Boris Johnson has saved the New Year for British citizens who live in England — and enterprising Scots and Welsh prepared to sneak over the border to celebrate.
But will the Prime Minister hold out against some in the media, hard-line scientific experts and bossy politicians — all of whom insist that the Omicron variant of Covid poses a lethal threat to our way of life, despite much evidence pointing to the contrary?
BBC news bulletins frequently start with the statement, meant to grab our armchairs and force us to believe that infections have reached new heights.
They forget to mention that the UK’s daily deaths are much lower than they were two months ago.
Boris Johnson has saved the New Year for British citizens who live in England — and enterprising Scots and Welsh prepared to sneak over the border to celebrate. But will the Prime Minister hold out against some in the media, hard-line scientific experts and bossy politicians — all of whom insist that the Omicron variant of Covid poses a lethal threat to our way of life, despite much evidence pointing to the contrary?
Professor Danny Altmann (above), an Immunologist at Imperial College London stated Tuesday that Johnson’s resistance to introducing new controls seemed to show the ‘greatest divergence’ between legal and scientific advice. How dare ministers ignore scientists?
Many scientists, including those from Sage’s Government advisory group, are calling for immediate new restrictions to stop Omicron infection epidemics.
Sage had warned a week earlier that “more severe measures” would be needed to implement the law’very soon”.
Non-Sage experts are in agreement. On Tuesday, Professor Danny Altmann of Imperial College London was an immunologist who said that Johnson’s refusal to implement new controls shows the “greatest divergence” between scientific/clinical advice and law. How dare ministers ignore scientists?
Among politicians, Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer says his party stands ready to support tough new measures, while his doleful satrap in Cardiff — First Minister Mark Drakeford — does his utmost to close down Wales for good.
John Swinney is however a better speaker than he.
Really? Are there triple-jabbed persons? It’s absurd. “Killjoy Swinney” tried to stop Scots celebrating New Year in England. He thought fear would help him.
Johnson is backed by at least 100 Tory MPs, who are threatening Johnson to get into trouble and vote against him if the Government introduces any new regulations.
Among politicians, Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer says his party stands ready to support tough new measures, while his doleful satrap in Cardiff — First Minister Mark Drakeford — does his utmost to close down Wales for good
Do not underestimate the enormous pressure that his fellow doomsters are applying to him on the opposite flank. They tell him that there is an Apocalypse just around every corner. They seem to be blind to the fact that Omicron is much less of an imminent threat.
He will reaffirm his previous statements. Omicron’s milder form than the previous ones, he stated that getting a booster is the best treatment. He stated that as many as 90% of people in intensive care don’t have a booster.
Will the PM succumb to fearmongering in the days and weeks ahead, as the likelihood of new infections going on increasing, then go back into restrictions?
Because I think Boris Johnson is an intelligent, rational man, and despite it all, I trust that he will examine the evidence.
Item One includes several reports that all agree Omicron has a significantly milder version than the previous versions. People who get it, according to the UK Health Security Agency (which isn’t well-known for optimism), are 70 percent less likely than others to need hospitalization.
Yesterday, a new record of 183 037 Covid cases had been reported. There were only 57 deaths. This is half of the monthly average October death rate. Omicron was not yet reaching our shores. (Left, Wednesday shoppers in central London.
Item Two is an important South African study, which shows that Omicron only accounts for 25% of all deaths caused by Covid waves in the past.
Boris may not approve of this particular report, as some South African scientists have a tendency to snootily mock their counterparts.
They may also not draw his attention to another new study — Item Three — which suggests that only one-fifth of the increase in coronavirus inpatients in the week to December 21 was caused by people admitted to hospital because of the virus.
In other words, because Omicron is so infectious, very many people find themselves in hospital without realising that they have got it — say, someone who has a broken leg. They don’t have Covid as their main problem. They may not see it as a problem.
Item Four includes the latest Covid data as provided by Government. Despite Christmas celebrations having disrupted data flow, it is still fairly clear. While new infections are on the rise, death rates are still low.
Yesterday, 183 037 new Covid cases were recorded. There were only 57 deaths in October when Omicron had not yet arrived on our shores.
Note to BBC: Please don’t mention rising infected rates while ignoring that fatality rates have been declining over the last week.
Item Five is about London, which has been the epicenter of Omicron’s current wave. Many observers believe that Omicron may be retreating, and some worst-affected areas have seen small drops in the number of new cases.
In fact, Professor Francois Baloux (an expert on infectious diseases and director at University College London’s Genetics Institute) stated last week that London was likely to have passed the peak in Covid infections.
Boris may find enough information to be interested in these items. It is clear that Omicron does not represent the evil scourge claimed by some politicians, media outlets or scientists.
I want to mention the many independent-minded scientists that, contrary to their coercive counterparts, do not wish to see us go on a vicious cycle of clampdowns, which destroy lives and make millions insane.
Sir John Bell is Regius Professor at Oxford of Medicine.
On Tuesday, he told BBC that Omicron seemed to be less severe than it used to be and most people are admitted for a short period of time. He said that the high deaths from Covid in Britain are “now history”.
Paul Hunter, University of East Anglia Professor of Medicine is another wise and eloquent voice. His vision is that people living with Covid will soon be able “go about their normal lives” as they are with someone with a cold.
Also, it’s important to accept that the virus will not disappear.
America is an example to follow. We need to reduce the time for isolation of people suffering from Covid-19 symptoms by half.
With new infections increasing so rapidly, the alternative is for society and economy to stop growing as there will not be enough people to continue the show.
Our own hidebound authorities are reluctant to decrease the quarantine time from seven to five days. Test and Trace continues to instruct people to isolate themselves for ten more days.
The fact is that an apparatus of control has grown up over the past nearly two years — supported by state scientists, endorsed by many politicians (including not a few Cabinet ministers) and cheered on by some journalists.
They are determined to continue with the same old habits. However, times have changed. Omicron has changed. Omicron is not harmless but it can be controlled with vaccinations and repeated boosters.
Boris will he stick with his guns? Will he be brave enough to hang on to the realisation he seems to have arrived at — that living with this largely tamed virus is now the only way forward?