Coronavirus

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Yes, all vaccinated thankfully.

Just heard a couple of more positive things, which of course are yet to be proven.

'The common cold killed Covid 19'
Again, from studies, one mainly from SA and from Hong Kong. Evidence suggests Omicron has pretty much wiped out the Delta variant

Already here it appears Omicron is accounting for 75% of new cases. In USA, 80%.

There's a theory that suggests if we try to suppress Omicron, it could be counter productive as it gives Delta more of a chance to survive and mutate. Interesting!!??

Just heard also that govt are indeed looking to reduce isolation period down to 7 days.

Once again though, cautious optimism.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Are we being too over cautious?

Yes, there are people becoming ill but it does seem the vast majority of people, including the three people I know directly, who've had it in the last week suffer with very mild symptoms. They all said, under normal circumstances they wouldn't even have time off work. Having to isolate for a full 10 days seems unnecessary and that's what's harming to business.

You can imagine, they'll be some out there in certain sectors who'll be overjoyed in having to stay off work for 10 days and 'isolate' at this time of year!!

What age groups are your 3 people?

One in 30s, and two over 60.

Also friends mother in law had it and has just finished her 10 days and she's early 80s.

There's nothing to learn from individual anecdotal stories. There's enough happening out there to see the big picture on average.

London is the first part of the UK to be hit by Omicron. COVID hospital admissions in London are currently running at 2.5x where they were at the start of the month.

Bit harsh to dismiss in such a way BST.
These are real people don’t forget.
BVB

.
That absolutely was not my intention. I'm absolutely not dismissing any individual case. It's just that we can't draw any conclusions from individual cases.

[BVB]

Good to hear they were jabbed  - hopefully that’s why they came through infection with milder symptoms.

Interesting theory about nailing Omicron letting Delta come through - would be a worry if so.

Don’t mind reducing isolation days as long as it’s based on the science and not on preserving the Clown in power.
Cheers
BVB

[BVB]

Are we being too over cautious?

Yes, there are people becoming ill but it does seem the vast majority of people, including the three people I know directly, who've had it in the last week suffer with very mild symptoms. They all said, under normal circumstances they wouldn't even have time off work. Having to isolate for a full 10 days seems unnecessary and that's what's harming to business.

You can imagine, they'll be some out there in certain sectors who'll be overjoyed in having to stay off work for 10 days and 'isolate' at this time of year!!

What age groups are your 3 people?

One in 30s, and two over 60.

Also friends mother in law had it and has just finished her 10 days and she's early 80s.

There's nothing to learn from individual anecdotal stories. There's enough happening out there to see the big picture on average.

London is the first part of the UK to be hit by Omicron. COVID hospital admissions in London are currently running at 2.5x where they were at the start of the month.

Bit harsh to dismiss in such a way BST.
These are real people don’t forget.
BVB

.
That absolutely was not my intention. I'm absolutely not dismissing any individual case. It's just that we can't draw any conclusions from individual cases.

Ok point accepted
Cheers
BVB

[BillyStubbsTears]

It's the core problem with understanding the epidemic.

Most people have a mild experience. Most of us know loads of people who have had it mild. Most of us don't know many people who have had it bad, or died.

But most of us only know a tiny fraction of all the people in the country. And even though most infections are mild, when there are hundreds of thousands, now moving into millions of infections, it only takes a small proportion to have it bad for the NHS to get into serious trouble. Because the NHS doesn't have the spare capacity to deal with a few percent of millions all needing treatment at once.

So yes, none of us should ever belittle individual experiences. But equally, none of us should base opinions on them. You have to look at the overall picture.

[River Don]

Yes, all vaccinated thankfully.

Just heard a couple of more positive things, which of course are yet to be proven.

'The common cold killed Covid 19'
Again, from studies, one mainly from SA and from Hong Kong. Evidence suggests Omicron has pretty much wiped out the Delta variant

Already here it appears Omicron is accounting for 75% of new cases. In USA, 80%.

There's a theory that suggests if we try to suppress Omicron, it could be counter productive as it gives Delta more of a chance to survive and mutate. Interesting!!??

Just heard also that govt are indeed looking to reduce isolation period down to 7 days.

Once again though, cautious optimism.

Perhaps not such a surprise, it's the way the Spanish flu pandemic ended.

A milder, highly transmissible varient emerged and out competed the dangerous variant.

[River Don]

We should also take into account the areas of London where hospital admissions are currently highest are coincidently some of the areas with the lowest take up of the vaccine in the country.

The experience there may not be truly representative.

[River Don]

One more thing that might give us a little optimism. Apparently, so far whilst daily hospital admissions with Covid are rising so are daily discharges. Not at the same rate but no too far behind.

It means, hospitals aren't yet being put under the same stress as earlier in the pandemic. Beds are vacated as new cases come in.

It's still too early to tell but it might be another indicator that this varient isn't as aggressive.

[drfchound]

Some very good points there RD.
What you say May well be the case but not to some peoples liking.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Hope so RD

[River Don]

I also read a theory that Omicron might be infecting an area higher in the respiratory tract.

This is why it's so much more transmissible. But it also means the virus isn't going as deep into the chest as Alpha and Delta were and so may not be as damaging. Another pointer to it being less aggressive.

I'm sorry, I can't point to links, this is just stuff I've picked up reading reports over the past few days. Take it or leave it.

[BillyStubbsTears]

If my reading of this is right, early indications coming out of South Africa are that the rate of Omicron hospitalisations per infection is 20-30% that of Delta. But once in hospital, the prognosis is similar.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.21.21268116v1

That's good and bad news. Good that the severity does seem to be a lot lower. Bad because we are likely to have a lot, lot more Omicron cases that we've had Delta cases. Question now is whether the reduced severity outweighs the increased numbers.

Fingers crossed.

[SydneyRover]

Thanks for the summary billy, the paper is a bit hard going, but good new even if tentative.

[Axholme Lion]

I wonder if there'll be any support for businesses like mine. We've closed four days early for Xmas because we've not had deliveries of key resources we needed to keep on operating, because the courier is short staffed due to COVID. That means I can't invoice for a major contract that we were due to finish before the Xmas break.

I don’t think you should, as a key worker why should my taxes go to someone who wants to lockdown at every opportunity.

I've no idea who you are talking about, but I don't want to lockdown at every opportunity. I want to be able to run my business and pay my staff.

But I also understand the fact that nature throws shite at us, like it's doing at the moment, and that at times like that, we have to take decisions we'd prefer not to.

By nature do yiou mean the Chinese Communist Party?

[Metalmicky]

Just seen Jonathan Ashworth lisping through an interview on BBC where he was asked what he wanted Boris to do regarding the current Covid crisis...."  He responded that "people and businesses just wanted certainty about what was happening". 

The interviewer then asked him what Labour would do if they were in power...?, to which he replied "they would look at the data and regularly review the situation...."

The interviewee said - "well isn't that virtually what Boris said last night?" 

[SydneyRover]

Just seen Jonathan Ashworth lisping through an interview on BBC where he was asked what he wanted Boris to do regarding the current Covid crisis...."  He responded that "people and businesses just wanted certainty about what was happening". 

The interviewer then asked him what Labour would do if they were in power...?, to which he replied "they would look at the data and regularly review the situation...."

The interviewee said - "well isn't that virtually what Boris said last night?"

Here's his contact details if you'd like to put him straight MM

https://members.parliament.uk/member/4244/contact

[Axholme Lion]

Anyone remember this? Funnily enough we all carried on as normal and didn't wreck the economy for decades to come.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5440785/Killer-flu-outbreak-blame-42-spike-deaths.html

[DonnyBazR0ver]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59749447

Isolation period reduced then!

[Metalmicky]

Just seen Jonathan Ashworth lisping through an interview on BBC where he was asked what he wanted Boris to do regarding the current Covid crisis...."  He responded that "people and businesses just wanted certainty about what was happening". 

The interviewer then asked him what Labour would do if they were in power...?, to which he replied "they would look at the data and regularly review the situation...."

The interviewee said - "well isn't that virtually what Boris said last night?"

Here's his contact details if you'd like to put him straight MM

https://members.parliament.uk/member/4244/contact

The interviewer already did that Syd - it showed that Labour don't have the answers either..... even if bumbling Boris is making competence look difficult...

[SydneyRover]

Don't forget to mention his speech impediment when you give him a ring.

[drfchound]

Don't forget to mention his speech impediment when you give him a ring.

Is that comment as distasteful as racism ?

[SydneyRover]

What's your inside leg hound?

[Metalmicky]

Don't forget to mention his speech impediment when you give him a ring.

What's your inside leg hound?

I assume you started drinking early today....?

[SydneyRover]

What does it feel like when someone shoves your insults back at you MM, it must be hurting a fair bit? maybe in your world it's funny.

[Metalmicky]

What does it feel like when someone shoves your insults back at you MM, it must be hurting a fair bit? maybe in your world it's funny.

I haven't insulted anyone Syd - maybe stop drinking now eh...?

[SydneyRover]

Just seen Jonathan Ashworth lisping through an interview on BBC where he was asked what he wanted Boris to do regarding the current Covid crisis...."  He responded that "people and businesses just wanted certainty about what was happening". 

The interviewer then asked him what Labour would do if they were in power...?, to which he replied "they would look at the data and regularly review the situation...."

The interviewee said - "well isn't that virtually what Boris said last night?"

?

[Axholme Lion]

Don't forget to mention his speech impediment when you give him a ring.

What's your inside leg hound?

I assume you started drinking early today....?

The drugs don't work...

[Metalmicky]

Just seen Jonathan Ashworth lisping through an interview on BBC where he was asked what he wanted Boris to do regarding the current Covid crisis...."  He responded that "people and businesses just wanted certainty about what was happening". 

The interviewer then asked him what Labour would do if they were in power...?, to which he replied "they would look at the data and regularly review the situation...."

The interviewee said - "well isn't that virtually what Boris said last night?"

?

Oh I see - so that is what you picked up from my post - not any of the actual detail....

[SydneyRover]

It's called playing the man, used mostly by those with a weak argument.

[wilts rover]

I also read a theory that Omicron might be infecting an area higher in the respiratory tract.

This is why it's so much more transmissible. But it also means the virus isn't going as deep into the chest as Alpha and Delta were and so may not be as damaging. Another pointer to it being less aggressive.

I'm sorry, I can't point to links, this is just stuff I've picked up reading reports over the past few days. Take it or leave it.

Yes there was a specialist on Channel 4 News last night saying exactly the same - this is what they have been seeing.