Coronavirus (2021) thread

[BlueHammer85]

I love how some are in complete denial about a new variant like this - they pretend it's just a big hoax and nothing to worry about to make themselves feel better.

 

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

EU red listing too

How easy will it be to bypass this by flying to other countries? I would imagine a lot of people will be travelling in the coming weeks with Christmas coming up and will get to their destinations by any means necessary.

 

[grunge]

Rolls Royce share price down 18%. Safran down 7%. FTSE 100 down 3.5%. Euro markets down 3%. Today. Follow the money ....

Also keep an eye on precious metals like gold etc. if they are spiking then the money men are worried.

 

[Tommy_Catons_Perm]

I love how some are in complete denial about a new variant like this - they pretend it's just a big hoax and nothing to worry about to make themselves feel better.

I don't love it. I ask them to explain the reaction of the markets. But they don't understand.

 

[KnaresboroughBlue]

I love how some are in complete denial about a new variant like this - they pretend it's just a big hoax and nothing to worry about to make themselves feel better.

I guess nobody really knows much about it yet. Some will be optimistic and think it won't amount to anything, others will go the other route.

Time will tell.

 

[ell]

I love how some are in complete denial about a new variant like this - they pretend it's just a big hoax and nothing to worry about to make themselves feel better.

But it can go either way just like previous variants cant it? I remember reading about the Lambada one etc and everyone telling us how terrible it was going to be and I've not heard about it for ages now. On the other hand beta (at the time) and delta did pan out quite badly.

Maybe lets just see how this one pans out before declaring it a hoax or the apocolypse.

 

[KnaresboroughBlue]

Hit our highest ever figures again today of 27,000. Population is just over 10 million, so similar to the UK having around 200,000 cases. New restrictions brought in from midnight but too little, too late I suspect.

 

[grunge]

How easy will it be to bypass this by flying to other countries? I would imagine a lot of people will be travelling in the coming weeks with Christmas coming up and will get to their destinations by any means necessary.

Probably as easy as it was before. I guess there is no real way to stop someone flying to somewhere else then buying a ticket to move on from there

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Whilst some people seem to be advocating vaccinating foetuses, and many over 50’s have had 3 jabs, only 6% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa has received 2 shots of any COVID vaccine. In low-income countries, less than 5% have received even one dose. It’s therefore hardly too much of a surprise that avariant are pops up in Africa.

 

[ayrshire_blue]

I'm not going to get too worked up about people bypassing the quarantine by flying via other destinations and 'playing the system'. We have done the right thing by placing SA and neighbouring countries on the red list promptly which will mean quarantine for the vast majority of travellers.

We have almost everyone who can be vaccinated having done so and are slowly but surely getting through the booster campaign.

It was urgent to put India and neighbouring countries on the red list for Delta and we didn't respond. This was critical as the vaccination rollout still had some way to go. Since then it's accelerated somewhat and huge numbers have also been infected.

This time round it's important for different reasons - it's to learn about what impact Nu (as its expected to be called) has on immunity and transmission. Will future boosters be required specifically to target this type of variant? Either way, the current vaccinations and immunity through infection should hopefully still protect against the most serious of disease, then there's the roll of T cells etc too.

Point being, slowing down the spread of Nu is important whilst we learn about it, don't flood it into these shores in too great numbers from the get go. But, it's probably not the time to worry about a few travellers who work their way around it either. It will get here eventually, and if it's as transmissible as they predict it is just a case of delaying the inevitable for now.

We also have to be careful of how this looks to public health authorities in South Africa/Botswana who have identified the variant and been very transparent in an early, timely manner. Is the correct response to ostracise them completely or to work with them whilst still trying to protect our own citizens? Bare in mind, they might think twice about being so timely and transparent with any future variant if the result is hugely negative knock on effects for their country and how they're treated by the rest of the world.