I’ve scared myself reading this. It says we’re only at the start.

[ArseInTheCoOpWindow]

thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/01/28/Virus-Changed-Get-To-Zero-Face-Catastrophe/?fbclid=IwAR1wbZssmas1bxEreDxdBMFsR1DQQ5RxK4Gl0MaYC0YRkDFBat8LVCKCVYE

😬

It's an opinion piece from Canada and the second sentence uses the word 'fuck' - not sure it's the most reliable news source tbh.

I read this earlier too, ive always felt we should have gone for zero covid approach like NZ and australia.

It's a Canadian journalist who normally writes about the oil and gas industry apparently..it wouldn't be my first source for information. Are you Canadian op, am I missing something here?

So you thought you'd scare everyone else, who may just about be hanging on, by sharing it

No I’m English! But l do think this virus is a ‘shapeshifter’ and will evade any vaccines eventually. Then what do we do? What if it evolves further into a more deadly strain that evades the vaccine?

Oh, I thought you might be Canadian and would say, "ah yes, he writes about oil and gas but that sweary fucker is our leading epidemiologist", type of thing.

So you scoured the world for people who said something you believe to be true?

A shapeshifter?

It's just as likely to evolve to become even more harmless.

Just like the flu vaccine, they will make tweaks to the covid vaccine!

Oh god, not another Zero Covid nutter. OP they're extremists, ignore the. It's certainly not the path the UK is taking.

A Nature poll showed more experts said that the elimination approach he advocates was unlikely or very unlikely to be successful than those who said it was likely or very likely:
www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00396-2

Also his fact-checking is shite. He said Denmark when I suspect he meant Sweden.

This doesn't sound good.

www.newscientist.com/article/2268014-exclusive-two-variants-have-merged-into-heavily-mutated-coronavirus/

@MaxNormal

Also his fact-checking is shite. He said Denmark when I suspect he meant Sweden.

This bit?

Jurisdictions that chose not to stamp out this virus and blithely tolerated high infection rates, like Denmark, the U.K., Ireland and Portugal, already know how painful this error can be.

It's naming countries with a high prevalence of B.1.1.7, in the case of Denmark it's doubled every 7 to 8 days or so and is on the verge of becoming the dominant variant (currently at 48%).

If there's 'fucking' in the first sentence I would not bother taking it with any credence

Its an idiot who didn't do his homework so made lots of mistakes; such as confusing "more transmissible" with "more deadly".

Here is a more nuanced and balanced view from another Canadian:
mobile.twitter.com/BogochIsaac/status/1362032565578825730

When does it end though? Are New Zealand and Australia going to vaccinate their populations and then open up (in which case, they will be in the exact same situation as us re mutations). Or are they going to stay closed for what, 5 years, 10 years, forever? I can’t really see that happening. At least our policy has a clear end, there’s doesn’t.

From what experts know about viruses the opposite is more likely. In order to spread effectively they need to not kill their host, so tend to become less life threatening.

@yearinyearout

From what experts know about viruses the opposite is more likely. In order to spread effectively they need to not kill their host, so tend to become less life threatening.

There is no evolutionary pressure on this virus to become less deadly though as it transmits most readily before the host even becomes ill.

It's factually untrue. NZ & Aus both have lockdowns recently/now and the others had cases on 28 Jan when the article was written. Any elimination is purely temporary.

"New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, Iceland and Taiwan got it right. They went to zero and eliminated the virus."

It's naming countries with a high prevalence of B.1.1.7, in the case of Denmark it's doubled every 7 to 8 days or so and is on the verge of becoming the dominant variant (currently at 48%)

It'll most likely become the most dominent strain all over Europe, given that it's the most contagious. That's a geographical and epidemiological reality, not a political failing.

I think that for at least the next few years we'll be having annual COVID jab boosters, to account for mutations. Bit like the flu jab.

What are we expected to do with this information? Jump off a bridge? Oh I know, a plastic bag over my head will definitely stop me getting covid. Bore off.

I have made the conscious decision not to care anymore. From april, I am seeing whoever I can and I am using my own brain. Articles like the OP posted are irrelevant. Doesnt matter if people think this is only the beginning. I am done, as are many others I know. If we arent nearly done now, with vaccines etc, then we will never be done, and I am in no way willing to accept wasting my life away anymore. Life isnt paused, its disappearing. OP is just sharing fear.

So how are countries supposed to continue in lockdown in pursuit of zero covid? The UK has already increased its sovereign debt hugely in order to pay people to stay at home. In other countries people would just starve to death, which I suppose is one way of dealing with the virus.

Maybe it would make more sense to increase hospital capacity and research better treatments of covid.