I think the flu vaccine is only good for something like 75% of flu viruses. As I understand it, it’s based on the previous Winter’s viruses so can never be 100% as the viruses are changing/new.I've had flu despite being vaccinated. happened in 2010, got vacced in autumn 2009, got flu in jan 2010
I think the flu vaccine is only good for something like 75% of flu viruses. As I understand it, it’s based on the previous Winter’s viruses so can never be 100% as the viruses are changing/new.
Mick
My club st Mirren had 7 positive covid tests. They all received another test only one was positive for the second test. Me thinks these tests are unreliable.As above. I was sent a test kit as part of a random survey by Imperial College & Ipsos MORI. Sadly, despite having a really strange cold/flu thing in March, my test came out negative, although the accompanying paperwork did say the test wasn’t 100% accurate.
Mick
Me thinks these tests are unreliable.
Man flu is the worst.'Man flu'?
Put me down for a pint.Mrs P-T is having one on Friday. We tested positive for Covid in April, and she had a work-related antibody test a few weeks later (positive) and is now having another to see whether her antibody levels are still high enough to donate plasma for the NHS trials. It’ll be interesting to see what levels of antibodies have persisted 3 months down the line.
I’m 99.9% certain I’ve had it. My Docs surgery won’t even do any tests, saying that results are inaccurate.
I think the flu vaccine is only good for something like 75% of flu viruses. As I understand it, it’s based on the previous Winter’s viruses so can never be 100% as the viruses are changing/new.
Mick
The test being therefore useless in medical terms, I guess it's just another way to make money.
A friend tested negative, having been pretty certain he'd had it.
Hasn't it been established that the antibodies last only a couple of months? Which isn't to say that immunity doesn't last longer.
I thought immunity was based on having antibodies but maybe I'm out of date. How can you be immune without them?
The T cells also form part of our immune system.
https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2020/...ay-offer-lasting-protection-against-covid-19/
Having had Covid, my assumptions are somewhat different to Cheese. I am not relying on immunity, though I have assumed some immunity for the months immediately following infection. But I am assuming that any reinfection is highly likely to be less severe than the first time, and almost certainly no worse. Partly because of the presumption of T cells, so my immune system should respond more effectively more quickly next time, but also because I know how my body responded the first time. There was no damaging cytokine storm, or overreaction, so it seems logical that any reinfection with a now familiar agent would not elicit a more severe reaction than the first time.This. Best immunity is having circulating antibodies, but I heard a nice description from a leading virologist describing this cell-based immunity as having a ‘virus memory’ which offers some immediate immunity but also enables the antibody response to ramp up more quickly.
Having had Covid, my assumptions are somewhat different to Cheese. I am not relying on immunity, though I have assumed some immunity for the months immediately following infection. But I am assuming that any reinfection is highly likely to be less severe than the first time, and almost certainly no worse. Partly because of the presumption of T cells, so my immune system should respond more effectively more quickly next time, but also because I know how my body responded the first time. There was no damaging cytokine storm, or overreaction, so it seems logical that any reinfection with a now familiar agent would not elicit a more severe reaction than the first time.
I do accept that some would prefer to adopt the precautionary principle. For me, however, the reduction in worry and stress makes my approach infinitely to be preferred, and I think it is a reasonable one, not merely whistling in the dark.