Remaining Effects of Covid

[Eyersey468]

No, I don't believe for one second Covid changed us except mentally for some people.
To be quite frank we shouldn't have had all these lockdowns as we really gained next to nothing apart from a battered economy, an increase in mental illnesses and deaths from other illnesses that could have been prevented.

I agree the lockdowns were a big mistake with much damage done

 

[najaB]

I agree the lockdowns were a big mistake with much damage done

As with many things in life, it's not what was done but rather how it was done that matters.

 

[E27007]

The high number of excess deaths in developed countriesof Europe / USA/ Australia etc post-covid period has come to the attention of a number of organisations, organisations including the OECD.
Excess deaths being deaths which exceed fluctuations over and above expected numbers, in UK the excess being 100,000 over two years.
To date there are no consensual answers or explanations for the phenomenen, but Covid has not been eliminated.

Links is just two of many articles to be found.

Excess deaths UK -BBC

Excess deaths Australia

 

[Richard Scott]

As with many things in life, it's not what was done but rather how it was done that matters.

No, that's irrelevant. It should never have been done in any way, shape or form. Numerous different countries did it probably in numerous different ways and the outcomes were the same.
That was my feeling at the time and I haven't changed my mind in that.

 

[najaB]

Numerous different countries did it probably in numerous different ways and the outcomes were the same.

Except the outcomes weren't the same.

 

[yorkie]

Except the outcomes weren't the same.

No; outcomes were actually better in Sweden!

But we don't need to go through all this again, surely?

 

[najaB]

But we don't need to go through all this again, surely?

Nope. Which is why I said no more than I did.

 

[Richard Scott]

Except the outcomes weren't the same.

I know we don't want to go through this again but outcomes were pretty much same in all countries with lockdowns. They had to concede eventually they couldn't control the virus. No point going there with death tolls as each country had its own way of counting so comparisons very hard to make.

 

[ainsworth74]

I hope we can all agree we have our opinions on this subject and, four years on and hundreds of posts later across multiple threads, it seems highly unlikely that anyone on this thread is going to change the others mind. Best to move on I think!

 

[brad465]

The BBC reporting covid once more now regarding concerns about a summer wave:

Covid: Is there a summer wave and what are FLiRT variants?

Lots of people seem to have Covid at the moment but what is behind it and is it serious?

www.bbc.co.uk

There is some talk of a "summer Covid wave" at the moment. We all seem to know someone who has had it lately, or a friend who has been off sick.
But have cases really gone up and are there any new variants we should be worried about? What else do we know right now?

Is there a spike in infections?​

Possibly, but it is difficult to tell.
We do know there has been a very small increase in the number of people being admitted to hospital with Covid.
The number went up to 3.31 admissions per 100,000 in the week to 16 June, compared with 2.67 per 100,000 in the previous week.
The largest group of people hospitalised with Covid were those aged 85 and over.
In terms of how many people have Covid and stay at home, it is difficult to say.
We no longer collect national data in the way we used to, as far less testing takes place now.
That means many cases of Covid are not being recorded.
The data, external we do have is based on laboratory tests taken across the country, mostly swabs taken from people in the healthcare system.
According to this data, about one in every 25,000 people had Covid on 26 June.
This may sound a lot but it is a tiny number compared with what we saw at the start of the pandemic. In March 2020, it was one in 13.
However, rates of Covid go up and down throughout the year, without necessarily becoming a cause for concern.
Prof Paul Hunter, an epidemiology expert from the University of East Anglia, told the BBC he did not believe the current Covid rates were concerning.
“I think we're probably seeing about as much infection this year as we were seeing last year - a little bit less, but not hugely less.”
He believes that generally, we are seeing far fewer deaths and far fewer hospitalisations from Covid than last year.

Is there a new Covid variant?​

In recent months, we have seen a new group of variants , externalof Covid emerge, collectively nicknamed as FLiRT.
Among them is the dominant JN1 variant and the KP2 variant. They account for many current Covid cases in England. The KP3 variant, which has driven a rise in cases in the US, has also been identified in the UK in small numbers.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it needed “more data” on the new variants to understand how severe and transmissible they might be.
The agency, which is responsible for public health, also said it was “impossible” to tell at this stage whether these variants were behind the small rise in hospital admissions.
As it does with all new strains, the UKHSA said it would “continue to monitor these variants” in the UK and internationally and would gather more information on how well the vaccines protect people against them.
But the agency said there was no current change to public health advice.
It is normal for a virus to change and mutate and the UKHSA says the healthcare system is still “getting to grips” with the ebb and flow of cases.
Prof Hunter said Covid was now part of life and should not be as alarming as it once was.
He said: “We are all of us going to get repeated Covid infections from births through to death.
"Generally what we've seen is that over the last three years, four years, the severity of illness associated with Covid has gone down a lot.
"Ultimately, it's going to become another cause of the common cold and, for many people, that's what it is now."
He added: “To be honest, you can't really avoid it because it's so common.”

They also mention there's a group of new variants that have together been named FLiRT. What's particularly concerning about this is that these versions of covid are good at tricking you into thinking the threat has passed before it actually has, leading you to remove protective barriers to protect from their danger while it's still coming towards you.

(I'm so getting slaughtered for that one).

 

[renegademaster]

have together been named FLiRT.

Next it will be the Aventra variant that doesn't show symptoms until 10 years after you caught it , only showing up as 2 sneezes per day during peak times

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Next it will be the Aventra variant that doesn't show symptoms until 10 years after you caught it , only showing up as 2 sneezes per day during peak times

That will be followed up by the Arterio variant, which nobody will ever catch...

 

[Blindtraveler]

And we may also see an isolated number of cases of the azuma variant
This high ly unusual strain will result in the sufferer having repeated breakdowns of normal functionality, especially if they live anywhere between York and Redford and May frequently feel claustrophobic and overcrowd you with problems, especially on Sunday afternoons
The net result of all of these symptoms could well result in additional unnecessary expense for the sufferer

 

[Richard Scott]

The BBC reporting covid once more now regarding concerns about a summer wave:

Covid: Is there a summer wave and what are FLiRT variants?

Lots of people seem to have Covid at the moment but what is behind it and is it serious?

www.bbc.co.uk

They also mention there's a group of new variants that have together been named FLiRT. What's particularly concerning about this is that these versions of covid are good at tricking you into thinking the threat has passed before it actually has, leading you to remove protective barriers to protect from their danger while it's still coming towards you.

(I'm so getting slaughtered for that one).

The concerns are probably those of the BBC and a small minority of the population. Everyone else is just getting on with their lives.

 

[Busaholic]

And we may also see an isolated number of cases of the azuma variant
This high ly unusual strain will result in the sufferer having repeated breakdowns of normal functionality, especially if they live anywhere between York and Redford and May frequently feel claustrophobic and overcrowd you with problems, especially on Sunday afternoons
The net result of all of these symptoms could well result in additional unnecessary expense for the sufferer

Very amusing.

 

[ainsworth74]

The concerns are probably those of the BBC and a small minority of the population. Everyone else is just getting on with their lives.

The article seems quite reasonable to me?

It basically asks are we seeing a spike and concludes "maybe but who really knows?" and even quotes a scientist who points out we're probably seeing a similar or even slightly less numbers of infections than last year and lower deaths. The BBC also make the point that the numbers may sound scary in isolation but are nowt compared to the pandemic proper.

It then asks if there's a new varient which is causing an increase and again concludes "maybe but who really knows" before citing a Government agency who says they need more info but ebb and flow is to be expected and no change in the advice is needed. It then cites the same scientist as before who agrees that it's part of life and we'll get infected multiple times over our lives.

Surely that's all good things for the BBC to be reporting? I'm wondering if you read the article?

 

[yorkie]

The BBC reporting covid once more now regarding concerns about a summer wave:

Covid: Is there a summer wave and what are FLiRT variants?

Lots of people seem to have Covid at the moment but what is behind it and is it serious?

www.bbc.co.uk

They also mention there's a group of new variants that have together been named FLiRT. What's particularly concerning about this is that these versions of covid are good at tricking you into thinking the threat has passed before it actually has, leading you to remove protective barriers to protect from their danger while it's still coming towards you.

(I'm so getting slaughtered for that one).

It's actually a good article (for a change!); the professor speaks sense, which the doom-mongers won't like.

We are all going to keep getting reinfected throughout our lives, in common with other similar respiratory viruses; a fact which many people correctly stated or predicted a long time ago, despite bogus claims that the virus was somehow completely unique, or could somehow be eliminated.

Over time it's becoming less and less 'newsworthy' as an ever increasing number of people accept the inevitably of endemic equilibrium.

 

[najaB]

despite bogus claims that the virus was somehow completely unique, or couldn't be eliminated.

Well any claim that it could be eliminated would have been the crank claim, and I don't recall any claims by anyone in a position to command respect claiming that it couldn't be controlled.

 

[yorkie]

Well any claim that it could be eliminated would have been the crank claim,...

True, but some people - who certain media outlets, including the BBC, actually gave credence to - did try to claim that.

and I don't recall any claims by anyone in a position to command respect claiming that it couldn't be controlled.

It was always destined to become endemic.

 

[317 forever]

That will be followed up by the Arterio variant, which nobody will ever catch...

Likewise the Avanti variant. We'll never be able to catch it even if we want to

 

[brad465]

The there's the Cross Country variant, which comes with very loud coughing and is reliant on overpriced medication to treat.

 

[Richard Scott]

The article seems quite reasonable to me?

It basically asks are we seeing a spike and concludes "maybe but who really knows?" and even quotes a scientist who points out we're probably seeing a similar or even slightly less numbers of infections than last year and lower deaths. The BBC also make the point that the numbers may sound scary in isolation but are nowt compared to the pandemic proper.

It then asks if there's a new varient which is causing an increase and again concludes "maybe but who really knows" before citing a Government agency who says they need more info but ebb and flow is to be expected and no change in the advice is needed. It then cites the same scientist as before who agrees that it's part of life and we'll get infected multiple times over our lives.

Surely that's all good things for the BBC to be reporting? I'm wondering if you read the article?

I'll be quite honest and say I didn't but that's because it's not of any interest to myself and, possibly, many others. Was fed up with it in 2020/21.
Was it really newsworthy? Probably not, hence my comment.

 

[route101]

I wonder what it would take for it to become enough for Government to impose restrictions now, if any imposed.

I was on a coach last night and a lady challenged a guy who was coughing and sneezing to get tested and said the guy was putting herself and others at risk. Not seen this behaviour for a long time.

 

[Busaholic]

The article seems quite reasonable to me?

It basically asks are we seeing a spike and concludes "maybe but who really knows?" and even quotes a scientist who points out we're probably seeing a similar or even slightly less numbers of infections than last year and lower deaths. The BBC also make the point that the numbers may sound scary in isolation but are nowt compared to the pandemic proper.

It then asks if there's a new varient which is causing an increase and again concludes "maybe but who really knows" before citing a Government agency who says they need more info but ebb and flow is to be expected and no change in the advice is needed. It then cites the same scientist as before who agrees that it's part of life and we'll get infected multiple times over our lives.

Surely that's all good things for the BBC to be reporting? I'm wondering if you read the article?

I agree. It was entirely balanced and level-headed, just a gentle reminder with all the hype and hysteria flying around in the news about our future governance that covid still lurks and we still need to be aware of sensible advice like washing our hands when necessary. Personally, I am not aware of having had it, and I think I would have known given my age and medical condition, so sincerely hope that state of affairs continues.

 

[najaB]

I wonder what it would take for it to become enough for Government to impose restrictions now, if any imposed.

I'd be surprised if the COVID-19 virus could mutate enough at this point to pose any threat of overwhelming the health system. That said, it is only one of thousands of viruses that have the potential to go pandemic at any point.

So it would take another novel contagious, airborne virus. Might not happen for a century, might happen in three weeks.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Likewise the Avanti variant. We'll never be able to catch it even if we want to

Then the Northern Rail variant. Doable in the week, cancelled on Sundays because England are playing.

 

[Howardh]

If nothing else, COVID meant most public places had hand sanitiser....and still do! So that's good, not just against COVID but against all the ordinary stuff that passes on viruses etc.
Before COVID it was often the case where public loos, pubs etc had no soap at all, let alone sanitiser.

 

[danm14]

I wonder what it would take for it to become enough for Government to impose restrictions now, if any imposed.

I was on a coach last night and a lady challenged a guy who was coughing and sneezing to get tested and said the guy was putting herself and others at risk. Not seen this behaviour for a long time.

There's certainly an uptick in that sort of behaviour recently - and for the first time in at least eighteen months I'm seeing people wearing masks on a regular basis again.

It's certainly still well under 1% doing so, but until recently it's been exceptionally rare to see anyone not visibly of Asian extraction do so in Ireland - every time I've left the house for the past fortnight I've seen at least one person wearing one and often several people.

 

[Russel]

If nothing else, COVID meant most public places had hand sanitiser....and still do! So that's good, not just against COVID but against all the ordinary stuff that passes on viruses etc.
Before COVID it was often the case where public loos, pubs etc had no soap at all, let alone sanitiser.

Opposite of what I've noticed recently, most of the sanitiser statins I've tired to use for a good 12 months have been empty.

 

[nw1]

I was on a coach last night and a lady challenged a guy who was coughing and sneezing to get tested and said the guy was putting herself and others at risk. Not seen this behaviour for a long time.

That is surely a bit unnecessary. We can't live in that sort of environment for all time.

At this time of year, he might have had hay fever, for starters.