[pensador (OP)]

Does any one believe politicians " AstraZeneca and its partner, Oxford, agreed to deliver 100 million doses of their vaccine to the U.K., which will be the first country to get access should the shot succeed, the British government said in May."

https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/news/125848/astrazeneca-to-supply-europe-with-up-to-400-million-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine/

America looks like it is going to double its deaths to nearly half a million before Trump is removed from the White house. 4.4 million active and increasing rapidly, even at a 2% death rate thats nearly 90000 every 3 weeks and he is in for another 9 weeks.

I think I will stay where I am for the foreseeable. 

[alancalverd]

The AZ statement would be entirely credible as the primary business of AZ is the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, it is dependent on undefined "success", the UK is a reliable market, and there is no timescale.   BUT

The statement was allegedly made, not by AZ but by a government whose overriding priority is giving ever more of your money to "consultants" on a pointless railway project, has no demonstrable competence at purchasing anything that works from any legitimate manufacturer, and was until this week run by an unelected liar. 

As of today we have no idea who has one hand in your pocket and the other up the prime minster's backside, but we can reasonably assume that excuses will be made, lessons will be learned, we will draw a line under it and move on, and somebody's brother-in-law will receive a large brown envelope. That's politics, and it probably translates into Portuguese too.

[pensador (OP)]

The AZ statement would be entirely credible as the primary business of AZ is the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, it is dependent on undefined "success", the UK is a reliable market, and there is no timescale.   BUT

The statement was allegedly made, not by AZ but by a government whose overriding priority is giving ever more of your money to "consultants" on a pointless railway project, has no demonstrable competence at purchasing anything that works from any legitimate manufacturer, and was until this week run by an unelected liar. 

As of today we have no idea who has one hand in your pocket and the other up the prime minster's backside, but we can reasonably assume that excuses will be made, lessons will be learned, we will draw a line under it and move on, and somebody's brother-in-law will receive a large brown envelope. That's politics, and it probably translates into Portuguese too.

Exactly it is a political statement(mostly worthless).

Politicians globally dont in general have good reputations in my experience, especially when they have dictatorships or over whelming majorities, and can not be held accountable. Apparently power corrupts and people are supposed to accept it, or is it people get the leaders they deserve?

Luckily

The Government in Portugal does not have an over whelming majority, so can be held accountable (to a certain extent). However! 

The UK gov at the moment appears as if its taken advice from some African dictatorship, handing out contracts to family members, who have no expertise in what they are selling. You mention consultants, that I am sure you are aware is likely the tip of the ice berg I guess this subject could make a whole new thread.
 

[kennaa]

The majority of those who do not require positive ventilation but are discharged with a persistent disability after bed rest with supplementary oxygen are in the 40 - 60 age group - those most important to  "the economy".

[chris]

This is a useful review of the role of mink in coronavirus evolution and spread from the Naked Scientists Podcast last week.

[pensador (OP)]

The majority of those who do not require positive ventilation but are discharged with a persistent disability after bed rest with supplementary oxygen are in the 40 - 60 age group - those most important to  "the economy".

What is your source for this information?
What percentage of the "majority" in the 40 - 60 age group have persistent disabilities?
Things change as they do. What makes this age group the most important to the economy? 

[alancalverd]

1.Arithmetic and published government data

2. Of those I know, 100%. It's an ongoing study because very few people have had COVID for more than a year, but if you google for "long covid" you will find plenty of statistics.

3. The economy itself - at least in countries with progressive taxation.   

[Brandonres]

Photos of Kleinia fulgens which survived the hail in the winter and the weird weather we have been having recently.
The first flowers came out at the end of May and a new one is in preparation