Coronavirus - The Thread :(

[pooroldcodger]

Was at a garden party today, the wife’s relations and friends, absolute hoot, but that’s another story. Speaking to an Aunty and she’s tells me her two grandsons went down to London for the football, no tickets, didn’t see the game at all, partied like never before, back up here aye, both with COVID. Both in their twenties.

How ill are the two young guys ? Serious or just inconvenient?

 

[jimboy]

How ill are the two young guys ? Serious or just inconvenient?

Apparently they had fevers and bad coughs and feeling knackered all the time. Obviously not hospital bad, but they had to be quarantined. Mother was furious, they probably were more frightened of their mother than anything else. In saying all that, it’s how easily things can spread.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Apparently they had fevers and bad coughs and feeling knackered all the time. Obviously not hospital bad, but they had to be quarantined. Mother was furious, they probably were more frightened of their mother than anything else. In saying all that, it’s how easily things can spread.

Good to know that they are still frightened of their Mother!
From what I hear and read the virus is now more transmissable but not as potent as it was earlier, or maybe it is but the vaccines are keeping the most vulnerable out of hospital. I think this is the normal pattern for viruses as they circulate and look for new hosts.
Good to hear that you had a good garden party and hope the boys are soon back on form.

 

[e42b]

Hi folks,
i read that in the UK still strange things are going on.
The PM had announced yesterday that he would repeal almost all remaining Corona rules on 19th July. This means that the distance requirement and the mask requirement will be dropped, nightclubs will be allowed to reopen and there will no longer be any restrictions on spectators for events. The PM did ask the public to continue wearing masks in crowded places and asked discos and event organisers to check their guests with the help of a digital vaccination card. However, this is not required by law.

As i read UK incidence lies at almost 334 per 100,000 people. The figure is below 10 for a couple of weeks in D, and we still have to wear a mask in the newly opened pubs until one reached a fixed seat. And even our figures are rising, very slowly though, but they are rising again.

Have the UK government gone completely mad?

 

[levemircento]

Have the UK government gone completely mad?

yes

 

[jrkitching]

It seems to me that current UK government policy is to let the virus spread amongst the general population and rely on vaccination to keep the death and serious illness rate down to a manageable figure.

The consequences of the vaccines failing to prevent serious illness are too horrible to contemplate, but the only reasonable alternative would be to continue with a strict lockdown policy for the forseeable future, and that's pretty horrible to contemplate, too.

Neither is an attractive choice.

I'm also getting the impression from what I'm reading that nowhere else in the world seems to have found a lasting solution to what is clearly an extremely serious problem.

It may be that, one way or another, we are going to have to find ways we can live with this virus for a long time to come. Sadly I don't think it's going away anytime soon.

My take on this is that, regardless of our own personal attitude to risk, we all need to do what we reasonably can to mitigate the risk our own behaviour may pose to others, particularly the vulnerable. That's why I'll be keeping my mask on in public places once lockdown ends.

 

[jimboy]

By all accounts the third wave was going to be the worst. Vaccines have obviously helped, but at the moment COVID is pretty rampant and still catching. The young team are catching COVID and although not on deaths door, it’s a pretty unpleasant situation for them.

I certainly would like to think that the more savvy of the population could do a lot to save themselves to minimise the risk of catching COVID. Common sense would tell you, no matter what the government is saying, wearing a mask in certain situations is still a good habit. My family and myself all have been double dosed, but I’m going to way up each situation possibly for some time to come. I’m taking things a bit cautious wherever necessary.

 

[e42b]

Yes we will have to learn to live with the virus but i'm simply unable to see any elaborate sense in let it go.

Although Brexit is done there are still connections to the mainland. I have an invitation for an exhibition in Manchester in September, and i'd like to go there. But on coming back i'd have to go into quarantine in France although i'm double vaccinated.
I have to wait and see what are the circumstances in September., and i hope that good habit will do better than the law.

 

[Cinq999]

I think the governments logic is quite simply, we'll have to reopen at some point, and if it's not now, then it will be next April/May.

They're hoping the school holidays and (fingers crossed) better weather will help limit the cases.

If they wait until autumn, then there'll be a large exit wave combining with a potentially large flu wave.

If they wait until next year when spring arrives, they'll have to continue spending billions each month on furlough and potentially put many more business to the wall.

The sensible thing would be to keep basic "hands, face and space" rules in place.....but after promising "freedom" for months and months, I don't think the government will want to backtrack.

 

[e42b]

Alright, handling the pandemic via letting the people the option to behave reasonable or not doesn't appear to me as the most intelligent way in the face of an incidence of almost 334. I'm sorry.

 

[Cinq999]

Alright, handling the pandemic via letting the people the option to behave reasonable or not doesn't appear to me as the most intelligent way in the face of an incidence of almost 334. I'm sorry.

Completely agree....but unfortunately, when it comes to money and restarting the economy, intelligence takes a back seat.

However, the good news is that the vaccines are working.

Every patient in my local ICU is unvaccinated, and from speaking to colleagues, vast majority around the country are also unvaccinated.

The struggle now will be to get the last 10% of the adult population vaccinated. And then the whole discussion of vaccinating children.

In my local town, the whole secondary school is now empty as every year group has several positive cases.

 

[e42b]

Completely agree....but unfortunately, when it comes to money and restarting the economy, intelligence takes a back seat.

However, the good news is that the vaccines are working.

Every patient in my local ICU is unvaccinated, and from speaking to colleagues, vast majority around the country are also unvaccinated.

The struggle now will be to get the last 10% of the adult population vaccinated. And then the whole discussion of vaccinating children.

We have exactly the same problems in D including the children vaccinating item but we are at about 10.
On the other hand, we must face the fact that every human being on this planet (and most of the domestic animals) will be infected, vaccinated or not.
There is no way out.
What we can do is slowing down the mutation speed by trying to keep the infection speed low. We'll need that time to work on better vaccination strategies in order to be faster than the virus to mutate and spread. The earlier we cut the virus off the wind the better.

 

[Cinq999]

Just read that in last 24 hours, Spain's rate has gone from 368 to 436, and in 20-29 year olds, rate is 1421.

Netherlands case rate has increased by 800+%.

I think within a few weeks, this will become a Europe wide issue.

 

[e42b]

Just read that in last 24 hours, Spain's rate has gone from 368 to 436, and in 20-29 year olds, rate is 1421.

Netherlands case rate has increased by 800+%.

I think within a few weeks, this will become a Europe wide issue.

It is already.

 

[jrkitching]

One bit of common sense has prevailed - they're keeping compulsory face masks on public transport in London.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57826331

Just recently I've been asking shopworkers if they'd prefer their customers to keep wearing masks; the response has been a resounding 'Yes, please'.

Frontline key workers are putting their health on the line to maintain as much normality as is possible; I'll be respecting their wishes.

 

[gar074]

It seems to me that current UK government policy is to let the virus spread amongst the general population and rely on vaccination to keep the death and serious illness rate down to a manageable figure.

The consequences of the vaccines failing to prevent serious illness are too horrible to contemplate, but the only reasonable alternative would be to continue with a strict lockdown policy for the forseeable future, and that's pretty horrible to contemplate, too.

I'm afraid I disagree with the way in which you've painted this as a binary choice between lifting all restrictions and continuing with a strict lockdown.

It would have been possible to open up the economy and facilitate social interaction while keeping in place the strategies that we know help to reduce transmission (masks, social distancing whenever practicable, etc), and - something that our hapless government has been criminally negligent in not pursuing more vigorously - improving ventilation in workplaces, shops, places of entertainment etc. It's as if they've learned nothing from the last 18 months.

So why have the government chosen to go down the 'lift-all-restrictions' route? The answer is that they have bowed (yet again) to the views of a very vocal, vociferous minority of their own supporters (the hard-line libertarian anti-mask brigade), who have been threatening a parliamentary revolt, and BJ doesn't want to find himself in a position where he has to rely on opposition MPs to get his Covid strategies through. And we know how successful that approach has been in other contexts, don't we, folks? (*Cough* *Brexit*)

I find it abhorrent that the freedom of fools to insist on not wearing a piece of cloth over their faces when in close proximity to others is valued more highly than the freedom of those who are especially vulnerable to Covid infection to be able to leave their homes without having their lives endangered by the thoughtlessness and selfishness of others.

So personally, I intend to continue as before, avoiding shops and public places, wearing a mask, maintaining distance, but I'm mad as hell that our government has simply left it to individuals to make their own decisions on how to act, in circumstances where those decisions may impact so profoundly on others. That's not leadership, it's a craven, spineless, pathetic abdication of responsibility.

End of rant. Stay safe, folks.

 

[gar074]

One bit of common sense has prevailed - they're keeping compulsory face masks on public transport in London.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57826331

Just recently I've been asking shopworkers if they'd prefer their customers to keep wearing masks; the response has been a resounding 'Yes, please'.

Frontline key workers are putting their health on the line to maintain as much normality as is possible; I'll be respecting their wishes.

Well said. Me too.

 

[jrkitching]

I'm afraid I disagree with the way in which you've painted this as a binary choice between lifting all restrictions and continuing with a strict lockdown.

On reflection, I think you're right; it didn't have to be this much of a binary choice.

I'd agree the UK's response has been heavily influenced by political considerations, rather than by an evidence-based assessment of what the virus is actually doing.

 

[09 johno]

So personally, I intend to continue as before, avoiding shops and public places, wearing a mask, maintaining distance, but I'm mad as hell that our government has simply left it to individuals to make their own decisions on how to act, in circumstances where those decisions may impact so profoundly on others. That's not leadership, it's a craven, spineless, pathetic abdication of responsibility.

So, even though you think its wrong, you are going to take personal responsibility to protect yourself and others around you, so is the decision wrong to give a choice?

As for the ventilation (yet another band wagon being rolled out)why is it all of a sudden a governments responsibility to provide ventilation in buildings, again owners of said buildings should be responsible, in fact it is already legislated and part of the H&S at work act to provide adequate ventilation.

I do agree that the sudden ending of restrictions should be in more stages, but we are all capable to risk assess our own position and make the best decision for ourselves.

 

[mjc506]

...we are all capable to risk assess our own position and make the best decision for ourselves.

Have you met the Great British public?