Omicron found in the UK [title edited by MNHQ]

[manolantern]

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

I was talking to a close family friend who lives in SA. This variant was apparently found through a blood test due to SA’s highly developed genomic sequencing. It was not found through a PCR test.

I was also watching the news earlier and a GP from SA was being interviewed. She said while there are more cases they are very mild, symptoms are very mild and no one in her practice has needed to be hospitalised.

If anyone even remotely thinks this variant started in SA they are completely deluded and all this mass hysteria (and I include Governments in this) is going to do is ensure that any country who happens to come across a new variant will keep their mouths well and truly shut.

We can't now go back into the lockdowns and extreme measures - these have already caused enough damage. We need to accept the virus is here and get on with life

And - this is making me not want my booster (3rd jab) if we're going to be getting a whole new vaccine set in 3 months.

@FMSucks

I was talking to a close family friend who lives in SA. This variant was apparently found through a blood test due to SA’s highly developed genomic sequencing. It was not found through a PCR test.

I was also watching the news earlier and a GP from SA was being interviewed. She said while there are more cases they are very mild, symptoms are very mild and no one in her practice has needed to be hospitalised.

If anyone even remotely thinks this variant started in SA they are completely deluded and all this mass hysteria (and I include Governments in this) is going to do is ensure that any country who happens to come across a new variant will keep their mouths well and truly shut.

I really hope that’s true.

We need to accept the virus is here and get on with life

How? Will you explain to the NHS how to do that when they have no beds and no cancer treatments available? Where is the therapy and support for long Covid patients coming from? Where are the cover teachers, the education for the CEV children, the GPs?

Just.... How.

Sky news are reporting BRENTWOOD in essex not Chelmsford

@GiveMeNovocain

It's the pre Christmas variant. A few more of these and we can call it a traditional

Yep. Forget the coca-cola advert. We’ll soon say that we know it’s nearly Christmas when a new covid variant is announced 😏. Honestly I’m completely past giving a shit. I used to be empathetic and community minded but the past 22 months have beaten that out of me.

Unfortunately you’re right, people don’t listen as much as they did. The only way measures will be taken legitimately by a large portion of the population is if the severe illness and deaths start to rise quickly. By that point it may be too late and we’ll be left licking our wounds

Nobody will be licking any wounds. People aren't listening because there's too many mixed messages and there's no trust any more that any information given will be correct, or replaced by further different information two days later.

@HaveANiceFuckingDay

Sky news are reporting BRENTWOOD in essex not Chelmsford

Does that make a huge difference?

I'm not in Brentwood either but very close.
Crikey I wonder if it goes 5 miles more down the road and I'll get THAT phone call..

Personally, I think this virus looks like it will probably respond to the vaccine but increased transmission will push up the numbers of people becoming more ill or needing moderate treatment. This will require some public action or we will have a useless NHS.

I am hoping that the virus hasn't significantly changed other than increased transmission.

@Laiste

And - this is making me not want my booster (3rd jab) if we're going to be getting a whole new vaccine set in 3 months.

I had my booster this morning. Don't say my 15 minutes sitting with my egg timer will be all in vain. TBH though if I have to spend a few minutes getting a further jab at the end of February then so be it.

No of course not , just wondering if there are more cases and we dont know about it. In 24 hours will there be very many more than anticipated and wether they are actually now linked as previously thought

@Laiste

And - this is making me not want my booster (3rd jab) if we're going to be getting a whole new vaccine set in 3 months.

Same here

this is making me not want my booster (3rd jab)

Hello new virus, I'd like to try out my waning immunity on you.

Laiste

And - this is making me not want my booster (3rd jab) if we're going to be getting a whole new vaccine set in 3 months.

Oh well, there we have the most sensible reaction 🤨

@Alltheblue

Just reading this thread and I'm struck by the attitude in some of the comments.

Melodramatic eye rolling and aggrieved 'don't you dare take my Christmas' responses seem such an odd way to respond to a public health matter that affects everyone. One poster has even said 'People die. Life goes on' when it clearly doesn't and won't if his or her relative requires Covid or cancer treatment and there is none to be had. Our lives are not so resilient. He or she must realise this. Why pretend otherwise? It's one thing to protest that they think we should ignore the variant and take the consequences... But why pretend there won't be any consequences beyond 'people die'? There is rather a lot of carnage implied there and the laconic style seems puerile as a way of dealing with it.

Yes, the cognitive dissonance.

Posters seem to think it's either life with some COVID restrictions or exactly the same life but with no COVID restrictions

Chelmsford is about a 20minute drive from Brentwood. It's worrying they have said the wrong town though

I don't care if I have to have a vaccine every 3 months for the rest of my life if it means we can all get back to proper living.

With regards to the 3rd jab , I do think that might have to be tweaked a little

@Laiste

What's plan B?

sorry.

No idea, but from the breathless and panic stricken reporting, I'm imagining something like the response in the movie Outbreak.

Save us Dustin!

Did I hear that there isn't a single case of hospitalisation with this variant... could be what had been predicted before that a super transmissible variant with much less severe illness... this would be the best outcome be honest.

@Mantlemoose

Meh it will be another version in a month. I'm past caring. I am being sensible but I'm not putting my life on hold ever again.

Completely agree. People are whipping themselves into a frenzy.

@Alltheblue

We need to accept the virus is here and get on with life

How? Will you explain to the NHS how to do that when they have no beds and no cancer treatments available? Where is the therapy and support for long Covid patients coming from? Where are the cover teachers, the education for the CEV children, the GPs?

Just.... How.

What do you propose as an alternative? Genuine question?

We cant not eradicate it

We can not go back to furlough

We cant stop it mutating

We cant stop cancer strokes or heart attacks.

So what is the ultimate answer to this? I cant see a answer personally, only mitigating measures like vaccines masks etc. Even more funding for the NHS wont tussle up degree level nurses and Drs for years.you could put a billion into the NHS tomorrow, it still takes four years plus to qualify.

Its nature. Doing what nature does. Humans cant stop what viruses have evolved over millions of years to do. We have to live alongside it. That's not something humans can opt out of within the laws of science.

It how we live with it surely? Not choosing not too because that's impossible and therefore deluded from a science perspective.

I for one don’t care. I’ll not be moderating any of my behaviour. The Oxford scientists have already said they’re not that concerned, and there’s going to be variants forever more.

I feel sorry for the people who are positively frothing at the mouth over this.

Bizarre.