I have a bad feeling that we're screwed

[MyFloorIsLava]

This Indian variant is a disaster. I had thought that, with cases so far down, and the vaccine roll out going so well, that things would be back to normal a bit soon. But cases are up, hospitalisations are up, and the hospital in Bolton has gone from having 13 covid patients to 33 in a week. They're discharging everyone possible to brace for an admissions surge. I could cry my fucking eyes out. DH was so ill from covid, FIL died from it, and the cost to everyone's mental health is incalculable - plus the economy surely can't survive another lockdown. Selfishly, it looks unlikely that my DD will get her birthday party. I'm so fed up with it all.

The govt messaging has consistently been that whatever is happening now might not be the case next week so if you decide to book ANYTHING no matter where you are be prepared for it to change. They’ve said it over and over but people in this country do not want to take personal responsibility for anything. The govt is trying to a get people to take more personal responsibility model as one size doesn’t fit all although god knows why with our bleating but “ s’not fair” population.
There was a thread on MN the other day about letting Sweden rule the world / Scandinavian socialism and lots of people bemoaning the fact that we can’t be like them but there is no way on earth any British govt could with our whining whining responsibility shirking population.
Yes if you are in Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn etc it isn’t great and yes it’s a pain and hardship but that’s just he way it is! Those areas have a surge in the Indian variant. So it’s tough but if you are in those area, you need to take one for the rest of the country and restrict movement / freedom / take a test /get a vaccine. Same when it was the Kent variant. And before anyone jumps on the “we should have closed the borders like Australia” nonsense can I remind you that they have one of the most draconian evil immigration policies in the world so closing the borders has been a joy for the fascist govt they are. If the British govt had closed the border to India before the variant had been deemed one of concern, they would have been absolutely slaughtered and accused of racism. We have a huge brutish population of Indian origin mainly as a consequence of our colonial past. This part of our population is an absolute benefit and joy and makes our British society what it is but, on this occasion, it’s an additional problem as even with quarantine the numbers moving between our countries is such and you can’t stop British people re-entering Britain.

I absolutely despair .... the govt may have fucked up the start but the message has been the same for at least a year .... the govt can only follow what happens and react when it does and they need people to take some fucking responsibility and risk assess sensibly so ......at the moment they are asking (not telling because we aren’t a dictatorship yet) please don’t go out and socialize if you are in variant hotspots. If you live in the in a part of the county with low rates, you probably can go out to the extent of the rules but perhaps don’t visit granny in the care home if you have 3 kids who all attend different schools and you work in a large office. But if you don’t have kids in school and work from home, then you probably can. This is not Mensa level stuff. And it’s not about “fairness.”
Everything I book / arrange at the moment I do full in the full knowledge that the circumstances may change and in order to protect the greater good, I might not be able to do what I want when the time comes. Simple!

My friend lives in Bedford and last week he tried to book his second vaccination. The earliest appointment he could get was in another town about 15 miles away and in early June.

Considering the lack of take-up in the town thus far, it is rather surprising that they have such a shortage of appointments, and that residents are having to travel out of the borough to get one.

I was talking to someone who has been working in test and trace for PHE. Many of them have been stood down and are being asked to go on standby list but currently they have nothing to do. The other interesting fact he gave me was that the majority of hospital admissions and ICU admissions are unfortunately people who refused the vaccine or were unable to have the vaccine. This person has up to date info from direct access to PHE data. I have no reason to doubt him.
Vaccines have been shown to protect against serious infection by the Indian variant particularly after the second dose which most of over 50s have now had. So basically all is good in the rational science camp.

I’m sorry for your losses.

I’d step away from the news as the situation is beyond your control.

@bubblebath62636

Op, don't believe everything you hear/read/see.

Personally I think this variant is a lie, constructed to amp up vaccination rates.

And why should anyone take any notice of what you "believe"?

You need to remember that it's a pandemic, it was never going to be quick, it was never going to be easy, but it is going to be OK.

@bubblebath62636

Op, don't believe everything you hear/read/see.

Personally I think this variant is a lie, constructed to amp up vaccination rates.

Just see how its affecting people in India on the news. I have friends our there who have suffered. If vacination reduces hospital rates and helps the NHS and ourselves then that can only be a good thing, variant or no variant.

@AlmostSummer21 well said. Does it make people feel good to be so cruel to strangers? I don’t get it.

@Noname99 I am in an area of concern. The flashpoint in my area is 20 miles away from where I live. I test twice weekly. I am double jabbed and generally sensible. I am not changing my plans next week unless it becomes illegal for me to leave the area. For us and many others who have never been out of restrictions it is essential.

I understand where you are coming from, and think the next couple of weeks will be crucial as the 'Indian' strain becomes dominant in all areas.

Is this a joke?

Ive got a really bad feeling too. AZ vaccine only 60% effective against the new variant and yet they are letting people go off abroad so we'll be back to square one again. It was lack of any kind of holiday and airport restrictions in the first placd that caused the UK to suffer so badly.

Unfortunately, many of these cases will have arisen in people who rejected vaccination, or who are just too young to have received both doses. And they do seem prevalent in areas with large South Asian populations, where more people have been arriving back from India and where we know uptake has been lower.

The JVine show the other day had an interesting graphic relating vaccine uptake in Bolton to prevalence of the Indian variant - the evidence is pretty clear.

I live in an area of concern. Spent the weekend on a lovely relaxing weekend away, 400 miles from here, (double vaccinated, covid-secure etc). Imagine my surprise to read on the bbc website on Sunday that N sturgeon had announced that nobody from Scotland was to travel to my home town from Monday - and then only this morning, (safely back), that I’m not meant to be travelling backwards and forwards unless ‘essential’. Frankly, if you are so inept that you can make a change of policy like this and fail to announce it to the public for 5 days, you cannot expect to be taken seriously. The horse has bolted.

People on our town FB page were scared because the district next to us is next to an area of concern, and apparently they said cases were rapidly rising, so I looked at the Govt map and there are seven cases in that whole district. Down from 15 last week. People are scaremongering for whatever reason.

Yes if you are in Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn etc it isn’t great and yes it’s a pain and hardship but that’s just he way it is! Those areas have a surge in the Indian variant. So it’s tough but if you are in those area, you need to take one for the rest of the country and restrict movement / freedom / take a test /get a vaccine

People in those areas barely came out of lockdown (I think we had about 3 weeks of indoor socialising last summer where I am). It doesn’t take a great deal of empathy to understand that the people in those areas, many of whom are not vulnerable to covid, have had enough of being miserable for the benefit of others. They aren’t selfish for wanting to do what they’re allowed to now, they’re unselfish for having complied with horrible restrictions for so long for the benefit of others.

Saying “it’s just the way it is” is total bullshit. You could say that about anything. “I’m allowed to travel all over the country and spread the Indian variant, and that’s just the way it is”.

@TokyoSushi

You need to remember that it's a pandemic, it was never going to be quick, it was never going to be easy, but it is going to be OK.

@TokyoSushi Got to say that I love that statement … it really does nail the situation precisely.

@junipertree2

Unfortunately, many of these cases will have arisen in people who rejected vaccination, or who are just too young to have received both doses. And they do seem prevalent in areas with large South Asian populations, where more people have been arriving back from India and where we know uptake has been lower.

The JVine show the other day had an interesting graphic relating vaccine uptake in Bolton to prevalence of the Indian variant - the evidence is pretty clear.

Not sure about that, they have had pretty average uptake and rapid acceleration now.

But nothing beats a bit of blaming the public, that has been our shithead government's approach from the start.

Not sure about that, they have had pretty average uptake and rapid acceleration now.

Yes, there’s an article in the BMJ saying essentially the same thing.

www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1345

@SlipperyDippery 100 percent this. So sick of the 'selfish' narrative. Particularly sick of it today!!

[quote PurpleDaisies]Not sure about that, they have had pretty average uptake and rapid acceleration now.

Yes, there’s an article in the BMJ saying essentially the same thing.

www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1345[/quote]
Thank you for this article - I am disgusted at how much the government is spinning this to deflect the blame from their failed travel policies

But now this lie is out there plenty will repeat it.

You do know feelings aren't facts, don't you?

[quote FloraFauna27]@AlmostSummer21 well said. Does it make people feel good to be so cruel to strangers? I don’t get it.[/quote]
Agree. Well done @AlmostSummer21

I am tired of posters who do the ‘I say what I think...that’s just who I am’. They think they are smart. They’re actually just not very nice.

A primary school here had to close today as they had so many positive cases. We're in the south west, not even a 'hot spot'. Sigh...