Off Topic Coronavirus

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Mmm.....I don't buy this 'covid is a smokescreen to hide brexit'.

Are we over reacting to the threat now or not in your opinion?
Is it worse than seasonal flu in your opinion?
Are fit people with no underlying health problems occasionally getting very ill from covid in your opinion?
Should we, as suggested by some on here, simply accept covid as a relatively mild infection and just return completely to normal?


So are you asking me whether healthy are people are getting and whether we should just accept it.???

Col I am not a consultant in infectious disease. So really cannot answer this...
But my opinion ...and just an opinion


From what I have seen some healthy people are getting it severely and dying.
Some healthy people are getting it and being left with serious health issues.

But yes a lot of people who are dying having issues....but that could be your partner who has diabetes or heart disease but would have possibly lived another 10-15 years and seen their grandchild growing up. Priceless...

As is said...each death is a tragedy.

Should we just get on with it...and let it take its toll.

We do need to keep a handle on it. If it runs through our youngsters, it will get to their parents and grandparents and a lot of people will die. I do not want to die I am sure you don't either.

My argument with this government has always been the mixed messages, the u turns the lack of joined up thinking.

We could be doing this better slot better and we are not.

What they seem to be doing now is panicking.
If they panic, we panic.

It is worrying
 
Interesting piece from BBC News...

"Thousands of people crowding into an indoor stadium is not something you see in Germany these days - but this is what is happening today, for a huge science experiment.

A series of pop concerts are being held in the German city of Leipzig on Saturday, as part of research being carried out to see how mass events can be held with a minimum risk of infection.

The three concerts will be held throughout the day, and will cost almost €1m (£900,000), paid for by the German government.

The pop fans are volunteers who have been given tracking devices, which will monitor their movements and proximity to other people. They will disinfect their hands with fluorescent sanitiser, which will help scientists track how surfaces become a source of infection. And a fog machine will show how the virus spreads in the air.

To make sure this experiment doesn’t become a safety risk itself, everyone is wearing face-masks, has tested negative for Covid-19 and is younger than 50 years old, with no health conditions.

Scientists will then analyse the data, which they say could provide valuable information about how to stage large cultural and sporting events safely - even in the midst of a pandemic."
 
I have said this right from the start....this is not an overt criticism more an observation

In December last year the country voted for Brexit, and gave Boris a mandate.
Boris elated, got him self a government of people, who on the Tory side had been chosen with one eye on getting Brexit done. A lot of the heavyweight career politicians left the government. These were people like Kenneth Clarke (who love him or not) knew how to run a business how to run a department. Boris was left with a lot of young inexperienced yes men.

Boris chose his cabinet from people who supported him, Brexiteers. All governments do, that is the point...you get your own people in!
But they were inexperienced at running a government...but it was ok , they only had one job to do...Get Brexit done.

Then the pandemic came.

No-one had any idea, no-one had experience. There was no-one to say...this is the logistics of making big changes, this is how you keep departments, the opposition and the population on board. Boris (love him or not, and you know my view) was at the start arrogant and did not really take it seriously, he was still talking about Brexit at packed meetings when other countries were in lockdown.
A dose of Covid may have changed his mind.

But now..the government is just a set of knee jerk reactionaries. And this pandemic has been just one U-turn and disaster after another and it has not finished yet


For the above reasons, I am not sure Corbyn would have done better...he would have got his own inexperienced croonies in to.
(I would have loved to have thought that he may have done a few things like the care homes and the whole looking after the front line workers differently, but I am not sure he would)
What we should have got in was a crossparty cabinet to deal with just the social, health and economic problems of Covid19.

Boris would never go there.
Nor would Corbyn.

It is too late now, we are in a social mess, which will get worse as the effects of Covid and Brexit kick in.
Social unrest is on its way

I have bought a lot of toilet rolls, tins of baked beans....and on the advice of this board plasterboard (it was what was really in short supply during total lockdown).
No idea what you do with plasterboard!
Plasterboard? It will just help you build a wall around you like a good Brexiteer Beth. Build it high and strong enough, it might keep the Covid out too...... until you need a hole in it to get some air in and breathe.
 
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Interesting piece from BBC News...

"Thousands of people crowding into an indoor stadium is not something you see in Germany these days - but this is what is happening today, for a huge science experiment.

A series of pop concerts are being held in the German city of Leipzig on Saturday, as part of research being carried out to see how mass events can be held with a minimum risk of infection.

The three concerts will be held throughout the day, and will cost almost €1m (£900,000), paid for by the German government.

The pop fans are volunteers who have been given tracking devices, which will monitor their movements and proximity to other people. They will disinfect their hands with fluorescent sanitiser, which will help scientists track how surfaces become a source of infection. And a fog machine will show how the virus spreads in the air.

To make sure this experiment doesn’t become a safety risk itself, everyone is wearing face-masks, has tested negative for Covid-19 and is younger than 50 years old, with no health conditions.

Scientists will then analyse the data, which they say could provide valuable information about how to stage large cultural and sporting events safely - even in the midst of a pandemic."

Them damned efficient Germans again, perhaps Boris will organise a few raves now...
 
So, apparently the R rate is now at 1.7.
Professor Elliot, a public health expert says, "what we are seeing is evidence of an epidemic in the community and not a result of increased testing".
Professor Clarke, an expert in cellular microbiology says, "we could be at risk of being almost back at square one in terms of our ability to contain the virus".

Are these experts in their field wrong?
 
So, apparently the R rate is now at 1.7.
Professor Elliot, a public health expert says, "what we are seeing is evidence of an epidemic in the community and not a result of increased testing".
Professor Clarke, an expert in cellular microbiology says, "we could be at risk of being almost back at square one in terms of our ability to contain the virus".

Are these experts in their field wrong?

What I would like to ask the 'public health expert' Professor Eliot is 'why are there so many cases being identified in young people with mild or no symptoms if it's not through increased testing?'

I'd also like to see the statistical analysis of how the R rate is measured. It's plain that the more tests you do, the more positive cases you will find. The true picture will only be known when there's random testing on a massive and consistent scale.

I don't doubt that the number of cases is increasing - it's obvious that it would with people going back to work and to pubs and restauarants (as encouraged by the government) - but if hospitalisations and deaths don't increase at a similar rate, I don't see that there's too much to worry about.
 
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Got this from a friend who works for SERCO

[HASHTAG]#Covid[/HASHTAG] centre update. You can book a test for anywhere in the UK and turn up at your local SITE for the test. So if they offered you Aberdeen accept it and come to Lincoln. As long as you have the QR code you can get tested. Not common Knowledge but worth knowing.
 
What I would like to ask the 'public health expert' Professor Eliot is 'why are there so many cases being identified in young people with mild or no symptoms if it's not through increased testing?'

I'd also like to see the statistical analysis of how the R rate is measured. It's plain that the more tests you do, the more positive cases you will find. The true picture will only be known when there's random testing on a massive and consistent scale.

I don't doubt that the number of cases is increasing - it's obvious that it would with people going back to work and to pubs and restauarants (as encouraged by the government) - but if hospitalisations and deaths don't increase at a similar rate, I don't see that there's too much to worry about.

I presume that, as the infection rate is rising mainly in younger people, that they, by definition, don't get as ill, thus explaining only a small rise in deaths.
However, if these infected people then go and hug grandma.........

Anyway, we go round in circles.
I choose to play it safe whilst I'm hearing anicdotes from people like Steelmonkey etc.
 
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When I got time I will go back on my computer and search...
Would not like to cost you a fiver.

Was it about wearing masks in school classroom, because that has come to pass...in our area. And we are not under special measures yet

Stainsy I believe this is the headline I received:-

SKY NEWS HEADLINE

Boris Johnson makes U-turn and abandons face masks advice for secondary schools

The government announces the policy shift for England after Scottish pupils were told to wear face coverings in corridors.


That is why I put up my post:

When looking at the government website at the time

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson said:
Our priority is to get children back to school safely. At each stage we have listened to the latest medical and scientific advice. We have therefore decided to follow the World Health Organisation’s new advice.
The World Health Organisation published a statement on 21 August about children and face coverings. They now advise that “children aged 12 and over should wear a mask under the same conditions as adults, in particular when they cannot guarantee at least a 1-metre distance from others and there is widespread transmission in the area.”

In local lockdown areas children in year 7 and above should wear face coverings in communal spaces. Outside of local lockdown areas face coverings won’t be required in schools, though schools will have the flexibility to introduce measures if they believe it is right in their specific circumstances. I hope these steps will provide parents, pupils and teachers with further reassurance.



So the headline I received was ambiguous, and that is what I bounced on to the thread

...and when you read the website, it says that the government is following the WHO guidlines, which in the next paragraph says ...well to be honest again I am not sure exactly what the WHO are saying either.

Anyway your mate is right do not believe everything you find on websites, or on the news or on the government web sites either.

I apologise and to make it up to you I will buy you a pint and a cake next time we meet, or go to Beautiful Days or something.
 
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So, apparently the R rate is now at 1.7.
Professor Elliot, a public health expert says, "what we are seeing is evidence of an epidemic in the community and not a result of increased testing".
Professor Clarke, an expert in cellular microbiology says, "we could be at risk of being almost back at square one in terms of our ability to contain the virus".

Are these experts in their field wrong?

Can you put up the stats please Col. And if possible the deaths per 10,000 infected rate (I think that’s the one I last saw used but could be wrong)
 
Stainsy I believe this is the headline I received:-

SKY NEWS HEADLINE

Boris Johnson makes U-turn and abandons face masks advice for secondary schools

The government announces the policy shift for England after Scottish pupils were told to wear face coverings in corridors.


That is why I put up my post:

When looking at the government website at the time

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson said:
Our priority is to get children back to school safely. At each stage we have listened to the latest medical and scientific advice. We have therefore decided to follow the World Health Organisation’s new advice.
The World Health Organisation published a statement on 21 August about children and face coverings. They now advise that “children aged 12 and over should wear a mask under the same conditions as adults, in particular when they cannot guarantee at least a 1-metre distance from others and there is widespread transmission in the area.”

In local lockdown areas children in year 7 and above should wear face coverings in communal spaces. Outside of local lockdown areas face coverings won’t be required in schools, though schools will have the flexibility to introduce measures if they believe it is right in their specific circumstances. I hope these steps will provide parents, pupils and teachers with further reassurance.



So the headline I received was ambiguous, and that is what I bounced on to the thread

...and when you read the website, it says that the government is following the WHO guidlines, which in the next paragraph says ...well to be honest again I am not sure exactly what the WHO are saying either.

Anyway your mate is right do not believe everything you find on websites, or on the news or on the government web sites either.

I apologise and to make it up to you I will buy you a pint and a cake next time we meet, or go to Beautiful Days or something.

Seems lazy sensationalist journalism to me Beth, and easy to get sucked in......many do (I’m one of the worse).
As long as Twin 2 is found negative I’ll be having a lemonade with my mate at the Rising Sun in Windlesham this week...and I’ll be demanding my £5 back.....(You have met him before at BD’s)
 
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Got this from a friend who works for SERCO

[HASHTAG]#Covid[/HASHTAG] centre update. You can book a test for anywhere in the UK and turn up at your local SITE for the test. So if they offered you Aberdeen accept it and come to Lincoln. As long as you have the QR code you can get tested. Not common Knowledge but worth knowing.

Anecdotally I heard the same yesterday Beth. I went to the Heathrow test site this morning at 11am.....it was empty.