U.K. Covid-19 July 2021

OK - Back to the topic ....

SAGE latest warning: - Updated at 17:11

© PA Archive Customers maintain social distancing in a queue to enter a Waitrose supermarket in north London (Victoria Jones/PA)

Key Points

• ‘Long way to go’ before life is normal, warns Sage
• Sturgeon: Scotland in ‘better position’ with Covid than expected
• JCVI ‘largely opposed’ to Covid vaccines for children under 16
• University to offer cash prizes to double-jabbed students
• Glasgow’s Euro 2020 fan zone linked to more than 100 Covid cases
• First child dies of Covid in Northern Ireland

Covid UK news – live: ‘Long way to go’ before life is normal, warns Sage, after NI records first child death (msn.com)

 

What are the odds of catching Covid? New research shows why vaccination is so important - Aliss Higham (Daily Express)

A new study by researchers at Imperial College London found that those with both rounds of a coronavirus vaccine are half as likely to be infected with the virus than those who have not been vaccinated.
The results of the research come as case numbers continue to drop across much of the UK despite the prevalence of the Delta variant.

Young people are still receiving vaccinations across the UK, with the go-ahead now given to vaccinate 16 and 17-year-olds.

Unvaccinated young people are currently driving infection numbers in the UK, a trend that is also mirrored in the USA, which is struggling to combat the highly infectious Delta variant.

"Today's report shows the importance of taking personal responsibility by self-isolating if you are contact traced, getting tested if you have symptoms and wearing face coverings where appropriate.
"I urge anyone who has yet to receive a vaccine to get jabbed and take up both doses - the vaccines are safe and they are working."

What are the odds of catching Covid? New research shows why vaccination is so important (msn.com)

 

"Not, 'Out of the woods' yet"

The success of the UK’s Covid vaccine roll-out means further lockdowns are unlikely – but the nation has a “long way to go” before returning to normal, a senior government adviser has warned.

‘Long way to go’ before life gets back to normal, warns government adviser (msn.com)

 

UK Watchdog to investigate ‘exploitative behaviour’ among travel PCR Covid test providers: (Tom Batchelor)

Prices for travel PCR Covid tests, some of which are exorbitant and vary wildly between providers, have prompted an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

UK competition watchdog to investigate ‘exploitative behaviour’ among travel PCR Covid test providers (msn.com)

 

Javid urges rapid review over 'excessive' cost of PCR tests: (Lucia Binding,)

The health secretary has asked the competition watchdog to investigate the market for PCR tests amid concerns of "exploitative practices" and vastly different costs.

Javid urges rapid review over 'excessive' cost of PCR tests (msn.com)

 

A bit of good positivity . Success has to go to the vaccination programme ,perhaps the only thing the Government have got right . I the Manchester area we have 5 towns under the England average

 

The latest rates for Gtr Manchester showing a slight increase in 3 boroughs . Every other borough or town is on the decrease .

 

Ivermectin: Northern Ireland seizures of unproven horse drug used for Covid
By Michael Sheils McNamee
BBC News NI

Published

6 hours ago
Related Topics

• Coronavirus pandemic

image source, Getty Images
image captionIvermectin is primarily used to treat parasitic infections in animals but also has some application for humans in small doses
Thousands of tablets of a horse deworming drug promoted as an alternative Covid-19 treatment despite being unproven have been seized coming into Northern Ireland.

Ivermectin is used for parasitic infections in animals and also has some application for humans in small doses.

Between July 2020 and September 2021, 8,600 tablets were seized by the Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG).

In the 12 months prior to that, no tablets were seized.

The MRG is part of the Department of Health, and is responsible for overseeing the production and supply of controlled drugs in Northern Ireland.

It works with police, Border Force, and customs officers to intercept unlicenced medicines at the UK's borders, being brought in through the postal system.

If you’ve not followed the story of how some Americans have turned to a drug called Ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID despite no public evidence it does this, a tweet can’t do it justice. Trust me, it’s worth 7 minutes. Produced @briony_sowden https://t.co/ydJg8xyDxt pic.twitter.com/wQZNUiK8HB

— Ros Atkins (@BBCRosAtkins) September 14, 2021
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said the tablets had originated mostly from south Asia, and said it was aware of a "general upsurge in public demand for Ivermectin as a Covid-19 treatment, particularly via the internet".

"At present there are no Ivermectin products approved for use in the UK for the prophylaxis or treatment of Covid-19," the department said.

"There is currently a clinical trial with Ivermectin ongoing in the UK and results are awaited."

In June, the University of Oxford began a trial to assess if Ivermectin could be used to keep Covid-19 patients out of hospital.

• Ivermectin to be studied as Covid treatment in UK

Earlier this week, Irish news website TheJournal.ie reported that 4,958 units of Ivermectin had been seized in the Republic of Ireland between July 2020 and July 2021 - up from 158 units in the year before.

The figures reported were confirmed to BBC News NI by the Health Products Regulatory Authority, the Irish medicines' regulator.

Ivermectin's rise to prominence
In recent months, Ivermectin has come to greater attention due to its promotion as an alternative treatment for Covid-19.

For human use, it is commonly used to treat parasitic infections such as river blindness, spread by flies, Ivermectin has also been shown to kill viruses in petri dishes in the lab - although, at much higher doses than would usually be prescribed to people.
In the United States, there have been reports of people becoming unwell having taken the drug.

Earlier this month, the US Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an advisory that said calls to poison control centres across the US about human exposure to Ivermectin had risen sharply, with July calls being five times over the baseline number.

Speaking after contracting Covid-19, hugely popular American podcast host Joe Rogan said he had used Ivermectin as part of his treatment.

In August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the body responsible for approving prescription drugs in the United States, tweeted out advice about why people should not take Ivermectin for Covid-19.

"You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it," it wrote.

You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it. Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19

— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) August 21, 2021
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
In Northern Ireland, it is a criminal offence to unlawfully import prescription medicines.

The Department of Health said the MRG would continue to work with partner agencies to monitor illegal medicinal products coming into Northern Ireland.

It said it would also "shut down websites and social media pages making false claims about health products related to Covid-19".

The public is urged to report websites alleging to sell Covid-19 remedies to the MRG.

A spokeswoman for the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland said it had not been alerted to the misuse of Ivermectin as an issue.

Responsibility for approval of prescription drugs in the UK comes from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

"A marketing authorisation for an Ivermectin-containing medicine would only be issued based on robust data to show a positive risk benefit for the quality, safety and efficacy of the product," the department said.

 

And for Some Good Positive News




For me the figures show a good degree of positivity for the Gtr Manchester area .

All the boroughs are trending downwards with 5 being under the England average which is also falling .

This shows the success of the vaccine programme particularly the drive in Gtr Manchester and hopefully will silence the doubting Thomas's ,who only think by being a killjoy, locking everything down is the answer .

The date also covers the opening of Football grounds and large crowds returning once more to watch the "beautiful game" and add to the atmosphere, previously robbed by empty stadia .

The only possible fly in the ointment is the figures would not include the impact caused by schools returning and this is a major sector of Covid spreaders .

I am also not under any illusion that this Pandemic is over in the UK either . We have yet a long way to go and life has to go on but one cant argue with the figures and they look very encouraging.