JonnyF

The key word being "IF" Omicron is like Delta. All early indications are that is NOT like Delta.

That is true. But given how long Omicron has been in South Africa (well over a month) and the incredible rise in cases, the number of deaths remaining low suggests that it is far less deadly, as has also been seen in the UK with only one death "with" Omicron and none (as of yesterday) "from" Omicron.

I highly doubt she was singled out because she was Asian. Much more likely is because she was an easy target and probably quite attractive. Which for some perv looking to rob and molest someone is just about as good as it gets. I don't know why race has to be brought into absolutely everything these days. Identity politics rearing it's ugly head again. This is a case of man attacks woman. Not black man attacks Asian woman. I bet if there was a young, attractive white girl, or Latino girl alone on the subway then the result would have been the same. I highly doubt he was thinking "yeah this is revenge for Covid" when he did this.

Much as it pains me to say it, United look like they've finally made a good decision replacing Ole with Rangnick. I guess even a broken clock is correct twice a day. Should be a decent battle for fourth between Utd, Arsenal, Spurs and maybe even West Ham. The top 3 look like they're in a different league so it's still a long way before titles can be considered but if they get rid of the dead wood (Mata, Matic etc.) and the dancing Twitterati (Pogba, Lingard etc.) and sign some good young players with the right attitude they could maybe have a run at it in the 23-24 season.

In a largely unvaccinated population where the number cases are absolutely skyrocketing (from 17,000 to around 200,000 in 4 weeks). Simply, cases are doing this. And deaths are doing this. It's clearly far less deadly.

A one day spike? Big deal. Trend is down, massively down. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-africa/

In a largely unvaccinated population. Still, one day doesn't really prove anything anyway. In May this year for example, the death figures for 3 days in a row were 90, 311, then 47. It's all over the place. 27 to 54 in one day is not unusual. In November it was 114 one day (25th) and 12 the next day (26th). You can't draw conclusions from a one day spike or drop or on 26th November you'd have concluded it was heading for zero. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-africa/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/15/londoners-with-cold-symptoms-more-likely-to-have-covid-expert-omicron

Omicron is coming to Thailand and there is nothing anyone can do about it. They could delay it by locking down the borders for a year or so, but even then it would get in via illegal border crossings. Of course, when the number of tests done per day in Thailand is lower than the number of cases per day in the UK, we'll probably never know bad it gets here. Fortunately it has symptoms akin to a mild cold. Let's hope the official numbers keep falling and restrictions are sensible/minimal so we can all get on with our lives.

Well 29 minutes ago you were criticizing the decision to allow people to travel. Doesn't sound like a great supporter of individual freedoms to me.

Because you call for ever more tightening of restrictions and lockdowns at the mere mention of a new, milder variant. So the logical conclusion to draw from this is that individual liberty, freedom and personal choice are not particularly important to you.

You missed the point. I am saying I know why the government is not releasing the details. If it fit their agenda, they'd obviously have released the details already and the likes of the BBC/Sky would pounce on it and hype everyone up into another frenzied panic. And yet they haven't. I wonder why? It's a real tough one to work out, I'm literally scratching my chin ????.

I'm saying let's wait and see if the number of hospitalizations rise. I don't believe they will. Not just lock everyone in their homes, destroying businesses, education, mental health and then find out it was all for no reason.

I think JP Morgan might be right. I also think that is why governments are hyping up Omicron as being worse than it is. They need a few more months to get through their various policies and agendas.

Well, a vaccine company talking up the effectiveness of more vaccines probably isn't a huge shocker. Maybe 3 is better than 2. Maybe 10 is better than 9. But neither statement is enough to justify another lockdown due to a new, milder variant. Agree on the vitamin supplements though. I take a Centrum most days. Weight loss is also effective.

They aren't really. 2 recent jabs should be enough, plus a lot of people have natural immunity from contracting Covid and recovering. It's just another dangling carrot. The thin end of the wedge. "Just one more and it will be all be over, trust me". A bit like 3 weeks to flatten the curve turning into months and months of lockdown. Testing for antibodies would be a better way forward. But a lot of people are making a lot of money from this. Others enjoy the control it gives them and it allows things like vaccine passports to be pushed through. I wouldn't be expecting this train to stop for a while. Never let a good crisis go to waste.

No evidence for that happening. Omicron has mild symptoms that requires a low % of people to need hospitalization. If they start getting swamped, review it at that point in time. Don't lock down when things are perfectly manageable. The restrictions would cause more harm than good if it's done too early. The "cure" would cause more harm than the disease. The sky isn't falling just because a new, mild variant has been found. Like I said, if you're scared then you are free to lock yourself down. The rest of us are happy to get on with our lives taking whatever precautions we deem necessary.

Vaccinations.

No need to be a drama queen. Omicron has very mild symptoms. Isolating at home will be fine for most.

Well that's their personal choice isn't it. I've got mine booked for next month. But frankly, if the first 2 jabs weren't the way out of this then I am doubtful that the 3rd will miraculously change everything. What gets us out of this is for people to grow a pair, get the jab (if they wish) and then get on with life. If you wish to hide behind the sofa for a couple more years, I certainly won't be objecting.

Ignore my previous comment, I don't think Philosophy is really your bag. First lockdowns were the answer, but they didn't work since they really just destroyed the economy and livelihoods and Covid remained. Then vaccines were the way out of this (and I believe they are since they reduce symptoms and deaths which is the main thing), but you couldn't really make a better case for the "anti vaxers" than locking down the population again after everyone got jabbed - I'm double jabbed by the way so forget about labeling me anti-vax. So if vaccines don't really work (if cases not deaths are going to be used as the key indicator), shall we just lockdown every few months every time a mutation with symptoms akin to a mild cold comes along? Just let people die of other undiagnosed illnesses, take their own lives from depression, lose their homes, their businesses, deprive kids of their education. Meanwhile people like you think locking down is the "right thing to do" and is somehow more responsible. The old "I'm alright Jack" approach.

Such an enlightening remark. Have you considered a thesis in Philosophy for your 3rd PhD?

So why not just provide the details and we can all stop guessing? If the details provided proof of how deadly Omicron was don't you think they would have released that? It certainly fits their narrative of how we all need to get the booster and hide behind the sofa for a few more months. The paucity of detail tells me everything I need to know.

So let them provide the full details. Because if only one person has died and they were old with pre-existing conditions then they shouldn't be using that to remove people's freedoms. You might like authoritarian governments that use scare stories to deny liberty and freedom, but don't assume everyone does.

Really? Governments were using Covid as a tool to control the population in December 2019? You hadn't even heard of it then, let alone had your day to day life affected by it. Maybe time works differently in your world?