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Omnicron in particular is so low impact that the response is primarily political, especially when you have vaccines and some pre existing immunity. Countries c

Omnicron in particular is so low impact that the response is primarily political, especially when you have vaccines and some pre existing immunity. Countries can choose to pretty much ignore it or go crazy over it as the politicians and Twitter demand. We just got bored of it in the UK and moved onto Boris’s parties and now Ukraine.

EGreg 5y ago
Omicron could be the best thing that happened -- a mild, very infectious variant that gives everyone NATURAL herd immunity to the entire coronavirus family. Why are politicians so afraid of it?
- JudasGoat 5y ago
  While I agree with your statement. If you look at the present condition of medical facilities in Hong Kong, and imagine that situation reaching 1.4 billion people in a relatively short time. Also these people unlike many Westerner's probably don't have anti bodies from previous Covid-19 infections.
- edanm 5y ago
  Because a large number of people are dying.
- didibus 5y ago
  I don't know about politicians, but I can tell you why I'm not rejoicing quite yet. Number 1: While it is milder, it will still kill a lot of people. Yes they're mostly elderly, or they are immunocompromised and have other health issues already, but for those people it still means premature death, and for their families and friends it's still a loss of a loved one. Number 2: Long Covid is still not understood. The prevalence, impact and cause is too nebulous. It can manifest itself 6 to 12 months after first infection, so there's not been data about Omicron for it yet, since we're only starting to approach some people recovering on the 6 month mark. There's conflicting predictions of it affecting 5% to 30% of everyone (all age) who gets COVID. And it looks like sometimes the effect are dehabilitating, where people can't even go to work. So while it's nice Omicron doesn't kill you, it isn't clear if it will make you unhealthy and suffer from chronic problems for the rest of your life, and possibly shorten your lifespan. We also don't know if the chances of long COVID exist each time you get Covid, so even if it were 5% but you get it year over year, and each year it's 5% chance, it might be a matter of time till we all have long COVID. Number 3: Healthcare capacity and supplies. Even though the percentages of cases that need medical care is smaller, if too many people get it at the same.time, the total number of people needing medical care could be quite large and breach the healthcare capacity. Number 4: Cost on the economy. When people say it's mild, it's often still like getting the flu, which means you're off work for 3 to 10 days. If everyone gets it once or twice a year, and if people get it all at the same time, it means supply chain issues, delayed business, it just puts pressure everywhere on the economy.
- TheBigSalad 5y ago
  It's not mild, just milder than Delta. It's a deadly disease that's killing people.
- ulfw 5y ago
  "a mild, very infectious variant that gives everyone NATURAL herd immunity to the entire coronavirus family." If this was even remotely true everyone would be doing Covid parties now like they've done measles parties decades ago. It's not. Getting Omicron doesn't give you any herd immunity at all, let alone against "the entire coronavirus family". That's beyond ludicrous.
- DiogenesKynikos 5y ago
  In the US, Omicron has killed more people than Delta. Omicron is slightly less deadly than Delta, but it's much more transmissible. That, combined with a lack of preventive measures, made this winter's Omicron wave the second most deadly wave in the US since the pandemic began.

EGreg 5y ago

Omicron could be the best thing that happened -- a mild, very infectious variant that gives everyone NATURAL herd immunity to the entire coronavirus family. Why are politicians so afraid of it?

JudasGoat 5y ago
While I agree with your statement. If you look at the present condition of medical facilities in Hong Kong, and imagine that situation reaching 1.4 billion people in a relatively short time. Also these people unlike many Westerner's probably don't have anti bodies from previous Covid-19 infections.
edanm 5y ago
Because a large number of people are dying.
didibus 5y ago
I don't know about politicians, but I can tell you why I'm not rejoicing quite yet. Number 1: While it is milder, it will still kill a lot of people. Yes they're mostly elderly, or they are immunocompromised and have other health issues already, but for those people it still means premature death, and for their families and friends it's still a loss of a loved one. Number 2: Long Covid is still not understood. The prevalence, impact and cause is too nebulous. It can manifest itself 6 to 12 months after first infection, so there's not been data about Omicron for it yet, since we're only starting to approach some people recovering on the 6 month mark. There's conflicting predictions of it affecting 5% to 30% of everyone (all age) who gets COVID. And it looks like sometimes the effect are dehabilitating, where people can't even go to work. So while it's nice Omicron doesn't kill you, it isn't clear if it will make you unhealthy and suffer from chronic problems for the rest of your life, and possibly shorten your lifespan. We also don't know if the chances of long COVID exist each time you get Covid, so even if it were 5% but you get it year over year, and each year it's 5% chance, it might be a matter of time till we all have long COVID. Number 3: Healthcare capacity and supplies. Even though the percentages of cases that need medical care is smaller, if too many people get it at the same.time, the total number of people needing medical care could be quite large and breach the healthcare capacity. Number 4: Cost on the economy. When people say it's mild, it's often still like getting the flu, which means you're off work for 3 to 10 days. If everyone gets it once or twice a year, and if people get it all at the same time, it means supply chain issues, delayed business, it just puts pressure everywhere on the economy.
TheBigSalad 5y ago
It's not mild, just milder than Delta. It's a deadly disease that's killing people.
ulfw 5y ago
"a mild, very infectious variant that gives everyone NATURAL herd immunity to the entire coronavirus family." If this was even remotely true everyone would be doing Covid parties now like they've done measles parties decades ago. It's not. Getting Omicron doesn't give you any herd immunity at all, let alone against "the entire coronavirus family". That's beyond ludicrous.
DiogenesKynikos 5y ago
In the US, Omicron has killed more people than Delta. Omicron is slightly less deadly than Delta, but it's much more transmissible. That, combined with a lack of preventive measures, made this winter's Omicron wave the second most deadly wave in the US since the pandemic began.