New strain of COVID

[thecaretaker]

They are saying that the reason why infection rates in the Southeast have rocketed is due to a new strain of COVID.

We've had near on a year of the first strain. How much more... This is going to really confuse matters in what they decide to do now.

They are calling for all schools to close in the Southeast.

[EBJ]

I have said on here before this is not going to end any time soon and will go on for a number of years now because of COVIDIOTS but this new strain is a bit of a shock and will yje injections control this as it is supposed to with the first covid strain, it is beginning to represent a horror syfy film with no super hero. ---- (The word only permitted in December) ---_sad-

[Drone]

There is no evidence so far that the mutated strain will be vaccine resistant. But then we know very little about it at all.

[thecaretaker]

Last week, when they said they had a vaccine, it meant we could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

This week, it feels like someone has blown up the mouth at that end of the tunnel.

If they impose harsher restrictions, this is going to kill small businesses which are already hanging on a thread.

As you can tell, it is really getting to me now. I've hardly gone out since March 2020. I was hoping 2021 would be a new start for us all. Seems not ---- (The word only permitted in December) ---_snowbal-

[Drone]

I am struggling like you CT. Find myself taking more meds for anxiety these days. I have suffered from it all my life. But I find it all a bit of grind at present. I am a diabetic with a dodgy ticker. Today`s news was not what I wanted to hear after sheltering for nearly 10 months.

[Vera]

Last week, when they said they had a vaccine, it meant we could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

This week, it feels like someone has blown up the mouth at that end of the tunnel.

If they impose harsher restrictions, this is going to kill small businesses which are already hanging on a thread.

As you can tell, it is really getting to me now. I've hardly gone out since March 2020. I was hoping 2021 would be a new start for us all. Seems not ---- (The word only permitted in December) ---_snowbal-

I think its about time this country changed tack and adopted the Australian system. continuous periods of watered down lockdown (that everyone ignores anyway) just prolong the damage to both the peoples health and the countries economic health.

A period of very strict military policed lockdown together with a complete closure of the borders for people (freight can still cross borders) then test track and trace pretty much everyone to flush out the last of the pockets of covid and isolate with a guard to make sure they obey the quarantine.
After about a month you should be in a position with near zero cases to open up (with a few restrictions) all businesses and services. If anyone wants to travel into the country then they will face an enforced quarrantine of 2 weeks in a monitored and guarded hotel room before release into the general population.

Have a look at the infection rates and total number of deaths faced by Australia, then tell me I am wrong...

[Dexter]

Heard a scientist say that new strains of covid are the norm for a developing virus. There is no evidence that the new strain is the reason for increased cases it is merely a suggestion from the Matt Hancock. Could it purely be a smokescreen? The covid numbers alone would never have allowed London to go to Tier 2 but they sanctioned it when they heard the forecasted impact on jobs. I feel that is purely to deflect criticism from their original decision and the hypocrisy of their treatment of London against northern cities in light of the levelling up agenda. Or maybe I'm just a cynic ---- (The word only permitted in December) ---_wink-

[Nail]

If I were a betting man, I would say that the increase in numbers is due to people getting bored of the restrictions. It's hard to keep the momentum going for so long, especially if they're not seeing the impact. People being infectious without symptoms doesn't help either.

[Swatch]

All virus's mutate all the time. E.g. flu is a different strain every year, we call it mutation because we don't like this virus, if it was nice like a butterfly we'd call it evolution.

There is zero hard evidence at this time of of this strain being more contagious, more deadly, more resistant, more anything. There has been an uptick in cases and at the same time in the same general area (hundreds of miles) there is evidence of a different strain. There have also been more people meeting together but that doesn't help the story along so we'll ignore that and other things. So put just those two things together (and ignore all other inputs) and you've got a shock horror headline. In fact you could make it read "Shock new killer virus mutation could lead to deaths in the capital!" and you can't really argue with those points. Then again you also couldn't argue with "Expected new coronavirus change happens as expected and may or may not be better or worse for humans." Neither headline is 'wrong' but you can see which headline would sell more papers?