Indian variant - why the panic?

[Doireallyneedaname]

Multiple news stories over the last 24 hours stating that the vaccines are effective against it; as well as lab studies last week showing the same, yet the panic continues. Why?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57134181

@Backofbeyond50

I was seconded to ICU for 12 months to cover the emergency. 4 weeks ago we transferred our last Covid patient and I went back to my “day” job. I got to work this morning and we had 6 admissions of the Indian variant to ICU over the weekend. One patient arrested within 10 minutes. She didn’t make it. I have been recalled. *@Pyewackect* that is so sad.

This is awful. I normally work in a hospital setting, currently wfh. We have been told not to expect to go back to our normal workplace any time soon as the hospital are already gearing up for a third wave. We are in an area where there have been a significant number of cases of the indian varient and a very large percentage of the population are from an asian background.

@RaspberryCoulis

Because it has taken hold in areas where a higher population than average have not taken up the offer of vaccination.

Yep exactly why it's spreading there it's just nonsensical...get the effing vaccine unless you can't for medical reasons

Some people you know aren't having it. They just aren't telling you because of your shitty judgemental attitude

@OnTheBrink1 unlike your completely calm and measured attitude? If you’re this hostile irl I’m not surprised if you find a lot of people being just as hostile right back.

I know what I said. And your imposing you're own view on to it.
We need people vaccinated. The majority vaccinated. If people only heard about how the country is opening and unlocking and looking at the low stats of cases and deaths they will get complacent. Especially the younger people who are still waiting for their turn and statistically broke a lot of covid rules.
That by no means says I'm denying covid. Thanks.

@Cornettoninja

Some people you know aren't having it. They just aren't telling you because of your shitty judgemental attitude

@OnTheBrink1 unlike your completely calm and measured attitude? If you’re this hostile irl I’m not surprised if you find a lot of people being just as hostile right back.

I’m absolutely calm. Life isn’t all peaches and roses with everyone acting like their from the good life. Calling people who have decided to not have or to delay the vaccine ‘I don’t want to sit next to them because you don’t know where they’ve been or what they’ve been up to’ is pretty vile. Many people are not sure about the side effects and just generally nervous about future effects of this vaccine. Many of the same people are worried about covid also and feel in a constant state of anxiety about what to do. The pressure is enormous and like a 10 ton weight. But let’s shame and ostracise people further shall we

@Leonardsgirl

Onthebrink. I am not judging them, I respect their right to make their decision and I don't think vaccines should be compulsory. I was shocked, as I naively assumed they would have had the vaccine. That's not the same thing.

Fair enough. I totally agree, vaccines should not be compulsory

@leonardsgirl Looking at this the variant has been found in most London boroughs. Not Southwark, Islington, Wandsworth though covid19.sanger.ac.uk/lineages/raw?p_type=line&show=B.1.617.2%2CB.1.1.7&view=map&lineage=B.1.617.2&colorBy=p&scale=quadratic&latitude=51.428503&longitude=-0.078342&zoom=7.72&date=2021-05-08&area=E09000032&lambda_type=area

Onthebrink you have completely misquoted what I said. I did not say I wouldn't sit next to someone who had not been vaccinated. What I was trying to say was that it's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security now that things are opening up, and it's important to remember that social distancing etc is still important. Anyone could be carrying covid.

I'm going on holiday next month and I'll have no way of knowing whether the person sitting next to me on the plane is vaccinated. Nor should I know. I'd prefer it if they were, but it's not something I can influence, nor should I be able to. Their choice.

And I'm not vile.

Funkythighcollector thank you for the graphs. I'm not sure that I fully understand them but I think it's saying that in my area over 50% of cases are the Indian variant.

All fair points @OnTheBrink1 but unfortunately completely failing to take into account that people with those views also have a point. Neither are taking into account the much bigger picture and are narrow viewpoints.

Calmness and hostility aren’t mutually exclusive and you are hostile. It’s not your job to go around telling people ‘like it is’. You’re clearly not a neutral party and heavily influenced by your stance.

If the Indian variant takes hold then it could mutate and undermine the existing vaccination programme. Even though it looks like the existing vaccination is effective against the Indian variant, it’s still important to stop the spread as quickly as possible in order to not allow the variant to mutate again with the potential to undermine the vaccine.

@funkythighcollector I don't fully understand those graphs, is the Indian variant b.1.617 or b.1.617.2 ?

@beebopalola From what I understand there are 3 variants from India, B1617.1, B1617.2 and B1617.3. And B1617.2 is the variant of concern

@Leonardsgirl

Onthebrink you have completely misquoted what I said. I did not say I wouldn't sit next to someone who had not been vaccinated. What I was trying to say was that it's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security now that things are opening up, and it's important to remember that social distancing etc is still important. Anyone could be carrying covid.

I'm going on holiday next month and I'll have no way of knowing whether the person sitting next to me on the plane is vaccinated. Nor should I know. I'd prefer it if they were, but it's not something I can influence, nor should I be able to. Their choice.

And I'm not vile.

Are you vaccinated yourself?

thank you @funkythighcollector it looks like its growing in my region too (south east) in that case, still in low numbers but that's how it starts

Onthebrink1 yes, I am vaccinated.

The numbers will grow - we were told that before and that there will be more deaths. Efficacy was always going to be tested but i think we could have waited 2 more weeks to do that, rather than the current gamble.

@Leonardsgirl

Onthebrink you have completely misquoted what I said. I did not say I wouldn't sit next to someone who had not been vaccinated. What I was trying to say was that it's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security now that things are opening up, and it's important to remember that social distancing etc is still important. Anyone could be carrying covid.

I'm going on holiday next month and I'll have no way of knowing whether the person sitting next to me on the plane is vaccinated. Nor should I know. I'd prefer it if they were, but it's not something I can influence, nor should I be able to. Their choice.

And I'm not vile.

We don’t actually know how effective the vaccines are against transmission and infection.

So we still need to follow government guidelines on social distancing, masks and hand washing, regardless of vaccination.

As I said above, and some posters want to brush under the carpet, the government is expecting any third wave to be dominated by people who have had both vaccines.

Hmm only because the highest uptake rates are in groups where vaccination failure is more likely (80+)....have to say that is just nicked from another poster.

Singapore seems to be saying this variant affects children more severely.

@AgnesNaismith

Hmm only because the highest uptake rates are in groups where vaccination failure is more likely (80+)....have to say that is just nicked from another poster.

That’s not what the government document actually says - it only refers to over 50 year olds.

“vaccine uptake has been so high in the oldest age groups (modeled here as 95% in the over 50 year olds).”

It reckons “9.5% of over 50 year olds [who] are vaccinated but, nevertheless, are not protected against death.”

@Needanewhat

Singapore seems to be saying this variant affects children more severely.

Yes, one of the patients in hospital in NW is of school age with Indian variant

@TheKeatingFive

If you're modelling hospitalisations & deaths - existing figures are key.

Well quite. We have 1 or 2 (accounts differ) fully vaxxed people currently hospitalised at the current moment.

How old are they?

How old are they?

One was described as ‘very frail’, so I’m assuming pretty old. I haven’t read any details on the other, it’s a bit hazy whether they exist at all.

@TheKeatingFive

How old are they?

One was described as ‘very frail’, so I’m assuming pretty old. I haven’t read any details on the other, it’s a bit hazy whether they exist at all.

The details or the people?