Omicron found in the UK [title edited by MNHQ]

[manolantern]

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

@MummyPop00

Chelmsford & Nottingham - GET THE ARMY IN NOW & LOCK THEM DOWN!!!

To be fair I’d still be saying that, virus or no virus.

lol sure sure, lock all of us Notts up eh?. Happy Christmas.

It's actually Brentwood not Chelmsford

I'm sure it's reached Chelmsford by now ..

This furore (over it being found here) is a bit stupid.

When the variant was announced yesterday, it was obviously already here. With open borders it's just inevitable any variant will spread everywhere. Stopping flights is just bolting the door after the horse has bolted.

This is so weird, we only just realised and hopefully not connected but our next door neighbours mum came home from a three week holiday in SA a week ago. She went to see her with her kids (3 and 2 months) and Thursday was admitted to hospital as she couldn't breathe and her oxygen was really low. she came out this morning. she's been double jabbed as she asked what I would do because she was pregnant when it was her time to be jabbed. I said do what you feel is right obviously. I think they're sensible with lateral flow tests etc but her husband has an awful chest infection. Would it even show on a lateral flow?

It may be compulsory on TFL but I was on a bus this afternoon that was so full that people weren't being allowed to board. I estimated mask wearing at about 40%

@alborana

It may be compulsory on TFL but I was on a bus this afternoon that was so full that people weren't being allowed to board. I estimated mask wearing at about 40%

That's way more than I saw in other towns in the last few weeks

If you look at those flight apps that shows live fights in the air at any one time, it’s obvious how these things spread. I remember my SIL saying we were an island nation in March 2020 hmm] and I was like, yeah in the 10th century maybe.

Some on this thread are positively psychopathic.
As sad as it is young vulnerable people have to be allowed to die, and those over 65 might die, all so life can go on as normal for everyone else.

Also no one knows if it only leads to mild symptoms, not even the SA Drs. It was only detected 2 weeks ago and has been sequenced in about 2000 cases. It is far too early to tell.
I hope it only causes very mild symptoms. But no one really knows yet.

If we’ve learned any it’s that we just don’t know! Caution is better than regret.

@Againstmachine

Face coverings are a really easy and effective way to try to limit the virus spread, so mandating them should be the messaging, right from the start.

Except in Europe places who have had them are still going into lockdown, so not much point.

These countries are acting before their health services are overwhelmed, they have infection rates per capita far lower than ours.

The NHS already is, has been for months.

As far as i can see, Masks and SD work, how many of us have not had a cold for the last 2 winters?

Wasn't there a BMJ study out recently that suggested 180k deaths in Europe would be prevented if we all wore them, hardly Orwell's 1983 is it.

I think the indicators that are known about so far must be much worse than we are being told if Johnson has acted. It's really not like him and his bunch of dithering incompetents to react quickly to this sort of thing. I can only assume he knows something we haven't been told.

they have infection rates per capita far lower than ours

This is absolute gibberish, even with the positivity rates suggesting they are finding considerably fewer cases, Austria is two and half times the infection rate, Germany is higher etc. The countries introducing lockdown do not have rates far lower. They also have even higher rates in vulnerable populations placing higher demands on healthcare.

And in france say, which currently does have a lower rate, has a mask mandate and stringent other measures around vaccine passports and distancing, the growth suggests and R rate of around 1.4 and they'll soon overtake us with a doubling time around 6 days - the UK's currently stable, an R close to 1.

No restrictions of any sort anywhere in Europe have so far prevented infection, they've just moved the timing of it. Vaccines have saved lives.

@Mouseonmychair

Welcome to globalization.

@Mouseonmychair, you have a point.

Nothing has been quite the same since Muizenburg in 1795.

@RaoulDufysCat

I think the indicators that are known about so far must be much worse than we are being told if Johnson has acted. It's really not like him and his bunch of dithering incompetents to react quickly to this sort of thing. I can only assume he knows something we haven't been told.

Yes i wonder too.

Okay just been reading more. The mild cases include a feeling of total exhaustion, including healthy young people and children. So yes they will recover, but worse than a mild cold.

DD felt wiped out when she had (presumably) Delta Covid. If it is worse than that it must be pretty bad. She barely left her bed for about four days.

This is the article I read by the way.

www.msn.com/en-gb/health/medical/south-african-doctor-who-raised-alarm-about-omicron-variant-says-symptoms-are-unusual-but-mild/ar-AARczsR?ocid=msedgntp

@KittenCatcher

Arent Face coverings already supposed to be worn on public transport but some people just dont comply. Icelandic cabin, I share your pain, I started a thread about how its virtually impossible for me to get my booster and now I have learnt the only hub anywhere within distance has closed

Not very evident in and around Twickenham last weekend- oh and that was for over 80,000 attendance at England v South Africa.

Thanks @julieca - very interesting.

No problem. They also make it clear they don't know how this variant will affect the over 65s as SA population is so young.

@sirfredfredgeorge

Sorry but you are wrong, look at the area below the graphs rather than the infection rates? we opened up in the summer - full on, herd immunity.
I ve been looking at this since July, the UK has some terrible infection and hence death rates, with a health service that has ceased functioning, even in emergency operation... have a look at what Chris Hobson has to say?

Not very evident in and around Twickenham last weekend- oh and that was for over 80,000 attendance at England v South Africa.

Patrick Vallance didn't wear mask at a outdoor event eithier, your point is.