Don’t panic! 
exactly… just do as we’re told and all will be well.
Great advice, Ford.
BBC News: Covid: Don’t panic about Omicron variant, WHO says.
Uh-oh.
What was it you called them?
Copy cats 
I do wish the mainstream journalists would avoid using sensationalist terms like “stealth”. PCR testing is only as good as (a) the primers and (b) the probe(s) that are used for the amplification and detection reactions. The fact that the S-deletion referenced by the Guardian article is no longer present, and therefore no longer a valid functional choice as a target for the PCR test shouldn’t be a surprise to any of the PCR testing labs out there. I imagine (and would certainly hope) that they are already working on mitigation strategies to take account of this change. The virus isn’t “stealthy”, but it seems pretty much true to form, like many other virus strains, in mutating often, and in a direction that will give pause for thought for testing labs (and governments) that rely on PCR testing as the be-all and end-all strategy of viral spread suppression/limitation.
Its just sensational journalists trying to please their editors and sell their rags. Tedious and enough to put me off reading any article rather than enticing me.
Its why some people live their lived in the same vein, everything is an emergency and they get off on the drama.
Was reading yesterday that a recent study of patient data from South Africa indicated that there was a 40-fold reduction in neutralising antibodies against the omicron variant in double-vaccinated and previously infected subjects, when compared to subjects who’d had a booster vaccine or had been recently infected with the delta variant. Then I saw that the population of the study covered only 12 people…and yet, the study was being touted by social media as though it were gospel.
12 people for pity’s sake, what kind of conclusion can one really draw from that ?
I reckon a dozen are having the omicron have a 40 fold reduction in neutralising antibodies
Here’s a thought - if this new variant spreads more easily but causes much less severe illness - which seems to be what some researchers are tentatively saying - ‘no worse than a bad cold’ - should we actually encourage it to spread - and push out the other variants?
Yes probably, a bit like the mumps parties as I said before, better long term protection with a variant that doesnt seem to cause major harm ( some people will always suffer because of underlying conditions and looking fit doesnt mean you are metabolically fit)
UK gov seem to want to continue to scare as so far the SA doctors are saying its not creating serious illness (unless you are not vaccinated) Israel saying similar.
Maybe because the NHS is in such a dire state any increase in hospital admissions, even if not needing ventilators, and increase in staff off sick could tip it over the edge?
Can’t remember mumps parties but can remember mum saying that when we moved from the town to the country one of the local children caught it from us and nearly died of mumps meningitis. Other than that I agree it may be a good idea to let a mild illness spread.
Well the tories want it that way to scare people into buying so called private which is more often selective care.
Doesn’t so far seem to be an increase in admissions except in the unvaccinated and that is not fair on the NHS and everyone else. We have been over that topic so wont say any more.
I really despair. The one time Bor-arse acts in a timely manner, the government are criticised for overreacting and scaremongering. One of the leading virologists was saying yesterday that it is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. We have the corner pieces and we are filling in the spaces inbetween. Viruses behave in different ways in different populations and there is much to learn. We need to at least slow the spread down until we can get more people fully vaccinated - which of course now means having the booster. It would be wonderful if it turns out to be less pathogenic than Delta and could replace it, but with it appearing to be much more transmissible, hospitals could be overwhelmed.
We were in Birmingham Tuesday at the Nutcracker ballet. Incredibly, the law did not call for mask wearing and we had to rely on common sense being shown by the theatre who have a strictly enforced mask policy. At last the Bor-arse has applied the rule to all hospitality and theatre/cinemas locations - timing was suspect but welcome nonetheless. We chose our travel times carefully but still encountered people unmasked on the train. There seems to be little enforcement. I hope and expect it’s better in France.
Yes correct as so far I havent read a report saying it is worse in its effects.
Now how about the list of things that cause far more morbidity and mortality
Coronary vascular disease.
Strokes
Heart attacks
Cancers
Etc etc.
The stats from those dwarf covid. Fine to bring in restrained measures like masks to slow the spread if as it was at the beginning an unknown, we have a huge number of vaccinated people and its the unvaccinated who should be worried. Biggest symptoms for Omicron is muscle and joint aches, the flu like symptoms of Delta don’t seem to be prevalent.
Listen to boris and raab, even chris whitty looked like he was biting his tongue. Thankfully we can view information from around the world rather than boris.