Coronavirus Thread

[Finnaldo 3,263]

[StanSP 30,827]

17 minutes ago, Nuneatonfox in Manchester said:

Not letting myself be encouraged by this too much because every time we've had good news in this pandemic, its been shat on a few days later.

I'm trying to be positive and think this time it's different purely because 1) we have a vaccine and 2) the vaccine rollout and efficacy results has been relatively successful and promising so far, in that the vulnerable categories have been targeted as intended and I don't see why that will stop as more categories are offered vaccine. 

 

 

[OrielCaziado 149]

I’d love to know why golf can’t return till end of March.  Fishing has been allowed throughout this lockdown and from early March you can legally meet someone outside to socialise.  I’m sure golf could easily be allowed for two balls only, without any need for players to go inside the clubhouse. 

[String fellow 494]

It's strange how 'effectiveness' has morphed into 'efficacy' since the pandemic began. 

[Innovindil 3,035]

2 minutes ago, String fellow said:

It's strange how 'effectiveness' has morphed into 'efficacy' since the pandemic began. 

Thought they meant the same thing? Just people/journalists getting on board the fancier sounding word I guess. 

[Legend_in_blue 1,772]

I'm struggling to weigh up the situation when on one hand you have a message of proceeding with extreme caution but on the other hand you have given the green light for all kids to return to school on the same day?  This is what is being suggested.  Zahawi said so this morning - so it must be true of course 

 

Back in January a staged approach was being implemented, this now appears not to be the case.  So many conflicts in the approach here, this is just one of many, and we've seen it time and time again.  Vaccine rollout aside, the govt do not appear willing to learn from past mistakes.

[Nod.E 2,430]

1 hour ago, OrielCaziado said:

I’d love to know why golf can’t return till end of March.  Fishing has been allowed throughout this lockdown and from early March you can legally meet someone outside to socialise.  I’m sure golf could easily be allowed for two balls only, without any need for players to go inside the clubhouse. 

Should never have been stopped. It's mind boggling.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I like my Starbucks coffee run, but it's baffling to me that I am allowed to go indoors and wait with other people for my coffee, but I'm not allowed to walk around a field in the open air with one other person, socially distanced.

 

Almost as though they're making it up as they go along and not being led by data.

[OrielCaziado 149]

11 minutes ago, Nod.E said:

Should never have been stopped. It's mind boggling.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I like my Starbucks coffee run, but it's baffling to me that I am allowed to go indoors and wait with other people for my coffee, but I'm not allowed to walk around a field in the open air with one other person, socially distanced.

 

Almost as though they're making it up as they go along and not being led by data.

Also I just think it’s money wasted. Staff at golf clubs will I assume be on furlough for the past three months when there’s absolutely no reason for that to be the case. 

[yorkie1999 4,823]

13 minutes ago, Nod.E said:

Should never have been stopped. It's mind boggling.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I like my Starbucks coffee run, but it's baffling to me that I am allowed to go indoors and wait with other people for my coffee, but I'm not allowed to walk around a field in the open air with one other person, socially distanced.

 

Almost as though they're making it up as they go along and not being led by data.

More likely there is no data. How would you actually quantify the risk of spreading the virus on a golf course which i suspect is almost zero, it seems the only things you could measure would be indoors.

[Nuneatonfox in Manchester 286]

1 hour ago, OrielCaziado said:

I’d love to know why golf can’t return till end of March.  Fishing has been allowed throughout this lockdown and from early March you can legally meet someone outside to socialise.  I’m sure golf could easily be allowed for two balls only, without any need for players to go inside the clubhouse. 

Possibly because it is an activity enjoyed by predominantly middle to upper class white men. If they ban traditionally working class sports/activities but allow golf, they are likely to be accused of discrimination by certain media outlets. 

[Leicester_Loyal 6,059]

31 minutes ago, Nod.E said:

Should never have been stopped. It's mind boggling.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I like my Starbucks coffee run, but it's baffling to me that I am allowed to go indoors and wait with other people for my coffee, but I'm not allowed to walk around a field in the open air with one other person, socially distanced.

 

Almost as though they're making it up as they go along and not being led by data.

The same data that now says hospitalisation risk is minimal and likewise going to the beach etc.

 

They are absolutely clueless.

 

Mark Harper on politics live just said that the top 9 priority vaccination groups account for 99% of all deaths and 80% of hospitalisations. 3 weeks after they've all been vaccinated, nothing should be closed really, everything should be open (with maybe one or two exceptions)

[Sol thewall Bamba 8,483]

12 hours ago, KFS said:

Baffled why your gyms aren’t open honestly. Been back in mine since around October. People have to wear a mask and wipe down equipment before and after use and it’s worked a treat.
 

Before anyone bothers - I’ve hit compound lift PBs in a mask since going back. It’s really not a bother for the trade off mental health benefits.

Never been any data released for spread due to gyms that I've seen. Dunno why anyone would expect the likes of our cabinet to know the benefits of a gym anyway so I'm hardly surprised. 

[String fellow 494]

In fairness to the Prime Minister, he gets his exercise on his bicycle, and possibly in bed. On attending gyms, surely it makes more financial sense in the long run (no pun intended) to buy your equipment.

[foxile5 2,722]

35 minutes ago, String fellow said:

In fairness to the Prime Minister, he gets his exercise on his bicycle, and possibly in bed. On attending gyms, surely it makes more financial sense in the long run (no pun intended) to buy your equipment.

You're right that there's probably some financial sense to buying your own kit over a long period of time.

 

However, my gym offers classes as part of the membership. I can do things like circuits by myself - I wouldn't be as motivated and lack the know-how. Also the spread of kit would cost me a fortune to acquire (though may just pay for itself) and would necessitate a vast auditorium to house. I live in a terrace house.

 

There's also the nebulous benefit to being a member of a gym. They force you to attend, or at least for people like me they do. I'm paying for it so I'm going to use it. There is the 'I'll do it another day' attitude to exercise at the minute. 

 

Just as an addendum. Don't be fair to the Prime Minister. He sure as hell isn't fair to you.

[Legend_in_blue 1,772]

53 minutes ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

The same data that now says hospitalisation risk is minimal and likewise going to the beach etc.

 

They are absolutely clueless.

 

Mark Harper on politics live just said that the top 9 priority vaccination groups account for 99% of all deaths and 80% of hospitalisations. 3 weeks after they've all been vaccinated, nothing should be closed really, everything should be open (with maybe one or two exceptions)

 

And bearing this in mind, why should there be a need for everyone, including children (which Sage is pushing for), to be vaccinated?  This is the key question that needs to be addressed as you work your way down the age groups.  

[foxfanazer 13,737]

They're gonna have a hell of a task enforcing another lockdown if this all goes tits up. It's time to start getting back to some sort of normality 

[WigstonWanderer 2,466]

2 hours ago, String fellow said:

It's strange how 'effectiveness' has morphed into 'efficacy' since the pandemic began. 

Whenever I hear the word “efficacious” it reminds me of 

 

 

[Leicester_Loyal 6,059]

They really are a shambles aren’t they? I thought Tory Governments were the ones who supported small local businesses. 

[Costock_Fox 12,092]

47 minutes ago, String fellow said:

In fairness to the Prime Minister, he gets his exercise on his bicycle, and possibly in bed. On attending gyms, surely it makes more financial sense in the long run (no pun intended) to buy your equipment.

Some gym equipment costs upwards of £10k so no, it’s doesn’t always make more financial sense.

[filbertway 3,266]

 

8 minutes ago, Legend_in_blue said:

 

And bearing this in mind, why should there be a need for everyone, including children (which Sage is pushing for), to be vaccinated?  This is the key question that needs to be addressed as you work your way down the age groups.  

I believe the main argument is that if the virus is allowed to run rampant among younger people, then the chances of a dodgy mutation are enhanced. If you're vaccinated then your body should prevent the virus from being able to replicate as much as it'll be trained to attack it quicker. Therefore reducing chance of illness, transmission and mutation. That's my very layman understanding of it anyway.

[Carl the Llama 9,746]

16 minutes ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

They really are a shambles aren’t they? I thought Tory Governments were the ones who supported small local businesses. 

They do, you just need to know one of them.

[Zear0 586]

1 hour ago, String fellow said:

In fairness to the Prime Minister, he gets his exercise on his bicycle, and possibly in bed. On attending gyms, surely it makes more financial sense in the long run (no pun intended) to buy your equipment.

And rarely in his own...

[Nod.E 2,430]

22 minutes ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

They really are a shambles aren’t they? I thought Tory Governments were the ones who supported small local businesses. 

I've said it before but I'll say it again, hats off to you for continuing to be critical. Not doomsaying, not unwavering, but critical.

 

We'd be in a better place as a country if more people thought critically, as you do.

 

For context, Leicester Loyal and I came to logger heads at around the time of the beginning of the outbreak, with him posting Conservative-supporting comments that I disagreed with. Despite this stance, LL has continued to observe facts and digest them critically. 

 

This isn't to say all anti-Tory rhetoric is right and pro-Tory is wrong, by the way. But it's just refreshing to see someone putting 'sides' out of the equation.

 

FWIW I'm not sure how much better Labour would have been at handling it. You'd imagine it can't be much worse than what we've had, but nobody can say with confidence it would be substantially better.

Edited 22 February by Nod.E

[Leicester_Loyal 6,059]

2 minutes ago, Nod.E said:

I've said it before but I'll say it again, hats off to you for continuing to be critical. Not doomsaying, not unwavering, but critical.

 

We'd be in a better place as a country if more people thought critically, as you do.

 

For context, Leicester Loyal and I came to logger heads at around the time of the beginning of the outbreak, with him posting Conservative-supporting comments that I disagreed with. Despite this stance, LL has continued to observe facts and digest them critically. 

 

This isn't to say all anti-Tory rhetoric is right and pro-Tory is wrong, by the way. But it's just refreshing to see someone putting 'sides' out of the equation.

 

FWIW I'm not sure how much better Labour would have been at handling it. You'd imagine it can't be much worse than what we've had, but nobody can say in confidence it would be substantially better.

Really appreciate that post, thank you.

 

We all have shit days, I probably more than most, but thankfully we have some light at the end of the tunnel and I honestly don't think the Government will be able to continue as we are for much longer even if they wanted too.

 

From what I've seen it just seems that this Government continues to shit on certain industries. If they're not safe then fair enough, provide the data and evidence and support them financially, I don't think the public would have an issue with it (I know I certainly wouldn't), but when they do things like Eat Out 2 Help Out to then say hospitality isn't safe a few weeks later, it makes zero sense. The 'schools are safe' comment from Boris on the Sunday evening to 'we must close schools immediately' on the Monday evening was another one, it doesn't inspire any form of confidence.

[Lcfc82 186]

1 hour ago, foxfanazer said:

They're gonna have a hell of a task enforcing another lockdown if this all goes tits up. It's time to start getting back to some sort of normality 

The worrying thing for me is that I don’t think they would have much of a problem enforcing another lockdown. They have managed to do it reasonably well so far. The fines / punishments are so great that many people and businesses won’t break the rules.