UK’s over reaction to Omicron.

^Taliya
Yes, it is an over reaction to Omricon. The best thing people can do to protect the NHS is to stop eating junk food, processed food and sitting on their a...efor 8 hours a day and start doing some regular exercise, eat fruit and veg and cook from scratch with no added salt and sugar. The obesity crisis in this country will kill far more than Covid or any variant. I still see really really fat people waddling around with face masks on outside and slathering themselves with anti bac. Lose weight! Also dont smoke...it causes long term lung damage and heart disease!
Absolutely spot on!!!!^

A very offensive post and response. Isn't it now unacceptable to call people fat? It's also victim blaming in the extreme, people get ill for all sorts of reasons including genetic susceptability, environmental causes, working in harmful industries, vehicle and other air pollution, water pollution, plastic pollution, harmful chemicals building up in cosmetics and packaging and MDF furniture, the list is endless.

I hope the posters have cause to regret such heartlessness and ignorance when they too, one day, will be ill.

GoldenAge

This is a huge over-reaction because Johnson is fighting for his political life. This GP basically reported something that has been moving its way around sub-Saharan Africa for a while, and it's not true that the SA population is stronger than ours because it's younger - in fact it is far less healthy than ours is, and certainly the population in Botswana is very much at risk but there's been no deadly outbreak. We can't continue to react in this way to every new variant - we should have a proactive government that funds its NHS properly and then if and when something new arrives we can carry on as usual and accommodate a few (and that's all it is) extra hospitalisations. As it is, cancer patients are having treatments put on hold and they are definitely going to die. Johnson treats the population of the UK like his own personal train set - he experiments continually whilst gaily going on in his own privileged way. Rant over.

Sub-Saharan has a very different demographic (and health) profile from Northern Europe. I think we would be foolish to assume anything at the moment. I do not accept that the current measures are an over-reaction.

It's too early to say that it is a mild disease. It is extremely infectious. It is already spreading very quickly and seems to be able to escape the AZ vaccine. Even if only a small proportion of people are seriously affected and hospitalised it can very quickly overwhelm the already extremely stretched NHS. We need to take as many precautions as we can to try and prevent that.

It maybe mild in fairly healthy adults but even the common cold can cause serious issues with people that have serious underlying health issues. My cancer nurse told me last week that there's been a sudden surge in Covid related cases being admitted to hospital this last 2 or 3 weeks. She said they are going to be in crisis again within a month how things are going. Just remember that what turns out for you could kill the next person. People just don't ever look at the bigger picture. I'm alright Jack so s*d the rest. Sorry but this is something I feel very strongly about

Level 5, prospect of more restrictions, possible further lockdown
But in the next breath the govt scraps the red list and need for quarantine for arrivals from former red list countries.......
I must have missed something somewhere along the line because I am completely confused.com

MaggsMcG

What happened to the Nightingale Hospitals that were set up. I understand there will be a staffing problems but at least they could be isolated from the general hospital population. Because that's what killed my husband in February lack of isolation in our local hospital. He went in there Covid free and caught it 5 days later.

My sincere condolences on your loss MaggsMcG. My partner went into hospital for a minor but necessary procedure, also in February before vaccination, tested positive on a LFT but wasn’t isolated while they waited for the PCR - he was placed straight on a Covid ward. Came home 6 days later and we both came down with Covid a week later and had it very badly. The hospital did two follow up PCR tests and both were negative - he never had Covid to start with and picked it up when they placed him in with Covid patients. The hospital also didn’t give us the PCR results up front - they were sent to his phone Covid app after he was discharged. My neighbour’s elderly husband passed away after exactly the same scenario. Something really needs to be done because hospitals are not following their own protocols. I wondered what happened to the nightingale hospitals because there was a big fanfare when they were set up and then nothing.

esgt1967

I really think it's about time we all took responsibility for our own health with Covid as we did with all other things that can make us ill/possibly cause our untimely death.

I am really sick to the back teeth of being told what I can and can't do in my personal life by the Government and beyond annoyed about the constant talk of "protecting the NHS". Sorry, but this has gone on for far too long now, we know what we need to do to reduce our risk to Covid exposure so please just let us get on with it.

We are not living at the moment, just existing and launching from one crisis to the next it seems with nothing really being achieved. Enough is enough.

Well said?!! ????????

Just seen a pop up saying Boris is holding a briefing at 5pm. Hold on to your hats.

The idea that Big Pharma could be guiding the process is not necessarily in my opinion running into conspiracy theory territory - checkout Purdue pharma and Oxycontin or watch the series dopesick. Funny that the pharma corps are saying they can have another vaccine out for March no problem- bet they can. Also how many operations and medical procedures have to be placed on hold for people that will die before they can get treatment, so in that way the government are overreacting. I believe that most of us will have some form of natural immunity by now and if the Omicron is so mild that most people although testing positive do not present with any symptoms then natural immunity should be boosted quicker and faster than ever. The booster is a third vaccine, with the first two now for the most part ineffective. Why have so many NHS staff [70k plus] chosen not to have the vaccine? To anyone I have unintentionally offended with my comments and there are I suspect many of you - I say freedom of speech and democracy are not dead yet. We will have to agree to disagree.

Also GB News particularly Nigel Farage weekdays 7 p.m. shows both sides to each and every argument. You will no longer be anxious and fearful of the future....

Wanting to do the best doesn't mean people are anxious and fearful, though.

Sago I couldn't agree more!

Yes, what happened to the Nightingale Hospitals

At the risk of being accused of living by "sayings", I much prefer to take the "prevention (in this case as far as one can, which might not be very far but you don't know unless you try) is better than cure" approach as, were we to do nothing and the pandemic have a devastating effect on our hospitals and the NHS and probably also other businesses and services, it would be too late to apply any significant prevention measures. That's another way of saying "better safe than sorry" and avoiding the problem of "closing the stable door after the horse has bolted".
I also agree (as someone with a science degree) that Boris (and a lot of his rebellious fellow Conservatives) seem incapable of taking advantage of the insight that measured scientific advice can offer as to likely trajectories of the pandemic and having the courage to act in a timely fashion, rather than forever being in a "catch-up" situation as has been the case so far.

As usual, Johnson has done too little, too late.

Incompetent.

topcat223 I stand by what I wrote. Your assertions are running into conspiracy theory territory.

Pharma companies are no angels, but to suggest they are somehow trying to gain control is ridiculous. They have dedicated scientists working flat out to develop vaccines and they need investors to make sure they can continue with their work - for all our sakes.

PS. Would be better, in your opinion, if people died from Covid rather than cancer?

Mags.Mr.g
I’m sorry your husband died unnecessarily.

If the Nightingale hospital had been used for what it was intended, the outcome might have been different.

Greciangirl

Mags.Mr.g
I’m sorry your husband died unnecessarily.

If the Nightingale hospital had been used for what it was intended, the outcome might have been different.

But the Nightingale hospitals weren't allocated staffing. That was the big problem.

Barmeyoldbat

Yes, what happened to the Nightingale Hospitals

... good question!

I think there simply aren't enough staff to man them.

The surgeons and consultants, etc, that I have been seeing are travelling between my local hospital and one 40 miles away, as it is, and I'm sure other areas are the same.

And of course, there are not enough nurses with the right competence needed for Covid care.

People may think that Taliya’s post is offensive - it is nevertheless true - my son is a surgeon and the problems encountered by him and others whilst trying to save the lives of very obese people, defies description.

montymops

People may think that Taliya’s post is offensive - it is nevertheless true - my son is a surgeon and the problems encountered by him and others whilst trying to save the lives of very obese people, defies description.

I'm not disagreeing, but losing weight won't prevent infection or severe illness for many people. Taliya's post seems to imply that healthy eating and daily constitutionals are all that are needed to stop Covid.

MaggsMcG



... trying to imagine your grief. So, so sorry.

It is true up to a point. But unfortunately covid doesn’t always respect a good, healthy lifestyle and young, thin health conscious people have died and suffered from long covid when older unfit people have survived. So, regarding the health of the population yes, we do need to take more responsibility for our health. But it won’t necessarily protect us from covid. That’s what’s so terrifying about it.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle will no doubt improve general health. However, I'm not overweight, don't drink or smoke and get enough exercise. Nevertheless, I had a heart attack. None of the other patients on my ward were overweight either. I guess we were the ones who survived, but it didn't stop us from having a heart attack.

montymops

People may think that Taliya’s post is offensive - it is nevertheless true - my son is a surgeon and the problems encountered by him and others whilst trying to save the lives of very obese people, defies description.

Completely agree.

Yes, but what has that got to do with catching a virus?