The big O

[vilakins]

Well, Omicron's loose in the country, spread by attendees at a wedding in Auckland, and we're going to alert level Red at midnight. We were going to fly up to a wedding in April but I doubt whether it will be on - it was cancelled once already - or if it is, whether I even want to risk it.

They saying to 1) be prepared for having to look after

Comments

[jaxomsride]

The only reality show I like is Escape to the Chateau
Oddly enough I never thought of Mastermind and University Challenge as "Game shows" even though they are quiz shows.

Best of luck with Omicron, though if you are vaccinated there is rather less likelihood of being seriously ill with it, but even a mild dose of Covid can be no fun. One of these days we may get ck to normal.

[vilakins]

Is that the Strawbridge one? Canadian friends who live here really enjoy that and tell me I'd like it. I must see if I can find it to catch up with.

We're vaxxed and boosted but I'm still nervous. I had flu once (as opposed to a cold - so many people here call colds flu which really annoys me - and I never want to be that ill again.

[jaxomsride]

Yes that is the one.
Hopefully you will stay COVID free.

[zoefruitcake]

Sorry omicron has reached your neck of the woods

[vilakins]

How is it where you are? I've heard it's over its peak in the UK.

[zoefruitcake]

Improving. We’ve got an outbreak at work but we are coping. We’re supposed to be ditching masks in shops etc from Thursday but I plan to continue wearing them

[vilakins]

Yeah, that's too soon, I'd have thought. Here we're being told to wear the disposable surgical ones with a cloth one over the top because the disposables leak round the sides.

[vjezkova]

The omicron is growing fast here but so far there have been much less people in hospitals. Mostly it looks like you cought a cold or have runny nose. Of course people with other health problems are more endangered. But there is no panic here.
I hope you will manage to get over it without bigger problems.

[vilakins]

I hope that's the case here. The problem here is that even though it's a lot milder, it's so transmissible that the larger numbers might swamp our health system, which is... not good away from the big cities. There are 8 ICU beds for the entire region, and you have to be helicoptered to hospital in Dunedin if it's urgent. That's the downside of a small population in a big area.

[vjezkova]

The level of health care is the key. Czech health care is really very very good and it is able to cover a lot. Unfortunately, because of covid cases, there have been been many planned operations postponed and that is the problem - these people are endangered only by waiting...

Of course there are different conditions in NZ! CR is a small and compact country and the net of health care has been built solidly. But there are problems, of course...

[vilakins]

What worries me is all the stubborn unvaccinated (about 10% of the population) filling up the hospitals so people can't get medical care for other issues. A Canadian friend says that children with cancer aren't being treated in her province because of all the Covid. Big cities here might cope but I doubt we can down here in the south.