As Cold as Ice

An extremely cold day today, starting at -2C when I woke up, creeping half a degree above freezing at lunchtime, and back below freezing when the sun went down. This is the ice on my pond and the extra is of ice crystals on the car. Another day of sorting through paperwork and filing. I did enjoy listening to 'With Great Pleasure at Christmas' with readings, music and anecdotes from the cast of The Archers which is celebrating its 70th birthday tomorrow (the World's longest running radio drama). 

Day 291 / Day 12 of the 4 Tiers (for my record only)
UK deaths up 964 to 73,512 (revised basis), with 55,892 new cases (a new record), 23,813 patients in hospital and 1,847 on ventilation (only data for England is being updated every day during the xmas/new year period). The Defence Secretary said the military is standing by to staff Nightingale hospitals if needed, and that the Army has 5,000 personnel currently deployed in the Covid response. In w/e 23/12 the number testing positive in England was up 33% on the week before per T&T. Only 16.9% of people tested 'in person' in England received their result within 24 hours - that must improve and quickly (Boris promised all in person tests would be turned round within 24 hours by the end of June). Only 85% of those testing positive were reached by T&T to get their contacts. GPs are to be paid £10 for every care home resident they vaccinate by the end of Jan. 

Pfizer has issued a statement saying 'Pfizer and BioNTech's phase three study for the Covid-19 vaccine was designed to evaluate the vaccine's safety and efficacy following a two-dose schedule, separated by 21 days. The safety and efficacy of the vaccine has not been evaluated on different dosing schedules.' and 'there are no data to demonstrate that protection after the first dose is sustained after 21 days.' It certainly was an unusual move to recommend a dosing schedule unsupported by test data, whereas we were told there was data supporting the decision for the Oxford / Astra Zeneca vaccine.