Datasets:

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innovation-hacking2

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shitposting_dataset3

like 0

[ "Am I crazy on this one. \nShould personal apps and technologies already be not allowed on official devices? \nThat's like downloading Skyrim on a work laptop. Cool and fun. But get your own personal device Jesus....", ">\n\nWhat I don’t understand is why people don’t get the fact that if it’s a company or government issued phone they have legal rights to every thing on it. Of course you should have and want a personal device. \nNo you’re not crazy, just sensible, but people are who put personal apps on what is essentially someone else’s phone most certainly.", ">\n\nI work for local government and don't even connect my personal phone to the building wifi. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't, but I value my privacy and try to stay away from my personal phone becoming public record.", ">\n\nCongress takes credit for something that was already forbidden, more at 11.", ">\n\nI’m a federal employee. TikTok has never been allowed on our phones and there are security settings to ensure it can never be downloaded. I don’t know why this is suddenly news as if it wasn’t implemented literally 3 years ago at this point.", ">\n\nCan't wait until someone makes a short reaction of this on Tik-Tok", ">\n\nMeh.\nI don't think anyone should have social media apps on work-provided / corporate devices anyway. That's something you should only be using your personal device for to begin with.", ">\n\nThat'll be about as effective as their metal detectors that representatives choose to just walk around", ">\n\nAs it turns out, worthless news articles about TikTok bans, are great clickbait.", ">\n\nThey pop up every weekday", ">\n\nHow many 13 year olds are on staff to need this?", ">\n\nEvery app is a privacy concern, but TikTok especially. \nMost companies which run popular apps aren't going to hand over loads of information to China for a tiny fraction of their valuation. TikTok's owner is essentially required to hand over any information at any time, and the government can essentially tweak the algorithms to show what they want.", ">\n\n\nbut TikTok especially. \n\nNot really. All of your points about Chinese access to data are also true with respect to Twitter. Binance, a shady Chinese crypto company, invested heavily in Musk's Twitter acquisition and has a $500 million stake in the country. Twitter has an agreement to hand over unspecified private data to investors who contributed $250 million or more to support Musk's acquisition. For all we know, the Chinese government has access to all of the data on Twitter's servers dating back over a decade. It's a far greater national security threat given how prevalent Twitter is and has been among elected officials.", ">\n\nI have been trying to explain this to people for months.... I dont use tiktok because the chinese get all my data.. they say while on Twitter who gives all their data to China. Oh and the Saudis as well.", ">\n\nNot a surprise. You shouldn't be installing that shit on work or government devices anyway. \nIf you wanna tiktok, use your own phone. I notice people being so alarmed like WHY IS AUBURN BANNING TIKTOK they're just banning it on their network, you're free to do it without using their wifi", ">\n\nThey don't need to be using social media on taxpayer funded phones anyway. Get a personal phone.", ">\n\nBreaking news: company device policy blocks installation of certain apps. Slow news day?", ">\n\nThe amount of people who come into these threads and either don’t give a shit or outright try to defend TikTok is comical… if it was any other social media platform in the headline these threads would be a dumpster fire", ">\n\nAh, man. Michelle Fischbach will never see my fast food reviews." ]

[ "Am I crazy on this one. \nShould personal apps and technologies already be not allowed on official devices? \nThat's like downloading Skyrim on a work laptop. Cool and fun. But get your own personal device Jesus....", ">\n\nWhat I don’t understand is why people don’t get the fact that if it’s a company or government issued phone they have legal rights to every thing on it. Of course you should have and want a personal device. \nNo you’re not crazy, just sensible, but people are who put personal apps on what is essentially someone else’s phone most certainly.", ">\n\nI work for local government and don't even connect my personal phone to the building wifi. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't, but I value my privacy and try to stay away from my personal phone becoming public record.", ">\n\nCongress takes credit for something that was already forbidden, more at 11.", ">\n\nI’m a federal employee. TikTok has never been allowed on our phones and there are security settings to ensure it can never be downloaded. I don’t know why this is suddenly news as if it wasn’t implemented literally 3 years ago at this point.", ">\n\nCan't wait until someone makes a short reaction of this on Tik-Tok", ">\n\nMeh.\nI don't think anyone should have social media apps on work-provided / corporate devices anyway. That's something you should only be using your personal device for to begin with.", ">\n\nThat'll be about as effective as their metal detectors that representatives choose to just walk around", ">\n\nAs it turns out, worthless news articles about TikTok bans, are great clickbait.", ">\n\nThey pop up every weekday", ">\n\nHow many 13 year olds are on staff to need this?", ">\n\nEvery app is a privacy concern, but TikTok especially. \nMost companies which run popular apps aren't going to hand over loads of information to China for a tiny fraction of their valuation. TikTok's owner is essentially required to hand over any information at any time, and the government can essentially tweak the algorithms to show what they want.", ">\n\n\nbut TikTok especially. \n\nNot really. All of your points about Chinese access to data are also true with respect to Twitter. Binance, a shady Chinese crypto company, invested heavily in Musk's Twitter acquisition and has a $500 million stake in the country. Twitter has an agreement to hand over unspecified private data to investors who contributed $250 million or more to support Musk's acquisition. For all we know, the Chinese government has access to all of the data on Twitter's servers dating back over a decade. It's a far greater national security threat given how prevalent Twitter is and has been among elected officials.", ">\n\nI have been trying to explain this to people for months.... I dont use tiktok because the chinese get all my data.. they say while on Twitter who gives all their data to China. Oh and the Saudis as well.", ">\n\nNot a surprise. You shouldn't be installing that shit on work or government devices anyway. \nIf you wanna tiktok, use your own phone. I notice people being so alarmed like WHY IS AUBURN BANNING TIKTOK they're just banning it on their network, you're free to do it without using their wifi", ">\n\nThey don't need to be using social media on taxpayer funded phones anyway. Get a personal phone.", ">\n\nBreaking news: company device policy blocks installation of certain apps. Slow news day?", ">\n\nThe amount of people who come into these threads and either don’t give a shit or outright try to defend TikTok is comical… if it was any other social media platform in the headline these threads would be a dumpster fire", ">\n\nAh, man. Michelle Fischbach will never see my fast food reviews.", ">\n\nNobody cares about what TikTok is doing, everyone has read their terms of service and still choose to use it… it’s designed to intimately serve you up catered ocular delights so you will grant it most of your attention… Erase the app before you get too addicted…" ]

[ "Am I crazy on this one. \nShould personal apps and technologies already be not allowed on official devices? \nThat's like downloading Skyrim on a work laptop. Cool and fun. But get your own personal device Jesus....", ">\n\nWhat I don’t understand is why people don’t get the fact that if it’s a company or government issued phone they have legal rights to every thing on it. Of course you should have and want a personal device. \nNo you’re not crazy, just sensible, but people are who put personal apps on what is essentially someone else’s phone most certainly.", ">\n\nI work for local government and don't even connect my personal phone to the building wifi. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't, but I value my privacy and try to stay away from my personal phone becoming public record.", ">\n\nCongress takes credit for something that was already forbidden, more at 11.", ">\n\nI’m a federal employee. TikTok has never been allowed on our phones and there are security settings to ensure it can never be downloaded. I don’t know why this is suddenly news as if it wasn’t implemented literally 3 years ago at this point.", ">\n\nCan't wait until someone makes a short reaction of this on Tik-Tok", ">\n\nMeh.\nI don't think anyone should have social media apps on work-provided / corporate devices anyway. That's something you should only be using your personal device for to begin with.", ">\n\nThat'll be about as effective as their metal detectors that representatives choose to just walk around", ">\n\nAs it turns out, worthless news articles about TikTok bans, are great clickbait.", ">\n\nThey pop up every weekday", ">\n\nHow many 13 year olds are on staff to need this?", ">\n\nEvery app is a privacy concern, but TikTok especially. \nMost companies which run popular apps aren't going to hand over loads of information to China for a tiny fraction of their valuation. TikTok's owner is essentially required to hand over any information at any time, and the government can essentially tweak the algorithms to show what they want.", ">\n\n\nbut TikTok especially. \n\nNot really. All of your points about Chinese access to data are also true with respect to Twitter. Binance, a shady Chinese crypto company, invested heavily in Musk's Twitter acquisition and has a $500 million stake in the country. Twitter has an agreement to hand over unspecified private data to investors who contributed $250 million or more to support Musk's acquisition. For all we know, the Chinese government has access to all of the data on Twitter's servers dating back over a decade. It's a far greater national security threat given how prevalent Twitter is and has been among elected officials.", ">\n\nI have been trying to explain this to people for months.... I dont use tiktok because the chinese get all my data.. they say while on Twitter who gives all their data to China. Oh and the Saudis as well.", ">\n\nNot a surprise. You shouldn't be installing that shit on work or government devices anyway. \nIf you wanna tiktok, use your own phone. I notice people being so alarmed like WHY IS AUBURN BANNING TIKTOK they're just banning it on their network, you're free to do it without using their wifi", ">\n\nThey don't need to be using social media on taxpayer funded phones anyway. Get a personal phone.", ">\n\nBreaking news: company device policy blocks installation of certain apps. Slow news day?", ">\n\nThe amount of people who come into these threads and either don’t give a shit or outright try to defend TikTok is comical… if it was any other social media platform in the headline these threads would be a dumpster fire", ">\n\nAh, man. Michelle Fischbach will never see my fast food reviews.", ">\n\nNobody cares about what TikTok is doing, everyone has read their terms of service and still choose to use it… it’s designed to intimately serve you up catered ocular delights so you will grant it most of your attention… Erase the app before you get too addicted…", ">\n\n\neveryone has read their terms of service\n\nThat’s hilarious." ]

[ "Am I crazy on this one. \nShould personal apps and technologies already be not allowed on official devices? \nThat's like downloading Skyrim on a work laptop. Cool and fun. But get your own personal device Jesus....", ">\n\nWhat I don’t understand is why people don’t get the fact that if it’s a company or government issued phone they have legal rights to every thing on it. Of course you should have and want a personal device. \nNo you’re not crazy, just sensible, but people are who put personal apps on what is essentially someone else’s phone most certainly.", ">\n\nI work for local government and don't even connect my personal phone to the building wifi. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't, but I value my privacy and try to stay away from my personal phone becoming public record.", ">\n\nCongress takes credit for something that was already forbidden, more at 11.", ">\n\nI’m a federal employee. TikTok has never been allowed on our phones and there are security settings to ensure it can never be downloaded. I don’t know why this is suddenly news as if it wasn’t implemented literally 3 years ago at this point.", ">\n\nCan't wait until someone makes a short reaction of this on Tik-Tok", ">\n\nMeh.\nI don't think anyone should have social media apps on work-provided / corporate devices anyway. That's something you should only be using your personal device for to begin with.", ">\n\nThat'll be about as effective as their metal detectors that representatives choose to just walk around", ">\n\nAs it turns out, worthless news articles about TikTok bans, are great clickbait.", ">\n\nThey pop up every weekday", ">\n\nHow many 13 year olds are on staff to need this?", ">\n\nEvery app is a privacy concern, but TikTok especially. \nMost companies which run popular apps aren't going to hand over loads of information to China for a tiny fraction of their valuation. TikTok's owner is essentially required to hand over any information at any time, and the government can essentially tweak the algorithms to show what they want.", ">\n\n\nbut TikTok especially. \n\nNot really. All of your points about Chinese access to data are also true with respect to Twitter. Binance, a shady Chinese crypto company, invested heavily in Musk's Twitter acquisition and has a $500 million stake in the country. Twitter has an agreement to hand over unspecified private data to investors who contributed $250 million or more to support Musk's acquisition. For all we know, the Chinese government has access to all of the data on Twitter's servers dating back over a decade. It's a far greater national security threat given how prevalent Twitter is and has been among elected officials.", ">\n\nI have been trying to explain this to people for months.... I dont use tiktok because the chinese get all my data.. they say while on Twitter who gives all their data to China. Oh and the Saudis as well.", ">\n\nNot a surprise. You shouldn't be installing that shit on work or government devices anyway. \nIf you wanna tiktok, use your own phone. I notice people being so alarmed like WHY IS AUBURN BANNING TIKTOK they're just banning it on their network, you're free to do it without using their wifi", ">\n\nThey don't need to be using social media on taxpayer funded phones anyway. Get a personal phone.", ">\n\nBreaking news: company device policy blocks installation of certain apps. Slow news day?", ">\n\nThe amount of people who come into these threads and either don’t give a shit or outright try to defend TikTok is comical… if it was any other social media platform in the headline these threads would be a dumpster fire", ">\n\nAh, man. Michelle Fischbach will never see my fast food reviews.", ">\n\nNobody cares about what TikTok is doing, everyone has read their terms of service and still choose to use it… it’s designed to intimately serve you up catered ocular delights so you will grant it most of your attention… Erase the app before you get too addicted…", ">\n\n\neveryone has read their terms of service\n\nThat’s hilarious.", ">\n\nyep. imagine someone actually took the time to read all that shit lol" ]

[ "Am I crazy on this one. \nShould personal apps and technologies already be not allowed on official devices? \nThat's like downloading Skyrim on a work laptop. Cool and fun. But get your own personal device Jesus....", ">\n\nWhat I don’t understand is why people don’t get the fact that if it’s a company or government issued phone they have legal rights to every thing on it. Of course you should have and want a personal device. \nNo you’re not crazy, just sensible, but people are who put personal apps on what is essentially someone else’s phone most certainly.", ">\n\nI work for local government and don't even connect my personal phone to the building wifi. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't, but I value my privacy and try to stay away from my personal phone becoming public record.", ">\n\nCongress takes credit for something that was already forbidden, more at 11.", ">\n\nI’m a federal employee. TikTok has never been allowed on our phones and there are security settings to ensure it can never be downloaded. I don’t know why this is suddenly news as if it wasn’t implemented literally 3 years ago at this point.", ">\n\nCan't wait until someone makes a short reaction of this on Tik-Tok", ">\n\nMeh.\nI don't think anyone should have social media apps on work-provided / corporate devices anyway. That's something you should only be using your personal device for to begin with.", ">\n\nThat'll be about as effective as their metal detectors that representatives choose to just walk around", ">\n\nAs it turns out, worthless news articles about TikTok bans, are great clickbait.", ">\n\nThey pop up every weekday", ">\n\nHow many 13 year olds are on staff to need this?", ">\n\nEvery app is a privacy concern, but TikTok especially. \nMost companies which run popular apps aren't going to hand over loads of information to China for a tiny fraction of their valuation. TikTok's owner is essentially required to hand over any information at any time, and the government can essentially tweak the algorithms to show what they want.", ">\n\n\nbut TikTok especially. \n\nNot really. All of your points about Chinese access to data are also true with respect to Twitter. Binance, a shady Chinese crypto company, invested heavily in Musk's Twitter acquisition and has a $500 million stake in the country. Twitter has an agreement to hand over unspecified private data to investors who contributed $250 million or more to support Musk's acquisition. For all we know, the Chinese government has access to all of the data on Twitter's servers dating back over a decade. It's a far greater national security threat given how prevalent Twitter is and has been among elected officials.", ">\n\nI have been trying to explain this to people for months.... I dont use tiktok because the chinese get all my data.. they say while on Twitter who gives all their data to China. Oh and the Saudis as well.", ">\n\nNot a surprise. You shouldn't be installing that shit on work or government devices anyway. \nIf you wanna tiktok, use your own phone. I notice people being so alarmed like WHY IS AUBURN BANNING TIKTOK they're just banning it on their network, you're free to do it without using their wifi", ">\n\nThey don't need to be using social media on taxpayer funded phones anyway. Get a personal phone.", ">\n\nBreaking news: company device policy blocks installation of certain apps. Slow news day?", ">\n\nThe amount of people who come into these threads and either don’t give a shit or outright try to defend TikTok is comical… if it was any other social media platform in the headline these threads would be a dumpster fire", ">\n\nAh, man. Michelle Fischbach will never see my fast food reviews.", ">\n\nNobody cares about what TikTok is doing, everyone has read their terms of service and still choose to use it… it’s designed to intimately serve you up catered ocular delights so you will grant it most of your attention… Erase the app before you get too addicted…", ">\n\n\neveryone has read their terms of service\n\nThat’s hilarious.", ">\n\nyep. imagine someone actually took the time to read all that shit lol", ">\n\nIf a website can't do the same thing as an app that says a lot about the people behind it." ]

[ "Am I crazy on this one. \nShould personal apps and technologies already be not allowed on official devices? \nThat's like downloading Skyrim on a work laptop. Cool and fun. But get your own personal device Jesus....", ">\n\nWhat I don’t understand is why people don’t get the fact that if it’s a company or government issued phone they have legal rights to every thing on it. Of course you should have and want a personal device. \nNo you’re not crazy, just sensible, but people are who put personal apps on what is essentially someone else’s phone most certainly.", ">\n\nI work for local government and don't even connect my personal phone to the building wifi. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't, but I value my privacy and try to stay away from my personal phone becoming public record.", ">\n\nCongress takes credit for something that was already forbidden, more at 11.", ">\n\nI’m a federal employee. TikTok has never been allowed on our phones and there are security settings to ensure it can never be downloaded. I don’t know why this is suddenly news as if it wasn’t implemented literally 3 years ago at this point.", ">\n\nCan't wait until someone makes a short reaction of this on Tik-Tok", ">\n\nMeh.\nI don't think anyone should have social media apps on work-provided / corporate devices anyway. That's something you should only be using your personal device for to begin with.", ">\n\nThat'll be about as effective as their metal detectors that representatives choose to just walk around", ">\n\nAs it turns out, worthless news articles about TikTok bans, are great clickbait.", ">\n\nThey pop up every weekday", ">\n\nHow many 13 year olds are on staff to need this?", ">\n\nEvery app is a privacy concern, but TikTok especially. \nMost companies which run popular apps aren't going to hand over loads of information to China for a tiny fraction of their valuation. TikTok's owner is essentially required to hand over any information at any time, and the government can essentially tweak the algorithms to show what they want.", ">\n\n\nbut TikTok especially. \n\nNot really. All of your points about Chinese access to data are also true with respect to Twitter. Binance, a shady Chinese crypto company, invested heavily in Musk's Twitter acquisition and has a $500 million stake in the country. Twitter has an agreement to hand over unspecified private data to investors who contributed $250 million or more to support Musk's acquisition. For all we know, the Chinese government has access to all of the data on Twitter's servers dating back over a decade. It's a far greater national security threat given how prevalent Twitter is and has been among elected officials.", ">\n\nI have been trying to explain this to people for months.... I dont use tiktok because the chinese get all my data.. they say while on Twitter who gives all their data to China. Oh and the Saudis as well.", ">\n\nNot a surprise. You shouldn't be installing that shit on work or government devices anyway. \nIf you wanna tiktok, use your own phone. I notice people being so alarmed like WHY IS AUBURN BANNING TIKTOK they're just banning it on their network, you're free to do it without using their wifi", ">\n\nThey don't need to be using social media on taxpayer funded phones anyway. Get a personal phone.", ">\n\nBreaking news: company device policy blocks installation of certain apps. Slow news day?", ">\n\nThe amount of people who come into these threads and either don’t give a shit or outright try to defend TikTok is comical… if it was any other social media platform in the headline these threads would be a dumpster fire", ">\n\nAh, man. Michelle Fischbach will never see my fast food reviews.", ">\n\nNobody cares about what TikTok is doing, everyone has read their terms of service and still choose to use it… it’s designed to intimately serve you up catered ocular delights so you will grant it most of your attention… Erase the app before you get too addicted…", ">\n\n\neveryone has read their terms of service\n\nThat’s hilarious.", ">\n\nyep. imagine someone actually took the time to read all that shit lol", ">\n\nIf a website can't do the same thing as an app that says a lot about the people behind it.", ">\n\nCool, now do all the other devices" ]

[ "Am I crazy on this one. \nShould personal apps and technologies already be not allowed on official devices? \nThat's like downloading Skyrim on a work laptop. Cool and fun. But get your own personal device Jesus....", ">\n\nWhat I don’t understand is why people don’t get the fact that if it’s a company or government issued phone they have legal rights to every thing on it. Of course you should have and want a personal device. \nNo you’re not crazy, just sensible, but people are who put personal apps on what is essentially someone else’s phone most certainly.", ">\n\nI work for local government and don't even connect my personal phone to the building wifi. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't, but I value my privacy and try to stay away from my personal phone becoming public record.", ">\n\nCongress takes credit for something that was already forbidden, more at 11.", ">\n\nI’m a federal employee. TikTok has never been allowed on our phones and there are security settings to ensure it can never be downloaded. I don’t know why this is suddenly news as if it wasn’t implemented literally 3 years ago at this point.", ">\n\nCan't wait until someone makes a short reaction of this on Tik-Tok", ">\n\nMeh.\nI don't think anyone should have social media apps on work-provided / corporate devices anyway. That's something you should only be using your personal device for to begin with.", ">\n\nThat'll be about as effective as their metal detectors that representatives choose to just walk around", ">\n\nAs it turns out, worthless news articles about TikTok bans, are great clickbait.", ">\n\nThey pop up every weekday", ">\n\nHow many 13 year olds are on staff to need this?", ">\n\nEvery app is a privacy concern, but TikTok especially. \nMost companies which run popular apps aren't going to hand over loads of information to China for a tiny fraction of their valuation. TikTok's owner is essentially required to hand over any information at any time, and the government can essentially tweak the algorithms to show what they want.", ">\n\n\nbut TikTok especially. \n\nNot really. All of your points about Chinese access to data are also true with respect to Twitter. Binance, a shady Chinese crypto company, invested heavily in Musk's Twitter acquisition and has a $500 million stake in the country. Twitter has an agreement to hand over unspecified private data to investors who contributed $250 million or more to support Musk's acquisition. For all we know, the Chinese government has access to all of the data on Twitter's servers dating back over a decade. It's a far greater national security threat given how prevalent Twitter is and has been among elected officials.", ">\n\nI have been trying to explain this to people for months.... I dont use tiktok because the chinese get all my data.. they say while on Twitter who gives all their data to China. Oh and the Saudis as well.", ">\n\nNot a surprise. You shouldn't be installing that shit on work or government devices anyway. \nIf you wanna tiktok, use your own phone. I notice people being so alarmed like WHY IS AUBURN BANNING TIKTOK they're just banning it on their network, you're free to do it without using their wifi", ">\n\nThey don't need to be using social media on taxpayer funded phones anyway. Get a personal phone.", ">\n\nBreaking news: company device policy blocks installation of certain apps. Slow news day?", ">\n\nThe amount of people who come into these threads and either don’t give a shit or outright try to defend TikTok is comical… if it was any other social media platform in the headline these threads would be a dumpster fire", ">\n\nAh, man. Michelle Fischbach will never see my fast food reviews.", ">\n\nNobody cares about what TikTok is doing, everyone has read their terms of service and still choose to use it… it’s designed to intimately serve you up catered ocular delights so you will grant it most of your attention… Erase the app before you get too addicted…", ">\n\n\neveryone has read their terms of service\n\nThat’s hilarious.", ">\n\nyep. imagine someone actually took the time to read all that shit lol", ">\n\nIf a website can't do the same thing as an app that says a lot about the people behind it.", ">\n\nCool, now do all the other devices", ">\n\nWow that will really hurt, maybe .001% of users are now banned. Tictoc is popular all over the world, has no real need of a US market." ]

[ "Am I crazy on this one. \nShould personal apps and technologies already be not allowed on official devices? \nThat's like downloading Skyrim on a work laptop. Cool and fun. But get your own personal device Jesus....", ">\n\nWhat I don’t understand is why people don’t get the fact that if it’s a company or government issued phone they have legal rights to every thing on it. Of course you should have and want a personal device. \nNo you’re not crazy, just sensible, but people are who put personal apps on what is essentially someone else’s phone most certainly.", ">\n\nI work for local government and don't even connect my personal phone to the building wifi. I'm not doing anything I shouldn't, but I value my privacy and try to stay away from my personal phone becoming public record.", ">\n\nCongress takes credit for something that was already forbidden, more at 11.", ">\n\nI’m a federal employee. TikTok has never been allowed on our phones and there are security settings to ensure it can never be downloaded. I don’t know why this is suddenly news as if it wasn’t implemented literally 3 years ago at this point.", ">\n\nCan't wait until someone makes a short reaction of this on Tik-Tok", ">\n\nMeh.\nI don't think anyone should have social media apps on work-provided / corporate devices anyway. That's something you should only be using your personal device for to begin with.", ">\n\nThat'll be about as effective as their metal detectors that representatives choose to just walk around", ">\n\nAs it turns out, worthless news articles about TikTok bans, are great clickbait.", ">\n\nThey pop up every weekday", ">\n\nHow many 13 year olds are on staff to need this?", ">\n\nEvery app is a privacy concern, but TikTok especially. \nMost companies which run popular apps aren't going to hand over loads of information to China for a tiny fraction of their valuation. TikTok's owner is essentially required to hand over any information at any time, and the government can essentially tweak the algorithms to show what they want.", ">\n\n\nbut TikTok especially. \n\nNot really. All of your points about Chinese access to data are also true with respect to Twitter. Binance, a shady Chinese crypto company, invested heavily in Musk's Twitter acquisition and has a $500 million stake in the country. Twitter has an agreement to hand over unspecified private data to investors who contributed $250 million or more to support Musk's acquisition. For all we know, the Chinese government has access to all of the data on Twitter's servers dating back over a decade. It's a far greater national security threat given how prevalent Twitter is and has been among elected officials.", ">\n\nI have been trying to explain this to people for months.... I dont use tiktok because the chinese get all my data.. they say while on Twitter who gives all their data to China. Oh and the Saudis as well.", ">\n\nNot a surprise. You shouldn't be installing that shit on work or government devices anyway. \nIf you wanna tiktok, use your own phone. I notice people being so alarmed like WHY IS AUBURN BANNING TIKTOK they're just banning it on their network, you're free to do it without using their wifi", ">\n\nThey don't need to be using social media on taxpayer funded phones anyway. Get a personal phone.", ">\n\nBreaking news: company device policy blocks installation of certain apps. Slow news day?", ">\n\nThe amount of people who come into these threads and either don’t give a shit or outright try to defend TikTok is comical… if it was any other social media platform in the headline these threads would be a dumpster fire", ">\n\nAh, man. Michelle Fischbach will never see my fast food reviews.", ">\n\nNobody cares about what TikTok is doing, everyone has read their terms of service and still choose to use it… it’s designed to intimately serve you up catered ocular delights so you will grant it most of your attention… Erase the app before you get too addicted…", ">\n\n\neveryone has read their terms of service\n\nThat’s hilarious.", ">\n\nyep. imagine someone actually took the time to read all that shit lol", ">\n\nIf a website can't do the same thing as an app that says a lot about the people behind it.", ">\n\nCool, now do all the other devices", ">\n\nWow that will really hurt, maybe .001% of users are now banned. Tictoc is popular all over the world, has no real need of a US market.", ">\n\nCool, then it shouldn't be a concern." ]

[]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country..." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world..." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before.", ">\n\nThree years later and We’ve learned nothing" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before.", ">\n\nThree years later and We’ve learned nothing", ">\n\nBuffoonery is getting old" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before.", ">\n\nThree years later and We’ve learned nothing", ">\n\nBuffoonery is getting old", ">\n\n50% arrivals into Milan are positive from China, it’s a story in Italian media TODAY.Gov isn’t protecting us again.\nThe gov should EXPLAIN why they do nothing when we know there’s an epidemic? Why no measures to protect the citizens, where’s the rationale?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before.", ">\n\nThree years later and We’ve learned nothing", ">\n\nBuffoonery is getting old", ">\n\n50% arrivals into Milan are positive from China, it’s a story in Italian media TODAY.Gov isn’t protecting us again.\nThe gov should EXPLAIN why they do nothing when we know there’s an epidemic? Why no measures to protect the citizens, where’s the rationale?", ">\n\nFucking ban them for 3 months, why are we allowing them in?????? \nIn a way this is kinda like bio-warfare, our people will get sick from this and it will likely effect our ability to work/hurt our economy. Thats also not mentioning the long term effects like shrinkage of the frontal lobe which we dont fully understand yet." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before.", ">\n\nThree years later and We’ve learned nothing", ">\n\nBuffoonery is getting old", ">\n\n50% arrivals into Milan are positive from China, it’s a story in Italian media TODAY.Gov isn’t protecting us again.\nThe gov should EXPLAIN why they do nothing when we know there’s an epidemic? Why no measures to protect the citizens, where’s the rationale?", ">\n\nFucking ban them for 3 months, why are we allowing them in?????? \nIn a way this is kinda like bio-warfare, our people will get sick from this and it will likely effect our ability to work/hurt our economy. Thats also not mentioning the long term effects like shrinkage of the frontal lobe which we dont fully understand yet.", ">\n\nOne thing nations can do (without sounding racist, even to China's administration) at all is to ask for vaccination proofs. \nInbound Chinese tourists or anyone must be fully vaccinated and boosted, but one of the Sinopharm/Sinovac shots doesn't count (like singapore, three sinovac shots counts as fully vaccinated, not boosted). \nCan be further tweaked (like allow people whose last shot was within three months). But the reason is because most Chinese tourists will need a fourth jab before going, which will dilute them." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before.", ">\n\nThree years later and We’ve learned nothing", ">\n\nBuffoonery is getting old", ">\n\n50% arrivals into Milan are positive from China, it’s a story in Italian media TODAY.Gov isn’t protecting us again.\nThe gov should EXPLAIN why they do nothing when we know there’s an epidemic? Why no measures to protect the citizens, where’s the rationale?", ">\n\nFucking ban them for 3 months, why are we allowing them in?????? \nIn a way this is kinda like bio-warfare, our people will get sick from this and it will likely effect our ability to work/hurt our economy. Thats also not mentioning the long term effects like shrinkage of the frontal lobe which we dont fully understand yet.", ">\n\nOne thing nations can do (without sounding racist, even to China's administration) at all is to ask for vaccination proofs. \nInbound Chinese tourists or anyone must be fully vaccinated and boosted, but one of the Sinopharm/Sinovac shots doesn't count (like singapore, three sinovac shots counts as fully vaccinated, not boosted). \nCan be further tweaked (like allow people whose last shot was within three months). But the reason is because most Chinese tourists will need a fourth jab before going, which will dilute them.", ">\n\nSo not that the vaccine will prevent spread but just an administrative burden to reduce rates of travel?" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before.", ">\n\nThree years later and We’ve learned nothing", ">\n\nBuffoonery is getting old", ">\n\n50% arrivals into Milan are positive from China, it’s a story in Italian media TODAY.Gov isn’t protecting us again.\nThe gov should EXPLAIN why they do nothing when we know there’s an epidemic? Why no measures to protect the citizens, where’s the rationale?", ">\n\nFucking ban them for 3 months, why are we allowing them in?????? \nIn a way this is kinda like bio-warfare, our people will get sick from this and it will likely effect our ability to work/hurt our economy. Thats also not mentioning the long term effects like shrinkage of the frontal lobe which we dont fully understand yet.", ">\n\nOne thing nations can do (without sounding racist, even to China's administration) at all is to ask for vaccination proofs. \nInbound Chinese tourists or anyone must be fully vaccinated and boosted, but one of the Sinopharm/Sinovac shots doesn't count (like singapore, three sinovac shots counts as fully vaccinated, not boosted). \nCan be further tweaked (like allow people whose last shot was within three months). But the reason is because most Chinese tourists will need a fourth jab before going, which will dilute them.", ">\n\nSo not that the vaccine will prevent spread but just an administrative burden to reduce rates of travel?", ">\n\nVaccination does reduce the rate of spread" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before.", ">\n\nThree years later and We’ve learned nothing", ">\n\nBuffoonery is getting old", ">\n\n50% arrivals into Milan are positive from China, it’s a story in Italian media TODAY.Gov isn’t protecting us again.\nThe gov should EXPLAIN why they do nothing when we know there’s an epidemic? Why no measures to protect the citizens, where’s the rationale?", ">\n\nFucking ban them for 3 months, why are we allowing them in?????? \nIn a way this is kinda like bio-warfare, our people will get sick from this and it will likely effect our ability to work/hurt our economy. Thats also not mentioning the long term effects like shrinkage of the frontal lobe which we dont fully understand yet.", ">\n\nOne thing nations can do (without sounding racist, even to China's administration) at all is to ask for vaccination proofs. \nInbound Chinese tourists or anyone must be fully vaccinated and boosted, but one of the Sinopharm/Sinovac shots doesn't count (like singapore, three sinovac shots counts as fully vaccinated, not boosted). \nCan be further tweaked (like allow people whose last shot was within three months). But the reason is because most Chinese tourists will need a fourth jab before going, which will dilute them.", ">\n\nSo not that the vaccine will prevent spread but just an administrative burden to reduce rates of travel?", ">\n\nVaccination does reduce the rate of spread", ">\n\nUK is a hotspot." ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before.", ">\n\nThree years later and We’ve learned nothing", ">\n\nBuffoonery is getting old", ">\n\n50% arrivals into Milan are positive from China, it’s a story in Italian media TODAY.Gov isn’t protecting us again.\nThe gov should EXPLAIN why they do nothing when we know there’s an epidemic? Why no measures to protect the citizens, where’s the rationale?", ">\n\nFucking ban them for 3 months, why are we allowing them in?????? \nIn a way this is kinda like bio-warfare, our people will get sick from this and it will likely effect our ability to work/hurt our economy. Thats also not mentioning the long term effects like shrinkage of the frontal lobe which we dont fully understand yet.", ">\n\nOne thing nations can do (without sounding racist, even to China's administration) at all is to ask for vaccination proofs. \nInbound Chinese tourists or anyone must be fully vaccinated and boosted, but one of the Sinopharm/Sinovac shots doesn't count (like singapore, three sinovac shots counts as fully vaccinated, not boosted). \nCan be further tweaked (like allow people whose last shot was within three months). But the reason is because most Chinese tourists will need a fourth jab before going, which will dilute them.", ">\n\nSo not that the vaccine will prevent spread but just an administrative burden to reduce rates of travel?", ">\n\nVaccination does reduce the rate of spread", ">\n\nUK is a hotspot.", ">\n\nSounds great ! Fortunately the UK isn’t in the EU anymore. Hope EU countries will impose testing for travelers coming from the UK then" ]

[ "It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more.", ">\n\nThink of the Universities. How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back?", ">\n\nI know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color.", ">\n\nFew days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone.", ">\n\nA ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe.", ">\n\nI assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing.", ">\n\nYou're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.\nYou know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. \nYou know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy.", ">\n\nI don’t think you understand science.", ">\n\nDo you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic.", ">\n\nOf course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is!", ">\n\nMP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell", ">\n\nI honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.\nI think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload", ">\n\nThe NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point.", ">\n\nSo what is the difference?", ">\n\nI hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country...", ">\n\nI just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it.", ">\n\nIt’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune.", ">\n\nIt's like chicken pox parties for adults!", ">\n\nIf you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it.", ">\n\nIf you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.\nIf you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it. \nI mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them.", ">\n\nDo you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season.", ">\n\nI'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole \"well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later\" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.\nAlso, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with.", ">\n\nI personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year.", ">\n\nMy family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. \nI am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with.", ">\n\nHow is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world...", ">\n\nThis isnt just the UK either.\nUK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures", ">\n\nits another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this.", ">\n\nAn island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...\nWho's running things?", ">\n\nThey're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK.", ">\n\nAnd yet people still vote for them.", ">\n\nIt's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing to do at the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.\nThe UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing.", ">\n\nThe sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.\nWe're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way.", ">\n\nThe issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option.", ">\n\nSource?", ">\n\nMy bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic.", ">\n\n\nThe only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. \n\nguess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all.", ">\n\nThe real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine. Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities. I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions.", ">\n\nWhat would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually.", ">\n\nBecause isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.\nIt offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.\nAs an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.\nThere is no reason not to do this.\nNot doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards.", ">\n\nThere are several reasons not to do this.\nIt’s slows down the airports massively for a start.\nThis variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything.", ">\n\nIt really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.\nThis variant is which one exactly?\nAsk any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants.", ">\n\nlast week: \"yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!\"\nthis week: \"n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!\"", ">\n\nWhat would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference.", ">\n\nA new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is.", ">\n\nHas any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores?", ">\n\nWell, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. \nWith Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though.", ">\n\nSeems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult", ">\n\nIt's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway. Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what.", ">\n\nWell done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria.", ">\n\nI'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔", ">\n\nBoJo was caught admitting as much", ">\n\nWell it worked last time", ">\n\nOther people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well?", ">\n\nNo. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved.", ">\n\nStupidest thing I read today", ">\n\nWow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again. What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year?", ">\n\nThis world is fucking backwards.", ">\n\nWhy bother testing them?\nJust treat them all as if they have it.because they do.\nStop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked.", ">\n\nWonderful. Fucking wonderful.", ">\n\nThere is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace.", ">\n\nCan't wait to get Covid again because people don't care.", ">\n\nI'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.\n/s", ">\n\nThere aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️", ">\n\nTime to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid?", ">\n\nTurn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life!", ">\n\nFuck me I hate our government.", ">\n\nThey should stay the fck home", ">\n\nWhat’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s.", ">\n\nTravel restrictions never worked, so they are learning.", ">\n\nExcept they did work in other island nations.\nWe failed.\nThe lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try.", ">\n\nSelective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course.", ">\n\nTesting and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.\nThere's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.\nFirst we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.", ">\n\nThey need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.\nEdit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.", ">\n\n600 million Chinese people live on less than $140 a month.", ">\n\nAre you trying to be funny or showing your stupidity? They have literal millions of millionaires.", ">\n\nThere’s 6 million Chinese millionaires out of a population of 1.3 billion. Thats 0.46% of the population. Rich and Chinese aren’t really words that go together unfortunately because of the CCP", ">\n\nSo are you saying none of those 6 million don’t leave the country, but foreign properties, or vacation anywhere outside of China?", ">\n\nI see the UK government has learnt exactly 0 lessons from the past 2 years.", ">\n\nIsn’t this how it all started?", ">\n\nYe, it's deja vu", ">\n\nWait, wait. I've seen this one before.", ">\n\nThree years later and We’ve learned nothing", ">\n\nBuffoonery is getting old", ">\n\n50% arrivals into Milan are positive from China, it’s a story in Italian media TODAY.Gov isn’t protecting us again.\nThe gov should EXPLAIN why they do nothing when we know there’s an epidemic? Why no measures to protect the citizens, where’s the rationale?", ">\n\nFucking ban them for 3 months, why are we allowing them in?????? \nIn a way this is kinda like bio-warfare, our people will get sick from this and it will likely effect our ability to work/hurt our economy. Thats also not mentioning the long term effects like shrinkage of the frontal lobe which we dont fully understand yet.", ">\n\nOne thing nations can do (without sounding racist, even to China's administration) at all is to ask for vaccination proofs. \nInbound Chinese tourists or anyone must be fully vaccinated and boosted, but one of the Sinopharm/Sinovac shots doesn't count (like singapore, three sinovac shots counts as fully vaccinated, not boosted). \nCan be further tweaked (like allow people whose last shot was within three months). But the reason is because most Chinese tourists will need a fourth jab before going, which will dilute them.", ">\n\nSo not that the vaccine will prevent spread but just an administrative burden to reduce rates of travel?", ">\n\nVaccination does reduce the rate of spread", ">\n\nUK is a hotspot.", ">\n\nSounds great ! Fortunately the UK isn’t in the EU anymore. Hope EU countries will impose testing for travelers coming from the UK then", ">\n\nYaaa, we need a couple more years of lockdown and masks. Good for the global economy. Great for the soul." ]