possible. and there has been many changes in terms of the levels of risk. there have been periods over the summer, where less precaution has been needed, and there are other periods, particularly in the winter, that even with vaccines, we need to be more cautious and change up the rules. and yes, that leads to fatigue, but i think also, sometimes we underestimate the capacity of the public to understand the variables in life and how we need to be adaptable to that. also, in the future, we will have things like anti-viral pills that seem to be very effective in reducing hospitalization, that will help to ease with sort of that winter pressure that we re seeing in terms of the hospitalization crisis. even in the uk previously, we ve seen things that are much less severe than covid like flu has also put strain on health care systems. we have to ensure that we re looking at health care systems with maybe more outside of the box in terms of ensuring that we have more resilience within that
talk about a rocky few weeks, if i can speak to you first, in your day to dayjob as a a&e consultant, how do things feel on the ground at the moment? the moment? things are certainly feelin: the moment? things are certainly feeling very the moment? things are certainly feeling very tough the moment? things are certainly feeling very tough for the moment? things are certainly feeling very tough for us - the moment? things are certainly feeling very tough for us at - the moment? things are certainly feeling very tough for us at the i feeling very tough for us at the moment, we always struggle in winter, we talk about winter pressure every year, we know it will be busier in emergency medicine, but right now we are really feeling like it is under immense strain. we are dealing with all the usual winter illnesses that we normally see, there is a huge backlog of care, people are coming to the emergency department because they are reaching crisis point for untreated illnesses. with the
risks of the virus for most young people are also tiny. so if we were to vaccinate all 5 11 year olds as they have done in some countries, they have done in some countries, the benefits to them would be very small. the benefits and risks are finely balanced. if you have the same minuscule risk from the vaccine and a higher risk from getting the virus, which is the case in vulnerable children, for them, the benefit for them is greater. in normal times, winter would be a busy time. how is normal business? what is happening away from covid? part ofthe is happening away from covid? part of the problem is happening away from covid? part of the problem we have is we are trying to boost up the number of vaccinations, so a lot of time given to that, at the same time as we have the normal winter pressure. we are not doing too badly with flu but that often ramps up from now to
mild that it is milder, but even if it is mild and that it is milder, but even if it is mild and leads to 1% of this fast title wave mild and leads to 1% of this fast title wave of new cases, that wealth still mean title wave of new cases, that wealth still mean hospitals in london being overwhelmed that many thousands of cases that overwhelmed that many thousands of cases that they. overwhelmed that many thousands of cases that they- cases that they. siddique karen, the ma or of cases that they. siddique karen, the mayor of london cases that they. siddique karen, the mayor of london has cases that they. siddique karen, the mayor of london has been cases that they. siddique karen, the mayor of london has been quite - cases that they. siddique karen, the | mayor of london has been quite blunt about it today, natalie, the number of workers that are off because of omicron at the moment and the pressure it s putting on public services. what dc and nottingham? because clear
winter period through the winter months. the nhs winter period starts through the winter months. the nhs winter period starts tomorrow? - through the winter months. the nhs winter period starts tomorrow? you | winter period starts tomorrow? you no more than winter period starts tomorrow? ym. no more than me there. winter period starts tomorrow? you no more than me there. i winter period starts tomorrow? you no more than me there. i believe i winter period starts tomorrow? you no more than me there. i believe it| no more than me there. i believe it does but i no more than me there. i believe it does but i was no more than me there. i believe it does but i was going no more than me there. i believe it does but i was going to no more than me there. i believe it does but i was going to say, - no more than me there. i believe it does but i was going to say, the . does but i was going to say, the idea of winter pressures, that seems archaic now because the pressure is on all y