UK Today in Coronavirus
A system currently being used by multiple NHS Trusts to queue people up for the vaccine jab who are in the NHS or Social Care or who are over-70 has been exposed as easily exploitable, allowing those not currently being targeted in the highest priority groups to queue jump ahead due to flaws with the Swiftqueue system. This was exposed by the Labour MP Toby Perkins after he managed to “queue jump” in the system, despite putting his true age in (50) he was not asked whether he worked in health/social care and was then given an appointment which he cancelled. Many have been sharing the system over social media platforms which mean many could be using it to queue jump ahead of those more vulnerable.
Plans to test school pupils/staff have been mostly put on hold after concerns were risen about the accuracy of lateral flow tests. The tests were going to be used daily as a way to keep pupils and staff from having to self-isolate if they came into contact with someone who had tested positive, such who came into contact would need to be tested each day for seven days. It is worried that such inacuracies with the test could lead to actually increasing transmission. A very limited number of schools and colleges will still be using this system and such will be evaluated to see if it works. Lateral flow tests will still be used in all schools and colleges to test returning pupils and to test staff twice a week to catch out asymptomatic cases.
In some concerning news a study has found that the current vaccine may be less effective against the South Africa variant of the coronavirus – one of the variants which had caused a high amount of concern when it first appeared. The study also showed that the new variant may be resistant to immunity from previous covid infection, meaning people who have already been infected could be again by this new variant. Although the vaccine may be less effective against it, overrall it is expected to still be able to give good immunity. Further clinical studies will be required to see any true impacts.
Joe Biden Now President
Joe Biden is now the 46th President of the United States and also now the oldest recorded President to serve in office. Kamala Harris is also the first female and black/mixed-race Vice-President. With him now in office it brings an end to the highly controversial Trump era that lasted 4-long-years. Trump during his sendoff ceremony yesterday said that the movement was only just beginning and that “We will be back in some form” which could possibly mean he may run again in the future, given he isn’t barred from office after the Senate trial.
At the same time the saying is also ambigous and could mean any number of things, for example it could be anything from starting up his own media to helping out Trumpism-like candidates financially and/or helping to build them influence in some way. Whatever Trump plans to do next we shall just have to wait and see.
As Joe Biden went into office he has made a series of immediate changes via executive orders, much of which have rolled-back changes Trump had made and others related to the coronavirus pandemic, among other things which I will go over in another blogpost.
Many also wonder due to Biden’s age if he will make it through a full-term or if he does, whether he’ll run again for a 2nd term in 2024. There is a real possibility that he could potentially die in office due to old age – although Trump surprisingly is in his 70s as well. So it is possible we may see Kamala Harris become president if the worst-case scenario takes place, which means she could end up being the first female president by default. But there is also a reasonable chance that Joe Biden will make it comfortably through two full terms, people do tend to live a lot longer these days thanks to improved healthcare and other innovations, even more so if you have financial security, which Biden obivously does. Former President Jimmy Carter is still alive, although like a number of other seniors in politics or who were formerly Vice-Presidents, was advised not to attend due to health concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.