Covid-19 Pandemic - Alright everyone, back to The Pile

[Flet]

I see we’re at the ‘leak to friendly hacks’ stage of this charade again.

[Bunk]

The Israelis as we know are a few months ahead of everyone else on data and their vaccine program. Having found that the booster was insufficient against Omicron, it appears that the 4th dose isn't much good either. Reading between the lines of not actually releasing the figures, it has very little effect.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel...ainst-omicron/

“The bottom line is that the vaccine is excellent against the Alpha and Delta [variants], for Omicron it’s not good enough,” she said. It looks like they will amend their programs to only give boosters to over 60's.

I guess Pfizers CEO was right.

[Rennwagen]

I'm starting to laugh at some of the rubbish on the radio, NT had an other expert on today highlighting to need for a booster and explaining the % of people who have had boosters and % of people in hospitals who have not had boosters. It sounded complelty wrong, I think even PK was delayed in his response because it was non sense.

To many ordinary people who dont actually know a lot, are being asked for their opinion and they really havent a clue what they are talking about but feel important being on the radio so....

Im calling it 'Media Fudge'.

[Bunk]

This could have gone in two threads, but I'm choosing to put it here because the man has got seemingly unlimited airtime about Covid. Anyway, in response to the tragic murder in recent days, Professor Sam McConkey was on Brendan O'Connor yesterday proposing a new sort of pass, or licensing, for men only, in order to be able to "access social spheres".

https://twitter.com/Ben_Scallan/stat...cial-spaces%2F

Apparently, using the same rationale as the covid pass, it would provide comfort to people who feel their rights are being impinged due to a sense of danger in having to share spaces with people who are not licensed to socialise.

So, next time you hear him waffling on with authority on Pat Kenny or Matt Cooper, or on Prime Time, remember that he is a complete basket case.

[Eoin]

This could have gone in two threads, but I'm choosing to put it here because the man has got seemingly unlimited airtime about Covid. Anyway, in response to the tragic murder in recent days, Professor Sam McConkey was on Brendan O'Connor yesterday proposing a new sort of pass, or licensing, for men only, in order to be able to "access social spheres".

https://twitter.com/Ben_Scallan/stat...cial-spaces%2F

Apparently, using the same rationale as the covid pass, it would provide comfort to people who feel their rights are being impinged due to a sense of danger in having to share spaces with people who are not licensed to socialise.

So, next time you hear him waffling on with authority on Pat Kenny or Matt Cooper, or on Prime Time, remember that he is a complete basket case.

An utter feckin muppet he is!

[SJ]

The Israelis as we know are a few months ahead of everyone else on data and their vaccine program. Having found that the booster was insufficient against Omicron, it appears that the 4th dose isn't much good either. Reading between the lines of not actually releasing the figures, it has very little effect.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel...ainst-omicron/

“The bottom line is that the vaccine is excellent against the Alpha and Delta [variants], for Omicron it’s not good enough,” she said. It looks like they will amend their programs to only give boosters to over 60's.

I guess Pfizers CEO was right.

This Israeli study (small sample - 150 or so cases) - didn't measure whether the 4th dose was effective against preventing severe illness. It's a study of HCWs rather than vulnerable people. It shows a really good increase in antibodies but this may not be sufficient to prevent infection, even if it is likely to make the symptoms mild or nonexistant. If you're at risk of severe illness, you need the disease to be as mild as possible. I think there's likely to be a benefit to fourth doses for vulnerable people.

Also, FWIW, TH says (and I haven't seen data) that Moderna seems more effective against Omicron than Pfizer.

[Rennwagen]

Just listening to The Donnelly on NT.

"Omicron offers better resistance to earlyer variants than a booster".

[Mark F]

979 covid patients in hospital reported today
Discharges 113
Direct covid admissions 68
Hospital detected/incidental admissions 71
ICU 93

[Bunk]

This Israeli study (small sample - 150 or so cases) - didn't measure whether the 4th dose was effective against preventing severe illness. It's a study of HCWs rather than vulnerable people. It shows a really good increase in antibodies but this may not be sufficient to prevent infection, even if it is likely to make the symptoms mild or nonexistant. If you're at risk of severe illness, you need the disease to be as mild as possible. I think there's likely to be a benefit to fourth doses for vulnerable people.

Also, FWIW, TH says (and I haven't seen data) that Moderna seems more effective against Omicron than Pfizer.

That issue has been persistent since the first clinical trials incidentally.......they were mainly tested on younger healthy people. I didnt see they suggested a really good increase in antibodies. An increase, but not sufficient to recommend widespread adoption. Reading between the lines, its no more likely to get on top of case numbers than the first booster was but perhaps they will release the data at some point and we will see.

[ETA I see they have updated the story

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel...d-as-it-seems/

The overall conclusions don't really change though.]

[Mark F]

910 covid patients in hospital reported today
Discharges 106
Direct covid admissions 72
Hospital detected/incidental admissions 35
ICU 90

[Cold]

I incidentally read somewhere that the time in hospital due to Covid has halved since November. I don't think the data was from Ireland but I'm sure it's similar here. Boosters doing their job and perhaps omicron reducing the severity. Hard to tell I'd say but the bottom line is what matters.

[Rennwagen]

I incidentally read somewhere that the time in hospital due to Covid has halved since November. I don't think the data was from Ireland but I'm sure it's similar here. Boosters doing their job and perhaps omicron reducing the severity. Hard to tell I'd say but the bottom line is what matters.

2 years on, Heard imunity maybe?

[Cold]

Yep from vaccines

[SJ]

I incidentally read somewhere that the time in hospital due to Covid has halved since November. I don't think the data was from Ireland but I'm sure it's similar here. Boosters doing their job and perhaps omicron reducing the severity. Hard to tell I'd say but the bottom line is what matters.

I posted about this a while back - everything you say plus we've gotten better at treating people and particularly spotting and treating complications early.

[miller]

Bank Holiday Confirmed for Friday 18th March.

Front line workers get €1000 bonus for their hard work during the epidemic.