Omicron found in the UK [title edited by MNHQ]

[manolantern]

Health Secretary has just said two cases have been found here. That was quick!

Why are people obsessed with variants?

SA virology facilities are some of the best in the world. Just because they found it there does not mean it's necessarily come from there. It just means they found and sequenced it first

Exactly same as the Kent one, it was first sequenced here doesn't mean it came.from here.

England v South Africa at Twickenham last weekend anyone? Not a single mask in sight and no one checking Covid passes at all

Blimey you mean at this outdoors sporting event where masks or covid passes aren't mandated.

My hometown is affected - apparently a business trip that could not be avoided. I am unreasonable to think that whoever was profiting from the business trip should be making a significant contribution to the NHS?

”The reason that keep on finding them in SA - is because SA is geno sequencing. We are not!”

Not sure by “we” if you mean the UK? But the UK has in fact provided 24% of genomic sequencing data globally, more than any other country in the world.

www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/blog/sequencing-covid-19-1-million-genomes/

@SheikhMaraca
*We can’t ruin the lives of people barely out of school in order to give a 66 year old even more of something the younger person will never get at all.

It’s already the case that the overwhelmingly majority of this countries wealth is concentrated in the hands of the over 65s, they can’t realistically expect the younger generations to make even more sacrifices for them?*

Sadly I think things will be made worse for the young. I think there should have been a recognition that the measures against covid and various results of them (e.g. house prices rising) were bad for young people and good for old people and so there ought to be some attempts to rectify the balance. But I don't think that happened as a lot of young people have seemingly been more focused on other issues, like racism and climate change. Also they aren't considered to be important electorally.

@blameless

My hometown is affected - apparently a business trip that could not be avoided. I am unreasonable to think that whoever was profiting from the business trip should be making a significant contribution to the NHS?

Sorry, what?

@Benjispruce5

Press conference at 5pm.

Who with Boris, Kermit and Peppa or are the adults doing it?

@blameless are you insinuating they don't pay tax or something?

I don't see how that particular traveller or the business he owns / is employed by has done anything wrong.

We're allowed to travel.

Even when we weren't allowed to travel, the list of exemptions was so far reaching that you could practically sign up as an Avon seller to become exempt. That traveller would have almost certainly been exempt.

Either we're allowed to travel or we're not, and clearly we are so yes you are being unreasonable.

@roarfeckingroarr

Why are people obsessed with variants?

Because they have the potential to change the rules of the game.

The vast majority will appear and disappear without anyone noticing. But if there is one which is more dangerous - whether that's because it can spread more easily or cause more serious illness, or both - then it can cause problems.

But as I said up-thread, we don't have a lot of information on this one at the moment. There have been other VOCs which have come to not a lot, and there have been VOCs which have caused problems (Delta).

I was reading somewhere this morning that the virus wants as many hosts as possible, and it doesn't set out to kill or make people ill (but it does at present). So the variants become weaker so that more hosts survive and then eventually the virus dies out.

Not a scientific summary and I don't know who to believe, but let us hope that is the case, and I am very hopeful that it will be regarding omicron. Lots of infections but few symptoms. Rare hospital admissions and associated illnesses. Covid becomes like the common cold, which is a corona virus also.

Gotta stay positive and hope for the best.

Boris saying masks in shops and public transport tightened up.

Compulsory then. ?

Mild symptoms

www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/south-african-doctor-raised-alarm-omicron-variant-says-symptoms/

Boris saying masks in shops and public transport tightened up.

Yep usual Boris says something but in reality nothing at all.

@bergam

I was reading somewhere this morning that the virus wants as many hosts as possible, and it doesn't set out to kill or make people ill (but it does at present). So the variants become weaker so that more hosts survive and then eventually the virus dies out.

Not a scientific summary and I don't know who to believe, but let us hope that is the case, and I am very hopeful that it will be regarding omicron. Lots of infections but few symptoms. Rare hospital admissions and associated illnesses. Covid becomes like the common cold, which is a corona virus also.

Gotta stay positive and hope for the best.

Some colds are coronaviruses. Some are rhinoviruses.

The virus by and large doesn't care if it kills a host. A viruses success will be determined by how fast and how long it can spread from its host.

If it doesn't spread well and kills its host quickly, it won't be very successful.

If it spreads well and either doesn't kill its host or kills its host slowly, it will be more successful.

I think the only way to have stopped the new(est) variant is to have stopped it ebfore we even knew it existed. In other words- not possible

Well vaccinating more the of the vulnerable people could've, rather than non-vulnerable people in the west - remember variants arise when covid stays for a long time in a person who cannot fight it.

If it has been here for a while, doesn't the fact we haven't had a massive increase in cases suggest it isn't as big of a deal as they're thinking? Hospital rates aren't rising and now are death rates.

What they should do:

reintroduce mask mandates indoors and work from home if you can advice, immediately. And then if it turns out to be no more deadly, relax them later.

What they will actually do: wait until there is definite evidence of it being more dangerous, transmissible etc in a few weeks time, and clamp down 3 days before Christmas, when it’s already spread everywhere.

@Remmy123 "There was all this hysteria about the Delta variant too and we are all still alive and well!"

Is this supposed to be sarcasm? Pretty poor taste.

@Remmy123 gosh what an insensitive post. No, not everyone is alive and well. Dope!

same old same old. face coverings to be "tightened up" but not mandatory, we have to wait a few more days to hear from Savid Javid says, get your vaccine and booster asap but what about the shortages of vacinne centres and staff to administer them.

@blameless

My hometown is affected - apparently a business trip that could not be avoided. I am unreasonable to think that whoever was profiting from the business trip should be making a significant contribution to the NHS?

Oh, don't be so bloody ridiculous. Nobody knew until a couple of days ago that this variant was a variant of concern. People were travelling for all sorts of reasons, as is their right.

Give your head a wobble, Jesus Christ.

reintroduce mask mandates indoors and work from home if you can advice, immediately. And then if it turns out to be no more deadly, relax them later.

Ah the good old work from home, even though many people have to go out to make sure you can be serviced working from home.

@MeanderingGently

Bloody typical, one case would be Nottingham. In the East Midlands here, and there's a case in the next door major town. Maybe things don't bode well for Christmas after all.....

I'm just going to carry on taking the precautions I have throughout the pandemic. I have not had Covid unless I had it symptom free. I'm just waiting for my booster.

@roarfeckingroarr

Why are people obsessed with variants?

Why do you repeatedly define a discussion about a situation as people being obsessed?