Coronavirus - Strange times

[james2001]

With the headlines about "first UK Omicron patients admitted to hospital" and predictable hysteria, I notice none of the important questions have been answered, or even asked, such as how many have been admitted, how old are they, do they have any health problems, have they been vaccinated, and if so how many doses, how ill are they with it, or are they ill with it at all or just people who tested positive after being admitted for something else?

I have a feeling if these questions were answered, it would seem a lot less alarming than the impression the media's trying to give out. That's certainly been the case when digging into South African Omicron hospitalisations and looking beyond the headline numbers.

[all new Phil]

With the headlines about "first UK Omicron patients admitted to hospital" and predictable hysteria, I notice none of the important questions have been answered, or even asked, such as how many have been admitted, how old are they, do they have any health problems, have they been vaccinated, and if so how many doses, how ill are they with it, or are they ill with it at all or just people who tested positive after being admitted for something else?

I have a feeling if these questions were answered, it would seem a lot less alarming than the impression the media's trying to give out. That's certainly been the case when digging into South African Omicron hospitalisations and looking beyond the headline numbers.

That’s pretty much the angle Kay Burley was going on this morning interviewing Sajid Javid. GB News seem to be critical of other media causing panic too. Maybe you’re watching and reading the wrong media!

[james2001]

And now someone's actually died from it, expect complete over the top hysteria now. Even more so than we've already been having.

Doesn't matter we've been averaging over 100 covid deaths a day for months, this one death is going to be treated like it heralds disaster.

[Pete]

And now someone's actually died from it, expect complete over the top hysteria now. Even more so than we've already been having.

Doesn't matter we've been averaging over 100 covid deaths a day for months, this one death is going to be treated like it heralds disaster.

James I really think you need to step away from the news coal face for a bit. I know its everywhere but I'm worried your getting yourself into a place that's not helpful for your own mental health.

I've certainly found it helpful to keep off twitter, for example, and instead just catch up on Netflix shows I'd been meaning to watch. I recently did a bit of a cut down to just have one streaming service on the go at a time to avoid giving myself too much choice and ending up choosing nothing.

It's christmas, get your booster, veg out, ignore boris.

Also, and I apologise if this has already been asked, but have you tried the "Pete's panicked move when I've gone to Sainsburys and forgot my mask" of just pulling a jumper collar or a snood over your mouth up to the edge of your nose? It's surprisingly effective at reducing the social issues.

[gottago]

And now someone's actually died from it, expect complete over the top hysteria now. Even more so than we've already been having.

Doesn't matter we've been averaging over 100 covid deaths a day for months, this one death is going to be treated like it heralds disaster.

James I really think you need to step away from the news coal face for a bit. I know its everywhere but I'm worried your getting yourself into a place that's not helpful for your own mental health.

I've certainly found it helpful to keep off twitter, for example, and instead just catch up on Netflix shows I'd been meaning to watch. I recently did a bit of a cut down to just have one streaming service on the go at a time to avoid giving myself too much choice and ending up choosing nothing.

It's christmas, get your booster, veg out, ignore boris.

Also, and I apologise if this has already been asked, but have you tried the "Pete's panicked move when I've gone to Sainsburys and forgot my mask" of just pulling a jumper collar or a snood over your mouth up to the edge of your nose? It's surprisingly effective at reducing the social issues.

I second all this. And if you really can't drag yourself away from social media I would suggest unfollowing any Covid related feeds you do have and just following Coronavirus Good News which has been a very helpful tool and has kept me feeling positive about the current situation since the full unlocking this year. The outlook continues to be positive despite what publications that can shout louder suggest. I've just walked past the mother of all queues for the Westfield vaccination site, far bigger than any other time during the vaccine programme, so this booster rollout has the potential to be successful and quick.

As another suggestion re not being able to wear masks, have you tried wearing one of those plastic face shields as well as a lanyard? They're totally ineffective in the spread of covid of course but at least might show and weirdos who do want to shout at you in supermarkets that you've tried to make some effort? It's ridiculous but if it helps give you confidence outside then it's worth it.

[Jonwo]

I second all this. And if you really can't drag yourself away from social media I would suggest unfollowing any Covid related feeds you do have and just following Coronavirus Good News which has been a very helpful tool and has kept me feeling positive about the current situation since the full unlocking this year. The outlook continues to be positive despite what publications that can shout louder suggest. I've just walked past the mother of all queues for the Westfield vaccination site, far bigger than any other time during the vaccine programme, so this booster rollout has the potential to be successful and quick.

As another suggestion re not being able to wear masks, have you tried wearing one of those plastic face shields as well as a lanyard? They're totally ineffective in the spread of covid of course but at least might show and weirdos who do want to shout at you in supermarkets that you've tried to make some effort? It's ridiculous but if it helps give you confidence outside then it's worth it.

As useful as it is to follow the science, I think it'd be better for the general public and indeed scientists themselves to stay off social media, it's doing more harm than good.

One thing that is being neglected by both the politicians and the media is the arrival of new treatments in the next few months, they won't end the pandemic overnight but it will ease the burden and change the way we handle the virus.

[cwathen]

Also totally agree that militant mask wearers are the rudest. I work in hospitality and the most aggro we’ve had has been from people who think we should be confronting anyone not wearing a mask. I suspect these same people are also very vocal #BeKind types.

The most eye opening was during the period where masks weren't mandated, but many of them were still getting angry and harrassing and insulting people even though they weren't actually doing anything wrong. By that point it seemed to be a way of them showing off how more "moral" and "caring" they were than the non-mask wearers rather than really thinking about public health per se- I don't like the term "virtue signalling", but it's hard to think of a better one.

Believe me I do understand that anxiety will take you to places that your head won't necessarily let you come back from again easily, but FWIW I do think you'll find your mask exemption treated much differently this time. There may well be mass compliance with the mask mandate, but compliance is very different to being a signed up mask obsessive. If that many people actually were bothered about masks then voluntary wearing wouldn't have progressively dropped between July and November to the point that (where I am anyway) it wasn't even anywhere near a majority and as such it is far more likely than not that the masked up people you encounter will simply be doing it because it has been mandated rather than be remotely bothered about whether or not you are wearing one - if they even notice.

I am also seeing a very different approach in terms of how it is being encouraged/enforced this time. It is clear (as it has always been actually) that the only duty on settings where the mandate applies is to make people reasonably aware of it, and if someone isn't wearing a mask when they should be, that is their problem, not that of the setting and therefore not something they need to get involved in. Unlike last time, all settings this time seem to have taken a light-touch policy of doing the minimal intervention they can get away with and as such this time there are no shops or public transport situation I've yet seen which have done anything other than display signage.

Certainly not like when the first mandate was introduced in July 2020 and many settings were actively 'reminding' people of the mandate and challenging people not wearing a mask which I can appreciate would be distressing if you have a genuine exemption but were treated as if you'd done something wrong. This also would have been where a lot of the types who would take it upon themselves to become mask police would have drawn their perceived moral authority to do so from. If they're not seeing this on the ground they will feel less comfortable to actually do anything and will retreat to being keyboard warriors on the subject.

I really believe you will find it far less likely to have any negative experience over not wearing a mask this time than last, and certainly if you did I am convinced someone would intervene to help.

[stu]

If you use it, a good tip is to mute any word to do with it on Twitter (along with any other annoying topic that takes your fancy)

It's a bit burying your head in the sand but who cares!

[Jonwo]

I've been reading about the vaccine from GSK and Medicago and I'm impressed that you can make a vaccine from plants.

[cheese2286]

Covid briefings: a haiku

Boris jibbering
'Next slide please' says Chris Whitty
Jonathan Van Tam

[Martin Phillp]

After the panicking over booster bookings last week where I could only get an appointment on New Year's Eve, my appointment has been bumped up to Wednesday at a closer location to home, so it does appear the NHS are being given the tools to bump up appointments before the end of the month.