New Covid variant *title edited by MNHQ at OP's request*

[Wingingthis]

Can anyone talk some sense about how dangerous this is or is it just the media over exaggerating?

Despite it causing personal problems for my famiy, I am in agreement with very quick and very strong travel restrictions worldwide at this stage, then reining back when/if we find it is not a doomsday scenario. I know that is not what the WHO is saying.

@theDudesmummy

Well, if it displaces Delta as it seems to be doing in SA, and is less deadly, then that would be very welcome. Although if the transmissability is way higher than Delta that would cancel out the benefit.

The new horror I've read is it might infect people 6x more frequently!!

Time to log off Twitter I think! That came from here:

twitter.com/TWenseleers/status/1464201118553186305

I believe that means reinfections would happen 6x more frequently.

Anyone want to bet it’s already here in the UK?

Passengers travelling into Heathrow today from SA are walking through normally, not offered tests, mingling with other passengers …😏

I need to get off Twitter, I am also reading things that may or may not be true but are horrifying me nevertheless. We had good news in Ireland today, that booster shots are being rolled out to everyone (was previously only vulnerable, healthcare and over 60), but the whole Nu variant thing may or may not make that less of a good news story I suppose.

@CrispsnDips it's here obviously. It's likely everywhere by now.

@CrispsnDips

Anyone want to bet it’s already here in the UK?

Passengers travelling into Heathrow today from SA are walking through normally, not offered tests, mingling with other passengers …😏

I would be shocked if it isn't in the UK already. Absolutely shocked.

It may fizzle out.

It may spread.

It may not prove to be as deadly as feared.

We may need to rethink our strategy if current vaccines don't work on it.

mRNA vaccines can be altered and ramped up fairly quickly as can the traditional ones. I strongly suspect samples of the new mutated virus are in their hands as I type, ready to grow new vaccine.

If it all goes pear shaped we have to wear masks, socially distance until the new vaccine is given.

I thought the UK was a leader in sequencing? I’m pretty confident they’ve scoured their databases for anything that looks remotely like the SA variant.

Of course it’s in the UK already. They’ve already found it in tiny, not transport-hub Belgium.

If it all goes pear shaped we have to wear masks, socially distance until the new vaccine is given.

Genuine question- how many people do you think will honestly be prepared to socially distance again until a new vaccine is given?

Where I live we still wear masks and socially distance. Never stopped.

More variants were always going to happen this winter.

Maybe this is what's caused the chaos in Germany at the moment.

@theDudesmummy

Where I live we still wear masks and socially distance. Never stopped.

I don't particularly care if in England we have to wear masks in shops (although recognise that for some it has been awful and some of the threads on here berating survivors of rape/sexual abuse for not wearing masks have truly been Mumsnet at its worst). Social distancing- in a queue in Asda I don't care. I care when it has awful impacts on businesses and people's livelihoods though, pubs, clubs etc.

And I think there are few people left who will accept being told they have to distance themselves from friends and family.

I think they'll be quite a lot locally who'll wear masks again/socially distance. Our numbers went sky high for our area recently after the Wolverhampton lab debacle and I noticed a lot more wearing masks, people stepping off pavement or waiting patiently while someone looked at something in a shop. DH had a large team meeting that was cancelled as they didn't want to risk it.

And I think there are few people left who will accept being told they have to distance themselves from friends and family.

I think you’re right. People have been pushed too far. This would be the last straw.

Where I live we still wear masks and socially distance. Never stopped.

Same here. I think it's because even though there are less covid deaths there are still lots of people catching it and being ill at home.
It seems reasonable to try to avoid the virus.

@HarrietsChariot

This could be the big one in terms of variants - better at transmitting itself, better at infecting, better at evading vaccines, better at killing. It was always rather inevitable that such a dangerous variant would emerge, really the blame falls upon those nations who haven't vaccinated enough of their population (and on people who refuse the vaccine when they can have it of course).

The scientists have always been pretty clear, if there's a variant that the vaccines don't combat or can't quickly be tailored to combat, we're going to be back to square one and it'll be March 2020 all over again.

We just need to accept that restrictions and lockdowns will become a regular part of life over the next decade at least. That's no bad thing in itself, lockdown was positive for many. OK businesses like nightclubs and restaurants will fail because there's no point propping them up indefinitely, but it's not a huge problem because if/when the pandemic is finally beaten, there will be plenty of staff looking for work and plenty of premises to let.

Jesus Christ. Your flippancy around peoples livelihoods is astounding.

Well, looks like the media is not exatly reporting everything correctly.

My daughter tells me that there is no problem for her, flights already booked are in fact still going ahead out of SA, as long as you are on a transit flight, which she is (Air France to Paris then changing planes to her ultimate destination). So she says, no need to panic. This is not the way it is being portrayed in the media, where it says flights are cancelled. And it seems to me to be odd if people taking two flights can get into an EU country from SA, whereas people who want to fly directly somewhere in the EU cannot... Time will tell I guess.

If anyone has any further info I would be grateful to hear it.

@Madmog

I think they'll be quite a lot locally who'll wear masks again/socially distance. Our numbers went sky high for our area recently after the Wolverhampton lab debacle and I noticed a lot more wearing masks, people stepping off pavement or waiting patiently while someone looked at something in a shop. DH had a large team meeting that was cancelled as they didn't want to risk it.

But socially distance from who though? Socially distancing in the queue in the supermarket is very different to being told you can't go in a friend's house.

I wouldn't comply with not seeing friends and family if restrictions like that were ever brought back. I'll be devastated for my DC if schools shut again and I can't stand the thought of not being able to live as normal- have a laugh with friends in the pub, go to restaurants, and I don't want to see those businesses suffer any more. I can't do anything if that happens but I can carry on going to my friends houses.

At the moment I live normally but am sensible with certain things- I've tested my DC and kept them off school with symptoms until confirmed negative, I've not gone into my office when I've had a cold as can work from home- cancelled an important meeting because of it actually. Someone in my household has covid atm and is isolating from everyone else- I've tested negative but have still kept away from work as seems sensible.

But keeping away from my friends/family if everyone is well? Not a chance. I'm not traipsing about in the freezing cold at night like me and my best friend did last winter, just to (mostly) stick to rules and just be able to see eachother and have a laugh.

Absolutely no one will listen if they try to enforce restrictions around seeing family at Christmas. Just won't happen.

@theDudesmummy

Germany have banned flights so I don't think France will be far behind

France has "banned flights already", according to the media. But she says that people with existing bookings, who will only be transitting and not remaining in France, are still able to fly out of SA. (She says this is on the Air France website, although I cannot find it).

@theDudesmummy

France has "banned flights already", according to the media. But she says that people with existing bookings, who will only be transitting and not remaining in France, are still able to fly out of SA. (She says this is on the Air France website, although I cannot find it).

When is she due to fly?

Harrietschariot I agree with others about your disgraceful comments about people's livelihoods. I lost everything I had worked for, through no fault of my own. Others in my industry are in the same position. You are disgusting.