The Corona Diaries – Day 375

It’s very mild here for the end of December but it’s been drizzling all day. I stayed in and started editing my Captain Beefheart book again. That requires concentration and application. It’s going to take me a while.

While I’m doing that I’m going to be thinking about my next Sci-fi novel. It’s the sequel to ‘The Pornography Wars’. I have most of my characters and I have the situation that they now find themselves in. All that’s required is a good plot and I can begin working them through to a suitable conclusion. I do enjoy writing creatively, solving problems, creating characters and scenarios, looking at philosophies and combining that with relevance to present-day social situations. It’s fun.

My study is almost back in shape. My music collection has been rearranged, posters up. I need to sell a bit of furniture that’s clogging up the place and then move my work area. Everything will be so much better.

Tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve. I have no plans. The virus is currently going mad.

Meanwhile, out in Coronaland, our resident clown runs on hunches and hopes, having completely abandoned science. His hunch is that keeping everything ‘normal’ through New Year will make him popular (some hope – everybody now thinks he’s a cretin). His hope is that the virus doesn’t go mad and create a disaster for the NHS. He hopes the Omicron isn’t going to put people in the ICUs.

Perhaps he should have listened to the scientists?? His hunches haven’t proved very good. As probably the worst Prime Minister we’ve ever had, I don’t think he is ever going to achieve popularity again. People have had enough of his lies; they’ve seen through his fake optimism and found his promises empty, while he, and his cronies, have been busy profiteering, knee-deep in sleaze.

It’s the end for the shabby plump rich kid.

The scientists have been asking for more stringent measures. Johnson’s hopes that the virus won’t spread and that the ICUs won’t fill to overflowing; that the staff won’t all be off sick and the death-rate start to climb, are all looking shipwrecked. I’m getting an attack of Deja Vu. Haven’t we been here before a number of times?

Let me see – lockdown early and hard to avoid nastiness. Errr – why are we always too late and too soft???

Surely there were simple measures that could have been brought in that would have prevented us reaching another crisis??

Johnson’s not a man for detail or rational thought, is he? The ERG lunatics running the Tory Party are as bad as the Trumpists – extremist nutters!!

So yesterday, there were either 221,000 (government site) or 183,037 (BBC and Sky) new cases with 68 more deaths. The numbers in hospital were going up with 1213 being the new figure. There were 437 admitted yesterday – the highest number since last February.

So Johnson’s hopes flounder. Wrong again!! How many deaths will that make??

The virus is getting out of control. The NHS is preparing Nightingale centres again. There will be more ventilators and deaths.

However, our mighty chump at last made a pronouncement. He said ‘Go out and enjoy New Year!’ He forgot to add ‘And die!!’

He urged people to go and do a lateral flow test before going out. Unfortunately, there are no lateral flow tests available in many areas. The usual Tory government planning and efficiency.

So as the virus surges to unprecedented heights, hospitals are in crisis, the message is – ‘get together and have fun – love me for it.’

The lunatic antivaxxers were out at Milton Keyes. They believe every conspiracy going. Why believe the scientists, experts and doctors when you can believe Ethel from Texas who is sure that the Democrats have a commie plot to put hypnotic agents into the vaccine, and Jonah, from South Carolina, knows that Bill Gates is putting spyware into the vaccine, and Gus from Ohio knows it’s all a hoax. It seems that Ethel, Jonah and Gus, all of whom flunked school, know much more about these things than the professors who have spent their lives studying it.

Talk about the ignorant leading the way.

So the antivaxxers believe they have a right not only to not take the vaccine (and duck their social and personal obligations) but to actively prevent others from having their shots. Why is that? Sounds fascist to me!! They are intimidating hard-pressed NHS staff.

I’d lock ’em all up!!

The ICUs are full of antivaxxers – 90% have not had their boosters. Perhaps they should all sign a disclaimer saying that in the event of covid they should not be treated – and put their actions where their mouths are???

Stay Safe!! I think we’re back in the Dark Ages!!!

The Corona Diaries – Day 375

Very cold today. I walked up my hill and noticed that the may blossom was all coming out but the celandine had all closed up! I heard my spotted woodpecker (I lay claim to all the animals I see and hear).

I’m still hearing that 12-bore serenade as hunters are out there killing anything that moves.

Back home I’ve been playing some Little Walter and writing. I’ve just started the final chapter of my Sci-fi book – first draft. 47,000 words so far. Quite pleased but much work ahead.

Meanwhile out in Coronaland – our clown has still not properly closed our borders though they’ve added a few more countries to the red list. I don’t think they understand viruses! They’ve also foolishly started urging people back to the offices. They don’t seem to learn!

The Pfizer vaccine has been producing 100% effectiveness against the South African strain. Excellent!

We’re moving towards a vaccine passport even though a number of politicians are squealing. It’s bound to happen.

The current state of play around the world. Some countries – like New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam continue to do brilliantly.

The levels in the USA is going up a bit but the UK is looking good. The vaccine effect is biting.

Brazil is the basket case with Bolsonaro still refusing to introduce preventative measures. They’ve got a catastrophe on their hands.

CountryNew Cases yesterdayDeaths yesterdayRising or falling
USA77,718955Rising slowly
UK4,47851Falling slowly
Brazil91,0973,769Rising fast
New Zealand00 Same
Vietnam140 Same

The other big news story are the blood clots with AstraZeneca. There is a lot of debate about whether the clots are a result of vaccination or naturally occurring. They are such small numbers as to be insignificant anyway!

Based on the Germany data alone, if you vaccinate a million people then you would expect 12 to have a blood clot and four of them to die.

But if a million 60-year-olds catch coronavirus then around 20,000 would die of Covid-19. If a million 40-year-olds catch coronavirus then around 1,000 die. It would be a few hundred people in their 30s.

The benefits of vaccination clearly increase with age and countries like Germany and Canada have allowed the AstraZeneca vaccine to be used in older age-groups. These decisions will also be driven by which alternative vaccines they have available and who still needs to be immunised.

In the UK there have been 5 cases out of 11 million. I’d prefer to take my chances with that rather than covid. The odds are extremely good.

So stay safe!!