European Union lawyers today demanded AstraZeneca immediately deliver Covid-19 vaccines from its factories in Britain, in a move that risks reigniting tensions with Downing Street over scarce vaccine supplies in the bloc.
Do you think vaccine nationalism is getting worse not better? What would you say personally to an Indian, in the depth of this crisis over there, who asks why Indian factories have been vaccinating Britain not India?
I would quite happily look someone from India in the eye and justify that. What is unjustifiable is *not* to vaccinate people with the available doses but still to demand them so nobody else can benefit.
I could not justify Indian factories exporting vaccines to Britain, and that was the question asked
No way. They are teetering on the abyss.
Yes I can justify Britain importing all the vaccines bought and secured from equally wealthy western nations, especially the jabs we paid to develop (which they have smeared). But India? No
As I understand it, we have not received any vaccines from India for several months, and that is obviously right
India is a wealthy nation. It has a space programme, which is more than we do. They also of course have one of the world's biggest manufacturing hubs, which is why they could produce plentiful enough vaccines for their own population, and export some too. It's rotten that Covid has taken hold there the way it has, and they're right to withhold vaccine exports until things are under control there.
Roll out the footy analogies... 'We are 6-0 up, in the last minute of the game, but sides have lost from here before...'
LOL
I'd like to think our journalists would ask about lifting restrictions early, but I suspect they will be wittering on about holidays again, and with a subsidary about decorating... I firmly believe we have enough evidence in terms of cases (not rising), population antibodies (thanks ONS), evidence of real world vaccine effects (both within patient, and in preventing/reducing transmission) to be less cautious, but I'd be amazed if any of the lobby ask about it.
It is very odd how the May 17 date is now seemingly set in stone. What the government could offer – through its own rules – is a raft of so-called test events with full crowds – e.g. Royal Ascot and the England vs Scotland Euro 2021 match at Wembley. Those dates are so close to the end date of June 21 (just a few days before it) that imposing restrictions on them seems farcical.
It’s still only small percentages allowed in arenas after the 17th, not full houses?
When they talk about fans in grounds, I hadn’t realised for Leicester semi you could only go if you lived in Brent. The fans looked more bemused than excited.
That's the point I'm making. The events I cite are a few days before 21 June – they should be allowed full crowds.
Do you think there will be full crowds everywhere after 21 June? It’s not mandatory is it, venues have right to restrict and distance.
No it's not mandatory. If Ascot want to run a half crowd then up to them, ditto Wembley, pandemic or no pandemic, that's their right. But given those events I cite are literally a few days before 21 June then mandating the restrictions is farcical.
To put that in clear terms: England play Scotland on Friday 18 June. That's the biggest football match on these shores for years. The restrictions are due to be lifted the following Monday. Under the current plans, Wembley would be limited to 10,000 fans – not even enough to meet Scotland's away allocation, never mind England's. If the game were staged just 60 hours later, they could sell out all 90,000 tickets.
Royal Ascot is the same week 15-19 June.
What exactly is your point? I find it hard to infer from your posts at times.
My point being that your point is a good one. 60 hours later could be potential sell out. So why not special dispensation for the full house?
Well, the date may have been fabricated on basis it is sixty hours this side in the first place. My point being, if it was sixty hours or more later, they wouldn’t have tried to sell anything near the full house. The government and scientists wouldn’t’ the have been comfortable with that, nor Wembley stadium.
After June 21st it’s not normal, it’s new normal.
Eh? What does this mean? There are games in the tournament after 21 June, that will not be subject to restrictions. Why should England vs Scotland be? What is "new normal"?
You didn’t anticipate the new normal? Quite embarrassing really. I’ll be laughing at you lot through my new mask. 😁
I do hope you’ve booked, or you ain’t getting in 😆
What on Earth are you talking about? I find your posts to be little more than insidious drivel to be honest.
Rather than this endless drumbeat of fear that you luxuriate in, could you let us know your views on releasing all legal restrictions on 21 June?
Alison Pearson on the front of the Tely today declaring she won’t be wearing a mask this summer.
But Only a fascist will make a comment at someone choosing to wear one?
At least two years of new normal.
In what sense new normal? Can you outline your thinking rather than using buzzwords?
This summer. Mask wearing. Half filled stadiums and venues. You can even see scuffles and fights between masks wearers and mask haters.
Autumn/winter. Lockdowns and restrictions. Third UK wave may even hit earlier than that, I think July.
Further afield, tons more home working as norm, killing a whole business subset reliant on commuters, and economic productivity will decrease because of home working leaving us in debt much longer than expected. And there will be schooling from home as well, for those who thought it would remain childcare whilst they are home working in peace. If you don’t have to use office for everything, they don’t think have to use classroom either for project work.
In long run I also suspect greater inequality, especially in digital divide that will widen at pace, between parts of world and within countries. Inequality becoming racial. rising authoritarianism and nationalism (home shoring, stockpiling, which itself bring extra expense). and even more rampant misinformation and conspiracy on social media.
And not even ruling out muskrat flu (dubbed Trump Flu by Chinese in Trumps second term) cow chest, and dormouse sickness - should COVID be one off pandemic and not start of a trend as old lifestyles meet 21st century globalvillage and pollution?
Can’t even rule out bringing something back from space.
Until eventually all this new normality melds into great plague during the great storm.
Does that answer you question now?
I wish I could ignore this as idiotic scare-mongering.
I cannot. Much of it could come true
Just one example: if it is proved Covid19 can infect animals, and they can infect us right back
At the very beginning of the plague I posited this as one potential nightmare: everyone in the West having to destroy all their pets. It is far from impossible
On the brightside, the death of all pet cats would save a lot of songbirds, and the death of all pet dogs would save a lot of much needed protein for humans, and probably rebalance the global ecosystem. So maybe it is a win, in the end
Problem is the Brits are hopelessly sentimental about pet animals. Farcical how much money is wasted on pet charities (donkeys etc) which could usefully be invested in conservation. I know someone who wants half her estate to go to Cat's Protection. Maddening.
While there are zoonotic respiratory diseases, I don't know of any where there is large-scale animal to human transmission in comparison to human-human transmission. And I am not sure that there is evidence that, because a virus can go one way (human to cat) it can necessarily go the other way (cat to human).
The diseases where animal reservoirs do tend to be problematic for human outbreaks are those that are: 1. vector-mediated (ticks, mosquitoes, e.g. Zika, malaria, CCHF, Lyme, sleeping sickness, yellow fever, Chikungunya) 2. where there is close contact between animal and human on a regular basis (e.g. cat scratch fever, anthrax. CCHF) or 3. because of processing of meat from contaminated animals (e.g.CCHF, Ebola) or 4. where larvae/eggs are water/food-borne (e.g. various nasty worms).
Feline Toxoplasmosis has been implicated in many human historical events, eg the Witch Craze in 16th-17th century Europe
Although ergot from damp wheat has also been suggested.
The Feline T explanation is more persuasive, to me. Old women with lots of cats
And it really does do weird things
"How a cat parasite can change your personality
"A new study suggests that infection with the cat-borne parasite Toxoplasma gondii could make people more risk-prone and likely to start their own business."
It really is interesting how behaviour can be modified by outside (ok inside) influences. Not unlike how drugs can affect consciousness. Always makes me think.
A fascinating area. I recommend a late, flawed, but intriguing Tom Knox novel (I believe the author was once a congregant at these here pews) - the Deceit. It investigates the idea that religion is born of a cerebral parasite
Absurd, but.... those Egyptians did love them some cats
Roll out the footy analogies... 'We are 6-0 up, in the last minute of the game, but sides have lost from here before...'
LOL
I'd like to think our journalists would ask about lifting restrictions early, but I suspect they will be wittering on about holidays again, and with a subsidary about decorating... I firmly believe we have enough evidence in terms of cases (not rising), population antibodies (thanks ONS), evidence of real world vaccine effects (both within patient, and in preventing/reducing transmission) to be less cautious, but I'd be amazed if any of the lobby ask about it.
It is very odd how the May 17 date is now seemingly set in stone. What the government could offer – through its own rules – is a raft of so-called test events with full crowds – e.g. Royal Ascot and the England vs Scotland Euro 2021 match at Wembley. Those dates are so close to the end date of June 21 (just a few days before it) that imposing restrictions on them seems farcical.
It’s still only small percentages allowed in arenas after the 17th, not full houses?
When they talk about fans in grounds, I hadn’t realised for Leicester semi you could only go if you lived in Brent. The fans looked more bemused than excited.
That's the point I'm making. The events I cite are a few days before 21 June – they should be allowed full crowds.
Do you think there will be full crowds everywhere after 21 June? It’s not mandatory is it, venues have right to restrict and distance.
No it's not mandatory. If Ascot want to run a half crowd then up to them, ditto Wembley, pandemic or no pandemic, that's their right. But given those events I cite are literally a few days before 21 June then mandating the restrictions is farcical.
To put that in clear terms: England play Scotland on Friday 18 June. That's the biggest football match on these shores for years. The restrictions are due to be lifted the following Monday. Under the current plans, Wembley would be limited to 10,000 fans – not even enough to meet Scotland's away allocation, never mind England's. If the game were staged just 60 hours later, they could sell out all 90,000 tickets.
Royal Ascot is the same week 15-19 June.
What exactly is your point? I find it hard to infer from your posts at times.
My point being that your point is a good one. 60 hours later could be potential sell out. So why not special dispensation for the full house?
Well, the date may have been fabricated on basis it is sixty hours this side in the first place. My point being, if it was sixty hours or more later, they wouldn’t have tried to sell anything near the full house. The government and scientists wouldn’t’ the have been comfortable with that, nor Wembley stadium.
After June 21st it’s not normal, it’s new normal.
Eh? What does this mean? There are games in the tournament after 21 June, that will not be subject to restrictions. Why should England vs Scotland be? What is "new normal"?
You didn’t anticipate the new normal? Quite embarrassing really. I’ll be laughing at you lot through my new mask. 😁
I do hope you’ve booked, or you ain’t getting in 😆
What on Earth are you talking about? I find your posts to be little more than insidious drivel to be honest.
Rather than this endless drumbeat of fear that you luxuriate in, could you let us know your views on releasing all legal restrictions on 21 June?
Alison Pearson on the front of the Tely today declaring she won’t be wearing a mask this summer.
But Only a fascist will make a comment at someone choosing to wear one?
At least two years of new normal.
In what sense new normal? Can you outline your thinking rather than using buzzwords?
This summer. Mask wearing. Half filled stadiums and venues. You can even see scuffles and fights between masks wearers and mask haters.
Autumn/winter. Lockdowns and restrictions. Third UK wave may even hit earlier than that, I think July.
Further afield, tons more home working as norm, killing a whole business subset reliant on commuters, and economic productivity will decrease because of home working leaving us in debt much longer than expected. And there will be schooling from home as well, for those who thought it would remain childcare whilst they are home working in peace. If you don’t have to use office for everything, they don’t think have to use classroom either for project work.
In long run I also suspect greater inequality, especially in digital divide that will widen at pace, between parts of world and within countries. Inequality becoming racial. rising authoritarianism and nationalism (home shoring, stockpiling, which itself bring extra expense). and even more rampant misinformation and conspiracy on social media.
And not even ruling out muskrat flu (dubbed Trump Flu by Chinese in Trumps second term) cow chest, and dormouse sickness - should COVID be one off pandemic and not start of a trend as old lifestyles meet 21st century globalvillage and pollution?
Can’t even rule out bringing something back from space.
Until eventually all this new normality melds into great plague during the great storm.
Does that answer you question now?
I wish I could ignore this as idiotic scare-mongering.
I cannot. Much of it could come true
Just one example: if it is proved Covid19 can infect animals, and they can infect us right back
At the very beginning of the plague I posited this as one potential nightmare: everyone in the West having to destroy all their pets. It is far from impossible
On the brightside, the death of all pet cats would save a lot of songbirds, and the death of all pet dogs would save a lot of much needed protein for humans, and probably rebalance the global ecosystem. So maybe it is a win, in the end
Problem is the Brits are hopelessly sentimental about pet animals. Farcical how much money is wasted on pet charities (donkeys etc) which could usefully be invested in conservation. I know someone who wants half her estate to go to Cat's Protection. Maddening.
While there are zoonotic respiratory diseases, I don't know of any where there is large-scale animal to human transmission in comparison to human-human transmission. And I am not sure that there is evidence that, because a virus can go one way (human to cat) it can necessarily go the other way (cat to human).
The diseases where animal reservoirs do tend to be problematic for human outbreaks are those that are: 1. vector-mediated (ticks, mosquitoes, e.g. Zika, malaria, CCHF, Lyme, sleeping sickness, yellow fever, Chikungunya) 2. where there is close contact between animal and human on a regular basis (e.g. cat scratch fever, anthrax. CCHF) or 3. because of processing of meat from contaminated animals (e.g.CCHF, Ebola) or 4. where larvae/eggs are water/food-borne (e.g. various nasty worms).
Feline Toxoplasmosis has been implicated in many human historical events, eg the Witch Craze in 16th-17th century Europe
Although ergot from damp wheat has also been suggested.
The Feline T explanation is more persuasive, to me. Old women with lots of cats
And it really does do weird things
"How a cat parasite can change your personality
"A new study suggests that infection with the cat-borne parasite Toxoplasma gondii could make people more risk-prone and likely to start their own business."
It really is interesting how behaviour can be modified by outside (ok inside) influences. Not unlike how drugs can affect consciousness. Always makes me think.
A fascinating area. I recommend a late, flawed, but intriguing Tom Knox novel (I believe the author was once a congregant at these here pews) - the Deceit. It investigates the idea that religion is born of a cerebral parasite
Absurd, but.... those Egyptians did love them some cats
"@HugoGye UK has ordered another 60m doses of Pfizer vaccine to use as part of booster shot programme in the autumn, Matt Hancock says."
It's another very, very good move wrt vaccines as Pfizer are prepping their gen 2 vaccine for delivery in the timeframe the government is talking about. I'm once again impressed by the level of organisation that the government has showed with this. This is the world's best insurance policy in the west against another lockdown. I genuinely don't think any other major country has been this forwards thinking.
Stuff the Government's outstanding performance on vaccines to enable this Country to get back to normallity, lets spend days discussing who paid for wallpaper on a taxpayer owned property.
Blimey! Have you defected from the "It's all a fake, COVID is no worse than the flu" camp?
Some people are so fickle!
Im not in that camp, Im in the masks don't prevent Covid transmission camp (its a small but select group) , they certainly prevent Flu transmission as shown by the fact there has been no flu in the UK for months, but they do not prevent Covid transmission as numerous countries where there is a mask wearing mandate show.
Thanks for clarifying exactly what kind of stark raving loony you are.
So sorry to have got it a bit wrong.
Look at Thailand, everyone wears masks there, how is their Covid situation looking today?
Never mind that - look at Mars! Or Planet Tharg, in the DARK DIMENSION ....
Its sad that I am considered a lunatic ....
Indeed, indeed. But try to get over it.
My son has just undergone 16 sessions of electroconvulsive treatment for PTSD and mental issues
You may think it is clever to call someone a lunatic, but for those of us who have family members suffering mental heath issues it just is not acceptable
That's terrible, Big G, and you have my sincere sympathies
We have schizophrenia in my close family. It is not fun
HOWEVER if we rule out every insult on the ground *someone* might be offended, then the great British tradition of ribald and abusive discourse, which itself prevents actual violence (by venting these feelings in mere words) will be lost
Jaw jaw, rather than war war
So I will continue to accuse people of being crazed walruses, spazz-out specialists, etc
Indeed.
I am only sensitive to lazy accusations of mental health issues
I have made my point and am not a preacher and this site needs extraordinary views expressed with passion
And it does get them tbf. Not to revisit "musclegate" but there was a prime example.
Evening all, I was wondering if anyone had a high level overview of demand for vaccines by state in the US? I'm getting slightly nervous that the US South and France we could have issues reaching the 75-80% mark.
Of adults ? Perhaps. Of population ? It'd be a miracle.
Oddly enough, I think the US would find it easier to hit 75% of total population (once we have a vaccine approved for all age groups except babies) than it will be to get to 75% of adults. The US is used to kids needing to be vaccinated to have access to public schools.
That's interesting. I've seen it suggested that the reason for the widespread takeup in the UK is because we're used to child vaccine programmes. Maybe it is, but it doesn't seem to have that effect on adults in the US, then.
"@HugoGye UK has ordered another 60m doses of Pfizer vaccine to use as part of booster shot programme in the autumn, Matt Hancock says."
It's another very, very good move wrt vaccines as Pfizer are prepping their gen 2 vaccine for delivery in the timeframe the government is talking about. I'm once again impressed by the level of organisation that the government has showed with this. This is the world's best insurance policy in the west against another lockdown. I genuinely don't think any other major country has been this forwards thinking.
Stuff the Government's outstanding performance on vaccines to enable this Country to get back to normallity, lets spend days discussing who paid for wallpaper on a taxpayer owned property.
Blimey! Have you defected from the "It's all a fake, COVID is no worse than the flu" camp?
Some people are so fickle!
Im not in that camp, Im in the masks don't prevent Covid transmission camp (its a small but select group) , they certainly prevent Flu transmission as shown by the fact there has been no flu in the UK for months, but they do not prevent Covid transmission as numerous countries where there is a mask wearing mandate show.
Thanks for clarifying exactly what kind of stark raving loony you are.
So sorry to have got it a bit wrong.
Look at Thailand, everyone wears masks there, how is their Covid situation looking today?
Never mind that - look at Mars! Or Planet Tharg, in the DARK DIMENSION ....
Its sad that I am considered a lunatic ....
Indeed, indeed. But try to get over it.
My son has just undergone 16 sessions of electroconvulsive treatment for PTSD and mental issues
You may think it is clever to call someone a lunatic, but for those of us who have family members suffering mental heath issues it just is not acceptable
That's terrible, Big G, and you have my sincere sympathies
We have schizophrenia in my close family. It is not fun
HOWEVER if we rule out every insult on the ground *someone* might be offended, then the great British tradition of ribald and abusive discourse, which itself prevents actual violence (by venting these feelings in mere words) will be lost
Jaw jaw, rather than war war
So I will continue to accuse people of being crazed walruses, spazz-out specialists, etc
Indeed.
I am only sensitive to lazy accusations of mental health issues
I have made my point and am not a preacher and this site needs extraordinary views expressed with passion
And it does get them tbf. Not to revisit "musclegate" but there was a prime example.
Johnson hasn't got a sixpack, so much as a party keg.
What a difference a couple of decades makes. Here he has the look of a trendy young fogey of the time, about to make his entrance onto Have I Got News For You just after the Angus Deayton era.
A friend of mine made the excellent point, the other day, that for a supposed womaniser, Boris does not aim very high. In terms of women
Jennifer Arcuri? Not exactly a great beauty. Boxum, probably fun, but beautiful? No. Ditto Carrie and many others. Yes they are youthful compared to him, but he is a rich, charismatic, highly powerful alpha male with a genuine wit, he could pull these women any day
Conclusion? He's a quantity not quality guy. Obsessed with the numbers and the opportunity. I know the type. Clinton is another, I suspect
To be fair, few highly-sexed men combine quantity WITH quality. JFK possibly. Mick Jagger? Weinstein maybe, but his methods are, I feel, questionable. But that may be my puritan soul emerging
Perhaps the truly stunning women don't want him. He can only get the needy mediocrities who are flattered by his attention.
No, I disagree.
I am sure he could secure a truly stunning woman, but his mind does not work that way. His sex drive - I suspect - works more like hunger during a famine. You don't want Michelin starred food, you just want FOOD, and lots of it. Lots of different women!
The easiest way to do this is to have almost no criteria whatsoever and just fuck everything that seems female and demonstrably under 40, and also alive. If you hit if off with one, more the better, but that's not the aim. This explains why he moves on so quick, yet relentlessly. The famished hunger returns
I have a couple of friends who are eerily similar
Tell me about it. What worked for me was immersion in a range of involving hobbies. Eventually a "new you" is forged.
Roll out the footy analogies... 'We are 6-0 up, in the last minute of the game, but sides have lost from here before...'
LOL
I'd like to think our journalists would ask about lifting restrictions early, but I suspect they will be wittering on about holidays again, and with a subsidary about decorating... I firmly believe we have enough evidence in terms of cases (not rising), population antibodies (thanks ONS), evidence of real world vaccine effects (both within patient, and in preventing/reducing transmission) to be less cautious, but I'd be amazed if any of the lobby ask about it.
It is very odd how the May 17 date is now seemingly set in stone. What the government could offer – through its own rules – is a raft of so-called test events with full crowds – e.g. Royal Ascot and the England vs Scotland Euro 2021 match at Wembley. Those dates are so close to the end date of June 21 (just a few days before it) that imposing restrictions on them seems farcical.
It’s still only small percentages allowed in arenas after the 17th, not full houses?
When they talk about fans in grounds, I hadn’t realised for Leicester semi you could only go if you lived in Brent. The fans looked more bemused than excited.
That's the point I'm making. The events I cite are a few days before 21 June – they should be allowed full crowds.
Do you think there will be full crowds everywhere after 21 June? It’s not mandatory is it, venues have right to restrict and distance.
No it's not mandatory. If Ascot want to run a half crowd then up to them, ditto Wembley, pandemic or no pandemic, that's their right. But given those events I cite are literally a few days before 21 June then mandating the restrictions is farcical.
To put that in clear terms: England play Scotland on Friday 18 June. That's the biggest football match on these shores for years. The restrictions are due to be lifted the following Monday. Under the current plans, Wembley would be limited to 10,000 fans – not even enough to meet Scotland's away allocation, never mind England's. If the game were staged just 60 hours later, they could sell out all 90,000 tickets.
Royal Ascot is the same week 15-19 June.
What exactly is your point? I find it hard to infer from your posts at times.
My point being that your point is a good one. 60 hours later could be potential sell out. So why not special dispensation for the full house?
Well, the date may have been fabricated on basis it is sixty hours this side in the first place. My point being, if it was sixty hours or more later, they wouldn’t have tried to sell anything near the full house. The government and scientists wouldn’t’ the have been comfortable with that, nor Wembley stadium.
After June 21st it’s not normal, it’s new normal.
Eh? What does this mean? There are games in the tournament after 21 June, that will not be subject to restrictions. Why should England vs Scotland be? What is "new normal"?
You didn’t anticipate the new normal? Quite embarrassing really. I’ll be laughing at you lot through my new mask. 😁
I do hope you’ve booked, or you ain’t getting in 😆
What on Earth are you talking about? I find your posts to be little more than insidious drivel to be honest.
Rather than this endless drumbeat of fear that you luxuriate in, could you let us know your views on releasing all legal restrictions on 21 June?
Alison Pearson on the front of the Tely today declaring she won’t be wearing a mask this summer.
But Only a fascist will make a comment at someone choosing to wear one?
At least two years of new normal.
In what sense new normal? Can you outline your thinking rather than using buzzwords?
This summer. Mask wearing. Half filled stadiums and venues. You can even see scuffles and fights between masks wearers and mask haters.
Autumn/winter. Lockdowns and restrictions. Third UK wave may even hit earlier than that, I think July.
Further afield, tons more home working as norm, killing a whole business subset reliant on commuters, and economic productivity will decrease because of home working leaving us in debt much longer than expected. And there will be schooling from home as well, for those who thought it would remain childcare whilst they are home working in peace. If you don’t have to use office for everything, they don’t think have to use classroom either for project work.
In long run I also suspect greater inequality, especially in digital divide that will widen at pace, between parts of world and within countries. Inequality becoming racial. rising authoritarianism and nationalism (home shoring, stockpiling, which itself bring extra expense). and even more rampant misinformation and conspiracy on social media.
And not even ruling out muskrat flu (dubbed Trump Flu by Chinese in Trumps second term) cow chest, and dormouse sickness - should COVID be one off pandemic and not start of a trend as old lifestyles meet 21st century globalvillage and pollution?
Can’t even rule out bringing something back from space.
Until eventually all this new normality melds into great plague during the great storm.
Does that answer you question now?
I wish I could ignore this as idiotic scare-mongering.
I cannot. Much of it could come true
Just one example: if it is proved Covid19 can infect animals, and they can infect us right back
At the very beginning of the plague I posited this as one potential nightmare: everyone in the West having to destroy all their pets. It is far from impossible
On the brightside, the death of all pet cats would save a lot of songbirds, and the death of all pet dogs would save a lot of much needed protein for humans, and probably rebalance the global ecosystem. So maybe it is a win, in the end
Problem is the Brits are hopelessly sentimental about pet animals. Farcical how much money is wasted on pet charities (donkeys etc) which could usefully be invested in conservation. I know someone who wants half her estate to go to Cat's Protection. Maddening.
While there are zoonotic respiratory diseases, I don't know of any where there is large-scale animal to human transmission in comparison to human-human transmission. And I am not sure that there is evidence that, because a virus can go one way (human to cat) it can necessarily go the other way (cat to human).
The diseases where animal reservoirs do tend to be problematic for human outbreaks are those that are: 1. vector-mediated (ticks, mosquitoes, e.g. Zika, malaria, CCHF, Lyme, sleeping sickness, yellow fever, Chikungunya) 2. where there is close contact between animal and human on a regular basis (e.g. cat scratch fever, anthrax. CCHF) or 3. because of processing of meat from contaminated animals (e.g.CCHF, Ebola) or 4. where larvae/eggs are water/food-borne (e.g. various nasty worms).
Feline Toxoplasmosis has been implicated in many human historical events, eg the Witch Craze in 16th-17th century Europe
Although ergot from damp wheat has also been suggested.
The Feline T explanation is more persuasive, to me. Old women with lots of cats
And it really does do weird things
"How a cat parasite can change your personality
"A new study suggests that infection with the cat-borne parasite Toxoplasma gondii could make people more risk-prone and likely to start their own business."
It really is interesting how behaviour can be modified by outside (ok inside) influences. Not unlike how drugs can affect consciousness. Always makes me think.
A fascinating area. I recommend a late, flawed, but intriguing Tom Knox novel (I believe the author was once a congregant at these here pews) - the Deceit. It investigates the idea that religion is born of a cerebral parasite
Absurd, but.... those Egyptians did love them some cats
Evening all, I was wondering if anyone had a high level overview of demand for vaccines by state in the US? I'm getting slightly nervous that the US South and France we could have issues reaching the 75-80% mark.
Of adults ? Perhaps. Of population ? It'd be a miracle.
Oddly enough, I think the US would find it easier to hit 75% of total population (once we have a vaccine approved for all age groups except babies) than it will be to get to 75% of adults. The US is used to kids needing to be vaccinated to have access to public schools.
That's interesting. I've seen it suggested that the reason for the widespread takeup in the UK is because we're used to child vaccine programmes. Maybe it is, but it doesn't seem to have that effect on adults in the US, then.
Good evening, everybody.
Some of it is cost. If flu vaccines cost $40 a year there are millions in the US who will decide it is not worth the cost vs risk, and depending on their finances and health they may be correct to do so.
Having vaccines free for those who need them most and easily available at £8-10 privately for the rest is a big reason the UK is used to them.
Evening all, I was wondering if anyone had a high level overview of demand for vaccines by state in the US? I'm getting slightly nervous that the US South and France we could have issues reaching the 75-80% mark.
Nah even in the US south they are getting to 70% unvaccinated…
Comments
Absurd, but.... those Egyptians did love them some cats
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deceit-Tom-Knox/dp/000745919X
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I47floRRAFs
Good evening, everybody.
Knew too much, apparently.
Having vaccines free for those who need them most and easily available at £8-10 privately for the rest is a big reason the UK is used to them.