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This video is a good introduction to tomorrow’s by-election – politicalbetting.com

124

Comments

  • Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.
  • solarflaresolarflare Posts: 3,705

    Farooq said:

    All this has happened before

    In 2018, Boris Johnson went on a work trip to avoid having to vote for Heathrow expansion. He couldn't vote for it because he'd promised to "lie down in front of the bulldozers" to stop it, and he couldn't vote against it because he was a minister.

    And all this will happen again

    Vote Cylon
    Omicylon
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,660
    Alistair said:

    So, if the Mirror is right the extremely rich Rishi Sunak is in California on business; the state where he met his wife and where he, apparently, owns a home in Santa Monica and has lots of friends there. I'm not sure why this business trip wasn't public knowledge, but it clearly wasn't. Wonder why.

    Could be a problem for Sunak. Whatever one's view of Omicron and what should be done, we are in the middle of another Covid crisis and it's clearly going to have major economic implications for lots of businesses. But the man to decide whether to lend support to hospitality businesses (which are going to lose loads of money whether or not more restrictions are put in place) is on a jolly business trip in California. I'll bet Cyclefree is livid.

    He is on HMG business seeking investment and opportunities to benefit the UK

    We are not in lockdown and any help hospitality may need will only become apparent in the next few weeks when he will be back at his desk
    Hospitality is getting slaughtered. Christmas booking are evaporating. In a few weeks people will be out of business.
    Oh well as long as Tory MPs vote against even minimal measures I am sure all will be fine!
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,368
    Scott_xP said:

    NEW: Senior Tories are braced to lose the North Shropshire by-election tomorrow.

    “We are going to lose” says one.

    Liberal Democrats concur “we think we can do it” but much rests on whether soft Conservative voters flip yellow or decide to stay at home.

    https://www.ft.com/content/8f7a8013-d210-41b1-9b5e-1f740a397c39

    Tory expectation management on steroids.
  • Meanwhile, footage has emerged of Covid scientists modelling the likely growth of Omicron

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qSbYEbtfoY
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,632
    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    Alistair said:

    Foxy said:

    Alistair said:

    We are now doing Sweden with omi.

    Interesting.

    Accelerating cases for a month but until now only a very modest rise in ICU admission/occupancy (until 3 days ago the growth was from 35 patients in ICU with Covid to 50 pateint in ICU with Covid over the last 30 days). But in the last three days they've gone from 50 Covid ICU cases to 80.
    Where is that?
    All of Sweden.

    https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/09f821667ce64bf7be6f9f87457ed9aa
    https://www.icuregswe.org/data--resultat/covid-19-i-svensk-intensivvard/
    Pro-rata that isn't far off our occupancy.
    I dusted off some of my old hospitalisation funnel models today, if Omicron causes 2k people to go to hospital per day as the new baseline as was touted this morning it would result in occupancy of ~17k with the same case severity as Delta.

    I think the government has been negligent in not building spare capacity for two years to handle 20k COVID patients outside of the standard healthcare service provision. If they had we'd be wondering what the fuss is about.
    The problem is staffing rather than physical infrastructure. Surge ICU means theatre go emergency only as staff and anaesthetists get redeployed. Not many are willing to go back again.
  • bigjohnowlsbigjohnowls Posts: 22,660
    Jonathan said:

    Anecdata. All of a sudden CV19 seems on the rise, just today 6 unconnected cases in my immediate circle at work. People feeling very grotty.

    Anecdata Wife's Carers reporting more cases locally than at any point so far.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,926
    MaxPB said:

    pigeon said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    Taz said:
    The big question that AFAIK the media seemed to totally miss, the anti-virals the government ordered. How many do we have, how many are coming very soon, and most importantly how do they plan to get them to vulnerable people, as they need to start taking them as soon as they symptoms.....we can't afford to have people ringing their GP or 111, scheduling some sort of consultation, then a test, .....
    I hope they just pop them in the post.
    Too slow...that could be 24-48hrs before you get them. You need to start taking as soon as you start to become symptomatic. Otherwise the government are just setting light to $1000 a pop.

    That is why I think it is rather an important question.

    If you say people can pick them up from pharmacies, then you are asking infected vulnerable people to go out into the community. Delivery them to their door? Amazon?
    Couriers, then.
    That seems like the only reasonable solution, but as I say I think it is rather a pertinent question to be asking....we don't want a repeat of oh we need to do a 1 million jabs a day, anybody asked all those volunteers we trained up....erhhhhh....wait 2 weeks....shit I think we better write to them.
    Some people will be well enough to go and collect them from a local centre. I did that with my oxymeter, I drove up, it was delivered through the window.
    At the moment, there isn't enough supply for us normal folk, these will be only going to extremely old and vulnerable people.
    They are only approved for those with a couple of risk factors.
    Yes isn't it specifically available only to those people who are heavily immune deficient? Which makes sense as the standard antibody based treatments might not work very well for them. The likes of my wife and I won't be getting them to shift our infections, that's for sure.
    You've tested positive too?
    Yeah this morning, caught it from my B-i-L on Sunday. Think that's why I felt so awful yesterday after my vax. Think it's Omicron, at least judging by the symptoms. Got a PCR test coming in the post.
    Oh dear. Its gonna be everywhere in a week. I shall be sticking to my FFP3, though I think London is a week or so ahead of Leicester with Omicron.

    Hope all get though with minimal illness.
    I think whatever is going to happen is going to be quick. The rate of spread is so rapid, that by mid January it’s going to be over, one way or another. I cannot see a 2020 style lockdown making that much difference.
    We just need to suck it up. Maybe hide the vulnerable. Should only be a few weeks.
    Risk segmentation is only going to be of any conceivable use for those who can hermetically seal themselves off from the rest of humanity. If you're a vulnerable person who lives on their own, doesn't need the personal attention of a caregiver or medical practitioner at any point, isn't forced to go out to work, and can be given a priority grocery delivery slot whenever needed, they might stand a chance.

    Most ex-shielders don't live under that exact set of circumstances, not to mention the fact that a great many of them have had more than enough of locking themselves up at home continuously for months on end and would rather take their chance. What are they meant to do?
    Jab early, jab often. It's the only way out. I fully expect fourth gen 1 doses in March-May for groups 1-9.
    I, too, welcome our big pharma overlords.
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,175
    Pulpstar said:

    tlg86 said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Pulpstar said:

    eek said:

    1 for TSE and others who may care about F1

    https://medium.com/@gwkj1/analysing-the-fia-rulebook-after-the-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-a-lawyers-perspective-571ca3810060

    A lawyers viewpoint on the finale - if you follow the rulebook correctly it isn't good for Red Bull and Max

    You get bad decisions in sports every single day. And sometimes the strict letter of the rules aren't followed. But the results stand. And so they should rather than getting zillions of lawyers involved. This is sport not a contract dispute.
    How many games change the rules 99.9% of the way through a season?
    Are we going to retrospectively award the 1971 league one title to Leeds Utd ?
    Did Leeds get their laces tied in injury time?
    Linesman signalled offside, ref didn't blow whistle. No passive offside in those days

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjZNt7C2Pfw

    Arsenal won the title by a point, which was basically that goal.
    What rubbish:

    https://theguardian.com/sport/2009/apr/18/ray-tinkler-played-advantage-leeds

    See also Ljungberg v Chelsea in the 2002 cup final.
    Linesman wasn't clear was he though!
    No PI (Pass interference) call on the Rams in NFC Champ game with the most blatant PI you'll ever see. That's called and Saints are ~ 90% to go through to the superbowl.
    Play to referee’s whistle.

    That PI non-call was bad.

    But they pale into insignificance compared with what Masi did. His wasn’t a referee all on a foul. He incorrectly applied the regulations. And not just a small error. He got three things wrong:

    Didn’t tell all drivers that lapped cars would go past.

    Only allowed five lapped cars to go past.

    Brought the safety car in a lap early.
  • RobD said:

    Farooq said:

    Covid at Christmas means you can't taste the sprouts.

    Once again, Boris is playing 4D chess. Snap election in January, 60% Conservative vote from a grateful nation.

    I can read between the lines. You want more of this

    I don't think he's had his mojo since Covid.
    The BoJo MoJo SloMo is FoSho
  • AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    Foxy said:

    Alistair said:

    Foxy said:

    Alistair said:

    We are now doing Sweden with omi.

    Interesting.

    Accelerating cases for a month but until now only a very modest rise in ICU admission/occupancy (until 3 days ago the growth was from 35 patients in ICU with Covid to 50 pateint in ICU with Covid over the last 30 days). But in the last three days they've gone from 50 Covid ICU cases to 80.
    Where is that?
    All of Sweden.

    https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/09f821667ce64bf7be6f9f87457ed9aa
    https://www.icuregswe.org/data--resultat/covid-19-i-svensk-intensivvard/
    Pro-rata that isn't far off our occupancy.
    IIRC the Sweden figure does "just" mean ICU, it doesn't necessarily mean ventilated.
  • All my friends testing positive now, sure I am next
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,662
    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    Taz said:
    The big question that AFAIK the media seemed to totally miss, the anti-virals the government ordered. How many do we have, how many are coming very soon, and most importantly how do they plan to get them to vulnerable people, as they need to start taking them as soon as they symptoms.....we can't afford to have people ringing their GP or 111, scheduling some sort of consultation, then a test, .....
    I hope they just pop them in the post.
    Too slow...that could be 24-48hrs before you get them. You need to start taking as soon as you start to become symptomatic. Otherwise the government are just setting light to $1000 a pop.

    That is why I think it is rather an important question.

    If you say people can pick them up from pharmacies, then you are asking infected vulnerable people to go out into the community. Delivery them to their door? Amazon?
    Couriers, then.
    That seems like the only reasonable solution, but as I say I think it is rather a pertinent question to be asking....we don't want a repeat of oh we need to do a 1 million jabs a day, anybody asked all those volunteers we trained up....erhhhhh....wait 2 weeks....shit I think we better write to them.
    Some people will be well enough to go and collect them from a local centre. I did that with my oxymeter, I drove up, it was delivered through the window.
    At the moment, there isn't enough supply for us normal folk, these will be only going to extremely old and vulnerable people.
    They are only approved for those with a couple of risk factors.
    Yes isn't it specifically available only to those people who are heavily immune deficient? Which makes sense as the standard antibody based treatments might not work very well for them. The likes of my wife and I won't be getting them to shift our infections, that's for sure.
    You've tested positive too?
    Yeah this morning, caught it from my B-i-L on Sunday. Think that's why I felt so awful yesterday after my vax. Think it's Omicron, at least judging by the symptoms. Got a PCR test coming in the post.
    Oh dear. Its gonna be everywhere in a week. I shall be sticking to my FFP3, though I think London is a week or so ahead of Leicester with Omicron.

    Hope all get though with minimal illness.
    Supposed to be going to watch Bill Bailey at Bournemouth tomorrow night but Mrs P's getting cold feet. We have got FFP3 masks now following several recommendations on here but have no idea how much protection they offer.

    Really don't want to be isolating over Christmas so tomorrow's show is not ideal timing.

    Damn!
    FFP3 well fitted are pretty safe. It is what is worn in ICU. Ideally eye protection too as there is a possibility of infection via the eyes.
    Thanks - I think we're going to go. Everyone attending has to be vaccinated or tested (in theory) of course and masks to be worn by all, so hopefully it won't be an omicron superspreader event.

    Ironically, the show is called Bill Bailey: En Route to Normal (!)
  • All my friends testing positive now, sure I am next

    Fingers crossed you don't.
  • solarflaresolarflare Posts: 3,705

    RobD said:

    Farooq said:

    Covid at Christmas means you can't taste the sprouts.

    Once again, Boris is playing 4D chess. Snap election in January, 60% Conservative vote from a grateful nation.

    I can read between the lines. You want more of this

    I don't think he's had his mojo since Covid.
    The BoJo MoJo SloMo is FoSho
    In time for Ho-ho-ho
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,188

    All my friends testing positive now, sure I am next

    Is there anyone in London that doesn't have Covid right now ?
  • BlancheLivermoreBlancheLivermore Posts: 5,915
    edited December 2021
    Pulpstar said:

    All my friends testing positive now, sure I am next

    Is there anyone in London that doesn't have Covid right now ?
    LONDOMICRON
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,632

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    Taz said:
    The big question that AFAIK the media seemed to totally miss, the anti-virals the government ordered. How many do we have, how many are coming very soon, and most importantly how do they plan to get them to vulnerable people, as they need to start taking them as soon as they symptoms.....we can't afford to have people ringing their GP or 111, scheduling some sort of consultation, then a test, .....
    I hope they just pop them in the post.
    Too slow...that could be 24-48hrs before you get them. You need to start taking as soon as you start to become symptomatic. Otherwise the government are just setting light to $1000 a pop.

    That is why I think it is rather an important question.

    If you say people can pick them up from pharmacies, then you are asking infected vulnerable people to go out into the community. Delivery them to their door? Amazon?
    Couriers, then.
    That seems like the only reasonable solution, but as I say I think it is rather a pertinent question to be asking....we don't want a repeat of oh we need to do a 1 million jabs a day, anybody asked all those volunteers we trained up....erhhhhh....wait 2 weeks....shit I think we better write to them.
    Some people will be well enough to go and collect them from a local centre. I did that with my oxymeter, I drove up, it was delivered through the window.
    At the moment, there isn't enough supply for us normal folk, these will be only going to extremely old and vulnerable people.
    They are only approved for those with a couple of risk factors.
    Yes isn't it specifically available only to those people who are heavily immune deficient? Which makes sense as the standard antibody based treatments might not work very well for them. The likes of my wife and I won't be getting them to shift our infections, that's for sure.
    You've tested positive too?
    Yeah this morning, caught it from my B-i-L on Sunday. Think that's why I felt so awful yesterday after my vax. Think it's Omicron, at least judging by the symptoms. Got a PCR test coming in the post.
    Oh dear. Its gonna be everywhere in a week. I shall be sticking to my FFP3, though I think London is a week or so ahead of Leicester with Omicron.

    Hope all get though with minimal illness.
    Supposed to be going to watch Bill Bailey at Bournemouth tomorrow night but Mrs P's getting cold feet. We have got FFP3 masks now following several recommendations on here but have no idea how much protection they offer.

    Really don't want to be isolating over Christmas so tomorrow's show is not ideal timing.

    Damn!
    FFP3 well fitted are pretty safe. It is what is worn in ICU. Ideally eye protection too as there is a possibility of infection via the eyes.
    Just ordered several FFP3s for my dash to the shops for supplies every few days for next month.

    If you want to fit test them, ideally need a smoke hood and test chemicals, but probly could self test with something like a scented candle. If you can smell it, it isn't a good fit. Need to be clean shaven for a good seal too.
  • New York reports 12,944 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase since January, of which 5,084 are in New York City
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802
    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    Alistair said:

    Foxy said:

    Alistair said:

    We are now doing Sweden with omi.

    Interesting.

    Accelerating cases for a month but until now only a very modest rise in ICU admission/occupancy (until 3 days ago the growth was from 35 patients in ICU with Covid to 50 pateint in ICU with Covid over the last 30 days). But in the last three days they've gone from 50 Covid ICU cases to 80.
    Where is that?
    All of Sweden.

    https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/09f821667ce64bf7be6f9f87457ed9aa
    https://www.icuregswe.org/data--resultat/covid-19-i-svensk-intensivvard/
    Pro-rata that isn't far off our occupancy.
    I dusted off some of my old hospitalisation funnel models today, if Omicron causes 2k people to go to hospital per day as the new baseline as was touted this morning it would result in occupancy of ~17k with the same case severity as Delta.

    I think the government has been negligent in not building spare capacity for two years to handle 20k COVID patients outside of the standard healthcare service provision. If they had we'd be wondering what the fuss is about.
    The problem is staffing rather than physical infrastructure. Surge ICU means theatre go emergency only as staff and anaesthetists get redeployed. Not many are willing to go back again.
    I think with two years notice we could have made it happen, instead it's been a series of not enough short term and very expensive fixes rather than tackling the underlying issue of the NHS not having the capacity to operate national healthcare and a pandemic at the same time. The solution was to take the pandemic away from the NHS and into some other temporary agency which handles all of the COVID care. Staffing could be resolved by simply not requiring the same ratios in the COVID hospitals and more nurses to doctors, fewer technicians, no need for a lot of equipment other than oxygen delivery.

    A properly thought out strategy would have borne fruit by now, instead the NHS is likely to crumble this winter as it has to make room for an extra 10-12k COVID patients for 3-4 months.
  • pigeonpigeon Posts: 4,839
    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Besides which, the media is very good at finding terrified shielders who have never stopped and have a fit every time they see someone not wearing a mask. No mention at all that some vulnerable people might actually quite like not to spend the rest of their lives at home.
  • Farooq said:

    Scott_xP said:

    NEW: Senior Tories are braced to lose the North Shropshire by-election tomorrow.

    “We are going to lose” says one.

    Liberal Democrats concur “we think we can do it” but much rests on whether soft Conservative voters flip yellow or decide to stay at home.

    https://www.ft.com/content/8f7a8013-d210-41b1-9b5e-1f740a397c39

    I would be astonished if it was not a comfortable win for the lib dems, even a landslide
    Conservatives still odds on
    I don't get why. I think the LDs are good value.

    Governments don't win by-elections, especially when they're mired in shit like this.

    Its a free kicking for a protest, and this lot deserve a protest.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,989
    edited December 2021

    *Betting related post. Major implications*

    Sir Graham Brady has decided he will accept emails asking for a vote of confidence (followed up with a confirmatory phone call) rather than physical letters.

    This means Boris Johnson is much more vulnerable. The Christmas break doesn't give him a firewall.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/12/15/blow-boris-johnson-six-leaders-1922-committee-join-rebellion/

    I think he is more worried about the danger of a hernia lifting his post sack.....
  • MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802

    All my friends testing positive now, sure I am next

    Fingers crossed mate! Think the big Omi is making its way through London's under 40s like an STI at uni halls.
  • Pulpstar said:

    All my friends testing positive now, sure I am next

    Is there anyone in London that doesn't have Covid right now ?
    LONDOMICRON
    LONDONICROM
  • MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    I know nothing but if you can postpone exposure wouldn't that give the vaccine makers a chance to update their virus definition files so you can get vaccinated against this particular strain rather than the old one?
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
    Nah, that doesn't hold water, not after Omicron. It will be around forever.
  • We all know how the story goes now...Boris tests positive....
  • pigeonpigeon Posts: 4,839

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
    Possibly. Until the next variant. And the next. And the next. And the next.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,188
    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
    Nah, that doesn't hold water, not after Omicron. It will be around forever.
    You think it isn't self neutralising enough to prevent it's own reinfection ?
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,523
    pigeon said:



    Frankly, who knows? I'm expecting a lockdown imminently but it does look as though three factors may yet mitigate against it:

    1. Johnson is desperate not to cancel Christmas for political reasons
    2. Johnson thinks it pointless to try to cancel Christmas for practical reasons, i.e. that much of the country will ignore the instruction anyway
    3. Omicron may be so contagious that the boffins suspect that lockdown won't work on it - and they have had to admit this to the Prime Minister in private, even if we haven't been told yet

    I wonder what most people feel about the relative advantage of locking down even if it means not seeing anyone from outside their home at Christmas vs catching the bug of unknown severity? Personally I'd shrug off Christmas dinner in a microsecond but I'm not religious and I won't be spending it with family.
  • Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    Taz said:
    The big question that AFAIK the media seemed to totally miss, the anti-virals the government ordered. How many do we have, how many are coming very soon, and most importantly how do they plan to get them to vulnerable people, as they need to start taking them as soon as they symptoms.....we can't afford to have people ringing their GP or 111, scheduling some sort of consultation, then a test, .....
    I hope they just pop them in the post.
    Too slow...that could be 24-48hrs before you get them. You need to start taking as soon as you start to become symptomatic. Otherwise the government are just setting light to $1000 a pop.

    That is why I think it is rather an important question.

    If you say people can pick them up from pharmacies, then you are asking infected vulnerable people to go out into the community. Delivery them to their door? Amazon?
    Couriers, then.
    That seems like the only reasonable solution, but as I say I think it is rather a pertinent question to be asking....we don't want a repeat of oh we need to do a 1 million jabs a day, anybody asked all those volunteers we trained up....erhhhhh....wait 2 weeks....shit I think we better write to them.
    Some people will be well enough to go and collect them from a local centre. I did that with my oxymeter, I drove up, it was delivered through the window.
    At the moment, there isn't enough supply for us normal folk, these will be only going to extremely old and vulnerable people.
    They are only approved for those with a couple of risk factors.
    Yes isn't it specifically available only to those people who are heavily immune deficient? Which makes sense as the standard antibody based treatments might not work very well for them. The likes of my wife and I won't be getting them to shift our infections, that's for sure.
    You've tested positive too?
    Yeah this morning, caught it from my B-i-L on Sunday. Think that's why I felt so awful yesterday after my vax. Think it's Omicron, at least judging by the symptoms. Got a PCR test coming in the post.
    Oh dear. Its gonna be everywhere in a week. I shall be sticking to my FFP3, though I think London is a week or so ahead of Leicester with Omicron.

    Hope all get though with minimal illness.
    Supposed to be going to watch Bill Bailey at Bournemouth tomorrow night but Mrs P's getting cold feet. We have got FFP3 masks now following several recommendations on here but have no idea how much protection they offer.

    Really don't want to be isolating over Christmas so tomorrow's show is not ideal timing.

    Damn!
    FFP3 well fitted are pretty safe. It is what is worn in ICU. Ideally eye protection too as there is a possibility of infection via the eyes.
    Just ordered several FFP3s for my dash to the shops for supplies every few days for next month.

    If you want to fit test them, ideally need a smoke hood and test chemicals, but probly could self test with something like a scented candle. If you can smell it, it isn't a good fit. Need to be clean shaven for a good seal too.
    Ah, thanks. The tip about shaving is interesting. I wonder how many people know this?
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802
    edited December 2021

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    I know nothing but if you can postpone exposure wouldn't that give the vaccine makers a chance to update their virus definition files so you can get vaccinated against this particular strain rather than the old one?
    That's got them stuck indoors until what, June? The March timeframe is as optimistic as when AZ and Pfizer were promising is September 2020 delivery of their gen 1 vaccines.

    What if we're up to Omega by then? Do they wait another 6 months for that specific vaccine?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,662
    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    Taz said:
    The big question that AFAIK the media seemed to totally miss, the anti-virals the government ordered. How many do we have, how many are coming very soon, and most importantly how do they plan to get them to vulnerable people, as they need to start taking them as soon as they symptoms.....we can't afford to have people ringing their GP or 111, scheduling some sort of consultation, then a test, .....
    I hope they just pop them in the post.
    Too slow...that could be 24-48hrs before you get them. You need to start taking as soon as you start to become symptomatic. Otherwise the government are just setting light to $1000 a pop.

    That is why I think it is rather an important question.

    If you say people can pick them up from pharmacies, then you are asking infected vulnerable people to go out into the community. Delivery them to their door? Amazon?
    Couriers, then.
    That seems like the only reasonable solution, but as I say I think it is rather a pertinent question to be asking....we don't want a repeat of oh we need to do a 1 million jabs a day, anybody asked all those volunteers we trained up....erhhhhh....wait 2 weeks....shit I think we better write to them.
    Some people will be well enough to go and collect them from a local centre. I did that with my oxymeter, I drove up, it was delivered through the window.
    At the moment, there isn't enough supply for us normal folk, these will be only going to extremely old and vulnerable people.
    They are only approved for those with a couple of risk factors.
    Yes isn't it specifically available only to those people who are heavily immune deficient? Which makes sense as the standard antibody based treatments might not work very well for them. The likes of my wife and I won't be getting them to shift our infections, that's for sure.
    You've tested positive too?
    Yeah this morning, caught it from my B-i-L on Sunday. Think that's why I felt so awful yesterday after my vax. Think it's Omicron, at least judging by the symptoms. Got a PCR test coming in the post.
    Oh dear. Its gonna be everywhere in a week. I shall be sticking to my FFP3, though I think London is a week or so ahead of Leicester with Omicron.

    Hope all get though with minimal illness.
    Supposed to be going to watch Bill Bailey at Bournemouth tomorrow night but Mrs P's getting cold feet. We have got FFP3 masks now following several recommendations on here but have no idea how much protection they offer.

    Really don't want to be isolating over Christmas so tomorrow's show is not ideal timing.

    Damn!
    FFP3 well fitted are pretty safe. It is what is worn in ICU. Ideally eye protection too as there is a possibility of infection via the eyes.
    Just ordered several FFP3s for my dash to the shops for supplies every few days for next month.

    If you want to fit test them, ideally need a smoke hood and test chemicals, but probly could self test with something like a scented candle. If you can smell it, it isn't a good fit. Need to be clean shaven for a good seal too.
    Bugger!
  • pigeonpigeon Posts: 4,839

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    I know nothing but if you can postpone exposure wouldn't that give the vaccine makers a chance to update their virus definition files so you can get vaccinated against this particular strain rather than the old one?
    Vaccine manufacturers will probably be able to adapt and reissue tweaked vaccines for each new problem variant at roughly the same speed that the next problem variant after that keeps coming along.
  • Pulpstar said:

    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
    Nah, that doesn't hold water, not after Omicron. It will be around forever.
    You think it isn't self neutralising enough to prevent it's own reinfection ?
    The evidence from the other coronaviruses is you pick one up every couple of years or so. Only causes a cold, so we don't care too much.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,552
    "@SebastianEPayne

    NEW: Senior Tories are braced to lose the North Shropshire by-election tomorrow.

    “We are going to lose” says one.

    Liberal Democrats concur “we think we can do it” but much rests on whether soft Conservative voters flip yellow or decide to stay at home."

    https://twitter.com/SebastianEPayne/status/1471241620452524034
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802
    Pulpstar said:

    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
    Nah, that doesn't hold water, not after Omicron. It will be around forever.
    You think it isn't self neutralising enough to prevent it's own reinfection ?
    Yes and no, I think it or slight variations of it will be infecting us for years. I don't see a scenario where we don't all catch this multiple times, case in point, my wife and I are now on our second infections.
  • MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
    Nah, that doesn't hold water, not after Omicron. It will be around forever.
    Yes, but it will down at endemic levels not today's surge levels. He's not saying the vulnerable will have no risk but that the massive risk is in the next two or three weeks.

  • eil Henderson
    @hendopolis
    ·
    4m
    MAIL: It’s Boris versus the scientists #TomorrowsPapersToday

    Boris being prepared to stand up to the scientists is about the only thing he could do now to start to win me back around.

    But he won't, because he's lost his way. He's acting like a deer in the headlights. Weak, weak, weak but not as weak as the man opposite him.

    What a curse we've got two such weak leaders during a pandemic.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,131
    edited December 2021
    Very strange things going on in London. I have had three friends and relatives, all of very different ages, report exactly the same thing in the last 2 weeks . A week of cold symptoms, then increasing illness for a couple of days, positive tests, leading to them to the very threshold of feeling they're ill enough to be in hospital within a couple of days from then, and then feeling absolutely fine a couple of days later ( ! )

    Very, very odd ; sounding nothing like previous waves ; and possibly a trademark of Omicron.
  • MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
    Nah, that doesn't hold water, not after Omicron. It will be around forever.
    Yes, but it will down at endemic levels not today's surge levels. He's not saying the vulnerable will have no risk but that the massive risk is in the next two or three weeks.

    The vulnerable should have had three jabs by now. That's about all that can be done for them, hope it holds and roll the dice.
  • pigeonpigeon Posts: 4,839

    pigeon said:



    Frankly, who knows? I'm expecting a lockdown imminently but it does look as though three factors may yet mitigate against it:

    1. Johnson is desperate not to cancel Christmas for political reasons
    2. Johnson thinks it pointless to try to cancel Christmas for practical reasons, i.e. that much of the country will ignore the instruction anyway
    3. Omicron may be so contagious that the boffins suspect that lockdown won't work on it - and they have had to admit this to the Prime Minister in private, even if we haven't been told yet

    I wonder what most people feel about the relative advantage of locking down even if it means not seeing anyone from outside their home at Christmas vs catching the bug of unknown severity? Personally I'd shrug off Christmas dinner in a microsecond but I'm not religious and I won't be spending it with family.
    I suspect that some very frightened or not particularly social people would be delighted to bolt the door and hide. Most of the rest of us will, presumably, take the contrary view.

    If you embark down the hide at home route then two cancelled Christmases are probably going to be followed by a whole string of other ones, as variant panics keep happening in recurring cycles over and over and over again.
  • pigeon said:



    Frankly, who knows? I'm expecting a lockdown imminently but it does look as though three factors may yet mitigate against it:

    1. Johnson is desperate not to cancel Christmas for political reasons
    2. Johnson thinks it pointless to try to cancel Christmas for practical reasons, i.e. that much of the country will ignore the instruction anyway
    3. Omicron may be so contagious that the boffins suspect that lockdown won't work on it - and they have had to admit this to the Prime Minister in private, even if we haven't been told yet

    I wonder what most people feel about the relative advantage of locking down even if it means not seeing anyone from outside their home at Christmas vs catching the bug of unknown severity? Personally I'd shrug off Christmas dinner in a microsecond but I'm not religious and I won't be spending it with family.
    I'm thinking my immune system is banging (two jabs, Delta a month ago, booster on Sunday) and now is a good time to catch it
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,188

    Pulpstar said:

    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
    Nah, that doesn't hold water, not after Omicron. It will be around forever.
    You think it isn't self neutralising enough to prevent it's own reinfection ?
    The evidence from the other coronaviruses is you pick one up every couple of years or so. Only causes a cold, so we don't care too much.
    At what point do we ditch the 10 day isolation period, and perhaps replace it with a message not to see your 90 year old nan - isolation is way more of a worry for me than any actual illness right now considering I'm boosted up to the eyeballs, and seem to have swerved delta despite 2 of my colleagues getting it.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,662
    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,552
    How many people usually die each year from the common cold? I've suddenly realised I have no idea what the answer is, and the same is probably true for most people.
  • Andy_JS said:

    "@SebastianEPayne

    NEW: Senior Tories are braced to lose the North Shropshire by-election tomorrow.

    “We are going to lose” says one.

    Liberal Democrats concur “we think we can do it” but much rests on whether soft Conservative voters flip yellow or decide to stay at home."

    https://twitter.com/SebastianEPayne/status/1471241620452524034

    I guess

    LD 45%
    Con 39%
    Lab 9%
    Other 7%

    But we will see what happens
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802
    Pulpstar said:

    Pulpstar said:

    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
    Nah, that doesn't hold water, not after Omicron. It will be around forever.
    You think it isn't self neutralising enough to prevent it's own reinfection ?
    The evidence from the other coronaviruses is you pick one up every couple of years or so. Only causes a cold, so we don't care too much.
    At what point do we ditch the 10 day isolation period, and perhaps replace it with a message not to see your 90 year old nan - isolation is way more of a worry for me than any actual illness right now considering I'm boosted up to the eyeballs, and seem to have swerved delta despite 2 of my colleagues getting it.
    Yes, isolation is the worst bit. Was supposed to go to Shoreditch Grind this evening, was sad to have not gone.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,400
    Really felt worse today. Lost my rag with my partner who has been wonderfully supportive. Have no memory of doing so either.
    Pretty depressing all round.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,400

    Very strange things going on in London. I have had three friends and relatives, all of very different ages, report exactly the same thing in the last 2 weeks . A week of cold symptoms, then increasing illness for a couple of days, positive tests, leading to them to the very threshold of feeling they're ill enough to be in hospital within a couple of days from then, and then feeling absolutely fine a couple of days later ( ! )

    Very, very odd ; sounding nothing like previous waves ; and possibly a trademark of Omicron.

    The week of symptoms before positive test is becoming a running theme.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,131
    edited December 2021
    dixiedean said:

    Really felt worse today. Lost my rag with my partner who has been wonderfully supportive. Have no memory of doing so either.
    Pretty depressing all round.

    Keep the faith - i've now just spoken to my fourth person this week who has reported the same bizarre pattern , of feeling increasingly ill, and so feeling increasingly worried, partly because previous perception and publicity of the development of covid symptoms , and then suddenly feeling much better again.
  • MaxPB said:

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
    I heard a 5 Live presenter say it twice the other day.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802
    dixiedean said:

    Really felt worse today. Lost my rag with my partner who has been wonderfully supportive. Have no memory of doing so either.
    Pretty depressing all round.

    Hopefully the tail end now for you, I remember the first go round for me was pretty rubbish, barely able to walk 10 steps without gasping for air.
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802

    MaxPB said:

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
    I heard a 5 Live presenter say it twice the other day.
    Yes well, 5 Live.
  • MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
    I heard a 5 Live presenter say it twice the other day.
    Yes well, 5 Live.
    They seem to be auditioning for the Drive Time (5-7pm?) slot and they apparently want non-RP women who laugh an awful lot.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,188
    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
    I heard a 5 Live presenter say it twice the other day.
    Yes well, 5 Live.
    5 Live when they discuss the Parkistarn cricket team :D
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,400
    MaxPB said:

    dixiedean said:

    Really felt worse today. Lost my rag with my partner who has been wonderfully supportive. Have no memory of doing so either.
    Pretty depressing all round.

    Hopefully the tail end now for you, I remember the first go round for me was pretty rubbish, barely able to walk 10 steps without gasping for air.
    Cheers.
    Am perfectly able to walk. Went 3 miles on the permitted antibody test posting today. Ran some of the way too. No shortage of breath at all. Desperate fatigue when I got back though. Quick row, apparently, then 2 1/2 hours sleep.
    Omicron is clearly different.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 22,011

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    MaxPB said:

    Foxy said:

    Taz said:
    The big question that AFAIK the media seemed to totally miss, the anti-virals the government ordered. How many do we have, how many are coming very soon, and most importantly how do they plan to get them to vulnerable people, as they need to start taking them as soon as they symptoms.....we can't afford to have people ringing their GP or 111, scheduling some sort of consultation, then a test, .....
    I hope they just pop them in the post.
    Too slow...that could be 24-48hrs before you get them. You need to start taking as soon as you start to become symptomatic. Otherwise the government are just setting light to $1000 a pop.

    That is why I think it is rather an important question.

    If you say people can pick them up from pharmacies, then you are asking infected vulnerable people to go out into the community. Delivery them to their door? Amazon?
    Couriers, then.
    That seems like the only reasonable solution, but as I say I think it is rather a pertinent question to be asking....we don't want a repeat of oh we need to do a 1 million jabs a day, anybody asked all those volunteers we trained up....erhhhhh....wait 2 weeks....shit I think we better write to them.
    Some people will be well enough to go and collect them from a local centre. I did that with my oxymeter, I drove up, it was delivered through the window.
    At the moment, there isn't enough supply for us normal folk, these will be only going to extremely old and vulnerable people.
    They are only approved for those with a couple of risk factors.
    Yes isn't it specifically available only to those people who are heavily immune deficient? Which makes sense as the standard antibody based treatments might not work very well for them. The likes of my wife and I won't be getting them to shift our infections, that's for sure.
    You've tested positive too?
    Yeah this morning, caught it from my B-i-L on Sunday. Think that's why I felt so awful yesterday after my vax. Think it's Omicron, at least judging by the symptoms. Got a PCR test coming in the post.
    Oh dear. Its gonna be everywhere in a week. I shall be sticking to my FFP3, though I think London is a week or so ahead of Leicester with Omicron.

    Hope all get though with minimal illness.
    Supposed to be going to watch Bill Bailey at Bournemouth tomorrow night but Mrs P's getting cold feet. We have got FFP3 masks now following several recommendations on here but have no idea how much protection they offer.

    Really don't want to be isolating over Christmas so tomorrow's show is not ideal timing.

    Damn!
    FFP3 well fitted are pretty safe. It is what is worn in ICU. Ideally eye protection too as there is a possibility of infection via the eyes.
    Just ordered several FFP3s for my dash to the shops for supplies every few days for next month.

    The only time I donned an FFP3 was to get my first jab. Going to the vax centre was the riskiest thing I did this year.
  • YBarddCwscYBarddCwsc Posts: 7,172

    So, if the Mirror is right the extremely rich Rishi Sunak is in California on business; the state where he met his wife and where he, apparently, owns a home in Santa Monica and has lots of friends there. I'm not sure why this business trip wasn't public knowledge, but it clearly wasn't. Wonder why.

    Could be a problem for Sunak. Whatever one's view of Omicron and what should be done, we are in the middle of another Covid crisis and it's clearly going to have major economic implications for lots of businesses. But the man to decide whether to lend support to hospitality businesses (which are going to lose loads of money whether or not more restrictions are put in place) is on a jolly business trip in California. I'll bet Cyclefree is livid.

    Sunak has relatives there. Part of his wife's family are Californian.

    And Cyclefree is always livid about something, in any case.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,188

    So, if the Mirror is right the extremely rich Rishi Sunak is in California on business; the state where he met his wife and where he, apparently, owns a home in Santa Monica and has lots of friends there. I'm not sure why this business trip wasn't public knowledge, but it clearly wasn't. Wonder why.

    Could be a problem for Sunak. Whatever one's view of Omicron and what should be done, we are in the middle of another Covid crisis and it's clearly going to have major economic implications for lots of businesses. But the man to decide whether to lend support to hospitality businesses (which are going to lose loads of money whether or not more restrictions are put in place) is on a jolly business trip in California. I'll bet Cyclefree is livid.

    Sunak has relatives there. Part of his wife's family are Californian.

    And Cyclefree is always livid about something, in any case.
    Sunak's trip isn't a problem, only absolute nerds like us give half a hoot about it.
  • MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
    I heard a 5 Live presenter say it twice the other day.
    Yes well, 5 Live.
    They seem to be auditioning for the Drive Time (5-7pm?) slot and they apparently want non-RP women who laugh an awful lot.
    Alex Scott can't talk proppa - let's have her and Digby Johnson instead of Livesey
  • MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 38,802
    Pulpstar said:

    So, if the Mirror is right the extremely rich Rishi Sunak is in California on business; the state where he met his wife and where he, apparently, owns a home in Santa Monica and has lots of friends there. I'm not sure why this business trip wasn't public knowledge, but it clearly wasn't. Wonder why.

    Could be a problem for Sunak. Whatever one's view of Omicron and what should be done, we are in the middle of another Covid crisis and it's clearly going to have major economic implications for lots of businesses. But the man to decide whether to lend support to hospitality businesses (which are going to lose loads of money whether or not more restrictions are put in place) is on a jolly business trip in California. I'll bet Cyclefree is livid.

    Sunak has relatives there. Part of his wife's family are Californian.

    And Cyclefree is always livid about something, in any case.
    Sunak's trip isn't a problem, only absolute nerds like us give half a hoot about it.
    And if he comes back with a big investment agreement from Google or one of the other valley big techs people talk up his chances again.
  • dixiedeandixiedean Posts: 29,400

    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
    I heard a 5 Live presenter say it twice the other day.
    Yes well, 5 Live.
    They seem to be auditioning for the Drive Time (5-7pm?) slot and they apparently want non-RP women who laugh an awful lot.
    Alex Scott can't talk proppa - let's have her and Digby Johnson instead of Livesey
    Tony Livesey really is terrible.
    How much of his thickness is performative to empathise with his audience I don't know?
    But he sure irritates me.
  • MaxPB said:

    Pulpstar said:

    So, if the Mirror is right the extremely rich Rishi Sunak is in California on business; the state where he met his wife and where he, apparently, owns a home in Santa Monica and has lots of friends there. I'm not sure why this business trip wasn't public knowledge, but it clearly wasn't. Wonder why.

    Could be a problem for Sunak. Whatever one's view of Omicron and what should be done, we are in the middle of another Covid crisis and it's clearly going to have major economic implications for lots of businesses. But the man to decide whether to lend support to hospitality businesses (which are going to lose loads of money whether or not more restrictions are put in place) is on a jolly business trip in California. I'll bet Cyclefree is livid.

    Sunak has relatives there. Part of his wife's family are Californian.

    And Cyclefree is always livid about something, in any case.
    Sunak's trip isn't a problem, only absolute nerds like us give half a hoot about it.
    And if he comes back with a big investment agreement from Google or one of the other valley big techs people talk up his chances again.
    Tech Startup / Investment is still going great guns in the UK.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,989
    edited December 2021
    Covid outbreak at sex offenders prison infects 100 inmates
    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-59676911

    Going to be through the prisons in days.
  • MaxPB said:

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
    I heard a 5 Live presenter say it twice the other day.
    Dr John Campbell calls it Omnichron
  • MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
    I heard a 5 Live presenter say it twice the other day.
    Yes well, 5 Live.
    They seem to be auditioning for the Drive Time (5-7pm?) slot and they apparently want non-RP women who laugh an awful lot.
    Alex Scott can't talk proppa - let's have her and Digby Johnson instead of Livesey
    Priti Patel?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,277
    STOP WORRYING, EVERYONE
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,926

    MaxPB said:

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
    I heard a 5 Live presenter say it twice the other day.
    Dr John Campbell calls it Omnichron
    Aren't those a type of particle in star trek?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,989
    edited December 2021
    Leon said:

    STOP WORRYING, EVERYONE

    Freddie Sayers sits down with Pieter Streicher, who has been following the developments of the Omicron variant in his home country.

    Deep data dive: Is Omicron the end of the pandemic?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWrjX1ty2EU
  • Pulpstar said:

    MaxPB said:

    MaxPB said:

    The way this is spreading it really should be omnicron not omicron.

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/dec/15/why-do-so-many-people-struggle-to-say-omicron

    That must be a US thing, I've not heard anyone, media or real life, say Omnicron.
    I heard a 5 Live presenter say it twice the other day.
    Yes well, 5 Live.
    5 Live when they discuss the Parkistarn cricket team :D
    That is actually the correct pronunciation :lol:
  • pigeon said:

    MaxPB said:

    Andrew Lilico
    @andrew_lilico
    ·
    19m
    Is the govt still not urging vulnerable people to shield until the New Year, & offering financial & material support for them to do so, even after today's cases numbers? I find that unfathomable.

    To what end? It's another one of those how do you stop doing it, Omicron or something like it will be around forever. The moment they come out of hiding the virus will find them, the best bet is to ensure they've had their booster shot and if they haven't send door knockers round to go and give it to them.
    Because, he argues, the surge is so steep, it will decline v rapidly. By the time the vulnerable come out everyone else will have had had it.
    Possibly. Until the next variant. And the next. And the next. And the next.
    Which (as I understand it) are likely to become less and less severe.

    So they will cause fewer hospitalisations and deaths each time

    So we can have fewer restrictions each time (as the chance of overwhelming NHS reduces each time)

    Happy to be educated further!
  • LeonLeon Posts: 55,277
    Fwiw I’m pretty sure I had Omicron 1-2 weeks ago and I have the same waves of fatigue. Quite strange. Will feel absolutely fine for a morning then suddenly fall fast asleep for 2 hours in the arvo. Which I never normally do
  • Leon said:

    Fwiw I’m pretty sure I had Omicron 1-2 weeks ago and I have the same waves of fatigue. Quite strange. Will feel absolutely fine for a morning then suddenly fall fast asleep for 2 hours in the arvo. Which I never normally do

    But you tested negative.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,926

    Leon said:

    Fwiw I’m pretty sure I had Omicron 1-2 weeks ago and I have the same waves of fatigue. Quite strange. Will feel absolutely fine for a morning then suddenly fall fast asleep for 2 hours in the arvo. Which I never normally do

    But you tested negative.
    Stealth OMICRON.
  • Australia's cricket captain Pat Cummins has been named as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case, casting doubt over whether he'll play in the second Ashes Test.
  • Covid outbreak at sex offenders prison infects 100 inmates
    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-59676911

    Going to be through the prisons in days.

    Is it inappropriate to say "Oh dear, how sad, nevermind" again?
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    IshmaelZ said:

    Charles said:

    FPT

    Omnium said:

    ydoethur said:

    Omnium said:

    Philip is the only Johnson fan left

    Not true - I'd count myself as a supporter, despite also thinking he's been entirely useless for months. I'd currently not employ his corpse as a doorstop.

    However.. if he can be arsed to get out of bed one morning then he's still a capable poitician.
    I'm intrigued. Whose corpse would you employ as a doorstop?
    Big money in that you know. Ecorpsefordoorstops.com does a roaring trade. Mummy's are the top sellers (as they last) and most subject to fakery too.
    There is an American friend of mine who seriously tried to source a mummy on the black market so he could source a Victorian-style mummy unwrapping party 😂

    Apparently there is a specific piece of US legislation that bans the purchase of mummies…

    (He was inspired because I had borrowed a mummy from a museum in Mansfield and he happened to be around when it was shipped to my place in London)
    What an utterly creepy piece of shit. Why would you be friends with someone like that?
    Because it lasted about 24 hours before he was distracted by the opportunity to buy a warehouse full of art with uncertain provenance. High end ADHD is never dull…
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,916

    So, if the Mirror is right the extremely rich Rishi Sunak is in California on business; the state where he met his wife and where he, apparently, owns a home in Santa Monica and has lots of friends there. I'm not sure why this business trip wasn't public knowledge, but it clearly wasn't. Wonder why.

    Could be a problem for Sunak. Whatever one's view of Omicron and what should be done, we are in the middle of another Covid crisis and it's clearly going to have major economic implications for lots of businesses. But the man to decide whether to lend support to hospitality businesses (which are going to lose loads of money whether or not more restrictions are put in place) is on a jolly business trip in California. I'll bet Cyclefree is livid.

    Sunak has relatives there. Part of his wife's family are Californian.

    And Cyclefree is always livid about something, in any case.
    There are no lockdowns in the UK or California and no travel restrictions other than negative Covid tests before or after. He is Chancellor so no problem
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,552
    edited December 2021
    Considering the type of seat it is, North Shropshire wasn't particularly pro-Brexit IMO. It was 59% Leave, 41% remain, according to the estimates. 41% may be enough to win the by-election tomorrow incidentally.
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    Omnium said:

    Charles said:

    FPT

    Omnium said:

    ydoethur said:

    Omnium said:

    Philip is the only Johnson fan left

    Not true - I'd count myself as a supporter, despite also thinking he's been entirely useless for months. I'd currently not employ his corpse as a doorstop.

    However.. if he can be arsed to get out of bed one morning then he's still a capable poitician.
    I'm intrigued. Whose corpse would you employ as a doorstop?
    Big money in that you know. Ecorpsefordoorstops.com does a roaring trade. Mummy's are the top sellers (as they last) and most subject to fakery too.
    There is an American friend of mine who seriously tried to source a mummy on the black market so he could source a Victorian-style mummy unwrapping party 😂

    Apparently there is a specific piece of US legislation that bans the purchase of mummies…

    (He was inspired because I had borrowed a mummy from a museum in Mansfield and he happened to be around when it was shipped to my place in London)
    Why did you borrow a mummy? (I know I'm going to regret asking!)
    Covid permitting we open up my London place for a few months each year for an exhibition. I think the mummy was in “cotton to gold” which was an exhibition of the random shit that Victorian industrialists in the north west collected…

    Next January we have an exhibition on Nigerian pottery…
  • CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    Omnium said:

    Charles said:

    FPT

    Omnium said:

    ydoethur said:

    Omnium said:

    Philip is the only Johnson fan left

    Not true - I'd count myself as a supporter, despite also thinking he's been entirely useless for months. I'd currently not employ his corpse as a doorstop.

    However.. if he can be arsed to get out of bed one morning then he's still a capable poitician.
    I'm intrigued. Whose corpse would you employ as a doorstop?
    Big money in that you know. Ecorpsefordoorstops.com does a roaring trade. Mummy's are the top sellers (as they last) and most subject to fakery too.
    There is an American friend of mine who seriously tried to source a mummy on the black market so he could source a Victorian-style mummy unwrapping party 😂

    Apparently there is a specific piece of US legislation that bans the purchase of mummies…

    (He was inspired because I had borrowed a mummy from a museum in Mansfield and he happened to be around when it was shipped to my place in London)
    Why did you borrow a mummy? (I know I'm going to regret asking!)
    As an aside, I sometimes work late at night. It’s an old building with lots of creaking especially on a stormy night.

    Creepy is working in a dark building, with a storm outside and freaking floors… knowing there is a mummy in the next door room @IshmaelZ
  • France reports 65,713 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase on record

    Do you think they may have Omicron?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,989
    edited December 2021
    Professor shabir madhi from SA has said that Omicron might well not be any milder, it is the community immunity that causing the milder reactions among the younger population, resulting in uncoupling of hospitalisations vs cases. Hope that vaccination will have similar effect.

    If you aren't vaxxed, you better pray to your god.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 57,149

    France reports 65,713 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase on record

    Do you think they may have Omicron?

    Everywhere has omicron...

    But what's scary is that the French rise is probably 90% Delta
  • rcs1000 said:

    France reports 65,713 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase on record

    Do you think they may have Omicron?

    Everywhere has omicron...

    But what's scary is that the French rise is probably 90% Delta
    I was obviously joking, but the serious point is do we have any clue about the proportion that is Delta vs Omicron.
  • EndillionEndillion Posts: 4,976

    France reports 65,713 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase on record

    Do you think they may have Omicron?

    There remains the wonderful possibility that next year's Presidential election will be swung because of how similar the current variant sounds to one of the candidate's surnames.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,989
    edited December 2021
    Endillion said:

    France reports 65,713 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase on record

    Do you think they may have Omicron?

    There remains the wonderful possibility that next year's Presidential election will be swung because of how similar the current variant sounds to one of the candidate's surnames.
    I think a bigger concern for Mr Quasi-Effective is if France get absolutely battered again by COVID. They have had 121K deaths so far.
  • EndillionEndillion Posts: 4,976

    Endillion said:

    France reports 65,713 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase on record

    Do you think they may have Omicron?

    There remains the wonderful possibility that next year's Presidential election will be swung because of how similar the current variant sounds to one of the candidate's surnames.
    I think a bigger concern for Mr Quasi-Effective is if France get absolutely battered again by COVID.
    Yeah, I'm saying there might be people who'll hold him personally responsible, because of subconscious association between words that sound similar.
  • Professor shabir madhi from SA has said that Omicron might well not be any milder, it is the community immunity that causing the milder reactions among the younger population, resulting in uncoupling of hospitalisations vs cases. Hope that vaccination will have similar effect.

    If you aren't vaxxed, you better pray to your god.

    Its possible, the acquired immunity of prior infections and vaccines are likely what makes the disease milder rather than the disease evolving per se. Which again is another reason to be very grateful so many [especially antivaxxers] got their natural immunity earlier this year.

    On the other hand wasn't there a report earlier that the disease multiplies more in the nose but less in the lungs which would explain both milder symptoms and faster transmission?
  • Endillion said:

    Endillion said:

    France reports 65,713 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase on record

    Do you think they may have Omicron?

    There remains the wonderful possibility that next year's Presidential election will be swung because of how similar the current variant sounds to one of the candidate's surnames.
    I think a bigger concern for Mr Quasi-Effective is if France get absolutely battered again by COVID.
    Yeah, I'm saying there might be people who'll hold him personally responsible, because of subconscious association between words that sound similar.
    And people wondered why the disease wasn't called Xi which was next in line after skipping Nu because it sounded too much like new.

    Whether Delta or Omicron its been probable for months that much of continental Europe would need to either go back into lockdown or have a winter wave. I suppose the only thing to hope for is that Omicron is actually milder than Delta in which case hopefully that wave while bad might not be as bad for them as it could have been?

    Fingers crossed it could be a blessing in disguise?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 81,989
    edited December 2021

    Professor shabir madhi from SA has said that Omicron might well not be any milder, it is the community immunity that causing the milder reactions among the younger population, resulting in uncoupling of hospitalisations vs cases. Hope that vaccination will have similar effect.

    If you aren't vaxxed, you better pray to your god.

    Its possible, the acquired immunity of prior infections and vaccines are likely what makes the disease milder rather than the disease evolving per se. Which again is another reason to be very grateful so many [especially antivaxxers] got their natural immunity earlier this year.

    On the other hand wasn't there a report earlier that the disease multiplies more in the nose but less in the lungs which would explain both milder symptoms and faster transmission?
    The figures are versus original COVID.

    The lung replication is slowly, but no slowly than Delta. The big "boost" is the massive replication increase in the windpipe, which they say that is probably why it spreads so much faster, as you shed so much virus when you breath out.

    They also stress these measures don't necessarily equate to severity of the disease.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 59,926
    Endillion said:

    Endillion said:

    France reports 65,713 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase on record

    Do you think they may have Omicron?

    There remains the wonderful possibility that next year's Presidential election will be swung because of how similar the current variant sounds to one of the candidate's surnames.
    I think a bigger concern for Mr Quasi-Effective is if France get absolutely battered again by COVID.
    Yeah, I'm saying there might be people who'll hold him personally responsible, because of subconscious association between words that sound similar.
    I've only just now made the Macron -> Omicron connection.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,624
    Talking of Macron, his political views are very flexible.

    image
This discussion has been closed.