To worry that this is the start of more restrictions

[avvemarriia]

The announcement yesterday has got me really worried, starting with masks, are they going to start creeping up to gathering restrictions etc?

A relative passed away over a month ago and due to the circumstances we are only just at a stage where we are getting the death cert tomorrow and able to start planning the funeral.

I can't cope with the idea of a restricted funeral after everything our family has been through 😞

I'm going to try and push on tomorrow and get the earliest date feasible, but I'm so worried as the government has form for changing things with barely any notice.

Am I worrying unnecessary or is anyone else thinking this is potentially going to happen?

I think that there are a few steps to go before starting to severely restrict gathering again?
They're really pushing the vaccines, increased testing and will probably soon give "work from home" guidance.
I think social restrictions are coming, yes but I'm firmly crossing my fingers that we'll get Christmas first.
So sorry for your loss and for the extra worry this week is giving you.... I'd push on with funeral arrangements as quickly as possible if I were you

Thankyou that's a reassuring opinion.

I'm just so stressed about what happened and how long it's taken to get answers to now be faced with the possibility of restrictions. I'm probably over thinking it, but it has happened before where they have implemented severe restrictions literally overnight!

I doubt it at this stage. It will be "WFH" initially if anything.

Have you read the info coming out of South Africa ? It frustrates me that people jump to doomsday conclusions without full facts - the Dr who first flagged the new variant started looking into it purely because people were testing positive without any notable symptoms mainly tiredness/exhaustion and were recovering within a few days , so this in fact points towards the idea although it may be more transmissible it’s weakening in severity. If this is the case it will become endemic more quickly. This may not be the horror story the media are peddling.

Nah, theyre just buying time to learn more about this variant, seems sensible. Initial reports suggest that its mild, but these low-level actions are what's likely to prevent lockdown again.

@Cupcakegirl13

Have you read the info coming out of South Africa ? It frustrates me that people jump to doomsday conclusions without full facts - the Dr who first flagged the new variant started looking into it purely because people were testing positive without any notable symptoms mainly tiredness/exhaustion and were recovering within a few days , so this in fact points towards the idea although it may be more transmissible it’s weakening in severity. If this is the case it will become endemic more quickly. This may not be the horror story the media are peddling.

Can you post a reputable link please? This sounds like social media "information".

I understand the worry. I am sorry for your loss.

Firstly I think the government under reacts so we are a long way off restrictions.

Secondly I think funerals and schools are the last things that would be limited due to the psychological impacts.

Thirdly, you have no control over this, so whilst it is difficult try to focus on your grief and not this.

@Cupcakegirl13

Have you read the info coming out of South Africa ? It frustrates me that people jump to doomsday conclusions without full facts - the Dr who first flagged the new variant started looking into it purely because people were testing positive without any notable symptoms mainly tiredness/exhaustion and were recovering within a few days , so this in fact points towards the idea although it may be more transmissible it’s weakening in severity. If this is the case it will become endemic more quickly. This may not be the horror story the media are peddling.

I'm not jumping to doomsday conclusions, I'm asking how other people are feeling after the announcement to try and gauge whether I'm worrying unnecessarily.

I think they're trying to put folk on the alert before Christmas. That may limit the numbers of people going out, thus limiting the cases, without having to spend any money take any major steps themselves.
I don't doubt that there is a new variant but there have been lots of variants.

I don't doubt that there is a new variant but there have been lots of variants. This is an illogical statement, it doesn't matter how many variants have gone before. What matters is the impact of a particular one.

@Jenjenn

www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/south-african-doctor-raised-alarm-omicron-variant-says-symptoms/

A really quick google brings up this.

@rrhuth

I understand the worry. I am sorry for your loss.

Firstly I think the government under reacts so we are a long way off restrictions.

Secondly I think funerals and schools are the last things that would be limited due to the psychological impacts.

Thirdly, you have no control over this, so whilst it is difficult try to focus on your grief and not this.

Thank you

I am hoping to get to NI after Xmas

And I have started to wonder if it will happen

I would book the gathering as quick as you can

I live in Asia where masks in public places, PCR tests on landing, and self-isolation before a negative test has carried on. Seeing things go “back to normal” in the UK has been hard.

However I’m wondering now if it’s better to just have had the restrictions this entire time. Because it seems dropping them but then being asked to resume, and just before Christmas, is possibly harder mentally and emotionally?

I guess what I’m saying is, maybe the fear is because you had the feeling it was all over, and that’s somewhat been dispelled now by going back to masking etc.

[quote Freddiefox]@Jenjenn

www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/south-african-doctor-raised-alarm-omicron-variant-says-symptoms/

A really quick google brings up this.[/quote]
The Telegraph is absolutely NOT a reliable source on covid.

The paper has been wrong consistently and is in favour of high deaths.

Freddiefox

@Jenjenn

www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/south-african-doctor-raised-alarm-omicron-variant-says-symptoms/

A really quick google brings up this.

The Telegraph is absolutely NOT a reliable source on covid. The paper has been wrong consistently and is in favour of high deaths

She was interviewed on BBC news yesterday. If she's being honest then her experiences were very reassuring.

Covid: South Africa 'punished' for detecting new Omicron variant www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-59442129

Says very distinctly that cases so far have been mild.

@rrhuth

Over to you then to find something more suiting to your taste.

[quote Freddiefox]@rrhuth

Over to you then to find something more suiting to your taste.[/quote]
It isn't about 'taste' it is about veracity. The Telegraph really has been absolutely unreliable recently.

To be honest, mask wearing as winter sets in is not a bad thing and was probably something the government were considering anyway.

@turnitonagain

I live in Asia where masks in public places, PCR tests on landing, and self-isolation before a negative test has carried on. Seeing things go “back to normal” in the UK has been hard.

However I’m wondering now if it’s better to just have had the restrictions this entire time. Because it seems dropping them but then being asked to resume, and just before Christmas, is possibly harder mentally and emotionally?

I guess what I’m saying is, maybe the fear is because you had the feeling it was all over, and that’s somewhat been dispelled now by going back to masking etc.

I imagine it's been really hard

I'm generally ok with less disruptive measures like masks and keeping a distance in public places. It's just the fear of an already traumatic time being made worse.

@Cupcakegirl13

Have you read the info coming out of South Africa ? It frustrates me that people jump to doomsday conclusions without full facts - the Dr who first flagged the new variant started looking into it purely because people were testing positive without any notable symptoms mainly tiredness/exhaustion and were recovering within a few days , so this in fact points towards the idea although it may be more transmissible it’s weakening in severity. If this is the case it will become endemic more quickly. This may not be the horror story the media are peddling.

Yes, exactly this

Whilst i had read that hospitals in some regions of South Africa were rapidly becoming full of covid patients with 90% being this variant , although relatively few of the patients were double vaccinated

South Africa has a reason to minimise ,

let's wait and see , be sensible ( cautious ) and get real facts about how it might affect hospitals here

@rrhuth it was the South African Minister of Health that said this. I'm not sure they are in cohorts with The Telegraph.....

I don't think people will comply so easily this time. I'm double jabbed and have done everything I was told would prevent us getting to this point again, yet here we are. At this point everyone has been offered a vaccine and a large percentage of people in hospitals are unvaccinated, that's the choice they made unfortunately and the vast majority shouldn't be punished for the actions of the minority. If you don't want the vaccine or are vulnerable then it is up to you to police your own actions and take precautions to keep you and your loved ones safe.

I'm sure all this scaremongering all stems from fear of overwhelming the NHS/A&Es over winter. A&Es are full because GPs are fobbing everyone off on phone calls (if you're lucky to get one) and telling you to go to A&E if you're worried