Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

But isn't that one of the things with exponential growth, it goes from numbers that aren't huge, to numbers that are very quickly, and in the early stages it doesn't look anything to worry about? Have you done the back of a fag packet maths for it, it's quite interesting/scary.

Plus presumably at this stage you'd expect any initial exponential growth in Omicron to be masked to a degree by the relatively high but steady numbers of Delta cases, if you're looking at overall figures. By the time that shows as exponential growth Omicron would be well into that curve.

 

[StoneRoad]

The relative lack of sequencing, because the Delta cases are already high, will be masking the rise of omicron cases.

 

[xenon]

Possibly wrong thread to ask but is there any new theory / explanation for why so many cases are asymptomatic.

And as an aside, is it possible to have one of the coronavirus that causes the cold asymptomatically? I wouldn't have thought much research has been done into the latter, until maybe in the last year or so, with random sampling or something but maybe it has relevance now.

 

[elbows]

If this whole pandemic has shown us nothing else, it’s shown us that an awful lot of people are stupid, selfish, arseholes.

Its understandable that people notice and focus on that, but I'd say the pandemic has demonstrated very clearly the much larger number of people who wanted to do the right things at the right time, for the sake of themselves and their loved ones but also the wider population.

 

[elbows]

Possibly wrong thread to ask but is there any new theory / explanation for why so many cases are asymptomatic.

And as an aside, is it possible to have one of the coronavirus that causes the cold asymptomatically? I wouldn't have thought much research has been done into the latter, until maybe in the last year or so, with random sampling or something but maybe it has relevance now.

Asymptomatic stuff is really quite common across quite a range of illnesses, but its one of those 'out of sight out of mind' things that hasnt gotten enough attention in the past.

A really quite large proportion of flu cases are thought to be asymptomatic, for example. And even when there are symptoms there is a broad spectrum of severity, which is why I have a tendency to bore on about how low strength of symptoms are not a good guide as to whether you've got 'proper flu' or something else. Well, they can be a reasonable guide when the symptoms are strong, clear and typical, but not when they are weaker and less well defined.

As for the reasons why, there are probably multiple factors. The bits of our immune systems that respond to a particular infection probably vary between people for reasons including their genes and their history of prior infection, how large and widespread the infection becomes within the body, our own perceptions of those immune responses kicking in. Probably some variation depending on age too, eg its apparently common for rather old people to not be aware of traditional symptoms for various diseases affected them.

 

[existentialist]

Its understandable that people notice and focus on that, but I'd say the pandemic has demonstrated very clearly the much larger number of people who wanted to do the right things at the right time, for the ske of themselves and their loved ones but also the wider population.

I do get that, but I, too, have been quite appalled at the prevalence of "I'm doing what I wanna do, dammit" attitudes amongst otherwise quite reasonable people. TBF, I've felt the urge quite a few times, but at least I had the insight to check myself.

 

[Sasaferrato]

I do get that, but I, too, have been quite appalled at the prevalence of "I'm doing what I wanna do, dammit" attitudes amongst otherwise quite reasonable people. TBF, I've felt the urge quite a few times, but at least I had the insight to check myself.

Quite. No doubt the good people of Urban will have noticed that I'm more than a tad contrarian, but not on this.

If I caught this plague I probably wouldn't survive it. It has eaten two years of my limited lifespan, and will no doubt eat a bit more.

It will pass, everything does, so it is just a case of head down, plod on, and wait for it to go.

 

[elbows]

The UK's coronavirus alert level has been raised to level four due to the spread of Omicron, the UK's chief medical officers have said.

The last time the UK was at level four was in May.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to make a televised statement on Covid at 20:00 GMT on Sunday.

Covid: UK alert level raised to four due to Omicron spread

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to give an update on the Covid booster programme at 20:00 GMT.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[cupid_stunt]

I was just coming to post that, 8pm on a Sunday is a bit odd.

 

[LDC]

I was just coming to post that, 8pm on a Sunday is a bit odd.

Doesn't feel like that bodes well, but BBC saying no new restrictions. Surely not just going to mention the booster campaign? More news on spread and severity maybe?

Things could change very quickly if confirmed it's the same as Delta re: severity.

 

[LDC]

I do get that, but I, too, have been quite appalled at the prevalence of "I'm doing what I wanna do, dammit" attitudes amongst otherwise quite reasonable people. TBF, I've felt the urge quite a few times, but at least I had the insight to check myself.

Just had a coughing and untested and unvaccinated patient at their work as normal. It's hard not to find stuff a bit depressing sometimes tbh...

 

[elbows]

I was just coming to post that, 8pm on a Sunday is a bit odd.

I suspect he cant really avoid addressing the nation when the alert level is raised.

Although I think he did briefly avoid it when it was raised to level 4 on 21st September 2020 - that was probably the time that Whitty and Vallance ended up doing a 'data presentation' to the media on their own on that date, and then Johnson gave a recorded address to the nation the next day.

When it was raised still further on January 4th, to one level above what its been raised to today, I think he ended up announcing another lockdown the same day.

 

[Spandex]

Covid: UK alert level raised to four due to Omicron spread

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to give an update on the Covid booster programme at 20:00 GMT.

www.bbc.co.uk

They're still using the same old level chart in that article

Which means that if we're moving to Level 4, what we've seen while at Level 3 is a "Gradual relaxation of restrictions".

They came up with that in the first wave and it's been stupidly out of date for over a year.

Sort it out ffs.

 

[elbows]

Things could change very quickly if confirmed it's the same as Delta re: severity.

Things could still change rapidly without such a confirmation of severity - if it was half as seere in terms of hospitalisations then thats only one doubling time away from the same implications as if it was just as severe. And the doubling time has been rather low so far, low enough that even this shit government at least feel the need to be seen to be acting quickly.

 

[Pickman's model]

They're still using the same old level chart in that article

Which means that if we're moving to Level 4, what we've seen while at Level 3 is a "Gradual relaxation of restrictions".

They came up with that in the first wave and it's been stupidly out of date for over a year.

Sort it out ffs.

you're asking a bunch of incompetent numpties to sort this out when all the evidence over the past 21, 22 months is they're a bunch of incompetent numpties who'd need a helping hand to wipe their own arses. it's not really on the cards, is it?

 

[donkyboy]

[sings to the coco cola tune] Omicron is coming. Omicron is coming.....

 

[LDC]

No new restrictions, just 'get your booster' in Latin on some kind of nightmarish recorded loop?

 

[clicker]

I hope he's half cut with a party popper hanging from his ear.

 

[Pickman's model]

[sings to the coco cola tune] Omicron is coming. Omicron is coming.....

it's coming home
it's coming home
it's coming
omicron's coming home

 

[LDC]

So...

Up next alert level.
Increasing cases of new variant and predicted coming wave.
Confirmation new variant evades vaccines to a significant level.
Increased transmissibility of new variant confirmed.
Severity of new variant as yet unknown.

But now contacts of cases don't isolate, but daily test instead?

WTF, isn't that bonkers?

 

[Flavour]

People are really, really, really clinging onto the whole "omicron is mild" line to justify not having any more energy to do any more lockdown type stuff

 

[elbows]

So...

Up next alert level.
Increasing cases of new variant and predicted coming wave.
Confirmation new variant evades vaccines to a significant level.
Increased transmissibility of new variant confirmed.
Severity of new variant as yet unknown.

But now contacts of cases don't isolate, but daily test instead?

WTF, isn't that bonkers?

Yes I moaned about it when it was announced.

They probably decided to do it in order to deflect from backbenchers and sections of the media going nuts about another pingdemic.

Scotland moved in a rather different direction on that front. In that household contacts are now required to isolate even if they initially test negative with a PCR test.

 

[elbows]

People are really, really, really clinging onto the whole "omicron is mild" line to justify not having any more energy to do any more lockdown type stuff

And because they may not appreciate that linear improvements dont mean much in the face of greater exponential woe.

 

[elbows]

Meanwhile in Wales:

Covid: New restrictions in Wales likely within weeks

It comes as the first minister says Omicron could lead to "large numbers" of people in hospital.

www.bbc.co.uk

New restrictions are likely "in the next few weeks" in Wales to deal with the new Omicron variant, the health minister has said.

Eluned Morgan said the Welsh government wanted "to act proportionately", but a spike in cases of the variant was expected "quickly."

She said there would come a point when ministers could advise people against going to Christmas parties.

What point will that be then, Boxing Day?

 

[LDC]

They probably decided to do it in order to deflect from backbenchers and sections of the media going nuts about another pingdemic.

Yeah, I suspect it was deal along those lines with backbenchers as well.

 

[_Russ_]

We had them in Wales, Alpine Pop man ...Lorry loads of the stuff

 

[elbows]

 

[Wilf]

No new restrictions, just 'get your booster' in Latin on some kind of nightmarish recorded loop?

He could be trying to look primeministerial. Lol.

 

[tommers]

I am so fucking tired of this.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

Thank God we're all in this together.