Covid-19

[Luce]

Well, why is it? I get the impression that it will be something that can only help (like hand washing and social distancing and masks etc) rather than eradicate. Like a flu vaccine - helpful and important but doesn't stop the flu.

[smalex]

I read something today that said it would be 2024 before they could manufacture enough for the global population (i presume based on one being approved next year but I don't know)

[Ruby]

Well, why is it? I get the impression that it will be something that can only help (like hand washing and social distancing and masks etc) rather than eradicate. Like a flu vaccine - helpful and important but doesn't stop the flu.

I mean that might be the case, although I don't think we know it is, but we don't have quarantines for flu. Flu kills far fewer people, partly because of vaccination.

[Marth]

I will have around 40 people in my home tomorrow, mooching about, touching things.

Apparently they will all have masks, and come in twos at 15 min intervals. I've packed spray and wipes and will just anti bac my way back in when I come home.

[Lola]

Well, why is it? I get the impression that it will be something that can only help (like hand washing and social distancing and masks etc) rather than eradicate. Like a flu vaccine - helpful and important but doesn't stop the flu.

I mean that might be the case, although I don't think we know it is, but we don't have quarantines for flu. Flu kills far fewer people, partly because of vaccination.

Agreed. As soon as the most vulnerable are vaccinated then we can start getting back to normal. For the majority of us, it will be a case of possibly getting it but hopefully not dying It all comes back to herd immunity.

[Disco]

Yes, wave after wave but herd immunity should - hopefully - build up.

[smalex]

Well, why is it? I get the impression that it will be something that can only help (like hand washing and social distancing and masks etc) rather than eradicate. Like a flu vaccine - helpful and important but doesn't stop the flu.

I mean that might be the case, although I don't think we know it is, but we don't have quarantines for flu. Flu kills far fewer people, partly because of vaccination.

Agreed. As soon as the most vulnerable are vaccinated then we can start getting back to normal. For the majority of us, it will be a case of possibly getting it but hopefully not dying It all comes back to herd immunity.

I agree , I think (hope) there's an approved vaccine by mid 2021, and by mid 2022 maybe our front line workers and most vulnerable will have had it and then life can become a bit more normal. In advanced economies, anyway. Then its like the flu. Kills 10000 a year or something but we just accept it (rightly or wrongly)

[Mountain Goat]

I think we'd need to understand more about the long term health impact on people who aren't considered vulnerable, have mild cases and don't die, but do have cardio, respiratory, fatigue and/or other problems for...well we don't know whether these are for months or for life yet. Death isn't the only negative outcome, but as far as I know we have no grasp on how widespread long term impacts might be. It might be fine to let the non-vulnerable get it, but it also might have some grim consequences.

[smalex]

I think we'd need to understand more about the long term health impact on people who aren't considered vulnerable, have mild cases and don't die, but do have cardio, respiratory, fatigue and/or other problems for...well we don't know whether these are for months or for life yet. Death isn't the only negative outcome, but as far as I know we have no grasp on how widespread long term impacts might be. It might be fine to let the non-vulnerable get it, but it also might have some grim consequences.

Yeah definitely, i almost typed, maybe we all get the vaccine within a few years, maybe it'll be deemed unnecessary. Maybe we all need top ups or this years version... those sort of things are unknown. But I think total eradication is unlikely, so one way or another people are going to get it from time to time probably

[Disco]

Yes, Goat, long covid doesn't sound very pleasant at all.

[Mountain Goat]

Yes. It might be really rare OR really common, I don't think we really know anything yet, so I don't know how much weight it needs to be given but I worry that it gets brushed aside in the whole focus on death as the only negative outcome.

[rosy]

That second lockdown that the government said was not on the cards:

0218:02
BREAKING
Boris Johnson: UK 'seeing start of second wave'
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK is "seeing the start of a second wave coming in" of Covid-19 infections.

Speaking in Oxfordshire, Johnson said it had been "inevitable" the UK would see a rise in cases.

"I don't want to go into bigger lockdown measures at all," he said, but added: "Clearly when you look at what is happening you've got wonder whether we need to go further than the rule of six that we brought in."

Johnson said a second lockdown is the "last thing anybody wants" but said the current measures would need to be kept "under review".

His comments come after the government's scientific advisers said there is now widespread growth of the virus across the UK.

[Disco]

It took 200 years to eradicate small pox

[smalex]

It took 200 years to eradicate small pox

Well, exactly. And apparently small pox is a piece of piss to deal with #scientific. People are going to be getting Covid19 (hopefully infrequently and/or not as harmfully) for the rest of our lives.

[baargain]

Yes. It might be really rare OR really common, I don't think we really know anything yet, so I don't know how much weight it needs to be given but I worry that it gets brushed aside in the whole focus on death as the only negative outcome.

I am hopeful about this (long term effects of covid) being looked into at the moment. There is a multidisciplinary team in my area, led by respiratory, but with all sorts of other physical health depts (and me and a mate from mental health). They're regularly discussing covid recovery plans, patterns, treatment pathways, the various depts who are needed (as the patients don't solely fall into one), referrals to and fro, care plans for individual patients and how to get money out of the ccg. Other areas are getting wind of it and are linking up/speaking with the woman who chairs it to do the same. Hopefully other areas are doing similar.

[ParisGal]

Influenza can also have long term effects though, I reckon the two will end up being fairly similar in the way we deal with them.

[Texaco Shirley]

Why isn't a vaccine going to happen?

There isn’t a vaccine against any other coronavirus.

[Disco]

Why isn't a vaccine going to happen?

There isn’t a vaccine against any other coronavirus.

No but apparently things are looking good for several vaccines in the making and our own Oxford one.

[Ruby]

Why isn't a vaccine going to happen?

There isn’t a vaccine against any other coronavirus.

But has anyone looked for one? Lots of colds are coronaviruses and they're not really worth a massive scientific effort. MERS & SARS are coronaviruses and there's no vaccine for them because; 1. We stopped working on them when the outbreaks died down and 2. They weren't affecting the biggest economies on the planet

There are at least four vaccines in progress at the moment - with the world's best and brightest working on them and virtually unlimited funding.

A vaccine clearly isn't going to stop Covid dead in its tracks, but there's no reason to think it will never happen at all. Sure it's a possibility but I'm not going to waste energy worrying about it now when all evidence points to likely success.

[FiveO'Clock]

There will be a vaccine and sooner than ever in history. It will not, however, be overnight as Trump is promising.