UK’s over reaction to Omicron.

MissAdventure

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

Absolutely nothing. Obesity is a risk factor for severe Covid illness, but it won't make anybody more susceptible to catching it in the first place.

MissAdventure because the heart and lungs are surrounded by a hard fatty substance ( like suet if you're overweight )in those who are obese that it makes the patient unable to breathe properly thus making them more susceptible to breathing problems.

Organs are supposed to be able to breathe but some can't if surrounded by fat. Simple as that.

EllanVannin

MissAdventure because the heart and lungs are surrounded by a hard fatty substance ( like suet if you're overweight )in those who are obese that it makes the patient unable to breathe properly thus making them more susceptible to breathing problems.

Organs are supposed to be able to breathe but some can't if surrounded by fat. Simple as that.

But it doesn't stop people being infected in the first place. That's why people need to be vaccinated (if they can) and take precautions to mitigate risk.

Yes, I'm aware of that, but my point is that in itself, that wouldn't make anyone more susceptible to catching a virus.

Panic too is a feature in not being able to breathe properly, an added factor, as there's nothing worse when fighting for your breath so unfortunately this exacerbates the virus.

Sick to death of it all.Sorry you have to learn to live with it.Not hide away while life passes you by.Frightened of every bogeyman virus!

It's not quite as simple as having too much visceral fat:

www.science.org/content/article/why-covid-19-more-deadly-people-obesity-even-if-theyre-young

Elvis58

Sick to death of it all.Sorry you have to learn to live with it.Not hide away while life passes you by.Frightened of every bogeyman virus!

Try telling the virus you're sick to death of it and seeing if it will stop playing.

EllanVannin

Panic too is a feature in not being able to breathe properly, an added factor, as there's nothing worse when fighting for your breath so unfortunately this exacerbates the virus.

Covid isn't just a disease of the respiratory system.

my issue is that people believe the vaccine stops them catching covid, that it stops the transmission. no scientist has ever said that. we are told that the vaccine reduces symptoms. if you look at the statistics you will see that people that have had the vaccine are taking up beds in hospital.
The vaccine passport can be falsified so what is the point?

the vaccine is not 100% safe either - some get nasty symptoms but not life altering . whilst others suffer terrible and fatal symptoms. My brother was one of the latter people.

Of course we have to take this variant seriously. I don't see how we can possibly compare conditions here with SA - at all. I believe obesity levels are similar, but we're more huddled together indoors (in this weather) and our median age is older. Whatever our state of health, our immune T cells start to decrease in number when we're in our thirties.

Even if it turns out to be, generally 'mild' (let's hope so) having a large proportion of our population off sick or isolating will severely disrupt essential services, food distribution, transport, care, education etc. - causing untold harm to the economy and welfare of citizens - quite an alarming prospect.

I am not going to read the whole thread, but personally I don’t care what this Italian Doctor says. I am just telling everyone on here that the situation in hospitals is dire, NOW. How do I know.? Because my children are Doctors and there is a serious shortage of staff. There is no bottomless pit of extra staff to be had in the U.K. My children are working flat out and are being begged constantly to take on extra shifts. What do people think that is doing to them?
Last year, by January, we had ambulances outside the hospitals, unable to discharge patients, we had really sick people lined up on trolleys inside and huge waiting lists. And…no beds and triaging. The staff were put in the terrible position of deciding who gets what….that’s the reality. It’s going to happen again.

However small, any measure that helps the NHS, gets my vote,

Our Government has been in charge for 11 years. Instead of training home grown doctors ( it takes 10 years to get a fully trained GP on the ground), they employed staff more cheaply from elsewhere. You know why ? The cabinet is made up of privileged members who have no need of the NHS as they can afford to pay to go private. And they underfunded the NHS. It’s already a two tier system as they have been destroying it by stealth.

I haven’t got enough ugly words for this Government. And don’t bother quoting ‘ hindsight’ to me, either, as I have attended emergency meetings, that all counties are obliged to arrange. The top threat to life was always PANDEMIC.
This government was warned well in advance by the Ebola and SARS outbreaks and then Cygnus. They ignored every single warning. Ugh.
The only rest my dear children get at work at the moment is when they are in a lavatory.
100 Conservative MPs voted against the Governments measures yesterday. It was a vote against the NHS and IMO will accelerate a lockdown.
A mask is a scrap of material and a few minutes inconvenience in a shop. FFS. Wear a mask, get vaccinated and stay at home as much as possible. Please. Every little helps.
I think the NHS staff will need everyone’s prayers during the next couple of months.

He is speaking to the nation at 5pm again tonight. Let's hope he's handing in his resignation, but I very much doubt it

Sylvia. Please thank your children from me for what they are doing. I refused to clap outside for the NHS last year because my neighbours that did so weren’t protecting themselves and others from catching the virus. Yet again, as a family we are doing everything we can to make things easier for our beleaguered NHS workforce. Let’s hope we’re coming to the end of this now because we’re all at the end of our tether I think.

Over 78,000 cases today. I would say the government are under reacting. The link between cases and hospitalisations is weakened but not broken. Then factor in the implications of people being sick or isolating.

Daisymae

Over 78,000 cases today. I would say the government are under reacting. The link between cases and hospitalisations is weakened but not broken. Then factor in the implications of people being sick or isolating.

That is the highest ever number of daily cases recorded in the whole of the pandemic. It is nearly 20,000 more than yesterday. If this continues we could soon be into 100,000 per day...

I'm not panicking. Just not going anywhere...

Government's own figures: 15 Dec 78,610 covid cases cases - up 19% on previous 7 days which in turn was up 12% on prev 7 days. (Source coronavirus.data.gov.uk). No lateral flow tests available for 3 days since PMs announcement on Sunday. NHS website crashes as people try to book booster as no one thought to get the site upgrade in line with the PM 's announcement! Schools closing around the country as teachers and children off in droves. Theatres forced to close as cast test positive for Covid. Quite a few MPs unable to vote on last night's covid sanctions due to testing quaratntine. Over reaction - Mmmm!

My stepdaughter who is an intensive care consultant says that most people in her unit with covid are unvaccinated , she is fed up with these selfish idiots.

His nibs is going to speak shortly---BBC news channel.

He got the number of today's cases out by a factor of 10

Pleased to hear that Labours call for him call for 12 yrs old to get vaccinated has got through.

Elvis58

Sick to death of it all.Sorry you have to learn to live with it.Not hide away while life passes you by.Frightened of every bogeyman virus!

Frightened of every bogeyman virus!

... why do those - like you - who insist we have to "live with it" always have to add a little mocking sneer?

We are living with it! People are going about their normal everyday lives as much as possible whilst taking sensible precautions.

The virus is not an imagined bogeyman. A virus is real - there've been many - Hepatitis, Flu, Smallpox, Measles, Polio - and we've learned to deal with them, as I'm sure we will with this one eventually.

You aren't the only one who is sick to death of it all - most of us are. Some people are probably afraid because they don't understand virology or epidemiology, or their immune systems are compromised, or they are old and alone and the conflicting information, different plans and tiers, is confusing to them.

Showing your dismissive contempt for people who are afraid really doesn't help anyone. We need facts, reliable information, and sensible debate, because it affects us all one way or another.

I've taken all the jabs plus the booster, I'm doing everything to protect myself, I'm not going to worry anymore, follow the CDC recommendations and live my life!

Not for the first time, Prof Chris Witty has produced a chart showing numbers of vaccinated vs unvaccinated people in hospital. I wish these charts would be more widely shown - maybe some of those who still refuse to be vaccinated would take note.
I readily admit to being frightened by the explosion in numbers of cases and being fearful of what increased and alcohol-fuelled indoor mixing over Christmas will do. I for one wish some restrictions would be introduced.

Let's just be aware that the graph he showed was rate per 100,000, not absolute numbers. This can by why people get confused about the actual numbers of people in hospital from each group.