A 2-week 'circuit breaker' could be coming after Christmas

[dancingstars]

Reported by The Times and The Guardian which means another NYE stuck indoors...

@bumbleymummy now someone can correct me if I'm wrong, and I'm hoping that my photo attaches, but doesn't this graph show that the percentage of people within the vexed population who end up in critical care is much much lower than the percentage of unvaxed that end up there out of the total number that are unvaxed? As the report says, as a much higher percentage of the population is now vaccinated, of course there are going to be higher numbers of those in ITU.

I think (and sorry if it’s been said) but close contacts of Omicron should not need to isolate because it’s now obvious it’s the dominant strain

@Badbadbunny but have they needed hospital ? The healthcare aren't concerned if thousands get it if they can all self care at home , they are only concerned if they need hospitalising , obviously with large numbers about it then means easier for people more at risk to get , bit if this was mild for all then they wouldn't be bothered
I understood the idea of the vaccine to be to hope it means you get it mild
My ds 16 had it no symptoms really but he had his first jab about 6 weeks before so maybe that helped ? Who knows

I totally understand the apathy to a circuit breaker or even a lockdown. You can't blame people for being fed up , but I can also see why it might be needed as well
Let's hope the figures are not that bad next week and they can put it off. All depends on the hospitals and the amount of people that may need to be admitted. If that stays low , then it might be alright ? You have to be hopeful !
Or go back to the tier systems if London is the only place really badly affected?
The isolation period needed might be looked at too I heard today on lbc by one doctor. That might help too?
I'm sure there are other options?
The boosters are going well too.
Have to see what next week brings.

Not wanting to be on a downer but Whitty said at Downing Street press conference that 'polyvalent vaccines' might be available in 18 months - he has said 5 years before. Given the speed that Omicron has spread from being identified to mass spread - 1 month and it might turn out to be 'mild' whats the odds of a new variant being cooked up somewhere that has both the infectivity and severity of the disease? I'm starting to feel there is no end in sight anymore. I'm starting to think that vaccine mandates in various forms are becoming critical if we are to maintain any sort of normality.

pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news/polyvalent-covid-19-vaccines-expected-in-five-years-says-chief-medical-officer

@Hearwego

Boris biggest mistake was the whole freedom day slogan. As off that date in July, no more measure or restrictions. Face coverings almost halved that day. It was fine opening up the economy but BJ should have kept face coverings and told people to remain cautious. Instead he made false promises about no more going back, no more restrictions. He had a road map out of the pandemic. Utter bullshit. We knew that this winter cases would rise and there was always a chance that the virus could mutate. Boris bullshits time and time again with false hope and false promises, dangling a carrot. Two weeks circuit breaker ? Yes right, anyone on here gullible enough to believe that? And Savid Javid himself said last summer that lockdowns imposed a massive toll on society, cancer treatments being postponed, massive impacts on mental heath and children’s education. We need to keep our children in education, they are our future for fucks sake. We need them to look after the country when we’re older and retired. The NHS has almost become a covid 19 service. Many people I know even on lower incomes are now paying a private GP just so they can see a doctor. It’s absolutely horrendous.

If only that was his biggest mistake. He's made far worse calculations during this whole shitshow.

@Shadeelane

A January circuit breaker isn't fucking fine. We're supposed to be going away with friends for new year, a trip rescheduled from last year. There's 4 of us ffs. If it gets cancelled again I'll lose my shit. What I can't share a house with 1 other household, all of us fully vaccinated for 3 sodding days cos Johnson yet again decides new year celebrations can go fuck themselves. Then everyone back to work as normal? Piss off. Sorry but this has really pissed me off.

I'm sure you'll live from not going away, they've already said said Omicron still spreads easily despite vaccinations.

I believe that the CEV people should be supported to isolate as much as possible. The rest of us need to get on with it.

1. If isolation for CEV worked this could be possible, but it doesn't.
2. You might be happy to get on with it but covid is a nasty bloody illness with a wide range of impacts so I'll let you go first, thanks.

whats the odds of a new variant being cooked up somewhere that has both the infectivity and severity of the disease?

No one can know. It's crystal ball stuff. It's possible, of course, but no way to tell if it's likely

@paranoidnamechanger

I believe that the CEV people should be supported to isolate as much as possible. The rest of us need to get on with it.

What about the CEV people who are workers/carers, i.e. nurses, shop workers, emergency service workers, delivery drivers, teachers, etc etc? Who will do their jobs if we lock them away? Who will look after them, do their shopping, etc? How many doctors/nurses will be needed to provide care for them at their homes (i.e. routine appts, blood tests, etc).

You're making the mistake of thinking that the CEV people are all sat in care homes. They're not! Lots of them have "normal" lives and are very active. My OH has cancer as is CEV, but has worked throughout and has had to continue with almost weekly hospital appointments throughout. He didn't have the option to hide away, otherwise he'd have no income and would have got no treatment for his cancer!

that death is part of the circle of life. Not unnecessary early death, and as I was given a 60% chance of survival at 43 I am not going to forget that. My treatment cost a fortune with a significant chance it would be wasted. As a society we have to decide how far we go to save lives and at the moment in terms of the pandemic we are one of the world’s first world’s outliers on infecting and killing people.

There is a lot of noise on here but with the situation in London most people can see that further restrictions are necessary, especially with the damage already happening to our economy and livelihoods , and they will comply.

As for Boris and his mates partying, like the people of North Shropshire we will have a chance to show our feelings next time we vote.

Surely we run the risk of delta and omicron mixing with both so high in the population creating a different strain?

A circuit breaker should have been called 2 weeks ago to prevent the omicron cases and given proper time to assess the situation.

@Daisydoor12

Surely we run the risk of delta and omicron mixing with both so high in the population creating a different strain?

A circuit breaker should have been called 2 weeks ago to prevent the omicron cases and given proper time to assess the situation.

And then what? Stay in lockdown or release and get the high growth we are now getting

@Daisydoor12

Surely we run the risk of delta and omicron mixing with both so high in the population creating a different strain?

A circuit breaker should have been called 2 weeks ago to prevent the omicron cases and given proper time to assess the situation.

Yes, we should have had swift action while we worked out how best tot tackle this. But yet again the government are lumbering away way behind the science.

However, given all the fearless warriors on here who are going to refuse to comply, I’m not sure we could have sustained it. Let’s hope that omicron is REALLY afraid of foot stomping and tantrums.

I could live with a two week circuit breaker as long as that’s all it is. But history has shown that will not be the case .

MrsAgnes how long would you have locked down for and when would you release?

and what happens at the end of two weeks if the numbers are not going down? It will just get extended over and over. A whole load of effort for no reward.

@MarshaBradyo

MrsAgnes how long would you have locked down for and when would you release?

I’m not a virologist. Scientists were recommending locking down before today.

I can apply common sense though. It makes sense to me that we should take more precautions until people due for boosters have received them and had 2 weeks or so to build immunity, to bring people back up from 10% (after 2xAZ) or 40% (after 2xPfizer) to about 80% vaccine efficacy. Vaccinated and boosted people carry a lower viral load so not only have less chance of being ill themselves, but a decreased chance of passing it on - very important due to the degree of transmissibility. If we can achieve all the boosters by the end of the month (IF) then to mid-Jan would make sense.

[quote Dontforgetyourbrolly]@gettingolderandgrumpy I agree with you totally
If I'm selfish for wanting to pay my bills and to have my son in education then so be it . I make no apologies[/quote]
Well, I’m selfish and refuse to put myself at danger to educate your children when I can do so from home, I make no apologies for that.

The bus drivers aren’t risking their life by driving buses.
Oh and the dentist and the midwife and the refuse collector - they are being selfish so those teeth will rot, the rubbish will stink and fingers crossed that birth goes well.

We make no apologies either. Now you’re scuppered, aren’t you? Because you aren’t more important than anyone else either and we don’t care if you can’t pay your bills. This is our new society. No one cares. Now, who will ‘win’?

The answer here is no one. Get a grip.

drainitallout
My comment was replying to this post and specifically the false statement that most people in hospital were unvaccinated

JinglingHellsBells

Instead of circuit breakers, there needs to be a whole new approach to the unvaccinated

There are shocking numbers and these are the people creating the latest surge

More restrictions imposed on unvaccinated - they are the ones in hospital- are what's needed

Why should the majority of people doing the right thing be penalised

and yes, I know that any vaccine is not 100% effective BUT most people in hospital have not had jabs

WonderfulYou

Most people in hospital are double jabbed compared to the unvaccinated

“No most hospitalisations of covid are of the unvaccinated”
But you can still go to hospital with covid if you are vaccinated, it’s just rarer

It is the other way round. 35% unvaccinated to 65% who have been vaccinated.

@BustopherPonsonbyJones haha merry Christmas to you too

A whole load of effort for no reward

Apart from not having overrun the NHS and having fewer deaths but I guess those things are mere trifles

[quote nojudgementhere]@Mumadof3 - Just wanted to say you are not alone. There are millions of people out there who haven't had the vaccine because they feel anxious and distrustful. You only need to look at the freedom protest in Parliament Square today to see that. Stay strong for your three lovely children - they will always love you no matter what. If people are going to judge you for not having a very new vaccine that has no long term data, then they're probably not people you'd want in your life anyway.[/quote]
Thank you so much for the kind reply. I know my comment was a bit all over the place but suppose that's me down to a t atm Haha.
I'm really hoping I'm good soon :) as I cant stand this anymore.
Thanks again I hope you a doing well yourself

So we either lock down to ease the pressure on the NHS or don't lock down to save the economy.
You can't put food on the table, but you can get treatment for malnutrition.
You can put food on the table but if you have a heart attack, you're stuffed.

It's shit either way really.