904,598 booster jabs...

[Kit Kat Chunky]

Awesome.

If we're going to try to see this out without any form of lockdiwn, and it is possible to, we absolutely need to get boosters and even more first or second jabs done.

Yep. And the news today that Omicrom is milder and leads to two thirds less hospitalizations than Delta should hopefully mean than we stick with Plan B.

Professor Lockdown still isn't sure, though.

[Sotv]

As I understand they genome sequence around 20% of the tests - think only certain labs have the capability if I understand correctly. That is why they think there are a higher number of Omicron cases than officially announced.

Could be but I'd be surprised if a hospital consultant didn't know that .
 I'd also have thought if that were the case, then they would be telling drs and consultants to explain this when asked.

I'm not surprised at all.  Why would a Cancer consultant dealing with cancer patients automatically know or be told of how the Omicron variant is being sequenced?  You seem to want to assume that this is axiomatic when the reality is probably quite simple.  The Covid virus and the pandemic clearly affects an oncologists work but that does not mean he or she has any in depth knowledge of virology or immunology regarding the virus and its tracing.

Exactly

Because they are dealing with immunosuppressed patients who are extremely vulnerable to covid and they may have a variety of questions regarding it, including how they know what strains are prevalent. 
It's not asking for any consultants to have in depth knowledge of how a particular strain is being sequenced. As i said previously, it's just arming with them with the basic facts that they could then give to the public who have genuine concerns. You know something quite simple like "around 20% of the tests are sent to a lab in Oxford where they check, then we extrapolate from that", hardly in depth knowledge is it? 
I'm not sure which part you think i want to be self evident or unquestionable, i just think it's daft that those on the front line are not able to answer quite legitimate questions from the people they are serving. 
Providing that information may just stop some people falling down the conspiracy rabbit hole which i think you would agree would be a good thing.

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They don’t need to understand how different strains are identified and measured though. All they need to know is that x amount are tested, something simple along the lines of hucksters ideas would suffice. Surely it would make sense to arm those dealing with the public during a pandemic with just a modicum of info. As it is, it’s now got my sister doubting what she is being told because no one can tell her anything about how the figures are arrived at and it was indicated that the consultants themselves think a lot is being made up as we go along. She was a nurse prior to getting brain cancer and was working during the 1st wave so it’s not like she is a likely conspiracy type either.
It’s interesting to see you made the claim about omicron yet can’t tell me how you know this. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist but how on earth do we know how many are infected with what strain?
I just spoke with my brother who lives in France, over there they tell you what strain you have so it must be a fairly simple process which is another reason why I’m scratching my head at why it should be such a mystery over here.
Pity you chose to turn to your own hobby horse of slating this government and displaying a touch of snobbery.
Yep they are quite crap but with relatives in France, friends in Spain and ex colleagues in Germany, I can tell you none  of them are impressed with what their leaders are doing. I also have serious doubts that any party would have handled this much better than the current shower are.

And the information is out there on the internet if you use it. As brent highlighted it took a few minutes to get some information on the number of labs that can detect it in the UK: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59460252, if you want a bit more there is the ONS explanation of how they differentiate between Delta and Omicron: https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsan...tionsurvey and there is a bit more on how they identify the different variants: https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsan...tionsurvey (those links look the same so I might have messed up the copy and paste)
Here is some information on the way the modelling is completed: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationa...forcovid19.

It looks like you've encountered a specialist in his own field (not the statistical analysis of covid) that hasn't looked into this, or had the time to look for it like he could have done as above, or he could have just felt that you have as much access to the information as he did so do your own research. And as the consultant feels that a lot is being made up shows either a bad use of phraseology, modelling of samples from a population is effectively 'making stuff up' but that doesn't mean it is the wrong way to extrapolate information from data samples based on statistical theories and tested hypothesis, or just an ignorance of how these things work.

No touch of snobbery either, I've done what I've done all through this - just repeated information that is out there but, understandably, not everyone has the time or inclination to scratch the surface. I've done that but I'm no expert and I certainly haven't looked into all articles and data to need to know that when the world's experts and governments are all singing from the same hymn sheet then it's a pretty safe bet that omicron is the new kid on the block.

And 'slating' this government or pointing out the failures is something else that I will do without worry. Johnson blabbered out some information that meant the hospitality sector had no time to plan or react. Any serious politician would have thought about what they would say and the repercussions of those words, this is the second time he has done this on the exact same issue so you would think he would have had a plan to support businesses already in place this time but it was left to Sunak to scramble and get a plan together.

If it makes you happier, I thought Gillian Keegan came across well this morning when explaining the new rules for shortening the isolation periods, she was honest where she didn't know information but explained the new rules in a coherent way. If after all of this time you still think Johnson is fit for purpose then you are delusional - the man is a blubbering idiot that stumbles around without a thought or a plan. If he'd have attended the COBRA meeting at the weekend then they might have prepared something before the need to scramble.

fair enough, and if you think i still support Boris and his handling of this you must have missed my post stating i will no longer be voting for this bunch of clowns.
Time to stop voting least worst and go back to only voting for what i can truly support, which is none of them.

[baggy1]

I agree, it would be a good thing, but many consultants (one's that I know or have come across) are relatively blinkered in their specialism. In fairness that isn't a bad thing that they don't distract themselves with information not directly relevant to that specialism. And based on the last 2 years people are going to go down the rabbit holes no matter what evidence is placed before them, the fact that people are still questioning the vaccine after nearly 9 Billion being administered globally says more than the consultants knowledge on the subject.

[MrFizz]

[quote pid="438639" dateline="1640259443"]
Time to stop voting least worst and go back to only voting for what i can truly support, which is none of them.
[/quote]

Bring back stupid people in stupid hats standing at the back looking stupid. They might just get my vote next time. 

[Sotv]

I agree, it would be a good thing, but many consultants (one's that I know or have come across) are relatively blinkered in their specialism. In fairness that isn't a bad thing that they don't distract themselves with information not directly relevant to that specialism. And based on the last 2 years people are going to go down the rabbit holes no matter what evidence is placed before them, the fact that people are still questioning the vaccine after nearly 9 Billion being administered globally says more than the consultants knowledge on the subject.

I do have to admit that is a fair point. It seems people are just looking for whatever suits their pre defined agenda. It just seems a bit daft when there is a battle to convince people to take the vaccine that we are not giving out as much info as possible. The more info people have, the more informed they are. 
I really don't see why they don't do as in France and tell people what strain they have. My brother just tested positive in France and they immediately told him he had the delta variant.

---

[quote pid="438639" dateline="1640259443"]
Time to stop voting least worst and go back to only voting for what i can truly support, which is none of them.

Bring back stupid people in stupid hats standing at the back looking stupid. They might just get my vote next time. 
[/quote]

We don't need that, we already have people with stupid hair standing at the front 

[baggy1]

Got to be honest I thought they did and assumed my lad had got the omicron when he tested positive but when he checked his medical records it didn't specify. Definitely would be a good thing to try and implement, I'd be happy if they just gave out more info generally and at least appeared to be planning for the next step. All this watching the data talk this week gives me the impression they are doing the same as me - maybe they monitor this site and are waiting for our conclusions 

[Birdman1811]

Got to be honest I thought they did and assumed my lad had got the omicron when he tested positive but when he checked his medical records it didn't specify. Definitely would be a good thing to try and implement, I'd be happy if they just gave out more info generally and at least appeared to be planning for the next step. All this watching the data talk this week gives me the impression they are doing the same as me - maybe they monitor this site and are waiting for our conclusions 

I am starting to fucking wonder.

Have to say this place has been a surprising bastion of sanity on it at times. This dump always surprises.

[MrFizz]

Got to be honest I thought they did and assumed my lad had got the omicron when he tested positive but when he checked his medical records it didn't specify. Definitely would be a good thing to try and implement, I'd be happy if they just gave out more info generally and at least appeared to be planning for the next step. All this watching the data talk this week gives me the impression they are doing the same as me - maybe they monitor this site and are waiting for our conclusions 

I am starting to fucking wonder.

Have to say this place has been a surprising bastion of sanity on it at times. This dump always surprises.

Don't worry. It'll soon wear off.

[Tom Joad]

Got to be honest I thought they did and assumed my lad had got the omicron when he tested positive but when he checked his medical records it didn't specify. Definitely would be a good thing to try and implement, I'd be happy if they just gave out more info generally and at least appeared to be planning for the next step. All this watching the data talk this week gives me the impression they are doing the same as me - maybe they monitor this site and are waiting for our conclusions 

After wading through tons of bull on Covid, in numerous papers, I eventually found this bored to be the best starting point. The statements on here are normally linked or referenced so I can go as deep as I have time for. That biff in charge of Wales could do worse than spend 15 minutes a day on here.
Anyway, it's nice to pop over to the politics bored now and again to help out Derek and Proth.

[Baggybenny]

Proth is on a higher level than most. He still spells it Omnicron
And don't forget marsk