What IS the fuss about omicron?

[GingerHouse]

In all seriousness, data shows that not a single person has died from omicron and that’s in countries that have low vaccine uptake too.

The virus is going to mutate all the time and as things are showing this variant is very contagious and the vaccine doesn’t work as well against it, but it’s mild to almost everybody.

I feel like this is mass panic and for what reason?! I understand wearing a mask where applicable to help reduce the spread but I just don’t get it! Is this going to happen every winter forevermore?

@rrhuth

I agree *@Beadebaser* the covid misinformation is very strong on MN.

I agree

[quote Beadebaser]@rrhuth Thing is, I’m on here debating - but I think it’s more because I’m pretty shocked by some of the things that are said - and I feel I need to say what I feel is right. It’s not for pleasure, it’s actually quite distressing to read what is allowed here.[/quote]
I hear you

There have been a number of highly offensive things on this particular thread, however they seem to be coming from a small number of posters, which is something, I suppose.

Very sick of the disablist crap being spouted time and again, à la 'why don't the vulnerable stay indoors indefinitely so the rest of us can enjoy normality?'

Apart from anything else, it shows a total lack of understanding of how widespread CV and CEV conditions are, and a supposition that those people are just shivering indoors in their wheelchairs or something. Some are, of course, but many more are people of working age who provide services we all need. Of the CEV/ CV people in my circle, off the top of my head:

One is a lawyer
One is a police officer
Two are occupational therapists for the NHS, one in a senior role
Several work in media

So let's shut all those people indoors for years and see how society functions then,eh?

@heldinadream, your suggestion to imagine a widespread impact across many sectors is good.

But is it really going to be anything close to the 50%? Do you make that up, or is it based on published modelling? (Can you cite it —I'd love to read up?)

It seems quite unlikely on the face of it. Having said that, isolation orders for cases and close contact would magnify the impact.

Regards what would happen if many were sick at once though, even if it were a sizeable fraction, haven't we demonstrated capacity to deal with it through the recent fuel and wider supply chain issues? And of course, lock down itself was a huge disruption that we simply sailed through.

I'm not entirely dismissing the argument. It's is the closest thing to justifying the new intrusions I've seen. But I'm wondering how grounded the scenario is?

@GingerHouse & @ElectraBlue I feel the same. I don't put myself at risk unnecessarily and think about other people but life is too short and I want to live it.

[quote puppeteer]@heldinadream, your suggestion to imagine a widespread impact across many sectors is good.

But is it really going to be anything close to the 50%? Do you make that up, or is it based on published modelling? (Can you cite it —I'd love to read up?)

It seems quite unlikely on the face of it. Having said that, isolation orders for cases and close contact would magnify the impact.

Regards what would happen if many were sick at once though, even if it were a sizeable fraction, haven't we demonstrated capacity to deal with it through the recent fuel and wider supply chain issues? And of course, lock down itself was a huge disruption that we simply sailed through.

I'm not entirely dismissing the argument. It's is the closest thing to justifying the new intrusions I've seen. But I'm wondering how grounded the scenario is?[/quote]
No I was being hypothetical, sorry. I was just trying to get the people who seem incapable of imagining any widespread impacts to mass illness to imagine them a bit better. I'm actually not a numbers person I'm more of an I can imagine anything person. I get very annoyed with the people who refuse to contemplate the possibility that shit can happen. They are the same ilk as climate deniers to me.
And look at what's just happened in the US - I imagine a LOT of the people caught up in the tornados were of the it'll never happen here type.

I think many members of the human race have an optimism bias - in fact there was an article in the Guardian a few weeks ago that pointed this out in relation to covid and anti-vaxxers. While optimism bias is helpful getting us through daily life cheerfully, it's an impediment to dealing carefully and rationally with a real crisis.
I've never had an optimism bias as far as I can remember. I'm not the most cheerful bugger ever either. Make of that what you will!

@rrhuth

If you can keep your head while all around are losing theirs... maybe you haven't understood the severity of the situation.

It is ignorance, not wisdom, that is enabling the op to 'not get' the frenzy.

🙄

@EmmaOvary

There have been a number of highly offensive things on this particular thread, however they seem to be coming from a small number of posters, which is something, I suppose.

Very sick of the disablist crap being spouted time and again, à la 'why don't the vulnerable stay indoors indefinitely so the rest of us can enjoy normality?'

Apart from anything else, it shows a total lack of understanding of how widespread CV and CEV conditions are, and a supposition that those people are just shivering indoors in their wheelchairs or something. Some are, of course, but many more are people of working age who provide services we all need. Of the CEV/ CV people in my circle, off the top of my head:

One is a lawyer
One is a police officer
Two are occupational therapists for the NHS, one in a senior role
Several work in media

So let's shut all those people indoors for years and see how society functions then,eh?

Agree I hate the disablist streak that has been exposed by covid.

CEV/CV people matter as much as non-CEV/CV people.

Okay. Thanks @heldinadream. That's helpful and honest.

"Trying to get the people who seem incapable of imagining any widespread impacts to mass illness to imagine them a bit better" is a good aim.

I am very much opposed to further measures and restrictions, but trying to work out if the situation justifies it. To be honest, it's a bit of a feeling of 'have I got this one wrong?' I suspect that's true of a lot of folk, to varying degree.

Useful to know that yours is not the scenario in which to look for a grounded rationale.

@BusBusBus

but what do they want to control us for? They want us out spending money and going to work and renting the commercial properties and using the trains.

Exactly. No-one is controlling anything. It's more the scientists getting frustrated that we aren't moving fast enough to curb this threat.

@bluejelly: "It's more the scientists getting frustrated that we aren't moving fast enough to curb this threat."

That's exactly it for me at this point.

I think I've got a decent handle on the threat.

But I don't want it curbed, at least not with the measures so far proposed.

I'd rather wait and see. If that leads to a bit of frustration, that's not something to worry about.

Having said that, isolation orders for cases and close contact would magnify the impact.

I think this is a good point @puppeteer and one that definitely needs to be considered irt disruption. We had to change the policy on isolation/definition of close contacts because it was just far too disruptive - we had perfectly healthy people having to stay at home for 10+ days missing school/work and causing staffing issues. If this strain turns out to be much milder, are we still going to ask people to do that? How much benefit would it actually offer irt slowing the spread for a very transmissible variant compared to how many problems it would cause?

OP, I haven’t read the whole thread, but it’s not confirmed is it that the new variant is mild?
This morning sky breaking news is that omricon patients are being treated in hospital, here in the U.K.

It’s just too early to make claims that it’s a mild variant.

@bumbleymummy

In Scotland, close contacts now also have to isolate for 10 days, regardless of a negative test or vaccination status.

I would imagine the same will be announced for England very soon.

@kittensinthekitchen is that a recent change in response to omicron?

@bumbleymummy

Yes, started yesterday.

@bumbleymummy

Sorry, its household contacts, not close contacts.

@2boysand1princess I'd be looking at the wording of that carefully, they are in hospital with omnicron not because of it.

The doctor from South Africa who first alerted the world about Omicron has just confirmed on LBC radio that Omicron IS a MILD disease therefore NO further restrictions are surely necessary.

I genuinely hope that the politicians take pause and wait for more data before imposing crushing measures.

Problem is, despite a dribbling of data that is so far equivocal over severity, there's a lot invested in the move to Plan B. I suspect Borris's judgement is that he'll get more of a break from all the flat and party nonsense by imposing a lockdown than he'd ever get from staying the course —he needs to demonstrate that he is strong, and can take difficult decisions.

Boomers are a bloody liability, ARROGANT AND RUDE.
STAY IN.

@Hrpuffnstuff1

😳 U OK hun?

@Hrpuffnstuff1 - blimey, a very clear demonstration of the view that certain sections of society are “less than”.

[quote Wizzbangfizz]@2boysand1princess I'd be looking at the wording of that carefully, they are in hospital with omnicron not because of it.[/quote]

You don't get it.

What this means is that the incredibly infectious Omicron variant is now inside the walls of at least one hospital. That means staff will catch it and patients will catch it.

Surely you can see how serious that is? We are already seriously short of healthcare resources, huge numbers of staff being off sick (even if not seriously ill) and isolating so as not to pass the infection on to seriously Ill patients (who may well die, when they would have recovered without contracting Covid) will grind the hospitals to a halt.

So then @ChequerBoard if it’s the mild disease with cold like symptoms, maybe it’s time to treat it as such without all the isolation which is crippling our nation.