(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Discuss anything you like about chess related matters in this forum.
Angus French
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Angus French » Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:28 pm

Joseph Conlon wrote:
Wed Oct 27, 2021 7:17 pm
Angus French wrote:
Wed Oct 27, 2021 4:55 pm
Joseph Conlon wrote:
Wed Oct 27, 2021 2:24 pm
One can argue that it it is better to be exposed to Covid now - while the effect of vaccination is still relatively fresh - than in 18 months time.
I don't understand this statement. How is exposure "better" now? What's to stop exposure now and in the future?
The logic is that if you are relatively freshly vaccinated Covid is unlikely to be a serious disease, and so minor Covid or some natural immune reaction would be beneficial from a long term perspective (i.e. it would be a natural booster).

If vaccines have waned to the extent that they are close to ineffective, then we know that Delta-variant Covid is a rather nasty disease with many unpleasant possibilities.
I've not seen or heard it recommended that contracting COVID after vaccination might be a useful thing to do. Would it not be better to continue to have booster vaccinations until a more permanent vaccination is developed?
Joseph Conlon wrote:
Wed Oct 27, 2021 7:17 pm
Angus French wrote:
Wed Oct 27, 2021 4:55 pm
Joseph Conlon wrote:
Wed Oct 27, 2021 2:24 pm
Equally, one can argue that attempting to eliminate any spread of infectious diseases is unhealthy and results in a long-term lack of immunity that allows subsequent vicious epidemics years later.
I think the evidence is that immunity from vaccination is better than immunity from natural infection. Some further information here.
To me the fundamental point here is that the vaccines target the spike protein, whereas natural immunity should be more broad-based. So any subsequent evolution of Covid to modify the spike protein could disrupt immunity solely coming from vaccines, whereas natural immunity would still retain knowledge of the other aspects of the virus.

I expect this could in principle be dealt with by repeated boosters that target any modifications, but this may be extremely expensive if delivered on the scale of the initial roll-out.
So far, it seems the vaccinations have proved effective (albeit not perfect) against the original virus and the variants through to Delta. Analysis published by the US CDC a few days ago suggests vaccination provides better protection against hospitalisation than previous natural infection.
Last edited by Angus French on Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

J T Melsom
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by J T Melsom » Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:29 pm

Bucks League resumes in an hour and a quarter. To reduce crowding the non match players will be encouraged but not compelled to play in the overspill bar area.

Simon Rogers
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Simon Rogers » Tue Nov 02, 2021 6:53 pm

I didn't get home from Scarborough Congress until 5.30pm. As a result, I was unable to attend Poulton-le-Fylde Chess Club last night. I was informed by our secretary today that another two new people joined.

Nick Grey
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Nick Grey » Tue Nov 02, 2021 8:47 pm

Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal when think of temperature and wearing gloves indoors.

Simon Rogers
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Simon Rogers » Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:11 pm

Nick Grey wrote:
Tue Nov 02, 2021 8:47 pm
Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal when think of temperature and wearing gloves indoors.
That's what we wear when we visit Preston Chess Club. I normally have to wear my hat, scarf, coat there as the venue upstairs is so cold.

Stewart Reuben
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Stewart Reuben » Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:45 pm

Joseph Conlon > attempting to eliminate any spread of infectious diseases is unhealthy <
Such as, in the past, polio, diphtheria, smallpox, scarlet fever?
It amuses m that pundits on the TV have never mentioned that there will probably be a fourth jab needed for covid and more afterwards - just as with flu.

Changing the subject. More than one person has mentioned they live in Bucks. I now live in Chalfont St Peter. Where is the nearest chess club that is open?

Roger de Coverly
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Nov 08, 2021 7:47 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:45 pm
I now live in Chalfont St Peter. Where is the nearest chess club that is open?
That would be Gerrards Cross who meet on Wednesdays in the Memorial Centre. That's the other side of Gerrards Cross town centre from the Chalfonts, towards the A40.

The Bucks League restarted last week. Participating clubs in clockwise order are Uxbridge, Gerrards Cross, Bourne End, Wycombe & Hazlemere, Aylesbury and Berkhamsted. Slough declined to compete in the League this season.

Results and fixtures at
http://www.e2-e4.co.uk/chess-results/ta ... t=division

Provided there aren't enforced postponements, there may be a second half season starting in March 2022.

Simon Rogers
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Simon Rogers » Mon Nov 08, 2021 11:54 pm

First home league match for Poulton-le-Fylde Chess Club tonight.
Our second team won 3 to 1 against Lytham Chess Club.
We had three debutants. Two of which, won.
6 other members turned up aswell.
A successful night with some exciting games.

Tim Spanton
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Tim Spanton » Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:06 pm

People testing positive, deaths and patients admitted all down over the last seven days at the government coronavirus dashboard - first time that's happened for many weeks, as far as I am aware.

Matt Bridgeman
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Matt Bridgeman » Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:25 pm

Tim Spanton wrote:
Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:06 pm
People testing positive, deaths and patients admitted all down over the last seven days at the government coronavirus dashboard - first time that's happened for many weeks, as far as I am aware.
Cases were up over 40,000 again today - higher than 7 days ago - but perhaps just a fireworks night/party effect?

Tim Spanton
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Tim Spanton » Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:36 pm

Matt Bridgeman wrote:
Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:25 pm
Tim Spanton wrote:
Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:06 pm
People testing positive, deaths and patients admitted all down over the last seven days at the government coronavirus dashboard - first time that's happened for many weeks, as far as I am aware.
Cases were up over 40,000 again today - higher than 7 days ago - but perhaps just a fireworks night/party effect?
That's why they go with seven-day averages

Angus French
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Angus French » Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:00 pm

Tim Spanton wrote:
Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:36 pm
Matt Bridgeman wrote:
Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:25 pm
Tim Spanton wrote:
Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:06 pm
People testing positive, deaths and patients admitted all down over the last seven days at the government coronavirus dashboard - first time that's happened for many weeks, as far as I am aware.
Cases were up over 40,000 again today - higher than 7 days ago - but perhaps just a fireworks night/party effect?
That's why they go with seven-day averages
The numbers are still, I think, very high. Infections were higher still when the schools reopened without mitigations (at least in England) for the Autumn term and then reduced recently around Half Term. Now the schools are back... and there's a fear Winter weather won't help... There was also a slow uptake of booster vaccinations but that seems to have started to change. It's mostly older people who are being hospitalised and dying. Statistics for infections, hospitalisations and deaths with breakdowns by vaccination status and age group are now available in weekly reports published here. The ONS has estimated that on 2 October almost 850,000 people living in the UK had Long COVID symptoms 12 or more weeks after infection with 426,000 having symptoms a year or more after infection.

The hospital situation does not look good.

Joseph Conlon
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Joseph Conlon » Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:56 pm

Stewart Reuben wrote:
Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:45 pm
Joseph Conlon > attempting to eliminate any spread of infectious diseases is unhealthy <
Such as, in the past, polio, diphtheria, smallpox, scarlet fever?
It amuses m that pundits on the TV have never mentioned that there will probably be a fourth jab needed for covid and more afterwards - just as with flu.
I was thinking more of the common cold, also known as a coronavirus. Imagine a world where children could be kept in some sort of bubble where they never caught any illnesses, then release them as adults - their immune system would be, to put it mildly, vulnerable.

In any case, as Covid can be caught by animals there is no eliminating it; there is a reservoir in the animal population that will return to the human population.

Joseph Conlon
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Joseph Conlon » Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:05 pm

Angus French wrote:
Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:28 pm
I've not seen or heard it recommended that contracting COVID after vaccination might be a useful thing to do. Would it not be better to continue to have booster vaccinations until a more permanent vaccination is developed?
Maybe it would and maybe it wouldn't, but given boosters are not likely to be available to me and many others this is (to me) a theoretical question. To me the main downside of natural immunity is if the process of acquiring it can kill or injure you. If (being double vaccinated etc etc) this is no more likely than seasonal flu, then (neglecting for the moment any issues of transmission to the general population) what should I fear? For the other coronaviruses, we regard natural immunity as the way to fight them.
Angus French wrote:
Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:28 pm
]
Is there evidence of this happening outside of Australia in June?
I don't know, but there are probably few other places able to ask the question (where case numbers are so small that each case demands a national effort to establish 100% contact tracing, with both the ability and willingness to do full genetic sequencing on each case to track the precise chain of transmission)

Tim Spanton
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Re: (Chess) Life Returning To Normal

Post by Tim Spanton » Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:07 pm

Angus French wrote:
Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:00 pm
Tim Spanton wrote:
Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:36 pm
Matt Bridgeman wrote:
Thu Nov 11, 2021 6:25 pm


Cases were up over 40,000 again today - higher than 7 days ago - but perhaps just a fireworks night/party effect?
That's why they go with seven-day averages
The numbers are still, I think, very high. Infections were higher still when the schools reopened without mitigations (at least in England) for the Autumn term and then reduced recently around Half Term. Now the schools are back... and there's a fear Winter weather won't help... There was also a slow uptake of booster vaccinations but that seems to have started to change. It's mostly older people who are being hospitalised and dying. Statistics for infections, hospitalisations and deaths with breakdowns by vaccination status and age group are now available in weekly reports published here. The ONS has estimated that on 2 October almost 850,000 people living in the UK had Long COVID symptoms 12 or more weeks after infection with 426,000 having symptoms a year or more after infection.

The hospital situation does not look good.
What would you regard as not "very high"?

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