Coronavirus Thread

[The People's Hero]

1 hour ago, Bert Fill said:

No, I’m not missing that. 

Apologies; my mind-reading skills have really declined of late.

[StanSP]

32 minutes ago, Rain King said:

Getting a bit annoyed with this.

 

Oldest son woke up struggling to breathe, sounding very croupy. He has a history of pneumonia and chest infections. 

 

Before we rang the doctors we gave him a lateral flow test which came back negative. 

 

All we want is him checked over as previously when he's had pneumonia he's deteriorated very quickly.

 

They called back refusing to see him as the lateral flow tests are useless and will only see him once he's had a test at a proper site but have prescribed antibiotics anyway. Just seems ridiculous. If they're useless why are we being told to use them.

That's odd because lateral flow tests are acceptable enough for all the big events going on... 

[Jon the Hat]

On 02/07/2021 at 15:38, WigstonWanderer said:

I’m not sure I really understand your post, but you appear to be saying that the zero Covid strategy is somehow the reason we’ve had a poor vaccine rollout, and I don’t think that’s right, or at least not in the way you appear to suppose.

 

The Zero Covid policy here has been hugely successful. By eliminating the virus we’ve been able to go about our business pretty much untroubled by restrictions to the great benefit of the economy. Most people in Australia have spent very few days in lockdown, the exception being Victoria precisely because authorities were slow to react and allowed the virus to spread widely before taking stronger measures. It was this experience in my opinion which showed the advantages of acting early to save both people’s health and livelihoods.

 

Nevertheless, it is true to say that this lack of Covid has given rise to complacency. Firstly from a lazy and incompetent Federal government, with its snail’s pace vaccine rollout.  Secondly among some of the population who see little need to get vaccinated, or who (wrongly IMO) see the AZ vaccine as a bigger threat than Covid. Pfizer is in short supply here. It is probably no coincidence that demand for vaccine has shot up during recent minor Covid outbreaks.

 

I am not for a moment suggesting that the same strategy would work in the UK. But it was completely the right policy for Australia, and I think most (obviously not all) Australians feel the same way. Once everyone has at least had the chance to be fully vaccinated, I would hope that we will get fully back to normal, with open borders, etc.

I think it is certainly connected.  The theory that they have time to decide on what vaccine, or to move slowly is very foolish in my view.  They are one or two cases from disaster at any moment, and people are, with the Government not helping, making the wrong assessment - comparing the risk today with the side effect risks of vaccines and deciding to wait, or not to get the jab at all.  If there is a major outbreak therefore there will inevitably be thousands of deaths.  The federal government meanwhile have failed to increase quarantine capacity to allow citizens and PR holders into the country.  Tens of thousands want to come home and face huge costs or another year or more to wait.  Its a pretty pathetic way to treat your citizens imo.

[Guest Electric Yetis]

2 minutes ago, StanSP said:

That's odd because lateral flow tests are acceptable enough for all the big events going on... 

Exactly what I thought. They're good enough for teachers and secondary school kids etc but are apparently useless.

Dread to think how many people are having serious diseases not picked up as doctors won't see them.

[yorkie1999]

10 minutes ago, StanSP said:

That's odd because lateral flow tests are acceptable enough for all the big events going on... 

It's all about the money. Someone's making a shedload off the back of all this.

[Super_horns]

15 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

I see "follow the science" has gone out the window here now 

 Saw this rather cynical some might say post on Twitter:

 

"I think July 19th will go ahead mostly speaking. There's a reason why the date is what it is: Parliament goes off on it's summer holidays a couple days later on 22nd. They won't want to impose restrictions on how they can act on their own holidays"

 

Probably got a point given the Matt Hancock saga.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

6 minutes ago, Super_horns said:

 Saw this rather cynical some might say post on Twitter:

 

"I think July 19th will go ahead mostly speaking. There's a reason why the date is what it is: Parliament goes off on it's summer holidays a couple days later on 22nd. They won't want to impose restrictions on how they can act on their own holidays"

 

Probably got a point given the Matt Hancock saga.

Ha. This kind of stuff is everywhere, including the football club. Players who were telling us to stay home to protect the NHS now swanning off all over Europe for their summer jollies and some "warm weather training". 

[KFS]

6 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Ha. This kind of stuff is everywhere, including the football club. Players who were telling us to stay home to protect the NHS now swanning off all over Europe for their summer jollies and some "warm weather training". 

Yup all the while it’s a fvcking nightmare to travel in and out of the U.K. and the US isn’t even open to Europe still. Been lovely seeing pics of them all having wonderful times when I’ve still not seen my Mum for 18 months.

 

Said it a few weeks ago, time to end this all now  

[Babylon]

1 hour ago, Rain King said:

Getting a bit annoyed with this.

 

Oldest son woke up struggling to breathe, sounding very croupy. He has a history of pneumonia and chest infections. 

 

Before we rang the doctors we gave him a lateral flow test which came back negative. 

 

All we want is him checked over as previously when he's had pneumonia he's deteriorated very quickly.

 

They called back refusing to see him as the lateral flow tests are useless and will only see him once he's had a test at a proper site but have prescribed antibiotics anyway. Just seems ridiculous. If they're useless why are we being told to use them.

 

38 minutes ago, StanSP said:

That's odd because lateral flow tests are acceptable enough for all the big events going on... 

The instant ones say in the instructions NOT to use them if you are presenting symptoms. 

[UniFox21]

Mask requirement dropping. 

Personally will still wear one when in crowded areas or public transport

[Otis]

1 minute ago, UniFox21 said:

Mask requirement dropping. 

Personally will still wear one when in crowded areas or public transport

Good for you. 

[harpendenfox]

33 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Mask requirement dropping. 

Personally will still wear one when in crowded areas or public transport

I think this is the common sense thing to do. You're protecting me. I'll wear mine too, and I protect you. I'm double vaxxed, so my risk factor is much lower now, but I have a very vulnerable son, also double vaxxed, and I want to do as much as I can to protect him whilst hopefully still enjoying life as much as possible. So when I hopefully go to the KP in August, I hope that I can do so with minimal risk. In the ground itself during the game feels like it will be fine. It's the crush for the toilet that concerns me a bit. If masks help us keep the virus at bay a bit, I have no problem wearing one.

[z-layrex]

48 minutes ago, Otis said:

Good for you. 

He's protecting other people by doing that, so good for them. 

[leicsmac]

3 hours ago, z-layrex said:

You can still get it and transmit the virus, but it will most likely stop you getting too sick. Not everyone though, we've had a degree of double vaccinated icu admissions across the country.

In your qualified opinion, how much of an issue is this?

 

Hospitalisation and death numbers are the critical statistics once a significant number of people have been vaccinated, rather than case numbers.

[z-layrex]

Just now, leicsmac said:

In your qualified opinion, how much of an issue is this?

 

Hospitalisation and death numbers are the critical statistics once a significant number of people have been vaccinated, rather than case numbers.

I really don't have a qualified opinion, but to me it seems like the number of double vaccinated admissions to hospital is very small, let alone those needing an icu bed. I wouldn't think it's an issue.

[Guest Kopfkino]

47 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Mask requirement dropping. 

Personally will still wear one when in crowded areas or public transport

I hope I’ll continue to wear one some of the time going forward actually. I don’t like them and I really hated it at the start but certainly if I’m a bit unwell and am on public transport, I’ll stick one on to try to spare other people my. Also if it’s rammed, rather wear a mask than have to put up with some grim bloke coughing in my face as we bizarrely put up before all this.

[UniFox21]

3 minutes ago, Kopfkino said:

I hope I’ll continue to wear one some of the time going forward actually. I don’t like them and I really hated it at the start but certainly if I’m a bit unwell and am on public transport, I’ll stick one on to try to spare other people my. Also if it’s rammed, rather wear a mask than have to put up with some grim bloke coughing in my face as we bizarrely put up before all this.

I work in a Covid lab so I wear one all day everyday, and I'm fairly used to it now. For a while at least I'll continue wearing one on public transport or if an areas rammed. 

 

Hope people use a touch of common sense and we don't go back to being forced to deal with other people coughing all over you.  

[SpacedX]

Beijing, pre-pandemic...

 

 

Although many of these are surgical masks which are useless against PM2.5 wearing a decent respirator in some of our own polluted towns and cities is a complete no-brainer, particularly when exercising. 

[Guest Bert Fill]

26 minutes ago, harpendenfox said:

If masks help us keep the virus at bay a bit, I have no problem wearing one.

Yep. Seems simple enough to me, and I couldn’t agree more.

In fact I’m happy to wear one even on the off chance that it’ll help a bit.

[leicsmac]

14 minutes ago, z-layrex said:

I really don't have a qualified opinion, but to me it seems like the number of double vaccinated admissions to hospital is very small, let alone those needing an icu bed. I wouldn't think it's an issue.

It's more qualified than practically anyone else on here given your experience, man.

 

Glad to hear it's not a particularly big issue at this time.

[Guest Bert Fill]

10 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Hope people use a touch of common sense and we don't go back to being forced to deal with other people coughing all over you.

That’d be nice.

 

I fear there will be a few (hopefully very few) who will see coughing in your face as an expression of their ‘freedom’ and might even do it on purpose, especially to people who continue to wear masks.

[Guest Bert Fill]

17 minutes ago, Kopfkino said:

I hope I’ll continue to wear one some of the time going forward actually. I don’t like them and I really hated it at the start but certainly if I’m a bit unwell and am on public transport, I’ll stick one on to try to spare other people my. Also if it’s rammed, rather wear a mask than have to put up with some grim bloke coughing in my face as we bizarrely put up before all this.

To be honest I was a bit surprised last week at how little I was bothered by wearing one all through a film at the cinema.

[ealingfox]

17 minutes ago, Line-X said:

Beijing, pre-pandemic...

 

 

Although many of these are surgical masks which are useless against PM2.5 wearing a decent respirator in some of our own polluted towns and cities is a complete no-brainer, particularly when exercising. 

 

Whats your point though? Did they not get covid in Beijing?

[Super_horns]

Royalty having to self isolate .

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57721140

 

Had been to Wembley and Wimbledon in recent days..

Edited 5 July 2021 by Super_horns

[SpacedX]

19 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

 

Whats your point though? Did they not get covid in Beijing?

Yes, of course. My post does not relate to Covid 19. Several posts recently have talked about continuing to wear them. Simply, that wearing a mask in an urban environment was not uncommon in our pre-pandemic world and that a properly fitted N95 respirator is a prudent move when exercising or even living in a large city.