Brits dreaming of COVID-free Christmas

[Anonymous]

I hope Santa brings them them what they ask for.



From Reuters



LONDON — The University of Oxford's possible COVID-19 vaccine could be rolled out by the end of the year, but there is no certainty, the lead developer of the vaccine said Tuesday.



The experimental vaccine, which has been licensed to AstraZeneca, produced an immune response in early stage clinical trials, data showed Monday, preserving hopes it could be in use by the end of the year.



"The end-of-the-year target for getting vaccine rollout, it's a possibility, but there's absolutely no certainty about that because we need three things to happen," Sarah Gilbert told BBC Radio.



She said it needed to be shown to work in late-stage trials, there needed to be large quantities manufactured and regulators had to agree quickly to license it for emergency use before large numbers of people could be vaccinated.



Chief English medical officer Chris Whitty and deputy Jonathan Van-Tam took differing views on the potential timeline.



"The chance of us getting a vaccine before Christmas that actually is highly effective are, in my view, very low," Whitty told lawmakers.



But Van-Tam said he was "cautiously optimistic that we will have some vaccine this side of Christmas."



Health Minister Matt Hancock told a parliamentary committee that despite being an "optimist," he could not "promise to play Santa."

[Anonymous]

These stats are similar to some Canadian provinces.



Virus risk overblown?

Average age of Scots killed by COVID-19 tops life expectancy



Patients succumbing to COVID-19 in Scotland have an average age older than the age at which people pass away normally, numbers show.



National Records of Scotland data reveals the median age of death caused by the novel coronavirus is 81 for men and 85 for women.



A man's life expectancy in Scotland, by contrast, is 80.5, while women, according to the Office for National Statistics, on average live to age 84.



The numbers reinforce claims from top scientists that thousands of patients who have passed away amid the pandemic may have died soon anyway, regardless of the disease. The data adds to growing evidence showing the virus strikes the elderly, while schoolchildren are more at risk of being hit by lightning than falling victim to COVID-19.



Experts contacted by MailOnline were torn about the findings' significance, some claiming it "reinforced the extraordinary impact age has on the risk of dying from the coronavirus." Others felt they "expected the difference to be greater" and cautioned "there is always a risk, if you catch COVID-19, you could die," irrespective of age.

[Anonymous]

Europe, and it particular, the UK may have a vaccine available before North America.



EU readies rubber stamp

European regulators could approve the first vaccine against COVID-19 this year after a flurry of trials by drugmakers leading the race showed promising results.



"We are preparing ourselves for that possibility so that we as regulators will be ready," Marco Cavaleri, of the European Medicines Agency, said Tuesday. "It will be a matter of seeing whether this data could be sufficient for allowing any kind of approval by the end of 2020."



The EMA will start working with drugmakers on a review after the summer, Cavaleri said. Data, manufacturing and clinical decisions will be assessed in real time to speed the process. The approach should allow successful vaccines to be officially approved within a matter of days once submitted, Cavaleri said.

[Anonymous]

I hope Santa brings them them what they ask for.



From Reuters



LONDON — The University of Oxford's possible COVID-19 vaccine could be rolled out by the end of the year, but there is no certainty, the lead developer of the vaccine said Tuesday.



The experimental vaccine, which has been licensed to AstraZeneca, produced an immune response in early stage clinical trials, data showed Monday, preserving hopes it could be in use by the end of the year.



"The end-of-the-year target for getting vaccine rollout, it's a possibility, but there's absolutely no certainty about that because we need three things to happen," Sarah Gilbert told BBC Radio.



She said it needed to be shown to work in late-stage trials, there needed to be large quantities manufactured and regulators had to agree quickly to license it for emergency use before large numbers of people could be vaccinated.



Chief English medical officer Chris Whitty and deputy Jonathan Van-Tam took differing views on the potential timeline.



"The chance of us getting a vaccine before Christmas that actually is highly effective are, in my view, very low," Whitty told lawmakers.



But Van-Tam said he was "cautiously optimistic that we will have some vaccine this side of Christmas."



Health Minister Matt Hancock told a parliamentary committee that despite being an "optimist," he could not "promise to play Santa."

That would be a hell of a present, but unlikey.

[cc]

Specific predictions from us Peanut Galleriests  at this moment in time have little meaning



I'll just keep hoping ... while knowing those directly involved  deliberately estimate very conservatively



They have to in this case that affects everyone

[Anonymous]

Specific predictions or even tight estimates at this moment in time have little meaning



I'll just keep hoping ... while knowing those directly involved  deliberately estimate very conservatively .. they have to

People want time frames. That is just human nature.

[cc]

True .. very true .. which is why those involved must be ULTRA conservative / err to the worse case scenario



I tend to time frame on the optimistic side . . my nature .. but in this case, no predictions

[Anonymous]

True .. very true .. which is why those involved must be ULTRA conservative / err to the worse case scenario



I tend to time frame on the optimistic side . . my nature .. but in this case, no predictions

That is true. If people are told a vaccine will be available by Christmas and say by May of next year one is still not available, they will be pissed off.

[Anonymous]

I hope Santa brings them them what they ask for.



From Reuters



LONDON — The University of Oxford's possible COVID-19 vaccine could be rolled out by the end of the year, but there is no certainty, the lead developer of the vaccine said Tuesday.



The experimental vaccine, which has been licensed to AstraZeneca, produced an immune response in early stage clinical trials, data showed Monday, preserving hopes it could be in use by the end of the year.



"The end-of-the-year target for getting vaccine rollout, it's a possibility, but there's absolutely no certainty about that because we need three things to happen," Sarah Gilbert told BBC Radio.



She said it needed to be shown to work in late-stage trials, there needed to be large quantities manufactured and regulators had to agree quickly to license it for emergency use before large numbers of people could be vaccinated.



Chief English medical officer Chris Whitty and deputy Jonathan Van-Tam took differing views on the potential timeline.



"The chance of us getting a vaccine before Christmas that actually is highly effective are, in my view, very low," Whitty told lawmakers.



But Van-Tam said he was "cautiously optimistic that we will have some vaccine this side of Christmas."



Health Minister Matt Hancock told a parliamentary committee that despite being an "optimist," he could not "promise to play Santa."

They will have to extra good this year if they want Santa to bring them a vaccine.