Erm....Boris WTF are you talking about?!

[PopcornandPretzels]

Hi,

I'm watching the Coronavirus briefing and I can't believe what I'm hearing!

Boris was saying that we saw what happened with other countries, we haven't been far behind in terms of a second wave, we've seen this before etc, as though we all know where this is heading, I.e, a 3rd wave!

He's talking as though this is inevitable! Have I missed something? Have vaccines been announced as useless?

These countries that he's talking about, the ones which we have always "followed in the past", don't have a vaccination programme like ours, so why is he speaking like this?

I feel really angry. He will have scared a lot of people talking like this.

[Devlesko]

Even the people vaccinating aren't taking it seriously.
Neighbour went the other day and was told "I don't know why you are bothering, everyone round here has had it anyway".
Have no reason to believe neighbour is lying, she was quite happy and excited to be getting it done.

[clareth]

Good news *lovingspring*They have been shown to reduce transmission actually! Studies on both Oxford and Pfizer show a reduction in transmission after one dose, possibly up to 67%

[nowbringmethathorizon]

For. Fucks. Sake.

Is there any point in being alive? Seriously?

When will it end?

[Allmyarseandpeggymartin]

@PrincessNutNuts

“We'll hit 150,000 covid deaths in the next 8 days. Possibly even tomorrow. I bet we don't hear a peep about it”

There are so many things wrong with this statement that I don’t even know where to begin.

I find it highly worrying that you pop up on every thread spreading bullshit like this.

It especially concerning for posters that might have mental health or anxiety issues and believe the absolute bollocks you talk.

[MarshaBradyo]

@FourTeaFallOut

Boris has a herd of back benchers resolute in their determination to move faster than the plan which is laid out, along with a number of sections of the population which agree them.

I think these briefings are usually about controlling the narrative. I think the plan is sound and we'll see good progress because of the vaccines, certainly far fewer hospitalisations and deaths. However, given the number of unvaccinated people in the population we will see climbing case figures with each unlocking. And he can point to Europe and their climbing case figures as they have also relaxed the rules.

I didn't see the briefing but it sounds like another exercise in calibrating expectations.

Yes agree with this plus all along the media have pushed for new news. As it’s quite slow and they need headlines. So they push for the next thing whether it’s opening up or, previously, locking down.

Questions like this will make some think it’s too fast or depressing as some have posted, but the pace is cautious as it is and it’s a pretty middle of the road answer reflecting what is happening rather than anything new.

[IceCreamAndCandyfloss]

@Pootle40

Do we care if there is another wave so long as severely ill is much lower and subsequently deaths? I am confused

Yes because lots aren’t vaccinated, children not protected, variants can happen, long covid cases, hospital admissions etc.

[LemonRoses]

Planning is taking place for a third wave already. Hopefully it won’t be needed or be as catastrophic as the second wave.

[MagicSummer]

Now that the children have gone back to school, cases WILL rise, it is inevitable. However, I really think that after yet another difficult year with restrictions, etc. once most of the population are vaccinated and we are very careful next winter, that 2022 will be much, much better.

[SeasonFinale]

@MarshaBradyo he merely said that we need to stick to the rules so that as we meet each stage of the lockdown ie. 29 March and 12 April etc the figures are there so that we can meet all the criteria to allow the next stage to go ahead. so basically stick to the rules that are in place for each step so that this is more likely to happen.

The reported deaths today were down to 206.

[KisstheTeapot14]

@LunaHeather I'm not specifically saying I want lockdown to continue, more that vaccine is not a free pass for everyone to stop following sensible precautions. Still need hands face space until community transmission is wayyy lower.

@PerkingFaintly I know you get my drift. I got up and had a bath on Saturday then had to sit as I was too exhausted to stand up to brush teeth.

Please try your best to stay safe, long term knackered particularly likes women (more women are CFS than men.

We also tend to have less good recovery rates, scientists wonder if it is to do with auto immune system - women have good AI systems but the theory is that this can backfire - and cause multi systemic failures - possibly at cell/mitochondial level).

No one knows for sure but Long Covid research is being green lighted by funders so we may yet get to the bottom of the cause of both. Silver lining there.

CFS research funding historically has been very very poor. Tempting to say because it predominates in women and is 'undramatic' and maybe no one drug to fix it - it doesn't really matter to those with purse strings to hold.

[Delatron]

Yes vaccines have been shown to reduce transmission. And we are whizzing ahead in vaccinations. So over 50s and vulnerable all done very soon.

If Covid doesn’t make you ill or hospitalise you then it doesn’t matter if you haven’t been vaccinated?
Then what you are worrying about is ‘mutant variants’. But that’s different to a ‘third wave’. Define wave? A huge part of the population being ill and hospitalised at the same time? Do the vaccines not work then? (we know they do). Perplexing..

[ChameleonClara]

Our second wave was caused/worsened by a variant (Kent), so the two are linked.

[NotQuiteHere]

He is speaking like this because everyone knows that schools opening means cases will go up, and the Easter break will not be enough to stop this rise. You are being gently prepared for the third wave, yes.
All this because "schools are safe".

[Delatron]

Yes but we didn’t have effective vaccines last autumn.

[ChameleonClara]

@Delatron

Yes but we didn’t have effective vaccines last autumn.

If we have high transmission + bad luck with a variant we won't have effective vaccnes this autumn, which is why I will take all the caution I can get.

We are so lucky to have excellent sequencing.

But we are also moving throught the highest risk phase for vaccine escape. By August/September things will be safer (as the pool of unvaccinated people will be much much smaller).

[FaithfullyYours]

PrincessNutNuts and her bollocks scaremongering. Pulling her made up information out of her arse.
No logic, no substance in any argument she puts forward..

And another one @Lovingspring are you living under a rock? The vaccines do reduce transmission.

Lord give me strength..

[Delatron]

I thought we’d seen and people have stated evidence on here that vaccines have been shown to reduce transmission.

So deaths and hospitalisations largely prevented. Transmission down. Yet still talk of a a third wave..

[ChameleonClara]

@Delatron

I thought we’d seen and people have stated evidence on here that vaccines have been shown to reduce transmission.

So deaths and hospitalisations largely prevented. Transmission down. Yet still talk of a a third wave..

If the Brazil variant (is it P1 that they were tracking down last week?) got established we would have a third wave, as the vaccines are not so effective against that. That is the worry - and why it is worth keeping cases low (aside from it being unpleasant with risks for all age groups, just not so much at the death end of the spectrum for younger people).

So yes, a third wave is possible. Things are not unchanging, it is biological, not mechanical.

[BellamyBells]

I think we all know winter is going to be hard for the next couple of years. I'm sorry you didn't realise that op. Vaccines are a big improvement though, yes.

[AliceSprings123]

@Springingintospring

He was chatting a lot of shit today, he was just not on the top of his game I think, I wouldn't take it to mean anything

100% agree.
For a man who's hero whom he wants to emulate is Churchill, he's making a right fist of it.
Incoherent ramblings is what he's good at.

[StealthPolarBear]

The vaccine reduces transmission

I know others have said it but bloody hell it bears repeating

[Lovemusic33]

Of course there will be more waves, the vaccine doesn’t eliminate the virus, it stops people getting seriously ill from the virus, there evidence it lowers transmission but I can’t see how we will know this until out of lockdown. Yes cases are dropping but how sure are we that it’s because of the vaccine and not because we have been in lockdown since Christmas?

There will be more waves but hopefully they won’t be as deadly thanks to the vaccine, this virus isn’t going anywhere, it’s likely to hang around like the flu virus.

[VaVaGloom]

@RoseWineTime

Just checked the dashboard and deaths are 124,566 do no idea where you are getting that info from PrincesNutNuts?

Also from the Dashboard - it's a different measure including Covid on the death certificate rather than within 28days of a positive test coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/deaths

Deaths within 28 days of positive test
Daily number of deaths within 28 days of first positive test, reported on Monday, 8 March 2021.
Total
124,566

Deaths with COVID-19 on the death certificate
Weekly number of deaths where COVID-19 is mentioned as a cause on the death certificate, registered during the week ending Friday, 19 February 2021.
Total
140,062

[Delatron]

Define wave then? If you mean cases going up (but people not dying or being hospitalised because of, you know the effective vaccines?) It’s not a ‘wave’ is it?

A wave is significant numbers dying. For this to happen the vaccines would need to be ineffective. They have shown to be effective and scientists (who know more than random Mumsnetters) have explained very clearly how vaccines will be tweaked for new variants.

[ChameleonClara]

A 'wave' is just a period of high cases.

The wave can have differing impacts - so a high wave of cases of a low severity flu might result in fewer deaths than a smaller wave of a high severity flu.

We will have more cases of covid in autumn and winter.