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- A Private Eye
- Rep: 77
Re: Covid 19
AtariLegend wrote:Alot of questions being asked about the Oxford vaccine.
Seems like they need to restart the trials. Questions around doses and how people over 55/in risk groups were actually tested.
So as I understand it with the oxford one:
- 90% effective when given with a 1/2 dose followed by a full dose.
- 62% effective when given with two full doses.However it turns out that the half dose system above was only tested on people below 55.
Other interesting thing is that apparently the half dose tests were actually an accident - but when they realised they got approval to continue studying at that dosage and seem to have discovered that it's actually a better dose (pending what the next test shows).
I don't think these results are cause for alarm though - just grounds to keep looking into it - as given older people respond less well to vaccine generally it might be that the half dose system would not be as effective for them. So we might end up with something where you take more if you are older and get a lesser effect, while people who are younger need to take less and get a stronger effect from it.
But obviously we need to know. But it's good that so far it's been free from too many worrying side effects.
Just another in a long line of scientific and medical advancements/discoveries that have been made by accident.
I think initially the hope was for a vaccine to be somewhere in the region of 60-80% effective. The idea of 90%+ efficacy was a dreamland type scenario. The regular seasonal flu jab is only around 50% effective on average and that has a huge beneficial impact each winter. I don't think it was expected that Covid was ever completely eradicated (although it could be possible if 90% vaccines is the reality) through vaccination. More control infection levels to a point that it becomes a low level risk in society to the elderly or very vulnerable but in such a way that they aren't pouring in to hospitals in waves of thousands a day.
The other point is tht even lower or poor efficacy in the elderly is not a disaster. It's not ideal but doesn't mean a vaccine doesn't have merit. On the assumption the vaccine prevents you from spreading it rather than just dulling symptoms then there is still a knock on benefit to the elderly. If it's effective in younger people then their interactions with the elderly become less risky by default.
It's also good that the first 3 vaccines to complete phase 3 trials have shown that they do, in principle, work. It's highly likely more will work as well and the more vaccines available the less chance of a bottleneck in supply and it keeps prices down as well.
I dont know...rushing vaccines doesn't seem like a good idea...how long do these things normally take to fully vet?
Depends on the disease and also the man power to an extent. This is the largest vaccination development programme in human history. The more people you have working on it and the more volunteers/patients you have the easier and faster you can get significant data.
Also worth pointing out the blueprint or skeleton for these vaccines was already in existence way before Covid. Work began on this type of vaccine to treat SARS 15 years ago but never completed trials as they managed to stop the spread of SARS among the human population anyway, same with MERS several years later. 75% of the vaccine has been completed for years they just needed the unknown next corona virus candidate to come along in order to add the relevant genetic material from the virus to the vaccine.
Re: Covid 19
Much of Europe,Turkey and Canada are closing down borders from UK travellers over the new strain.
Re: Covid 19
AtariLegend wrote:Do Americans know about this new UK strain?
Yeah, its been on the news. Seems a bit of a grey area, a new strain, more contagious, not more deadly...
The fear I would think is maybe it is not impacted by the vaccine, I'm not sure.
It's not known whether it's more or less deadly yet, but it is 71% more contagious. Meaning more people probably will end up dying by default. It's a disaster, I'm surprised even Trump hasn't shut down borders with the UK yet.
Re: Covid 19
Yea saw earlier today that canada is shuttung down travel to UK
Also Ontario, Canada is expected to go into a 4-6 week lockdown starting christmas eve...our premier is expected to make an announcement in 4 minutes...earlier the ontario health sevices head showed some data from France and Australia as midel examples of dealing with the spread of the virus
Re: Covid 19
PaSnow wrote:AtariLegend wrote:Do Americans know about this new UK strain?
Yeah, its been on the news. Seems a bit of a grey area, a new strain, more contagious, not more deadly...
The fear I would think is maybe it is not impacted by the vaccine, I'm not sure.
It's not known whether it's more or less deadly yet, but it is 71% more contagious. Meaning more people probably will end up dying by default. It's a disaster, I'm surprised even Trump hasn't shut down borders with the UK yet.
Yeah, thats why I said its a grey area, if its more contagious more people will get it, and even if the % of people who get it versus those who die may be the same percentage, the fact that more people will get it would lead one to believe more people will die. Sheer totals.
- Randall Flagg
- Rep: 139
Re: Covid 19
My sister tested positive last night. I'm sure she'll be fine in a couple of days, like every other person I know who got it and wasn't in a nursing home. Had a funeral for my buddy's grandma last week. She had covid. And dementia and failing organs, and had been in a nursing home waiting to die for the past year.
- IRISH OS1R1S
- Rep: 59
Re: Covid 19
My sister tested positive last night. I'm sure she'll be fine in a couple of days, like every other person I know who got it and wasn't in a nursing home. Had a funeral for my buddy's grandma last week. She had covid. And dementia and failing organs, and had been in a nursing home waiting to die for the past year.
sounds like you're pretty stoked....
