Page 2 | New COVID Variant in South-East

umpteennamechanges · 2020-12-14T15:58:53+00:00

Just seen the breaking news about the new COVID variant in the South East. Seems to be nothing to worry about on the face of it...but wondering if anyone has / knows of any more info?

Circumlocutious · 14/12/2020 16:29

@UnseenDoreen

Maybe not stamp out, but certainly keep its incidence low. There are a lot of people who think we should give up all attempts to monitor the virus after we roll out the vaccines - no more quarantining, no more testing, no more isolating. That's very dangerous.

user1498572889 · 14/12/2020 16:30

They did say right at the beginning of this that the virus may change and they would probably have to adapt any vaccine that came out.
They have to change the flu vaccine all the time.

Original poster

umpteennamechanges · 14/12/2020 16:30

@Keepdistance

Hopefully it's not people getting it a second time

It's already established that you can get COVID a second time, with or without this latest variant

OP posts:

GrumpySausage · 14/12/2020 16:31

@FromTheAshes

Covid rates rising rapidly in the North: you naughty northerners, you're going to have to go into timeout.

Covid rates rising rapidly in London: its a new variant (that has also been identified in 60 other local authorities and has been seen in other countries for a few months now). Really sorry that we have to impose more restrictions, we'll get you out as soon as possible.

This with bells on!! I though exactly the same. Its been spreading like wildfire up north for months until we had to go into tier 3. Now because London has too, its because your strain is 'special'.

EggysMom · 14/12/2020 16:31

@FromTheAshes

Covid rates rising rapidly in the North: you naughty northerners, you're going to have to go into timeout.

Covid rates rising rapidly in London: its a new variant (that has also been identified in 60 other local authorities and has been seen in other countries for a few months now). Really sorry that we have to impose more restrictions, we'll get you out as soon as possible.

This. Exactly.

stepawayfromthekeyboard · 14/12/2020 16:35

@user1498572889

They did say right at the beginning of this that the virus may change and they would probably have to adapt any vaccine that came out. They have to change the flu vaccine all the time.

The flu virus is prone to big mutations, but coronaviruses are much less prone to these. But any mutation is a cause for concern, especially if associated with faster spread (according to Hancock just now). Faster spread - but it's already over some heavily populated areas of the South-East, with a major relaxation of restrictions planned for 2 weeks' time - that is very bad news for transporting this new variant around the whole country.

IloveJKRowling · 14/12/2020 16:36

Another reason to stamp covid out and not let it just move its way through the population. Most strains are benign, but if it mutates dangerously (e.g. in intensive animal farms) we could be screwed.

Agree, zero covid should be the strategy even if unlikely to achieve it. Allowing schools open without any respiratory measures (masks) against a respiratory virus is criminal.

PerkingFaintly · 14/12/2020 16:37

BBC story now saying this new variant has been found in nearly 60 local authorities.

So definitely not just the South East.

MercyBooth · 14/12/2020 16:40

twitter.com/BallouxFrancois/status/1338514626531700739?s=20

PerkingFaintly · 14/12/2020 16:42

They will have looked at which parts of the virus have mutated. The vaccines target the spike protein. If that hasn’t changed, the vaccines won’t be affected.

Thanks for explaining that, PurpleDaisies. That sounds familiar.

I think I heard the same on the news when they were discussing the Denmark variant, a few weeks ago.

user1498572889 · 14/12/2020 16:42

@stepawayfromthekeyboard
I think they are only relaxing the rules at Christmas because they know people won’t take any notice anyway. 😔. I don’t know how bad this has to get before some people realise it’s down to everyone to do their bit. Mind you I am of the opinion they should have stopped all travel abroad right at the beginning. I work in a shop and so many people think it’s ok to come in without a mask and stand next to me. Hence my COVID test today.

TidyOmlette · 14/12/2020 16:45

I think this was a really bad idea publishing this. It’s going to cause panic in so many people. Even the flu changes it’s strain every year and as pp’s have said there’s already so many different variations of cv19 which affect everybody differently

Jrobhatch29 · 14/12/2020 16:47

@TidyOmlette

I think this was a really bad idea publishing this. It’s going to cause panic in so many people. Even the flu changes it’s strain every year and as pp’s have said there’s already so many different variations of cv19 which affect everybody differently

I agree, especially without more information. I wonder if is to panic people before Xmas into not mixing as well.

houseinthesnow · 14/12/2020 16:47

I think this is a very worrying development actually.

I would not expect the gov to alarm everyone with any scary information just now, but surely it is too early to say how this will affect people?

My first thoughts are that this is probably the strain from Denmark. This is not the official line, but it would not surprise me.

cyclingmad · 14/12/2020 16:52

We should just shut our borders in all seriousness now, other countries who have plus masks etc are leading near normal lifes.

Rather that and holiday in the UK and so be it if I cant fly out for another year

Chloemol · 14/12/2020 16:57

So there is another strain. But it’s still spread the same way, so this is just smoke and mirrors, the fact is people are not following the rules, so it doesn’t matter what the strain is, and it’s still soreading through schools

Oliversmumsarmy · 14/12/2020 16:57

No idea if the massive jump in infections is down to a different strain of the virus or not but I am in that sort of area and I could have forecast a massive increase in numbers.

The shops not being open for the month of December meant that instead of the steady flow of people coming and going doing their Christmas shopping there was a pent up explosion of people out on the street as soon as lockdown was lifted on 2nd December

I went out just to go to my usual supermarket which is in a retail estate and have never ever queued to get in the very large car park before (been here around 22 years)
The traffic jam must have been 1/2 mile long
There were people jostling for space on the pavement. We just thought better of it and went home.

It was inevitable that we were going to have a massive rise in infections

SomewhereEast · 14/12/2020 16:58

I'm a bit cynical about it. Public compliance is weakening, Christmas is coming and the government's no doubt about to make a whole a bunch of highly unpopular announcements re tiers which will go down like a lead balloon in many constituencies, so its a great time to wheel out something scary (scary graphs having fallen out of fashion).

treening · 14/12/2020 17:00

No scientists on twitter seem to be bothered about this at all so I will not be panicking for the moment.

NettleTea · 14/12/2020 17:01

I wonder if this is why our area (SE Coast with previously very low rates right up until recently) has suddenly seen a rapid rise.

There is alot of thought that we had it here well before they started monitoring - lots of evidence including a couple of schools who did wuhan school exchanges with v sick kids etc.

If we 'missed' the first few varients, because we had had it, but this one is different enough for people to have it again, it would explain alot

MoirasRoses · 14/12/2020 17:02

Ha. Shocker. The north sees a rise in infections - you are all idiots & not following the rules. The south sees a rise, don’t worry guys, it’s not your fault, new strain. 🙄

I’ve long wondered if there are two strains doing the rounds here. I know loadsa people who’ve had it & none on them have had any chest issues. All, including me currently, have bad headaches, congestion, fatigue. Not a single cough among us?! Barely any fevers either. Seems weird.

MarshaBradyo · 14/12/2020 17:03

Would like to see more scientific info on this

MoirasRoses · 14/12/2020 17:03

Also, at the end of the day, why would a new strain cause a huge jump in infections? None of us have lasting immunity. If we all followed the rules, cases would fall regardless of strain!

SomewhereEast · 14/12/2020 17:04

@treening

No scientists on twitter seem to be bothered about this at all so I will not be panicking for the moment.

...which is exactly why Hancock wheeling it out in the context of tier changes, which no detailed information, makes me so cynical. Some bloody focus group research will have identified this as the new way to freak people out and make them behave.

Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 14/12/2020 17:04

In the absence of any data to scare us (e.g they've said no evidence it's responsible for the faster spread or that it won't respond to vaccine) I'm inclined to agree with @SomewhereEast

London were never going to go into tier 3 quietly. This may help.

Also remember a few weeks ago when everyone was panicking about the new strain in Denmark? Have cases soared and death rates because of that new strain. There would have been time to see that by now