Coronavirus (COVID-19) General Chat

[Deleted member 63]

Ontario has announced a new system for grading municipalities for determining what restrictions to apply. It's Prevent, Protect, Restrict, Control, Lockdown with measures getting stricter as you go left to right. No areas are currently at Control or Lockdown, but Toronto and Ottawa, the two largest cities in the province, are in Restrict. My hometown is at Prevent so just basic prevention measures like social distancing and masking.

 

[Best]

7-day cases in Scotland have dropped by 16.69% since "the peak" on 25th October. This would indicate that the R number may be close to 1 and that the current restrictions are working?

 

[Welshy]

Chief Exec of NHS has said yesterday that vaccine rollout for the most vulnerable is unlikely before Christmas, but not entirely out the picture. Most likely the opposite side of Christmas we'll see a rollout of the Oxford vaccine. It begs the question: how many months would it take to be enrolled to the wider population? Then of course comes the questions of lasting immunity. There is no way it would be authorised and rolled out if it didn't have a lasting effect, though. All that effort just immunise people for a couple of months before we're back to square one again in the wintertime 2021? Doubt it.

I believe Doctor Hilary Jones has stated that the information from the Oxford vaccine will be known "very soon" once phase 3 trials have complete. I assume then that this will indicate how long immunisation lasts but going by his statement it sounds very positive. The German trials are showing very positive signs as well according to him.

If, best-case scenario, the vaccine induces lasting immunisation, you've got to hope that we'll see some sort of normality by summer 2021, although nothing is certain with these things.

 

[Jess]

120,000 new COVID19 cases reported yesterday, America could not be in a bigger mess

 

[Deleted member 63]

So this happened less than an hour from where I live. 2000 strong anti-mask rally that also included an address from an anti-vaxxer and calls to arrest our premier (on what charges, I am not clear). The town where it occured only has something like 7500 residents but a lot of the protesters were part of an ongoing anti-mask protest in Toronto who bussed down. No masks, no social distancing. The local health unit is, needless to say, bracing for impact.

Thousands join in Aylmer ‘Freedom March’ against coronavirus public health measures - London | Globalnews.ca

The small town of Aylmer has become a centre of controversy as of late when it comes to the duelling perspectives on mask-wearing.

globalnews.ca

By the way, this small town already has one of the highest active case rates per capita in the province, if not the country.

 

[Katy]

Two professors both members of the UK's vaccine advisory committee giving media interviews today. One said he expected that life should be pretty much back to normal after the first quarter of 2021, the other said he fully expects measures such as SD, home working and face-covering still being the norm until this time next year. Clearly, no one has a clue how any immunisation program will play out at this stage.

 

[Janey]

My dad got out of the hospital on Monday. He spent about a week in intensive care after testing positive for Covid on 13th October. Initially, he was feeling fine then he started developing problems with his breathing. Thankfully, he is much better now but is feeling very tired most days.

 

[David76]

My dad got out of the hospital on Monday. He spent about a week in intensive care after testing positive for Covid on 13th October. Initially, he was feeling fine then he started developing problems with his breathing. Thankfully, he is much better now but is feeling very tired most days.

Hope your dad is recovering and makes a speedy return to full health Janey and you are all safe and well.

 

[Tom]

My dad got out of the hospital on Monday. He spent about a week in intensive care after testing positive for Covid on 13th October. Initially, he was feeling fine then he started developing problems with his breathing. Thankfully, he is much better now but is feeling very tired most days.

Glad to hear your dad s on the mend Janey

 

[Random Guy]

UK coronavirus cases rise to 33,470 - the highest ever tally. The figure is up from 22,950 on Wednesday.

The final question in today's presser came from Bloomberg's Emily Ashton, who asked Professor Powis if he thought the lockdown should end on 2 December

Prof Powis said it is was a matter for elected representatives, but admitted there will need to be more measures to reduce transmission.

"Exactly what they are, it is too early to tell," he says, adding the data over the next few weeks needs to be assessed.