Why do you think the number of new infections has reduced so dramatically ? Lockdown measures or the vaccination or both ?

[frumpety]

Or neither ?

@steppemum There will come a point when we have to balance risk and benefit and we will go back to life as normal and just add covid to the list of vaccines we have and to the list of illnesses we can get.

At no point did I say that Covid wouldn't be added to the list of vaccines we have or illnesses we get, I said "Covid will never become like flu. Diseases don't have to be fatal to be expensive and problematic" .

I think Covid is going to remain more problematic and more expensive for a fair while yet.

If we keep locking down it will.

Immunity through infection, immunity through vaccination, the half-hearted lockdown, moving from winter to spring.

In that order I would say.

[quote beginningoftheend]**@steppemum* There will come a point when we have to balance risk and benefit and we will go back to life as normal and just add covid to the list of vaccines we have and to the list of illnesses we can get.*

At no point did I say that Covid wouldn't be added to the list of vaccines we have or illnesses we get, I said "Covid will never become like flu. Diseases don't have to be fatal to be expensive and problematic" .

I think Covid is going to remain more problematic and more expensive for a fair while yet.[/quote]
yes, you said it is problematic and expensive, and I said the vaccine means it ISN'T because few serious illness and few hospitalisations and no deaths.

then you quote the other half of my post as if that contradicted you, which it didn't, instead of quoting the bit that actually answered your comment?

@beginningoftheend

The fact only a quarter of those with symptoms are testing is quite worrying!

To me it paints a less worrying picture: if true, hospitalisation and severe cases are both down at a time when cases are very high indeed. This shows that the vaccine is helping to minimise strain on the health services.

Both

I imagine a lot of people not testing are family or close contacts of people who have tested positive - if your husband or your flatmate tested positive and you and your kids or other flatmates all got symptoms, I don't suppose you would necessarily all bother to test. You'd just isolate.

Winding down the PCR test cycles from a ridiculous 45 cycles

Also Rona viruses go away in spring anyway.

@Hardbackwriter

I agree that the still relatively high rates in some areas are concerning, but I honestly don't know what you do about it, and no one else seems to. Leicester is still well above average and it's been under harsh restrictions for a year, it clearly isn't working as a strategy.

Leicester has a high BAME population and may be has a less vaccinated population, if vaccine uptake is to be believed.

@Ontopofthesunset

I imagine a lot of people not testing are family or close contacts of people who have tested positive - if your husband or your flatmate tested positive and you and your kids or other flatmates all got symptoms, I don't suppose you would necessarily all bother to test. You'd just isolate.

Yes that's true of our family a few months ago.

Reduced testing as schools are off?

on the radio today, they siad that the one quarter testing was actually BETTER than it was before. I was a bit surprised by that!

@Wherediditgo

Reduced testing as schools are off?

Not all of them are off. About half of schools around the country have still been in this week, my DS only finished today for the holidays.