Re: We're all doomed! Doomed I say- the Corona virus thread for panicking in!

[Mrs Figg]

I want to see the English going back to lockdown after the idiotic 'freedom day' it ain't going to happen.

btw got a fever after the booster and feel as weak as a weak thing.

[halfwise]

I had a slightly sore arm for a single day. You must have a more active immune system - I'm probably toast.

[Mrs Figg]

yep I have the sore arm as well.

[Lancebloke]

Why would England go back in to lockdown? The first 3 already did enough damage and clearly only had some short term benefit if we are already talking about another... Europe, for all its protections, hasn't done great this time around. Can't get people to take the vaccines which the UK has done well with, and now looking to shut things down again.

As I said a year ago, this virus is not going anywhere. We can't keep destroying a long term future for some short term gains that are clearly not sustainable. I dont mean going to licking everyone's faces, but we need to be pragmatic about how this can really pan out now.

[halfwise]

The most recent indications are that omicron is less deadly anyway.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-28/omicron-pretty-mild-so-far-south-african-health-expert-says

[Mrs Figg]

The Italians are already in phase 1 human trials for a new vaccine for Omnicron. So even if it is horrible there should be a new vaccine not too far off.
As for Europe, its not doing so well because of a couple of things which have nothing to do with lockdowns. The vaccine take-up in countries like Austria are very low as there is a large anti-vaxx movement there, idem Germany, also Eastern Europe have extremely low vaccine take-up probably round 40%, so it is this which is spreading the virus. In the UK since the idiotic 'freedom day' its killing around 200 per day, which is an airline crashing every day, but nobody gives a shit. Nobody is wearing masks, the most simple way to avoid all this pain and it would avoid a lockdown, but no, wearing masks takes away peoples 'freedoms'

[Lancebloke]

I think we are averaging about 120 per day right now which is not far off what we see for the flu which is a far more understood and treatable disease.

Any death is bad but we can't grind society to a halt, we need to do what we need to do so that all of that can carry on.

Like I said, this disease is not going anywhere. That opportunity was lost in early 2020. We have to manage it as best we can without storing up much bigger problems.

[Pettytyrant101]

{{ 'Freeedom Day' was just England. Mask wearing has remained compulsory on public transport, in shops, public spaces and for secondary school pupils in school along with the 1.5 metre distancing rule in Scotland throughout. And we have marginally the highest percentage of vaccinated population in the UK-

'vaccination uptake in Scotland for the first dose (as a percentage of the population over the age of 12) is 90.8%, while in England it is 88.2%. Uptake for the second dose is 82.5% in Scotland, compared with 80.2% in England. The booster roll-out - which will be accelerated in the face of the Omicron variant - is at 34.1%, while England's uptake is at 30%'- BBC

Case numbers have been however and remain high in Scotland (but have begun falling again in the past 2 weeks) indicating the vaccines dont do a great deal against contracting the virus but deaths have fallen to less than 10 deaths within 28 days of testing positive, mainly unvaccinated and already vulernable patients. So the vaccines have been working to cut death and serious illness. Its how they hold up against the new one now its here that will be the big test next. }}

[Mrs Figg]

Italians do phase 1 for anti-omnicron vaccine, but they need cash to continue.


https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2021/11/29/covid-19-omicron-specific-vaccine-designed-in-italy_73dbb8e7-3c21-4230-b751-799179b83eaa.html

[halfwise]

South Africa has reported very low rate of hospitalization for omicron.  Seems to be not much to worry about.

[Lancebloke]

Let's hope so.

Just been speaking to a colleague who has now not been able to travel back to Jo'berg to see his ageing parents for the last 2 years and just had his plans cancelled for Christmas.

It's already all over Europe so not sure of the point in halting travel to some places, especially if it is super contagious.

[Mrs Figg]

The point is they are doing their best to slow it down while they are examining it. Travel restrictions are the only way to o this. It doesn't work because the virus is already in Europe, but it does slow things down a bit.

[Forest Shepherd]

Delta 2.0
Hoopla, hoopla!

[Forest Shepherd]

In the UK since the idiotic 'freedom day' its killing around 200 per day, which is an airline crashing every day, but nobody gives a shit. Nobody is wearing masks, the most simple way to avoid all this pain and it would avoid a lockdown, but no, wearing masks takes away peoples 'freedoms'

It's not an airline every day though, because an airline contains a broad swath of ages, from toddlers to graybeards. Airline crashes are extremely rare, and each one helps us avoid future crashes.
What it's really like is that instead of an average of 1,500 deaths per day (2019), you're getting an average of 1,650 deaths per day (2020). And it's statistically very old people and very unhealthy people, not whole families exploding in a fiery crash. It's a little more death than normal, and there's no simple solution.

[halfwise]

So over the weekend I was working and comping outdoors in cold temperatures, including an ill advised attempt to shave in a near freezing river. So I was not at all surprised to find myself with a fever and headache today.

then I did a self test, and it seems that I have covid. I'll repeat in the morning to confirm. Pretty mild symptoms, if this is all I get I'm happy for the booster effect. I have enough food for 5 days isolation I reckon, though I had already started eating down my covid stash.

I've been triple vaccinated, but that's omicron for you.

[Lancebloke]

The majority of my team at work have had covid now, I imagine omicron since it was recent. All have gotten over it but some have had lingering things like a cough for weeks.

If you test positive again tomorrow then you will probably keep testing positive for 11-14 days.

Hope you feel better quickly!!

[Mrs Figg]

Sorry to hear that Halfy. Hope you start to feel better soon. How come you were camping?

[halfwise]

11-14 days? that's longer than I thought it was supposed to. Good to know.

One of our hang gliding sites is a scenic overview. Part of the deal is we keep it trimmed for our own launch purposes, which we want to do before the bugs and snakes wake up for spring.

[azriel]

Hope your feeling perkier soon Halfy ! Hot chocolate drink and a book you havent read in years might help ?

[halfwise]

I'm already feeling better, but that might just be the morning.  I agree when you are sick reading a familiar book is better than reading a new one. Concentration's not there.

[Lancebloke]

Halfy - you will stop being contagious before that, but still seems to show up on tests as your body is getting rid of the last of the virus.

[halfwise]

Well that sure adds to the confusion. Makes me not want to get tested again.

[Mrs Figg]

Try some Manuka honey Halfy, its good stuff if you have a virus.

[halfwise]

Headache and fever largely gone, but the sneezing and snorfling has increased.

[Lancebloke]

Anyone heard from Petty yet?