So angry at the Government this evening

[Moonme]

I’m SO mad. I haven’t been on this board for months and I was feeling really optimistic about life feeling like it was returning to normal.
It is criminal that they have let this variant in. It’s literally ground hog day. Playing politics with public health to do trade deals (because of bloody Brexit) with India.
I know there is hope that the vaccines will do there jobs but we shouldn’t be in this position. This wasn’t inevitable. Arggh so cross

@Thefourbells

doomsday

That is the point of pandemic modelling, because that is what you have to base your response on.

If, in a few weeks it is proven the variant doesn't evade the vaccines, the models will be adjusted.

It seems that a lot of people would rather throw caution to the wind first and find out if the variants are a problem later, once it is too late to actually act on them without a full lockdown.

But they have data they are just not using.

What was the transmissibility of the original variant last summer? Same as winter? No.
Will the vaccines provide literally no protection? No.
Are people following the guidance now? No.

I was in Southend a few weeks ago on a Friday. There was a club open, with bouncers in hi-vis. Couldn’t believe my eyes.

@roarfeckingroarr

There will always be variants and risks. We need to open up and ust live with it.

It's not the living with it that's the problem, it's the dying of suffering from/with it.

We need to get a lot more people vaccinated before we can take more risks.

Living with it needs to be done cautiously & carefully & we need to be better at snap lock downs.

I’ve never been angrier at our government than when I see the ‘get vaccinated’ adverts. I’m DESPERATE for a vaccine having had to work in a secondary school with special needs kids through the whole pandemic and purposefully not being offered one because ‘schools are safe’ rhetoric. Why not spend the money used on those adverts actually offering the vaccine to people who want it!! So anxious about the Indian variant. Gah.

That must be incredibly frustrating Regretsy I hope you get your vaccine soon

@3asAbird

Dident whitty and sage say actually a partially vaccinated population is worse as greater risk of mutation. As studies shown this with immuno compromised. We could end up with some new British varient before long.

@3asAbird why doesn't that happen with the flu then? Only the oldies and vulnerable are jabbed and the rest of us don't get wiped out by the Surrey Super Flu.

Its a load of bollocks. The vulnerable have all been vaccinated now, there will always be variants. If we don't open up now, its for political reasons

A while ago they let all those people flood back in from India. Thousands of people. We knew this would be the result

@a8mint

Its a load of bollocks. The vulnerable have all been vaccinated now, there will always be variants. If we don't open up now, its for political reasons

what about all those not vaccinated though and younger people...

Do you think India not being added to the red list earlier was a political move?After all isn’t that where the majority of vaccines are manufactured!

@QualityRoads

Prof Whitty didn't look very happy today. That's usually a sign of worse to come.... ....what's betting the North West gets locked down again. Who voted for this lot of ditherers anyway?

He knows in a pandemic it's best to act fast and early not wait until until it's all gone to shit then make a sad face and say "we did all we could"

@Moonme

But mainly that they’d deemed it ‘not of concern’ which is odd as India had huge cases and they added Pakistan to red zone at that time

It wasn't designated a VOC until the morning after the elections despite spread taking off like a rocket from about April 21st onwards.

Not to mention the South African variant steadily ticking up whilst we're still in Lockdown.

@a8mint

Its a load of bollocks. The vulnerable have all been vaccinated now, there will always be variants. If we don't open up now, its for political reasons

No they haven’t. Vulnerable minors that don’t fit neatly into the CEV category haven’t been vaccinated, my ds included. He has only left the house to attend hospital appointments for over a year now.

He has two siblings, one - he shares a room with - is over 18 so waiting for his age group to be eligible for vaccination, whilst going to work every day and the other is in Y7, where they will be mixing with other pupils, who are not even wearing masks as of next Monday.

A simple cold/virus can make him ill enough for hospital admission and months of recuperation and one of his conditions is actually known to be caused by Covid, in those that develop Long Covid.

He is very far from being the only minor in this situation, in fact there are also plenty of vulnerable adults also stuck in the same limbo. It seems if you have a rare or complex condition that doesn’t fit neatly into the government's CEV category then no-one gives a damn.

B1627.2 first detected in incoming passengers on March 29th!

and

""By 2 April there was enough disquiet that the UK added the two countries neighbouring India on its east and west, Pakistan and Bangladesh, to its "red list""

"But between 4 April and 2 May, this variant rose from 4.9% of all cases detected among travellers, to 40.9%."

And when the Indian trade delegation came to the U.K. we didn't even ask them to quarantine!

Playing politics with a bloody pandemic.

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-the-three-days-in-april-that-may-have-fuelled-uk-outbreak-of-indian-coronavirus-variant-12306393

@Regretsy

I’ve never been angrier at our government than when I see the ‘get vaccinated’ adverts. I’m DESPERATE for a vaccine having had to work in a secondary school with special needs kids through the whole pandemic and purposefully not being offered one because ‘schools are safe’ rhetoric. Why not spend the money used on those adverts actually offering the vaccine to people who want it!! So anxious about the Indian variant. Gah.

Many of our friends are in a similar boat. It's really shit.

People booking now won't even get their second until August.

Yet we're opening up right on date despite a more transmissible new variant that is likely to become dominant in this country in a matter of weeks.

Fucksake.

@mathanxiety

People who say the UK (or any other country) should open up and 'live with it' are assuming they and their loved ones are not the people who are going to die from it, lose a job, lose a business, lose a home...

Issue is really, this is the only option at some point (I would suggest now..really, but if not then definitely at some stage in the future)

The vaccine WAS the endgame.

If the vaccine doesnt work anymore or against this varient or whatever, we are a bit screwed. Which luckily doesnt seem to be the case (vaccine not working) as it still seems to be protecting the vulnerable to a huge degree.

Honestly, I find it a bit baffling, this panic about 'more cases' as, if the vaccine continues keeping bad cases/deaths down, does it really matter that much if more people catch it..when its basically a cold, or no symptoms at all for the vast vast majority now. Its different to when it was the younger people 'safe' while millions were at risk of bad infection, but with the vaccine, those millions at higher risk seem 'safe' too..

We can’t keep doing this half arsed approach. That’s what’s pissing me off. We either shut down and endure or bloody open up and get on with it. There are always going to be different variants and predominant strains. Always. Covid is here to stay. We have to learn to live with it but we also need to be allowed to LIVE.

Yes not particularly delighted with the English government (read saddened) but it’s predictable with likelihood of repeat of recent pandemic cycles. Apparently despite the continued lack or reluctance of general UK testing, many of those that have been tested indicate the latest variants of concern are already rapidly super spreading inadvertently as if it’s déjà vu. Unfortunately lessons are repeatedly not learnt whether by omission, incompetence or negligence. I hate lockdowns like all of us but is there any choice when the health service may be challenged and possibly overwhelmed by people bringing in these variants of concern. Many doing so supposedly from Indian sub continent via Turkey etc to evade evidently soft touch UK red list arrivals etc. What the scientists may not yet know are potential other unsequenced more deadly variants of doom as viruses do what viruses do to survive and beat interventions. On the other hand, many Brits are gearing up to travel internationally irrespective of vaccination and Covid data variance globally, because they feel already Covid fatigued and worth the risk. The only or main long term sustainable Covid management strategy would be to contain community incubation and spread with tough science lead mitigation measures as implemented (according to family, friends and businesses contacts) in Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand amongst others. These nations are enjoying the benefits of their systematic lockdowns with a return to some sort of post pandemic new normal virus free. Why can’t the UK be more proactive and long sighted to systematically apply more sustainable mitigation strategies instead of just (although much appreciated) hoarding many of the vaccines. Let’s see what happens but I guess not good UK Covid news on the horizon!

He is very far from being the only minor in this situation, in fact there are also plenty of vulnerable adults also stuck in the same limbo. It seems if you have a rare or complex condition that doesn’t fit neatly into the government's CEV category then no-one gives a damn.

OK my post may be a bit harsh then. I kind of assumed it was the same all over the country..where I am, now everyone over 40 has been offered the vaccine, regardless of CEV status. I should be in the next intake group

I hate lockdowns like all of us but is there any choice when the health service may be challenged and possibly overwhelmed by people bringing in these variants of concern

I that actually likely though really, given the vaccination program has worked incredibly well and appears to be keeping the numbers extremely low? If the vaccine conitnues to work as it has been, large numbers f infrction surely still will not overwhelm the NHS, as the huge huge majority will not get it 'badly' enough to need treatment, as per..what the vaccine is meant to do.

A simple cold/virus can make him ill enough for hospital admission

Same with my DH who has COPD. No one gave a rats pre Covid though. The hypocrisy makes me sick

@HeadIsFucked

He is very far from being the only minor in this situation, in fact there are also plenty of vulnerable adults also stuck in the same limbo. It seems if you have a rare or complex condition that doesn’t fit neatly into the government's CEV category then no-one gives a damn.

OK my post may be a bit harsh then. I kind of assumed it was the same all over the country..where I am, now everyone over 40 has been offered the vaccine, regardless of CEV status. I should be in the next intake group

Unfortunately it’s the case that most people aren’t aware that this situation is happening all over the country. The government keep bleating on about all the vulnerable having been vaccinated and applauding themselves for various vaccination milestones, but it’s all smoke and mirrors, but the general public believe them.

It’s just an extension of wider issues with adults/children with these sorts of illnesses, they are invisible and forgotten, same with educational support, employment, social care etc. They/we are just not considered important or relevant.

I have the same conditions as my son and have had my first vaccine purely because I am over 50 - second due in a couple of weeks. I would gladly have given him my dose if they would let me.

@MercyBooth

A simple cold/virus can make him ill enough for hospital admission

Same with my DH who has COPD. No one gave a rats pre Covid though. The hypocrisy makes me sick

Unfortunately it does’t occur to a lot of people to consider those more vulnerable than themselves until they or a loved one end up in that position.

It’s truly shocking how the most vulnerable in our society are so often an afterthought or worse.

The health service challenged? don't make me laugh! At the absolute max of hospitalisations, there were 12 hospital nurses and 7 hospital doctors for every Covid patient, and most of the time there were a fraction of the number of COVID patiemts and the ratio was much bigger, What were all those Drs and nurses doing? Well the 5 million people waiting for ops should tell you that! Most of them were doing bugger all!

Allowing a third wave to engulf us again would cost far more and keep us in restrictions far longer than taking a little time to take stock now, work out what's happening and try to stop it.

But that's not what's happening because apparently our government has learned nothing from the last two times they decided to wait for the deaths to get into the tens of thousands before they took it seriously.

What has actually been done to improve our health service in the past 14 months? It certainly wasn't giving nurses a cost of living pay increase and making them want to stay in our short-staffed hospitals? We're all sitting home and losing businesses and education and life experiences and precious time with family to prop up the NHS - but what is actually being done to fix the NHS?!