do you know anything about immunity?

Thanks Furret. It is a worry given that there is talk of a mass flu vaccination programme this autumn. Many people were vaccinated in Lombardy and look at how the pandemic took hold there. I really don’t know what to do.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Just had another report sent through which says blood group is not an indicator of risk!

In fact it might be that this is discussed and explored in detail on GN before the flu season, so we can all make informed choices.

Will definitely be having my flu vaccination, and so will DH.

I read flu vaccine doesn’t work so well as you get older anyway. Thanks for making us aware Furret that it may be a factor for Coved. As you say we will have to discuss this further as more info comes out and then decide about flu jab.

I have just read that trials for Oxford Covid vaccination first phase are showing it promotes the production of antibodies and T cell’s to fight the virus. Sounds promising but still a way to go even if they do say it will be ready in the Autumn. I feel a bit like ‘Allo Allo’ -trust no one.

I also read that it seemed to be a short term immunity - by that I mean maybe as little as 6 months.

From the information I have read I fear covid19 may be like noro virus and having one episode will not protect you from the infection the next time you are exposed.

I don't think there is any sign of flu or flu vaccine making any difference to coronavirus either positively or negatively. They've probably not had a chance to gather any evidence, since the pandemic only really got going after the flu season was over.

Reading through this thread I noticed that many people start saying that they have read something scientific. Maybe that is part of the problem. No scientist ever "proved" anything but showed "indications" that can be disproved by other scientists.

My grandmother told me, many decades ago, that Spanish flu was caused by a soldier coming home from war and giving the flu to his family, and killing them, as punishment for allowing him to go to war in the first place. My (step) grandmothers brother and fiance were both killed whilst at war as they, apparently, deserved to be. She would then say "daft s*ds" of the people who said this sort of thing.

When this pandemic is studied in decades to come I wonder what social scientists will think of us.

Personally I am in isolation and I am not coming out of it until I am good and ready. I would like to claim that I do not want any NHS staff to go on viral overload and die because of me but actually I think this virus sounds like a horrible way to go. I would rather slip away quietly in my own bed.

Yesterday’s paper - a man who was hospitalised with Covid and recovered, caught it again 10 days later. Does this mean that when there is a vaccine we will have to keep taking it?

I think it is here to stay. We can take reasonable precautions, but we may have to choose between living with an increased chance of death from outside forces, or shutting ourselves up for the rest of our lives.

That’s interesting Furret, I was a little concerned about blood groups because myself, my husband, and all three adult children are blood group A.
I saw something the other day (don’t ask where, I’ve forgotten) which said high BP is no longer thought to be a risk factor, assuming it’s treated I suppose. Other underlying conditions are still a risk factor though.

I’ve seen it reported that people who have a second dose of Covid19 may not have fully recovered and have relapsed. That could be likely with someone who gets ill again in a short day period possibly.

This is what had happened in, I think, China, where people tested positive for a second time. And it is a virus that can linger for a long time with symptoms re emerging again.

I had a flu jab in late January. If I have had covid, which is possible, it was relatively mild.

Ask a doctor....a doctor would know or point you in the correct direction to get the information.

Latest only this week is that immunity only seems to last up to 3 months.

The Oxford team working on a vaccine are including T cells as well as antibodies

Does anyone know anyone who's had it more than once?

Information seems to trickle out piecemeal, for example - black people are more at risk, over 70s are more at risk, blood group A are more at risk, children are less at risk and so on.

What does 'at risk' actually mean?

Are people in those groups more likely to actually catch it?
Or are they more likely to be very ill with it and die?

Or both of the above?

Nothing about catching it twice .......

Because my daughters antibody test result was so borderline she’s having another test done through BUPA. She thinks she had the virus in January and the test was only done the other week so that means she still had antibodies over 5 months later. The test she did was a home test sent from one of the universities. I don’t know what to think about a Covid vaccine. DH is convinced the Oxford vaccine will work, and they have been working on coronaviruses for a long time I believe. But I don’t want to raise my hopes too much and I worry that the thought of a vaccine being produced might stop companies looking for treatments rather than preventatives. I’ve been thinking back to when this all began. I know I started worrying last December and by early this year was planning for an epidemic of some kind. I expected it to be very bad. However I’m really not sure if I had any idea how ongoing this pandemic was likely to be: I don’t think I did.

DGS,an apparently fit and healthy 27 year old had it in early March, as DD is a key worker in Children’s Services although still living at home at that point he isolated himself from the whole family and his partner, even sitting at the other end of the living room to watch television with them just before he returned to work. At the end of April having been able to complete on the house they were buying. He and his girlfriend moved into their new home, both Dads helping with moving their stuff. They were sleeping on a mattress bought by post at that point.
In June DGS had to dial 111 who sent an ambulance but it was decided that he wouldn’t be admitted because of overcrowding. Two days later they had to call out the doctor who diagnosed COVID-19. He was very ill at home, his partner ( who works in a care home) had to take some unpaid leave to care for him, and then he had to have another two weeks complete isolation while his partner had 10-15 days. ( can’t remember which now.)

In reply to your question, ExD, listen to an 'old man in a chair' once a GP and International best-selling author, Dr Vernon Coleman MB ChB DSc FRSA, who explains how doctors are being silenced etc. He had just under 39,000 viewers yesterdays......
youtu.be/Wf0LSdpEy9w

Incidentally GS’s Doctor told him that he can’t say whether he actually had it twice, they weren’t testing then and he can’t say whether he will catch it again because they just do not know enough about it.

Thanks Furret and Maddyone! Re blood group A and high BP (treated) are no longer considered added risks! ExD yes I think added risk of catching the virus and being badly affected by it.

Vernon Coleman is a novelist and a dangerous man who incites belief in hoaxes and conspiracy theories.
Don't put any faith in him being a doctor, so was Shipman and many like him. Vernon declared Aids a hoax!!
www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1941816/an-old-man-in-a-chair-pulling-rabbits-from-his-bag-of-truth

Good heavens I didn’t realise Vernon Colman was still alive! He used to have a column about 40 year’s ago in the Sunday Independent, a West Country paper.

There may be the odd element of truth in there somewhere but most is paranoia.