Weston Super Saint

Where are you getting your figures from as they are a long way off the ones Whelk posted yesterday? Not sure what your argument is with 'partially vaccinated' as I believe there hasn't been one single death from 'partially vaccinated' people since we started the program. Not only that, but the efficacy of the vaccine is now stated at around 85% from one vaccine (up from the original prediction of 60% before real world studies could be carried out). Further, of the 15% of 'partially vaccinated' people who are still potentially at risk of catching the virus, the effects of it for those that do are 'drastically' reduced due to the anti bodies created by the vaccine. All this information has come from 'scientists'. Since you are obviously way more educated than me (lol) and clearly far more knowledgable, where exactly is the risk to the NHS coming from?

They also seem to want to move the goal posts. When the 'road map' out of lockdown was launched, the steps were very clear with a four week gap between each one. The four weeks were put in place - on the advice of scientists! - so that the effects of each stage / gradual reopening could be monitored effectively to see what effect it has on the number of infections, but more critically, the number of people in hospital. Now, they are trying to say the next step should be cancelled because of 'fears'. Thankfully, Boris doesn't appear to be working on the premise of 'fears' but what is shown in the data - which at the moment is telling us we have very few infections and even fewer hospitalisations, and therefore within the previously set parameters to carry on with the next stage of the road map!

Me, my, mine.

That wouldn't surprise me....

Ah, that makes sense now (you've missed the point once more!). The rest of us were discussing the Government response and the 'potential' to extend lockdown due to the variants - as far as I'm aware, SAGE aren't able to enforce a lockdown, only give scientific advice on which the sitting Government will base its decisions. I would have thought everyone else already understood that SAGE would, by the very nature of their work, dealing with the unknown most of the time, be sitting on the ultra cautious side of the fence when it comes to new variants with little or no data.

I read somewhere that in the 'real' world (i.e now that the vaccine has been rolled out and actual results can be interpreted), the AZ vaccine is 85% effective after one dose, as opposed to the 60% that was theorised based on more limited data sets.

Same question about who you are referring to when you say 'they'....

When you say, 'they', who exactly are you referring to?

Panic and hesitancy driven by lack of knowledge regarding the variant, thus being over cautious and protective?

Newsflash - as per the article I posted yesterday there will be multiple varaints of the virus (mutations) for each and every infection....

Indian variant spreads 50% - 60% faster (on another note, are we allowed to keep referring to the UK, South African, Brazilian & Indian variants, but we're racists that should be hung if we call it the Chinese virus?) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57119579 Headlines from the article : It (possibly?) spreads a 'smidge' faster than the Kent variant! Sage are worried that at 40% more spreadable, pressure would be put on the NHS 36.2 million first doses of vaccine 19.3 million second doses (all 'vulnerable' people) 50k people currently infected - down from 1.25 million at the start of the year 1000 people in hospital - down from circa 25k(?) in January (but they don't give that figure, so it's a rough estimate based on hospitalisations per 100k people at the time) The much vaunted "herd immunity" was achieved many weeks ago Anyone know how the NHS will become over run with this variant? If it spreads 50% faster than the old one - which spread pretty quickly anyway! - how are people going to be ending up in hospital if all the 'vulnerable' people have had two vaccines and pretty much everyone over 40 has had one? Unless this variant is more 'potent' for those aged 18 - 40 and will put more of them in hospital???

And yet you've failed to reach it

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7095397/ (Selective quotes)

Never have words been written that were more true!!! Literally 'erased' by virtue of them stealing from charities etc etc.

True dat.

Hang on... Weren't you telling us the other day that the more the virus mutates, the less 'nasty' it becomes (a sentiment I agree with to be fair), due to the fact that the virus's main goal is to replicate / reproduce, rather than kill off its hosts? Surely the more mutations there are, then the chance of a really nasty mutation occurring actually diminishes?

But able to read names on a mong board

Surely that's better than the alternative

10% drop in value today because Elon Musk sent out a tweet! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57096305 Anyone investing their hard earned into an unregulated industry with zero guarantees and culpability needs their head read!

Imagine if a man developed a pill that stopped the menopause - there would be uproar from certain sections that a 'man' is messing with female biology and denying women the liberation of the menopause.

This has aged well! Soggy will be apoplectic with this one : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-57093267

Do you think PR would give the same representation of those in Cornwall as it would to those in London / Manchester / Birmingham? That would be important wouldn't it, given that people in different areas find different things appealing?

No. https://unctad.org/news/unrealized-potential-palestinian-oil-and-gas-reserves

If there was adequate opposition and an appealing alternative then there wouldn't be a 'pretty good idea of how the votes will pan out', it's not rocket science is it?

Is there any money in it?