Member Info for Istabrraq

US covid co-ordination chief Zients & deputy Quillian leave end of April. Will the new incumbent (Dr Ashish Jha) change the US covid protocols for international travel? Is summer '22 a realistic timeframe for the US to adopt a travel policy similar to the UK? Hoping to see positive changes sometime soon. Links to related articles below. GLA.
https://thriftytraveler.com/news/latest-travel-news-coronavirus/
https://about.bgov.com/news/biden-urged-to-drop-travel-mask-mandate-despite-rise-in-cases/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/thepointsguy.com/news/mask-mandate-senate/amp/

Was it this?

https://news.abplive.com/business/air-india-likely-to-acquire-30-wide-body-jets-worth-10-billion-says-rolls-royce-1521729

‘Total failure’: how Russia botched its invasion of Ukraine. Might be nothing but worth a read.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theweek.co.uk/news/world-news/russia/955996/how-russia-botched-invasion-of-ukraine%3famp

https://m.uk.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/factbox--airlines-use-hedging-fuel-surcharges-to-offset-some-pain-as-oil-surges-2599078

I am reminded of this quote from Orwells 1984, "The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous."

Thanks for posting, excellent news.

Article from The Spectator, 'Has Omicron peaked in London'
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/has-omicron-peaked-in-london-

This guys modelling suggests London cases have peaked.
https://mobile.twitter.com/pieterstreicher?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Covid case numbers in London appear to have peaked & are falling in some age demographics. No need for further restrictions. UK gov should change the narrative to emphasise the need to start living with the virus. Enough already FFS.
https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/coronavirus--covid-19--cases

The defence Dr Harries gave to keep testing is weakened as the mild Omicron/flu horse has well & truly bolted. GLA

Advice for testing seems to be coming from UKHSA. Below is an exchange between MP Ben Bradshaw & Jenny Harries.

Mr Bradshaw then claimed that Mr Shapps had labelled the testing rules 'pointless'.
He told Dr Harries: ‘So the decision to retain these testing rules over Christmas, into the New Year, that would have been taken on your collective advice as well or would ministers have made that decision?
‘Because the health minister said to me in the House yesterday that he thought they were pointless and the Transport Secretary told me in the division lobby last night he thought they were pointless too.
‘Someone is obviously keeping them in place. Who is keeping them in place?’
Dr Harries said she could not 'speak on behalf of either of the ministers that you have just mentioned'.
Dr Harries defended the decision to keep the testing rules in place as she said 'where we know that there are cases coming into the country it seems prudent to try and prevent them from transmitting onwards where we can'.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10312495/Labour-MP-claims-Grant-Shapps-said-travel-test-rules-pointless.html?fr=operanews

Agree to disagree with your outlook Oracle1953, slainte. ATB.

Me thinks the SP will be >200p by April 2022. Each to their own. DYOR.

Oracle1953, póg mo thóin. Merry Xmas.

I remember reading a stat somewhere which indicated approx 10% covid infections where in a hospital environment. Would be interesting to see any data for those who have died from & with covid. The UK gov NHS concern is now self inflicted, i. e. staff shortages around omicron isolation protocols. Hopefully the rapid rise in UK omicron infections will now be followed by a swift fall. I think SA cases are indicating a fall. GLA. LTH.

Two-thirds of new Covid hospital patients in England only tested positive AFTER being admitted for a different illness.
https://www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10339555/amp/Two-thirds-new-Covid-hospital-patients-England-tested-positive-admitted.html?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#aoh=16402824370783&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-10339555%2FTwo-thirds-new-Covid-hospital-patients-England-tested-positive-admitted.html

Imperial College London study paints a less rosier picture, Neil Ferguson involved so no surprise there then.
https://www-imperial-ac-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.imperial.ac.uk/news/232882/some-reduction-hospitalisation-omicron-delta-englandearly/amp/?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#aoh=16402005075166&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imperial.ac.uk%2Fnews%2F232882%2Fsome-reduction-hospitalisation-omicron-delta-england%2F

New studies reporting a two thirds reduction in severity. Positive news gathering pace now.

https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/severity-of-omicron-variant-of-concern-and-vaccine-effectiveness-

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-preprint-on-the-severity-of-the-omicron-variant-and-vaccine-effectiveness-against-symptomatic-infection-in-scotland-from-the-eave-ii-study/

IAGlongterm, When will UKHSA publish their findings?
The Politico article mentions before Xmas. Seen this story is now being picked up in some of the MSM channels, so would expect formal publication very soon. GLA. LTH.

UKHSA is set to publish a paper saying Britons who fall sick with Omicron are less likely to become severely ill than those who caught Delta.
Tsunami of egg heading towards the faces of Sage members.
https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/scoop-omicron-milder-in-uk-new-years-fireworks-liz-vs-no-10/

Wednesday December 15 2021, 12.01am, The Times
A third of Londoners are completely unvaccinated, as a surge of Omicron cases sweeps the capital.
The proportion of the population without a single jab is three times as high in London as in the country as a whole, and the 14 areas with the country’s lowest vaccination rates are all London boroughs. In Westminster four in ten people have not had a single jab.