Page 2 | Are we back to square one?

Carrotte · 27/11/2021 20:08

@xxxGirlCrushxxx

Not going through mask wearing again either

Done with that

If there is a reason you can't wear a mask then fair enough. If it's just because you don't like them then grow up.

jgw1 · 27/11/2021 20:10

Well that is just stupid, wearing a mask is any easy and effective thing to do.

Which is why our esteemed leader has been wandering round hospital without one on.

sarah246 · 27/11/2021 21:14

@jgw1

Well that is just stupid, wearing a mask is any easy and effective thing to do.

Which is why our esteemed leader has been wandering round hospital without one on.

Whatever he (or anyone else) is doing if there's even the slightest chance that you wearing a mask in the supermarket could potentially save someone else from dying, and you don't have a valid medical exemption, then why wouldn't you?! I just don't get it

SonnetForSpring · 27/11/2021 21:30

We don't know yet if we are back to square one.

Alltheblue · 28/11/2021 00:33

Which is why our esteemed leader has been wandering round hospital without one on.

Would we call him esteemed though... Really? It's not Obama wasn't wearing one.

xxxGirlCrushxxx · 28/11/2021 00:37

You don't have to wear a mask anywhere, you have the choice

I'm not wearing one this time round for various reasons, my own business nobody else's

It's only for 3 weeks apparently and only on shops/transport.... so go out anywhere else and it magically doesn't spread..

xxxGirlCrushxxx · 28/11/2021 00:38

And a grubby mask pulled out of your pocket is not really effective is it?

No good under the chin either

Sparklingbrook · 28/11/2021 00:38

@xxxGirlCrushxxx

You don't have to wear a mask anywhere, you have the choice

I'm not wearing one this time round for various reasons, my own business nobody else's

It's only for 3 weeks apparently and only on shops/transport.... so go out anywhere else and it magically doesn't spread..

I think we get the picture. You don't like masks.

Workinghardeveryday · 28/11/2021 00:38

@xxxGirlCrushxxx grow up pet.

Malteser71 · 28/11/2021 00:39

Masks in shops but not in schools.

Hilarious.

PrincessNutNuts · 28/11/2021 01:26

@Sadless

Are we back to square one with the new varient or is it just a slight problem and won't cause too much of a problem now.

Sal

I don't think it's possible to go back to square one.

Square one is January 2020, people are dying of covid in the UK, almost none of them are tested. And the government is so obsessed with Brexit bongs that covid barely seems to be on their radar. Or ours.

After 22 months of covid dominating all our lives, we know covid is airborne. We know what helps, and what doesn't. We know how to bring cases down. And we know how to treat severe covid. We have about 68% of our population vaccinated, and the booster really "boosts".

What we don't know is how big a problem omicron is going to be, and we don't yet know what kind of a problem.

We'll know more in a week or two.

And our government will either make the choice to do the necessary - or not.

But those are political choices.

We still have a lot of knowledge and agency here.

We're not powerless against the tide like King Canute.

Topseyt · 28/11/2021 03:06

We are not back at square one. This is no longer a novel virus, it is a variant of an existing one that we now know a fair bit about and have vaccines for, even if they might need tweaking from time to time. We also know much more about how to treat it and which drugs work best.

Atmywitsend29 · 28/11/2021 03:19

When did we ever leave square one

SpringRainbow · 28/11/2021 03:25

The absolute honest answer is no one knows.

Early reports from South Africa seem to state that (at least) in the younger population this new variant seems to be quite mild. Common symptoms appear to be mostly fatigue.

The big problem seems to be that they are unsure if this is the case in the older population.

Time will tell.

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

MiddayMass · 28/11/2021 04:01

I can accept masks and social distancing perfectly fine. I can even accept maybe clubs shutting (though not the rest of hospitality as it will be catastrophic for so many staff).

But other restrictions I am absolutely terrified of. This cannot keep happening. The long-term effects of this are going to create a feedback loop for those effected.

There is already a massive backlog in driving tests, young people in rural areas rely on driving for work and social life. A 2 year delay in getting this done could really alter a young person’s life opportunities.

Masks, social distance and shutting clubs I accept. Everything else, just no.

sarah246 · 28/11/2021 08:20

@MiddayMass I feel the same.

I think masks and social distancing (from strangers) are two very easy ways that we can make a difference. I didn't catch any colds etc last year with these measures in so they obviously do work to some extent.

I am not willing to stay apart from my parents/friends/other family - unless of course they suddenly discover that this new variant is very dangerous to them. Obviously I wouldn't want to risk their health

sarah246 · 28/11/2021 08:21

@Sparklingbrook

MrsLargeEmbodied · 28/11/2021 08:41

Australia confirmed two cases on Sunday, joining Britain, Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic among others that have declared cases.

sarah246 · 28/11/2021 08:42

Also. To everyone laughing at the fact that it's masks in shops and transport but not hospitality - I think this is to mitigate where we can without crippling the economy and closing businesses. People can't eat and drink with masks on, but if we reduce transmission in shops etc then there will be less people unknowingly spreading it in pubs and restaurants.

bluetongue · 28/11/2021 08:52

Won’t any restrictions against a more transmissible variant be essentially futile? If it really is that much more transmissible than Delta then it is inevitable it will eventually be the main variant worldwide.

Australia and New Zealand tried to keep Delta out with closed borders but it still got in.

Besides, aren’t new variants something that have always been expected?

Remmy123 · 28/11/2021 08:57

No, it's just another variant like we have the flu I'm not getting all this panic. I blame the media!

SpringRainbow · 28/11/2021 09:16

@bluetongue

Won’t any restrictions against a more transmissible variant be essentially futile? If it really is that much more transmissible than Delta then it is inevitable it will eventually be the main variant worldwide.

Australia and New Zealand tried to keep Delta out with closed borders but it still got in.

Besides, aren’t new variants something that have always been expected?

I don’t think the aim is to stop this (or any other variant). That ship sailed a long time ago.

So no, they are not attempting to stop this variant from spreading. What they are trying to do with these restrictions is slow it down and buy enough time for scientists to collect data so they can figure out another master plan .

Whammyyammy · 28/11/2021 09:38

Not at all, can't see us going back to lockdowns and tight restrictions on visiting families or closure of hospitality venues.

Introduction of masks for those that still believe in them and day 2 pcr tests when coming back into UK..... no issue really

xxxGirlCrushxxx · 28/11/2021 09:46

[quote Workinghardeveryday]@xxxGirlCrushxxx grow up pet.[/quote]
And yourself? 'Pet'..

Theplantisgrowing · 28/11/2021 10:05

Remmy123

No, it's just another variant like we have the flu I'm not getting all this panic. I blame the media!

Er, so you didn't watch the Downing Street briefing last night then? Not sure which media outlet a very concerned looking Chris Whitty works for