Why the panic of Omicron is mild?

[WineGetsMeThroughIt]

All of this just seems utter bollocks. A handful of new cases of a variant that could potentially pose less of a threat than delta. Yet with delta we were basically told to keep calm and carry on. No masks, no isolating, children or C+ parents going to school, no social distancing or any rules really.

I'm seeing news reports now encouraging everyone to go get their booster jab and their flu jab to help protect against the new variant and flu this winter. But if you come in contact or test positive with Omicron even if you're fully vaccinated then you must isolate for 8 days. Then seeing other reports saying that Omicron is resistant to the vaccine, so the pharm companies are rushing out a new vaccine - so potentially everyone will be encouraged to get a 4th vaccine.

Meanwhile even though you're vaccinated you can still spread it and it's been said that the first positive case of Omicron to enter this country was via a fully vaxx'd person because that's the only way you can travel now. But the vaccines were the ticket of this pandemic they said. Obviously there are fewer ill people because of the vaccine, but there are also a lot of people experiencing worrying Ng side effects with them as well. What will the build up of all these vaccines be doing to us I wonder. Genuine question we may not know for years.

Im just getting so fed up with all this now. It's so depressing

Matt Hancock - March 2021

@Claudethecat

New World Order/The Great Reset/Bill Gates/Lizards is my guessBandito. But I think you may be told to do your own research.

I can actually feel my head exploding. I don’t know how @foxgoosefinch has so much patience

“A way out”. Not “the end to the pandemic”.

@Thefartingsofaofdenmarkstreet

Matt Hancock - March 2021

There is no reason to believe the vaccines cannot be tweaked to combat variants. much like the 'flu vaccine is tweaked each year. So I am not sure what your point is? No-one ever said the vaccines would prevent variants popping up.

I know what you mean BanditoShipman. I try to to keep off these sorts of threads, but sometimes I just can't help myself.

THey don’t know it’s mild yet .

Simples .

@tv2021

Hahaha

I expected that reaction to my post on Mumsnet.

Only on mumsnet people are very happy to keep getting jabs and boosters that don't work.

In real life many people were coerced into getting 2 jabs so they could travel. But they were lied to. They still had to do tests just like unjabbed. So many didn't go anywhere. Now they don't want any boosters as many had Covid despite the "amazing" vaccine.

It is difficult to admit you were lied to. Keep believing the propaganda if you choose. But the truth is out that jabs are not only useless but have nasty side effects.

@tv2021 will very soon be banned. You are not allowed to say any of this on Mumsnet. It is extreme thinking and not allowed.

There is no reason to believe the vaccines cannot be tweaked to combat variants. much like the 'flu vaccine is tweaked each year. So I am not sure what your point is? No-one ever said the vaccines would prevent variants popping up.

My point is that a poster on here said that 'no one ever said that the vaccine is a ticket out of the pandemic' and suggested that the only people who might believe this would be those who 'get their information from the Daily Express' or similar.

I am pointing out that our Health Secretary did piblicly say exactly this, several times. No Daily Express reading required.

I don't think I can bear to read the entire thread but cannot stop myself replying to this in the OP

What will the build up of all these vaccines be doing to us I wonder. Genuine question we may not know for years.
@WineGetsMeThroughIt

Vaccines can't "build up".

The active component of the vaccine - mRNA/cDNA is rapidly broken down by your cells after being used to produce spike protein. Your immune system will mount a response and degrade the spike proteins.

No components remain in your body to build up over time. Vaccines aren't drugs.

Side effects that only emerge in the long term are not possible. If you are going to have an adverse effect it will emerge in the short term.

@tv2021 will very soon be banned. You are not allowed to say any of this on Mumsnet. It is extreme thinking and not allowed.

@Smokeyfish

Meh, I would say that repeatedly posting coronavirus vaccines are useless, with the implication that no-one should be having them, during a pandemic is pretty harmful and I would understand why posts were deleted (and poster banned if it keeps being said).

@foxgoosefinch I 'm a huge vaccines supporter but the line that vaccines would be the way out of this, was widely spread by the govt and their supporting media... indeed the whole vaccine program was sold on that it would end infections and deaths, with many comparisons made with measles and herd immunity.

I argued on here months ago (NC) that covid vaccinations would do no such thing, that people would get multiple infections and was shot down in flames.

Now i accept that the govt never said vaccines would be a panacea but the politicians allowed the media to portray exactly this.

[quote ollyollyoxenfree]**@tv2021 will very soon be banned. You are not allowed to say any of this on Mumsnet. It is extreme thinking and not allowed.

@Smokeyfish

Meh, I would say that repeatedly posting coronavirus vaccines are useless, with the implication that no-one should be having them, during a pandemic is pretty harmful and I would understand why posts were deleted (and poster banned if it keeps being said).[/quote]
Banning gives rise to the conspiracy i'm afraid, let everyone see their argument and the counter view.

Banning gives rise to the conspiracy i'm afraid, let everyone see their argument and the counter view.

@Octavia174

I agree with this in principle, but there aren't dedicated experts on the board monitoring and correcting posts with the best evidence.

Instead you have a situation with repeated misinformation being posted unchallenged. It's not possible to respont to all it, MN is saturated. It's generally the same claims too, from NC posters, so it just goes around in circles.

I've seen it all now. The government were (rightly) slated for not banning travel from India when Delta was identified. There simply isn't enough data to decide if we need to be worried or not.
As for imposing restrictions for shits and giggles why on earth do you think that would happen?

As a side note I find it fascinating that it's always worse on this board late at night.

There's definitely more misinformation (and less people around to challenge it) at this time, presumably because the relative demographics of posters who frequent MN at that time.

I think it's time for a tea/beer/fag/cake break. It's a shame to argue amongst ourselves so much.

Things might be tough for a bit longer but equally they might not. We don't know at this stage and it's simply prudent and good common sense to be cautious until we do (know).

Regardless, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Long tunnel maybe but it does eventually end.

Forget politicians and media if you want. Listen to the WHO, and all the respected doctors and scientists around the world.

Panic is not good. Sensible precautions, yes, but that's because it's almost always better to prepare for the worse and hope for the best.

Mitigations, not panic.

Vaccines aren't a magic bullet but they are a major part of our way out. Even if they need boosting and/or tweaking until we're through the worse.

They reduce both risk and (very likely according to studies) transmission.

Currently the majority of Covid patients in ICU are the unvaccinated.

The main issue with vaccines is not enough are done yet. We need to get boostered - and we need vaccinate the rest of the world.

Temporary vaccine patent waiver and/or donations.

I think the thing is its more contagious - more contagious means more people isolating and less people at work or at school. Huge impact on economy and education.

@saltedcaramel1

Yes- many people were literally saying have you vaccination- it’s our ticket out of this. They were literally saying those words. This whole thing is like being in an abusive relationship where you are being told things never happened or we’re never said or done.

@hamstersarse @Silverswirl

No reputable scientist said anything of the sort.

If you don't get your information from credible sources then yes you will probably end up thinking things are true when they are not.

No I’m sorry, more gas lighting. Scientists may not have said that but that’s not what I mean. It totally was the narrative and we were lead to believe this - I didn’t want my jabs but the government, family friends and most people on here were saying to have the jabs because it was our way out.

One thing all these threads reveal is just the absolutely woeful state of scientific knowledge and education amongst the public. To the degree that even very basic scientific concepts are completely misunderstood.

Now there are plenty of people in the U.K. with poor scientific knowledge. Yet posters on Mn are clearly able to use the internet, write articulate sentences and form opinions. They are of the demographic for whom there is absolutely no excuse for completely wilful misunderstanding of and misinformation about basic science and medicine.

Those who spout rubbish, but clearly aren’t willing to avail themselves of all the education and knowledge out there, should damn well sit down with BBC bitesize and work their way through a GCSE biology course for goodness’ sake.

It’s not hard to get some basic education these days on the difference between bacteria and viruses, how viruses replicate, how vaccines work, and so on. Give it a go, I implore you.

Actually I’m not joking or being sarcastic @ollyollyoxenfree

Mumsnet is no longer a forum for open discussion. Only one view point can be expressed now. Otherwise you are said to be extreme.

Relevant Harry Potter quote:

“You mean the Prophet won’t print it because Fudge won’t let them,” said Hermione irritably.
Rita gave Hermione a long, hard look. Then, leaning forward across the table toward her, she said in a businesslike tone, “All right, Fudge is leaning on the Prophet, but it comes to the same thing. They won’t print a story that shows Harry in a good light. Nobody wants to read it. It’s against the public mood. This last Azkaban breakout has got people quite worried enough. People just don’t want to believe You-Know-Who’s back.”
“So the Daily Prophet exists to tell people what they want to hear, does it?” said Hermione scathingly.
Rita sat up straight again, her eyebrows raised, and drained her glass of firewhisky.
“The Prophet exists to sell itself, you silly girl,” she said coldly.”

I don't think "the media" is following any specific line in order to coerce people or whatever - the fact that it does this is just a bonus to them (as it generates more news). Media exists in the main to make a profit, which means getting as many people to watch a news broadcast, share an online article, buy a paper. What sells papers or gets people watching anxiously for updates, sending things to their friends? Emotions. Fear, panic, anger are great ones. Tragedy. Triumph. Normal, ordinary "virus mutates into not very dangerous specimen" or "Same groups at risk as last week" doesn't sell papers. "NEW VARIANT that can KILL YOUNG PEOPLE and is RESISTANT" is much more likely to pique people's interest.

No I’m sorry, more gas lighting. Scientists may not have said that but that’s not what I mean. It totally was the narrative and we were lead to believe this - I didn’t want my jabs but the government, family friends and most people on here were saying to have the jabs because it was our way out.

Yes, I agree. I don't know about specific scientists but the narrative from the leaders of this country was that 'the vaccine is the way out'. I don't know if the Health Secretary of the country is 'a credible source' or not, but you can hardly say that that narrative wasn't heavily pushed.

Now I know that not everyone is as educated as some of the people on this thread, but a lot of people in this country do take their guidance from the government.

@Tealightsandd

And vaccines have already made a big difference.

Currently the majority of ICU patients are the unvaccinated.

I'm sorry but I find this hard to believe when the majority of deaths are now within the vaccinated according to the ONS. Please can anyone help me out and explain this discrepancy as I genuinely don't understand it?

I think about three quarters of deaths are in the over 75s. Even if fully jabbed they are still much more vulnerable than young people. ICU patients will on average be a bit younger as you need to be fairly strong in order to go on a ventilator. Frail elderly patients are unlikely to end up in ICU.

@WineGetsMeThroughIt

All of this just seems utter bollocks. A handful of new cases of a variant that could potentially pose less of a threat than delta. Yet with delta we were basically told to keep calm and carry on. No masks, no isolating, children or C+ parents going to school, no social distancing or any rules really.

I'm seeing news reports now encouraging everyone to go get their booster jab and their flu jab to help protect against the new variant and flu this winter. But if you come in contact or test positive with Omicron even if you're fully vaccinated then you must isolate for 8 days. Then seeing other reports saying that Omicron is resistant to the vaccine, so the pharm companies are rushing out a new vaccine - so potentially everyone will be encouraged to get a 4th vaccine.

Meanwhile even though you're vaccinated you can still spread it and it's been said that the first positive case of Omicron to enter this country was via a fully vaxx'd person because that's the only way you can travel now. But the vaccines were the ticket of this pandemic they said. Obviously there are fewer ill people because of the vaccine, but there are also a lot of people experiencing worrying Ng side effects with them as well. What will the build up of all these vaccines be doing to us I wonder. Genuine question we may not know for years.

Im just getting so fed up with all this now. It's so depressing

How do you know it’s mild though? It’s a bit premature and naive to conclude the variant leads to mild symptoms based on a practitioner’s observation of only 7 patients. I think it’s right to step up preventative measure just in case. I hope it is the case that it is mild, but I’m not going to go on her opinion, think we need to wait for more info and data. As for booster uptake increasing, that’s good that we have that option at least. No one can force anyone to take it, but many are grateful that they can now book it.