O/T booster jabs.

[gm_gm]

What are these two columns of data showing gm? One column on the left shows falling figures, the one on the right are increasing. What are they showing?

The right hand Columb is the total case numbers, the day by day numbers show a huge decrease in line with what we were told (but completely ignored) by South Africa that it was a short term mild variant.

Sack Whitty now

[ragingpup]

The right hand Columb is the total case numbers, the day by day numbers show a huge decrease in line with what we were told (but completely ignored) by South Africa that it was a short term mild variant.

Sack Whitty now

I agree that the evidence from South African was that it was a miler varient but as a relatively unknown quantity we had no way of knowing what the actual impact of the outbreak would be on the NHS. We exchanged views about hospitalisations in mid December when you were already suggesting that all would be fine and I showed you the emerging increase in hospitalisations. Look what has happened to the numbers of people in hospitals since:

hospitalCases
19735
19858
19070
18633
18710
18540
18075
17354
16362
15172
14538
14212
13188
12002
10956
9799
8780
8367
8560
8341
8306
8087
7877
7635
7480

It increased nearly 3 times in that 2-3 week period stretching the NHS hugely in London and that stretch is now hitting the North in various places.

I think the whole reason for the restrictions that we have been under (which are not a huge burden to be honest) have helped to flatten the impact of the omecron wave. It was quite clear, at least to most, that the virus itself isn't anything like the threat to life and long term illness that Delta represented but without some restrictions, the pressure on the NHS and the wider economy from mass absences/isolations would be inevitable and not sure why you (and Fire) seem to keep advocating for it.

But overall, the omecron outbreak, with what looks to be a bonus in that exposure to it appears to prevent delta infection, is coming down in some areas in terms of infections and hospitalisations/ventilations looks to be levelling and falling. It is indeed following a path that many were predicting (including myself I would add) on the back of the South African data, but I think the government have been wise in asking for modest restrictions whilst the wave did it's worst, and helped to flatten the curve.