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I should imagine it will make a substantial contribution to fixed overheads thus improving .margins elsewhere. What's not to like.
Chrisalys1
The advantage of vacination with regard to cruise ships it makes any isolated event containable within the ship. Even if 5% of vaccinated passengers are capable of catching Covid its unlike these few will have been in contact with the infected person and if so may not themselves be contagious or very ill. In other words vaccination provides herd immunity on board ship. Testing will be required, but is not the answer alone, you will need the vaccination first IMO.
The only way cruise ships will be able to operate is to ensure that all crew and passengers are vaccinated before they are allowed on board. Those of you that consider Deepverge offers a quick testing solution for cruise ships are in cloud cuckoo land. Firstly you will need to have test that can ensure that NO passenger or crew member has COVID ie No false negatives when boarding. There is no rapid test that is operating or under development can or will ever achieve this accuracy. Even current lab tests do not have this level of performance. One Covid case on board a ship, as is detailed in the article referenced below, will result in curtailment of the cruise. The problem with cruise ships is social distancing is just not possible. That said, there may be a case for water testing in the future, but not just for Covid but other infectious diseases and bacteria which have always caused cruise ships problems in the past. But this is more of a longer term solution.
As I have said previously on this board, all rapid tests produced to date do not produce accurate enough results and do not meet the governments own specification. There is no evidence to suggest the Deepverge breath test will be any different. I do believe that the water testing and skin care products make the investment in this company worth a punt however.
I think the problem SYM have with selling their products is demonstrating the cost benefits. Their D2p products will cost more up front but any savings will be difficult to quantify. For purchasing managers this will be a problem. I am sure that with PPE, it is a extra layer of protection, but how do you prove that this extra protection saves lives! With domestic products it might be nice to have this added protection, but how many of you can say that you have actually been infected from say a toilet seat or plastic tooth brush. The other problem is that the product cannot be seen, it is not visible, how does the purchaser know it is actually in the product! With scent and coloured additives, their presence is obvious.
There is no quick solution to selling these products, a marketing campaign would do the trick but SYM do not have the resources for this approach. A takeover by a larger organisation could eventually happen here.
Just do not agree with you at all. Gas boilers are being phased out, new internal combustion engines powered cars are being banned from 2030. Two examples of what I mean about wasting money on climate issues based on very dubious science. As for risks of vacination it depends on your age group young people not at risk of complications from Covoid need not bother to vacinate if they do not wish, whereas high risk older people of which I am one, do not need to worry about long term risk. Whereas the short term risk is more relevant, horses for courses. As for the PCR test its limitations are well know. However I can well understand the point of view of those persons whose jobs are on the line as a result of lockdown.
Just do not agree with you at all. Gas boilers are being phased out, new internal combustion engines powered cars are being banned from 2030. Two examples of what I mean about wasting money on climate issues based on very dubious science. As for risks of vacination it depends on your age group young people not at risk of complications from Covoid need not bother to vacinate if they do not wish, whereas high risk older people of which I am one, do not need to worry about long term risk. Whereas the short term risk is more relevant, horses for courses. As for the PCR test its limitations are well know. However I can well understand the point of view of those persons whose jobs are on the line as a result of lockdown.
There is a lot of activity on this board these days despite not much activity from VOG. Are you all bored working from home -:).
Joking aside I have not posted for some time on this board as am not currently invested but still have VOG on my Watchlist and drop in frequently to read the comments. VOG has been my one and only African investment to date and quite a learning experience. The company possess valuable assets and as such downside would appear limited. I agree with RF68 that big power will save this company eventually, but will it be in one year or ten. Not sure that LT investors will necessarily benefit but at the current SP, I suppose downside is limited. Supply will be increased to meet demand once payment for the electricity can be assured. Africa like Asia must be the future for growth, once the infrastructure is in place. Western nations seem to be going nowhere fast.
I am very fortunate at the moment as I am living in NZ where life is normal and Covid free. I plan to return to the UK once I am suitably vaccinated. Reading UK newspapers and comments, I am left wondering what is going on. I don't know whether we have reached peak oil, but we seem to be well passed peak IQ. How is it that individual freedom is more important than national wellbeing. With a world beset with problems of possible more frequent and deadly pandemics, oceans filling with plastic, more atomic weapons, population exploding and many people struggling to survive, western politicians are bent on spending vast amount of money attempting to regulate the Earth's weather. You could not make it up.
With an investment horizon of 5 years, I am not sure whether VOG will be my best bet for care home fees. But with FOO gone, DIK going and others I would prefer not to mention sent packing I do think that the company has a chance.
Best wishes to you all.
Stoater
Further to your question below. Many papers and references on this aspect but viral load is obviously a significant variable here.
'PCR-based test
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 by nasal swab over six weeks in patients who experienced mild to moderate illness RT-PCR is the most accurate diagnostic test. It typically has high sensitivity and specificity in a laboratory setting: however, in one study sensitivity dropped to 66–88% clinically. In one study sensitivity was highest at week one (100%), followed by 89.3%, 66.1%, 32.1%, 5.4% and zero by week six.'(see Wikipedia for reference and details).
Yet government specification for rapid tests is requiring >=97%-99% sensitivity and specificity. Viral load is a consideration also but my gut feeling is that specification is unlikely to be achievable.
I do not believe any of the current rapid covid tests being proposed will come anywhere near the specificity and sensitivity being demanded in the government specification. I stand to be corrected on this.
djbrandon.
I appreciate your response to my earlier reservations regarding rapid testing in certain situations eg cruise ships. I do see value in water testing hence my investment in Modern Water. I also believe that Digital Health Passes may become useful particularly in recording vaccinations. We are hopefully going to reach a situation next year and beyond when a significant proportion of the world population will have been vaccinated. However not all vaccines might be considered equal and proof of one having received an approved vaccine may be required at state borders for example to avoid managed isolation as practised here in NZ.
Yes there are other illnesses on cruise ships but these other illnesses might not kill older passengers to the same extent as Covid. Opening up cruises, certainly for older passengers is not going to be facilitated by more frequent testing in my opinion.
Testing positive at the airport can lead to unwelcomed consequences. Insurance not a lot of use if you get treated as this couple see attached article.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8840015/Couple-forced-luxury-Greek-break-quarantine-hell-hole-hotel-airport-Covid-19-test.html
As someone who has cruised a number of times I fail to see how the breathaliser will help cruise lines and passengers. Firstly cruises are usually booked and paid for months in advance. If passengers are tested before being allowed on board and fail, do they lose all their money. Secondly many passengers fly to join a cruise, if they cannot join the cruise how do they get home as return flights will have to be changed at substantial cost. Also they would not be allowed on flight back home. If the passengers are expected to test themselves before leaving home, can they be trusted.
Also because testing using the breathaliser may not reveal low viral loads, cruise passengers would need to be retested after around three days on board if they fail this second test, what happens then.
Most passengers book trips so they will be leaving the ship a number of times during the trip. Hence they could pick up infection on shore. This means that frequent repeat testing will be required while onboard.
Too many risks and uncertainties here and I for one will not be cruising until the epidemic is under control from vaccination.
A similar situation will occur when flighing. What happens if one or more of a family fails an airport test. Are all airfares refunded. If it is return journey how do you get home.
With all these so called good ideas, the devil is in the detail.
Too many ducks have to fall in line for this business model to work. The test needs to be demonstrated as being at least as effective as existing tests. Hardware and software will need to be produced tested and made available, this will take time. All this will need to be funded before any certainty that public will be willing to participate and knowing that a vaccine could make the project unecessary. A project of this size would take a minimum of twelve months to get off the ground even for a multinational company with vast resources not available to Deepverge.
Mr Underhill.
Tend to agree with your on consolidation particularly with respect to of 'penny' shares. Logically it does not make sense but a 5p share consolidated 10 to 1 should settle around 50p. However there is a phycological effect here where a 5p share can appear good value yet the same share consolidated to 50p looks expensive. Doesn't make sense I know but the stock market is not always logical.
No problem with merger. But why consolidate. My experience of consolidation is that it invariably leads to a reduction in the consolidated price over the subsequent weeks. I cannot understand why company management get sold on this idea.
Any real time test would have to be 100% accurate ie no false negatives. Even if this is technically achievable with your product how do you demonstrate this to the satisfaction of the regulators. I would be interested in Mr Brandon's take on this.
Has anyone tried to use the delivery option. When ever I try using a London postcode I receive the message 'no restaurants deliver in your area' . Tried a number of postcodes same message.What is the point of launching a 'beta' software which as no utility. Will just put users off. I tried Downing Street postcode and obtained message 'invalid post code'. Boris will have to get on his bike!
Any of you tried using the Bigdish App.