Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[BlueToff]

I was just reading that the First Minister for Scotland said "The R number for Delta is one, and the R number for Omicron appears to be two - and is possibly above four." I would imagine it is similar or worse in England. That's not good

It’s through to be at least 2.5 in SA mate yes.

This is why they are being cautious. This is a very very infectious variant. However, it only results in mild symptoms for the vast majority of people, whether vaccinated or not. If you have the vaccine recently in your system (I.e. the booster shot) you’re pretty much certain to be totally fine, quite likely to be asymptomatic, with Omicron.

However, due to the infection rate, you could get easily 1-2 million new cases per week, so even if only 1% of those cases ended up in hospital (which actually based on SA cases is an overestimate - there’s only 6.5k people as of yesterday in hospital with (not because of, but with) Omicron in the entire country of 59m. And 70% of those are estimated to be incidental - i.e. they did not go to hospital because of covid but tested positive while there.

But let’s say it is 1-2% (which the government seem to be working off) it’s still a hell of a lot of people who might need some form of hospital treatment (most would not need higher care but they would need treatment), and that’s why they’re doing the booster push

 

[BlueToff]

Think the understanding is that it is milder, but (plucking numbers out of the air here) if its three times as transmissible but half as deadly you might, in theory, end up with a similar outcome to that of the delta variant last winter if the vaccine isn't as effective.

This is essentially the issue at the moment. We just don't know the impact is, so it's best to proceed with caution.

Hopefully, if vaccines prove to remain effective and it ends up very mild then there shouldn't be many issues.

The attitude from some tory backbenchers beggars belief. Perhaps they just don't understand.

Basically this, and the evidence is that booster gives 75% of people total protection from any symptoms at all with Omicron

 

[Harryflashman]

Uk change the rules on red list early hours tomorrow morning removing quarantine hotel requirements. I can categorically tell you that people currently quarantined have no idea what it means for them . Incredible

 

[dublinbluenose]

Has anyone travelled by ferry from the UK to the Republic of Ireland? I'm just trying to figure out what test results they need. They say a self administrated test would not be acceptable and neither is an NHS test, so I'm confused as to where I can get the test done.

The same private labs that do PCR tests do antigen tests as well. There the tests you need not the €3 Aldi ones unfortunately.

There loads do them now - check with Dublin port as I'd say they have a place there now as HGV drivers would need them as well.

 

[Walken]

Surely the ruling preventing voting by proxy in Parliament needs to at least be given a temporary cancellation. Lots of MPs now with no choice to isolate and unable to represent their constituency. Strikes me as pretty undemocratic

 

[LinekersLegs]

Thread discussing in full that study from SA


Tl/dr

 

[summerisle]

Surely the ruling preventing voting by proxy in Parliament needs to at least be given a temporary cancellation. Lots of MPs now with no choice to isolate and unable to represent their constituency. Strikes me as pretty undemocratic

 

[summerisle]

 

[Deleted member 48881]

 

[grandjoeblue]

Surely the ruling preventing voting by proxy in Parliament needs to at least be given a temporary cancellation. Lots of MPs now with no choice to isolate and unable to represent their constituency. Strikes me as pretty undemocratic

1 Omicron carrier in the house of parliament could infect 50+ in a single session.

The problem we have now is avoiding infection is almost impossible without a complete closure of everything. Personally I've made the decision to not leave the house from now until Christmas to avoid catching it as it's that contagious, obviously a lot of people won't be able to do that.

 

[COYBL25]

Lockdown by stealth.

 

[COYBL25]

1 Omicron carrier in the house of parliament could infect 50+ in a single session.

The problem we have now is avoiding infection is almost impossible without a complete closure of everything. Personally I've made the decision to not leave the house from now until Christmas to avoid catching it as it's that contagious, obviously a lot of people won't be able to do that.

I’m away with my mates this weekend.

Life is for living, not hiding.

Triple jabbed and the flu.

Two years on, what’s the point otherwise.

No surrender.

 

[grandjoeblue]

Some mental comments from the forever lockdown fans under that tweet. Why don't they change the business? To what exactly? You can't change a pub to a shop or something overnight.

 

[Harryflashman]

Lockdown by stealth.

Said it at the weekend mate , if they want to
Do it fair enough but they’re doing it and calling it free will. Feels unfair to be honest .

 

[grandjoeblue]

I’m away with my mates this weekend.

Life is for living, not hiding.

No surrender.

I went pubs or restaurants Friday, Saturday and Sunday last week. I just don't really fancy spending Christmas stuck in the house! Plan on being back in the pub on Boxing Day and if I have to isolate after that then it's fine.