What would you do for a booster?

[francois]

Over 5 million people have died from Covid, and you don't believe it is a threat?

[goji]

Over 5 million people have died from Covid, and you don't believe it is a threat?

Out of 8 billion people, 5 million is quite small compared with the numbers dying from other causes in the last 2 years. In the UK, from April-October, flu or pneumonia appeared on more death certificates than COVID.

COVID makes a very minor change to our probability of death and might reduce our life expectancy back to something like 2015 levels. Which is far better than 20 years ago. Life expectancy is still way better than living at almost any other point in history.

The problem is not covid, but the irrational response. Governments should abolish all restrictions and allow people to make their own decisions.

[francois]

Out of 8 billion people, 5 million is quite small compared with the numbers dying from other causes in the last 2 years. In the UK, from April-October, flu or pneumonia appeared on more death certificates than COVID.

COVID makes a very minor change to our probability of death and might reduce our life expectancy back to something like 2015 levels. Which is far better than 20 years ago. Life expectancy is still way better than living at almost any other point in history.

The problem is not covid, but the irrational response. Governments should abolish all restrictions and allow people to make their own decisions.

goji, have you been vaccinated against Covid? If so, was it to protect yourself or just to travel to Thailand? In the US, there are locations where hospitals are at capacity treating, mostly unvaccinated patients for Covid, while other critically ill patients have to wait for a bed. Here is a recent article, in the NY Times by an ER doctor detailing how unvaccinated people are filling hospital beds.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/o...sultPosition=1

[goji]

goji, have you been vaccinated against Covid? If so, was it to protect yourself

I was vaccinated at the first possible opportunity and took a booster as soon as possible. I recommend everyone else does so too.
What I don't agree with is continuing restrictions where people have had the chance of a vaccine already.

[vnman]

I was vaccinated at the first possible opportunity and took a booster as soon as possible. I recommend everyone else does so too.
What I don't agree with is continuing restrictions where people have had the chance of a vaccine already.

Too many people are suffering because of those who refuse to get vaccinated. The same people who start crying and say how sorry they are that they didn't get vaccinated when they ended up in the hospital.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...is-nothing-new

[DoubleDutch]

The problem is not covid, but the irrational response. Governments should abolish all restrictions and allow people to make their own decisions.

Speaking of irrational response by governments:

16 Dec 2021.

" France has banned tourists from Britain due to the spread of the Omicron variant in the UK, adding only those with a "compelling reason" to travel will be allowed entry.

From midnight on Friday, people arriving from Britain will be required to show a negative Covid test that is less than 24 hours old, to test again upon arrival and self-isolate for seven days, although that can be reduced to 48 hours if the second test is negative."

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-12-16/...-omicron-surge

[gerefan2]

Speaking of irrational response by governments:

16 Dec 2021.

" France has banned tourists from Britain due to the spread of the Omicron variant in the UK, adding only those with a "compelling reason" to travel will be allowed entry.]

Cases of Covid have risen in the UK at an alarming rate this week. The average number of cases has been about 50,000 per day.
The day before yesterday there were 78339 cases and yesterday thre were 88,376. Cases are expected to reach 100,000 per day very shortly.
I was chatting to a friend the other afternoon for a couple of hours and when he got home he had developed a sore throat and headaches. He tested himself twice and failed the test.. he has since been confirmed infected.
People are really concerned and cancelling Social meetings themselves.
Very unusual for the UK which was beginning to just live with this.

[StevieWonders]

Cases of Covid have risen in the UK at an alarming rate this week. The average number of cases has been about 50,000 per day.
The day before yesterday there were 78339 cases and yesterday thre were 88,376. Cases are expected to reach 100,000 per day very shortly.
I was chatting to a friend the other afternoon for a couple of hours and when he got home he had developed a sore throat and headaches. He tested himself twice and failed the test.. he has since been confirmed infected.
People are really concerned and cancelling Social meetings themselves.
Very unusual for the UK which was beginning to just live with this.

I was particularly pleased to read in The Independent that someone claiming to be the stepson of the only Omicron-related death reported in the UK described his father as an “old man given to conspiracy theories” and (therefore) unvaccinated - what I like to categorise as a “lifestyle choice death”

[Nirish guy]

Cases of Covid have risen in the UK at an alarming rate this week. People are really concerned and cancelling Social meetings themselves.

Yep just as you say it "feels' different this time round as many on social media in the UK now are reporting exactly the same wave of infection washing over them and their friends at an alarming and shocking rate in comparison to the Delta variant. I guess we shouldn't be surprised as that IS exactly what we were told was going to happen, but to see it taking effect so fast is I think what's surprising.

I think people have ( had) perhaps become to normalised with regards to Delta and after being doubled jabbed had fallen into the belief "it wont happen to us now" whereas it seems Omicron now has very different ideas.

My guy and I are meant to be heading out out in Belfast this weekend with a crowd of friends both to a house party and a full on christmas bar crawl weekend and I have to say I'm starting to wonder if that's such a good idea now.

My only saving grace is that where I live is about 2 weeks behind the rest of the UK infection wise so I think i'm going to risk it as one last hurrah for 2021 / Christmas as the way things are shaping up I can see another lockdown, either official or by another name coming in early January (if not before).

in fact just on that I see this morning that both Wales and Southern Ireland governments are meeting to discuss various new measures, they've actually already going ahead in some parts to close nightclubs and theatres again and Ireland are meeting today to discuss closing all bars from 5pm this Monday - the week BEFORE Christmas in ireland ! so that tells you where things are going perhaps here now too :-(

Im guessing all governments would happily have closed everything but decided to give us all the christmas week for a good blow out but even they now are realising that they may not even have the wiggle room to do that re causing infection spread now hence the discussions for more urgent closures.

So all you guys in Thailand talking about bar reopenings and booking flights and what not should perhaps take note of all that and enjoy your time there while you can too as just like before as whatever we're getting now in the UK Thailand is sure to be get shortly again behind us and if Omicron is spreading as many are reporting the numbers infected ( albeit not dying this time hopefully) could still be eye watering :-(

[DoubleDutch]

Yep just as you say it "feels' different this time round as many on social media in the UK now are reporting exactly the same wave of infection washing over them and their friends at an alarming and shocking rate in comparison to the Delta variant. I guess we shouldn't be surprised as that IS exactly what we were told was going to happen, but to see it taking effect so fast is I think what's surprising.

Wait a second, are you guys not vaccinated? Are you not getting booster shots? Because if you are vaccinated, what has changed? I tell you what has changed, recent news coverage. it is media's business, their livelihood, their sole purpose to keep you glued to the news, terrified 24/7. And you fall for it, every time. Have we learned nothing in past 2 years?

Media driven fear and our politicians freaking out, rushing into new restrictions, border closures, in order to make it seem they are doing something, that is the only thing that has changed. You guys still refuse to accept that we will all have this virus at one point, very likely had it already and not even knowing, 99 percent of us not even realizing we had it, that's how 'dangerous' it is. Don't be obese to the point of developing diabetes, and chances are overwhelming that you'll be fine. But you are eagerly swallowing this message of fear, as if is spring 2020 again, back when we did not know anything about the virus, and had no vaccines.

What exactly has happened with new strain? Massive deaths in hospitals, otherwise healthy, not obese people dropping like flies? I must have missed it, I have somehow missed news about hordes of fully vaccinated people dying. I though hospitalization rates is what matters, so why are we counting infection numbers? Infection numbers are impressive, no doubt, they are 'exploding', is the term, I believe. Feels like end of the world, except most people with positive Covid tests had no idea that they were ill at all, because guess what, they are not ill.

We act as if it's spring 2020, when we had no vaccines, death rate speculated to be up to 3 percent or even higher. We now know that if you are otherwise healthy, you won't even realize you may be Covid positive. But this new Omoronic strain has whipped people into frenzy, again. This is almost masochistic desire to feel scared. Media blitz, 24/7 bombardment of 'scary' infection numbers, and we are back to spring 2020. Fact that we are all now fully vaccinated is forgotten.

If you haven't been ill with Covid by now, and you are vaccinated, nothing has changed for you. Turn off news, go out!