Quote:
Originally Posted by pip08456
The graph Chris Whitty didn't show. 0 deaths so far.
|
... so far. But let's not forget that deaths lag hospitalisations lag cases by weeks at a time.
No doubt it's been around longer than it's been detected, these things always are. But let's not also forget that we don't have enough time to assess this yet.
Chris Whitty is an expert in this field and a doctor. It is probably against some moral or professional code somewhere for them to lie about things even if the politicians insist on pushing a certain narrative.
I do not for one second think that reactions should be based on a perceived risk or a potential risk not an actual risk, and there is a fair amount with this still unknown. For example we do not know for sure that this is milder and by how much. Indeed if it is milder the increased transmissibility may still overwhelm the NHS in the short term, if it's not mild enough. We are only getting so far theoretical data on vaccine escape done in labs, as opposed to real world impact on people, but then, there is plenty of evidence people who have had 2 doses can catch symptomatic Omicron. We don't know for sure how much yet nor how much more transmissible it is. By putting the brakes now on a few lower-risk areas (such as working from home) whilst there is still a lot to be determined may be enough to slow it down whilst it is assessed. And I think that once it is assessed if it does turn out to be something which doesn't cause mass hospitalisation or deaths relative to other variants and despite the increased transmissibility they will probably reverse it, but we don't know this yet - by the time we do, if we haven't put some brakes on it (let's not forget even now we don't have a lot of restrictions, there's not a lot you can't do, even if you have to wear a mask) it may be too late.
I suppose the two facts people hold out for are bound to change over time:
1. that no-one in the UK has been hospitalised with Omicron (Javid said so, though that may have changed since)
2. the WHO said no-one has died from it