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Original poster

Or is the "new variant of the virus" a smokescreen?

87 replies

Nipoleon · 14/12/2020 22:53

I'm not normally a conspiracy theorist but I'm not sure I buy this idea that something has changed with the virus (beyond the normal mutations which we have heard about for ages now). Convenient as London plunges into Tier 3 - or possibly paving the way for an imminent announcement to stop people flocking home from London to rest of the country for Christmas. All sounds very suspicious to me. Chris Whitty's body language was odd to me during the press conference too. Something doesn't sit right here.

OP posts:
rogueantimatter · 14/12/2020 23:12

I thought that too OP. Extra justification for hurriedly imposing tier 3 and a distraction from the fact that they should have done this earlier. Well, they should have done a lot of things earlier, and more competently but that's by the by.

user1473878824 · 14/12/2020 23:13

“ I think you would be naïve to unquestioningly accept that without any critical thinking.” brilliant.

LethargicLumpOfLockdownLard · 14/12/2020 23:13

Yes, this. Variations have happened before and yes, this one is potentially important to current decisions but emphasis and timing are ways the government twist news to play into their message and agenda. Not in a conspiracy way, really, as it's hardly a secret.

LethargicLumpOfLockdownLard · 14/12/2020 23:14

OK my quote didn't work.

noblegiraffe · 14/12/2020 23:14

Did you notice that the press conference was all mutant virus and nothing about schools?

That’s why they’re banging on about mutant strains. So that people don’t look too closely at the real reason rates are spiralling.

ComtesseDeSpair · 14/12/2020 23:15

The people who are likely to be scared at the idea of a new variant are the people who were going to spend Christmas holed up and seeing nobody anyway: more or less anyone who has already decided they think it’s safe to mix households isn’t going to be bothered by this news and would likely disobey any new Christmas lockdown anyway, so making it up would have little effect.

Chloemol · 14/12/2020 23:19

Personally I think the fact there is a new mutation is irrelevant. The only way it has spread so fast is because people are not following the rules, are meeting when they shouldn’t, just look at the crowds on Oxford Street

tttigress · 14/12/2020 23:24

"beyond the normal mutations", what exactly do the thing a normal mutation is OP? This sounds like a normal mutation.

GreenSeaGlass · 14/12/2020 23:27

WiseOwlWan

“Is this new variant more contagious? I haven't heard anything about it in Ireland”

They said on the news earlier that it seems to be more contagious but they don’t think it’s more harmful. They are blaming the new variant on the increase in cases.

EasterIssland · 14/12/2020 23:32

@Nipoleon

Hardly foil hat! It's bizarre. Mutations do happen all the time but suddenly just before Xmas and on the day half the population is forced into lockdown they find a new strain never seen before which is more contagious - and it's in the south East of England. I think you would be naïve to unquestioningly accept that without any critical thinking.
Half the population? That’s a bit too much ! London is 8m and England 55m.

London should have been tier 3 2 weeks ago but managed to scape god knows why but some boroughs were quite badly affected ... people also are not following guidelines... why should they ! They know better than stupid government ! Let’s meet friends and family and go to restaurants and and and ... and those actions have consequences ... in this case tier 3.

Yes there is a new Version of rhe virus , it’s been in other countries as well ... let’s continue doing whatever we want and ignoring what we’re requested to do ... and there will be new versions

Fauvist · 14/12/2020 23:37

I would be delighted if they banned people meeting over Christmas. I think it is madness. I totally appreciate people want to see their families but in fact we should all just be staying put. Because DH has not seen his parents IRL since March, we will be travelling from one Tier 3 area to another, for what? So we can all swap germs? No thanks. I would far far rather stay at home and wait until a bit later to have a gathering, once there has been a chance to get the most vulnerable vaccinated (the people we would be visiting are all over 70).

Fauvist · 14/12/2020 23:37

Half the population? That’s a bit too much ! London is 8m and England 55m.

I think I read somewhere 60% of the population is now in Tier 3.

Elephant4 · 14/12/2020 23:40

Newsnight is mainstream - not usually linked to conspiracy theory thinking.

Not at all in fact.

Newsnight has been suggesting throughout tonight's program that the new variant is very 'convenient' for the government to talk about at this moment.

Tory MPs have been saying the same thing.

There may be a new variant. But why are they only just mentioning it?

You're not 'tin hat' (I hate that lazy phrase) at all OP. There are many others thinking the same as you.

EasterIssland · 14/12/2020 23:44

@Fauvist

Half the population? That’s a bit too much ! London is 8m and England 55m.

I think I read somewhere 60% of the population is now in Tier 3.

But a pretty much of that number (I.e Manchester and so) have been on tier 3 for a long time so today’s news don’t make any difference at all. Only London and around are affected by the new tier 3...
RhubarbTea · 14/12/2020 23:46

@Elephant4

Newsnight is mainstream - not usually linked to conspiracy theory thinking.

Not at all in fact.

Newsnight has been suggesting throughout tonight's program that the new variant is very 'convenient' for the government to talk about at this moment.

Tory MPs have been saying the same thing.

There may be a new variant. But why are they only just mentioning it?

You're not 'tin hat' (I hate that lazy phrase) at all OP. There are many others thinking the same as you.

Yep, agree with all this. The timing is very suspect.
toconclude · 14/12/2020 23:54

@Nipoleon

Hardly foil hat! It's bizarre. Mutations do happen all the time but suddenly just before Xmas and on the day half the population is forced into lockdown they find a new strain never seen before which is more contagious - and it's in the south East of England. I think you would be naïve to unquestioningly accept that without any critical thinking.
This is not 'critical thinking', don't flatter it with that title. Mutations happen, so do coincidences. There will have been background work done well before any announcement was made.
Original poster
Nipoleon · 15/12/2020 00:02

@toconclude If you read my posts, I'm not doubting the "mutation." I'm doubting the government's emphasis on it. From a quick google, and from what other people have written above about Newsnight tonight, it seems I'm not alone. I think this is a convenient over-egging of something which isn't that significant in order to soften bad news.

OP posts:
Sinful8 · 15/12/2020 00:14

Can you imagine the conversations around the world?

"So here's the samples of the new strain in the uk"

"It's just a note saying "please don't tell them we made it up, we have to save Christmas for London. Xxx Much love boris""

"Twitter?"

Sinful8 · 15/12/2020 00:15

[quote Nipoleon]@toconclude If you read my posts, I'm not doubting the "mutation." I'm doubting the government's emphasis on it. From a quick google, and from what other people have written above about Newsnight tonight, it seems I'm not alone. I think this is a convenient over-egging of something which isn't that significant in order to soften bad news.[/quote]
But its exactly the same reporting as when the Spanish strain started (is this just the Spanish strain having traveled here?)

dietingtomorrow · 15/12/2020 00:24

Viruses will mutate. The more we allow them to spread, the more chances they have to mutate. Often they mutate into something less deadly, but not always. It's more sensible to cut contacts over Christmas rather that increase them, but judging by this year, common sense is in short supply. Unfortunately we will be paying for this in the New Year. London ought to have been put into tier 3 at the beginning of December, but of course it got treated as a special case. Welcome to tier 3, London. There are lots of us here already!

ElizabethG81 · 15/12/2020 00:27

I agree OP. Yes, it's probably mutated, because that's what viruses do. There was nothing of any substance in what Hancock said today, just "mutation...don't know much about it yet... be scared...London, you're in Tier 3 and don't you dare question it now...because mutation." It's a complete crock of shit.

myhobbyisouting · 15/12/2020 00:30

My god

raspberrymilton · 15/12/2020 00:34

@bobbiester

Give me strength - mutations happen ALL the time. Virus doesn't care whether it's Christmas or not.

If you would like to apply some critical thinking - why not give us a synopsis on this paper on the molecular evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in Europe and North America...

science.sciencemag.org/content/370/6516/564.full

Thought not - I expect hardly any of us here on MN are qualified to "critically" examine this stuff so let's leave it to the scientists (although there might be some here!)

Are you always this patronising? OP acknowledged in her post that mutations happen all the time, thats actually her very point - why is this one worth a special mention from matt hancock?
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