And all these sporting events will probably turn into super spreaders 
@slimfern posted:I saw that...
More of a worry is that in certain African countries it isn't the lack of vaccines, but the denial of the existence of the virus & the refusal to be jabbed, by a large segment of their population ....
TBH, I think there is a combination of factors at play in Africa that may create a "perfect storm" if we're not careful.
I may have mentioned this before - and it may even be buried deep in this very thread - but at the start of the epidemic, the Elstree set of "Holby City" contained more working ventilators than many African countries (and indeed many other countries around the world). The TV studio had two (which they've since donated to the NHS, along with a lot of PPE), while at least 10 African countries had none at all. DR Congo, with a population of over 100 million, had only five...
@Eugene's Lair posted:TBH, I think there is a combination of factors at play in Africa that may create a "perfect storm" if we're not careful.
I may have mentioned this before - and it may even be buried deep in this very thread - but at the start of the epidemic, the Elstree set of "Holby City" contained more working ventilators than many African countries (and indeed many other countries around the world). The TV studio had two (which they've since donated to the NHS, along with a lot of PPE), while at least 10 African countries had none at all. DR Congo, with a population of over 100 million, had only five...
It has been shown in the past that they are pretty well versed in vaccination roll out...ebola, cholera for example
But their infrastructure is poor and as you say, they're not equipped.
I see disaster ahead
I mean.. Ethiopia is again in famine, because of fighting <<<<how are we supposed to vaccinate those people
I've never watched 'Holby city' so will have to take your word on that 
Looks like the lifting of restrictions is going to be cancelled
The moaners will be out in force soon as the 'DUE DATE' for lifting of restrictions is almost certainly not going to happen. Another 4 weeks seems to be the suggested extension. Where did this 'DUE DATE' come from? There was never a definite date, Just a 'working towards a HOPED FOR date, with lots of caveats!
In fact they're already moaning :- businesses WARNING (i.e. trying to threaten) that if it doesn't happen on 21 June jobs will be lost, wedding venues moaning that they will be losing Xthousands a day for every day restrictions aren't lifted. Even got a couple moaning about their wedding probably being cancelled because they had booked a 54 person wedding for the 25th or 28th June. Why try to pre-empt the announcement of what's going to happen (or not!) If they so desperately want their wedding in June why not just stick to 30 guests (the current level) and be happy you're having a wedding at all!
Why shouldn't we panic!...........
Headache and runny nose linked to Delta variant
We must all have it by now!!!!!
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:The moaners will be out in force soon as the 'DUE DATE' for lifting of restrictions is almost certainly not going to happen. Another 4 weeks seems to be the suggested extension. Where did this 'DUE DATE' come from? There was never a definite date, Just a 'working towards a HOPED FOR date, with lots of caveats!
In fact they're already moaning :- businesses WARNING (i.e. trying to threaten) that if it doesn't happen on 21 June jobs will be lost, wedding venues moaning that they will be losing Xthousands a day for every day restrictions aren't lifted. Even got a couple moaning about their wedding probably being cancelled because they had booked a 54 person wedding for the 25th or 28th June. Why try to pre-empt the announcement of what's going to happen (or not!) If they so desperately want their wedding in June why not just stick to 30 guests (the current level) and be happy you're having a wedding at all!
Spot on EFFT ….totally agree 
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Why shouldn't we panic!...........
Headache and runny nose linked to Delta variant
We must all have it by now!!!!!
Runny nose and sneezes due to hay fever…..great for enforcing social distancing🤣😷
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:The moaners will be out in force soon as the 'DUE DATE' for lifting of restrictions is almost certainly not going to happen. Another 4 weeks seems to be the suggested extension. Where did this 'DUE DATE' come from? There was never a definite date, Just a 'working towards a HOPED FOR date, with lots of caveats!
In fact they're already moaning :- businesses WARNING (i.e. trying to threaten) that if it doesn't happen on 21 June jobs will be lost, wedding venues moaning that they will be losing Xthousands a day for every day restrictions aren't lifted. Even got a couple moaning about their wedding probably being cancelled because they had booked a 54 person wedding for the 25th or 28th June. Why try to pre-empt the announcement of what's going to happen (or not!) If they so desperately want their wedding in June why not just stick to 30 guests (the current level) and be happy you're having a wedding at all!
Think it’s just gone up to 80…..but no dancing etc
Well, what I've just read did actually say 19 July, why can't they just say AT LEAST 4 weeks. Now we'll have them all lined up for 19th July - on the dot!
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Well, what I've just read did actually say 19 July, why can't they just say AT LEAST 4 weeks. Now we'll have them all lined up for 19th July - on the dot!
Johnston said that there will be a review "after two weeks", which I presume means the 28th. If everything's good at that point, they may bring the re-opening forward.
I'm annoyed with myself for not writing this up sooner, because I basically called it: as things stand, It looks like the vaccine is keeping hospitalisations down, but the timing of the Delta variant - coupled with the inherent lag between infections, symptoms and deaths - means that we're currently in an awkward period where the statistics aren't conclusive. Give it another week or two (preferably two), and the trends should be clearer.
And I know some are saying "Well, what's stopping them calling another delay past the 19th of July?", but I would say this; If infection/mortality rates are still increasing in four weeks time, it means the vaccines are not coping effectively with the new variant(s), and at that point we'll all have a lot more to worry about than having to keep wearing face masks a bit longer... 
@Eugene's Lair posted:Johnston said that there will be a review "after two weeks", which I presume means the 28th. If everything's good at that point, they may bring the re-opening forward.
I'm annoyed with myself for not writing this up sooner, because I basically called it: as things stand, It looks like the vaccine is keeping hospitalisations down, but the timing of the Delta variant - coupled with the inherent lag between infections, symptoms and deaths - means that we're currently in an awkward period where the statistics aren't conclusive. Give it another week or two (preferably two), and the trends should be clearer.
And I know some are saying "Well, what's stopping them calling another delay past the 19th of July?", but I would say this; If infection/mortality rates are still increasing in four weeks time, it means the vaccines are not coping effectively with the new variant(s), and at that point we'll all have a lot more to worry about than having to keep wearing face masks a bit longer...
Spot on Eugene ….let’s hope it doesn’t come to that .
@Eugene's Lair posted:Johnston said that there will be a review "after two weeks", which I presume means the 28th. If everything's good at that point, they may bring the re-opening forward.
Hi Eugene, I was reading the 'after 2 weeks' as 2 weeks after the non-event of 21 June, thus the 5th July, but who knows! We'll just have to wait and see.
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Hi Eugene, I was reading the 'after 2 weeks' as 2 weeks after the non-event of 21 June, thus the 5th July, but who knows! We'll just have to wait and see.
TBH, Fluffy, I'm not certain myself, and you may well be right.
What might be significant about the 28th, however, is that's still the date that Scotland is due to move down to Level 0 (although that also looks likely to change at the moment... )
I think the Scottish date is going to end up being slightly different for different areas, but again, who knows?????
Data, not dates. But we've had nothing but dates since. Even though the dates have meant to be 'working towards and hoped for' the mere fact that a fixed date has been mentioned makes it 'written in stone' in the minds of many, thus the great outcry if the DATES don't happen, or appear likely not to happen, or not to the extent that so many had convinced themselves that it was going to happen.
And Boris is not helping himself, publicly saying something like this '
PM insists July unlocking will go ahead in England
Yeah, to (at least) 19th July. Same date as Boris has virtually promised England! Best of luck to him, I hope he has his tin hat to the ready should anything turn up to derail things!
Government looking to make it mandatory for care workers in residential homes for the old & vulnerable, to be vaccinated..
In my view is a good thing
Sacking existing carers who have refused however is not so good
Surely there must be somewhere within that occupation where there is no person to person contact
@slimfern posted:Government looking to make it mandatory for care workers in residential homes for the old & vulnerable, to be vaccinated..
In my view is a good thing
Sacking existing carers who have refused however is not so good
Surely there must be somewhere within that occupation where there is no person to person contact
I think they should have made it mandatory ages ago …..let’s face it if people don’t want the jab ( without a valid medical reason) , tbh they shouldn’t be in a so called caring profession ! And as there are over 9,000 new cases today then the sooner the better .
Really...... 9,000? Haven't looked at anything much today.
And there are still people saying we should just throw caution to the winds because all the elderly and vulnerable have been vaccinated and (as we know ) the young don't catch it!
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Really...... 9,000? Haven't looked at anything much today.
Sadly yes , EFFT
@Baz posted:I think they should have made it mandatory ages ago …..let’s face it if people don’t want the jab ( without a valid medical reason) , tbh they shouldn’t be in a so called caring profession ! And as there are over 9,000 new cases today then the sooner the better .
People are always going to get infected at some time or another,but on their own don’t really matter,it’s severity that does if it results in massive hikes in hospitalisations and deaths but,fingers crossed, that doesn’t seem to be the case at the minute, but it could if people don’t get their jabs
@slimfern posted:Of which how many have been double jabbed, I wonder...
Hospitalisation doesn't necessarily mean ICU ...does it?
No, it doesn't.
I can't give you current figures, but I did a quick search and on Sunday the 13th the UK had 925 hospitalisation, but 188 in ICU (note that's total - not just new ICU admissions). At the moment, the main concern seems to be just hospitalisations; i.e. bed occupancy. My local region has a (comparatively) low infection rate at the moment with few hospitalisations, but even here they're concerned because the current rate of increase means that in a few weeks our hospitals could be full.
Also note that ICU does not necessarily mean on a ventilator: remember Boris Johnson was in ICU for a while, but not actually put on a ventilator (although he apparently came close...). I saw a documentary recently that confirmed something I quoted at the time: if you were put on a ventilator, you had roughly a 50% chance of survival . That %age has improved over time, but it's still not a position you, or a loved one, want to be in...
@Eugene's Lair posted:No, it doesn't.
I can't give you current figures, but I did a quick search and on Sunday the 13th the UK had 925 hospitalisation, but 188 in ICU (note that's total - not just new ICU admissions). At the moment, the main concern seems to be just hospitalisations; i.e. bed occupancy. My local region has a (comparatively) low infection rate at the moment with few hospitalisations, but even here they're concerned because the current rate of increase means that in a few weeks our hospitals could be full.
Also note that ICU does not necessarily mean on a ventilator: remember Boris Johnson was in ICU for a while, but not actually put on a ventilator (although he apparently came close...). I saw a documentary recently that confirmed something I quoted at the time: if you were put on a ventilator, you had roughly a 50% chance of survival
For every person that catches the virus, it gives it a chance to mutate into something our vaccines can't defend against..
Unless every single person is vaccinated ...and we all know that isn't going to happen....I can't see us ever being totally rid.
Something we are going to have to learn to live around.
Covid: Epidemic growing across England, says study
Hope Boris has reinforced that tin hat! 
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Covid: Epidemic growing across England, says study
Hope Boris has reinforced that tin hat!
And in Scotland 
….
@slimfern posted:Of which how many have been double jabbed, I wonder...
Hospitalisation doesn't necessarily mean ICU ...does it?
No……most of those in hospital are only there for a couple of days at most…..and most of those haven’t beem
n vaccinated at all yet….and cases are predominately in the 21-30 age group…..and that came from a doctor not the government
@Kaytee posted:No……most of those in hospital are only there for a couple of days at most…..and most of those haven’t beem
n vaccinated at all yet….and cases are predominately in the 21-30 age group…..and that came from a doctor not the government
Add into the equation the massive surge in testing, infection figures were bound to increase...
One doctor reported that places like Bolton were seeing a plateau if not a slight decrease in numbers
Changing the subject....
2,000 tickets allocated for Scottish football fans, to watch the Wembley match later today...reports state that 20,000 are heading for London <<<<<<<<<now that could cause panic
Last time England played Scotland at Wembley, all hell let loose & the stadium took a battering.