COVID-19

[Slim]

I have the impression that most people are done with the virus now, but a more important question is whether it's done with us - and unfortunately it isn't. There's been a bit of an uptick in cases and patients admitted to hospital in the last week or two, and both are heading in the wrong direction.

Couldn't quite believe it when it came up in my Facebook memories this morning, but I underwent my first jab a year ago today. I remember the drive in to Derby (and, to be honest, the sense of dread - I hate needles) like it was a couple of months ago.

Have a feeling I'll be undergoing a fourth in the autumn. We'll see.

But as always - do not panic!

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

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

[Nick]

I'm still wearing a mask but appeared in the minority today in Tesco.

[David L]

I have the impression that most people are done with the virus now, but a more important question is whether it's done with us - and unfortunately it isn't.

Caught it in March 2020. Been done with it since then tbh

[captainkurtz]

Good that despite disliking needles, you still had the jab, slim.

I'm still wearing a mask too, as much out of courtesy for others, really.  I have noticed a massive drop in others wearing them...not sure if that's the 'Ukraine effect'...something else for people to be anxious about.

My Wife and 2 children both tested positive at separate times in Jan and Feb, but I got lucky.  Not sure if it was lucky as it feels a matter of time.  My main concern is being able to care for Mum, as I'm pretty much on my own there, and she needs visiting a couple of times a day. 

[Nickslikk2112]

I dislike needles and injections intensely too, but I gritted my teeth and got through three of them.
I will admit that I have stopped wearing my mask in Tesco, but it's not too busy on a Friday evening when I go and I stay a good ten feet away from anybody - apart from a the checkout, but they are still screened. I disinfect the trolley handle and sanitise my hands. I'm also the only one still sanitising my hands at work.

I'd still be wearing a mask if my dad were still with us.

[Nick]

Don't have an issue with needles, as a child they used to hurt at the doctors and the dentist but now you just don't feel them.

[Rufus_the_dawg]

I'm still wearing a mask but appeared in the minority today in Tesco.

In Wales you still have to wear a mask on shops.

[Rufus_the_dawg]

I have the impression that most people are done with the virus now, but a more important question is whether it's done with us - and unfortunately it isn't.

Caught it in March 2020. Been done with it since then tbh

You can catch it again and it can be worse second time around.

[David L]

I have the impression that most people are done with the virus now, but a more important question is whether it's done with us - and unfortunately it isn't.

Caught it in March 2020. Been done with it since then tbh

You can catch it again and it can be worse second time around.

Unlikely now the dominant variant is mild. It's now been classed as less lethal than flu. I've never spent any time worrying about dying of flu.

[Fishy]

Never bothered with needles so the vaccines were fine... managed to test positive last June 10 wife's birthday of all days....bit of a runny nose lost my taste and smell for about a week but otherwise fine.. Weather was good so pretty much stayed out the way sitting in the back garden in the sunshine....like I said to most folks at the time I've had colds that were a lot worse than this.... tested negative a week later
Fish junior tested positive last week but he has a place of his now so isolating not a problem.... Cold like symptoms sore throat/ headache/ loss of appetite but I think he's now on the mend...
Numbers up here in Scotland on the ruse again.. hospitals numbers end of Jan were about 800 now over 1600..numbers in ICU tho are still very low
Still wearing masks to shops / public transport but noticed at the theatre last Friday many people seem to have stopped wearing masks....
I'll stick with them for now methinks

[Slim]

Unlikely now the dominant variant is mild. It's now been classed as less lethal than flu. I've never spent any time worrying about dying of flu.

I'm not worried about dying of COVID, I think it's unlikely in my case since I'm slim, fit and have no underlying medical conditions that I'm aware of. It's other people we have to think about. Also - I think it's more contagious than flu, and I suspect it's only less lethal because so many people have been double and triple-jabbed.

[David L]

Unlikely now the dominant variant is mild. It's now been classed as less lethal than flu. I've never spent any time worrying about dying of flu.

 Also - I think it's more contagious than flu, and I suspect it's only less lethal because so many people have been double and triple-jabbed.

No, that's not correct. We know it's considerably less lethal because Omicron is a less pathogenic variant. Witness the reduced fatalities in countries with low vaccination rates. The vaccines may play a part but difficult to assess how much of a part due to the weakening virus. It is a lot more contagious than flu, and that has helped people to quickly develop natural immunity (important when vaccine-induced immunity is short-lived)

[David L]

You won't have any fear of needles by the time this is over 

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/598026-pfizer-ceo-says-a-fourth-booster-shot-is-necessary

[Slim]

No, that's not correct. We know it's considerably less lethal because Omicron is a less pathogenic variant. Witness the reduced fatalities in countries with low vaccination rates. The vaccines may play a part but difficult to assess how much of a part due to the weakening virus. It is a lot more contagious than flu, and that has helped people to quickly develop natural immunity (important when vaccine-induced immunity is short-lived)

I don't think we know that it's inherently less lethal, a study in Japan (news item from this month) suggests that it's more lethal than flu:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/03/03/national/omicron-deadlier-flu/

Vaccine immunity is stronger than natural immunity (I've heard Chris Smith make this point several times)

https://www.devon.gov.uk/news/study-shows-vaccine-immunity-is-stronger-than-natural-immunity/

But most importantly the critical point about the degree that Omicron is contagious must surely be the risk it poses that very large numbers of people will be infected. We're still living in dangerous times I feel and although the pandemic has been overshadowed by other events recently, I suspect it will make its presence felt again in a few months.

[David L]

No, that's not correct. We know it's considerably less lethal because Omicron is a less pathogenic variant. Witness the reduced fatalities in countries with low vaccination rates. The vaccines may play a part but difficult to assess how much of a part due to the weakening virus. It is a lot more contagious than flu, and that has helped people to quickly develop natural immunity (important when vaccine-induced immunity is short-lived)

I don't think we know that it's inherently less lethal, a study in Japan (news item from this month) suggests that it's more lethal than flu:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/03/03/national/omicron-deadlier-flu/

Vaccine immunity is stronger than natural immunity (I've heard Chris Smith make this point several times)

https://www.devon.gov.uk/news/study-shows-vaccine-immunity-is-stronger-than-natural-immunity/

But most importantly the critical point about the degree that Omicron is contagious must surely be the risk it poses that very large numbers of people will be infected. We're still living in dangerous times I feel and although the pandemic has been overshadowed by other events recently, I suspect it will make its presence felt again in a few months.

https://news.yahoo.com/in-england-covid-is-now-less-deadly-than-the-flu-but-what-about-in-the-us-100016672.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10598195/Covid-deadly-flu-scientists-say.html

https://gulfnews.com/special-reports/covid-19-omicron-now-less-deadly-than-flu-1.1647011926766

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/968553

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00676-9/fulltext

The link you quoted re: immunity explains the methodology in determination:

Antibody testing was conducted on those who had tested positive for Covid 19 I can't see whether it says if that initial positive test came from LFT or PCR. We know that PCR is not a reliable diagnostic tool for detecting illness due to the amount of cycles used in testing (which can detect fragments of virus DNA due to 'hyper-sensitivity)'. Many people testing positive cannot be described as suffering from Covid 19. Likely that these people's immune systems would not have produced any significant antibody response... hence no symptoms. 
I would guess that vaccination always results in antibodies being produced.

The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) says:

"PCR detection of viruses is helpful so long as its accuracy can be understood: it offers the capacity to detect RNA in minute quantities, but whether that RNA represents infectious virus may not be clear."