Forum Topic

Christmas

Should elderly people visit their children and young grandchildren for a few days during Christmas this year when the young ones have been at school with no vaccines- Just interested with views ...

Helen Bamberger ● 1747d41 Comments

Good question.As things stand we are asking all comers to take a lateral flow test for two consecutive days before and go from there.

Adrian Irving ● 1747d

Yes Adrian but a difficult one isn't it ..

Helen Bamberger ● 1747d

Yes.

Elle Jones ● 1747d

Yes but take a LFT. We will.

Simon Temple ● 1747d

Lateral Flow tests are very easy to do and cost nothing. It's sensible to do. You can pick up a set  of seven tests from your local chemist at no cost.

Michael Preece ● 1746d

https://www.uberpeople.net/threads/eff-bolt-and-eff-their-bonus.454477/ Iris stick with a local company

Peter Moore ● 1746d

“ People trying to order lateral flow tests from the Government website have found that the kits are currently unavailable.The problems came a day before new testing rules come into effect in England as part of a series of measures designed to combat the Omicron variant.”

Steve Taylor ● 1745d

It's a huge conundrum : lateral flow or PCR tests aside.The under twelves are more likely to be infected (as is the norm,measles,mumps etc) so grandkid jumps into granny or grandpa's arms,who have lowered immunity  et voila ,they infect them.There's no easy answer to this.

Ben Gemmingen ● 1745d

Especially as Javid announced yesterday that two jabs is not sufficient to ward off Omicron.

Steve Taylor ● 1745d

Would be mad to visit anyone this Christmas- nearly 90,000 covid cases today - I have cancelled visiting- a horrible decision but am I right ?

Helen Bamberger ● 1743d

Having hoped for a family get together this year,  we are reconsidering it based on the high case numbers in the last few days.

Nora Watkins ● 1743d

Me too- what a horrible choice

Helen Bamberger ● 1743d

A difficult decision for many. I know several people either double or even triple vaccinated who’ve recently caught covid. Some after having a group dinner - where many other diners also caught it, others via their children (schools being a major source of transmission). Fortunately all those I know have had mild cold like symptoms. I’m still hoping to see my extended family at Christmas but am suggesting 1) that everyone does LFTs for 3 successive days and 2) anyone with symptoms of a cold assumes it might be covid and gets a PCR test.

David Turner ● 1743d

Yet this government has cancelled the Red List including South Africa !!

Steve Taylor ● 1743d

We can only wait and see what happens next week.

Nora Watkins ● 1742d

Agree we can do little else other than wait and see but the Government is totally irresponsible by cancelling the Red List.  South Africa somehow allowed 61 people with Omicron into two of the KLM flights from Joburg to Amsterdam in ONE Day.  How could this happen. No checks by the Airline and no control by Airport authorities and no lateral flow tests by passengers?  Whatever it was, how can the UK take them off the red list when we now have 88,376 new Omicron cases.  Does the UK government REALLY expect visitors from SA to now do LFT after arrival and self isolate voluntarily?  Not gonna happen!!!

Steve Taylor ● 1742d

From what we have so far its very mild and hospital takeup is low and as oif this morning one death i think under new variant. Just do LFT and carry on as normal is what i say. This time around i think its to much fear being put  about and people not up on the new variant but just getting numbers

Julian Pavey ● 1742d

“ Just do LFT and carry on as normal is what i say.”That totally contradicts what Chris Whitty told the HOC Select Committee this morning, but I guess you know better!

Steve Taylor ● 1742d

So what did Mr Whitty say thenNot that i mentioned him ? Noit that i said i know more than anyone ?What did he say,i know what he said,infact i know everything that was said at the Select Committee.Il give you his advice if you dont know

Julian Pavey ● 1742d

Well now with the figures going over 93,000 today- do we have a choice ?

Helen Bamberger ● 1742d

It seems you don’t understand what Dr Whitty told the select committee. It may have been a tad difficult to comprehend. To simplify it, the virus is rampant, the virus is spreading, the NHS will be overwhelmed and possibly a million more people will get sick the New Year. And Richmond, on your doorstep, has the highest cases in any Borough in London.  But hey, just carry on as if nothing has happed!!!

Steve Taylor ● 1742d

Yes. Steve- I agree absolutely- how can people carry on with no thought for others- yes if you don't care about covid - what about thinking how they can pass it on? The gov should now at last take good leadership .

Helen Bamberger ● 1742d

Steve,Given the rise in omicron infections due to community transmission what purpose does the red list serve in terms of limiting omicron tranmission in the UK. It's miniscule. There is absolutely no point in keeping the red list now - the horse has bolted. Having the red list previously *might* have delayed the rise in cases for a couple of days. We're past that point. If you're that worried, just stay at home rather than exposing yourself to the risk of infection by watching unmasked people getting on buses. Can't believe you were so irresponsible to leave yourself exposed to the virus by going out - what were you thinking?

Andrew Jones ● 1742d

If you all pass a test you can carry on. We are not under lockdown ladies and gentleman. Oooh,i was nearly going to give the game away on what Mr whitty said then Steve has not watched the select comittee because he has not answered the question i posed but said in reply . "It seems you don’t understand what Dr Whitty said. Again,i do but ive not said what he said,neither did i mention Mr Whitty in the first place. I swear,is it just me ?

Julian Pavey ● 1742d

It seems Julian not only didn’t understand Chris Whitty’s answers and explanations to the Select Committee, he has also not fully comprehended the various news bulletins on the subject today. Either that or he is taking the Trumpian stance and stands firm in his support of Bojo despite the scientific advice presented by Dr Whitty.

Steve Taylor ● 1741d

Jonathan Mabbutt ● 1741d

RightLets take just one quote from Mr Whitty and one question and answer from him."Only socialise with others if you think it is impotant" Q  If someone wants to go to a football match,is that important. A  If someone thinks the football match is important,yes Steve Go and watch the blooming thing,stop shooting from some news quote taken from the who hour +. You cleary have not watched it Im temopted to call you a moron ?

Julian Pavey ● 1741d

It is a tough decision. As a family we are all vaccinated and boostered. We have chosen to make a close bubble so we can be together at Christmas including grandparents.  We all do regular LFTS.

Alina Dansord ● 1741d

A good decision Alina as that will allow your plans to stay uninterrupted  while being safe and enjoying the christmas you have planned

Julian Pavey ● 1741d

I believe that is a sensible approach, Alina.  It  certainly isn’t the gung ho blundering approach of  attending a football match or attending a party or some other quite unnecessary gathering just because YOU think it’s important. That would be quite irresponsible and where Dr Whitty is totally at odds with Boris.  Some people just can’t read into what Whitty is telling us because they are blinded by their own selfish ‘wants’. The I, ME, I, ME, ME brigade will never think about anyone else. Their needs come first. This is why the human race is on self destruct.

Steve Taylor ● 1741d

"This is why the human race is on self destruct". So how much longer have we got? Is it years, months, days? Should we all make sure we've made a will? On the basis of what evidence did you arrive at your conclusion?

Brian Coyle ● 1741d

"Should we all make sure we've made a will?"Only a moron wouldn't have done so by now.

Steve Taylor ● 1741d

"On the basis of what evidence did you arrive at your conclusion?"Obviously you have been unable to comprehend all the evidence produced by scientists (and others) from across the world at the Climate Change Summit just a few weeks ago?

Steve Taylor ● 1741d

Then make sure you do so asap. You know it makes sense.

Brian Coyle ● 1741d

I doubt very much if anybody can comprehend all the evidence produced by scientists etc, so as you seem to be cognisant with it all, perhaps you could highlight a few relevant points for consumption/discussion? I also see that the latest data shows seven people have now died with the new Covid variant, up from one. But nobody as far as I can see, has died solely from this or any other Covid variant, with no underlying medical conditions and nothing else - they all seem to have died 'with it', which is meaningless and pointless. If they had had a positive Covid test within the previous 28 days, and during that timescale, had died in a car accident, what is the point of mentioning Covid on the death certificate? It has no bearing on the cause of death whatsoever.   

Brian Coyle ● 1741d

Right See you all later,off to a xmas party All tested 3 days on a trot,negative test no go. Buisness will be very happy we did not cancel but took the correct route for all

Julian Pavey ● 1741d

More ‘First World’  anxieties.  What to do, where to go, when to go???  But in the REAL world:“ COVID-19: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan declares major incident over 'huge surge' of Omicron cases. In the last 24 hours, we have had the largest number of new cases since the pandemic began, more than 26,000."Hospital admissions are going up but also staff absences are going up by massive levels, so I have taken the decision, along with our partners, to declare a major incident."

Steve Taylor ● 1740d

I doubt very much if anybody can comprehend all the evidence produced by scientists etc, so as you seem to be cognisant with it all, perhaps you could highlight a few relevant points for consumption and discussion? I also see that the latest data shows seven people have now died with the new Covid variant, up from one. So how exactly does one die from and solely because of Omicron, or indeed any other Covid variant? 

Brian Coyle ● 1740d

Figures published by the UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England) on Covid-19 hospitalisations and deaths, show that the Covid-19 injections still don't seem to be working. The Covid-19 Vaccine Surveillance Report - Week 43 was published by the UK Health Security Agency, on Thursday, 28th October 2021 and it shows that the vast majority of Covid-19 hospitalisations between September 27th and October 24th were among the fully vaccinated population.

Brian Coyle ● 1740d

Has the picture now changed as Alina gave a quote on the 'Antivaxxers' thread saying 'the vast majority of Covid hospitalisations were of the unvaccinated'?

Bobbie Carnegie ● 1740d

That is correct.  It has changed radically since October especially after the boosters started. “ Christmas family gatherings are at risk of being banned after Sage called for an “immediate” curtailment of indoor mixing to combat the spread of omicron.  And more news today. Scientific advisers have told Number 10 that waiting until after Christmas to impose restrictions is not an option if the Government wants to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed with more than 3,000 hospitalisations a day in January.In minutes from a Sage meeting that took place on Thursday, and were released on Saturday, the group described indoor mixing as “the biggest risk factor”.It also suggested “reducing group sizes, increasing physical distancing, reducing duration of contacts and closing high-risk premises”.The advice raises the prospect of an outright ban on people from different households enjoying Christmas day together indoors, or, less strictly, limits on the number of households under one roof, as has been urged but not yet mandated in Scotland.”

Steve Taylor ● 1740d