Can't look at the news without hearing about a scary new variant

[User135644]

It feels never ending. It's a global virus, one country can get a grip on it but it'll always kick off again somewhere else.

Let's just hope the vaccines do their job and no new variant works against it.

You have to stop looking OP. I spent all last year glued to the news, watched all the press conferences - both U.K. and Welsh ones - and had to stop because it was making me unwell. I don’t want any of them now and don’t watch the news and I feel a lot better for it. I pay attention to the rules that affect me and that’s it. I’ll reintroduce news slowly during the summer as I feel out of the loop globally, but I won’t watch covid related stuff.

All viruses mutate this is completely expected and normal behaviour for a virus and not newsworthy at all. It's precisely the reason why they tweak the flu jab each year. I appreciate the flu and corona and particularly comparable but it's not on the news every time the cold or flu mutate, they're just looking for something to report because obviously corona is very current but short of reporting the daily data there's not much more to say.

The general pattern of viruses is to slowly mutate so they are more virulent but more importantly less deadly. With that in mind, the new strains can actually be seen as a positive thing.

Oh is there yet another variant? How many is that we have now?

Viruses mutate. That’s normal.
It’s only scary if you allow yourself to be panicked by news we should be expecting.

Despite this variant being here since at least a month or so (possibly longer since the earliest trace of it in India was October), our cases are not currently rising.

If cases suddenly start shooting up then maybe it’s a problem and would would hope the powers that be actually take swift action.

You also need to look at deaths and hospitalisations, which are continuing to fall.

Even if cases do start to rise, it is hoped that it won’t necessarily translate to a huge rise in hospitalisations and death.

There will always be new variants. There will always be cases. Unfortunately some of these cases will end up in hospital and some of those will die. It’s a horrible and sad fact of life. What we don’t want is to see the massive sudden surges that we have seen last Spring and Autumn/ Winter.

It’s wise to be cautious of course (to be fair the Government have told us to keep being careful regardless of any variants that may be around) but at the moment things look ok and all we can hope is that it stays that way.

Go and look up Mac n Chise Twitter - someone else recommended her on here and she is a life saver. Honestly, the press are being so responsible in how they report the variants. They are a concern and we have to accept viruses mutate but there are so many reasons to be optimistic too. Mac n Chise explains things in a really calm way and makes you feel better.

@PhilCornwall1

Oh is there yet another variant? How many is that we have now?

I think before the Kent variant sparked panic I read last year there had been about 80,000 mutations of various kinds that had been tracked. I think back to that sometimes and roll my eyes - it makes you realise how much the press is manipulating people.

Anyone fancy a bet where the next one will be from?

@OliveTree75

Anyone fancy a bet where the next one will be from?

I'm hoping it's from:

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

I want to see Johnson, Hancock, Whitty and Vallance say that bastard!!