Could Omicron actually be a good thing?

I do hope for the best but I'm still very concerned about Long Covid and it will take some time (obviously) to have any answers. There's just bound to be a post-Christmas surge in cases, hospital admissions and deaths - even without Omicron - as well.

I think that the unvaccinated (by choice) have had plenty of time, information and opportunities by now, so I just can't sympathise with them, at all.

In the absence of any empirical evidence, isn't it a bit disturbing that the government's default position is to impose restrictions? Plan B.
I thought Boris said he’d review this ‘in 3 weeks’ yet 10 days later he slams the brakes on.

What if the symtoms are mild?
What if infection confers robust long-term immunity with minimal deaths and hospitalisations?

What if the restrictions are actually reducing immunity and harming, rather than helping, our chances of 'living with the virus'?

Surely the default position should be freedom until there's proof restrictions are required. Not restrictions until there's proof freedom is required.

Freedom should be inalienable - not for politicians, public health officials and scientists to play with!

No, Plan B isn't the slightest bit disturbing. It's sensible and hardly an imposition to most people.

What if the restrictions are actually reducing immunity and harming, rather than helping, our chances of 'living with the virus'?

What kind of nonsense is this?

I think ug you outline one side of a dichotomy.

Your argument puts individual choice as the most important and desirable.

I would however argue that what is most important thing, particularly in times of crises is the community. We all sacrifice some of our so called freedoms in order to protect each other.

I would also argue that community needs to be emphasised much more in order to heal the dreadful division that has been created since 2016.

What if the symptoms are mild?
What if infection confers robust long-term immunity with minimal deaths and hospitalisations?

What if they're not?

Willing to wait and see?

What if the restrictions are actually reducing immunity and harming, rather than helping, our chances of 'living with the virus'? How would that work, then?

Your freedom is not being assaulted by having to wear a mask at the football and working from home. Trying to suggest that it is, is a bit inflammatory, IMO.

Sorry, lots of cross-posting.

Some of it very cross.

Last weekend we had a lovely pre- Christmas meal at my house with DD and DS and their wives and families . We kept a couple of windows open but we were very physically close around the table for a couple of hours .One DGD was unwell on the following night , tested positive the next day ! Now everyone except DS and I have tested positive . We have had our boosters . I will test every day until 10 days are up and not meet inside with anyone, but it seems ( if it is Omicrom) very contagious . They all feel as if they have heavy colds ,the remaining adults are double jabbed and had booked their boosters ! Grandkids all under 12 .

Because growstuff what I’m saying is these lockdowns do is just kick the can up the road so as not to overwhelm ‘our NHS’.
Maybe with this milder (yet highly transmissible) variant we ought to be mingling and building up our immune systems. We shit ourselves away in the winter, come back out in the summer and then get another lockdown next year again.

Rinse and repeat.

Omicron is the most sinister threat we have ever faced - a mysterious stealth virus that spreads with no symptoms or manifestations of illness whatsoever! Who could have imagined that we would face such a devious and implacable viral enemy?

* shut

Urmstongran

Because growstuff what I’m saying is these lockdowns do is just kick the can up the road so as not to overwhelm ‘our NHS’.
Maybe with this milder (yet highly transmissible) variant we ought to be mingling and building up our immune systems. We shit ourselves away in the winter, come back out in the summer and then get another lockdown next year again.

Rinse and repeat.

Omicron is the most sinister threat we have ever faced - a mysterious stealth virus that spreads with no symptoms or manifestations of illness whatsoever! Who could have imagined that we would face such a devious and implacable viral enemy?

None of us are anywhere near lockdown.

Omicron is not sinister. I think the Black Death and nuclear annihilation were a bit worse. Just wait till you see the climate change fallout.

Shit is quite appropriate.

Why test every day if you have no symptoms? I truly am beginning to despair of all this. Stay home if you are not well. I did for 14 days to be on the safe side. No need to take lateral flows every day.

Would we be doing this if we had to pay for them?
I doubt it.

It was a joke!
Of course it’s not sinister. We are being spooked.

Remember? By that government who ramped up the fear factor?

14:28: Virus spreads without you having any symptoms.

14:34: Why do we have to test if we don't have any symptoms?

?‍♀️

Urmstongran

Because growstuff what I’m saying is these lockdowns do is just kick the can up the road so as not to overwhelm ‘our NHS’.
Maybe with this milder (yet highly transmissible) variant we ought to be mingling and building up our immune systems. We shit ourselves away in the winter, come back out in the summer and then get another lockdown next year again.

Rinse and repeat.

Omicron is the most sinister threat we have ever faced - a mysterious stealth virus that spreads with no symptoms or manifestations of illness whatsoever! Who could have imagined that we would face such a devious and implacable viral enemy?

You don't seem to understand what it means to build up your immune system. You can't do that, unless you are vaccinated or catch Covid. It would appear that vaccinations aren't that effective against Omicron and I doubt if anybody actually wants to catch Covid.

Well the bottom line is no deaths from Omicron. Zero.

yet

Urmstongran

Why test every day if you have no symptoms? I truly am beginning to despair of all this. Stay home if you are not well. I did for 14 days to be on the safe side. No need to take lateral flows every day.

Would we be doing this if we had to pay for them?
I doubt it.

Has there been some ruling to test every day? If so, I missed it.

They're kind of suggesting that in Scotland growstuff. I've got two things planned for different days next week and I'll be testing before each of them. Otherwise just staying in!

I’ve had my jabs & boosters. Sensible.
I think I’m just fed up of the ‘maybe’ ‘could’ ‘possible’ ‘perhaps’ rhetoric on the news about this new milder variant. We will be frightened of our own shadows soon.

Alegrias1

yet

Exactly!

In any case, it's likely that many cases of Omicron weren't identified. Even now, many of the testing labs aren't set up for it.

People don't usually die immediately, so we won't know for a while how many deaths have been caused by Omicron.

Better safe than sorry, however much people squeal.

SusieB50

Last weekend we had a lovely pre- Christmas meal at my house with DD and DS and their wives and families . We kept a couple of windows open but we were very physically close around the table for a couple of hours .One DGD was unwell on the following night , tested positive the next day ! Now everyone except DS and I have tested positive . We have had our boosters . I will test every day until 10 days are up and not meet inside with anyone, but it seems ( if it is Omicrom) very contagious . They all feel as if they have heavy colds ,the remaining adults are double jabbed and had booked their boosters ! Grandkids all under 12 .

I was quoting this poster.
Why test every day? I don’t get it. You have Covid (I hope it’s mild). Stay in, keep warm, drink fluids, take paracetamol t.
No need to do a lateral flow test every day.

As I said, would we be doing this if we had to pay at the chemist for a box?

Alegrias1

They're kind of suggesting that in Scotland growstuff. I've got two things planned for different days next week and I'll be testing before each of them. Otherwise just staying in!

Ah! OK!

There are still days when I don't go out (most of them), so there wouldn't be any point in testing. However, I do test now before and a day after I've been anywhere and will continue to do so.

Urmstongran

I’ve had my jabs & boosters. Sensible.
I think I’m just fed up of the ‘maybe’ ‘could’ ‘possible’ ‘perhaps’ rhetoric on the news about this new milder variant. We will be frightened of our own shadows soon.

We don't know yet if its milder.

Then term milder is being used because initial indications are that in a vaccinated population the impacts may be less serious than it might otherwise be. Initial. We've only known about its existence for a fortnight.

You set them up, we'll knock them down.

Triple jabbed, I'm not so frightened of the virus any more. I am concerned about the number of cases getting so high that hospitals and other services are overwhelmed. DF has already had one operation cancelled this week because of staff being off self isolating.

My mistake. You don’t have Covid. Your family does.
My apologies.

Will you still test if you remain symptom free (and not mixing with anyone)?

That I don’t get.