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

[FreeBettyBoop]

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.

It's always affected children. The only reason it didn't in the first lockdown was because children were blended learning and schools were only open for key workers children.

It really doesn't take a scientist to look at the data since sept and see the huge increase in cases.

Its a variation of a flue virus just so happens bac in March it was more deadlier than flu.

This mutation just spreads quicker like a different strain of flu could.

NOthing to be overly scared about other than the probablity of you getting it has increased.

This is why people need to start realising this isn't going away.
The vaccine isn't a cure it'll be like the flu virus a new one every year to keep up with the mutations to safeguard you as much as possible from getting it. The flu vaccine just ups your changes of not getting it and so this covid vaccine will be in the same way.

@cardibach

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.

I agree with this. Survival of the fittest... why would a virus mutate to become more lethal... it needs its host alive!!

cyclingmad SAARS is not the flu. Its not a variation of the flu.
www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm

The scientists blow me away with how clever they are and the amazing things that they can do

@cyclingmad It is not a flu virus, it is a coronavirus. We don't yet know whether vaccination will be needed regularly, but we do know that people who had SARS (which is very similar) 17 years ago are still immune... which bodes well.

@cyclingmad

Its a variation of a flue virus just so happens bac in March it was more deadlier than flu.

This mutation just spreads quicker like a different strain of flu could.

NOthing to be overly scared about other than the probablity of you getting it has increased.

This is why people need to start realising this isn't going away.
The vaccine isn't a cure it'll be like the flu virus a new one every year to keep up with the mutations to safeguard you as much as possible from getting it. The flu vaccine just ups your changes of not getting it and so this covid vaccine will be in the same way.

It’s confident posts like this that are full of unhelpful misunderstandings that fill the internet with crap.

I'm quite scared too! This freight situation is quite scary too.

ya ok I take your point I said its a variation of the flue virus and should of typed its similiar to the flu virus.

and should of typed its similiar to the flu virus.

only utterly and completely different

@CopperPotter

Generally speaking the more infectious a virus is the less aggressive it is. As a virus mutates to become more infectious it also loses its potency. Ebola for example is incredibly dangerous yet relatively less infectious. The common cold is highly infectious yet has fairly mild symptoms.

That’s only true when viruses are established and either run through the population (like a cold) or don’t (like Ebola). But there is no reason a severe virus that kills can’t run through the population like a cold. It’s just that once it has, you wouldn’t see it much because those it was going to kill have died and those who survivors survived.

@ancientgran

I was picturing some disaster movie last night, those of us who survive till next year will be looking at films of crowded railway stations and trying to remember when there were so many people. Then I thought I'd better get on with things and made dinner.

So that will be 99.9% of us.

I am reading updates in the New Scientist I find media reports too political we just want the facts. As stated here, the new variant strain is thought to have adapted with a protein spike so it can attach to cell receptors and spread more easily, no mention of children being more vulnerable so far. We are going to have to maintain vigilance in London and the SE for some time to come and I think we are all well and truly over this pandemic so this is not good news. Once the weather starts improving the virus should find it harder to spread so think about the summer and keep calm and carry on folks!

I feel the same OP, I have remained quite positive all the way through this but probably because I had faith that a vaccine would be found and rolled out pretty quickly, I’m now questioning how fast it will be rolled out and wether new strains could effect the way the vaccine works, how long will the vaccine protect people for?

I’m also worried about people waiting for hospital appointments and treatment, I was referred to hospital 3 months ago and every time I try to book an appointment I’m told there aren’t any.

I’m worried about mental health and how we are going to get through the winter.

I’m worried about brexit.

I keep telling myself that this will all be over by the summer but we don’t really know that do we?

It makes me so angry that the population are being scared by this, quite possibly as a control tactic more than anything else. There’s just no need for it! This new strain was always going to happen, viruses always mutate it’s how they work. It’s more contagious but it’s also weaker. The chances of it putting the vaccine into jeopardy are so unlikely.

However not everyone has got the vaccine and they preempt being swamped. Most people will get it and not die. DH’s 90yo granny has just had it. She’s fine!

We are doing this because it can kill some old or ill people and there is currently not a vaccination coming out fast enough.
It’s not that it will kill everyone! Nobody knows enough about it yet.

It will be fine. Don’t be scared, because you probably won’t die from it and neither will your loved ones. Hang on in there.

I don’t think it’s the fear of dying, it’s more the fear of being controlled by restrictions, the fear of passing the virus to someone vulnerable, the fear of how it’s going to effect people in the long term? People are losing their jobs, NHS staff are working their socks off and kids are constantly being sent home from school. It’s the fear of not knowing what’s happening from one week to the next. I’m not scared of getting it as I know I’m unlikely to be seriously ill.

@CheeseIsMyVice

It makes me so angry that the population are being scared by this, quite possibly as a control tactic more than anything else. There’s just no need for it! This new strain was always going to happen, viruses always mutate it’s how they work. It’s more contagious but it’s also weaker. The chances of it putting the vaccine into jeopardy are so unlikely.

However not everyone has got the vaccine and they preempt being swamped. Most people will get it and not die. DH’s 90yo granny has just had it. She’s fine!

We are doing this because it can kill some old or ill people and there is currently not a vaccination coming out fast enough.
It’s not that it will kill everyone! Nobody knows enough about it yet.

It will be fine. Don’t be scared, because you probably won’t die from it and neither will your loved ones. Hang on in there.

Is there any evidence yet it is weaker? I really hope you are right as it is what viruses usually do.

I think we are all well and truly over this pandemic so this is not good news

Honestly, what? Some people seem to be enjoying this shit!

@TrustTheGeneGenie

But surely if it's less deadly that's a good thing. I mean realistically if it's "like a cold" what's the point of a lockdown? Most of us can cope with a cold. Surely if it's less of a risk to most healthy people, should we not be aiming to shield the vulnerable and for everyone else to get it and have it done with?

I know you cannot 100% shield the vulnerable but you could do a lot more than were doing now

I'd guess that it's the young getting it in high numbers (particularly school aged/college kids) and getting mild symptoms, but they don't want to take the chance with them passing it on to all their elderly relatives for a 5 day free for all.

I don't think its necessarily weaker but the point still stands - if you were confident you would brush it off before, then nothing has substantially changed from the perspective of personal risk.

I live in North London and myself and friends have been perplexed as to why Covid cases in our kids secondary schools suddenly started taking off in last three weeks - now we know but had been obvious to us living here for a couple of weeks.

It makes me so angry that the population are being scared by this, quite possibly as a control tactic more than anything else.

A control tactic? What control tactic? Why?

There’s just no need for it!

O rly?

This new strain was always going to happen, viruses always mutate it’s how they work.

agreed

It’s more contagious but it’s also weaker

You should tell all the prominent scientists working hard to understand the nature of the mutation. They don't have a clue as to whether it's weaker or stronger and have said as much

The chances of it putting the vaccine into jeopardy are so unlikely.

It may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine, however the amazing, novel way that the vaccines have been made creates a template for further vaccine development should this be needed, however this takes time and time is a comodity we don't have.

I do not understand why you are angry that people are scared. People sometimes need to be scared before they change their behaviour.

It is like the readers in the Mail comment section who rubbish and dimsiss research demonstrating that dog owners are significantly more likely to contract the virus than non dog owners.

People love their pets and therefore decide to believe that dog ownership does not confer elevated risk.

The virus however does not care what people believe, it just gets on with infecting people.

@Requinblanc

What is being frightened going to achieve?

There is no evidence this is more deadly and viruses mutate all the time.

There is nothing you can do beyond carrying on and taking the usual precautions.

I don't think anyone wants to be scared - we're not trying to achieve anything by being frightened it's just how we are feeling. I'm thinking of the future economic difficulties we are going to face as well as the possibility of loved ones getting ill.

Looking online at wuhan and china it seems to have been eradicated what are they doing different?

I dont think I am more scared but this is the first time I have felt totally fed up and not really treating the government.