Coronavirus Thread

[StanSP]

6 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

Covid-19: Norway investigates 23 deaths in frail elderly patients after vaccination

Doctors in Norway have been told to conduct more thorough evaluations of very frail elderly patients in line to receive the Pfizer BioNTec vaccine against covid-19, following the deaths of 23 patients shortly after receiving the vaccine.

“It may be a coincidence, but we aren’t sure,” Steinar Madsen, medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency (NOMA), told The BMJ. “There is no certain connection between these deaths and the vaccine.”

The agency has investigated 13 of the deaths so far and concluded that common adverse reactions of mRNA vaccines, such as fever, nausea, and diarrhoea, may have contributed to fatal outcomes in some of the frail patients.

“There is a possibility that these common adverse reactions, that are not dangerous in fitter, younger patients and are not unusual with vaccines, may aggravate underlying disease in the elderly,” Madsen said. “We are not alarmed or worried about this, because these are very rare occurrences and they occurred in very frail patients with very serious disease,” he emphasised. “We are now asking for doctors to continue with the vaccination, but to carry out extra evaluation of very sick people whose underlying condition might be aggravated by it.” This evaluation includes discussing the risks and benefits of vaccination with the patient and their families to decide whether or not vaccination is the best course.

More than 20 000 doses of the vaccine have been administered over the past few weeks in Norway and around 400 deaths normally occur among care home residents every week.

The Paul Ehrlich Institute in Germany is also investigating 10 deaths shortly after covid-19 vaccination.1

Asked if any deaths had occurred in UK patients after vaccination, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that details of all suspected reactions reported in association with approved covid-19 vaccines would be published along with its assessment of the data on a regular basis in the future. Based on the available published reports from the clinical trials, the MHRA said it did not currently anticipate any specific safety concerns.

In a statement, Pfizer said, “Pfizer and BioNTech are aware of reported deaths following administration of BNT162b2. We are working with NOMA to gather all the relevant information.

“Norwegian authorities have prioritised the immunisation of residents in nursing homes, most of whom are very elderly with underlying medical conditions and some of whom are terminally ill. NOMA confirm the number of incidents so far is not alarming, and in line with expectations. All reported deaths will be thoroughly evaluated by NOMA to determine if these incidents are related to the vaccine. The Norwegian government will also consider adjusting their vaccination instructions to take the patients’ health into more consideration.

“Our immediate thoughts are with the bereaved families.”

 

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n149

They look to have investigated it and it's nothing out of the ordinary.

 

I know it's the NY Post but their headline the other day was disgustingly misleading, something like 'Pfizer vaccine causes 30 deaths' 

 

Thankfully, the below is quite clear and really shouldn't make anyone worry about the vaccine. 

 

 

[Buce]

Staff 'pressured to go back to work' in breach of UK Covid rules

Thousands of workers feel pressured to return to their jobs when they still risk spreading coronavirus, and employers who breach Covid guidelines are avoiding serious punishment, according to evidence of major weaknesses in England’s lockdown measures. One in 10 of those doing insecure work, such as zero-hours contracts and agency or gig economy jobs, said they had been to work within 10 days of a positive Covid test, according to research seen by the Observer. For workers overall the proportion is around one in 25.

More than one in nine workers said they had been ordered back to their workplace when they could have worked from home, according to the survey, carried out for the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).

 

The government has been warned repeatedly that economic support on offer for people who are self-isolating is inadequate and puts pressure on them to return to work too soon. There have also been thousands of complaints about workplaces not being Covid-compliant during the current lockdown.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors have not issued any enforcement notices on companies for Covid safety breaches since the start of the latest lockdown, despite having been contacted 2,945 times between 6 and 14 January about safety issues. Just 0.1% of about 97,000 Covid safety cases it has dealt with during the pandemic appear to have resulted in the issuing of an improvement or prohibition notice. No company has been prosecuted for a Covid-related breach.

Coronavirus outbreaks in workplaces rose by almost 70% in the first week of the national lockdown, with 175 Covid case clusters reported in English workplaces, not including care homes, hospitals and schools.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, said: “With intensive care beds filling up and the virus still at sky-high prevalence, breaking transmission chains is urgent. But for millions who can’t work from home on a laptop, or whose employer insists they still go to work, this is a phoney lockdown. We need clear enforcement, making workplaces Covid secure.

“Employees who don’t need to be there shouldn’t be forced into work, and those ill with Covid should be provided with decent sick pay and financial support to isolate. For ministers to have still failed to put in place these fundamentals is unforgivable.”

A further 1,295 people were yesterday reported to have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, bringing the UK total to 88,590. The weekly total of 7,722 deaths was 23.5% higher than in the previous seven days. However, the number of cases is clearly falling – 339,956 positive cases have been recorded in the past seven days, a fall of 18.6% on the previous week.

Behavioural experts advising the government have been warning that ministers risk putting too much focus on a general failure to stick to social distancing rules, including a proposed advert warning that “grabbing a coffee can kill”. But experts and unions claim that unsafe workplaces may be playing a bigger role in spreading the virus.

Professor Susan Michie, who sits on one of the government’s scientific advisory groups, said too many people “are having to choose between risk of serious illness or death and losing their job – not to mention the risk of spreading the virus on the way to and from work”.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “If the government is upping enforcement, ministers should start with employers who break Covid safety rules.”

“Self-isolation for two weeks is not an option for someone who works in the gig economy and may not be offered work subsequently if they are deemed ‘unreliable’, or for someone who is the family breadwinner,” said David Hunter, professor of Epidemiology and Medicine at the University of Oxford.

“As long was these issues are not addressed, the isolate part of the test, trace and isolate system will be much less effective than it needs to be, particularly in the face of the new more infectious strain of the virus.”

Alan Lockey, head of RSA’s future work programme, agreed. “Millions feel forced to put themselves and others at risk of the virus because of insecure work, pressure from bosses, and the failings of our deeply inadequate welfare state,” he said “Rishi Sunak must close this ‘economic security trap’ – the terrible trade-off between health and putting food on the table – by allowing self-isolating workers to access the furlough scheme, and retaining the £20 a week uplift in universal credit. ”

The HSE said it had scaled up its work to check, support and advise businesses, and had carried out more than 32,000 site visits during the pandemic. A government spokesperson said: “The law is clear that people can only leave the home to work if they cannot reasonably work from home. We have worked with trade unions, businesses and medical experts to produce comprehensive Covid-secure guidance so that businesses permitted to remain open can do so in a way that is as safe as possible for workers and customers.”

The public are in favour of a tighter lockdown. A majority think takeaway restaurants and cafes (51%) and nurseries (61%) should now be closed, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer. A majority (53%) also think that there should be a “ban on people walking or exercising with anybody from outside their household”, and that “click and collect” should be suspended for all but essential shops (55%).

 

 

[DennisNedry]

I'm not being funny, but why 'waste' a vaccine on somebody deemed to have just weeks or months to live? Chances are you make the end of their life miserable, and they'll have died before immunity is granted anyway. Just let them live as close to normal as possible and see their families if they are that close to the end. Those vaccines should be given to the carers looking after them as a 1st of 2nd jab. 

 

I know the NY Post is a rag but why publish such potentially dangerous headlines? I despair.

[Legend_in_blue]

14 hours ago, Zear0 said:

Just saw Waynetta Slob at Boggy Leys Tesco getting appaling abusive to a young girl on the tills when asked to wear a mask. The gem was that this absolute creature said "she'd just bought her lanyard and it hadn't arrived yet". 

 

At about the same time yesterday Hancock was out strolling about in a crowded park covered in mud, rugby ball in hand.  If he's out and about and seen pushing the limits of the restrictions, Waynetta will continue her one person brigade to do her utmost to not adhere to restrictions.  

[BKLFox]

1 hour ago, Legend_in_blue said:

 

At about the same time yesterday Hancock was out strolling about in a crowded park covered in mud, rugby ball in hand.  If he's out and about and seen pushing the limits of the restrictions, Waynetta will continue her one person brigade to do her utmost to not adhere to restrictions.  

Give it a rest, 1 is within the rules the other isn’t. Stop trying to make something that isn’t there, we get it your not a fan of the Tories.

[bovril]

1 hour ago, DennisNedry said:

I'm not being funny, but why 'waste' a vaccine on somebody deemed to have just weeks or months to live? Chances are you make the end of their life miserable, and they'll have died before immunity is granted anyway. Just let them live as close to normal as possible and see their families if they are that close to the end. Those vaccines should be given to the carers looking after them as a 1st of 2nd jab. 

 

Running Ian Nacho close here with the unpopular opinions.

 

How do you know how long someone has to live? Would you apply that to your own family? 

[dsr-burnley]

3 hours ago, Buce said:

 

Covid-19: Norway investigates 23 deaths in frail elderly patients after vaccination

Doctors in Norway have been told to conduct more thorough evaluations of very frail elderly patients in line to receive the Pfizer BioNTec vaccine against covid-19, following the deaths of 23 patients shortly after receiving the vaccine.

“It may be a coincidence, but we aren’t sure,” Steinar Madsen, medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency (NOMA), told The BMJ. “There is no certain connection between these deaths and the vaccine.”

The agency has investigated 13 of the deaths so far and concluded that common adverse reactions of mRNA vaccines, such as fever, nausea, and diarrhoea, may have contributed to fatal outcomes in some of the frail patients.

“There is a possibility that these common adverse reactions, that are not dangerous in fitter, younger patients and are not unusual with vaccines, may aggravate underlying disease in the elderly,” Madsen said. “We are not alarmed or worried about this, because these are very rare occurrences and they occurred in very frail patients with very serious disease,” he emphasised. “We are now asking for doctors to continue with the vaccination, but to carry out extra evaluation of very sick people whose underlying condition might be aggravated by it.” This evaluation includes discussing the risks and benefits of vaccination with the patient and their families to decide whether or not vaccination is the best course.

More than 20 000 doses of the vaccine have been administered over the past few weeks in Norway and around 400 deaths normally occur among care home residents every week.

The Paul Ehrlich Institute in Germany is also investigating 10 deaths shortly after covid-19 vaccination.1

Asked if any deaths had occurred in UK patients after vaccination, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that details of all suspected reactions reported in association with approved covid-19 vaccines would be published along with its assessment of the data on a regular basis in the future. Based on the available published reports from the clinical trials, the MHRA said it did not currently anticipate any specific safety concerns.

In a statement, Pfizer said, “Pfizer and BioNTech are aware of reported deaths following administration of BNT162b2. We are working with NOMA to gather all the relevant information.

“Norwegian authorities have prioritised the immunisation of residents in nursing homes, most of whom are very elderly with underlying medical conditions and some of whom are terminally ill. NOMA confirm the number of incidents so far is not alarming, and in line with expectations. All reported deaths will be thoroughly evaluated by NOMA to determine if these incidents are related to the vaccine. The Norwegian government will also consider adjusting their vaccination instructions to take the patients’ health into more consideration.

“Our immediate thoughts are with the bereaved families.”

 

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n149

Unlikely to be more than coincidence.  Baed on 80 year life expectancy, one person in a thousand dies each month.  So if 20,000 have been vaccinated across a representative cross-sample of the population, then we would expect 20 to die within a month.  Obviously if you inject people who are already old and sick, it will be a much higher number.

 

It may be that someone who is old and dying may already have all the froeign boides that their body can cope with, and this vaccine shuffles them off the mortal coil a little faster.  But I don't think this has any implications for the wider population.

 

[Legend_in_blue]

54 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

Give it a rest, 1 is within the rules the other isn’t. Stop trying to make something that isn’t there, we get it your not a fan of the Tories.

24 hrs earlier Boris is giving clear instructions about staying in and then Hancock is out and about the following day in a busy park.

 

If you're intending on doing that, be discreet about it.  

 

It may be within the rules, as it is to grab a coffee and drive 5 miles for a walk, but it doesn't give a good impression for someone in his position.

 

 

[BKLFox]

16 minutes ago, Legend_in_blue said:

24 hrs earlier Boris is giving clear instructions about staying in and then Hancock is out and about the following day in a busy park.

 

If you're intending on doing that, be discreet about it.  

 

It may be within the rules, as it is to grab a coffee and drive 5 miles for a walk, but it doesn't give a good impression for someone in his position.

 

 

You know full well it refers to unnecessary trips out, exercise is permitted and the man is just out within his allotted time having a kick around with his kids, he’s not scrumming down with Rees Mogg and the rest of the cabinet for crying out loud.

 

As for impressions it shows he’s a human being with a family trying to get them out in the fresh air and keep them entertained like every other parent or should he be getting them up at 3am to do this because of who he is.

[Dahnsouff]

3 hours ago, Legend_in_blue said:

 

At about the same time yesterday Hancock was out strolling about in a crowded park covered in mud, rugby ball in hand.  If he's out and about and seen pushing the limits of the restrictions, Waynetta will continue her one person brigade to do her utmost to not adhere to restrictions.  

Yawn

[Nod.E]

1 hour ago, BKLFox said:

You know full well it refers to unnecessary trips out, exercise is permitted and the man is just out within his allotted time having a kick around with his kids, he’s not scrumming down with Rees Mogg and the rest of the cabinet for crying out loud.

 

As for impressions it shows he’s a human being with a family trying to get them out in the fresh air and keep them entertained like every other parent or should he be getting them up at 3am to do this because of who he is.

Debatable

[DennisNedry]

3 hours ago, bovril said:

Running Ian Nacho close here with the unpopular opinions.

 

How do you know how long someone has to live? Would you apply that to your own family? 

The statement put out by the Therapeutic Goods Administration above stated 'weeks and months', I'm guessing they based that on pre-existing health conditions. I'm not diminishing the worth of over 80s at all, this is specifically with regards the extremely unwell and frail elderly.

[Leicester_Loyal]

300,562 vaccinations done today.

298,087 first doses. 2475 second doses.   https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/healthcare

 

Edited 17 January 2021 by Leicester_Loyal

[DennisNedry]

7 minutes ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

300,562 vaccinations done today.

298,087 first doses. 2475 second doses.   https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/healthcare

 

Slightly lower than 14th/15th.

 

Less weekend capacity?

 

Or supply problems?

 

A good number I guess but was hoping to see the daily numbers increasing exponentially, they seem to be stagnating now.

[Leicester_Loyal]

40 minutes ago, DennisNedry said:

Slightly lower than 14th/15th.

 

Less weekend capacity?

 

Or supply problems?

 

A good number I guess but was hoping to see the daily numbers increasing exponentially, they seem to be stagnating now.

I would guess (only a pure guess I have no knowledge) that certain places like Asda will do a lower amount of vaccines due to the Sunday trade opening hours. Additionally, maybe not all the GPs are open, so again lower numbers. Hopefully they'll be using Sundays as a day to transport all the vaccines needed for the week ahead.

 

I think we'll have higher numbers tomorrow, I reckon 350k+.

 

EDIT: 350k+ announced Tuesday then, thanks Stan

Edited 17 January 2021 by Leicester_Loyal

[StanSP]

17 minutes ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

300,562 vaccinations done today.

298,087 first doses. 2475 second doses.   https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/healthcare

 

*yesterday

 

8 minutes ago, DennisNedry said:

Slightly lower than 14th/15th.

 

Less weekend capacity?

 

Or supply problems?

 

A good number I guess but was hoping to see the daily numbers increasing exponentially, they seem to be stagnating now.

 

4 minutes ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

I would guess (only a pure guess I have no knowledge) that certain places like Asda will do a lower amount of vaccines due to the Sunday trade opening hours. Additionally, maybe not all the GPs are open, so again lower numbers. Hopefully they'll be using Sundays as a day to transport all the vaccines needed for the week ahead.

 

I think we'll have higher numbers tomorrow, I reckon 350k+.

Very good number but I wonder if the adverse weather has played a part in it...

[Leicester_Loyal]

4 minutes ago, StanSP said:

*yesterday

 

Smart arse

[Stivo]

47 minutes ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

I think we'll have higher numbers tomorrow, I reckon 350k+.

Tomorrow’s figure will be for today (Sunday) so I would expect it to be lower.

[Leicester_Loyal]

1 minute ago, Stivo said:

Tomorrow’s figure will be for today (Sunday) so I would expect it to be lower.

Yeah edited my original post slip of the brain I forget they were a day ahead.

 

350k+ should be announced on Tuesday then, and from then on we should be ahead of the curve hopefully.

[Leicester_Loyal]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/ten-more-covid-vaccine-super-23332676

 

'NHS England has announced that 10 more Covid vaccine super-hubs are opening this week in addition to the seven already operational, as the rollout of the jab gathers pace'

 

Expect the numbers to massively jump up on Tuesday then. Hopefully 500k+ by the end of the week

[StanSP]

 

 

 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

The Army are setting up 10 vaccine hubs in Scotland as their rollout has been too slow so far. 

 

Genuinely excited to see what numbers we can hit by the end of this week. 

[Finnaldo]

54 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

The Army are setting up 10 vaccine hubs in Scotland as their rollout has been too slow so far. 

 

Genuinely excited to see what numbers we can hit by the end of this week. 

Over 70s beginning their vaccinations in some areas. 
 

I imagine that likely includes mine. Small town and my grandparents both had their second jab by the first week of January. Nice to have some positive news for Corona for once! 

[Col city fan]

The vaccination programme is expanding

Local people ARE rising to the challenge 

👍

[CosbehFox]

Also signs that the hospitalisations are slowing in the areas who've previously been hit hardest in recent weeks (South East and London)