To think we’ll be in lockdown by Christmas

The Omicron strain is doubling in numbers every day, there are hundreds in hospital with it and today we were told of the first death from this variant. I don’t think it’s as mild as first thought. In spite of that and because I have been double jabbed plus had my booster I’m still hoping I can spend Christmas with my family, although just a small gathering if six, all if us fully jabbed and all testing ourselves regularly.
I am a bit doubtful about going to a supermarket at the busiest time if the year, but I might just have to risk it.

It would certainly help everyone in the U.K. if we had a lot more people getting vaccinated. There has to be a certain % of the population vaccinated to be effective (can't remember the %). I'm not sure we've reached that amount yet.
I would love to hear the numbers actually in hospital split between vaccinated compared to unvaccinated.

Been mask wearing in shops throughout - it means I don’t have to pretend I’m smiling underneath.

Call me cynical but - the threat of another lockdown is to get people running scared about Christmas - so get those jabs. The panic about Omicron could be part of Johnson pretending he cares about anyone but himself and is desperate to hang onto power. Remember care homes being seeded with patients sent out from hospital? If I want reliable information I look at Dr John Campbell on youtube - gives a lot of good info and will own up if he makes a mistake. We need to make our own decisions based on our own needs and respect others wishes. Been mask wearing in shops throughout - it means I don’t have to pretend I’m smiling underneath. A healthy Christmas to all.

Do you think anyone will take any notice now of any such rules following Boris & Co's behaviour? I think not.

I don't think before Christmas. Think people would just ignore it. But quite possibly by New Year.

WoodLane7

The point is that lockdown only works while we remain in lockdown. The minute we come out of lockdown figures rocket once again.

Because lockdowns are only fire-breaks - to allow breathing space and stopping the spread temporarily.

If you then start - to carry on with the metaphor - fanning the flames, the fire will take hold again.

... and that's what people do... yippee - freedom! They won't wear masks (or wear them under their nose) in enclosed and crowded spaces, they refuse to distance, even when it's feasible, hand sanitiser is ignored, go partying and clubbing... and the kids go back to school. So, of course, the infection rate increases...

Perhaps if we came out of these lockdowns more cautiously and sensibly, we could lower the rate of spread and not overwhelm the NHS But there are a lot of selfish (and foolish) people around who think their personal freedum is more important than the welfare of everyone else - and to some extent, Boris Johnson has pandered to them, so we are not going to get a cohesive public response now. It's too late. The anti-vaxxers, anti-mask wearers, have basically won the day because they haven't been officially challenged by government... it's too scared.

Bazza

It was reported on the BBC news this morning that there were 10 people is hospital with omicron.

But not clear if they are in hospital because they have omnicron or whether they are in hospital for something else and also have the virus. As we know from previous waves, people often catch covid in hospital when they're in for something else.
We have no real idea yet about whether this is a variant that causes serious illness and many deaths or not.

I don't think that they'll declare a lockdown because they're afraid that too many people will simply ignore it. At the moment there are many people on London buses and in supermarkets who are not wearing masks.
Although we're fully vaccinated and boosted we're having our own version of lockdown, I'm going shopping alone as DH has dodgy heart. I'm washing my hands like a lunatic and putting on a mask to answer the door, just as I did for the "real" lockdown.
We do still see GC and DD as she is a single parent, but she is testing regularly.
I know that one person has died with this variant, though whether he has died "with" or "of" it seems unclear. To me the main risk seems to be that an uncontrolled spread of the latest variant of the virus will lead to more mutations and eventually we will have a version that will defeat the vaccines.

Good grief! We don't know the severity of infections. It's not a cold and first deaths are being reported.

FindingNemo15

Whitewave - is that a Peppa pig's ear of everything?

? Peppa ?’s Christmas Party

I don't believe we will go into lockdown yet & hope we don't at all. I said right at the start we would need to learn to live with Covid just like we do with Flu. There are thousands of winter deaths due to Flu.

Christmas will be a normal quiet one with my DD & DGSs, DD & I have had both vaccines & the booster. DD & eldest DGS have both had Covid, DD a few days after her booster, she isolated within the house but DGS still contracted it, probably from School.

I have numerous Hospital appointments, at least one a week, sometimes 3 in a week. I am Diabetic, overweight & have Epilepsy. I take all precautions as I have done all along. The only other people I am close to are my neighbour who has broken her pelvis & my young gentleman friend (we both do LFCs at least twice a week)

Think of the harm to every-ones Mental Health that lockdowns have caused, people losing their jobs & businesses. Children suffering from lack of education when Schools have been closed, the rapid rise in Domestic Abuse cases.

As for GP Surgeries, my Surgery was using a telephone triage system long before Covid, I cannot fault the system & never failed to get a face to face appointment if my GP felt they needed to see me. The NHS has been wonderful in the treatment I have received especially since January when I contracted a very severe case of Cellulitis for which I am still being treated.

Lockdown if it happens won't affect my life, keep my distance, sanitize & hand wash

Since we are jabbed and many treatments have come onstream I am picking up from comment websites that people will take plenty of no notice of whatever the government comes up with. I suspect that folks will be cautious and use their judgement.

It was reported on the BBC news this morning that there were 10 people is hospital with omicron.

Has a lockdown worked yet?

Before lockdown last year deaths were in the hundreds every day. During lockdown deaths were under 20 a day. When lockdown was lifted deaths went back into the hundreds a day. So yes, lock down probably stopped hundreds, if not thousands, from dying of Covid before vaccines were available.

The point is that lockdown only works while we remain in lockdown. The minute we come out of lockdown figures rocket once again.

Can't see the govt trying to implement another before Christmas - too much backlash from an already fed up nation whose anger has been further fuelled by revelations of govt breaches. I think we will end up in the New Year with more and more restrictions until we are virtually back in lockdown again. Figures will diminish - until we emerge from it and they sky-rocket again!

Couldn't agree more.

Where will all the money come from to furlough workers again if there is a lockdown. I was shopping early this morning and half of the people in the shops weren't bothering with masks and walking past the sanitisers so if we end up in lockdown it will probably be them to be first to complain. All the sensible folk know what to do to stop the spread so let them have Christmas, etc, why ruin their fun because of some idiotic people.

@ MissAdventure you think that would bother them, they are a law unto themselves, brought up that way?

No like ‘do unto others etc’

*Finding.stupid phone?

DiamondLily

Woodmouse

If you have had your necessary vaccinations and no one is testing positive, then why would you even think about cancelling your Christmas plans?

I’m with you. Adults we mix with, will all be up to date with jabs, and we can all take a LFT on Christmas Eve.

Assuming all ok, we intend to have a perfectly normal Christmas with family and friends.

Too much stuff ordered now, and there is actually not one person, in the UK, in hospital with this variant, let alone dying from it.

The situation has changed rapidly.

FibdingNemo- ??

Just been reading on Sky that by saying everyone is to have their boosters now it has made it increasingly difficult on the NHS and they will have to be cancelling appointments again to be able to have staff to do all the vaccines.

Something I also read in another paper was that the time of day you have your jab depends on how much protection it gives.

News alert just came up saying first Omicron death announced.

First Minister of Scotland making a statement tomorrow at approximately 2pm. For anyone who is interested.

There's just bound to be a post-Christmas surge, so any possible lockdown will be in Jan/Feb, not now. The economy rules, after all, and I doubt that people will be prepared to change their plans again this year, whatever the advice is.

I assumed most sensible people would do regular LF tests before meeting or going out in crowded places, and would take appropriate precautions without the so called Government telling them.
However some of my friends whom I consider intelligent I’ve discovered never do them at all!
I’ve just seen that the first person with Omicron has died in hospital, but no details.