Test and Go unlikely to return until mid-year at the earliest, pre-registered Test and Go still valid

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

The link below can be used to look at each State as well.

I was looking at this one.

Fully vaccinated 62.7% (realize would be higher in different age groups).

That seems a low vaccination rate for an advanced country.

How does that compare with places such as UK etc.

[jacko45k]

Just now, DrJack54 said:

How does that compare with places such as UK etc.

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

Nice link. Comprehensive. 

[Scott]

Just to follow up on what @ThailandRyansaid, the biggest problem I see is with masks, which is a major flashpoint.  Mask mandates vary by states.  Mine has none and that has very much exacerbated the spread.   

 

Being vaccine hesitant and being anti-vaxx aren't the same, although in practical terms, the outcome is the same.

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, Scott said:

Just to follow up on what @ThailandRyansaid, the biggest problem I see is with masks, which is a major flashpoint.  Mask mandates vary by states.  Mine has none and that has very much exacerbated the spread.   

 

Being vaccine hesitant and being anti-vaxx aren't the same, although in practical terms, the outcome is the same.

As Scott has indicated Mask mandates vary.  California now has returned to mandated mask wearing inside as well as outside and many people still are not wearing them.  More folks unvaccinated are in the hospital then the vaccinated.  

 

Many of my friends here want to travel back home to Thailand but with all of the quarantine talk and sandboxes they will not as they can not afford to quarantine for a week or two when all they have is a 2 to 3 week vacation and just want to return to see family they have not seen in over two years.

[Scott]

8 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Hospital admissions in the USA are extra ordinately high..... the reasons cited being quite a few antivaxers, some residual Delta. but the majority due to comorbidities. The USA has a high aged population, many of whom live with ailments, poor diets and obesity. A mild omicron infection on top gets them into the hospitals. Dr John Campbell was saying this, and using USA sources. 

The hospitalization situation is troublesome, but it seems that there are two things in play, first there is a lot of residual Delta and a lot of those people spend a very long time in the hospital before it is resolved (we just had a person who was released after a year in hospital, most of it in the ICU).   Second is a lot of children being admitted.   

[spidermike007]

15 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

And yet, hospitalizations in the US are at an all time high, and the number of daily deaths are zooming past 2,000. I understand you may consider this data to be fear mongering, so you can continue to consider Omicron as just a cold. Handwave away data you don’t like at your own risk.

Zooming past 2000. Interesting. Yet, during Delta the rate of deaths was at 1 - 2.5%. Now? Averaging around .25%. Yet, that means very little to you. Panic seems to be the order of the day, and some just do not want to, nor are willing to accept the likelihood that this thing is diminishing in power, and likely to be gone within months. I embrace positive data, as many rational people do. 

Edited January 14, 2022 by spidermike007

[ozimoron]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Zooming past 2000. Interesting. Yet, during Delta the rate of deaths was at 1 - 2.5%. Now? Averaging around .25%. Yet, that means very little to you. Panic seems to be the order of the day, and some just do not want to, nor are willing to accept the likelihood that this thing is diminishing in power, and likely to be gone within months. I embrace positive data, as many rational people do. 

The "positive" data is the rapid and huge rise in hospitalisations because omicron is much more transmissable than delta. Deaths are less but still some will occur because they are overwhelmed with omicron. Unrelated cases are being turned away because of omicron overload. Some of those might also die.

[Cherrytreeview]

9 hours ago, Scott said:

I am not going to argue either for or against lockdowns, but they are extreme and should not be used unless absolutely necessary.   Where I am currently staying in the US, the situation is extreme.  Hospitals are either full or near capacity with Covid.  Death rates are stubbornly high.  Both of these may be due to Delta.  People tend to linger in the hospital for a very long time before dying with Delta.   

Omicron is the dominant variant and it is currently ripping its way through the state.  My recent visit to the grocery store found most of the shelves empty.  Talking to one of the employees, it's not due to shortages of goods, but so many of the staff are sick that they can't stock shelves or get the carts (there were none) out of the parking lot.   

 

One of the nearby schools just announced they are going to have to cancel classes.  So many teachers are sick and the existing ones can't cover all the classes.   Several restaurants in the area are closed, even for pickup or delivery because too many staff are out sick.   Over the holidays, thousands of flights were cancelled because of airline staff out sick.   This seems to be improving -- at least the evening news is not being broadcast from the airport showing hundreds of angry passengers.

 

I personally know a fair number of people who are now sick (almost certainly Omicron) and they range from the fully vaxxed and very careful to those who are the opposite.  Fortunately, none of them are hospitalized, so far.  Those that are vaxxed haven't even had to seek any kind of medical attention.  Those unvaxxed are faring worse, but hopefully not significantly so.   

 

I'd feel a little less nervous if the hospitals weren't so overloaded -- and they are very short staffed due to sickness.   It does appear that at the rate Omicron is going, it should soon be out of people to infect in my area!

The UK is now over the peak and restrictions are being lifted already.

The UK's vaccination campaign has been a huge success.

It is a simple fact that omicron, which will become the dominant strain globally, causes less hospitalisations and severe disease in a vaccinated population.

France has lifted travel restrictions on the UK already.

I repeat, the UK, US and Europe will live with endemic covid from Q2 2022.

Your hospital pressures will pass. You need to look under the headlines.

[ozimoron]

6 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

The UK is now over the peak and restrictions are being lifted already.

The UK's vaccination campaign has been a huge success.

It is a simple fact that omicron, which will become the dominant strain globally, causes less hospitalisations and severe disease in a vaccinated population.

France has lifted travel restrictions on the UK already.

I repeat, the UK, US and Europe will live with endemic covid from Q2 2022.

Your hospital pressures will pass. You need to look under the headlines.

Of course they will pass and that's when restrictions should be lifted, not before.

[Cherrytreeview]

11 hours ago, ozimoron said:

Link please?

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-when-will-the-uk-transition-from-pandemic-to-endemic-and-how-would-we-learn-to-live-with-coronavirus-12512882

 

https://www.nationalworld.com/health/coronavirus/spain-pushes-eu-to-consider-downgrading-covid-to-flu-like-status-and-treat-illness-as-endemic-3523938

 

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/pandemic-end-year-timeframe-how-22679234

 

https://www.deccanherald.com/international/covid-now-comparable-to-flu-may-turn-endemic-post-omicron-uk-professor-1070118.html

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59938240

 

The UK is now lifting restrictions and cases are falling quickly. France has reopened travel with the UK.

You will notice the last article quoting Professor Paul Hunter saying that covid deaths are running at half the seasonal flu average in the UK.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10393527/Omi-gone-Cases-falling-30-Englands-boroughs.html

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Rimmer
inflammatory removed

[Cherrytreeview]

Welsh First Minister is on the radio.

Omicron infections have fallen from 2300 per 100,000 to 1200 per 100,000 in one week.

No wonder the South African scientists and doctors thought the rest of the world had taken leave of their senses with their hysterical panicking.

Perfectly personified by some posters here.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Cherrytreeview
Edit

[Soyboy]

The UK government gets alot of <deleted>, some of it rightly so but we have absolutely smashed it with the vaccine rollout and we will soon be able to live with this. Bojo was being criticised for not putting more restrictions in over the festive period but he held out and it has paid off. It is now time to get rid of some of the stupid rules that contradict themselves. I saw someone being questioned and maybe fined over not wearing a mask on a train from stockport to manchester to which I got off the train, took my mask off and attended a 13000 capacity rave minutes later. It makes no sense.

[VBF]

10 minutes ago, Soyboy said:

The UK government gets alot of <deleted>, some of it rightly so but we have absolutely smashed it with the vaccine rollout and we will soon be able to live with this. Bojo was being criticised for not putting more restrictions in over the festive period but he held out and it has paid off. It is now time to get rid of some of the stupid rules that contradict themselves. I saw someone being questioned and maybe fined over not wearing a mask on a train from stockport to manchester to which I got off the train, took my mask off and attended a 13000 capacity rave minutes later. It makes no sense.

Quite agree.

Plus, here in SE UK, fewer and fewer people are wearing masks in shops (where they are compulsory) and I've yet to see anyone stopped and questioned. To be fair I haven't travelled on a train for a couple of years so have no first-hand knowledge of them. I'm going to a comedy club on Monday night and I know it's sold out so will be crowded. Vaccinated 3 times, am I bothered? Nope - I'll take the small chance.

[Cherrytreeview]

3 minutes ago, VBF said:

Quite agree.

Plus, here in SE UK, fewer and fewer people are wearing masks in shops (where they are compulsory) and I've yet to see anyone stopped and questioned. To be fair I haven't travelled on a train for a couple of years so have no first-hand knowledge of them. I'm going to a comedy club on Monday night and I know it's sold out so will be crowded. Vaccinated 3 times, am I bothered? Nope - I'll take the small chance.

Used to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival every year.

Hope you have a great night at the comedy club and spend plenty.

Hospitality could do with the cash.

Things are very quickly getting back to normal.

Boris made the right decision, luckily his back benchers put pressure on, and now the doomster scientists and home nations have been made fools of.

Time to move on. Thailand has most likely peaked already.

However, i can't fix stupid.

[ozimoron]

2 hours ago, Cherrytreeview said:

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-when-will-the-uk-transition-from-pandemic-to-endemic-and-how-would-we-learn-to-live-with-coronavirus-12512882

 

https://www.nationalworld.com/health/coronavirus/spain-pushes-eu-to-consider-downgrading-covid-to-flu-like-status-and-treat-illness-as-endemic-3523938

 

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/pandemic-end-year-timeframe-how-22679234

 

https://www.deccanherald.com/international/covid-now-comparable-to-flu-may-turn-endemic-post-omicron-uk-professor-1070118.html

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-59938240

 

The UK is now lifting restrictions and cases are falling quickly. France has reopened travel with the UK.

You will notice the last article quoting Professor Paul Hunter saying that covid deaths are running at half the seasonal flu average in the UK.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10393527/Omi-gone-Cases-falling-30-Englands-boroughs.html

 

The message from all of these articles is that there is speculation that there will come a time, hopefully soon, when we can return to a more normal life. I agree entirely. None of them are claiming that time is now. The first article (I read them all) contains push back from a scientist against politicians claiming the time is now.

Edited January 14, 2022 by ozimoron

[lapamita]

On 1/12/2022 at 7:46 PM, sandyf said:

If it wasn't brought in to the country then the mutation must have taken place in Thailand.

One has to assume you are a very experienced virologist to make the claim that 2 identical mutations can occur in different countries at the same time.

it doesnt matter where....all countrys get infected over time, except maybe small islands lockdowns and restrictions are the wrong way to solve the problem, since 1 year countrys without any restrictions, are not more infected like others

the way to sucess is vaccine , and leave the virus running out of steam

[Danderman123]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Zooming past 2000. Interesting. Yet, during Delta the rate of deaths was at 1 - 2.5%. Now? Averaging around .25%. Yet, that means very little to you. Panic seems to be the order of the day, and some just do not want to, nor are willing to accept the likelihood that this thing is diminishing in power, and likely to be gone within months. I embrace positive data, as many rational people do. 

If Omicron is a tenth as lethal, but 10 times more infectious, you think that’s a good thing.

[Soyboy]

45 minutes ago, VBF said:

Quite agree.

Plus, here in SE UK, fewer and fewer people are wearing masks in shops (where they are compulsory) and I've yet to see anyone stopped and questioned. To be fair I haven't travelled on a train for a couple of years so have no first-hand knowledge of them. I'm going to a comedy club on Monday night and I know it's sold out so will be crowded. Vaccinated 3 times, am I bothered? Nope - I'll take the small chance.

Hope you enjoy it mate, happy to see some positivity where people are usually quick to be encouraging everyone else to still not be living life even though venues are open to be enjoyed

[Cherrytreeview]

29 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

The message from all of these articles is that there is speculation that there will come a time, hopefully soon, when we can return to a more normal life. I agree entirely. None of them are claiming that time is now. The first article (I read them all) contains push back from a scientist against politicians claiming the time is now.

You need to be here in the UK.

As a fellow poster has just confirmed.

You want to live in fear, your post is begrudgingly accepting the inevitable.

I totally disagree with your interpretation of those articles.

Soon, in your world, is never.

Always a new reason to live in fear.

 

 

[ozimoron]

6 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

You need to be here in the UK.

As a fellow poster has just confirmed.

You want to live in fear, your post is begrudgingly accepting the inevitable.

I totally disagree with your interpretation of those articles.

Soon, in your world, is never.

Always a new reason to live in fear.

Is provocation your obsession?

Edited January 14, 2022 by ozimoron

[arithai12]

29 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

If Omicron is a tenth as lethal, but 10 times more infectious, you think that’s a good thing.

It doesn't work quite like that. First, how they count deaths depends on the country and is at the least very debatable (with, from, even without covid). Second, deaths are vastly dominated by non-vaxx patients. But infections are less so, both vax and non-vaxx can get infected (although the viral load is of course less in the case of vaxx). They count them all the same, regardless of the severity of infection and symptoms.

 

What is bad is when a country decides to hospitalize even mild cases, causing an unnecessary load on the medical infrastructure and causing delays with other kind of patients. I think most countries incl Thailand are now realizing this is wrong.

 

You should really look only at the number of deaths, regardless of the number of infections. And there is no doubt that now that Omicron is dominant, and certainly also thanks to the prevalence of vaccinations, the number of deaths is much less than it used to be. There is hope on the horizon.

[Danderman123]

2 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

It doesn't work quite like that. First, how they count deaths depends on the country and is at the least very debatable (with, from, even without covid). Second, deaths are vastly dominated by non-vaxx patients. But infections are less so, both vax and non-vaxx can get infected (although the viral load is of course less in the case of vaxx). They count them all the same, regardless of the severity of infection and symptoms.

 

What is bad is when a country decides to hospitalize even mild cases, causing an unnecessary load on the medical infrastructure and causing delays with other kind of patients. I think most countries incl Thailand are now realizing this is wrong.

 

You should really look only at the number of deaths, regardless of the number of infections. And there is no doubt that now that Omicron is dominant, and certainly also thanks to the prevalence of vaccinations, the number of deaths is much less than it used to be. There is hope on the horizon.

And yet, the US is seeing 2,000+ deaths a day.

[sandyf]

13 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

Didn't they have proof that the Omicron strain was brout in by 2 Thai which had returned ftom the Middle East... 

More than likely, but didn't you notice, someone tried to say it was already here.

[arithai12]

Just now, Danderman123 said:

And yet, the US is seeing 2,000+ deaths a day.

I would check what was the number before Omicron. Also, US population is only 2/3 vaccinated and, forgive me, one of the unhealthiest among western countries, hence more prone to fall to Covid. Finally, as I already said, how they count deaths is at least debatable.

I don't want to downplay the drama of those actually dying of Covid, I am simply arguing that it's better now.

[garyk]

With the insurance companies, banks, and the beloved leader running Thailand. 

Good luck,  getting things back to normal anytime soon IMHO.

 

 

 

[jerrymahoney]

14 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

Didn't they have proof that the Omicron strain was brout in by 2 Thai which had returned ftom the Middle East... 

No from 2 Thais returning from Belgium

 

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/omicron-variant-infections-set-to-surpass-1000-in-thailand

[VBF]

4 hours ago, Soyboy said:

Hope you enjoy it mate, happy to see some positivity where people are usually quick to be encouraging everyone else to still not be living life even though venues are open to be enjoyed

Cheers!

The positivity is there, but as ever, good news gets ignored because bad news "sells" better.

[HashBrownHarry]

4 hours ago, Danderman123 said:

If Omicron is a tenth as lethal, but 10 times more infectious, you think that’s a good thing.

yes

[tomster]

On 1/13/2022 at 9:53 AM, RandiRona said:

Things would be totally different in March. I bet it would be back very soon when they see countries around them are opening.

https://www.traveloffpath.com/mexico-removes-all-covid-19-entry-requirements-including-health-form/

 

It's now all about keeping the protests off the streets, nothing else. Once the elections are done this year they will open within days, this is now 100% political and nothing to do with health.