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Clearly most of the country don't want more restrictions which is absolutely understandable but Omicron is absolutely running riot.
78000 cases today is massive, a 19% increase on cases from last week and more importantly as of Saturday hospitalisations are up 10.4% so that's likely more than that given we have seen a huge jump in cases since Saturday.
Deaths are slightly down this week but that would lag behind hospitalisations.
Given >10 million aren't yet boosted it's hard to see how the current level of restrictions are going to do anything given the steep rise in cases even with them. Most of that rise is going to be from the SE and London as Omicron is only thought to be 5% of cases up North but once it hits there it's going to keep on rising.
It's an impossible situation now where people absolutely understandably don't want more restrictions but without it the trend is only going to go one way over a short time horizon.
Perhaps at the very minimum the schools should close for the last 2 days of term and WFH should become mandatory rather than advice.
What are peoples thoughts? Would people want some tougher restrictions for a few weeks or do we agree with the Tory rebels that enough is enough?
Boris is speaking at 5pm, we shall see what he says. Either way, getting your booster is absolutely key now.
SB
[Post edited 15 Dec 2021 16:32]
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Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 08:43 - Dec 16 with 1700 views
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 08:39 - Dec 16 by BanksterDebtSlave
Just to make the point, and try not to jump down my throat, but that will be positive tests not necessarily being sick and is another reason we need to get to the bottom of the severity of this variant as soon as possible. It may be that nhs staff, well enough to do so and wearing all the appropriate kit will have to continue to work.
So you think that people with a hugely transmissible virus that will still be bad for some people regardless of severity should work in a hospital where the people with the most compromised health are found?
Think you're going to have a hard sell on that one regardless of what PPE they are wearing.
SB
[Post edited 16 Dec 2021 8:43]
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Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 08:45 - Dec 16 with 1684 views
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 08:36 - Dec 16 by StokieBlue
She might have had a very low viral load which didn't show up on the LFT (which might also be why you've not got it?).
PCR's use primers to make many copies of the genetic material in the sample so that if even a very small amount of covid is present it will be magnified and thus detectable.
They just work in different ways, a LFT should be more likely to detect covid if the baseline viral load is high enough.
SB
Can this load be so low even when the illness appeared to be at its worst (occassional coughing, tiredness and snotty, no fever)? Do you know if they tell you if you have omicron or not when sending PCR results btw?
"They break our legs and tell us to be grateful when they offer us crutches."
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 08:43 - Dec 16 by StokieBlue
So you think that people with a hugely transmissible virus that will still be bad for some people regardless of severity should work in a hospital where the people with the most compromised health are found?
Think you're going to have a hard sell on that one regardless of what PPE they are wearing.
SB
[Post edited 16 Dec 2021 8:43]
No, that is not what I think nor what I said.
Edit...you keep doing this, namely making my words fit your perception.
[Post edited 16 Dec 2021 8:48]
"They break our legs and tell us to be grateful when they offer us crutches."
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 08:45 - Dec 16 by BanksterDebtSlave
Can this load be so low even when the illness appeared to be at its worst (occassional coughing, tiredness and snotty, no fever)? Do you know if they tell you if you have omicron or not when sending PCR results btw?
It shouldn't be really, LFT's are far from perfect but they are the best thing we have for home testing. It's better than nothing.
Some labs (not all) can tell if you have Omicron from the PCR test by looking at whether the test shows an "S-Gene dropout". This is a clear marker for Omicron although it's just lucky that the BA.1 variant has this. The BA.2 variant of Omicron doesn't have this so you can't tell from a PCR test immediately whether it's BA.2 Omicron, you have to do a genetic test on it which takes far longer and can't be done for all samples.
All the cases of Omicron being highlighted at the moment will be BA.1 found from S-Gene dropout.
SB
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Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 09:12 - Dec 16 with 1627 views
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 08:39 - Dec 16 by BanksterDebtSlave
Just to make the point, and try not to jump down my throat, but that will be positive tests not necessarily being sick and is another reason we need to get to the bottom of the severity of this variant as soon as possible. It may be that nhs staff, well enough to do so and wearing all the appropriate kit will have to continue to work.
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 08:47 - Dec 16 by BanksterDebtSlave
No, that is not what I think nor what I said.
Edit...you keep doing this, namely making my words fit your perception.
[Post edited 16 Dec 2021 8:48]
It is what you said and certainly the interpretation of others (see unbelievables post).
If we are going to say "what people keep doing" then you continually post in "weasel words" that give you large scope to twist things regardless of the reply received as was highlighted by another poster yesterday.
SB
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Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 09:17 - Dec 16 with 1614 views
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 09:17 - Dec 16 by BanksterDebtSlave
So if we get to the point where evidence confirms the variant to be relatively mild but 30%+ of staff are isolating would that still hold?
Can't see this with NHS workers, but certainly possible in other vital areas. There could easily come a point where there's a choice between ending isolation or society stops functioning.
Has anyone ever looked at their own postings for last day or so? Oh my... so sorry. Was Ullaa
I wouldn't underestimate the pretty amazing response from the vast majority of people. Many would be prepared to accept further measures I expect if it they were communicated in a clear way and there were safeguards around livelihoods in place (e.g. furlough).
The biggest blocks may well be the government's lack of credibility and trust, and their inability to communicate clearly. There could be a way around both of those blocks (e.g. a cross-party group to manage the public health messaging), but I can't see such a grown up approach response place unfortunately. It would be tantamount to saying the Govt have lost control (which they largely have, let's be honest) and open them up to a confidence vote.
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 09:16 - Dec 16 by StokieBlue
It is what you said and certainly the interpretation of others (see unbelievables post).
If we are going to say "what people keep doing" then you continually post in "weasel words" that give you large scope to twist things regardless of the reply received as was highlighted by another poster yesterday.
SB
What I wrote was pointing out an inaccuracy about sickness in your post and then future conjecture based on what we learn about severity of omicron. Not sure what you found so hard to follow but whatever.
"They break our legs and tell us to be grateful when they offer us crutches."
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 10:45 - Dec 16 by Swansea_Blue
I wouldn't underestimate the pretty amazing response from the vast majority of people. Many would be prepared to accept further measures I expect if it they were communicated in a clear way and there were safeguards around livelihoods in place (e.g. furlough).
The biggest blocks may well be the government's lack of credibility and trust, and their inability to communicate clearly. There could be a way around both of those blocks (e.g. a cross-party group to manage the public health messaging), but I can't see such a grown up approach response place unfortunately. It would be tantamount to saying the Govt have lost control (which they largely have, let's be honest) and open them up to a confidence vote.
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 12:09 - Dec 16 by BanksterDebtSlave
What I wrote was pointing out an inaccuracy about sickness in your post and then future conjecture based on what we learn about severity of omicron. Not sure what you found so hard to follow but whatever.
That's not what happened.
Getting a positive test still means you are sick regardless of symptoms. Your body is working to fight off the illness and may be doing an excellent job so you feel OK but technically you're still sick.
Even without that, "being off sick" is a commonly used phrase.
But whatever.
SB
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Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 12:32 - Dec 16 with 1415 views
I know I'm not in the UK but I am a frontline healthcare worker and, for me, the last week or two has been by far the worst of the whole pandemic. I have attended more seriously ill covid patients than at any other period. I don't know which variant these patients are infected with but it's quite worrying given how far we've come with vaccinations. In line with that, my local hospital now has the highest number of covid patients receiving treatment at any time.
Edit. The most seriously ill have all been unvaccinated.
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 12:32 - Dec 16 by noggin
I know I'm not in the UK but I am a frontline healthcare worker and, for me, the last week or two has been by far the worst of the whole pandemic. I have attended more seriously ill covid patients than at any other period. I don't know which variant these patients are infected with but it's quite worrying given how far we've come with vaccinations. In line with that, my local hospital now has the highest number of covid patients receiving treatment at any time.
Edit. The most seriously ill have all been unvaccinated.
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 17:52 - Dec 15 by J2BLUE
BJ makes himself look a tit at the best of times but it's even more noticeable when he stands next to Whitty with his science and logic. Followed by "Whitty just contradicted you Prime Minister" before BJ gives us a couple of minutes of stuttering and blustering talking utter boll0cks.
Hopefully in the future he will face some sort of trial over his handling of the pandemic.
Same with that pr1ck Javid looking smug getting his pre-planned one liners in.
[Post edited 15 Dec 2021 17:56]
Whitty is clearly saying "don't go to christmas parties" and Boris can't make that policy because of the "gatherings" that happened last year. The whole situation is a nasty farce.
If you liked my post, please take the time to upvote it. It's very much appreciated.
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 12:44 - Dec 16 by GavTWTD
Whitty is clearly saying "don't go to christmas parties" and Boris can't make that policy because of the "gatherings" that happened last year. The whole situation is a nasty farce.
I feel rather glum about it all.
In other countries, with other leaders, you could assume there would be a level of solemn pragmatism in govt. circles. With this lot, I very much doubt it.
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 12:19 - Dec 16 by StokieBlue
That's not what happened.
Getting a positive test still means you are sick regardless of symptoms. Your body is working to fight off the illness and may be doing an excellent job so you feel OK but technically you're still sick.
Even without that, "being off sick" is a commonly used phrase.
But whatever.
SB
Well one of us at least is being a pedant then....likely both!
"They break our legs and tell us to be grateful when they offer us crutches."
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 12:48 - Dec 16 by BanksterDebtSlave
Well one of us at least is being a pedant then....likely both!
To be fair what you said read to me as you suggesting that NHS staff who were off having tested positive for Covid should be allowed to work with high grade PPE provided they were asymptomatic.
If that isn't what you meant then fair enough, both SB and I misunderstood it. If it is what you meant then his response was accurate.
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 12:56 - Dec 16 by Nthsuffolkblue
To be fair what you said read to me as you suggesting that NHS staff who were off having tested positive for Covid should be allowed to work with high grade PPE provided they were asymptomatic.
If that isn't what you meant then fair enough, both SB and I misunderstood it. If it is what you meant then his response was accurate.
Not currently, no.
"They break our legs and tell us to be grateful when they offer us crutches."
Some difficult discussions are going to have to be had in Westminster on 12:44 - Dec 16 by GavTWTD
Whitty is clearly saying "don't go to christmas parties" and Boris can't make that policy because of the "gatherings" that happened last year. The whole situation is a nasty farce.
Plus if the government enforced closure on hospitality they’d have to provide money to cover it. As it is they’re allowing businesses and individuals to take the hit by keeping things as they are.
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