UK, Third injection
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/03/13/pensioners-may-get-vaccine-booster-august-avoid-winter-wave/
Pensioners, possible booster in August / September
Waiting until winter could be too late
Prof Anthony Harnden, Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
Top up would be needed, protect against a new variant or as a safety net
(as the duration of protection is unknown)
Possible third wave affecting the vulnerable elderly next winter
Annual Covid-19 vaccinations could be necessary in the years to come
(Or not, if immunity lasts for a long time)
AZ 14th March, vaccine is safe
https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2021/update-on-the-safety-of-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca.html
17 million people vaccinated in the European Union (EU) and UK with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca
No increased incidence in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country.
8 March data
15 events of DVT and 22 events of pulmonary embolism
Much lower than would be expected to occur naturally
In clinical trials, number of thrombotic events was small, lower in the vaccinated group
No evidence of increased bleeding in over 60,000 participants enrolled.
there are also no confirmed issues related to any batch of our vaccine used across Europe, or the rest of the world
Quality testing, 60 quality tests are conducted by AstraZeneca
20 independent testing laboratories
Epidemiology of venous thromboembolism
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4624298/
Incidence rate
Men, 130 per 100,000 per year
Women, 110 per 100,000 per year
That’s 10 per month per 100,000
That’s 120 per million per month
Therefore for 3 million of the population 360 thromboembolic events expected per month
Early data, vaccination and long covid
Vaccine may alleviate symptoms in long Covid
Patient groups and scientists
About 10% symptomatic for 12 weeks, some longer
20 to 50% reduced symptoms, fatigue, headaches, brain fog
Effects may be temporary
Dr David Strain, University of Exeter
Runs long Covid clinics, member of the NHS long covid taskforce
We are getting people reporting improvements, and it’s quite widespread, about half of the people we are asking.
There is a major reporting bias, though – the people who notice something remarkable are the ones shouting about it.”
This provides a bit of hope for people who have been struggling with this for 12 months or more, just to feel better for a bit.
But also as researchers it tells us a lot of information: does this give us clues about how we should be treating it? We need to look very carefully
Lou Barnes, coordinates 4,000-strong Post Covid Syndrome support group
Estimates 20%
Improvements lasting for around three weeks
Others reported feeling worse for a short time
Professor Danny Altmann, immunologist, Imperial College, London
It’s very interesting because we still have no clue about the mechanisms in long Covid and what to do for patients,
and also because many sufferers are very anxious about their immune status.
This has led to some paradoxical vaccine hesitancy
Professor Eleanor Riley, immunologist, University of Edinburgh
One of the hypotheses about chronic fatigue syndrome is that it is a failure of the immune system to reset after a viral infection.
And if that’s the case, then giving the immune system a jolt, for example by vaccination, may help to reset.
But that is purely speculation
It’s possible it may turn out to be random
Seems to be two forms of long covid
After severe and milder disease
CoViD tongue
https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/covid-tongue
Previously reported mouth and tongue changes
Dry mouth, loss of taste (dysgeusia) and fungal infection (oral thrush).
Changes in tongue sensation, muscle pain while chewing, swelling in the mouth and ulcers on the tongue or inner surface of the mouth and lips
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dth.14717
Reporters ask to identify new features
Loss of smell, skin rashes, delirium
Tongue doesn’t look normal, white and patchy
What causes COVID tongue?
Could be direct viral effect or an immune response
Increased susceptible to fungal infections in the mouth
However, anti-fungals don’t seem to work
How common is COVID tongue?
Up to a quarter of hospitalised patients had tongue or mouth changes
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjd.19564
Less common mild disease
Don’t knows
If it can be an isolated feature
When in the condition it arises
Now a specific question
Source