Is omicron really a bad thing?

[Suff]

I know it is early days, but the current indications are that omicron is a mild variant of Covid which has killed nobody so far.

Omicron deaths still zero despite new coronavirus variant spreading twice as fast as deadly Delta

Omicron may be a variant of Covid and able to transmit really easily, but the human immune system will see it as a Covid infection and trigger the covid response.

In this case it becomes somewhat like the vaccine, where a large number of people have resistance to all covid variants having recognised a covid infection and being prepared to fight it.

This seems to be the case to me. I wonder when this will become evident. Or, on the other hand, be shown to be incorrect.

[Workingman]

Way too early to say anything definite as we do not have enough data from all scenarios.

In F1 terms it is like predicting for certain the winner of the race before first practice has even started.

Omicron was first reported to the WHO on the 24th of November and I read at the time that experts were saying they would need about four weeks from then with data from different settings (countries, vaccine take-up, age ranges, re-infections) to form a robust opinion. I have seen nothing to change that info.

I'll sit on my hands for a while.

[Suff]

Me too. I just thought I'd throw the question out there.

[cromwell]

One thing is certain and that is that the media will be screaming for lockdown in 3 - 2- 1...

Although after the Christmas party shenanigans of last year, good luck with people obeying the instruction. I certainly won't.

Policy made because the government isn't strong enough to tell the Daily Mail to do one isn't good policy in my book.

[Workingman]

The media rumour mill, and not just the UK version, is saying that plan B could be introduced tomorrow.

The government is not 'officially' denying it and in the Commons nor did the PM. A press conference (announcement) is expected later today / tomorrow.

So much for Javid's "great" Christmas.

The media are not "screaming" for lockdown, they just see it as inevitable.

Some of us always saw it as being on the cards; rather than those who believed and hoped it would be all be fine and dandy, as the government wanted them to believe.

[cromwell]

Well, what are we being saved from?
Omicron.
How many people has Omicron killed worldwide?
According to one source, none.
Doctors in SA are quoted as saying that Omicron produces mild symptoms. Fauci in the USA says the same thing.
So it's not a deadly killer - at all.
But it's more contagious!!
Yeah, and the result is a mild illness!
But the media want their crackdown. And they will get it.
And the moment they have it they will be asking "should more have been done?".

[Suff]

Well, what are we being saved from?
So it's not a deadly killer - at all.
But it's more contagious!!

Which means, if true, that a golden opportunity is presented to us. The problem is we can't prove it in time. Because if it is true, then we are presented with the possibility of "inoculating" the vast majority of the people in the UK over the Christmas/New Year period simply by letting them get on with it.

Get the vulnerable to shield and go for it.

The press and media don't want this because it would take away their free pass to print utter BS and get away with it.

It is a horrible position for the government. They are presented with a possible golden opportunity. Which the "spurts" want to lock us out of. But if it doesn't pan out it could be a catastrophe. Yet, if it turns out to be true that Omicron is mild and relatively benign whilst spreading like wildfire, they will be judged as if they should have known.

Once again I wouldn't have their job with jam on it.

[TheOstrich]

We will not know Omicron's effect on hospitalisation rates for at least 14 days and death rates for at least 21 days, that's the scheme of things.

Judging by the current massive increase in the rate of hospitalisations in South Africa, Omicron may be rather more serious than we all currently think. But the UK is very different from SA; we just have to wait with patience.

[Suff]

Indeed, but not a lot of patience. Christmas is coming and people have had it with one Christmas being borked. Very little tolerance with post vaccinated Christmas going the same way.

[cromwell]

This is what we are up against.

Good Morning Britain, the ITV breakfast show, ran a poll yesterday on their Twitter site. The question asked was:- "With Omicron cases doubling every two days, is it time to make vaccines mandatory?"

More than 42,000 people responded. The results were :-
89% said no, it was not. !1% were in favour.

So GMB deleted the tweet. Full story below.
https://www.rt.com/uk/542507-mandatory- ... l-deleted/

See? The only questions that ever get asked by the MSM are, isn't it time for more restrictions? When is the government going to lock down? Aren't they endangering lives? Is the nhs in danger of being overwhelmed? Shouldn't more be done?

Always, all the time, pushing for more restrictions.
Not one question ever gets asked about what the evidence is for vaccine passports?how long i this all going to last? After \Professor Neil Ferguson got dropped from SAGE, how did he ever get back in the tent? Why are young men suddenly getting heart problems? Etc. Never a dissenting voice, never a question asked as to why are you doing this, where are we going with this? Whatever happened to Boris's "Irreversible path to freedom"?

Just always pressing for more restrictions. The media is utterly corrupt imo.