Why are things ' kicking off ' in Europe ?

[genuinequestion21]

Please excuse my ignorance. But why is Germany for example stressing so much about covid right now ?

I think we have more cases per 100 k than them and have been having high cases for months and we are still open and not ' that much ' talk about lockdown etc. It seems we are kind of just about ' OK '. Well at least we aren't going to plan B yet.

However in Germany there have been few cases and cases are now exploding and there's talk of lock downs etc.

Hospitals also seem to be full again. Whereas in the UK, they don't seem to be on the brink.

Why these differences ? Germany and UK have a very similar proportion of the population vaccinated. Is it because cases are seeming to go up very rapidly, whereas ours have been high but flat for ages ?

Why are their hospitals full again and ours are not ?

Please correct any factual information which is incorrect.

Did anybody really expect this winter to be much different to the last two?

We know covid spreads more in cold weather when we're mixing indoors more.

We know vaccines can't hold it back on their own.

What did we all think was going to happen?

It is looking different to last year in the U.K.

We just had a drop which I doubt happened at this point a year ago we must have been deep in exponential growth by this stage

Plus any chart clearly shows the separation of deaths / hospitalisation and cases

The queues for vaccinations in Saxony are generally seen locally as a sign of disorganisation rather than of people being keen to get jabbed, alas. But yes, hopefully they will sort the queues out, however they do it.

I thought I'd heard something about third doses only being allowed with Pfizer, so had the impression that it's not the same as a booster - Google says something similar but I can't actually see if one has more in it or anything.

When people were asking why Germany had "done so well" in 2020 my view was that it was just luck, and I can't say my opinion has changed based on the latest situation!

Not sure if there’s an up to date version of this but from about a week ago

Even the most ardent restriction people can see the difference one would hope

[quote ravenmum]The German test figures quoted on worldometers are for PCR tests only.
The UK ones appear to be for PCR, antibody and lateral flow tests?
coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/testing[/quote]
From what I recall, Germany abolished all free testing back in August. How many LFTs are actually being done?

Sorry - I think this only came in to force in October, which could play a part in the current exponential growth.

Germany abolished all free testing back in August. How many LFTs are actually being done?
Depends on the state, but here they are doing antigen tests in workplaces and schools, three times a week, and they have just re-introduced free testing for everyone else.

@PrincessNutNuts the last two?

@MarshaBradyo

It is looking different to last year in the U.K.

We just had a drop which I doubt happened at this point a year ago we must have been deep in exponential growth by this stage

Plus any chart clearly shows the separation of deaths / hospitalisation and cases

So no plan B, no restrictions at Christmas, and no January lockdown then?

Covid will just carry on killing about 4000 of us a month, as it has since Freedom Day, and we'll all just go about our business as usual?

How is it in the UK: can you easily get hold of home testing kits, and are they cheap? They are down to about 75 cents a test here, but only if you can find them in shops (hard at the moment), otherwise they are about €2 a test online.

[quote 1990butfeel21]@PrincessNutNuts the last two?[/quote]
Covid was spreading through the winter months before the first lockdown in March 2020.

Here’s another handy Worldometers tool - weekly % change for cases and deaths per country. Click Europe tab then sort each column for highest/lowest rates

www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/weekly-trends/

Yes, in the UK you can get tests for free. Last time I was there everyone said it was pretty easy to do so.

But just like in Germany, school-aged children and their parents are testing regularly, but many people aren’t anymore.

It’s not like in Germany were tests were/are required to enter certain places.

@MarshaBradyo

Not sure if there’s an up to date version of this but from about a week ago

Even the most ardent restriction people can see the difference one would hope

Are you calling me a lockdown lover Marsha.

You know what I think about that.

There are differences from one school or workplace to the next in how they actually do the testing. My bf's daughter is recovering from Covid; they tested her at the school and she was sent home, rather than parents doing it. A friend of mine had it recently, and she tested positive from a free test at work, but told me that her coworkers were given them to do in their offices, and did not all bother.

I was thinking of home testing kits though - are they really handed out for free in the UK?

Princess I know your hair trigger you are poised

If you saw the the word lockdown I didn’t write it

So no plan B, no restrictions at Christmas, and no January lockdown then?

If we keep level yes this could be the case.

Yes you can order them online to be delivered or to be collected from pharmacies.

Sorry, that was to ravenmum

What a luxury @Underparmummy - we have to go and have a test done, or pay ourselves to do it at home. That probably drives up the numbers in the UK.

@Underparmummy

Yes you can order them online to be delivered or to be collected from pharmacies.

And schools give a kit (7 tests) every 2-3 weeks to all secondary age pupils. Or at least they should do.

Netherlands are closing down too I read, even though 90% are vaccinated.

@SecretKeeper1 it's actually 41.8% of full population in the Netherlands

@TrulyPistoff that was for you

@ravenmum, I think the UK has a pretty strong LF test base, so the figures are fairly reliable. Most people I know self test every few days, and among the 10 children of people at work, three are currently testing positive (but are not ill, just a bit under the weather). But double-vaxxed and (possibly) boosted friends contracted it last weekend... probably at Twickenham or during travel to and from it, and have symptoms akin to a nasty cold or mild flu.