Coronavirus

How did we jump from Delta to Omicron ?
Pretty sure there are a few letters in between.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Pierre

Wasn’t he in Transformers?

Transformers, covid in disguise

[mrmistoffelees]

Originally Posted by nffc

The most sensible thing to do is something which actually works and doesn't impact on people, and to not do it until it's actually needed.


So we already know that the virus spreads mostly in busy indoor places with poor ventilation. There are 2 ways you can solve that possibly - improve ventilation or make them less busy by introducing number restrictions.


The original 2m idea was based on the idea of keeping apart, the figure itself wasn't based on any real science, just reasonable separation which was easy to visualise. It was 6ft in the US, and 1m / 1.5m in some countries.



As for masks, well, you only need to look at people who have continued to wear them whenever they are indoors and out of their house and have still caught covid. And this includes people who should know how to use them properly. You can't wear them with glasses without the lenses steaming up, which is dangerous in itself, as you either need to not wear the mask, not wear your glasses (which may not be possible depending on how bad your sight is) or walk around with steamed up lenses. The disposable paper ones just add extra to landfill (they can't go in as paper as they have non-recyclable plastic on them) and don't really work too well nor do the cloth masks. If they were going for masks which actually do work then the N95/surgical masks would be better but even then Germany is experiencing a spike in virus despite these masks being needed in other areas.


The obvious thing they could actually do which will probably work is to advise people that they need to work from home if they can. This stops needless interactions in the office where you don't need to be with those people to work. Any job which needs you to be in a workplace can continue.

The trouble if you start to introduce any more measures is that it impacts on trade. Enforcing distancing and masks would mean that the hospitality industry would have to suffer again which means there would have to be job losses or we'd have to pay for furlough again which we can't afford.



Even Chris Whitty said the other day that he doesn't think people would support another lockdown. We've already seen in previous restrictions where people are having parties in parks and in houses because they can't do it in pubs.

You’re basing what we should do against a new variant with knowledge based on an old variant. There are significant changes between the two.

The WHO has specified what they advise the social distancing size should be,
It’s up to countries to heed that advice.

To your point on the economy, there may be a degree of difficulty to businesses but nowhere near the level should another lockdown be needed

It’s a finely tuned balancing act and I’m glad I can just discuss hypothetically rather than having to actually make the decision. but with the amount of mutations in the new variant which we don’t yet understand acting cautiously would be in our best interests.

The British would probably grudgingly accept another lockdown, there would be protests of course. But I don’t believe a mass uprising of the populace is on the cards. Let’s hope we don’t get to find out.

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by Paul

How did we jump from Delta to Omicron ?
Pretty sure there are a few letters in between.

There were but they are variants of interest, not concern.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by Paul

How did we jump from Delta to Omicron ?
Pretty sure there are a few letters in between.

They've used them all except Nu and Xi, but they didn't make the news much. Lambda was pretty big in South America, but Delta has remained dominant in most of the world.

I wonder if anybody cared about Iota?

[papa smurf]

Two cases of Omicron Covid in UK: Super-mutant variant is found in Chelmsford and Nottingham - now PM will hold press conference this afternoon as four more countries are added to banned list


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tected-UK.html

[mrmistoffelees]

£37bn Excel spreadsheet to the rescue.

[Carth]

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees

£37bn Excel spreadsheet to the rescue.

At first glance I saw that as '£37bn Exocet'

strange how the mind works eh

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

Two cases of Omicron Covid in UK: Super-mutant variant is found in Chelmsford and Nottingham - now PM will hold press conference this afternoon as four more countries are added to banned list


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tected-UK.html

Eggs is eggs.

[Mad Max]

Super-mutant variant

Mutant Ninja Turtles


We're doomed I tell ya, all doomed,

[joglynne]

Quote from my local paper. It's a live blog so I am posting the latest post. Report of PMs expected update should be included at 5pm.

16:16 LIVE: Boris Johnson to hold press conference after Omicron coronavirus variant cases confirmed in UK
Department of Health and Social Care statement regarding new variant cases discovered
"After overnight genome sequencing, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that two cases of COVID-19 with mutations consistent with B.1.1.529 have been identified in the UK.

"The individuals that have tested positive, and all members of their households, are being re-tested and told to self-isolate while further testing and contact tracing is underway.

"The UK Health Security Agency is carrying out targeted testing at locations where the positive cases were likely to have been infectious.

"In response to the developing situation, the UK is taking decisive action to protect public health. Confirmed cases and contacts are being followed up and requested to isolate and get tested as necessary.

"In addition, in line with updated advice from the UKHSA, from 4am Sunday Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola will be added to the travel red list. Travellers who have returned from these four countries in last 10 days must isolate and get a PCR test. UKHSA are following up recent arrivals from these countries.

"This adds to the six countries placed on the red list on Friday."

The statement from the government also said: "One case has been located in Chelmsford and the other in Nottingham. The two cases are linked and there is a link to travel to Southern Africa."

Essex County Council has since put out its own statement, clarifying that the case in Essex was found in Brentwood, not Chelmsford.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co...=breaking-news

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

The Guvmin has to tread a fine line between being too cautious and having good reason for that extra caution (lockdown).

It seems to me that they need to know just how bad the Omicron variant is and data from Africa will be being studied,

Whitty is reported in today's Torygraph as opining:

The Torygraph seems to have been selective in it’s quoting…

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/c...n-b968563.html

"My greatest worry at the moment is that people… if we need to do something more muscular at some point, whether it’s for the current new variant or at some later stage, can we still take people with us?” Prof Whitty said.

He admitted that some of the changes the public has had to make have been “very destructive” to society and the economy.

However, despite his worries, the chief medical officer struck a positive note, saying he believed the Government will be able to maintain public support for coronavirus measures.

“I think the extraordinary thing has been the ability of the UK population, with very, very small exceptions, to just accept that there are things we collectively have to do to protect one another and do collectively, including things that have been very destructive to social and economic situations for individuals and families,” he said.

Obviously, we want to avoid having to do those at all if we can, and to do the minimum ones necessary, but will we be able to maintain public support?

And I think my overall view is, I think we will.

Provided you are clear with people what the logic is, provided they feel that we’re being entirely straight with them as to all the data… but I think that’s always a worry.”

[ianch99]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

I wonder if anybody cared about Iota?

Nice, I see what you did there

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

Two cases of Omicron Covid in UK: Super-mutant variant is found in Chelmsford and Nottingham - now PM will hold press conference this afternoon as four more countries are added to banned list


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tected-UK.html

Super mutant. FFS

[ianch99]

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees

The British would probably grudgingly accept another lockdown, there would be protests of course. But I don’t believe a mass uprising of the populace is on the cards. Let’s hope we don’t get to find out.

The irony is that if people did, widely, mitigate risk via mask wearing, etc. there could be no new lockdown if this variant is worse than Delta. By not mitigating the risks now, lockdown is more likely in that scenario.