Coronavirus

It's actually both. With some viruses like the flu the membrane of the virus toughens in cold weather and they last longer out of the body... But yes, people being indoors more helps spread it too.

Where I am it's so hot in the summer people tend to stay indoors and cases of flu peak a little in summer too.

 

I’m not a scientist, but I don’t think you have to be to draw the fairly obvious conclusion that people are more likely to get sick and need hospitalisation in January, than they are in August.

What’s driving this lockdown is pretty much exactly what drove the first; the very real possibility of the NHS getting overwhelmed. Which, historically, it often does in January. Lots of people in London having routine appointments and even surgery cancelled. And yes, the ICUs are busy again.

 

Not just London. Think it's gonna be pretty **** for the next month.

 

Yeah, kinda resigned to that really. I have mentally binned off January, and probably February, as a dead loss, but those two months always seem to go by much faster than you expect them to. Then it’s March, daffodils, warmer weather, and hopefully all the vulnerable punters will be vaccinated by then.

 

Gonna call it now. We won’t be out of lockdown until April

 

I've been critical of the BBC 's reporting and portrayal of this throughout but this is very good, and will be welcome to a lot of people who can't simply 'log on', and will give millions of parents a bit of slack.

BBC News - BBC to put lessons on TV during lockdown
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55552962

 

Evening, very cheery.

Thanks!

 

Melbourne did 111 days of lockdown to go from out of control to no community transmission so not an unrealistic estimate, except there is the vaccine now.

 

They’ll have dole wallers with 2 hrs training stabbing people in the arm before they’ll allow this to drag on until April.

First week in March imo.

 

We must have had about 90+ days first time round.

Then some bright spark decided to launch an ‘Eat some scran to kill yer Nan’ incentive.

 

I didn't buy into that ****e.
Both mine have been dead for feckin years.

 

There will be no defined end... much like last time. It will depend on numbers in hospitals but at some point we'll have profound blue sky thinking like...

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Which will basically be a signal for those who want to believe it's over (whether it is or isn't) to do what they like. When and where the lockdown is officially over will never be a thing.

BTW furlough ends at the end of March which is another factor. Will this affect when they ease the lockdown? Rishi Sunak may very well end up extending this by a couple of months whatever happens, with an expectation that vaccinations will have enabled more businesses to open up again. So many variables it really is all an unknown tbh.

 

Went for a covid test for school...we were asked to do it to help families feel safe sending their kids to school.
I got a text back after 30 mins saying


Your coronavirus lateral flow test result is negative.

It's likely you were not infectious when the test was done.

The last bit is hardly reassuring ffs

 

It's good your school is doing this. Especially considering the vulnerable chn in your care who may have medical conditions.

So how will they put this to parents? It's likely our teachers are not infectious, but ya neva know?

 

"Rate of infection" is rather misleading when being used as a barometer for successful management by the authorities... the stark reality is that Wales has had 157,000 infections and 3.5k deaths ... England in contrast, 2.3 million infections and 65k deaths ... the UK as a whole 75k deaths.

 

Furlough was extended pre Christmas to the end of April mate.& I’m pretty sure it’ll be extended further at a reduced rate again.

Once the top 4 vulnerable groups are vaccinated then that’ll signal the end of lockdown in this pandemic. I’m sure they’ll still want social distancing and mask to continue once things reopen, but I doubt it’ll happen. So we’ll see infections rise again, only this time with much fewer deaths - is the likely theory. Plus we'll be heading into the warmer months again, which will naturally reduce transmission rates.

Personally I’ll be edgy until I have had both doses, as the single dose only offers circa 50% protection, but I’ll spin the wheel at that.

 

Almost 1 in 3 people with Covid actually test negative. A negative test doesn't mean you don't have it... it just means the test didn't detect it.

 

What's not encouraging... The South African strain which appears to be spreading widely in South America now too, lessens the effectiveness of drugs commonly used to treat it... And it appears there's a decent chance if you've had an earlier strain you won't be immune to that one. So more people will get a second infection.

... It also infects easier than previous strains...

... So a triple whammy. More infectious, harder to treat, and bypasses existing immunity. S.A. strain suggests Covid might be like flu and could reinfect us time and time again.

Which makes it even more important to get a significant portion of the whole world vaccinated. The more people who have its the more chances virus has to mutate. Fortunately vaccine appears to protect against all strains, but give it enough time and people it will find a way to infect vaccinated people.

Humanity in all countries need to nip this in the bud.

 

I know mate...that's probably why it's worded like that...just made me laugh.
Simple things and all that.