WITH Covid-19 case numbers rising across the country and with a prolonged bout of inclement weather, it is not surprising that fairly steady numbers of people have been trying to escape to sunnier climes, and perhaps cross off an item from their “bucket list” at the same time.

A festive break in Goa – India’s smallest state – where there is a substantial community of expatriate Brits is a favourite for many who can take the time and effort to get there, but the 3700 square kilometre territory has not been immune from coronavirus.

By yesterday, it had recorded a total of more than 180,000 cases and 3521 deaths and was subject to the same stringent entry requirements – proof of double vaccination among them – as the rest of the country.

A series of emergency measures have been introduced in the state, and once there, people can expect to see casinos, cinemas, cruises and other attractions operating at half capacity, with measures such as masks, sanitisers and thermal screening in place.

Authorities in Mumbai, in Goa’s neighbouring state of Maharashtra, where its main feeder airport is located, have banned New Year celebrations, along with parties in any closed or open space including restaurants, hotels, bars, pubs, resorts and clubs, until January 7.

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We have become inured to disinformation about the pandemic emanating from China and Russia, such as that detailed in the Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) report earlier this month, which said: “Russia largely followed its pre-existing playbook of using crises to inflame tensions in foreign societies. China borrowed some tools from Russia but used them for different ends, sanitising its own record and spreading conspiracy theories on a global scale.”

Our winter is the height of the holiday season for Goa, and similar deception is being used there as some try to salvage their holiday season income.

Examples have been seen on some discussion boards and WhatsApp groups where property owners discuss holiday lets of their apartments and houses.

One message, seen by The National yesterday, suggested that the UK Government had admitted the Covid-19 vaccines have damaged the natural immune systems of people who had received both doses.

It read: “The British government has spilled the beans about that fact that once you get double jabbed, you will never again be able to acquire full natural immunity against Covid variants – or possibly any virus. So let’s watch the ‘real’ pandemic begin now!”

The claim centred on the latest Covid-19 Vaccine Surveillance Report from the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) covering figures from England, and read: “‘N antibody levels appear to be lower in people who acquire infection following two doses of vaccination’.

“It goes on to explain that this antibody drop is basically permanent.”

However, extracting a few lines of text from a 29-page report and using it out of context does not tell the full story, and the sentence quoted has been taken from a paragraph concerning blood donors.

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The focus is on anti-N tests, which can find antibodies which recognise a molecule inside the virus called the nucleocapsid, or N, which are produced if you have previously had Covid-19 and have natural immunity; and anti-S tests, which show antibodies against the spike protein on the surface of the virus. These tests find antibodies produced through natural infection and vaccination.

The UKHSA said: “Seropositivity [positive blood test result] estimates for S antibody in blood donors are likely to be higher than would be expected in the general population and this probably reflects the fact that donors are more likely to be vaccinated.

“Seropositivity estimates for N antibody will underestimate the proportion of the population previously infected due to (i) blood donors are potentially less likely to be exposed to natural infection than age matched individuals in the general population (ii) waning of the N antibody response over time and (iii) recent observations from UKHSA surveillance data that N antibody levels appear to be lower in individuals who acquire infection following two doses of vaccination.

“Vaccination has made an important contribution to the overall Roche S increases observed since the roll out of the vaccination programme, initially amongst individuals aged 50 years and above who were prioritised for vaccination as part of the phase 1 programme and more recently in younger adults as part of phase 2 of the vaccination programme.”

The writer of the Goan post was taken to task by several of his compatriots, one of whom told them: “The vaccine doesn’t kill natural immunity. That’s bunkum.”

Another quoted two doctors, from separate Twitter posts. “Data from New York: the vast majority of Covid hospitalisations are in the unvaccinated,” wrote Dr Alex M McDonald.

Dr Avi Dascalu wrote: “Ireland with 83% of cases due to Omicron at its highest Covid ever.

“Hospitalisations and mortality are not increased … If within two weeks, hospitalised and deaths remain steady, Omicron is the end of the pandemic.”

Professor Andrew Watterson, from the University of Stirling, told The National that such disinformation was likely to become more prevalent.

He said: “The storming of the Milton Keynes test and trace centre yesterday indicates the UK anti-vaxxers are adopting the Trump playbook, and we are going to need to deal with this sort of thing I fear more and more in the future.”