Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

If I had to call it today, I think we are going back to full lockdown from the start of January latest.

Ours were cancelled the other day.

I wasn't going anyway, but I'm hoping with a cancellation they'll send us out booze or something instead.

Been the case in Norn Ire for a few weeks, the antivax types were out protesting.

Ignoring that a negative LF test is also fine to get access to events.

So get ready for more of that over where you are...

Now really worried I'll miss my folks for another Christmas.

If it's a distraction, it's a poorly thought out one. Introducing restrictions when it's being revealed the government ignored them? Only adding fuel imo

There is going to be a period early in 2022 when there are quite a lot of Omicron cases, such that it will be difficult to remain uninfected and it will likely be difficult to get any kind of medical treatment at a hospital. Be ready.

Ominous.

Even more so considering that only a small minority of Tory MPs support plan B.

Whoah, this threads taken a dark turn.

s'alright I hardly ever ride a fricken bike anyway

You were planning to come over to NI to see them?

AFAIK no plans for restrictions here (yet) but they do ask that people take a test before going as omicron came in via England for one household.

Mine can't come now, NL has placed the UK on the return quarantaine list.

Yes, on 23rd. I'm pretty confident there'll be no restrictions on the trip, it's more the moral quandary.

One for the "Omicron is mild" crew

"All of the hospitals in Tshwane are seeing an upsurge, and the COVID bed occupancy is increasing 30% to 40% per day, over the last few days,”

https://www.voanews.com/a/south-africa-readies-hospitals-as-omicron-variant-drives-new-covid-19-wave-/6340912.html

Not great is it?

Available to mr! (36)

Just managed to book one for myself but Jana (38) still no dice (over 5 months since 2nd jab)

The figures in the report on levels of vaccination in SA population and vax status of those admitted is relevant.

For sure. But still nothing to support, with any level of confidence, the idea that Omicron is mild.

From what I've read, vaccine uptake is low in the worst affect areas but natural immunity (from delta) is very high, anything up to 80%. We are also starting to see tentative small sample size reports that double vax doesn't do much to protect people from infection and that vaccine waning is potentially a big problem.

Its not that I'm arguing that Omicron isn't mild, its more that people saying that it is mild are contributing to a false sense of security at the moment.

I guess if you all have the booster, you wear an FP3 mask (not a cloth mask) while traveling, and stay away from people and do tests before and during, and mask up inside/open the windows just in case you have it, then it's maybe OK?

Of course that's what I would do, but I still am not going to the Christmas party.

Indoor party in a place with no open windows and none of us wearing masks...cha...I just don't see how I can avoid getting it there if anybody has omicron/a nice other strain and left it hanging in the air.

Unless their airco is on ultra high with antiviral cleaning, it's too risky. Then I cannot isolate at home either (no extra room) and then pass it on here, no tx.

But then I am sick and tired of not seeing my parents, so risk mitigation is I guess acceptable for me now, rather than 0 risk. There are no answers that work for everyone there :)

Any recommendations for booking PCR test for visiting parents? I've used Testing for All in the past but they're not opening booking period for when they arrive (22nd December) and not responding to requests via email or Twitter..

I know it's just football (and barely that...) but Spurs have just returned 13 positive tests (8 players, 5 staff).

Feels like we're swiftly heading back into curtailing public events / sports etc.

I'm heading to the football on Saturday and will be taking a lot more precautions.

I'm not going to any games before Christmas. Have pulled out of all social events too. Too many super spreader stories going round at the moment for me and if I caught Covid now, I wouldn't be able to spend Christmas with my Mum.

On that note, happy last day you can catch Covid and finish your isolation before Christmas day day!

if I caught Covid now, I wouldn't be able to spend Christmas with my Mum.

wouldnt you be ok by 25th?

wouldnt you be ok by 25th?

It depends on how long between catching it and testing positive. If you go with the average, no.

The following explains the most optimistic scenario in which a person has symptoms:

Day 1: Exposure
Day 5: Symptoms start
Day 6-16: 10-day self-isolation period (including when you get a Covid test)
Taking the December calendar into consideration, it means that, to be out of self-isolation on Christmas Eve morning, the last day you could be infected is December 8.

Taken from a Sun article, admittedly, but the numbers stack up.

Depends on how long it took before symptoms appeared or you tested positive.

10 full days of isolation ending on (but including) the 24th would mean 1st day of isolation on the 15th, which means getting a positive test result on the 14th.