New South African variant.

[JimSh]

OK.Back on topic then.
Indie Sage meeting from Friday.
Omicron dominated the whole meeting but specifically from about 6 min to 20 minutes.
Mainly on short term, medium term and longer term extra measures to mitigate the spread.

[Jocko]

So with 3,137 cases of Omicron that is the first people hospitalised as a result. How many will be in hospital when there are 800,000 new cases a day?

[JimSh]

So with 3,137 cases of Omicron that is the first people hospitalised as a result. How many will be in hospital when there are 800,000 new cases a day?

That's what they don't yet know.
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-uk-reports-1-239-additional-omicron-cases-nearly-doubling-previous-daily-high-12494070

[Kremmen]

That's what I was about to say.

So far, reported cases are rising but, at least in my area, deaths are still zero and daily hospital admissions have been about 7 a day for a few months now.

[culzean]

In South Africa they found that Omicron displaced Delta almost completely within 2 weeks, so making the supposition that Delta cases will remain at present level till Christmas ( or as they say zero growth from present level ) is just plain wrong.  To match the steep growth of Omicron there will be an equally steep drop off of Delta.  Vast majority of Omicron cases in SA hospitals did not even know they had covid, they went in for something else, but routine admissions testing picked up covid ( the people did not even have symptoms ) - only then did they become ' a hospitalised covid case' - which is a lot more scary than 'someone in hospital for a broken leg, who just happened to have a positive covid test but have no symptoms'... 

Best to consider Omicron as 'natures free vaccine', with maybe less side effects than the vaccines up to now.

[JimSh]

That's what I was about to say.

So far, reported cases are rising but, at least in my area, deaths are still zero and daily hospital admissions have been about 7 a day for a few months now.

There is a lag between infection and hospitalisation and then a further lag before death. They do not yet know the length of the lags or the percentage which will be serious enough to merit hospitilisation or result in death.
Until they do it is wise to try to reduce the number of infections by reducing contact, wearing masks, and self testing before going out to meet people and by self isolating if you or you family test positive.
This will  gain time to vaccinate more people.

[richardfrost]

In South Africa they found that Omicron displaced Delta almost completely within 2 weeks, so making the supposition that Delta cases will remain at present level till Christmas ( or as they say zero growth from present level ) is just plain wrong.  To match the steep growth of Omicron there will be an equally steep drop off of Delta.  Vast majority of Omicron cases in SA hospitals did not even know they had covid, they went in for something else, but routine admissions testing picked up covid ( the people did not even have symptoms ) - only then did they become ' a hospitalised covid case' - which is a lot more scary than 'someone in hospital for a broken leg, who just happened to have a positive covid test but have no symptoms'... 

Best to consider Omicron as 'natures free vaccine', with maybe less side effects than the vaccines up to now.

Do we know that you can't have Delta and Omicron at the same time? They are different viruses after all. Nature's free vaccine? Never heard som much nonsense to be honest.

[JimSh]

In South Africa they found that Omicron displaced Delta almost completely within 2 weeks, so making the supposition that Delta cases will remain at present level till Christmas ( or as they say zero growth from present level ) is just plain wrong.  To match the steep growth of Omicron there will be an equally steep drop off of Delta.  Vast majority of Omicron cases in SA hospitals did not even know they had covid, they went in for something else, but routine admissions testing picked up covid ( the people did not even have symptoms ) - only then did they become ' a hospitalised covid case' - which is a lot more scary than 'someone in hospital for a broken leg, who just happened to have a positive covid test but have no symptoms'... 

Best to consider Omicron as 'natures free vaccine', with maybe less side effects than the vaccines up to now.

You have to be careful in making comparisons with South Africa.
The population is much younger.
The percentage of people vaccinated is much smaller.
Many have previously been infected with other variants.
Many of the older people have died from Covid and therefore been removed from the people left to be susceptible to omicron.
It would be great if omicron proves to be much less severe but it is known already that irt is much more transmissable.
If it is much less severe   --Great
If it is less severe but much more transmissable the extra transmisabilty will more than make up for the lesser severity.
Until the scientists know how much less severe it is it would be stupid to open the floodgates.

[JimSh]

Do we know that you can't have Delta and Omicron at the same time? They are different viruses after all.

In a few weeks Omicron will outcompete delta but the people who would have been infected with delta will be infected with omicron and additional people  who would have been immune to delta will be infected by omicron.

Edit Sorry I think have misinterpreted your question.
I don't know.
One infection at a time is bad enough.

Second edit. It would appear that you can be infected with two different variants of covid at the same time.
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/yes-you-can-contract-2-coronavirus-strains-at-the-same-time-what-to-know

[nowster]

And now the PM has interrupted the evening TV schedule to announce accelerating the booster programme, so that all adults may have had a booster jab within the next three weeks (ie. before the end of the month).

[Jocko]

Do we know that you can't have Delta and Omicron at the same time?

I heard a virologist, on the BBC news, say it is possible to suffer from both strains at the same time. Add to that a dose of the flu and you would have a "full house"
How many of you have had the flu vaccination?

[culzean]

The reason politicians carry on partying is that they know the truth about the virus, and know the low risk for most people who are not over 70 with existing multiple serious chronic illnesses is very, very low.  Vaccinating kids under 12 and as low as 5 is a sign of the absolute madness that has gripped society...

[ColinB]

The reason politicians carry on partying is that they know the truth about the virus, and know the low risk for most people who are not over 70 with existing multiple serious chronic illnesses is very, very low.  Vaccinating kids under 12 and as low as 5 is a sign of the absolute madness that has gripped society...

Do you really think our elected representatives are  capable of orchestrating a conspiracy like that??

Seriously though, the risk to an individual of death may (or may not) be quite low. But the risk to society of having our health system completely gridlocked by a huge number of COVID patients is much greater. I'd prefer that there's a hospital bed available should I need one. Get vaccinated, get boosted.

[JimSh]

Vaccinating kids under 12 and as low as 5 is a sign of the absolute madness that has gripped society...

Young children will probably be the first to get infected since they are not yet vaccinated.
They wiill only suffer mild infections and probably not require hospitalisation.
They are however likely to pass the infection to older people who will be more susceptible to more serious illness.
This has been seen in S Africa. (children are not at present vaccinated in South Africa.)
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/09/south-africa-omicron-crisis-cases-hospitalizations-and-vaccinations.html
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/covid-19-omicron-children-south-africa-7663643/
This also explains your idea in previous posts that people were going into hospital for something else and then testing positive for covid. Most of these would be unvaccinated children who would show very little in the way of symptoms.
The age profile of covid patients is now rising.
Here are two screenshots from the Indie Sage Meeting on 3/12/21
showing the high prevalence of omicron in under 5s in the early days of omicron.
and how the prevalence of covid varies by age range comparing the figures for May 2021 and November 2021 (omicron)
The omicron variant is much more prevalent than the earlier variant in the younger age groups but the older variant is more prevalent in older age groups.

[JimSh]

And now the PM has interrupted the evening TV schedule to announce accelerating the booster programme, so that all adults may have had a booster jab within the next three weeks (ie. before the end of the month).

Anticipation not Mr Johnson's strong point.
Earlier measures. Distancing, masking, WFH, more testing and isolation would have lessened the need for last minute panic without  significant damage to the economy.
But that's hind sight now.
Best thing we can do now is get boosted although adopting the above measures will help somewhat.