Youâd have to really feel for her. I link in this other point from you because I think itâs related.
How do you respond to each of these points in a covid world? What level of restrictions do either necessitate?
I think myself the UK should have maintained some mitigation measures, masks, some safety measures for pubs or clubs. Is long covid enough of a reason to maintain significant levels of restrictions? No. Would some minor mitigation measures be enough to protect this lady? Probably not. Itâs an impossible balance to strike, I think Ireland and the UK have both gotten wrong at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Variants are obviously a fact of life with viruses but is it true to say that the âbadâ variants, eg UK and Indian, emerge from areas with rampant Covid infections?
Therefore it f we restrict rampant infections we lower the likelihood of future âbadâ variants?
That article is a load of bollox.
The vaccines do work. They are still 93% effective at preventing serious illness/hospitalisation.
It only drops to 64% effective at preventing mild symptoms.
How do you mean powerful spread and powerful mutation. Thatâs not my understanding of how it works anyway. My understanding is that every time it spreads it offers an opportunity to mutate, mutations that make it spread easier will
proliferate. The more spread the more opportunities to mutate.
Look, the western world is going to be all vaccinated long before most of the world because we are selfish fuckers. So weâll all be vaccinated but spread will still be unchecked elsewhere. Whatâs the point in us trying to limit spread because maybe variants will happen when thereâs a huge world out there where they are more likely to happen anyway?
Thus far vaccines work against all variants. If one comes out that overcomes vaccines then they can be tweaked quickly and we top up and go again. Vaccines are the way out, lash them out, get back to normal.
In a post Covid world weâre going to have to get used to masks, social distancing, limits on gatherings especially during winter when health service is stretched.
Any spike in respiratory illness from now on will be a lever to reimpose some restrictions as the equation has been set that restrictions save lives so anything we can do to save lives must be done.
Whether that is a good or bad thing will remain to be seen over next few years but itâs naive to think we wonât have some restrictions used over winters to come as hospitals are strained (as they always are). The level and extent of those restrictions remains to be seen - it might just be masks and distancing or it could be a lot more.
That is not going to happen. We canât have restrictions and businesses closing because the health service canât handle people catching the flu or chest infections. Post Covid there should be a push to sort out the health services rather than impose restrictions on people.
Hospitalisations are rising so we need more restrictions - weâve outdoor dining in tents thatâs really indoor dining. We should probably get rid of intercounty travel as well.
I thought hospitalisations were falling, last I heard there were very few in ICU. He was hoping the vaccine wouldnât work. Heâs been quiet lately. He must be working on some sort of venetian blind type face mask similar to the net-curtain cure he invented for malaria.
