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Original poster

For the first time since this started, I feel quite frightened

299 replies

FreeBettyBoop · 20/12/2020 14:21

Just this really.

I am concerned that there is something they’re not telling us. Is the new strain worse? I know there is chat about easier/faster spread but is it more deadly? Affecting children?

I’m in Scotland and all of a sudden we are looking at lockdown and school closure. Why now?

In a bit of a pit of despair today. I can live with the Christmas restrictions and will comply. But the thought of going back to school closures while trying to hold down a job...😩 gutted for the kids too.

OP posts:
SoscaredforJan · 20/12/2020 14:49

I’m scared as well. I’m worried that the vaccine won’t work on this strain or that children are getting really sick. Is it similar to the South Africa strain which is causing more severe illness in young people?

I’m scared now that this is never going to end.

Nochangeplease · 20/12/2020 14:51

I feel a bit the same. I was very scared originally but haven’t been since early Summer. But this sudden panic has me a bit worried about returning to normality in January. Although I don’t think there’s anything they’re not telling us.
(By normality I mean school and work, not actual normality)

Em777 · 20/12/2020 14:51

Me too. I’m in Kent and the number of ambulances about is worrying.

Beebityboo · 20/12/2020 14:54

I'm scared too Sad. They're clearly taking it very seriously. Hopefully it's just caution due to vaccine efficacy and not knowledge that it is becoming more deadly.

Mumof3andlovingit · 20/12/2020 14:58

I’m worried because I’m pretty certain this new strain is not then only new strain of covid. Viruses mutate. Pretty sure we have had a couple of strains by now, but the fact that they are making a big deal of this particular strain worries me that there is something else that is concerning them other than just being more easily transmitted

BaileyBoos · 20/12/2020 15:00

Yes this is the most anxious I’ve felt to be honest, and I’ve been absolutely FINE all year. I dunno..... something feels a bit off!!!

cardibach · 20/12/2020 15:02

There are lots of strains. They are being tracked and studied by scientists all over the world. The government might try to pull the wool, but scientists won’t comply. I don’t think there’s anything more dangerous about this strain (scientists - lots of them - have said so) it just transmits itself more efficiently to new hosts. Track down The Andrew Marr show from this morning - interviews with a WHO scientist and a PHE scientist who speak clearly and candidly. I found it very reassuring.
The thing I am wondering, though, is kind of the opposite - are the government using this as a cover for changes to Tiers and Christmas which they should have done anyway so they can just shrug and go ‘new science, sorry’? They’ve known about this strain since September.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 20/12/2020 15:03

@Mumof3andlovingit

I’m worried because I’m pretty certain this new strain is not then only new strain of covid. Viruses mutate. Pretty sure we have had a couple of strains by now, but the fact that they are making a big deal of this particular strain worries me that there is something else that is concerning them other than just being more easily transmitted
I've read posts saying that this strain has been around since September. If that's the case I think the government are using it to backtrack on their Christmas plans as they realise they made huge cock up and needed and excuse.
Northernbeachbum · 20/12/2020 15:05

I'm in 2 minds about it, part of me thinks 'ah crap' but the other part thinks they'd tell us if it was affecting children badly! Mainly because I do believe more people would comply with the guidelines if it was impacting children more than the older generation so it would be a way of getting us to abide by the rules

DrunkenKoala · 20/12/2020 15:06

Strangely I feeling a mixture of fear and a bit of relief. I’m in Medway, Kent and for weeks we’ve seen the numbers rocket and none of us could understand why (mask compliance was high in my two nearest supermarkets) but now it’s been pinpointed down to this strain I feel I have a better understanding of what is going on - does that make sense?
Also glad that Christmas has been reigned in. I know some people will take umbrage with that but the hospital is struggling, really fucking struggling and it’s scary. I’m hearing there is no capacity for non covid ICU patients so their being transferred out of the county. @Em777 I’m near the hospital and ambulance station so hear them all the time, definitely been an increase in recent weeks. We now have asymptomatic testing so we’ve been tested and it’s a relief to know that we access to them.

picklemewalnuts · 20/12/2020 15:07

It's a strain thats moving faster than we had planned for.

It's still mainly about not overwhelming the nhs, so that people don't die of a heart attack waiting in an ambulance cause the hospital is full of Covid patients.

Individual risks are still low. Try not to panic.

Skipsurvey · 20/12/2020 15:10

the hospitals are 96% full or so, now that is worrying and Christmas is in a week, they will not be able to cope
i doubt children are at risk

Northernsoullover · 20/12/2020 15:15

I live in Wales. People are absolutely furious about the short notice lockdown. I must admit to having a little sob because I felt like my (limited) plans had been pulled from under me. Then I handed myself a grip. I think this has been done because our hospitals are close to breaking point.
They haven't done this for shits and giggles. I'm not scared but I'm doing my best to avoid covid.

LimitIsUp · 20/12/2020 15:16

The new strain isn't thought to be more 'deadly' it's just very transmissible. This is why SAGE and the government are worried - because cases are going to rise massively and be hard to contain

Anecdata - but from personal experience I suddenly know a lot more people with Covid than previously (including my daughter)

LimitIsUp · 20/12/2020 15:18

If my 18 year old daughter is anything to go by( not a child but barely an adult) apart from tiredness (and loss of smell & taste) she's been fine

Freddiefox · 20/12/2020 15:23

It was always going to get worse, they needed a reason to back track on Christmas. Try realised it was such a terrible idea. The new strain has been around for a while. They needed to use it now to cancel Christmas but moving the blame.

MotheringShites · 20/12/2020 15:26

This useless government is using the threat of a new strain to excuse their shoddy handling of Christmas while injecting a bit more fear into an increasingly sceptical public.

blue25 · 20/12/2020 15:26

I’ve noticed more ambulances here as well. It’s unsettling.

Skipsurvey · 20/12/2020 15:28

no ambulances today,

i was so worried in march, but i could not keep it up, not so worried now i have effectively cancelled christmas

Remmy123 · 20/12/2020 15:41

There are new strains of the flu evey year - the flu kills. Same with all viruses. This is no more deadly.

They are scaring people into staying home. Like March.

Beebityboo · 20/12/2020 15:42

Other countries are cancelling flights out from the UK. This is clearly not just the government trying to scare us in to submission.

loulouljh · 20/12/2020 15:44

Project Fear....ramp it up so people have the vaccine...I think its a ore-determined script here.

SixesAndEights · 20/12/2020 15:44

Much as I hate this government, although this particular new strain has been known about since September, and reported to the relevent bodies then by the UK, it's virulence has only been confirmed quite recently.

Hence no action until now.

Having said that they made sure Parliament had broken up for the holidays and MPs had gone home before telling people in London they couldn't travel anywhere...

loulouljh · 20/12/2020 15:51

What's happened to the nightingales? All empty. Its normal for the hospitals to be 96% full. That's how the NHS works...

baublesbaubleseverywhere · 20/12/2020 15:52

I think we know all we need to know at the moment. The new strain spreads faster, but is not more deadly / more dangerous for children etc.

I kind of agree with some posters above regarding the government using it as an excuse to "cancel Christmas". They needed to cancel Christmas, anybody with half a brain could see that. But as always they faffed and fumbled until the last minute, so being to say "it's because the virus has changed!" has helped them out of an embarrassing hole.