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Covid is here to stay, that is for certain. Demand for testing for it will likely remain, to what extent though is unclear. Omicron may be milder and you would have thought that might lead to reduced testing, but the opposite has happened, demand for testing has actually increased. That is because it is far more virulent than flu, but still causes sufficient morbidity and mortality to overwhelm health services. Until a multivalent vaccine for covid comes along and improved antivirals, I would have thought demand for testing will be robust. In any event, Novacyt have no debt and sufficient capital and know how to diversify their business.
It is even more complicated than that though. You might be admitted for a badly broken leg but test positive for covid. The covid might be purely incidental, but you have to be in isolation as there are others in hospital in icu, geriatrics or with cancer who are certainly are at risk.
What is particularly worrying is that at the outset children were not affected by covid. This is no longer the case with omicron. They are the least protected group in terms of vaccination and the under 5's have no masks. They are also grouped together in schools, an environment in which viruses thrive. It is one thing for the very elderly and infirm to die, but if children and babies start getting seriously ill and dying I have a feeling there may well be a backlash against government and their attitude of "let it rip".
There is big shortage of copper looming no matter what happens short term to the global economy. There are very few copper mines at development stage. The likes of BHP and RIO are awash with cash and want to buy copper assets. Who is going to make the first move?
Demand for covid testing is higher now than it ever was and should have been in decline from when vaccines first started. I doubt omicron is milder than previous variants, it is just that there is more immunity in the population, both natural and vaccine induced.
I wonder if it is the Vatel shares holding things back. They exchanged their debt for shares some time ago and just over a million shares were locked up until 31st December 2021. As quite a high percentage of those shares would be pure profit it may be that Vatel are selling some or all of them, or perhaps the mm's are waiting for their intentions to become clear.
The FDA are now under a lot of pressure to approve tests asap. It would be nice if Novacyt could crack the US market, just about the biggest healthcare market in the world. An approval there and a big order could set Novacyt up in the US.
There are loads of tests to choose from yet everywhere we hear the same story of labs unable to cope with the volume of testing and shortages of supply for reagants, materials and lft's. When the size of the pie is enormous, even a small slice is big and there is plenty to go round everyone.
The grades may not be minable but I've known drill results where you intersect a mineralised system with low grade but then targets are refined and boom subsequent bit hits the good stuff. There is definitely more gold and copper to be found there.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59738678. Now imagine what the demand is going to be to do weekly testing with a population of 334 million... Even if Novacyt aren't supplying directly this will inevitably put pressure on supplies and increase prices.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/19/health/covid-omicron-testing/index.html
The new game of omicron is that new variants of covid are going to emerge. The need for testing will likely continue for years. I can think of no other company whose prospects are valued as conservatively as Novacyt.
If most of the people in intensive care are unvaccinated, then I am afraid the unvaccinated are the problem. Why the heck should the NHS be allowed to collapse, people not receiving cancer treatment etc and the whole of society locked down just to protect the selfish few who won't have a vaccine. Make it mandatory and do it now I say. We have to wear seat belts, we have to pay taxes, we have to obey the law. Whats the problem??? The problem is the me, me, me, me attitude of a few selfish people nowadays.
I don't think there will be anymore lockdowns. It might save a few lives but it certainly will kill the economy. The government has had enough time to build capacity in the NHS.
This does not bode well, in fact it is the nightmare before Christmas.https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10276793/amp/Hospitalisations-Omicron-hit-South-African-province-RISING-faster-previous-wave.html