That 95000 is a record isn't it? Yes.
I believe the total very quickly followed another daily record. Yes.
So the newly dominant version of Covid has caused record infections without there having been enough time to have a similar knock on effect of deaths.

IIRC the UK no longer counts deaths as covid related if they occur after 28 days have passed. That's a bit like saying death can occur up to 4 weeks after getting it, no?
Have we reached the point at which Omicron has infected similar numbers of people where we can say it's similar? I don't believe we have.
Remember we had a variant that was less contagious but more dangerous if you got it? And another that was more contagious but not so dangerous?

We were told all this from the very beginning. There would be variants and the more infections the more chances of more variants. Have we forgotten this?
And with all these variants that may or may not be more contagious or may or may not be so serious in symptoms, what if there's one that makes us all think it's just a cold, we have few, if any symptoms, but the actual effect on our bodies is actually worse and on the 29th day it kills. Maybe that while we have a sniffle, some of the little buggers are actually cluttering up our lungs like all the other people we knew about because they were sick enough for these things to be looked at but while we're only having a sniffle we dismiss the idea of our lungs being obliterated because, "well I don't feel that bad."

Or maybe that like the other versions, some people get long covid but that second time around instead of just suffering Omicron long covid they die.

In six months time, Omicron becomes known as the silent killer - you know, like many other medical conditions that kill silently. And then people ask "why weren't we warned about this?"

And if I'm still here then I shall say, "you were, you just decided you were more expert than all the people who warned you it was too early to tell."

And, no, I'm not running scared. I'm just wary. Everything we were warned about has happened. We are still being warned and so far the people and places where people have not heeded the warnings have suffered the most.

Until we have experts saying the worst is over I think it reasonable to assume it's not.

Lockdown by stealth

By most accounts there is going to be a tremendous wave of Omicron infections in a few weeks time (January). Over a million cases are projected. What's not known is how lethal the Omicron variant is. Very preliminary data from South Africa (young and Covid recovered population) us that it's not so lethal, but that does not necessarily hold true for the UK. An abundance of caution may lead to some business closures; disregarding caution may lead to thousands of Omicron deaths (including indirect deaths from ICU's being filled with Covid patients).

Indeed. The public can deny reality as much as they want, viruses don't care.

Quick, find your tin foil hat !

It will be very interesting to replay this post about 2 months down the track...

And, indeed, mine. But hindsight doesn't make either of them wrong.

Both Paul land myself have actually said the same thing about it not being clear yet.
He's convinced it's an overreaction and we'll know for sure in a couple of weeks, I've said it's too early to tell and consider there's enough information that is known to remain wary.

When you see governments around the world - especially those who acted quickly first time around and clearly benefited from swift and correct action - setting up various measures to try to combat the latest surge and its potential knock on effects, I'm afraid that when someone stands out in opposition I am reminded of the War of the Worlds movie when that Priest approaches one of the alien spacecraft that have been busy incinerating people, thinking he can reason with them.

And within seconds they blow him to smithereens.

Don't let dbd33 see this, he may think it's a great idea for the unvaccinated.

Anti-vaxxers

Well quite, if someone has a medical reason why they cannot be vaccinated, then locking them in a dungeon for the duration is quite enough. It's only those who are unvaccinated by choice who need to be put to death.

What about those who are antivax for religious reasons?

Following a religion is just a personal preference. Why people choose not to be vaxxed shouldn't matter to public policy; all such people are a menace to society.

Nonsense- 24 Sussex is the residence of the Prime Minister.

Of course you are quite right Bristol... no one really knows how "deadly" this new Omicron variant is yet, as there has not been enough data gathered, but I am going out on a limb and saying that it is an over reaction, and I hope I am right. I have been reading a fair bit on the life cycle of a typical pandemic... and if this one goes the same way as others have, this Omicron variant is the first sign of the beginning of the end.... in that its highly contagious but a lot weaker, and therefore not actually deadly. I think it could be potentially deadly to the unvaccinated, as I do believe the vaccine works.... and this is where I think we should now be able to get out there and from herd immunity as a collective, which would also result in the virus mutating and becoming weaker. until its no longer deadly.

I have no idea if I am right, its just a conclusion I have arrived at after reading a little about past pandemics. If I am right, then it will be great for us all....except that another Christmas and new year have been ruined. We will know in the next couple of weeks.