Taliban, Afghanistan & Corona-virus

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   Revirioposted 3 years ago

   Looks like people have forgotten to a great extent about the Corona issue after the wake of the Taliban. What do you think?

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      Nathanvilleposted 3 years agoin reply to this

      To a great extent it depends which country you live in e.g. in the UK, although all Covid restrictions were lifted on the 19th July due to the successful covid vaccine rollout, and life has now returned to normal in the UK, there is still public awareness of the pandemic.  We Brits talk about covid just as much as we talk about the weather.

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         Revirioposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         +1.

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         Castlepalomaposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         You make covid vaccines sound as natural as nature.

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      CHRIS57posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Don´t know if the Afghanistan retreat was that much in focus, really.
      
      But for all countries the pandemic is not over, who still have a large part of the population unvaccinated and vulnerable.
      
      The UK is getting close to "stealth mode" for the virus radar with so many vaccinated and/or recovered.
      
      Even though the USA had already 13% of its populaton infected and some 54% fully vaccinated, the remaining 33% unprotected cause a lot of trouble with aggressive Delta variant.
      
      Can speak for Germany and we have 63% fully vaccinated, but less than 5% infected/recovered. Leaves the unpretected share to 32%, almost the same as with the USA.
      
      The delta variant appears to be twice as contageous as the initial virus. Instead of 2/3 we now need 5/6 = 83% to be protected as a society, to disappear from the virus radar. Still a long way to go for most countries. So discussion is not over.
      
      Playing the same trick for the UK (with official numbers): 65% full vacced and 12% infected/recovered = 77%. The gap to said 83% is small, but still existing and leaving its fallout with high infection rate/ active case numbers.
      
      It is political decision making on how to handle this. But the small gap still allows the virus to run wild.

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         Nathanvilleposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks for the data Chris, some interesting figures.
         
         7.5% of those eligible for the covid vaccine have had their first shot, and now waiting for the required period (which is 8 to 12 weeks in the UK) before getting their 2nd shot e.g. studies in the UK has shown that leaving a gap of 8 weeks or more between the 1st & 2nd dose gives a more sustained, and longer, protection than were there’s just a 3 week gap between doses.  Therefore, all those who have had the first dose will all be fully vaccinated by Christmas.
         
         Those eligible for the vaccine in the UK was originally everyone over the age of 18, but since August the eligibility age was reduced to 16; and now this past week reduced further to the age of 11.
         
         After doing a U-turn, the UK Government is now including children between the age of 11 and 15 as being eligible for the vaccine (an additional 3 million - about 5% of the total population); so in the UK we are creeping ever closer to that 83% which you referenced as being significant.

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      Sharlee01posted 3 years agoin reply to this

      Here in Michigan it well appears people are moving about more freely, and it is apparent fewer are using masks. DELTA numbers were high all summer, and have now started to tick down. The US has not done as well as some countries with getting its population vaccinated. Which could leave the US vulnerable in the coming winter if a new variant emerges.
      
      Not sure if one could say we have "forgotten" the virus. In my view, some citizens have given into COVID fatigue. Which was occurring before the Afghanistan withdrawal.

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         Castlepalomaposted 3 years agoin reply to this

         Then American are luckier than many western nations.

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