Oblomov

As well as that, the agenda driven BBC, now widely ridiculed and disbelieved where once it was widely admired, makes a sensation of anything and fails to add context - does anyone seriously believe that if almost anywhere did the volume of testing and sequencing that the western and northern European countries did, then they wouldn't find variants and high/increasing rates? One thing is for sure, if this omicron fatality had fit their aims and been younger or healthy or slim, then the BBC would be using this info - BBC needs to be impelled to add context to data and lurid headlines so that populations can make rational assessments of the news. Those of us that have first hand knowledge of wards are aware of what the BBC consistently fails to report.

It certainly seems to be inconsistently processed, and it really shouldn't be, but mine was approved instantly which took me by surprise. Someone did email me to clarify one detail and that was also instant so there is an email in there somewhere that can be used. I suppose we're all at the start of the way we will all travel from now on so only hope it all gets streamlined and improved over time

Agree with you entirely - Some interesting and alarming studies into all sorts of pathogens and even now, it's simply ignored. You're dead right about toxic cities and bad food - on a micro level, during my 25 or so years of living parts of each year on Bali, I've seen the extraordinary, and highly visible, wilful destruction of the island and all the beauty it once had. All that money that poured into Bali, extracted by the super wealthy, that could have built sewage treatment plants and sustainable water supplies,... that level of income is unlikely to return so that chance has now gone. As you rightly say, our toxic cities will have all permanently masked up against viruses and poisonous particles at some point in a future that is looking increasingly like a present. Best wishes fellow beach lover

I don't believe I suggested the immunity would have any great longevity, as immunity wanes whether acquired by natural means or vaccination, but it could be breathing space in which to make planned next steps rather than all this lurching by nations between panic and relative complacency. The world can't function in this way for much longer with the strain on people's lives and ruptures to livelihoods, educations etc .. One thing is for sure, there will be extremely bad outcomes from enforced vaccination and I wouldn't want this division deepened for all our sakes. By shielding the elderly and those that for whatever reason, are most vulnerable, I simply mean giving them the option of the best that medicine can do for them under the circumstances, which at the moment is only a booster of a vaccine that is not entirely designed for the latest variant. Vaccines will never wholly keep up with a mutating virus just as the seasonal flu vaccines is often tweaked in anticipation of mutations. Of course there's barely a person on the planet who actually knows how this will turn out and I don't pretend to know myself but what I wrote was a hope and you have the right to be sceptical, just as others are sceptical of other mindsets. I do feel that individuals can give themselves better chances by better habits associated with health and obesity. It would be interesting as theory was it not for the fact that it is so real for all of us in so many ways. I read a book at least 10 years ago about this present virus and other pathogens (25 known pathogens I think) that seek only human encroachment into habitats to bridge to humans. It's a pity many weren't so diligent about preventing these things rather than this rather hopeless and futile attempt to contain the outbreaks.

The problem with worst case scenarios is that they don't scare people or at least not those they are focused on, as they tie neatly into conspiracy theories - we only have to look at the environmental catastrophe projections that elicit only tiny steps towards compliance towards a global plan to tackle the looming issues. The UK government should have been focusing more on reminding people of the effects to the myriad other treatments neglected and postponed without compliance in preventative measures. It should have also been emphasized more that the platform for some vaccines was a platform use to build vaccines for seasonal flu variants. UK lurched from attempting to terrify everyone to ridiculous initiatives such as 'eat out to help out.' so the message was never coherent or rational. I doubt the Europeans would appreciate the gestapo analogy as surely that would be guns and prison cells. On some passes, including entry to Thailand, one can show proof of vaccination and also proof or recovering from this virus as acceptable so we will have to hope this present variation leaves a mass of natural immunity in it's wake as vaccines can never be tweaked to retain efficacy at the rate variants can potentially spring up. I never thought anything would be debated so vociferously and with such adamant opposition of sides as in the Brexit imbroglio and as equally divisive.

If a highly transmissible variant with a low mortality rate did become dominant, wouldn't it leave the natural anti-bodies in the vast majority that recovered? This night be the only real solution assuming that those that are aged or have compromised immunity from such things as cancer treatments could be effectively shielded or immune systems boosted by vaccines sufficiently. I think most understand it's the sudden exponential increase in infections that is the issue for hospitals and their admissions and from first hand knowledge, I know how hospitals can soon lose the ability to effectively deal with their core function of treating multiple and complex conditions in a wide range of departments. Overall fitness is also compromised by obesity and poor diet and in my opinion, not enough is done to encourage a better natural immune response to any virus of this type by taking a more responsible to one's own health, though I discern an incipient improvement in that.

You hit the nail on the head there - obesity related complications and general lack of fitness make an unremarkable virus potentially lethal for those that don't make an effort at fitness assuming that are not too old or physically unable to do so. There's definitely an incipient move in UK to tackle obesity and fitness issues but it's not enough and it's too late for many, and doesn't seem to matter to some until they get ill. I'm always shocked at the growing obesity in Thai school age children and I read that diabetes is on the rise in Thailand as fast as the junk food that is colonizing the malls. Someone will be a smoker, eat rubbish, 20 + kgs overweight and seem to have no desire to improve his/her chances by addressing any of those things.

What are you talking about ? A new variant does not necessarily follow the same hospitalization trend for many reasons - vaccination and natural anti-bodies after infection - none of that was prevalent with Delta SA is ahead of the European curve so we can glean some positives from there so far Don't simply assume things of this variant that are not yet proven - that's silly

Who have also been wildly wrong on numerous occasions - I'm not disputing the inevitable spread of this globally but it's the panic that is counter productive and senseless. Ramp up precautions until more is known as these variants will be popping up all over the world, probably forever now, so there's got to be a more measured approach or this is life from now on and I don't think anyone wants this much longer.

And you look at the accuracy of their previous 'predictions' also - you have to remember the intention is to ramp up the vaccination program, something I fully agree with, but there are more efficient ways to do this

There is no panic in UK - media would have you believe that but people have simply quietly gone about taking more precautions calmly Apparently, news is trickling out that the deceased and those being badly affected are those that are badly affected by any added condition, as they have myriad and complex pre-existing conditions including obesity related conditions. News outlets fail to add the context to these lurid headlines so some segments of some populations . There is no panic

I can assure you that there is no panic in UK - Johnson's hyperbole is as well known as his inability to tell the truth and he'll be back on the game shows before February The media are egregiously bad in UK and are making a sensation of one death yet news is already trickling out that the deceased was aged with myriad complex and severe health conditions. The idiotic BBC couldn't wait a day to add context to a story as it doesn't fit their agenda

Johnson is the master of hyperbole and not of any great veracity and his so-called 'tidal wave' is speculation at best - there's no doubt that this will be the dominant strain in every country whether it seeps in through porous borders (undetected) or enters through a more regulated border (and is spotted). I certainly believe vaccination boosters will mitigate the worst of this increase but Johnson's language is counter-productive as it's better to administer vaccines in calm and sensible programs and not these panicked measures elicited by scare tactics by that twit. Only the very credulous here automatically believe what Johnson spouts. New variants are rife in countries where a lot of sequencing is done and strangely dormant in countries that don't.

Surely if he was due to be in Thailand for 3 months he had the 60 or 90 day visa - I was required to show £5k in a bank account for this visa Does anyone really spend the last money they have anywhere on a holiday? Close Thai and Indonesian friends I've had for over 20 years and family back in UK know that if I croak in Thailand or Bali then I'll remain there, as to be honest, I'd rather not put anyone through the grim procedure of repatriating a cadaver. I'd imagine a 'global traveller' like this fellow apparently was, would have preferred that too. RIP fellow

Only real option in the region - I'd have preferred to be in my usual winter retreat of Bali but 10 days quarantine makes that unattractive. At least the STV and Pass are easy and processed quickly, once I'd spent a day scanning, converting, re-sizing and merging files for both. Travel is set to be a trial for years and the numbers travelling will largely depend on whether it once more becomes attractive to more people than just those that have to get somewhere for reasons other than a holiday.

Well written and very sensible - we won't know yet but if exposure to this (seemingly) milder variant leads to a natural immunity (even partial), then it could offer a natural step towards a more significant herd immunity, along with vaccines and therapies. Personal health and fitness and being the proper weight would negate the worst of many of the symptoms, so more needs to be done to encourage that. As you say, the higher numbers of cases are found simply in the nations that do the most testing and new variants are found by those that sequence larger samples.

Look up rational and then realism and conflate the meanings How do you get your mask on and off without touching your face and mask? The point is simple - act rationally - masks in enclosed spaces Be realistic - this is with us forever as are variants common to any flu type virus so exactly how much of our lives are we willing to ruin in this irrational response? Not much is said of building natural robust responses and a healthier body that can combat any illness better - reducing clinical obesity - eating more healthily and exercise What on Earth you mean by masks having a positive role is too silly to respond to - I do wear masks in enclosed spaces - triple vaccinated and hygienic - the point was the outdoor masks which is simply not efficacious so therefore not necessary Don't bother replying as you're ignored

I believe I did the Alt Qu (one day) as my country is on the list of approved nations (for now)

Perfect description - masks are absolute theatre - like it. Some science indicates a negative effect with mask wearing with all the additional touching of face, then hands touching everything else. Would we be touching our faces so often without a mask there? No. Never heard of anything so dumb and it simply panders to all those that are terrified of their own shadow - you'd think after nearly 2 years of this insanity, a bit more rational realism would have taken hold. Give me strength

Exactly - no common sense in a lot of these rules - masks outside are useless - mandate mask use in enclosed spaces and places where people converge such as the BTS/MRT and malls etc.. In Bali, the idle and corrupt 'police' stopped my Balinese friend for not wearing his mask doing 50km on his way home from work at night and had his day's wages off him. This world gets dafter by the day

So many Thais from the rest of Thailand work, or once worked, in thriving tourist areas, then send money home to families in the rest of Thailand. I know most of my Thai friends worked or had businesses in tourist areas but would mostly call Isaan or other regions home.

When I was applying it went down to 4 nights/5 days for a brief period as they had close to zero arrivals and no landing slots booked by any intnl airline

Exactly Mike - BBC is egregiously bad and much more concerned with agendas than the real news that affects most our lives. Going forward with this virus, which is forever in some form, we've got to stop attaching horror to every variant and wait until the science is conclusive, then react rationally. Some people are so risk averse now yet life is risk.

I think Thailand has done pretty well - Processed and approved my STV in less than 3 working days. Then the Thailand Pass was almost an instant approval. Of course I had a a day of files to scan, re-size, convert, merge and otherwise fiddle with, prior to the application. I usually spend whole winters on Bali with visits to Thailand but the process for Bali, along with 5 and now 10 days quarantine, made that not just unattractive but very difficult. They make rods for their own backs with their projections but then I don't think even they take them that seriously.

We could do without the media ignoring (or lightly reporting) chaos and destruction caused by lockdowns, yet splashing lurid headlines of X number of X variant found, as if that is an imminent threat of graver concern than anything else. Not much space given to 700,000 citizens missing screening and testing for cancer and other fatal conditions in one country alone, yet another inevitable mutation of a flu/respiratory type virus shouts from every 'news' portal. At some point a rational realism must be the next wave.