News Forum - “Omicron” – a new Covid variant triggers travel alarms as flights disrupted

[steve860]

9 minutes ago, Soidog said:

The new Omicron variant has now been detected in two people in the U.K.  Boris to give a news conference at 17:00. Another big source of potential arrivals in to Thailand likely going nowhere soon, myself included

It'll be a shame if Nigerians are banned, I do enjoy there company around  Nana Plaza area.

Edited November 27, 2021 by steve860

[Bob20]

26 minutes ago, Soidog said:

The new Omicron variant has now been detected in two people in the U.K.  Boris to give a news conference at 17:00. Another big source of potential arrivals in to Thailand likely going nowhere soon, myself included

Belgium, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Czech Republic etc etc...

Let's hope the vaccines are still effective. Well know soon.

But if it's as transmissable and virulent as thought, we're no doubt going to more restrictions again.

It will be helpful if everyone takes precautionary measures without having to be forced. That would have been helpful before too.

[BraveNewFahrenheit]

10 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

It will be helpful if everyone takes precautionary measures without having to be forced. That would have been helpful before too.

How about we just do nothing and get on with life, which is short. Those afraid can stay locked down and the rest of us will carry on while still looking both ways before crossing the street.

[Soidog]

18 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

Belgium, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Czech Republic etc etc...

Let's hope the vaccines are still effective. Well know soon.

But if it's as transmissable and virulent as thought, we're no doubt going to more restrictions again.

It will be helpful if everyone takes precautionary measures without having to be forced. That would have been helpful before too.

Yes, a lot of mixed messages and rumours at the moment. One report said the majority of infected people in Southern Africa are younger people and hence likely unvaccinated. Ive not seen much about fatalities and so more time is needed. Be interesting to see how Boris pitches it. I imagine it will be the usual political jargon with nebulous words such as Possible, likely, maybe, hoping and uncertainty. It’s a total nightmare of it turns out to be a bad situation. I just can’t see people accepting another hard lockdown, and it couldn’t have come at a worst time for Europe and the US. 

[Soidog]

3 minutes ago, BraveNewFahrenheit said:

How about we just do nothing and get on with life, which is short. Those afraid can stay locked down and the rest of us will carry on while still looking both ways before crossing the street.

I’d prefer you didn’t. It is that very attitude that has allowed this virus to continue to spread and hence mutate. I think better the other way around. Let those who are prepared to take precautions, go to work, visit family, wear masks and be safe that should be allowed out. Those that say let it rip and let’s open up and get on with life are the people who should be locked down. we may then have a chance of ending this pandemic. 

[HolyCowCm]

33 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

Belgium, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Czech Republic etc etc...

Let's hope the vaccines are still effective. Well know soon.

But if it's as transmissable and virulent as thought, we're no doubt going to more restrictions again.

It will be helpful if everyone takes precautionary measures without having to be forced. That would have been helpful before too.

Well today I was Christmas shopping at Festival mall and the only 3 people who did not have a mask on were white foreigner men. One oldish mid 60 guy no mask in sight sitting in a massage chair by railing I think 4th floor near Central department store, another late 40ish guy mask down below chin with his foreign young son in toy section in Central dept, and one more mid 30 guy mask not over nose. All 3 were in direct in harms way for all people walking. Disgusting. These idiots needed to be arrested. So I think that is what is needed to make people in some places like that conform. All thai had their masks on. 

[marksss]

The world has just got to get used to living with this virus ,a bit like in uk where you have to live seasonaly with influenza, its not going away and will continue to mutate just like flu has repeatedly done for years, they continue to upgrade the yearly flu jabs and you either take it or leave it ,so 50/50 you risk getting it ? theres no quick fix with covid ,but shutting down the planet and its borders is not the answer, yes hopefully the vaccines will work fingers crossed with this variant,but stick to the restrictions already in place ie mandatory masks/distancing and regular cleansing etc and people just be sensible and its a case of keeping the world open and keep freedom of travel in place but the mandatory pcr tests and vaccinations will do the job they're meant to do thats why they were put in place for international travel, if your positive u DONT fly!! ! surely they can't  keep shutting down the borders ,or it will be never ending??!!

[Soidog]

6 minutes ago, marksss said:

The world has just got to get used to living with this virus ,a bit like in uk where you have to live seasonaly with influenza, its not going away and will continue to mutate just like flu has repeatedly done for years, they continue to upgrade the yearly flu jabs and you either take it or leave it ,so 50/50 you risk getting it ? theres no quick fix with covid ,but shutting down the planet and its borders is not the answer, yes hopefully the vaccines will work fingers crossed with this variant,but stick to the restrictions already in place ie mandatory masks/distancing and regular cleansing etc and people just be sensible and its a case of keeping the world open and keep freedom of travel in place but the mandatory pcr tests and vaccinations will do the job they're meant to do thats why they were put in place for international travel, if your positive u DONT fly!! ! surely they can't  keep shutting down the borders ,or it will be never ending??!!

I agree we need to find a way and get use to living with Covid as it’s going nowhere anytime soon. However, there are significant differences between Flu and Covid which make it hard to simply live with it as we do Flu. 
 

The reproduction number (R) of Flu is though to be around 1.3. This is a measure of its transmissibility or how effective it is at passing from person to person. Covid, or the virus which causes Covid (SARS-Cov-2) is thought to be around 3. Interestingly, Spanish Flu in 1918 had an R number of 1.8. This difference in R number and the measures taken to restrict Covid, such as social distancing of 2 metres, was enough to bring R for Covid to below 1 and virtually eradicated Flu. This is why the world last winter saw very little Flu cases. 
 

Another key difference is how deadly Covid is compared to Flu. Covid before vaccines had a fatality rate of around 1% of people infected. This compares to around 0.1% in Flu seasons. This means Covid, without vaccination, is 10 times more lethal than influenza. If a new strain that can avoid current vaccination appears, such as this latest mutation, then the fatality rate could return to be 10 times what Flu is. 
 

For the above two reasons, although SARS-CoV-2 is a virus like Influenza, it is much more transmissible and much more deadly. We will need to find a way to cope, but treating it and modelling our way of living with it on any Flu, would be wrong. In thinking of an analogy. It would be like taking the same personal safety precautions walking alone in the Bronx during the day and applying the same precaution in the dead of night! (Apologies anyone from NYC as I could chose almost any large city in the world!).

[BraveNewFahrenheit]

25 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Those that say let it rip and let’s open up and get on with life are the people who should be locked down. we may then have a chance of ending this pandemic. 

Or we could be just like Sweden now, no masks, no vaccine passports, everything back to normal.

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

This just goes to prove that "learn to live with it" is a slogan with no teeth. If a variant with little information known about it can cause the US stock market to go down 900 points and immediately trigger travel bans, then this pandemic will never be declared over. 

[Soidog]

34 minutes ago, BraveNewFahrenheit said:

Or we could be just like Sweden now, no masks, no vaccine passports, everything back to normal.

Yes, but the Swedes don’t operate a social model where nightlife and tourism are so prevalent. They don’t drink and party 7 days a week and as a nation are far more socially aware. It’s a mistake to look at the lowest common factor of restrictions and assume the model will work in other countries. Other factors such as vaccine types and vaccination rates are also a differentiator.
 

Following the briefing in the U.K. taking place right now. They have reintroduced PCR testing and isolation until a negative result is obtained. Reintroduced mandatory mask wearing in shops and public transport. Possibly more to come in the next few days. 

[Beaker]

The doctor that first alerted the authorities about the new variant has said that the symptoms are pretty mild, basically just extreme fatigue for a couple of days. This was in unvaccinated people, which is the majority of the population in the countries concerned. It’s not really that serious but governments are so scared of being accused of doing things too slowly that they are going overboard. 

[Rangers]

It's a coronavirus, of course it's going to mutate. They all do. Its how viruses work and it's no different to the flu or any other. All you can do is get your vaccine and get on with your life, stop watching the news and panicking. That's what they want 

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Beaker said:

The doctor that first alerted the authorities about the new variant has said that the symptoms are pretty mild, basically just extreme fatigue for a couple of days. This was in unvaccinated people, which is the majority of the population in the countries concerned. It’s not really that serious but governments are so scared of being accused of doing things too slowly that they are going overboard. 

I sincerely hope you are right. The last thing we need is being almost back to square one. We will know more in the next week or two. 

[Soidog]

20 minutes ago, Rangers said:

It's a coronavirus, of course it's going to mutate. They all do. Its how viruses work and it's no different to the flu or any other. All you can do is get your vaccine and get on with your life, stop watching the news and panicking. That's what they want 

“They” being every country in the world from the entire spread of the political system and cultures. All totally in lock-step in how to approach a new variant? That’s what “they” want is it? 

[SkipsPa]

13 hours ago, Soidog said:

A shame I can only give that a single  
 

The single biggest scary aspect about Covid has been the fact that no matter how many times you explain things. No matter how much you try to show how the virus spreads etc etc, people just can’t work it out. It’s the reason people wear a mask and not covering their nose. All they have been told is to wear a mask. They haven’t taken in that it’s to stop fine aerosol particles leaving them carrying the virus and they leave via nose and mouth. For me, this has been the most scary aspect. It has brought in to stark focus just how little the general public understand about anything. This is where democracy fails for me, as they still get the vote !!! 

I don't consider that a failure of democracy but just a typical example of common sense/ idiocy etc

[AussieBob]

6 hours ago, BraveNewFahrenheit said:

Or we could be just like Sweden now, no masks, no vaccine passports, everything back to normal.

Fake News - Lies.

https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency-of-sweden/communicable-disease-control/covid-19/protect-yourself-and-others-from-spread-of-infection/covid-19-infection-control-measures-from-22-november-and-1-december/

 

 

[AussieBob]

6 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Well today I was Christmas shopping at Festival mall and the only 3 people who did not have a mask on were white foreigner men. One oldish mid 60 guy no mask in sight sitting in a massage chair by railing I think 4th floor near Central department store, another late 40ish guy mask down below chin with his foreign young son in toy section in Central dept, and one more mid 30 guy mask not over nose. All 3 were in direct in harms way for all people walking. Disgusting. These idiots needed to be arrested. So I think that is what is needed to make people in some places like that conform. All thai had their masks on. 

I wish iot would come to Thailand - if these foreigners refuse to comply.  And people wonder why the Thais have an 'aversity' towards foreigners - they are all obeying the rules and some ahole farangs just ignore them.   Idea - make it a 500baht on the spot fine or arrest - the BiB will be all over it !!

[Soidog]

24 minutes ago, SkipsPa said:

I don't consider that a failure of democracy but just a typical example of common sense/ idiocy etc

I was referring to the fact these people with lack of common sense and idiotic get one vote the same as everyone else.

[palooka]

23 hours ago, Ttalk said:

Thank the vaccinated in Botswana for this.

Who did they get it from????

[King Cotton]

11 hours ago, marksss said:

The world has just got to get used to living with this virus ,a bit like in uk where you have to live seasonaly with influenza, its not going away and will continue to mutate just like flu has repeatedly done for years, they continue to upgrade the yearly flu jabs and you either take it or leave it ,so 50/50 you risk getting it ? theres no quick fix with covid ,but shutting down the planet and its borders is not the answer, yes hopefully the vaccines will work fingers crossed with this variant,but stick to the restrictions already in place ie mandatory masks/distancing and regular cleansing etc and people just be sensible and its a case of keeping the world open and keep freedom of travel in place but the mandatory pcr tests and vaccinations will do the job they're meant to do thats why they were put in place for international travel, if your positive u DONT fly!! ! surely they can't  keep shutting down the borders ,or it will be never ending??!!

A number of valid points there, @marksss. And your debut post, too . . . welcome to Thaiger Talk!

[Tjampman]

22 hours ago, Stardust said:

Severe acute respiratory syndrome

Sars is the disease/syndrome caused by a corona virus.

When you mix them up you cant possible not be expected to be laughed out of the room.

 

Edited November 28, 2021 by Faz
disparaging comments removed

[Faz]

Topic locked for review.

[Faz]

Off topic nonsense and quoted replies removed.

A previous warning by Admin appears have had little response, so official warnings will follow.