Fantastic thread on where we are now with covid.

[sherlock]

What did they do about all the viruses that did the rounds before covid?

Those viruses didn’t present the same level of risk.

 

[FabioPorkpie]

What did they do about all the viruses that did the rounds before covid?

Is this is a serious question?!

 

[sherlock]

Is this is a serious question?!

I gave the benefit of the doubt, although it is pretty close to the line taken by the covid deniers and anti-vax brigade on social media.

 

[BaronSmoggie]

Only targeted boosters now. Spring and Autumn for over 75s, Autumn only for a slightly wider group.

That's the other ticking timebomb here. There are no vaccines available now for the vast majority of the population. People can't even pay for one like the flu jab.

As people's immunity from the initial vaccines wears off completely, the situation could get much worse very quickly.

How does immunity wear off?

 

[muniz]

end of the day boris johnson cured covid thats why its not a problem no more

 

[sherlock]

How does immunity wear off?

You think immunity lasts forever?

There are many diseases where immunity, whether from infection or vaccination, is time limited. Annual flu vaccination, 5 yearly pneumonia vaccination etc are required because immunity wanes.

Covid immunity has been shown to wane after around 6 months, so those vaccinations that everyone had in 2021 are no longer protecting people.

It will take another vaccination to rebuild immunity but these are now not available to most people. Therefore the only way to gain more immunity for those people is by becoming infected.

I shouldn’t need to point out the flaw in the thinking that to gain immunity you have become infected along with all of the long term risks that infection brings.

 

[BaronSmoggie]

You think immunity lasts forever?

There are many diseases where immunity, whether from infection or vaccination, is time limited. Annual flu vaccination, 5 yearly pneumonia vaccination etc are required because immunity wanes.

Covid immunity has been shown to wane after around 6 months, so those vaccinations that everyone had in 2021 are no longer protecting people.

It will take another vaccination to rebuild immunity but these are now not available to most people. Therefore the only way to gain more immunity for those people is by becoming infected.

I shouldn’t need to point out the flaw in the thinking that to gain immunity you have become infected along with all of the long term risks that infection brings.

Just wondered as the current stats for immunity (those with antibody levels above 179) stands at around 77% in the UK. Personally, I've not been jabbed for 2 years now so I assume mine is wearing off, but when I give blood, I am still above the threshold so I haven't needed a booster yet. I know it will differ for everyone, am just surprised at the level of infections requiring hospitalisation still.

 

[FishofContemplation]

Those viruses didn’t present the same level of risk.

More to the point maybe, we did nothing as we didn’t know how. The only other respiratory virus pandemic that has happened in an era where rapid mass vaccination might have been possible was the 2009 flu pandemic and it’s true we did develop a vaccine even more quickly than for Covid, but still didn’t bother deploying it as that one had already proved (or, perhaps given the apparent higher lethality in the early era outbreaks in Mexico rapidly become) so mild it was indeed not the same level of risk. Before that, it was never a choice however severe they were. We didn’t have the option. It’s true that it just spread till it stopped and we buried the dead.

But the idea that because we just lumped it then, died in greater numbers, and still got over it eventually because we couldn’t do any better is an argument for not bothering now that we can is probably the daftest of all the ones that had come out over the last few years.

 

[thewanderer]

I gave the benefit of the doubt, although it is pretty close to the line taken by the covid deniers and anti-vax brigade on social media.

Yeah yeah anyone who thinks you're being a bit OTT is anti-vax

 

[sherlock]

the current stats for immunity (those with antibody levels above 179) stands at around 77% in the UK.

Where is that from? ONS?

Potentially all that says is that infection is rife - the figures don’t (probably can’t) differentiate between immunity from vaccination or infection.

So the point remains, it’s not a good idea to get repeated infections when it is becoming ever clearer what the impact of that is on individuals.

 

[sherlock]

Yeah yeah anyone who thinks you're being a bit OTT is anti-vax

Please do explain how someone who is CEV not wanting to go into high risk areas where nobody is bothering with any mitigations - because of the very real risk getting infected could kill them - is being OTT.

 

[BaronSmoggie]

Where is that from? ONS?

Potentially all that says is that infection is rife - the figures don’t (probably can’t) differentiate between immunity from vaccination or infection.

So the point remains, it’s not a good idea to get repeated infections when it is becoming ever clearer what the impact of that is on individuals.

Yes, ONS. The antibodies data specifically.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

 

[sherlock]

Yes, ONS. The antibodies data specifically.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

Doesn’t make the lack of vaccines for most any more sensible

 

[BaronSmoggie]

Doesn’t make the lack of vaccines for most any more sensible

Never said it did.

 

[Randy]

The U.S. senate voted yesterday to end USA's 'covid emergency measures by 68-23 votes.

 

[sherlock]

The U.S. senate voted yesterday to end USA's 'covid emergency measures by 68-23 votes.

Collective delusion and madness doesn’t make it correct

Besides, no one is saying we (or they) should still be in a declared state of emergency now.

We should, though, still be having some mitigations in place.

 

[Randy]

Collective delusion and madness doesn’t make it correct

Besides, no one is saying we (or they) should still be in a declared state of emergency now.

We should, though, still be having some mitigations in place.

Never said it did or didn't.

We aren't the only country scaling back things though.

 

[sherlock]

Never said it did or didn't.

We aren't the only country scaling back things though.

We aren’t just scaling things back. We are pretty much abandoning things altogether.

 

[Randy]

We aren’t just scaling things back. We are pretty much abandoning things altogether.

As are lots of other countries.

As seen here

Countries That Don't Require COVID Vaccinations For Travel

For travelers who have seen their free-movement rights denied due to the coronavirus pandemic, here is a list of countries that currently allow visitors to enter without a COVID-19 test or quarantine or with very few

www.travelinglifestyle.net

Peru, been one of the countries with the strictest restrictions during pandemic is a notable entry on that link as are Singapore, Thailand, Canada and Iceland which were five countries that caught my eye in that article.

 

[sherlock]

As are lots of other countries.

As seen here

Countries That Don't Require COVID Vaccinations For Travel

For travelers who have seen their free-movement rights denied due to the coronavirus pandemic, here is a list of countries that currently allow visitors to enter without a COVID-19 test or quarantine or with very few

www.travelinglifestyle.net

Peru, been one of the countries with the strictest restrictions during pandemic is a notable entry on that link as are Singapore, Thailand, Canada and Iceland which were five countries that caught my eye in that article.

I don’t know what point you are trying to make. I’ve never claimed what we are doing is unique to the UK.

It’s still unwise, just as it is unwise elsewhere, and makes life all but impossible for those still vulnerable.