The impact of the Omicron variant on the UK is "highly uncertain" but may
require a "very stringent response", government advisers have said.

The BBC has seen leaked minutes of a meeting of the Scientific Advisory
Group for Emergencies held on Monday.

Officials should prepare now for a "potentially significant" wave of
infections while data on the variant is collected and analysed, they say.

The government said it will take further action if necessary.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59484322

The prime minister said on Tuesday that officials would be "throwing
everything" at a campaign to roll out booster jabs to all adults this
winter.

The programme was expanded in response to the emerging Omicron variant,
which scientists believe could be more infectious than the existing Delta
variant of coronavirus.

Omicron wave 'highly uncertain'

More than 30 scientists attended a video conference on 29 November, led by
the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and chief
medical adviser Chris Whitty.

Sage meetings are often designed to advise officials and ministers about
the possible path of the pandemic in certain circumstances rather than
offer up concrete predictions.

The minutes, which have not yet been published but have been seen by the
BBC, say that it is "highly likely" that Omicron can escape immunity
caused by previous infection or vaccination "to some extent".

The existing Delta variant is already more resistant to vaccines than the
original version of the virus found in Wuhan.

The advisers say that there is not currently any evidence of widespread
community transmission of Omicron in the UK, as there has been in parts of
South Africa. They say the impact on a country like the UK remains
uncertain as it is different in terms of age structure, the numbers
previously infected with coronavirus and the level of vaccination coverage.

The scientists believe that booster jabs are likely to provide protection
against severe disease, hospitalisation and death from most variants in
the short term.

But they note: "Any significant reduction in protection against infection
could still result in a very large wave of infections. This would in turn
lead to a potentially high number of hospitalisations even with protection
against severe disease being less affected."

Although the size of any future wave remains "highly uncertain", the
scientists say it may be of a scale that requires "very stringent response
measures" to avoid unsustainable pressure on the NHS.

The minutes make it clear that it is too early to know how ill the Omicron
variant will make those infected or how that might vary by age. They say
the first indications of the likely impact on vaccines should come from
laboratory studies over the coming weeks.

But the advisers note: "It is important to be prepared for a potentially
very significant wave of infections with associated hospitalisations now,
ahead of data being available."

They say that the earlier measures to reduce transmission are introduced,
the stronger they are and the wider their geographical coverage, the more
effective they will be.

"The situation could develop quickly over the coming weeks and decision
makers may need to act while there is a high level of uncertainty
including the potential need for stringent response measures," they say.

The government said it has already put in place measures to protect public
health since Omicron was first identified including travel restrictions on
countries in southern Africa, stronger rules on self-isolation for close
contacts and a new mandate on face coverings in England.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "On top
of this we are speeding up our vaccination programme by offering all
adults in England a booster jab by the end of January, halving the gap
between second doses and boosters, and offering second jabs to 12-15 year
olds."

"We continue to monitor the situation closely and will not hesitate to
take further action if necessary."

### - well, they're beginning to panic just a little bit here now, the
prospect of a variant that's THREE times as infectious as delta (which
itself was labeled as being 'the' most infectious agent ever encountered
to date!) being pretty scary, and prolly means everyone's gonna get it
eventually whether they's been vaccinated or not! (they said that about
delta but is a sure thing with omicron)

so they's jumping on it now... a bit? (mandatory face masks outside and in
shops again etc) although imho not enough + far from it! sooo scared of
losing their xmas income they're keeping everything open instead of
immediately locking down the whole damn country from top to bottom, ports
and everything, in order to arrest this shit BEFORE it gets going, and
screw xmas! but no!

best case scenario then being: that covid, like the common cold that first
appeared in the 1800's and killed millions because it was a similarly
'new' (novel) virus that persists to this day (albeit generally fairly
mild, peeps catching 1 or 2 colds a year not being that unusual it might
just end up the same way eventually) so ok we get colds & flues, and now
covid as well, occasionally, and it all just carries on as before etc
etc...

worst case being: that it not only gets more infectious but also deadlier
across a wider range of ages, until it kills/maims, well, everyone
eventually! lol

chances are, however, that it'll fall somewhere 'between' those 2
eventualities huh ;)

(they're fuckers here maan, during a FULL lockdown they SHOULD be out
there spraying the streets and everything public on a daily basis, and
they ain't see? they's instead saving money (fiddling heh) while 'rome
burns'!)

thus one can only really conclude that they just don't give a shit, not
really, not unless they catch it personally or have some other medical
emergency, plus they wont then have to wait 3 hours for an ambulance to
arrive like the rest of us either!

meanwhile... lucky us: we can have FOUR shots of shit now?? (2 boosters)

and another one every 3 months thereafter! lol ! :)))

(will have to think about that hmmm)

"well it's 5, 6, 7-8 open up them pearly gates" ha ha
just kiddin' around here, what else can idiot do in this world?

> "well it's 5, 6, 7-8 open up them pearly gates" ha ha
> just kiddin' around here, what else can idiot do in this world?

### - it's all hangin' by a thread at this point, and they dunno which way
it's gonna go...

could all go down pretty suddenly for example, enough people suddenly get
sick and the whole ball of wax melts

or, we just all struggle on like this for years (even decades) with no
real improvements and even more nasty variants + people going nuts in the
meantime... (it's a madhouse!)

or, aliens from another world finally land and SAVE our collective asses!
yaay!

(riiiiiiiiiiight.......)

nah, were fucked haha :D

### - ah god, they's discussin' the prospect of vaccinating ALL 5-year
olds or younger here now??

not that am particularly against vaccinations for kids, in some instances
it's necessary + had all my regular shots as a baby too, only that this
clearly reveals just how 'desperate' they's apparently now getting re this
virus shit that just keeps getting more & more infectious!?

and with booster shots being recommended for everyone every 3-months
to-boot???

one thought that keeps coming back, however, is that for the last 2 years
solid the whole world has been severely disrupted in it's otherwise normal
routines?

which, for moi suggest a big change is possibly coming!

change being far more difficult to achieve when everything's been cast in
stone for decades and decades, but while everything's up in the air
'change' then becomes more possible!

that new things can only creep into it all when one's regular routines
have been disrupted, thus 'creating' the possibility of (and for) change?

have no idea what that change may involve, it could be completely
disastrous (which is why people always fear change instead of welcoming
it; that we're safer with the devil we know etc etc) but it doesn't
absolutely always have be negative, change can often be good too leading
to people having a more open mind for instance!

things are gonna change eventually anyway, but sometimes it also happens
in little jumps?

(we only came down from the trees and started walking upright because the
weather changed for example, a forced jump!)

evolution is apparently going-on all the time but we humans have a
tendency to 'resist' change, see?

and then it catches up with us again in a fairly big jump (a bit like how
earthquakes occur for example; the tension builds until it snaps)

personally, i think we NEED to change! badly! urgently! obviously so! -
it's maybe even our last chance TO change or be swept away! and that while
it all looks pretty horrible at the moment something good COULD actually
come outta all this!

with all our routines changing over such a prolonged period, maybe
we'll... grow :)

:)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ToLfQU2xmg

the art of gaslighting, watch Chuck Boyer show you how it's done.
these damn Chucks you gotta watch for these guys lol

> :)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ToLfQU2xmg
>
> the art of gaslighting, watch Chuck Boyer show you how it's done.
> these damn Chucks you gotta watch for these guys lol

### - have never been much impressed by... bullies? (yawn)

and gaslighters are just emotional-bullies: they attempt to bruise
someone's... 'feelings' as a means to win an argument/coerce instead of
bothering to debate... usually because they's not smart enough TO debate
but still wanna win!

was probably done to them by one of their fucked-up parents initially
(it's usually that) so it (the pain) runs fairly deep...

and requires 'years' of therapy of course to redact such a derangement, if
then...

coz there's just no real cure for narcissism.

once it's established they're just always gonna be a cunt LOL ! :)))

On Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 5:50:32 AM UTC-6, slider wrote:
> The impact of the Omicron variant on the UK is "highly uncertain" but may
> require a "very stringent response", government advisers have said.
>
> The BBC has seen leaked minutes of a meeting of the Scientific Advisory
> Group for Emergencies held on Monday.

They have a way of being dependably unreliable

mk5000

Success, and even life itself, wouldn’t be worth anything if I didn’t have my wife and children by my side. They mean everything to me..==Jude Law