What The Hell Is Going On With The Omicron Virus?

[dave50]

All we ever hear about is the number of infections and these numbers are used to justify everyone running around like headless chickens. Apparently its looking like it's no more dangerous than the delta variant, so what's the problem for goodness sake? I'm getting increasingly frustrated and angry by the stupid over the top reactions of government and lockdown maniacs. When are they all going to get a bloody grip?!?

[piper107]

and not one of the 38 counties that have it had any deaths reported as of 6th December, and as i have read not as bad as delta ,every variant gets weaker
I'm with you its just scaremongering

[dannyk13]

There have been deaths:-
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/coronavirus-omicron-live-updates-india-and-world-december-8/liveblog/88151943.cms

[ToraToraTora]

the problem now is overcomming the culture that has built up loving this and praying for it to continue. You are correct it's over the vaccine is working deaths and hospital admissions are falling every day. The number of case are irrelevant. Deaths are mainly among those unvaccinated. Covid is low low down on the list of causes of death. More die from heart disease in the UK every year than have died from covid in total, yet we don't have daily stats on that do we? It's madness as you rightly say.

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

What is your solution?

[bhg481]

If there was a person in your locality who was known for beating-up random people, hospitalising some and killing others, would you avoid him?
Would you also avoid his child?

[dave50]

We have been vaccinated to prevent serious illness and its working so what's the problem? We should be continuing getting back to normal and the argument that restrictions should be brought in to stop 'our wonderful NHS' being overwhelmed is absolutely ridiculous. Lastly stop the infernal continuous testing, it's now totally pointless.

[MrsCheese]

so no matter how many jabs, masks, gloves and sanitiser you wear you will never be free, in a few weeks get your sleeves rolled up for your 4th jab, hopefully it will be in time before the next lockdown x

[ToraToraTora]

hazihamenu-hoth: "What is your solution? " - not sure who who that's aimed at but my solution is this: keep vaccinating and boosters, stop most of the testing, get back to normal.

[Gromit]

// every variant gets weaker //

Really ?

Omicron has over 50 mutations on normal covid. The fear (and therefore the caution) is that will make it far easier to transmit and affect more people than your bog standard covid.
But we haven’t got covid/Delta under control yet, with 50,000+ new cases daily, the last thing we want is two variants out of control.

[Sqad]

////keep vaccinating and boosters, stop most of the testing, get back to normal.////

Apart from stop testing then I totally agree TTT.

The normal being: wearing masks in crowded places, social distancing, booster vaccines and increased restrictions during an outbreak.

That will be the normal for the foreseeable future.

[Gromit]

Several leading scientists have this week warned
// We’re ‘closer to start of the pandemic than the end’ //

Back to normal is a long way off.

[ToraToraTora]

sqad, what's the point of most of the testing? It doesn't matter if you have it or not in reality in most cases. Start demanding people are vaccinated to travel etc is a better thing to do. I am not in favour of force/fines but I am in favour of limiting what the THB can do.

[Teapots1]

50,000 cases a day with unreliable test kits in my view. Can someone tell me how many in ICU because that's what counts and only that.

[ToraToraTora]

gropmit: "Back to normal is a long way off. " - you are one of the people I refer to above. I don;t know what your vested interest is but you put negative spin on everything you are desperate for it to continue.

[Atheist]

I think the point of testing is so that people who test positive can take steps to avoid infecting others, by self-isolating.

[royfromaus]

If there was a person in your locality who was known for beating-up random people, hospitalising some and killing others, would you avoid him?
Would you also avoid his child?

——----—------

What The Funicular
or
Pmsl

Not sure which one.

[ToraToraTora]

teapots, 901 in total on ventilation and most of them are antivaxxers.

[Canary42]

/// I'm getting increasingly frustrated and angry ///

Let's hope you avoid the virus then, as no doubt you would find going on a ventilator even more frustrating.

And do you have to define all the folk who hold different views from you as stupid/maniacs - it doesn't help your credibility.

[Sqad]

/////sqad, what's the point of most of the testing? ////

Agreed that this has been too little too late and in itself is a impotent tool. However with vaccinations and other restrictions already in place it can limit the spread of the disease but more importantly can red flag new variants.

[Peter Pedant]

// // every variant gets weaker //
Really ?

this is a AB - meme spread mainly by TTT and NJ

no variants do NOT usually get weaker then get stronger
this is an exception and cannot be relied on
but hey so what - this is AB

The cases in Gauteng ( NOT comparable as 1) undervaccinated 2) mainly young and 3) unknown level of HIV ) have taken off
as one wd expect if the omicron had an R of 3

so lots and lots of cases even if they have a lower rates of hospitalisation, if there are enough, can overwhelm a health system (*)

(*) this effect: that if you have a high risk pool but the numbers are small, and a low risk pool but lots! and a lower infection ratio - - then most cases appear in the low risk category - if that catefory is large enough

is contrary to intuition, but seen first in HIV in the early eighties and causes chaos.

capeeshy? nope, and it probably that no one in the Cabinet does as well. ( all modern linguists and classicists)