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Are we being deliberately panicked to stop us seeing what is happening

(90 Posts)
Franbern Tue 14-Dec-21 10:18:19

Yes, I know the pandemic was dreadful. Yes, I know tens of thousands of people lost their lives. Yes, I am extremely grateful to the scientists who produced the vaccine and Yes, I am triple jabbed.

I am horrified at the amount of conspiracy theories around the vaccine which is preventing more people getting their jabs.

However, I am also very disturbed at the amount of mis-information going around about the latest variant to Covid. Think this came at a really good time for our government who were so deep in the mire with their own antics with parties, use of public money for private purposes, billions of pounds of contracts handed out to 'mates' who could not and did not deliver, etc. etc. A wonderful, diversion - just at the right time.

Whilst we are all so worried as to whether they will try to impose a lockdown for Christmas (they will not), and spend hours trying to purchase LFTests, and queueing for more hours for the booster, we really do not have the time of energy to see what is being pushed through parliament, which is going to effect us all for decades to come.

There is so much mis-information around, I got told that well over a hundred children have died in South Africa from the Omicront Covid. Cannot find any actual reporting of that figure and all information I can glean states that whereas it is causing sickness amongst young children, no deaths, and most who are hospitalised come from families that have not had any vaccinations amongst the adults.

This morning on UK BBC tv we were told that there were now 250 people hospitalised with this variant, within less than hour this figure was changed to ten (10)!!! Even the sad death nothing has been given as to age, other health problems, vaccination etc. etc.
ew
Andrew Pfell Boris Johnson must be feel that heaven has come to his aid (once again), to take our minds of the horrific legisilation he is pushing through the Commons, as well as all the lies and corruption taking place in the government. No wonder he feel that he has a 'divine right to rule'.

In the meanwhile, the NHS were not informed before the announcement about all adults getting an appointment for the booster before the end of the year (mind you that appointment is likely to well into 2022).

Also, thousands have been sentenced to death from other illnesses that will either not be diagnosed until too late, or not be treated due this booster programme. Tens of thousands more will have to continue to trying to live with serious and painful medical conditions for which they require operations, etc. But no figures on these are given out daily!!!!

Do think the time has come to stop daily reporting anything to do with Covid and a start to campaigning for lots and lots more money to go to NHS and privatisation of its services stopped

M0nica Tue 14-Dec-21 16:29:14

25Avalon It’s not just Johnson though is it? Scientists are warning us too.

Yes, but which scientists. Yesterday the London School of Tropical Medecine were touting their figures with up to 75,000 deaths was it? Yet their statistics have been consistently alarmist and proven wrong, again and again and again.

The science we are meant to follow changes depending on the message the government it trying to pedal and I am not aware of one scientific source that has been consistently, if not accurate, even in the same ball park.

As I said above, if we do not know the figures for cases, hospitalisations and deaths divided by vaccinated and non-vaccinated, how can we know whether the new variant is really a threat for the vaccinated or just the unvaccinated.

I have just been listening Sir Desmond Swayne addressing the Commons in today's debate. Arch-Right winger that he is, I never thought I would ever have sympathy with anything he said or did, the number of times I have been tempted to throw my shoe at the radio when listening to him, but today I was in almost complete agreement with him.

Alegrias1 Tue 14-Dec-21 16:36:18

Just a bit of defence for the London School of Tropical Medicine.

If I remember correctly their model had an absolute maximum of 75,000 deaths based on no mitigations at all and assumptions about the severity of the virus being equal to that of delta. There were a range of predictions but the one that the press have jumped on is the worst one, of course.

Alegrias1 Tue 14-Dec-21 16:44:20

As I said above, if we do not know the figures for cases, hospitalisations and deaths divided by vaccinated and non-vaccinated, how can we know whether the new variant is really a threat for the vaccinated or just the unvaccinated.

We do know M0nica. I posted it above.

But we won't know the impact of Omicron for a few weeks yet because hospitalisations and deaths are lag indictors.

Shelflife Tue 14-Dec-21 16:48:03

The pandemic is most certainly NOT over ! Franbern you write in the past tense, saying the ' pandemic was dreadful' The pandemic us still dreadful and still very much here!! I am getting out and about but take great care knowing full well we are in the midst of infection!! Please take care and don't assume it's all over - it is not !!!

growstuff Tue 14-Dec-21 16:54:23

Franbern

25Avalon

It’s not just Johnson though is it? Scientists are warning us too. Until time passes and we have more statistics and data better be safe than sorry.

The same scientists who warned us of 100,00 covid cases a day by end of August 2021???

... which there might very well have been if mitigations hadn't been put in place. We'll never know.

growstuff Tue 14-Dec-21 16:56:50

Yes, but which scientists. Yesterday the London School of Tropical Medecine were touting their figures with up to 75,000 deaths was it? Yet their statistics have been consistently alarmist and proven wrong, again and again and again.

But nobody knows how many cases (not deaths) per day there would have been if we hadn't had restrictions. They could have been correct.

Mollygo Tue 14-Dec-21 16:57:36

A lot of the panic is caused by the media headlines.

Oldnproud Tue 14-Dec-21 17:17:36

Pepper59

I am not a scientist but I wondered if the reason for the panic was that they may be concerned a new variant appears from this one. I don't know for sure, it's just a thought. Mind you are South Africa's statistics accurate? It's a country I know nothing about. Perhaps someone in the know could comment. Mind you, if the hospitals become full, especially at this time of year, then that would be a worry. What I don't know is, how dangerous is this Omicrom?

I think that you raise a really important point.

If this highly infectious variant mutates into one that is equally infectious and also has a high death rate, we could really be in the deep stuff!

Alegrias1 Tue 14-Dec-21 17:25:22

Not my area of expertise.

However Omicron did not evolve from Delta. It evolved in parallel from the original coronavirus.

TopsyIrene06 Tue 14-Dec-21 19:38:25

OK Sir Desmond Swayne but you cannot make statements like that because 5 people a day in the UK sadly die in traffic accidents. Official Covid deaths numbers per day is 150.......

Covid is transmitted through the air, road traffic accidents are not.

M0nica Tue 14-Dec-21 20:07:21

Flu is.

JaneJudge Tue 14-Dec-21 20:11:04

That Dr Susan seemed worried and it worried me but I still have 3 days left at work so I am going to pretend I didn't see it

Urmstongran Tue 14-Dec-21 20:30:41

It's kind of sad that I believe South Africa more, much more, than my own government (no disrespect to SA).

Just in the news tonight - S.A. saying Omicron is very much weaker than the Delta variant.

I think we are panicking over here.

Zoejory Tue 14-Dec-21 20:37:38

But it's not just the UK who are putting restrictions in place. Most countries are reacting. Countries in Europe have mandatory vaccination.

So I'm not sure how this can be down to our government over reacting.

M0nica Tue 14-Dec-21 20:42:42

TopsyIrene I am also wating to hear, how many of those going down with omicron are vaccinated and how many are not. Until we have that information and we can see conclusively whether most of those infected are unvaccinated - or not, we can reach no conclusions.

MissAdventure Tue 14-Dec-21 20:45:23

Why are we not being given clear, understandable facts and figures, from an approved source?

Casdon Tue 14-Dec-21 21:00:31

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9E8TJ4AVL0
Over half of Omicron cases were double vaccinated as at a week ago according to Sky News. I can’t find anything more recent.

MissAdventure Tue 14-Dec-21 21:05:55

Not having a cess to the facts leads to speculation, googling, getting the wrong info and perhaps taking it literally, leads to meandering off down the 'conspriracy' route.
We need clear info!

EllanVannin Tue 14-Dec-21 21:08:15

According to the Express nobody has died after contracting the Omicron virus, in South Africa.

Alegrias1 Tue 14-Dec-21 21:10:10

I think we all want nice, clear simple numbers which make things easy to understand. The problem is, such data doesn't exist, at least not yet.

Casdon Tue 14-Dec-21 21:13:15

This is sobering reading regarding the infection risk.
www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/vaccines-appear-weak-blocking-omicron-infection-shots-may-reduce-long-covid-2021-12-13/

Alegrias1 Tue 14-Dec-21 21:34:16

I just found a whole lot of reports with different outcomes to the Reuters report... however I'm no epidemiologist, I don't even have O-grade Biology. So I'm not posting them because I can't defend either side.

We're looking for answers and we just don't know yet.

Casdon Tue 14-Dec-21 21:39:19

Well, I’ve got O level Biology, but that doesn’t qualify me either - although Reuters is usually a pretty reliable source. We’ll have to wait and see.

MissAdventure Tue 14-Dec-21 21:42:27

I have an o level biology, too. smile
Ask me if you want to know anything Alegrias

Alegrias1 Tue 14-Dec-21 21:48:06

The reason I don't have O-grade Biology is that I get woozy at the thought of all those internal organ things. wink And as for dissection ?

But thanks for the offer!