• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Coronavirus

Coronavirus - The Poll

  • Total voters
    97
Ended up getting a booster at a walk in centre a couple of days ago, all fine. If there was to be another lockdown, or much harsher restrictions, then it'll probably be my last COVID jab because what is the point in the whole programme then?

Thankfully the data remains good and clearly the link between cases and hospitalisations has been broken. At the moment further highly damaging restrictions seem unnecessary. Looking forward to Christmas now and then a big weekend in Manchester in January!
 
It’s now getting more obvious that what the doctors in South Africa were saying about Omicron was correct and the pessimistic scientific modelling was incorrect again.
I’m not defending our leaders here but don’t they deserve some credit for not giving in to scientific and media pressure?
Whilst nobody can predict the next few weeks it looks more likely we will see high cases and manageable hospital admissions as the more dangerous Delta variant gives way to the more “cold and flu like” Omicron.
 
BigT said:
It’s now getting more obvious that what the doctors in South Africa were saying about Omicron was correct and the pessimistic scientific modelling was incorrect again.
I’m not defending our leaders here but don’t they deserve some credit for not giving in to scientific and media pressure?
Whilst nobody can predict the next few weeks it looks more likely we will see high cases and manageable hospital admissions as the more dangerous Delta variant gives way to the more “cold and flu like” Omicron.
Click to expand...

Why do you insist on misinterpreting the scientists? They provided a model, the model had a range of possibilities that the scientists themselves said was wildly variable because they didn’t have enough data. As more data has come in the model has tightened and thankfully pushed to the lower end of the severity scale.

Our leaders job is to take those models and balance the possibilities against all the other factors involved, why should they get credit for doing their job? And the scientists certainly shouldn’t get blamed for doing theirs.

We still don’t know what the hospital impact will be and we won’t know until early January. I’m glad we have not locked down but I’m still not expecting an easy January at work.
 
BigT said:
It’s now getting more obvious that what the doctors in South Africa were saying about Omicron was correct and the pessimistic scientific modelling was incorrect again.
Click to expand...
The Omicron variant looks like it might cause less hospitalisations but the rate of infections is so high it can still overwhelm hospitals.

Example, let's imagine 10 people are admitted to hospital with Delta. With Omicron variant it might only be 3-6 people. Great. But there's reports it might actually be five times as infectious. That means more people will get exposed to it, so we would get 15-30 hospitalisations instead of the 10. That's between 1.5 and 3 times more than we were getting with Delta.
 
BigT said:
It’s now getting more obvious that what the doctors in South Africa were saying about Omicron was correct and the pessimistic scientific modelling was incorrect again.
I’m not defending our leaders here but don’t they deserve some credit for not giving in to scientific and media pressure?
Whilst nobody can predict the next few weeks it looks more likely we will see high cases and manageable hospital admissions as the more dangerous Delta variant gives way to the more “cold and flu like” Omicron.
Click to expand...
Manageable hospital admissions???
Many thousands of NHS workers are likely to be off work in the coming weeks with covid because so many more people actually have the infection this time around.
How do you manage the massive staff absences over the coming months then?
 
Dave said:
Why do you insist on misinterpreting the scientists? They provided a model, the model had a range of possibilities that the scientists themselves said was wildly variable because they didn’t have enough data. As more data has come in the model has tightened and thankfully pushed to the lower end of the severity scale.

Our leaders job is to take those models and balance the possibilities against all the other factors involved, why should they get credit for doing their job? And the scientists certainly shouldn’t get blamed for doing theirs.

We still don’t know what the hospital impact will be and we won’t know until early January. I’m glad we have not locked down but I’m still not expecting an easy January at work.
Click to expand...

How is it misinterpreted? Every single media outlet lead with the headlines of armageddon based on the scientific models, is that not correct? You can’t have it both ways, either the media isn’t being sensationalist as you said before or the science is not correct.
I actually agree with you in some respects that there wasn’t enough evidence, this is why I was slightly shocked at all of these experts wheeled out by the media to dish out doom and gloom without this evidence but only giving worst case scenario.


Alsty said:
The Omicron variant looks like it might cause less hospitalisations but the rate of infections is so high it can still overwhelm hospitals.

Example, let's imagine 10 people are admitted to hospital with Delta. With Omicron variant it might only be 3-6 people. Great. But there's reports it might actually be five times as infectious. That means more people will get exposed to it, so we would get 15-30 hospitalisations instead of the 10. That's between 1.5 and 3 times more than we were getting with Delta.
Click to expand...

Your right it’s a numbers game, look up the hospitalisation and deaths in South Africa, the forth wave there (Omicron) is almost flat compared to the other waves which more or less follow ours.
Now we will still see quite a few more hospitalisations here in the new year but that’s largely down to Delta not Omicron.

rob666 said:
Manageable hospital admissions???
Many thousands of NHS workers are likely to be off work in the coming weeks with covid because so many more people actually have the infection this time around.
How do you manage the massive staff absences over the coming months then?
Click to expand...

The same way it copes every year with staff shortages, cut back on other services.
I’m no apologist for the government and yes maybe more could and should of been spent but you also can’t keep turning off society every time the health service is under pressure.
 
BigT said:
How is it misinterpreted? Every single media outlet lead with the headlines of armageddon based on the scientific models, is that not correct? You can’t have it both ways, either the media isn’t being sensationalist as you said before or the science is not correct.
I actually agree with you in some respects that there wasn’t enough evidence, this is why I was slightly shocked at all of these experts wheeled out by the media to dish out doom and gloom without this evidence but only giving worst case scenario.




Your right it’s a numbers game, look up the hospitalisation and deaths in South Africa, the forth wave there (Omicron) is almost flat compared to the other waves which more or less follow ours.
Now we will still see quite a few more hospitalisations here in the new year but that’s largely down to Delta not Omicron.



The same way it copes every year with staff shortages, cut back on other services.
I’m no apologist for the government and yes maybe more could and should of been spent but you also can’t keep turning off society every time the health service is under pressure.
Click to expand...

The media like the scientists where reporting the facts as they existed at the time of reporting. If you look at the headlines over the last week the reporting has reflected the changing position. Now don’t get me wrong I have never said the media don’t exaggerate at times, I just cautioned against blaming media hype rather than the failure of our political leaders. There is an undercurrent of excuse seeking at the moment so people don’t have to face the fact they voted in a bad government.

As far as the severity of delta goes we still don’t yet know. As has been pointed out it could still cause problems, firstly a high infection rate can still cause high admissions even with a milder infection but also because we still don’t have much data on how omicron effects the elderly (in general each wave starts with the young, so the older population will only just be getting infected and they won’t therefore translate into admissions for a couple of weeks.

Despite that I’m glad we are not locking down, and fingers crossed it doesn’t go bad.
 
Dave said:
Our leaders job is to take those models and balance the possibilities against all the other factors involved, why should they get credit for doing their job?
Click to expand...

As much as beating up on the floppy haired buffon and his mates is fun and broadly correct, you've got to admit it's one he'll of a job. The risks to life on your conscious (yes, even he has one I'm sure) is incredible and utterly inenviable. The models by their nature give a wide range of possibilities, and almost endless variables. I think/hope they've got this about right where other nations have been more cautions.

Sometimes giving people credit for doing their job, even though it is their job, is absolutely valid. It's not really just a job, is it?
 
If only he hadn't ignored going to Cobra meetings, went and met those in hospital to shake hands with them (where he contracted the damn thing) and currently continues to do photo ops without wearing a mask.

A difficult job sure. But one that has not been helped through bad decisions and choices.
 
Benzin said:
If only he hadn't ignored going to Cobra meetings, went and met those in hospital to shake hands with them (where he contracted the damn thing) and currently continues to do photo ops without wearing a mask.

A difficult job sure. But one that has not been helped through bad decisions and choices.
Click to expand...

While that's entirely true in relation to him and pretty much everyone around him on a personal level, the point was about the decisions being made on how the country should proceed using the scientific advice and data available. On that front, throughout and especially now, I find it really hard to criticise what he's done.
 
Worst decision I ever made yesterday evening. I had my booster which I was glad I had but cause of my asthma they gave me my flu jab as well and I never felt so rough today with both arms killing.
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
Worst decision I ever made yesterday evening. I had my booster which I was glad I had but cause of my asthma they gave me my flu jab as well and I never felt so rough today with both arms killing.
Click to expand...

I've gotta be honest with you mate, why would you have your booster 1 day before Xmas when they say you can feel rough the day after? There are drop in centres all over the country where you could walk in a week before or after Xmas. Don't want to be a d**k on Xmas day obviously, and I wish you all the best. Have a good day :)
 
Fiancée had a positive lateral flow on Christmas Eve. We rushed to the PCR testing place and got in just before they shut for the night. Both of us are confirmed positive :(

I felt really awful yesterday, the same level as when I (presumably!) had it first time around in March 2020 - lungs felt tight, crazy fevers. Today seems a little better though so far.
 
WillPS said:
Fiancée had a positive lateral flow on Christmas Eve. We rushed to the PCR testing place and got in just before they shut for the night. Both of us are confirmed positive :(

I felt really awful yesterday, the same level as when I (presumably!) had it first time around in March 2020 - lungs felt tight, crazy fevers. Today seems a little better though so far.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear that mate, hope you both feel better soon. :)
 
Last edited:
Heidi said:
How likely are people thinking a lockdown before NYE will be? I'm meant to be seeing Fatboy Slim :(
Click to expand...
Very unlikely I would've thought. Though depends somewhat on your definition of lockdown... proper lockdown, with most entertainment venues closed, non-essential shopping closed, stay-at-home mandate in place etc. - very very unlikely indeed.

Possible that there will be a couple of new restrictions brought in though, and no doubt if there are the media will refer to it as a lockdown...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top