Sheldon Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 33 minutes ago, wrighty said: I really don't like this personification of a virus we see all the time. "It has to compete", "Pressure on it to be resistant" etc. It's a touch anthropomorphic, granted, but not strictly inaccurate. The same accusation could be levied at "survival of the fittest", but if it was good enough for Darwin it's probably good enough for the average lay person too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Non-Believer Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 1 hour ago, WTF said: so the south african variant has sprung up for no apparent reason without foreign travel, will it occur to anyone that viruses can mutate on any continent and what is putting the willies up the powers that be in the Uk probably mutated in the UK to be similar or identical to was first identified in SA ? California now has its own strain too apparently, just recently identified. Let's hope it favours orange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Mexico Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 9 minutes ago, Sheldon said: It's a touch anthropomorphic, granted, but not strictly inaccurate. The same accusation could be levied at "survival of the fittest", but if it was good enough for Darwin it's probably good enough for the average lay person too. Not originated by Darwin though and he only used in a very specialised way: intending it to mean "better designed for an immediate, local environment", though even that "better designed for" should be replaced by something less teleological, such as "that happens to fit better in". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambon Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 1 hour ago, wrighty said: I really don't like this personification of a virus we see all the time. "It has to compete", "Pressure on it to be resistant" etc. It's just a strand of RNA carried in a protein envelope. It mutates all the time because RNA replication is imperfect. It's simply natural selection (as Darwin explained) in action such that if a random mutation means the virus is more transmissable, or less attractive to a person's antibodies it's more likely to spread to the next person such that over time that mutation becomes predominant. Until there's another one that's even more transmissable/resistant. What do you think of the breaking news on Sky that a new UK variant has been found that may evade the immune system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambon Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 15 hours ago, quilp said: What will they be saying though when we have another, inevitable lockdown? If the vaccination program continues uninterrupted, and we have a couple of clear months, it is unlikely that there will be another full lock down. Maybe back to social distancing, close hair dressers, hymns, etc. and restaurants / pubs with table service only, like Jersey was last summer. Not a full lockdown though. Howard actually hinted at that in a press briefing two weeks ago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Onchan Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 6 minutes ago, Cambon said: What do you think of the breaking news on Sky that a new UK variant has been found that may evade the immune system? Very, very emotive language being used in that report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcousticallyChallenged Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 1 hour ago, wrighty said: I really don't like this personification of a virus we see all the time. "It has to compete", "Pressure on it to be resistant" etc. It's just a strand of RNA carried in a protein envelope. It mutates all the time because RNA replication is imperfect. It's simply natural selection (as Darwin explained) in action such that if a random mutation means the virus is more transmissable, or less attractive to a person's antibodies it's more likely to spread to the next person such that over time that mutation becomes predominant. Until there's another one that's even more transmissable/resistant. I agree, but, for most laypeople, when we think of mutation, we think of 3-eyed fish, or evolution, we see it as an incredibly slow, long term process, relating it to vestigial traits we still have. I think some of it is used not to be scientifically accurate, but to highlight how different the timescales are. People tend to anthropomorphise anything, see the number of grumpy washing machines or belligerent laptops that people will talk about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Onchan Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 I'm equally interested in this data/information: Quote 11:45 Record spike in alcohol-related deaths Death rates from alcohol reached a new high in the first nine months of 2020, new figures show. And an addiction charity has predicted that death rates could rise further still as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. New figures from the ONS show that there were 5,460 deaths related to "alcohol-specific causes" between January and September last year. This is a 16.4% increase compared with the same nine-month period in 2019. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrighty Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 9 minutes ago, Cambon said: What do you think of the breaking news on Sky that a new UK variant has been found that may evade the immune system? "He said the evolution of E484K meant the virus had effectively "developed a superpower" which enabled it to not only infect cells, but also to invade the immune system." I'm sure 'invade' is a typo, but I'd agree with Andy Onchan that it's emotive language and designed to scare. It's just another mutation which may or may not increase the virus' transmission/virulence. The immune system is far more than a binding antibody. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 2 minutes ago, AcousticallyChallenged said: I agree, but, for most laypeople, when we think of mutation, we think of 3-eyed fish, or evolution, we see it as an incredibly slow, long term process, relating it to vestigial traits we still have. I think some of it is used not to be scientifically accurate, but to highlight how different the timescales are. People tend to anthropomorphise anything, see the number of grumpy washing machines or belligerent laptops that people will talk about. Indeed, I mentioned i think in this thread a while ago, that viruses aren't alive. That's what makes them kind of scary. They don't 'choose' to do anything and can't be 'killed'. I was always taught that the 'survival of the fittest' adage actually meant, 'that which is most adaptable to change'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcousticallyChallenged Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 6 minutes ago, Andy Onchan said: I'm equally interested in this data/information: Anecdotally, I think it has been very easy for a lot of people to increase their intake. Lots of howie o'clock etc. For people who suffer with alcohol issues, then it'll only be catalysed by being stuck inside, often with the same people or on your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatiotheturd Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 I know its the Sun and full of errors but we really could be capitalising on this. https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/13910035/where-isle-of-man-travel-coronavirus/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nom de plume Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 (edited) 25 minutes ago, Andy Onchan said: I'm equally interested in this data/information: Just another consequence that will be dismissed as collateral damage for the greater good along with the dysfunctional education system, delayed medical procedures, family separations, the nations mental health deterioration, online gambling addiction, businesses going to the wall, mass unemployment on the horizon and the economy tanked. It's all good bro' Edited February 2, 2021 by Nom de plume 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Power Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 15 minutes ago, horatiotheturd said: I know its the Sun and full of errors but we really could be capitalising on this. https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/13910035/where-isle-of-man-travel-coronavirus/ We could use it to rebuild our tourism sector as restrictions are lifted and capitalise on the reluctance to travel further afield some may have. Brexit will also have an effect, we need to be ready. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryFuchwit Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 2 hours ago, WTF said: so the south african variant has sprung up for no apparent reason without foreign travel, will it occur to anyone that viruses can mutate on any continent and what is putting the willies up the powers that be in the Uk probably mutated in the UK to be similar or identical to was first identified in SA ? What do you mean by no foreign travel? There's been flights every day to S A. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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