Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Arch Stanton]

Oh goody, we get to hear Tait-Burkard say "vaaaaaar-yints" again.

Edited November 26, 2021 by Arch Stanton

[sparky88]

1 hour ago, Tynie Wickfield said:

The Saffers say that it behaves similar to Alpha strain, has mutations similar to Beta and Gamma variants and has characteristics similar to Delta that make it more transmissible.

Can someone get the bingo card ready for the rhetoric we're likely to hear over the next couple of weeks...

Nicola has her early Christmas present.

[Left Back]

FTSE taking a hammering.  Variant panic everywhere.

[Tynie Nickleby]

Cannot be long until everyone's favourite government adviser, the lying, duplicitous, mental health bashing fantasist, starts screaming for a lockdown again.

Meanwhile feel free to buy my book...

[hk blues]

3 minutes ago, Left Back said:

FTSE taking a hammering.  Variant panic everywhere.

Not just the FTSE - same with the other European exchanges

[Michael W]

Good times for Cadwalladr's band of media personalities. 

£££

[sparky88]

7 minutes ago, Left Back said:

FTSE taking a hammering.  Bargains  everywhere.

FTFY

[Jan Vojáček]

This is why we have to 'cancel Christmas', yes? 

[sailorcowden]

Was getting on a flight earlier, every seat taken and in the queue a woman told my wife and I we were too close to her.

Obviously being a hard man my initial response wasn't sorry but a finely balanced argument about it being ironic she was getting on a packed plane... (it wasn't, I shat it and apologised immediately and took a dramatic step back)

[Tynie Nickleby]

1 minute ago, Jan Vojáček said:

This is why we have to 'cancel Christmas', yes? 

Ah but we can still save Christmas by doing a lateral flow everytime you leave the house and by avoiding all pubs, gyms, sports venues.    We can't close them this time though as we don't have any money but please stay safe and think of Gran this Christmas.

#safexmas

[Abdul_Latif]

Variant uncertainly used as justification for an extended vaccine passport roll out by SG?

Cases going down will be regarded irrelevant, as it’ll be sold as a preventative measure, against a threat we don’t even know the magnitude of.

[Donathan]

We’ve had our fingers burned with Delta so I do think the red listing of any countries where the variant is known to be spreading makes sense for now. If it becomes the dominant variant worldwide then it’ll end up at some point, but makes sense to try and keep it out in the short term.

 

What I don’t want to see is any domestic restrictions brought in when we don’t have any cases of the new variant. 

[Tynie Nickleby]

Just now, Donathan said:

We’ve had our fingers burned with Delta so I do think the red listing of any countries where the variant is known to be spreading makes sense for now. If it becomes the dominant variant worldwide then it’ll end up at some point, but makes sense to try and keep it out in the short term.

 

What I don’t want to see is any domestic restrictions brought in when we don’t have any cases of the new variant. 

In view of the amount flight's coming in from SA and other areas over the last week I'd be astonished if it's not here already.

The vaccines have done superbly so far and I'm sure they will continue to do so irrespective of variant.

Best policy is to get vaccinated and remain as hygienic as possible.  

[Suspect Device]

20 minutes ago, sparky88 said:

FTFY

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Edited November 26, 2021 by Suspect Device

[hk blues]

1 minute ago, Suspect Device said:

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Travel Companies and Airlines - you cannot go wrong!

[Salt n Vinegar]

12 hours ago, deegee said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59424269
 

As quick as that, there’s South Africa and a handful other countries bumped on to the “Red List”. As you say, it’s been a while since “VaRiaNtS” were spoken about.

Does this hellish merry-go-round ever end?

Aye, it is annoying when nature doesn't do what we want. 

[Ron Aldo]

Aye, it is annoying when nature doesn't do what we want. 

Equally annoying when politicians somehow think they can control nature.

[scottsdad]

In the new variant, the thing people focus on is how well it "evades" vaccines. Of the known variants, the Beta (Kent) variant is the most vaccine-resistant. And yet it isn't the dominant strain - Delta is. Delta is more transmissable and has out-competed Beta, even though vaccines are more effective against it.

For any variant of concern there are three things to look at. 

To what extent is it vaccine resistant?

To what extent is it transmissable?

And how does this variant induce illness/death amongst people? 

The last of these three is most important. If this variant is relatively harmless to people (which we do not know) but is more transmissable (which we also do not know) then this is a good thing. Focussing on vaccine resistance is just a way of getting the knickers wet of people like our favourites...

Spoiler

 

 

[101]

45 minutes ago, Tynie Wickfield said:

remain as hygienic as possible

This does seem a major challenge for many of our fellow citizens though.

[Ross.]

27 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

Focussing on vaccine resistance is just a way of getting the knickers wet of people like our favourites...

Yes, but it sells, and that is all that matters.