@punkdoc ... my understanding is that Covid seems more transmissable/worse in winter weather ... I wonder whether the fact that S Africa is having it's summer just now could be the reason that Omicron seems at the moment to be a less seriious illness for many South Africans ... I wondered what your thoughts are on this?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
No doubt that winter makes most respiratory viruses worse.
The other major issue, is that S.A are comparing this peak, with their last one, when virtually no one had been vaccinated. Not surprisingly this one appears less bad.
Hospital admissions there are however now starting to rise steadily.
Finally, as a general rule, I don’t think it is easy to compare populations that are very different in so many ways.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
I'm wondering why it is transmitting so very fast. Is 2m not enough, do masks not work as well for this one or are we just complacent and non-compliant?
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
How can you judge how bad a virus is when the population is partially vaccinated and that vaccine may affect the virus? Won't you only know how bad Omicron is when it hits the unvaccinated population? Couldn't you say that Delta wasn't as bad as the first variant if you looked at hospitalisations and deaths post June compared to pre-June - but Delta was nasty, it was just that by June the vaccination programme had protected the more vulnerable. Going from what they were saying today, it seems that that data - ie how bad Omicron is - won't be known in 'our' environment until after Christmas/beginning of January - which is a bit late for the 'just go out and party' message to be rescinded.
I heard some comment by a politician on the radio,that Whitty should keep his opinions to himself, but I'd rather have Whitty, JVT and Vallance giving their advice rather than the Boris spin. They have been the beacon in all this.
I heartily agree with your last paragraph @steveTu
A large part of the problem over the past nearly two years has been politicians trying to guess how their decisions are going to play out at the ballot box. 😡
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The medics are primarily concerned at just the health issues involved whereas the politicians have to balance the supply issues, the wider implications and the effects on the economy - no easy task at the best of times.
Posts
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
No doubt that winter makes most respiratory viruses worse.
The other major issue, is that S.A are comparing this peak, with their last one, when virtually no one had been vaccinated. Not surprisingly this one appears less bad.
Hospital admissions there are however now starting to rise steadily.
Finally, as a general rule, I don’t think it is easy to compare populations that are very different in so many ways.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
At a guess, I would say, all of the above.
Sorry, no real clue.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/15/omicron-found-to-grow-70-times-faster-than-delta-in-bronchial-tissue
A large part of the problem over the past nearly two years has been politicians trying to guess how their decisions are going to play out at the ballot box. 😡
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.