Coronavirus Thread

[WigstonWanderer]

5 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Pleased not least becuase my cousin was one of those who met the guy.  Lucky outcome i think.

If your strategy is Zero Covid, i think you have no choice but to react like this until vaccination is complete.  Australia may not be high on the list of priority vaccinations globally I guess as the deaths are so low?

The vaccine rollout here is due to commence at the end of this month I believe. Not quite as urgent here for obvious reasons, so extra time was taken to fully approve the vaccines rather than just for emergency use.

 

Clearly at some point Australia will need to open its international borders, and presumably that is unlikely to happen until everyone is fully vaccinated (nearer the end of the year). At that point, there will still be vulnerable people, either due to not having taken the vaccine (refused or not able to for medical reasons) or due to having had it but remaining susceptible due to bad luck. Hopefully, transmission will be reduced sufficiently to avoid a mini epidemic, and there won’t be too many casualties.suffering a severe reaction. 

[OrielCaziado]

I know It’s negative thinking but I can’t help thinking what the panic button figure number will be later this year. It’s inevitable there will be cases but at what level will SAGE take over and massive restrictions reappear. Got a few business opportunities I’m looking at but another problem winter will make them bad investments. 

[Parafox]

2 hours ago, Carl the Llama said:

They asked you to clarify what you meant when you said:

Given that eradication of the flu would be major headline news, and given we've known for some time that flu and other common airborne infection rates have dramatically fallen in the wake of Covid measures, it's fair for people to ask that.  

Two things, masks and social distancing. Maybe that should be be a "thing" going forward to reduce flu and other contaminators affecting the lives of others.

[filbertway]

7 minutes ago, Parafox said:

Two things, masks and social distancing. Maybe that should be be a "thing" going forward to reduce flu and other contaminators affecting the lives of others.

Eww pass, lovely thought, but life would be pretty awful with any form of social distancing measures for the rest of it.

[The People's Hero]

On 03/02/2021 at 11:22, Chocolate Teapot said:

I remember last January after losing to villa in the cup being sat in a miserable hotel in Birmingham declaring this was going to be a terrible year.

 

Nostradamus me.

I lost a bowls semi final to a pair we should never have lost to that night as well. You're right. That was definitely the evening it all began.

[Parafox]

18 minutes ago, filbertway said:

Eww pass, lovely thought, but life would be pretty awful with any form of social distancing measures for the rest of it.

I didn't mean close social contacts with family and friends, I was thinking more about mixing with strangers in crowded places such as supermarkets, leisure centre changing rooms etc. I guess places like Center Parcs could be a hot-bed of infection but hopefully the vaccine will negate this. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

1 hour ago, Parafox said:

I didn't mean close social contacts with family and friends, I was thinking more about mixing with strangers in crowded places such as supermarkets, leisure centre changing rooms etc. I guess places like Center Parcs could be a hot-bed of infection but hopefully the vaccine will negate this. 

That would put football and gigs etc off the menu then. No thank you. There's a level of background risk to everything we do that makes life enjoyable, we took those risks before and I'd wager every sane person is willing to take them again.

[Nalis]

12 hours ago, OrielCaziado said:

I know It’s negative thinking but I can’t help thinking what the panic button figure number will be later this year. It’s inevitable there will be cases but at what level will SAGE take over and massive restrictions reappear. Got a few business opportunities I’m looking at but another problem winter will make them bad investments. 

Someone could simply clear their throat when there have been zero covid cases and SAGE would still insist on 67 million people being asked to lockdown at home for months.

Edited 6 February 2021 by Nalis

[Sol thewall Bamba]

26 minutes ago, Nalis said:

Some could simply clear their throat when there have been zero covid cases and SAGE would still insist on 67 million people being asked to lockdown at home for months.

Someone mentioned that 80,000 people die every year in this country from illness related to smoking, so that must be an acceptable number given that's not been banned yet. Mind you, hard to tax the causes of Covid deaths like you can smokers...

[Otis]

27 minutes ago, Nalis said:

Some could simply clear their throat when there have been zero covid cases and SAGE would still insist on 67 million people being asked to lockdown at home for months.

How else would they stay relevant?

[Otis]

3 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Someone mentioned that 80,000 people die every year in this country from illness related to smoking, so that must be an acceptable number given that's not been banned yet. Mind you, hard to tax the causes of Covid deaths like you can smokers...

The cost of the reaction to covid is imense, more than smoking taxes could ever acheive.

 

So why isn't it banned? And don't mention civil liberties when the whole country has been under some sort of restriction for the best part of a year.

[Corky]

1 hour ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Someone mentioned that 80,000 people die every year in this country from illness related to smoking, so that must be an acceptable number given that's not been banned yet. Mind you, hard to tax the causes of Covid deaths like you can smokers...

I saw one bloke at a bus stop pull his mask down to smoke. I mean, thanks for potentially spreading the disease and your fumes.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

20 minutes ago, Corky said:

I saw one bloke at a bus stop pull his mask down to smoke. I mean, thanks for potentially spreading the disease and your fumes.

How do you expect us smokers to smoke? Put a hole in the mask?

[Corky]

8 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

How do you expect us smokers to smoke? Put a hole in the mask?

Yeah, or not smoke in places where there's a massive no smoking sign behind them.

[dsr-burnley]

4 hours ago, Parafox said:

Two things, masks and social distancing. Maybe that should be be a "thing" going forward to reduce flu and other contaminators affecting the lives of others.

Do you fully understand social distancing?  One of my mother's hobbies was whist.  If social distancing is in, then whist is out.  Sharing cards and so on.

 

She likes going out for dinner.  If old people are forced to sit 6 feet apart, they can't hear each other because everyone has to shout.  

 

She goes to church.  But if there is no singing allowed, or aloud ...

 

Knitting club.  Where's the fun in sitting six feet apart with masks on?

 

If people can add a few days to their lives by social distancing, is it worth it?

 

Numbers.  In an average year, about 10,000 apparently healthy people die of flu.  Average age about 73, which would suggest average remaining life expectancy would be about 14 years.  (This is taking a low estimate of average ages which are analysed in 20-year age ranges.)

 

So each year, 140,000 years of life are lost to flu.  Over the average life a single human (80 years), that's 11,200,000 years.  Divide that by the 66,000 people living here and it's near as dammit 2 months.  So by spending your life sitting at home, wearing a mask, not socialising, you can extend your life by average 2 months - IF AND ONLY IF we assume that this will permanently erase flu from the UK.  Which it probably won't.

 

Is it worth it?

[Guest Harrydc]

I can't believe the government care about our health when smoking is still permitted, nothing is being done about thr crap in our foods, we're encouraged to eat at fast food restaurants and all in all we live terribly unhealthy lifestyles. How many deaths could be prevented if these matters were seen too? 

[StanSP]

4 hours ago, Harrydc said:

I can't believe the government care about our health when smoking is still permitted, nothing is being done about thr crap in our foods, we're encouraged to eat at fast food restaurants and all in all we live terribly unhealthy lifestyles. How many deaths could be prevented if these matters were seen too? 

Very basic way of thinking. 

No one is forced to eat at fast food restaurants. Supermarkets have remained open for you to buy healthy foods. 

 

Everyone is in control of their lifestyles. I can't stand this government but they can't be blamed for some of the stuff you mention. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

9 hours ago, Corky said:

I saw one bloke at a bus stop pull his mask down to smoke. I mean, thanks for potentially spreading the disease and your fumes.

Yesterday I saw some woman in her car on her own, mask on, not covering her nose. How do these people get through the day?

[yorkie1999]

The fvcking clipboard squad have taken over!

[Parafox]

10 hours ago, dsr-burnley said:

Do you fully understand social distancing?  One of my mother's hobbies was whist.  If social distancing is in, then whist is out.  Sharing cards and so on.

 

She likes going out for dinner.  If old people are forced to sit 6 feet apart, they can't hear each other because everyone has to shout.  

 

She goes to church.  But if there is no singing allowed, or aloud ...

 

Knitting club.  Where's the fun in sitting six feet apart with masks on?

 

If people can add a few days to their lives by social distancing, is it worth it?

 

Numbers.  In an average year, about 10,000 apparently healthy people die of flu.  Average age about 73, which would suggest average remaining life expectancy would be about 14 years.  (This is taking a low estimate of average ages which are analysed in 20-year age ranges.)

 

So each year, 140,000 years of life are lost to flu.  Over the average life a single human (80 years), that's 11,200,000 years.  Divide that by the 66,000 people living here and it's near as dammit 2 months.  So by spending your life sitting at home, wearing a mask, not socialising, you can extend your life by average 2 months - IF AND ONLY IF we assume that this will permanently erase flu from the UK.  Which it probably won't.

 

Is it worth it?

You're missing my point, if there was a point. I was thinking about crowded situations like supermarkets and unfortunately that may also include sporting events. I don't think that will happen, BTW but shopping could be. Knitting clubs or whist and the other situations you mention, would not involve contact with potentially dozens or hundreds of strangers. Yes people die of flu every year and flu is contagious in the same way as Covid. Mask wearing and social distancing has reduced the contact with the Covid virus and the same could be said for the flu virus.

It would be up to the individuals viewpoint to decide whether it would be worth it or not. The 66,000 (I think you mean 66,000,000) you mention is the entire population, not the people susceptible to dying from flu which is a much smaller, therefore greater percentage, number of the population.

[Parafox]

9 hours ago, Harrydc said:

I can't believe the government care about our health when smoking is still permitted, nothing is being done about thr crap in our foods, we're encouraged to eat at fast food restaurants and all in all we live terribly unhealthy lifestyles. How many deaths could be prevented if these matters were seen too? 

Smoking and eating shit food is a personal choice. The gov have taken steps to make processed food more healthy by forcing manufacturers to reduce sugar and salt and to label foods in a way that enables us to make a choice about what we consume. How are we being encouraged to eat at fast food places? Advertising? They banned tobacco adverts and sponsorships years ago and that stuff now has to be sold from behind a closed cabinet to reduce the attraction of the packaging.

You are perfectly entitled to buy fresh meat, fruit and veg and cook from scratch. Unfortunately not everyone has those skills or the time to do that.

The gov care about a "healthy nation" because it costs millions in healthcare budgets and that concerns them. Money.

[SpacedX]

10 hours ago, dsr-burnley said:

Do you fully understand social distancing?  One of my mother's hobbies was whist.  If social distancing is in, then whist is out.  Sharing cards and so on.

 

She likes going out for dinner.  If old people are forced to sit 6 feet apart, they can't hear each other because everyone has to shout.  

 

She goes to church.  But if there is no singing allowed, or aloud ...

 

Knitting club.  Where's the fun in sitting six feet apart with masks on?

 

 

Your Mother? Admit it, this is you really.

[Alf Bentley]

I can see this suggestion earning universal public acclaim......  

 

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-02-06/covid-pubs-and-restaurants-could-reopen-in-april-amid-lockdown-easing-but-alcohol-could-be-banned-reports-suggest

[Nalis]

9 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

I can see this suggestion earning universal public acclaim......  

 

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-02-06/covid-pubs-and-restaurants-could-reopen-in-april-amid-lockdown-easing-but-alcohol-could-be-banned-reports-suggest

Like being told you can go back to the KP but cant watch football.

[StanSP]

19 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

I can see this suggestion earning universal public acclaim......  

 

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-02-06/covid-pubs-and-restaurants-could-reopen-in-april-amid-lockdown-easing-but-alcohol-could-be-banned-reports-suggest

 

8 minutes ago, Nalis said:

Like being told you can go back to the KP but cant watch football.

I don't understand. Does Covid-19 only enter the bar if it knows alcohol is being served?