Another nice day in Yorkshire. Sunny and a bit windy.
I did some editing. Listened to Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and then went out for a walk up on the Wolds through Home Dale, past Harper Dale to Horse Dale. I had to laugh about Harper Dale – I wonder if Roy knows it? I’ll have to take Nick up there when he comes next!
Speaking of Harpers – the Roy Harper book seems to have sorted itself out on Amazon but has sold out on Burning Shed. That sounds good. I was very heartened to read the two great five star reviews that have appeared. Thank you so much. It means a lot. It’s only been out less than a week. Great to hear that people are loving it and it’s selling well. Gives me a boost.
I’ve just received another batch – my first batch sold out in days – so if anyone wants a signed book I have some available. Email: opher@hotmail.co.uk
Meanwhile, out in Coronaland, our clown of a leader continues his inept dance of death. He shuffles here, he shuffles there, he shambles everywhere. I think the guy hasn’t got a clue. He has no plan, no idea, just dithers around.
The traffic lights go red, green and amber without warning. The vaccination program is bogged down. The antivaxx movement puts out its silly propaganda and Johnson is not countering it. Too few young people are getting vaccinated. The virus is speeding its way through the young. It’s up to 130,215 yesterday – and that’s with greatly reduced testing so it’s really much higher. There were another 119 deaths. We are well short of herd immunity. Antivaxxers are fertile ground. Variant breeders. Johnson is panicking and rolling out vaccination to over 16s in an attempt to gain herd immunity. If he fails to do this before the end of Summer (and doctors say it is shambolic) we could be in for a big wave. Already 20% of hospital cases are under 35s. New variants are infecting younger people. Vulnerable people and unvaccinated are at increasing risk!
So as the Pings fall and people avoid testing, the risks increase
Out in the States things are becoming critical. Many Trumpist States have very low vaccination levels (Florida, Louisiana, Missouri) and the virus is taking off throwing up variants.
The Lambda variant from Perus is now spreading through Texas. The Doomsday variant could be more lethal and evade vaccines. The USA could be the epicentre of a terrible new carnage much worse than we’ve seen.
GET BLOODY VACCINATED!!!!
There is a silly conspiracy theory that this pandemic is concocted by Big Pharma.
Rubbish!!!
This is no plot by Big Pharma – that’s conspiracy nonsense. This is a pandemic – a coronavirus similar to MERS and SARS. It’s been predicted for decades and it wasn’t controlled at the beginning. We dodged a bullet with SARS and MERS. We dodged a bullet with Ebola and HIV. We were far too complacent.
In the past we’ve had pandemics that wiped out over 60% of the population. We are fortunate that this is only killing 2% but leaving up to 10% seriously impacted with organ damage of long covid – some permanently.
The variants are mutating because of the numbers who are infected. Each infected person has billions of viruses. We allowed it to get out of control. We are paying the price.
Mutations occur at a standard rate – about 1 in a billion. So each infected person is producing variants (most of which do not survive). The more infected people, the more viruses, the more variants. Sooner or later it throws up one that works to the benefit of the virus and that is selected and becomes a variant.
In the USA there are large numbers of antivaxxers in various states – Louisiana, Missouri, Florida ….. This is proving fertile ground for the virus and throwing up variants at an increasing rate. Unvaccinated people are causing the pandemic to worsen and mutate.
The Lambda and so-called Doomsday variants are very worrying because they evade vaccines. If they take off we are all back in strict lockdown again until another vaccine is produced that deals with them.
Big Pharma isn’t the problem (though they are loving this and making a fortune). The problem is those who haven’t been vaccinated – either the antivaxxers or those in poor countries who can’t afford the vaccine. Until the world is vaccinated so that we do not have breeding grounds for variants we are all in trouble.
What sensible, intelligent person would refuse a medicine that would protect them, prevent them dying or becoming severely ill?
In the States the big problem is the antivaxxer movement spreading these silly conspiracy theories and daft fears. This nonsense could end up killing us all. All we need is a new much more lethal variant. One that kills a higher percentage and evades vaccines.
The more antivaxxers the greater the risk.
Science is the only way out. Not believing in the science, but rather believing all the silly internet scare stories, could be the death of us all.
The risk from a vaccine is negligible. The risk from a covid infection is far far far far greater.
This is a matter of science and common sense – not daft conspiracy. This is my area of expertise. It’s what I taught for years.
GET VACCINATED!!!
Stay safe!