Would you go to a wedding next weekend?

[weddingguesttbc]

Am vaccinated and RSVP'd yes. Not old or CEV but I am wary.

Would you go? They've likely paid for me already. I have booked a hotel etc.

Doubts over whether it will even happen at this rate.

Do you think it will happen? (if it doesn't, I guess I wait for now and do nothing) and if it does, would you go?

My sister in law got married last weekend, so far my husband, my sister in laws new wife, 2 old university friends all positive with COVID. Wedding was wonderful but it’s definitely taken the shine off it unfortunately. My husband is double vaccinated and feeling pretty grim

I really don’t understand why you are bothered? Honestly turn off the news and live your life! I have lost 3 family members within the past year all the cancer all with no notice and all too young life is for living you really don’t know what is round the corner! There are many risks out there but we can’t live in fear of which one will catch us we have to make memories be sensible and live life for the little time we have!

@Vixetar

My sister in law got married last weekend, so far my husband, my sister in laws new wife, 2 old university friends all positive with COVID. Wedding was wonderful but it’s definitely taken the shine off it unfortunately. My husband is double vaccinated and feeling pretty grim

But presumably all on the road to recovery? The same as if they caught flu?

I am worried about Covid but I would go.

Definitely go & have a fantastic time ❤️

Have you read about the ‘new variant’? It’s mild, covid is behaving just like most viruses, it peaks its mutates then it weakens out just like the Omicron varient. People need to reasesrch other than the bbc

Have you read about the ‘new variant’? It’s mild

We don't know that. We will hopefully know that in a few more weeks but as you well know, everyone thought this about Covid in Jan/Feb 2020. You have to wait and see how the disease progresses in a range of individuals, including the very old and very young. We would rather not have everyone down with it just as we are discovering It's potentially very severe to a certain group. Hopefully it won't be.

And for everyone saying they're double vaccinated so can swing from the lampshades - you need to be triple jabbed and even then, you are making a decision to potentially transmit to vulnerable contacts if you do what you like. You are going against the advice of medical experts who are keen for you and your families to stick around and have access to treatment.

@threatmatrix

Have you read about the ‘new variant’? It’s mild, covid is behaving just like most viruses, it peaks its mutates then it weakens out just like the Omicron varient. People need to reasesrch other than the bbc

FFS No, it isn't "mild", @threatmatrix.

One doctor who had seen a handful of cases said that those she had seen so far had been mild but made it clear that there is a huge caveat, they were all young and healthy. You cannot conclude anything from such a small sample size.

If you actually did your research and looked at the data, hospitalisations appear to be in line with previous waves so far (so no milder but no worse) but, again, there is the huge caveat that it is mostly young, healthy individuals who have been infected. Furthermore, there is now some evidence that there is a genetic link to an individual's risk of death from COVID, a gene that is rare in those with black African heritage (2%) and more common in those with European (15%) or South Asian (60%) heritage.

There are plenty of links on the Coronavirus board to the data and some preprints of scientific papers.

You might also want to do some research on natural selection. Not all viruses mutate to become milder. If you are only infectious when you have symptoms, a milder variant has an advantage over a more viurlent variant because people carry on with life if they only have a mild sniffle, they "self-isolate" in bed if they are really sick so can't infect lots of people... There is no selection pressure on SARS-CoV-2 to become milder because people are infectious while they are pre-symptomatic.

That said, there are so few cases in the UK at the moment, it's a minuscule risk that there will be a guest at the wedding who has omicron, OP. Have fun!

@Alltheblue

And for everyone saying they're double vaccinated so can swing from the lampshades - you need to be triple jabbed and even then, you are making a decision to potentially transmit to vulnerable contacts if you do what you like. You are going against the advice of medical experts who are keen for you and your families to stick around and have access to treatment.

I've chosen to live my life and avoid vulnerable people we know and care about. We do that most winters since DS started school as he brings home the plague most years! To me BJ absence of shielding is almost criminal I just hope the vulnerable have sense to protect themselves. COVID is a mild illness to the healthy so why would we alter ours lives

Yep, I'd go without hesitation.

I could quite as easily catch COVID at the supermarket, or the hairdressers or my kids bring it home from school...I'm done with being overly cautious.

COVID is a mild illness to the healthy so why would we alter ours lives

Well that's really selfish to start with, but you will find yourself at the back of the queue when people who are vulnerable but weren't able to shield (no such thing with people like you around really) are more sick than you and require treatment.

Yes, I absolutely would go. We need to start enjoying things again.

Yes def

I got married end of July after being cancelled twice in 2020 and 2021

We asked all to do a lf in am

Life has to go on, been almost 2yrs

But can make things safer by washing hands, wearing a mask inside and lf before going

@Alltheblue

COVID is a mild illness to the healthy so why would we alter ours lives

Well that's really selfish to start with, but you will find yourself at the back of the queue when people who are vulnerable but weren't able to shield (no such thing with people like you around really) are more sick than you and require treatment.

You can shield it involves staying at home! Also that's not how triage would work if the NHS was over run it would be who was most likely to survive.

It's going to be a yearly bug no matter what we do, if we could eradicate it fair enough but NZ has proved we can't

Also that's not how triage would work if the NHS was over run it would be who was most likely to survive.

What a delight you are.

But you're wrong. You're counting on a disaster situation where people are left to die. No words for how awful you are but putting that to one side, no. No. The NHS will prioritise provision for ICU and they will delay your child's mental health assessment, your follow up smear test and your diabetes review. If they have to. Sorry to disappoint.

As for everyone vulnerable staying at home... What about their mental health? Are you planning to shop for them? Go to a different hospital because we're effectively living in segregated communities? What about your niece with diabetes? Your neighbor's child who has a heart condition? They live inside so you can have your Christmas party! When do they get to go to school?

No Covid will not always be with us in the way it is just now. We're getting better at this. We're also not sure what we're dealing with at this precise moment in time but we'll know in a few weeks. Sorry if that spoils your arrangements and induces a tantrum. There are children on children's wards up and down the country whose courage, patience and fortitude would put you to shame. If you had any.

@Alltheblue

Also that's not how triage would work if the NHS was over run it would be who was most likely to survive.

What a delight you are.

But you're wrong. You're counting on a disaster situation where people are left to die. No words for how awful you are but putting that to one side, no. No. The NHS will prioritise provision for ICU and they will delay your child's mental health assessment, your follow up smear test and your diabetes review. If they have to. Sorry to disappoint.

As for everyone vulnerable staying at home... What about their mental health? Are you planning to shop for them? Go to a different hospital because we're effectively living in segregated communities? What about your niece with diabetes? Your neighbor's child who has a heart condition? They live inside so you can have your Christmas party! When do they get to go to school?

No Covid will not always be with us in the way it is just now. We're getting better at this. We're also not sure what we're dealing with at this precise moment in time but we'll know in a few weeks. Sorry if that spoils your arrangements and induces a tantrum. There are children on children's wards up and down the country whose courage, patience and fortitude would put you to shame. If you had any.

The old style of routine care can be stood down to be honest the current situation is actually better than normal in our area. Log a request online, GP calls back within 24hours no fighting for appointments, prescription sent digitally to local ASDA which is open until 11pm.

They have been doing the routine reviews the same way and it seems to be working great for the majority of people.

I do think we need to segregate the community for the next few years if we are to get through this the best we can.

You might think I'm horrible, but I'm just being real. To me getting through this isn't about keeping everyone happy it's about keeping the death rate as low as possible without harming the economy or kids development.

For my experience of our friends and family we've lost more to suicide than COVID. The only COVID death I know of was someone end of life anyway. On the other hand I know a kid now without a dad due to lockdown. I know which situation I find sadder. Maybe if he had been going out seeing friends, attending weddings, playing football he would still be here with his kid so don't give me mental health. If you are chronically unwell you know your participation in society is going to be limited as a healthy 30 something you don't expect it!

Yes I would go to the OPs wedding, yes we will be having Christmas parties no I won't be staying home to protect others because it time we enjoyed our lives. No I won't be sitting round the table with loads of vulnerable people but all my grandparents have now had it's post vaccine no one was seriously unwell so happy for them to join us.

Yes, I do think you're horrible, I'm afraid.

Your anecdotal data is fake news.

Vicky I kind of agree

I think there’s a conversation to be had before the uk follows suit and mandates vaccine passports

Why ban healthy low risk unvaccinated but allow high risk vulnerable vaccinated who are much more likely to become ill and put pressure of nhs

Both are discriminatory but one would actually have an impact

I’m not in favour of either by the way - both awful but I’m explaining that the reasoning actually favours one if you look at facts

I’m explaining that the reasoning actually favours one if you look at facts

You're really not.

Question -

Which one do you think will have biggest impact? Restrictions for vulnerable or restrictions for unvax? Bearing in mind vaccinated still get it and still transmit it and most unvax are young and in the main don’t have underlying issues

I’m not agreeing with either but Vicky has a point of having to live with it and that unfortunately it’s not always fair in the short term

Impact is a value judgement. So not sure what you mean by impact as clearly people dying is not particularly significant to posters like Vicky.

But she's wrong anyway. In terms of chaos, whatever ends up with highest transmission will cause most chaos.

@Alltheblue

Yes, I do think you're horrible, I'm afraid.

Your anecdotal data is fake news.

Is it tho, the vast majority of the population know someone effected by suicide, heart disease, cancer yet very few know someone healthy badly effect by COVID. You obviously think everything should be done to protect the vulnerable which is very noble but it's not feasible or the reality of this. If we were talking a disease like Ebola the desire to control it would be there, COVID nope as so few are badly effected.

Vicky, with respect, you're not a researcher or a scientist. There won't be any treatment for heart disease if the NHS can't find the funding or doctors.

You do love the word caveat don’t you. Obviously your research is better than mine 🙄. I was watching a video of the woman who discovered the variant I also quite like Bret Weinstein, Dr, Tony Hinton, Dr. John Lee, Dr. Aseem Malhotra to name a few. Enjoy and hopefully my response didn’t seem as condescending as yours. Merry Christmas.