in the UK? I know that there has been talk of boosters for the clinically vulnerable but I am inclined to think that we should all have them, particularly us oldies...

On the other hand, I understand the argument that there are countries where the people haven't had any jabs and need the vaccines more than we do. Is it possible to manufacture enough to go round or is it a toss-up between us and them?

49Alegrias1

I have a lot of time for Spector. I'd have even more time for him if he was more careful about the difference between the UK and England.

What does "struggling" mean? Nobody, but nobody, has even mentioned full lockdown

I heard Nicola Sturgeon on the news tonight saying she wouldn't rule out a Lock-down.
Don't shoot the messenger ?

Alegrias1

I have a lot of time for Spector. I'd have even more time for him if he was more careful about the difference between the UK and England.

What does "struggling" mean? Nobody, but nobody, has even mentioned full lockdown.

I agree. I wish people would stop seeing "full lockdown" as the only alternative to people doing exactly what they want.

The way I see it, being careful is a way of avoiding lockdown, not causing it.

Growstuff So true. Out in the real world how many are careful though.
In the mean time, I'm enjoying my alternative community on GN.

Ro60

49Alegrias1

I have a lot of time for Spector. I'd have even more time for him if he was more careful about the difference between the UK and England.

What does "struggling" mean? Nobody, but nobody, has even mentioned full lockdown

I heard Nicola Sturgeon on the news tonight saying she wouldn't rule out a Lock-down.
Don't shoot the messenger ?

Sturgeon's position is that they are not currently considering reintroducing restrictions, particularly not a circuit breaker lockdown. She specifically said that news reports that said that were untrue. When asked by a reporter whether we'd have another lockdown in the future, she agreed that it wouldn't be sensible to say we'd never have another lockdown. That doesn't mean it's imminent nor that they are considering one.

Said it before and I'll say it again. The media are being irresponsible with their Covid reporting and need to be held to account for it.

I also happened to hear a news report that a Covid death in January had somehow missed the figures, and was now tacked onto the August deaths! Seems rather silly and pointless.

More worrying are the reports of seaside destinations, very busy, and absolutely no mask wearing or similar in indoor entertainment venues. Holidaymakers are being asked to do lateral flow tests before leaving home.

I can really see that happening (not).

There's so much contradictions in the media and if you just read the headlines it's even more scarey. The vaccines are still working. A lot of people are still catching it but not as badly. It was always the aim to reduce the severity. Virus are very hard to completely irradiated. Just think of the common cold and all the flu variants. There's still a lot of non vaccinated people who are ending up in hospital but mostly the vaccinated that do are recovering and going home. Obviously anyone with underlying conditions is at greater risk. They would be for flu, pneumonia etc too. Those people need to take a little extra care or isolate, whatever they feel most comfortable with. My DH caught Covid-19 in hospital back in Jan and died of it. So unless it's imminently life threatening I would opt to remain out of hospital for now.

We could review what's happening in Israel and learn from them. They have one of the most heavily vaccinated community and started to open up early. They are now in the middle of another surge in cases. It seems that booster shots are helping to manage the numbers. Immunity is waning faster in the over 60s. We are not prepped for the autumn/winter. As usual we are hoping for this best, which seems to be official policy.

It seems no country learns from another but has to reinvent the wheel itself. They might refer to how another country handles things but that is as far as it goes. Stubborn pride and nationalism.

For the first time in ages, I was out last week, wearing my mask and being ultra careful.
I just don’t understand why most were not wearing masks and no one was keeping 2mtr distance. Cafes were full streets were busy. Why are we as a nation not taking notice of this.
Most of my neighbours are away on holiday - all staying in hotels or going to festivals.
Am I getting this wrong? We do still have a Covid crisis, don’t we?

I saw on a recent Dr John blog that Israel had actually only fully vaccinated about 62% of the population.I need to watch it again to double check but it did surprise me.

We do still have a big Covid problem LovelyLady but having had both vacinations life has to go on.
I may still catch it but if the vacination is doing its job I shouldn't end up pushing up daisies
I enjoy holidays life has to be worth living been away 3 times this year and still here to tell the tale
Everyone has to make their own choices I didn't feel any more at risk in a hotel than going about my daily life

Covid is here to stay - just like flu and colds (and no I am not comparing severity of the various rhino and coronaviruses) - we have to learn to live with it as we cannot keep locking down every time there is a crisis. I know the numbers are smaller in Australia and New Zealand but what they are doing (locking down for a week or two every time there are a few cases) is NOT sustainable. We are double vaccinated and still wearing masks on buses and in shops. I honestly do not see the point of any more lockdowns - all they did was help to slow the progress, they did nothing to stop the disease in its tracks.

We still do have a covid crisis, don’t we ?
Your definition of the word crisis is very different to mine.