Coronavirus (Non-Politics)

[rigsby]

There wasn't an age limit on participants in any of the trials I've looked at (the main ones). But the general difficulties in recruiting elderly people to trials mean the oldest people in the studies are high 80s. The regulators will have looked closely to see if the benefits and risks could be interpolated to the very oldest people, especially given their general frailty and multimorbidity. They haven't seen any issues in using the vaccines in people in their 90s. Don't forget that the consequences of COVID-19 is many times more serious for the very elderly, so vaccination is even more important and regulators would be hard-pressed to come up with a reason to deny it based on the evidence we have.

Being male does seem to be an additional risk factor. It's not really understood why, but that's the case with lots of diseases. It could be causal (e.g. being male itself is an additional risk for mortality) or an association that's explained by other things (e.g. worse general health/lower life expectancy in males, living alone/delayed access to health services etc)

I dint know the numbers but there are more women over the the age of 85. Us men do more dangerous and more stupid things. Add suicide and murder means care homes have more women in them.

Like i said I don't have figures but i'm told its noticeable. Us men do suffer from man flu and the Spanish flu also seemed to favour men, mainly young men. Not sure its ever been properly explained why.

 

[Member]

I dint know the numbers but there are more women over the the age of 85. Us men do more dangerous and more stupid things. Add suicide and murder means care homes have more women in them.

Like i said I don't have figures but i'm told its noticeable. Us men do suffer from man flu and the Spanish flu also seemed to favour men, mainly young men. Not sure its ever been properly explained why.

Men are more likely to live alone and therefore die alone, sadly. Many men (especially of the older generation) are more likely to avoid health care and be resistant to giving up control and the loss of dignity that occurs when requiring care. Not directly suicide, but there's a theory that men are more likely to just 'give up' in older age, refusing to engage with palliative care etc.

Specific to COVID-19, men have worse cardiovascular health which is clearly one key factor, and there are theories about various enzymes that are more prevalent in men and how that can cause things to be more serious, but I don't think it's strong evidence yet.

 

[rigsby]

Men are more likely to live alone and therefore die alone, sadly. Many men (especially of the older generation) are more likely to avoid health care and be resistant to giving up control and the loss of dignity that occurs when requiring care. Not directly suicide, but there's a theory that men are more likely to just 'give up' in older age, refusing to engage with palliative care etc.

Specific to COVID-19, men have worse cardiovascular health which is clearly one key factor, and there are theories about various enzymes that are more prevalent in men and how that can cause things to be more serious, but I don't think it's strong evidence yet.

All that may be true but there are not many cases of people dying alone with covid. The teams set up to pick up bodies have all been disbanded, after earning fortunes in overtime for doing nothing.

Hospitals and care homes are the places where people die. From people I personally know its 6-1 to the men in the last year.
I'm not claiming that is the national figure, maybe others on here can shed some light. If thats OK with Napster.

 

[londonblue]

Men are more likely to live alone and therefore die alone, sadly. Many men (especially of the older generation) are more likely to avoid health care and be resistant to giving up control and the loss of dignity that occurs when requiring care. Not directly suicide, but there's a theory that men are more likely to just 'give up' in older age, refusing to engage with palliative care etc.

Specific to COVID-19, men have worse cardiovascular health which is clearly one key factor, and there are theories about various enzymes that are more prevalent in men and how that can cause things to be more serious, but I don't think it's strong evidence yet.

Completely off the subject, but is that why women tend to be better SCUBA divers than men?

 

[rigsby]

Completely off the subject, but is that why women tend to be better SCUBA divers than men?

Bigger bodies require more air. So do people who are unfit or not Cardiovascular fit. Body builders for example.

 

[blueblueblue]

I dint know the numbers but there are more women over the the age of 85. Us men do more dangerous and more stupid things. Add suicide and murder means care homes have more women in them.

Like i said I don't have figures but i'm told its noticeable. Us men do suffer from man flu and the Spanish flu also seemed to favour men, mainly young men. Not sure its ever been properly explained why.

That part is easy to answer and pretty obvious, the Spanish (American flu) killed so many young men because of WWI where troops were huddled together in trenches and in Army barracks.

 

[rigsby]

That part is easy to answer and pretty obvious, the Spanish (American flu) killed so many young men because of WWI where troops were huddled together in trenches and in Army barracks.

Not in 1919 and 1920 they weren't. Whilst it would have increased male number amongst the main players in WW1. Men died at higher rates all round the world, India, South America Pacific islands etc.

I believe it was Eskimos who had some of the worst death rates but that is common for most Indigenous people when pandemics and other diseases are bought into their world.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Not in 1919 and 1920 they weren't. Whilst it would have increased male number amongst the main players in WW1. Men died at higher rates all round the world, India, South America Pacific islands etc.

I believe it was Eskimos who had some of the worst death rates but that is common for most Indigenous people when pandemics and other diseases are bought into their world.

Not in the trenches certainly but yes they were in army barracks and on troop ships.

Spanish flu - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[blueblueblue]

Not in 1919 and 1920 they weren't. Whilst it would have increased male number amongst the main players in WW1. Men died at higher rates all round the world, India, South America Pacific islands etc.

I believe it was Eskimos who had some of the worst death rates but that is common for most Indigenous people when pandemics and other diseases are bought into their world.

 

[rigsby]

Not in the trenches certainly but yes they were in army barracks and on troop ships.

Spanish flu - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

What is your point?

 

[blueblueblue]

Not in 1919 and 1920 they weren't. Whilst it would have increased male number amongst the main players in WW1. Men died at higher rates all round the world, India, South America Pacific islands etc.

I believe it was Eskimos who had some of the worst death rates but that is common for most Indigenous people when pandemics and other diseases are bought into their world.

Again, it's an easy thing to answer. A) Young men were still infected. B) when a war ends (as in WWI), it doesn't mean everyone goes home after, it takes years to dismantle such large Army's, thus they were still living together in large Army barracks.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

What is your point?

See Hadenough Blue's post 5,031.

 

[Ricey]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1356634749339590657

RIP Sir

 

[Holy Joe]

I haven't seen any other reports on the data out of Israel yet - but if this summary from Deutsche bank is correct then it's clear that vaccines are working (at least when given 2 doses 3 weeks apart)

 

[rigsby]

Again, it's an easy thing to answer. A) Young men were still infected. B) when a war ends (as in WWI), it doesn't mean everyone goes home after, it takes years to dismantle such large Army's, thus they were still living together in large Army barracks.

Not quite that simple or true... My great great uncle Douglas was a cavalry man. He was in a nice Chateau during WW1 where they had far more room than the slums of the East London and all those ghastly northern cities.

Yet still his valet, 2 of the orderlies and several stable boys contracted the Spanish flue.....They were all young men. It was so bad at one stage they even called off one of the regimental Polo matches.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1356634749339590657

RIP Sir

Significantly,none of the media accounts I saw yesterday or today, chose to mention the freebie trip to Barbados at Xmas/NY for him and his family paid for by a British "newspaper".This is almost certainly where he contracted the bout of pneunomia which killed him.Long distance holidays clearly aren't recommended for anyone of his advanced age.

It was mentioned that he'd tested positive for the virus last week ,however.

Sitll I'm sure his family enjoyed their trip to the Windies.

(Before anyone starts, I'm not trying to belittle his wonderful fund raising eforts for the NHS last year).

 

[Member]

Significantly,none of the media accounts I saw yesterday or today, chose to mention the freebie trip to Barbados at Xmas/NY for him and his family paid for by a British "newspaper".This is almost certainly where he contracted the bout of pneunomia which killed him.Long distance holidays clearly aren't recommended for anyone of his advanced age.

It was mentioned that he'd tested positive for the virus last week ,however.

Sitll I'm sure his family enjoyed their trip to the Windies.

(Before anyone starts, I'm not trying to belittlle his wonderful fund raising eforts for the NHS last year).

I think it's unlikely that he developed pneumonia in Barbados. Much more likely that he became ill due to or soon after the flight home. What he did was in the rules, so fair enough. He'd lived to 100, done a lot of good, fair play that he got to go on a jolly at the media's expense.

 

[ESG]

Significantly,none of the media accounts I saw yesterday or today, chose to mention the freebie trip to Barbados at Xmas/NY for him and his family paid for by a British "newspaper".This is almost certainly where he contracted the bout of pneunomia which killed him.Long distance holidays clearly aren't recommended for anyone of his advanced age.

It was mentioned that he'd tested positive for the virus last week ,however.

Sitll I'm sure his family enjoyed their trip to the Windies.

(Before anyone starts, I'm not trying to belittlle his wonderful fund raising eforts for the NHS last year).

I read that the other day and certainly won't knock all that he did but it was a strange a trip in these times, his age and that distance for 12 hours each way in recirculating air was undertaken.

British Airways paid for it and The Mail ran the story.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I think it's unlikely that he developed pneumonia in Barbados. Much more likely that he became ill due to or soon after the flight home. What he did was in the rules, so fair enough. He'd lived to 100, done a lot of good, fair play that he got to go on a jolly at the media's expense.

It was also a dream of his, I believe, so I don't begrudge him realising a dream under the circumstances.

 

[Member]

Bringing this slightly back on topic, the news yesterday about the benefits of the AZ vaccine is probably the most important news we've had since the original Pfizer vaccine trial results. It's hard to understate how important this is.

The study shows that not only is the vaccine having real-world benefits in terms of avoiding symptomatic COVID for a good period of time, but that the strategy to delay the booster through 3 months is fine (maybe improves efficacy). Also, and maybe most importantly, the study shows that the vaccine is reducing transmission, which is absolutely massive news.

Covid-19: Study showing Oxford vaccine slows virus spread 'superb' - Hancock

As results show the Oxford jab may cut transmission, the health secretary says it offers a "way out".

www.bbc.co.uk