[Boiler]

UK Covid cases rising among those aged 55 and over

Prof Paul Elliott, director of the React study, said the rise was probably driven by factors including the lifting of all Covid legal restrictions in England on 24 February, more mixing between age groups and waning protection from booster shots.

One idea experts are investigating is whether hospitalisation rates are being driven by “unshielding”, where people who have been extremely careful for two years have emerged into a world where infections are still rife.

Another driver is thought to be the BA.2 form of Omicron, a relative of the original BA.1. While BA.2 does not seem to evade immunity any more than BA.1 or cause more severe disease, it spreads faster and increases R by 0.4 compared with BA.1, the Imperial researchers found. “From what we see, BA.2 is more transmissible and may prolong the Omicron wave of the pandemic,” Elliott said. “It’s taking over, so that could explain higher infection rates.”

[Boiler]

I'm not sure what to make of this video. I know a lot of people hang on this chap's every word; he was very much an advocate for vaccines but now seems to be having his doubts, which the anti-vax brigade are now seizing upon. Maybe those more knowledgeable than I, who have a medical background or simply are brighter individuals (not difficult, I know) could view this more wisely than I? Because I am beginning to panic somewhat.

[RedSparrows]

My layman head says 'if this was as dangerous as the anti-vaxx types say, it'd be noticeably worse than COVID. It's not.'

[kreuzberger]

My layman head says 'if this was as dangerous as the anti-vaxx types say, it'd be noticeably worse than COVID. It's not.'

Once again, YouTube remains only good for recently exhumed New York Dolls footage and not much else. Hit it with a hammer.

[Cyclist]

If it's any help, this quote is from someone in Another Place who has had it three times

Gotta say, having had it both pre and post fully boosted. The Vaccine is a bloody marvel!

[Nigredo]

Took all my restraint to not shout at a couple of Romanians I was incidentally drinking with last Friday, for they are of the mindset that COVID is no big deal and shouldn't impinge on their personal freedoms whilst also branding anyone that got an "untried vaccine" as stupid.

Strangely enough they're quite happy complying with construction health & safety regulations and happy that working in the UK is less dangerous than Roamnia.

[Nigredo]

[Boiler]

This is worrying:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-c ... e-60755172

The number of Covid-19 cases has risen again in the east of England with parts of Cambridgeshire having some of the highest rates in the country.

Data for the region saw a 74% increase in the rate of infections from 388 per 100,000 people in the week to 3 March, to 677 in the week to 10 March.

The East Cambridgeshire district saw rates jumping from 491 cases to 937 per 100,000.

[...]

Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge currently has 61 Covid patients, nine of them in intensive care.

But according to Nicola Ayton, chief operating officer for Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Addenbrooke's, at least half had no underlying conditions.

The hospital, which has some 200 staff off due to Covid, said it was making inroads into its backlog of elective surgery.

[satnav]

My wife tested positive today. She was half expecting it because we went to a party last Saturday and one of the guests tested positive on Monday. Luckily I seem to have escaped and my son is negative even though he spent most of the party sat next to the guest who tested positive. I can only assume that all the Guinness he consumed some how provided him with special immunity.

[kreuzberger]

Rooting for you, Sato. Hope things stay remarkably unremarkable.

[Oboogie]

Yep fingers crossed for all three of you Satnav.

[Boiler]

Good thoughts from here to the Satnav household.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Hoping for no news, Sat-San. Digits akimbo.

[Watchman]

Hope symptoms stay on the mild side Mr SatNav

[Boiler]

How are the Satnav household faring?

Elsewhere I read on another forum of someone worthy of con du moment; a barely-literate Scottish Tory with severe MH issues who:

- has a fear of catching Covid but won't get vaccinated because he's afraid of needles:

- in recent posts has apparently contracted it but won't test himself because nasal swabs make him anxious and he won't use the saliva test he's bought in case it confirms he has Covid;

- continues to go to work in a public-facing role but won't wear a mask because they make him anxious;

- craves gigs and travel and constantly looks for places that will accept unvaccinated travellers without question;

- carries on with visiting gigs, unmasked and ill.

Scotland is rapidly turning black on the gov.uk map - that's over 1600 cases per 100,000 people.

[davidjay]

Tory, you say? I'm surprised.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Supermarché aujourd'hui - 100% masked.

[Boiler]

Here in Blighty it has been suggested that any severe measures to counter the BA. 2 spike would now result in civil unrest.

Worldometer seems to suggest that Germany is being hit very hard at the moment.

[Boiler]

The new Covid variant is causing absolute mayhem at work with absences.

But according to the Blond Porcine Cunt, it's all over.

No. It. Fucking. Ain't.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... n-pandemic

The pandemic has changed, but the idea that it is over is false. Omicron represents a major variant, taking over in the UK in a similar way to Delta last summer and Alpha last winter. The ubiquitous narrative that the pandemic is over exists because most people (including the government) now believe at least one of the three big myths of the Omicron age. We need to move past these myths to firstly anticipate the future, and secondly do something to prepare for it.

[satnav]

My wife and son finally tested negative after about 11 days and have now gone back to work but at the school where I work we have loads of staff off at the moment which isn't great with our Year 11's preparing for their exams in just over 6 weeks time.