Apocalyptic Virus Or Not?

[alexora]

Originally Posted by SynchroDub

I don't understand the hostility against the Sputnik vaccine, considering it is way more effective and less costly than the Pfizer-Biontech one. Not to mention it doesn't even need special refrigerators for transport.

I think the reason why the Sputnik V vaccine has not been universally welcomed, is due to the testing standards not being up to scratch by international standards, coupled with the fact that Russia has been lying about its infection rates (only a couple of days ago did they finally admit to having the world's third highest rate of infections).

What I do like about their vaccine, is the fact that it is lyophilisased (freeze dried): this makes transporting and storing it far easier.

[superbear2000]

Originally Posted by SynchroDub

Yeah, I heard about it.
We only need our Italian FDA to get that one tested and approved as well, which won't happen until Mid-January.
Though, I don't understand the hostility against the Sputnik vaccine, considering it is way more effective and less costly than the Pfizer-Biontech one. Not to mention it doesn't even need special refrigerators for transport.
Sure, i get Russia has not always been best friend with other countries. But in this case, I would've definitely overlooked any pending conflicts and interests for the sake of people health. Specially those who can't afford the Pfizer one (elderly and unemployed people with families).

Originally Posted by alexora

However, Russia has not said how many people it has vaccinated so far, and according to recent surveys by state-run polling company VCIOM and the Levada polling agency only 38% of Russians plan to get the shot.[/INDENT]

When the Russians themselves don't trust their vaccine. Its gonna be a hard sell to the people even if it is cheaper.

[FrostyQN]

Covid got Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island.

[HiTrack99]

Maybe they should send it to international testing labs then, I am sure someone can see what's in it there. Sputnik V could be effective if it works -but yeah more testing and data would be needed.

[alexora]

Originally Posted by HiTrack99

Maybe they should send it to international testing labs then, I am sure someone can see what's in it there. Sputnik V could be effective if it works -but yeah more testing and data would be needed.

The testing required isn't conducted in labs, but in the field with volunteers to whom the vaccine is administered and who are then exposed to the virus...

[War...]

Hope all of you stay safe during these difficult times.

[LongTimeLu]

Originally Posted by alexora

The testing required isn't conducted in labs, but in the field with volunteers to whom the vaccine is administered and who are then exposed to the virus...

I've been looking for reasons that Sputnik V isn't more widely distributed and found this:
The bit I've emboldened is surely cause for concern - health workers are expected to volunteer for trials and other analysts haven't looked through their data.

http://telegraph.co.uk/global-health/0/covid-19-vaccine-moderna-oxford-astrazeneca-pfizer-coronavirus-january/

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is in talks with the Russian institute that developed the Sputnik V candidate vaccine concerning its potential application for Emergency Use Listing.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which has been backing the vaccine, said there were no unexpected adverse events during the trials, and monitoring of the participants is continuing.

The results have not yet been peer-reviewed. Despite this, the Russian government has made the Sputnik-V vaccine compulsory and has threatened dismissal to any doctors who refuse to be administered with it, Maria Georgieva reports. Over 100,000 people have already been vaccinated with Sputnik-V according to Mikhail Murashko, the Russian health minister.

Even though official trials are yet to be concluded, the vaccine has already been made available to health workers, teachers and those in high-exposure workplaces.

The Telegraph has revealed that Britain is likely to reject a vaccine from Russia, amid serious concerns over its trial processes.

However...

http://bbc.co.uk/news/health-55273907

UK and Russian scientists are teaming up to trial a combination of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines to see if protection against Covid-19 can be improved.

Mixing two similar vaccines could lead to a better immune response in people.

[alexora]

Happy New Year, folks...

Covid rule-breakers 'have blood on their hands'

People who do not follow social distancing rules or wear masks "have blood on their hands", an intensive care doctor has warned.

Prof Hugh Montgomery told BBC Radio 5 Live hospitals were facing a "tsunami" of Covid cases and he feared it would get worse after New Year's Eve.

He urged people to accept that it was going to be a "miserable" occasion this year and not to gather in groups.

It echoes official advice to stay at home and not hold parties.

About 44 million people in England are now living under the toughest level of Covid restrictions after tier four was expanded at midnight.

A further 50,023 new Covid cases were recorded in the UK on Wednesday, as well as 981 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test - more than double the previous day's total.

'Angry'

Prof Montgomery, who works in intensive care at London's Whittington Hospital, and leads a research group at UCL, said: "We are in a lot of trouble in UK intensive care now.

"Just huge numbers coming in, my heart goes out as well to our emergency departments, seeing a tsunami in the last week or two of cases. Everyone is working at maximum stretch."

He told Radio 5's Rachel Burden it was wrong to blame the surge in cases and deaths on the new variant of coronavirus, which was only "slightly" more transmissible and caused the same symptoms.

"It is making me actually very angry now that people are laying the blame on the virus, and it is not the virus, it is people, people are not washing their hands, they are not wearing their masks," he said.

'People will die'

And he warned anyone not social distancing or following the rules that they "have blood on their hands".

"They are spreading this virus. Other people will spread it and people will die. They won't know they have killed people but they have."

He added: "I am watching whole families getting wiped out here, and it's got to stop."

Prof Montgomery, who was on shift as he gave the interview to 5 Live, said it was "a great myth" that hospitals are being overwhelmed with elderly people.

"The people we are getting are, like the first wave, my age really. I am 58 and I would say half the patients are younger than me. It is middle-aged people or a little bit older that we are getting."

He also told how he had gone home for a shower after one of his shifts and been called back because a pregnant patient had deteriorated.

And he issued a plea to people thinking of seeing in the New Year later with a party: "I am really sorry this New Year is going to be miserable, but it has to be. Please don't gather in masses. Don't make this a last swansong."

Prof Montgomery's warnings echo advice from NHS England's Prof Stephen Powis, who told a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday: "Covid loves a crowd, so please leave the parties for later in the year."

And in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already warned people not to celebrate Hogmanay in the traditional way amid a lockdown across the mainland.

Source:

http://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55479018

[HiTrack99]

Lockdown 3 is in effect in the UK now.

[naturals]

Distributing the Wuhan virus vaccine can be very quick indeed:

http://msn.com/en-us/health/med...cid=uxbndlbing