Day 258 was a foggy, misty morning following a night of rain. I spent an hour or so editing and then set off up my hill. Yesterday the buttery yellow light had cause the green hills to glow with inner luminescence, today the bare skeletons of trees were silhouetted against a bank of mist and an ethereal light permeated everything.
Crows sat in the trees, a flock of starlings on the telegraph wire and blackbirds kept sentinel on tops of the flayed hedges.
Strange days.
Back home I’ve been playing the Doors Strange Days album! We do live in strange days.
While I was walking I was thinking about that vaccine and the testing that has been carried out. I do not know how much has been published. I would hope there is good public access. There are a number of questions I would like answered. Perhaps Neil could help me out here?
How many were in the test group?
How many would have been expected to go down with Covid and how many did?
Of the ones who did go down with covid how many were really ill?
What were the side-effects?
What percentage had side-effects?
I am very confident in the science behind mRNA vaccines – it’s what I used to teach. I certainly will be taking the jab. I just like to get the full picture.
The vaccine is being rolled out this week starting with the over eighties! It’ll take a while to get everyone done and get us up to herd immunity so normality is still a few months off. The Pfizer vaccine had 40,000 volunteers it seems – none of who had more than minor symptoms. We all get a little reaction to a jab. I don’t mind a sore arm or bit of a temperature for a day or two. A small price to pay!
I wonder what Trump is feeling now. All his legal challenges are being kicked out as having no basis and the virus is raging – another 205,513 cases today with a staggering 2190 deaths. I wonder if he’s feeling guilty? I don’t think sociopaths do do they? I think he’s blaming the virus for his defeat and probably wanting it to kill. It would be interesting to analyse the stats. I bet it’s killing a hell of a lot more Trump supporters than Biden ones.
In the UK we still, despite lockdown, have another 15,539 new cases, but at least the deaths are coming down a bit – 397 deaths today. What is quite apparent is that this last lockdown was totally different to that of the first. In the first one there was hardly a person to be seen, nature came out of the shadows. Everywhere was like a ghost town. During this last one you wouldn’t have known we were in lockdown; people were out and the roads were as busy as ever. It’s no wonder the virus wasn’t more depressed.
Brazil is still raging away – another 43,209 cases and 664 deaths. Having a useless, callous leader certainly has an impact. Compared to New Zealand, with no new cases and no deaths, it is quite apparent what good leadership and strategies does. They are back to normal which the USA, UK and Brazil are suffering catastrophes.
Christmas is coming – I’m expecting a big spike!!
Hang in there – the vaccine is on its way. Normality is just around the corner! Don’t die now!
Stay safe!!
Opher, you greatly exaggerate my abilities. I can crunch data – and uncover the big picture it tells – as well as anyone. But my knowledge of statistical techniques is almost 50 years out of date, and extremely rusty to boot. Besides which, if there’s a problem with the vaccine, do you really think Johnson and co would release the data?
I would never underestimate your abilities Neil. I thought that was up your street! I’m not sure what has been published. It would be interesting to know.
I’m sure you’re right about Johnson. He’s a slimy, lying git.