Coronavirus

[STFC_Manc]

It's a numbers game. Highly transmissible but less deadly but still has as much or more change of clogging the NHS .

The thing is. what about the next variant. or the one after? if we can get it down to one booster a year fair enough. we can't do it every 3 or 6 months

What's the exit strategy

We do it every 12 months for flu, so its not really that different?

[Nomoreheroes]

Really interesting the way that people are putting their points over.

I've waited patiently for my booster, because there are people more vulnerable than me that need it before me. I'll be relieved when I get it at the end of the week.

Exit strategy? Patience, time and tolerance would be a good start! We need 'clever people' to keep working on vaccines and better ways to treat infections. I think from the start 'clever people' were talking about this taking 4 years or so.

[Batch]

I'd have no issue personally with a 6 monthly jab or even 3 monthly if it means just cracking on which it rightly should
 

if get mine too, but at the moment it's not getting us to normality. I've been working from home for nearly 2 years now.

Guess I'm frustrated at that. yeah it's probably impatience in my part.

[Jimmy HaveHave]

if get mine too, but at the moment it's not getting us to normality. I've been working from home for nearly 2 years now.

Guess I'm frustrated at that. yeah it's probably impatience in my part.

Up until this week could you have gone back to work or have they always wanted you working from home?

[Batch]

The company has looked at a return after Xmas. obviously that's out now.

I suppose that's not all government mandated.

The good thing is I think if we do go back it'll only be one or two days a week. best of both worlds

[Jimmy HaveHave]

You can't beat a bit of office gossip😀

[theakston2k]

Exit strategy? Patience, time and tolerance would be a good start! We need 'clever people' to keep working on vaccines and better ways to treat infections. I think from the start 'clever people' were talking about this taking 4 years or so.

Patience? How long do you really give it though, 4 years would be ridiculous we can’t have 2 more winters of panic like this. Pretty much everyone I know has said they’d ignore any further tightening of restrictions or a lockdown now. This booster campaign and associated restrictions until the magic number is hit needs to be the final big push and after that normality needs to return. We can’t continue like this as it’s currently impossible to make any long term plans as they are constantly subject to the whims of politicians.

[Nomoreheroes]

Patience? How long do you really give it though, 4 years would be ridiculous we can’t have 2 more winters of panic like this. Pretty much everyone I know has said they’d ignore any further tightening of restrictions or a lockdown now. This booster campaign and associated restrictions until the magic number is hit needs to be the final big push and after that normality needs to return. We can’t continue like this as it’s currently impossible to make any long term plans as they are constantly subject to the whims of politicians.

But, normality (as it was) can't resume as there is an infectious disease out there that we don't have a cure for. So, no matter how much we would rather it wasn't, we have to change. We can all take a 'fuck you' attitude, but I don't see it achieving a swifter route to normality.

[theakston2k]

But, normality (as it was) can't resume as there is an infectious disease out there that we don't have a cure for. So, no matter how much we would rather it wasn't, we have to change. We can all take a 'fuck you' attitude, but I don't see it achieving a swifter route to normality.

I’d say rightly or wrongly that will be exactly the attitude that gets adopted next year for many  For the last lockdown we were told vaccines were the light at the end of the tunnel so people put up with it on that basis. Now we are being told boosters are the light at the end of the tunnel and people are putting up with the restrictions on that basis. If we get post booster campaign and the goal posts change again I think the majority of people will say fuck it and choose to get on with their lives as the promised light never arrives. An annual booster programme should be the limit of restrictions beyond this year IMO.

There’s no precedent other than the EU referendum but I’d say it would need to go to some kind of public vote over how we should continue to proceed if this goes on into the summer next year as this is all way beyond what someone would have considered when voting in elections and what not.

[Moss]

I’d say rightly or wrongly that will be exactly the attitude that gets adopted next year for many  For the last lockdown we were told vaccines were the light at the end of the tunnel so people put up with it on that basis. Now we are being told boosters are the light at the end of the tunnel and people are putting up with the restrictions on that basis. If we get post booster campaign and the goal posts change again I think the majority of people will say fuck it and choose to get on with their lives as the promised light never arrives. An annual booster programme should be the limit of restrictions beyond this year IMO.

There’s no precedent other than the EU referendum but I’d say it would need to go to some kind of public vote over how we should continue to proceed if this goes on into the summer next year as this is all way beyond what someone would have considered when voting in elections and what not.

Fuck me ive heard it all now. Put our public health response to a pandemic that’s killed millions to the public vote. Are you serious? What are you proposing a saturday night vote on the weekends restrictions? There are 60 ambulances queueing outside A&E departments already. If it gets out of hand it means the nhs stops working for everything and everyone

[Nomoreheroes]

I’d say rightly or wrongly that will be exactly the attitude that gets adopted next year for many  For the last lockdown we were told vaccines were the light at the end of the tunnel so people put up with it on that basis. Now we are being told boosters are the light at the end of the tunnel and people are putting up with the restrictions on that basis. If we get post booster campaign and the goal posts change again I think the majority of people will say fuck it and choose to get on with their lives as the promised light never arrives. An annual booster programme should be the limit of restrictions beyond this year IMO.

There’s no precedent other than the EU referendum but I’d say it would need to go to some kind of public vote over how we should continue to proceed if this goes on into the summer next year as this is all way beyond what someone would have considered when voting in elections and what not.

Apologies, but when I read it, I thought your first para cames across all 'Kevin the teenager' insomuch as I read it as you saying 'Its so unfair!' Unfortunately, things change, and politicians (good and bad ones) have to put out a simple message to dumb things down for the masses.

As for a vote - The last national referendum worked out rather well didn't it! Country divided, polarised and hostility abounded. If we had a vote on how to proceed I'd expect Boaty McBoatface to be selected as the Chief Medical Officer and Scotland to become a Principality of an Independent Wales!

Leaving things in the hands of the people has always been a recipe for 'disaster dahling'! (Said in a Craig Revell Horwood voice

[Batch]

encouraging news from SA that Omicron seems so far less severe

South African scientists say they have yet to see any indication that the Omicron variant is as severe as previous waves in the country.

One of the country’s leading Covid-19 experts, Prof Salim Karim, pointed to hospital data from the area where Omicron was first detected.

He said that in comparison with previous waves of the pandemic, far fewer patients needed oxygen or admission to intensive care.

"In the current wave right now, we have only one out of four cases that is severe - a marked difference. And this is not merely an impact of vaccines, because this reduction in severity goes across all ages, including ages we didn't vaccinate."

A similar pattern is now being detected in mortality figures.

Prof Marta Nunes, a vaccine expert at Wits University, also said the mortality rate was lower than in previous waves.

However, scientists and doctors agree they need more data before they can be sure of Omicron’s impact. And it is not yet clear how Omicron will affect other countries.

The variant is spreading remarkably fast. And comparisons with previous waves are only helpful up to a point.

[Bob's Orange]

I’d say rightly or wrongly that will be exactly the attitude that gets adopted next year for many  For the last lockdown we were told vaccines were the light at the end of the tunnel so people put up with it on that basis. Now we are being told boosters are the light at the end of the tunnel and people are putting up with the restrictions on that basis. If we get post booster campaign and the goal posts change again I think the majority of people will say fuck it and choose to get on with their lives as the promised light never arrives. An annual booster programme should be the limit of restrictions beyond this year IMO.

There’s no precedent other than the EU referendum but I’d say it would need to go to some kind of public vote over how we should continue to proceed if this goes on into the summer next year as this is all way beyond what someone would have considered when voting in elections and what not.

I do understand what you are saying and you are correct that were told that the vaccine program would be the 'silver bullet'. However I don't think these things can really be so black and white in a pandemic. The mutation of a virus could be absolutely catastrophic and whilst the news that Omicron doesn't sound as bad as it is feared I do think you have to take a bit of a worst case scenario until we know the full picture and how the vaccine's work against it.

In theory given how much the virus is spreading across the UK, shouldn't it become weaker in time?

[Hunk]

I do understand what you are saying and you are correct that were told that the vaccine program would be the 'silver bullet'. However I don't think these things can really be so black and white in a pandemic. The mutation of a virus could be absolutely catastrophic and whilst the news that Omicron doesn't sound as bad as it is feared I do think you have to take a bit of a worst case scenario until we know the full picture and how the vaccine's work against it.

In theory given how much the virus is spreading across the UK, shouldn't it become weaker in time?

I’ve done a little bit of reading about virus mutations, and there are very few instances where mutations result in a more deadly virus, although they frequently become more transmissible. Ebola mutated to become more deadly and so did Spanish Flu but these are the exceptions to the rule, as far as I can tell. I think the answer to your question is probably ‘yes’ but there are still so many unknowns. Even if it’s technically weaker, that wouldn’t necessarily mean fewer deaths or hospitalisation if it spreads in the winter rather than summer when the elderly are more vulnerable.

Or I could just be chatting shit

[AMayesIng]

encouraging news from SA that Omicron seems so far less severe

Early days, but sounds hopeful; lets keep our fingers crossed . Am I the only one that read the Uni as 'Wilts University'? soapy tit wank