TIME TO END THE COVID HYSTERIA.

As the Welsh and Scottish 'governments' impose evermore restrictive and authoritarian rules for dealing with the COVID epidemic, and specifically the so-called 'Omicron' variant, while the UK government seems unable to decide what to do for the best, what do we really know about what is going on ?

The 'Omicron' variant of the COVID-19 virus is probably more infectious than earlier variants. It may cause less severe symptoms, less hospitalisations and less deaths, or it may not. We also know that the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions or who are immunosuppressed for any reason are much more likely to be severely affected by all the COVID variants. 'Omicron' may be less susceptible to control by the existing vaccinations though a third 'booster' dose appears to provide quite strong protection.

That's it.

Beyond these few facts, all else is theory, derived from an assortment of modelling and associated projections made by fearful medics, scientists and politicians. The inevitable and real consequences of the often highly restrictive policies they implement seem to be ignored in favour of dealing with a theoretical threat in a draconian way.

Even today, as we live under the threat of yet another lock down, there are reports that the Omicron variant may already be waning; even if it is not, the numbers of hospitalisations and deaths being reported are not rising. Yes, the number of positive tests reported each day are at very high levels but so are the number of tests being carried out daily. Shockingly, it is only the first of these metrics which is ever mentioned, potentially producing a highly misleading and biased picture. 

And so we are told to wear masks, isolate, avoid socialising - basically, to give up any sort of normal life. Schools have been shut, universities defraud their students, pubs and restaurants are on their knees and half the workforce has converted its kitchen into a home office. ID cards, in all but name, have been threatened, even introduced in some parts, under the cover of calling them 'Vaccine Passports'. he police have been diverted from tackling real crime, if they ever do that any more, to tracking down those who dare to defy the new anti-COVID masterplan. 

While all this goes on, thousands upon thousands of people are being denied access to essential medical services and huge numbers of cancer diagnoses are being missed. Thousands of businesses are simply going out of business as their employees are forced to isolate or their customers are told not to visit. Our high streets are empty as retailers close, never to reopen, and their customers are forced to use the online services of the likes of Amazon. 

It seems that the government has adopted an approach of maximum caution even though the evidence in favour of this is scant. In reality, the sooner COVID, of any variant, is free to circulate, the sooner the epidemic will be over. Yes, there will be deaths but how many of these will be directly and solely due to COVID ? Another piece of information that we don't know as our masters have chosen not to share the historic data with us.

It is time for the UK government to get a grip and take proper control. COVID is a risk but it's not dangerous for the vast majority of the population; lockdowns and isolation, lack of access to healthcare and economic bankruptcy are.