Peter wrote:
Blocking flights from S Africa doesn’t work because it is absolutely standard practice to fly to the UK via another airport, and the UK lot have no way to find out that you did this. Especially if say you fly to Paris and take the train to the UK.
It works if ALL of Europe closes down on S-Afrikca. ALL of it. But that won’t happen…
Peter wrote:
Another report is that the current vaccines are 40% less effective, which is significant but not any sort of disaster.
No disaster? 40% more people dead, in ICU, maimed for life?
Somehow i have a feeling it’s not worth fighting anymore. This virus will defeat us.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
This virus will defeat us.
Even if that were true, the effect of this ‘defeat’ will be a tiny, microscopic, barely-noticeable blip on the ever-increasing curve of the human population.
You really do need a sense of proportion. Get your jabs and live your life, be happy you’re alive.
The variant is in. It was in long before someone detected a case in Belgium. Once it’s in, shutting down makes no difference.
Graham wrote:
the effect of this ‘defeat’ will be a tiny, microscopic, barely-noticeable blip on the ever-increasing curve of the human population.
I’ve taken note that for you, a human life is just a spike in a statistic. You don’t need to repeat that. Good for you if a couple of million dead do not matter to you.
I can’t duplicate this. My feeling of proportion is that way too many people I knew and liked are dead, others ill, others will carry the consequences for the rest of their lifes. They DO matter to me. And it matters to me that despite all the precautions and vaccinations the virus is always faster than us.
Graham wrote:
Get your jabs and live your life, be happy you’re alive.
I got/will get my jabs and I try to be as careful as I can be. Happiness? Maybe one day. Now is not the time for it. Happy to be alive? Maybe someday. In any case, this is not about me. I have people to take care for. They matter. I do not.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
I’ve taken note that for you, a human life is just a spike in a statistic. You don’t need to repeat that. Good for you if a couple of million dead do not matter to you.
You misunderstand completely.
It doesn’t matter what I, or you, think of it. What’s going to happen will happen.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
My feeling of proportion is that way too many people I knew and liked are dead, others ill, others will carry the consequences for the rest of their lifes. They DO matter to me.
It does seem you’ve been more affected than most – for that you have my sympathy. Why that is the case, who knows.
gallois wrote:
think its bizarre that we have to go into the UK and across a lot of water in an SEP to get from one side of the country.to the other
You will need PLF, GAR and day 2 LFT test for that dog leg
Water is cold these days 
😁😁😁
Several countries have stopped flights and/or enforce quarantine for flights from South Africa. Too little too late once again probably to stop the new variant to explode here. It appears that once again we get two kinds of experts, those who take the “remain calm, nothing to see, move on” moniker and others who panic outright. Stopping the flights when the thing is already in europe is the right decision of course, but too late. And IMHO, if they want to be sure, they should not only stop direct flights but alsoo disallow any form of transportation via other countries. Best would be to stop long haul air travel entirely, world wide. Possibly for a couple of years.
Looking at how Delta now ravages Europe, a potentially 4 times as infectious variant with modified spike proteins which may well outfox the current vaccinations paint a very dire picture.
And seeing that every wave so far was worse than the preceeding one, a 5th wave with the new variant may well become an even more unspeakable disaster, particularly if the protection by vaccination fails.
So the new variant is called Omikron and a “variant of concern” to the WHO
Now we can only see if stopping the flights and isolating people from the areas will stop the propagation, alas I am not too confident seeing how Delta and the previous variants spread before they got discovered…
Mooney_Driver wrote:
Best would be to stop long haul air travel entirely, world wide. Possibly for a couple of years.
Yes, that would be very good
I must say I am getting a bit tired of the whole situation. A new strand, then panic. Multiple shots of vaccines. Vaccine passports and so on.
The virus is here to stay, and there will be multiple “waves” all over the place, exactly like influenza, and for all foreseeable future. Technically this could be stopped by dividing the globe into tiny isolated patches with no contact. Then only open to the next patch when both patches were 100% free of virus. Then open to the next patches and so on. Statistically and realistically, this is not very likely to actually work for several reasons.
The virus is just a mechanical device that reproduces while gradually changing. It’s a very simple and archetypal example of survival of the fittest. What makes it special is the speed in which it spreads, at least as a disease. Clearly, what it eventually will evolve into, is a highly contagious, but not so dangerous virus. Very much like influenza, which honestly speaking it was all from the start, but a tiny bit more deadly, but at the same time, it poses no danger to the young generation.
I have been all for vaccines, and the other measures (most of them). But more and more it looks to me we are now starting to act against nature, against common sense, it’s all PC panic. We are trying to fight the inevitable by mass panicking like cornered lemmings.
LeSving wrote:
I must say I am getting a bit tired of the whole situation.
Because too many are tired and stop paying attention, we are now at the situation we are in.
Basically the situation is similar as with Delta and previously the original variant. We know where it is coming from, it spreads rapidly.
In the former cases, it took ages until most countries shut air travel down, giving the virus the chance to propagate. Clearly, those countries (and politicians) who then went cautiously will not be seen with their pants down yet again. So the only variant now is, to shut down all travel to the affected areas or at the very least impose quarantine.
This is being done but again half witted. The headline was “Flights from South Africa shut down”. Well, nope. 10 days of quarantine and negative PCR test before departure, but all Schengen citizens AND residents may still travel… that imho is not a shut down, even though a lot of folks won’t travel knowing they will need quarantine.
So far, Switzerland has imposed quarantine onto all of southern Africa plus Egypt, Belgium, the UK, the Netherlands. In other words all countries in which the new variant has been found. It doesn’t take too much to figure out where this is going. The new variant is already everywhere. So it will mean a total shutdown of air travel yet again by the way of quarantine, if the current logic prevails. 10 days obligatory quarantine will do that.
The UK apparently has already done that PCR test for everyone entering the UK plus 2 days, plus isolation until the result is there, plus 10 days for suspect cases.
So travel will most probably come to a screeching halt yet again within the next several days. At least until they know for a fact what this new variant really does. If it is only half as bad as WHO sais, it may well cause another total breakdown of travel.
