IOM Covid removing restrictions

[Manximus Aururaneus]

3 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

You know those things.  I know those things.  But maybe pongo felt that not everyone knows those things.

I hope the Oxford vaccine is as good as promised, but I can't help worrying that it's like an awful lot of the stuff we've seen during this outbreak where the marketing seems to be prioritised over the science.  Producing good headlines seems more important that actually producing stuff that works.

Agreed, but the Oxford situation is a glimmer of hope at least.

(I think Pongo just wants to get my statue taken down).

[pongo]

3 minutes ago, Manximus Aururaneus said:

my statue

Edited July 16, 2020 by pongo

[Manximus Aururaneus]

12 minutes ago, pongo said:

Better than I was expecting from you I have to admit.

[pongo]

Jolly good.

[Declan]

2 hours ago, Manximus Aururaneus said:

 

Hint;

Perhaps that's why I included a little smiley at the end of my post 

But not the one Pongo was replying to.

Those things are ambiguous at best, and only utter scum think that they somehow change the meaning of the words written. You have to be an utterly miserable wretch to then say "that's why I included a smiley", when someone hasn't understood the nuance your words were too weak to convey. Especially, when that smiley is expected to confer it's meaning changing magic smiley rays on a post ten posts after it was used.

 

[The Dog's Dangly Bits]

1 hour ago, Declan said:

But not the one Pongo was replying to.

Those things are ambiguous at best, and only utter scum think that they somehow change the meaning of the words written. You have to be an utterly miserable wretch to then say "that's why I included a smiley", when someone hasn't understood the nuance your words were too weak to convey. Especially, when that smiley is expected to confer it's meaning changing magic smiley rays on a post ten posts after it was used.

 

That seems really over sensitive and soft really.

[rachomics]

It takes me a while to get back to anyone these days. Too many things to do and not enough hours in the day. 

On 7/14/2020 at 3:14 PM, P.K. said:

Thanks for that. I'm trying to understand what is actually taking place to move things forward.

The rapid tests - are they available commercially? I'm just wondering why there is a "daily allocation" of about 15 per day.

On 7/14/2020 at 3:07 PM, wrighty said:

There are two tests - a rapid test, which is result in 90 minutes, but access to kits is on an allocation basis - we have about 15 per day - and tests are done singly.  The main test is done in batches of 100 (I think - if @rachomics is on she'll confirm or correct) a couple of times per day.

The strategy is designed with an eye on testing capabilities obviously - there's little point having a strategy that tests all staff daily if we physically couldn't do it for example - but in general I'd say that no, testing capacity doesn't define strategy.

The commercial test is a Cepheid GeneXpert and the test cartridges are rationed on a country level. The UK is given an "allocation" (aka ration) and then it's shared out around all the hospitals which need them. They're hella expensive too. Ten times more expensive than the high-throughput testing (the 200-300 tests per day one).

On 7/14/2020 at 3:19 PM, wrighty said:

I think more were needed in the US - it may be that The Donald has bought them up.  Our allocation was reduced a few weeks ago.  So whereas they are commercially available, it's not as simple as just ordering a few more from eBay - worldwide supply is limited, and we get our allocation through the NHS supply chain.  If it were possible to bypass that I'm sure we would - our lab people have been most innovative in procuring stuff through this crisis.

Yup. One manufacturer of the rapid cartridges (who make the equipment they go in) and world-wide demand equals rationing for all. As more countries require testing the limited amount of cartridges gets diluted out. 

I'm not only a PCR whisperer but an ordering ninja  

On 7/14/2020 at 4:17 PM, Andy Onchan said:

Me too. I was negative with the result coming through in just over 24hrs.

Given that I've handled the swabs of every positive patient on the Island, I was also antibody negative. Goes to show that negative pressure containment suites and good aseptic technique are worth having. 

On 7/14/2020 at 6:17 PM, wrighty said:

Certainly didn’t mean incubation. Inoculation is the wrong word though as it implies being injected with it. I meant from the point in time you were infected with the virus. 

Exposure?

Edited July 16, 2020 by rachomics

[Black Mirror]

12 hours ago, rachomics said:

It takes me a while to get back to anyone these days. Too many things to do and not enough hours in the day. 

The commercial test is a Cepheid GeneXpert and the test cartridges are rationed on a country level. The UK is given an "allocation" (aka ration) and then it's shared out around all the hospitals which need them. They're hella expensive too. Ten times more expensive than the high-throughput testing (the 200-300 tests per day one).

Yup. One manufacturer of the rapid cartridges (who make the equipment they go in) and world-wide demand equals rationing for all. As more countries require testing the limited amount of cartridges gets diluted out. 

I'm not only a PCR whisperer but an ordering ninja  

Given that I've handled the swabs of every positive patient on the Island, I was also antibody negative. Goes to show that negative pressure containment suites and good aseptic technique are worth having. 

Exposure?

This MF member so called “rachomics” seems to be so knowledgeable; perhaps so much skill and experience is a bit wasted on this forum.

Check this paper:

Scientists uncover SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity in recovered COVID-19 and SARS patients
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-scientists-uncover-sars-cov-specific-cell-immunity.html

It says that recovered coronavirus patients could have long lasting immunity coming not from the antibodies, but from T-cells. In former SARS patients this T-cells response appears to have lasted for 17 years. This is remarkable and it would explain why in Asian countries that had been exposed to SARS in the past this new coronavirus, Covid-19, has had a very low fatality rate.

This is just one of a number of papers published recently on the same topic and arriving at similar conclusions (I have been saying it for two months, by the way). There is immunological dark matter out there that those supporting the official narrative (the lockdown I mean) have been missing since the beginning; and it is such a huge omission. They always focused on the immediately observable tip of the iceberg; without even asking themselves what was producing the huge variability seen across the world.

Heard immunity obviously explains why in Sweden (and the other places mentioned in my previous postings) Covid-19 deaths are dwindling to very little (cf. graph below). This is precisely what the lockdown advocates always said it could not happen. But I doubt that there is a rational argument that can persuade them, since their ultimate purposes have always been political rather than an issue of science or public health.

[TheTeapot]

27 minutes ago, Black Mirror said:

This MF member so called “rachomics” seems to be so knowledgeable; perhaps so much skill and experience is a bit wasted on this forum.

 

Just for the avoidance of doubt, were you to take a test over here Rachomics would be the knowledgeable person with the skill and experience to analyse it.

[Frances]

the T-cell hypothesis looks as tho it may well explain differing responses between countries - I wonder if there has been any research to see if the many annual flu vaccinations esp for older patients has provided any immunity as flu and Covid belong to the same family of viruses and exploit very similar pathways.

[Banker]

UK have announced new guidance to get universities reopening in time for new terms in September.

Will this coincide with at least stage 2 of borders reopening so students and parents can travel back & forth?

[John Wright]

8 minutes ago, Banker said:

UK have announced new guidance to get universities reopening in time for new terms in September.

Will this coincide with at least stage 2 of borders reopening so students and parents can travel back & forth?

They can travel too and fro now. With 14 days self isolation on return.

[Banker]

1 hour ago, John Wright said:

They can travel too and fro now. With 14 days self isolation on return.

I appreciate that but the question I posed was will we at stage 2 by September? UK are easing restrictions more as cases fall 

[wrighty]

Just now, Banker said:

I appreciate that but the question I posed was will we at stage 2 by September? UK are easing restrictions more as cases fall 

I think there’s a reasonable chance we will, as long as UK cases don’t start ramping up, and as long as we don’t see a return of community transmission here. 

[Banker]

Seems a lot more on island had Covid than previously thought, 1600 estimate from antibody tests 

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=56755&headline=Over 1,600 might have had Covid&sectionIs=NEWS&searchyear=2020