So, just like Flu and surely as expected, now they are finding numerous variations, some of which MAY (my capitals) cause the vaccines not to work. I wondered how a vaccine was found so fast when it took decades for Flu. At the time I assumed it was due to the advance of medicine. Now I wonder whether the hare may be conquered by the tortoise.

And for Hedda regarding my thoughts on NZ and Australia. I've always said early lockdowns will slow the spread; later ones have little or no impact - once it's here, it's here. I also suspect it travels slowly. Down Under is miles away. If I were Hedda I'd worry about the area going into their winter. If it IS a slow traveller and then mutates on arriving, this could see a dreadful time from April to July Down Under, with thousands dead (not that this would be unusual; thousands die every month everywhere). Watch the media exaggerate the story. Unless, of course, the vaccines are effective and available and widely given.

But remember - most of your elderly survived "wave one" and are ripe for death in "wave two". That, I believe, is a huge part of why so few are now dying in Europe; Wave One killed the majority (certainly in the Death Five).

The interesting thing about Down Under is - will the Death Rate (cases to deaths) be 25% as it was in the Death Five or around 5% as it has been everywhere else?

One of the most chilling things I read last week was ongoing research into whether the mass use of the flu vaccine is the cause of the C19 situation. They are looking at whether the flu vaccine prevents the elderly (mainly) developing the antibodies necessary to fight more serious and evolving variants of the Covid family...

UK has been very good at getting the elderly vaccinated for flu compared with other countries....

It’s difficult not to speculate on possible reasons for the contrasting world meter Covid-19 figures of the island nations of Australia (total population: 25,499,884) and Madagascar (total population: 28,042,559). If someone had asked me before viewing the figures: "which country do you think has the higher death rate", I think my answer would have been Madagascar as Australia is the more affluent of the two countries.

www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/australia/

www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/madagascar/

5.3% of Madagascans are obese 31% of Australians are.

If you look at it this way it makes sense.

Is the 1st world just reaping what it has sown..?

Germany is interesting.