h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

But at what cost to the economy?

According to a number of economists the economy is actually doing fine. Sure, a number of firms are going bankrupt and unemployment is rising, but other firms are doing great and are hiring more staff and in time we should be back on track again.

But now it is feared that certain mutations of Covid-19 are spreading faster and might even infect people who should be immune by now. Nothing has been confirmed so far but keep those fingers crossed

It's hard to type with your fingers crossed. (Strangely, I *did* type with ym fingers crossed, and did fine)

TV and Paper news media/internet social media/governments media - they all have statistics etc (on any and everything) BUT! All Can be manipulated to "what you see"
That's been ongoing for millennia

Use your own judgement! Coronavirus kills!
Who cares about numbers ? IT KILLS PEOPLE.....So it needs defeating!!!!

The rollout of the vaccine is a mess in my state.

I looked at the state's website today.

I've had emails from my healthcare provider about what they will do when/if they get some vaccine. They will start by inoculating their members over 75, of which they have 40,000. Good luck with that!

Giving the vaccine to the oldest patients will likely reduce the death rate, but the over-75s are the people least likely to be leaving their homes very much and interacting with other people -- except for their caregivers.

So, the younger people who met the most people will have the chance to spread the disease.

Here's a suggestion: vaccinate all caregivers, first responders, and delivery-people. These are the ones who would spread the disease if they had it to spread. Rid them of the chance of having the disease, and they won't have it to spread. Their elderly clients will face less risk, even if they are not vaccinated.

I'm afraid this doesn't work, since vaccinated people still may be able to infect others.

This is why we (now that we don't have enough vaccines) have changed our program and now vaccinate all older people first

"vaccinated people still may be able to infect others."

I wasn't aware of this. The vaccine cannot give the infection to anyone. If you don't have the infection, you can't spread it. Unless you had the infection before you were vaccinated.

I'm neither nor but from what I've heard and read you can still carry the virus around even if it will no longer attack yourself.

There's much we still don't know about this plague

Nor are we likely to get a definitive answer.

Maybe in time but probably not any time soon

Meanwhile the infection rate here has sunk to a near record low since the plague started. However the powers that be are very wary about mutations from the UK, South Africa and Brazil. So we may likely stay in lockdown for weeks to come - depending on how fast we can get vaccines and use them

One of the vaccine makers has come up with booster shots to protect against some of the variants.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-55843797

Take heart my friends! If "HE" can get through this! (Which he has)

WE can get through coronavirus and whatever is thrown at us!

That is good to hear!

Meanwhile as predicted our lockdown has just been prolonged til 28 February - at least ...

I'm not a statistician by a long way!
But! in my "view" 30% of any countries population will follow most rules etc.

The other 70% are like and will follow "any leader"
Or as I say:- those that are 2 braincells behind a plant

that 70% will pass on/continue corona outbreak

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-55845582

Need I say more!

I live 14 mile away from Leedsand those people let down the majority of decent Yorkshire folk!

We live in strange times.

Two years ago, you were not allowed to wear a mask if you went up o a teller in a bank for a transaction.

Now you aren;t allowed near a teller *without* a mask.

Prof, the problem with eejits like those gathering for fights is *they* think *we* are the 70%

Let's be positive about this: The antivaxxers will over time leave the gene pool

That's not guaranteed. Random chance will govern things. If an antivaxxer has a strong immune system, it's possible no harm will come to him/her.

I'm afraid you are right. Weeds do not perish that easily, as we say over here