i hope it reaches normality before we reach 2000 pages
SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)
- Thread starter Don't Kill Bill
- Start date
i hope it reaches normality before we reach 2000 pages
Paxlovid and that other Monuwatsitsname. The ones in JoJojo's post literally just above mine.
There might be.
It's worth remembering that covid-19 is not the only coronavirus in the world. In fact, 15% of common colds are caused by other kinds of coronavirus. Those other kinds of coronavirus also mutate. But as you'll have experienced yourself, people can generally cope with those mutations because they've retained immunity from similar variants in the past.
What made covid-19 so dangerous was the the lack of pre-existing immunity in the population. But the entire world (pretty much) is going to have some level of immunity quite soon - either from vaccines or from prior infection (with vaccines giving the best long term protection).
For the next variants to continue to cause concern, they'd need to be able to evade that immunity. Two vaccines seemed to be good at that all the way up to the delta wave. Omicron was a bit of a spanner in the works because of how different it was (apparently it emerged after somebody caught delta and the common cold at the same time and the two genomes got merged together). But the fact that 3 shots of a vaccine originally designed to beat alpha has now been proven to also deal with everything from beta to delta to omicron makes me hopeful of our immunities' long term effectiveness against any later variants.
I don't know any of this for sure, of course. Like I said earlier, there must have been a healthy dose of wishful thinking mixed in with my Pfizer. And I'm a glass half full kind of guy.
Did you get a PCR test yet? Just tested positive after taking a lateral flow test been feeling iffy since yesterday.
Will try again tomorrow for a PCR test as nearest one there now was in Antrim 55 miles away and I'm not doing that
I wouldn’t bother with a PCR. Assume you have covid and act accordingly. The test capacity is completely overwhelmed and you’ll learn nothing useful anyway.
Yeah I guess can't believe I got it as I try and be so careful this one must be really contagious.
Hopefully won't feel to bad as I have gotten the booster.
It’s insanely contagious. We’re all gonna catch it soon enough. You’ll be grand, I’m sure.
Thanks for the detailed reply. Hopefully the differences that made Omicrom variant dangerous aren’t as easily repeatable going forward.
I’d love if someone crunched the potential numbers in Ireland. Feels like at the rate it’s currently spreading everyone who can get it will by the end of January! What happens then? Do we let it run riot in the hope that finishes things for good or do we have to do a proper lockdown again first?
Yea got one in omagh on boxing day. Kept checking back every few hours and then they released the following days times. They're filling up fast.
Hope it doesn't get to bad for you.
I think it will run riot like you say, then cases will ease off again and we’ll get through this wave without ever doing “a proper lockdown”. The boosters will do the trick and it’s a less virulent strain anyway. Our hospitals will cope.
I’ve been feeling progressively worse since yesterday. Scratchy throat, mild aches, heavy head. Not sure if I have it or not. Son should have his PCR result tomorrow. I’ve not taken mine yet. He is feeling better and I’m feeling worse. No one else in house is sick.
I’m not sure how but I think he dodged a bullet not catching it from his GF but managed to bring some other crud with him. Unless the tests just aren’t accurate for us for some reason. This will be the 3rd time I’ve had negative tests since this whole thing started last year. Each time I’ve been sick too. First two times I had fever and was knocked on my ass for 3-4 days and I never get sick. I know Covid generally lasts longer so must have been the flu or a bad viral infection.
I’m not sure how but I think he dodged a bullet not catching it from his GF but managed to bring some other crud with him. Unless the tests just aren’t accurate for us for some reason. This will be the 3rd time I’ve had negative tests since this whole thing started last year. Each time I’ve been sick too. First two times I had fever and was knocked on my ass for 3-4 days and I never get sick. I know Covid generally lasts longer so must have been the flu or a bad viral infection.
Who are you and what have you done with Pogue?!?
I hope you’re right, that’s my gut feeling too but my knowledge is far more limited.
It’s been the exact trend in SA, Denmark and now London. The pessimists are determined to keep arguing you can’t assume what happens in one country will happen in another but when the same pattern repeats in three different countries…
I’m finding this current phase really strange. The expert opinions have got more tribal and divided than ever. It actually feels like the loudest voices crying caution don’t actually want the pandemic to end.
There are a lot of people who don’t want Covid to end. The idea of life going back to normal upends a lot of the good things that have come out of the last two years for them like WFH and less social obligations. Not saying that applies to the experts you refer to but it’s definitely a thing. It’s even evident in this thread with people crying out for lockdowns as soon as they see record numbers in the news or what not.
Well, other than my running nose I'm feeling alot better now, Xmas day was the worst though. Cold then hot, constant headache, tiredness followed by the weirdest dream.
I agree with you though I would caution that the only remaining unknown is what happens when cases take off in the older age groups. We didn’t really get that in SA and it started increasing later in the over 60s in London so we should find out what impact that has on hospitalisations in the next few days - this age group had boosters first. However, we have a scientific basis for why it would be less virulent, the data is showing it’s less virulent (no real increase in ITU beds in London, proportion of incidental COVID admissions increasing) and it is displacing delta - I don’t really get the argument for tougher restrictions at this point outside of stopping such a high percentage of the country being off work simultaneously.
Yeah boxing Day was probably the start of it for me should have tested then but I'm diabetic and thought it was a hypo as felt similar headache really tired just couldn't function and slept the day away though bloods were fine which looking back should have tipped me of.
Now it's like a cold just nose constantly running but other than that feel ok.
Hopefully that will stop in a day or two
Could be, or at least this could be the last variant where we decide restrictions are necessary. Beyond this point the virus could weaken sufficiently whilst population immunity reaches a level that means its not worthwhile closing things down anymore.
Already countries like England are practically at this point, and some like Italy are suggesting Covid may no longer require isolation if positive.
I've thought for a while this will do a Spanish flu and disappear/fade away next year.
just took a test and only one line (meaning negative) showing after 10 minutes, i think you need to wait 30 minutes to be sure though
i think its been 7 days since i first tested positive so mildly optimistic it stays negative
edit: ah feck it
i think its been 7 days since i first tested positive so mildly optimistic it stays negative
edit: ah feck it
Oh dear. Still another day closer to the end though, shouldn't be long now.
I can see close contact isolation for fully vaccinated being scrapped entirely by spring
Woke up yesterday morning with a headache so done a lateral flow positive.
Just come back from doing a pcr test I feel like I have a bad cold,I'm double jabbed and boosted so hopefully it doesn't get much worse.
Cannot get lateral flows anywhere my daughter who doesn't live with us went on the government website got a code to collect some from the chemist they've got none.
Just come back from doing a pcr test I feel like I have a bad cold,I'm double jabbed and boosted so hopefully it doesn't get much worse.
Cannot get lateral flows anywhere my daughter who doesn't live with us went on the government website got a code to collect some from the chemist they've got none.
For England, they already have. If you have no symptoms and you're fully vaccinated they just recommend you do LFTs and avoid close contact with other people.
There was a temporary rule in place when Omicron first appeared to try and limit spread but that's gone now. There may still be some rules around contacts returning from abroad that test and trace are using, but those aren't generally applicable.
I think some apps/sites still quote the old advice. This was the 23 Dec update:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coron...reatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/
Antigens it’s 15 mins and no longer than 30 mins or it spoils
hang in there I’m sure it won’t be long
Dunno if it’s the same where you are but the likes of Aldi sell boxes of 5 at the till if you’re stuck
If you're in the UK the gov website is now allowing you order some for delivery. Earlier it was saying none available but is accepting orders.
Didn't know that thanks
Thanks I'll go on there now
Currently in Belgium, and I have to say that I'm very impressed at the rate in which they get your PCR results back to you. I don't know if it's very common this way across the country or even the continent, but for my arrival PCR and Day 7 test, I had both results back within 5 hours. In the UK, we were talking anywhere from 24-48, and in some cases longer. I had a friend who tested positive in October - test on Monday and result on Thursday.
Bit hit and miss the stock but my local got new stock just before Christmas and I got a couple of boxes. Good luck
Id imagine it's down to the volume of testing, on the 24th Belgium tested 66k whereas the UK performed just over 500k. Volume will dictate how quick processing is.
I really feel like we are at the end game now. If we can quell this surge without any strict measures, and hospitals can cope through their busiest months of the year anyway, with such a transmissible variant, we surely must be in good shape. I would say 3 key questions or risks:
1. Can we actually see this wave out without measures? It’s looking positive. But of course not yet confirmed. It seems the biggest issue may no longer be NHS capacity, but rather workforce sickness overall across the board.
2. What will future variants look like? Will they significantly shift community immunity or not.
3. What long term protection do 2x doses + booster give? What will our ongoing vaccination programme look like, and how critical will vaccinations be going forward?
1. Can we actually see this wave out without measures? It’s looking positive. But of course not yet confirmed. It seems the biggest issue may no longer be NHS capacity, but rather workforce sickness overall across the board.
2. What will future variants look like? Will they significantly shift community immunity or not.
3. What long term protection do 2x doses + booster give? What will our ongoing vaccination programme look like, and how critical will vaccinations be going forward?
I think a large part of it is due to them being able to analyse the samples onsite due to the labs being in the same location as the testing area. Again, I'm not sure how true this is over the wider country, but certainly in the city we're currently in. (Hasselt) So, there's no time "wasted" by transporting the samples or having to get them posted off. It's very efficient.
Nah I still have a few days of my original 10 days to run (I'm in Wales so its still 10)
I’m sure there’s a lot of catch up cases but wow, 183K.
Talk us through it.
My colleague has had back to back negatives for 2 days now after testing positive sat sun mon