Watch out! Watch out! There's another variant about

[RosieLemonade]

Anyone feel like it's groundhog day. The press seem determined to petrify people.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-57296803.amp

Ugh

I'm utterly fed up with this now, the fear-mongering has to stop by the press and govt. We need to start getting back to normal. Where will it end, otherwise?

@CrunchyCarrot

I'm utterly fed up with this now, the fear-mongering has to stop by the press and govt. We need to start getting back to normal. Where will it end, otherwise?

Since when did reporting news become scaremongering? We don't stop reporting plane crashes or major road incidents just in case people stop travelling, do we.

I get that it's not good news, but we can't expect bad news to be censored just because it upsets some people.

They can fuck off.

There's often another variant about.

The MSM only reports occasionally, but even ones which seem quite threatening (Tanzania/Angola) sometimes just ebb away

Can they be a hybrid? Or has one mutated closer to the other

It is kind of scary the way the variants are becoming progressively more transmissible and often seem more dangerous.

Oh no, oh dear, oh cripes.

I honestly have less than zero fucks to give about variants. It's a virus, it changes itself to survive.

We're still incredibly unlikely to die from it. And we all got to die of something.

@MarshaBradyo

Can they be a hybrid? Or has one mutated closer to the other

I am also confused by the hybrid thing. I didn't think viruses reproduced in that way.

So this year it will the Indian variant, and then a Japanese variant, and then maybe a Jamaican variant, and for next year then they will start working through the countries alphabetically.

We can’t have another lockdown, I think if the majority of the UK protested against it then there is nothing they could do, but let’s face it, most won’t protest against it. Is this how we live now?

@Turquoisesol they're only dangerous because they're more transmissible. Unfortunately, evolving to become more transmissible is a natural consequence of SD etc.

Damn, I had Tanzania on the 15th 😔

There will come a point when every country in the world has a variant named after then and we will be reduced to naming the newcomer alphabetically, like the hurricanes. I am looking forward to variant Mabel.

It is scaremongering because these new variants are not causing any increase in hospitalisation or deaths. Those rates remain low and are the only things to worry about. Other countries, including Germany, had these variants long before us but haven’t announced it. If you wish to continue to restrict your life because of this then that’s your look out. I , however, will start living my life as before and putting my family first.

the fear-mongering has to stop by the press and govt
This
It is scandalous how people are determined to keep milking the woe.

@buffyp

It is scaremongering because these new variants are not causing any increase in hospitalisation or deaths. Those rates remain low and are the only things to worry about. Other countries, including Germany, had these variants long before us but haven’t announced it. If you wish to continue to restrict your life because of this then that’s your look out. I , however, will start living my life as before and putting my family first.

Exactly, I’ve had enough now if there is another lockdown then I’m still living my life. I barely ever even catch a cold so I don’t think it’s likely I’ll get Covid, and I don’t know anyone that’s had it apart from elderly people and none of them have died.

I don’t know if this is true but I’ve heard that certain deaths have all been marked as Covid when it wasn’t Covid, I don’t believe the numbers of deaths are as high as they’ve said, I call bullshit on lots of it, it’s scaremongering to keep us in.

I honestly couldn't care less anymore.

The only reason I care about this is the risk it's now going to be used to delay things relaxing on June 21. It's conveniently timed for that. FFS.

STOP.

There are 100's of variants for other viruses too! We need something new if politicians want to keep us locked up.
I'm just tired of all this shit.
Covid is not as deadly as originally thought, we do have a vaccine. Let's just get on with life and stop wrecking peoples livelihoods.

@IsabellesMissingSock

The only reason I care about this is the risk it's now going to be used to delay things relaxing on June 21. It's conveniently timed for that. FFS.

Exactly! Funny that....

Putting your fingers in your ears and saying LALALALALA won’t make things go away. It certainly didn’t improve the UK’s situation with regards to the Indian variant. If there was less denialism there and swifter border control, we’d be in much better situation now and far more likely to ease all restrictions in June.

Most mutations are benign, but it’a worth staying on top of the situation anyway.

Can someone explain to me what the reasons would be for the government to actively want perpetual lockdowns? Is there something in it for them that I misunderstand?

I agree let's stop reporting any news that is scary and uncomfortable and only report what is nice and tickles our ears.

I don’t know if this is true but I’ve heard that certain deaths have all been marked as Covid when it wasn’t Covid, I don’t believe the numbers of deaths are as high as they’ve said, I call bullshit on lots of it, it’s scaremongering to keep us in.*

This. It's actually the statistics for people who have died WITH covid. Not from covid. Only obviously they don't publicise that.

Viruses mutate all the time. It's only relevant when it's a dominant strain (or a lot more severe). Kent and now Indian variant became a dominant strain.