Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[ForeverBlue92]

This is it really. If people have been following some of the narrative, it appears the approach will be dance and hammer. Essentially multiple lock downs when cases spike and easing restrictions when the R0 drops to what the government feel is an acceptable level and the cycle begins again.

Despite much of the political language, this isnt about beating the virus completely, its protecting health services from being swamped and managing natural herd immunity and the period until artificial herd immunity (vaccine) can be achieved. The winter i am thinking may be nasty.

If a country stamps out the virus and manages its borders its won the lottery.

Controlled herd immunity as you say appears to be the way forward - but why the Government havent already started nationwide blood testing of the population I'll never know.

Every GP service/walk in should be giving people 5 minute appointments to have a blood sample taken - if someone turns up early have them que up like at the supermarkets and have the people performing the tests kitted out in proper PPE.

Anyone who tests positive for antibodies - add them to a nation wide database and after so many weeks you have an idea of what stage we are at in terms of relaxing the lockdown and if we need to shut back up again once cases spike then do so.

Without testing we are peeing against the wind.

 

[davek]

Again, something peer reviewed would be good I have read that paper before though, and a central aspect of it seems to be the prevention of transmission if you cough directly at someone stood 8 inches away. I barely get that close to my wife, much less random strangers as I walk about during a period when social distancing is highly encouraged, and certainly not if I feel the need to cough or sneeze.

Just to emphasise this point. In most of the western world, personal space with someone we're intimate with is regarded as around 1.5 feet. With a stranger, even during normal circumstances, it's closer to 4 feet.

I'm sorry then, I cant help you. You seem to be implying that other nations like Germany are advising the use of face masks just to get some sort of feeling of false security.

You actually dont think the scientists advising those nations are just handing out a soothing words, do you?

Unbelievable.

I guarantee if you were outside and you were stood within 2 metres of a stranger and were both offered a face mask you'd both seize them.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

In all fairness to him, I`ve got a couple of mates doing 50 mile plus bike rides, one is out every day as he`s been furloughed, but they`re doing loops rather than " there and back " rides.

The lad who`s been furloughed is now smashing out personal bests every week lol

Aye, I know quite a few doing similar things. A friend did a 24km run in the Lakes yesterday, and judging from his Strava, seems to have driven to do it. What can you do?

 

[COYBL25]

Aye, I know quite a few doing similar things. A friend did a 24km run in the Lakes yesterday, and judging from his Strava, seems to have driven to do it. What can you do?

I know from my mate who lives in Cumbria and is a keen cyclist, that the Police are checking car parks at the base of the fells, more for walkers and runners than mountain bikers and if the car isn`t local, they`re waiting for the driver to return and explain what they`re doing there.

In saying that, if you know the place well, there`s always somewhere off the beaten track, that you can park up and get away with it.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Raab rejects fresh calls for early easing of lockdown.

On Sunday foreign secretary Dominic Raab rejected calls for an early easing of lockdown, telling Sky news the outbreak was still at a "delicate and dangerous" stage.

In a series of television interviews on Sunday, Raab would not be drawn on how and when the UK would scale back restrictions. "Until we can be confident - based on the scientific advice - that we are making sure - footed steps going forward that protect life, but also preserve our way of life, frankly it is not responsible to start speculating" he told Sky news.

In other words, our government haven't got a clue or strategy in place.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I'm sorry then, I cant help you. You seem to be implying that other nations like Germany are advising the use of face masks just to get some sort of feeling of false security.

You actually dont think the scientists advising those nations are just handing out a soothing words, do you?

Unbelievable.

I gauarnatee if you were outside and you were stood within 2 metres of a stranger and were both offered a face mask yould both seize them.

Not that straightforward though, is it? Being smart and stuff, the wife points out when we walk around the masks people wear. Some have filters that you only really use in hospital settings. Some have filters that you would only see in an ICU setting. Given the shortage of both kinds at the moment, it begs the question where do these people get them from if hospitals can't? Have they cracked upon a secret source? Are people pinching some from work for family to use?

Then you have the dodgy crap from eBay, which do give entirely the false sense of security you mention, and sadly the various online marketplaces are awash with those at the moment (Amazon is the same). Tonnes of dodgy stuff. Then you have masks that are poorly fitted, or removed/adjusted regularly, thus encouraging greater touching of the face, or like the good Prazans in the photo I shared yesterday, who seem to think wearing a mask means social distancing is irrelevant.

The advise of the medical industry has been reasonably consistent throughout. The supply of hospital quality masks is extremely limited, so please don't buy them as they are far more valuable in hospitals than they are on your fizzog. The best protection is to stay at home. What you wear when you do so is up to you.

 

[Tubey]

Raab rejects fresh calls for early easing of lockdown.

On Sunday foreign secretary Dominic Raab rejected calls for an early easing of lockdown, telling Sky news the outbreak was still at a "delicate and dangerous" stage.

In a series of television interviews on Sunday, Raab would not be drawn on how and when the UK would scale back restrictions. "Until we can be confident - based on the scientific advice - that we are making sure - footed steps going forward that protect life, but also preserve our way of life, frankly it is not responsible to start speculating" he told Sky news.

In other words, our government haven't got a clue or strategy in place.

To be fair, I don't mind him saying nothing about that at this stage. It just breeds confusion.

Lift the lockdown when you're going to lift it and only announce what measures are taken then, otherwise people just think it's the government dawdling and break the lockdown on their own.

It'll be early to mid May when the first measures are lifted and not until June/July that we're effectively out of it but with social distancing.

And then of course a completely inevitable second wave around September/October.

 

[COYBL25]

Raab rejects fresh calls for early easing of lockdown.

On Sunday foreign secretary Dominic Raab rejected calls for an early easing of lockdown, telling Sky news the outbreak was still at a "delicate and dangerous" stage.

In a series of television interviews on Sunday, Raab would not be drawn on how and when the UK would scale back restrictions. "Until we can be confident - based on the scientific advice - that we are making sure - footed steps going forward that protect life, but also preserve our way of life, frankly it is not responsible to start speculating" he told Sky news.

In other words, our government haven't got a clue or strategy in place.

Which is invariably why people will start to make their own minds up and start going back to normal.

 

[Tubey]

Not that straightforward though, is it? Being smart and stuff, the wife points out when we walk around the masks people wear. Some have filters that you only really use in hospital settings. Some have filters that you would only see in an ICU setting. Given the shortage of both kinds at the moment, it begs the question where do these people get them from if hospitals can't? Have they cracked upon a secret source? Are people pinching some from work for family to use?

Then you have the dodgy crap from eBay, which do give entirely the false sense of security you mention, and sadly the various online marketplaces are awash with those at the moment (Amazon is the same). Tonnes of dodgy stuff. Then you have masks that are poorly fitted, or removed/adjusted regularly, thus encouraging greater touching of the face, or like the good Prazans in the photo I shared yesterday, who seem to think wearing a mask means social distancing is irrelevant.

The advise of the medical industry has been reasonably consistent throughout. The supply of hospital quality masks is extremely limited, so please don't buy them as they are far more valuable in hospitals than they are on your fizzog. The best protection is to stay at home. What you wear when you do so is up to you.

I got mine a year or so ago to change cat litter. They were freely available on Amazon and eBay - not dodgy ones but full FFP3 compliant masks. Because there was no shortage then.

 

[davek]

Aye, I know quite a few doing similar things. A friend did a 24km run in the Lakes yesterday, and judging from his Strava, seems to have driven to do it. What can you do?

Are you out on your bike? What's your attitude to cycling right now?

I get out at 6am for an hour or so when there's not many, if any, people about, face and nose covered. IMO that's about as responsible as you can get.

There's some utter bollocks being spoken about cycling and the spread of infection.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

To be fair, I don't mind him saying nothing about that at this stage. It just breeds confusion.

Lift the lockdown when you're going to lift it and only announce what measures are taken then, otherwise people just think it's the government dawdling and break the lockdown on their own.

It'll be early to mid May when the first measures are lifted and not until June/July that we're effectively out of it but with social distancing.

And then of course a completely inevitable second wave around September/October.

Thing is mate businesses need to know in advance as do workers.

You cant just spring it on people Sunday evening "hey lads you're back in work tomorrow".

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Are you out on your bike? What's your attitude to cycling right now?

I get out at 6am for an hour or so when there's not many, if any, people about, face and nose covered. IMO that's about as responsible as you can get.

There's some utter bollocks being spoken about cycling and the spread of infection.

No, I haven't been out during this thing. I have a turbo trainer at home so have been using that for my workouts. Personally, I don't think the risk of transmission is that high from cycling, my main issues against it at the moment are:
a) there is a risk of injury (however small) that would require medical attention
b) there is a risk of mechanical that would require you to get help to get home
c) a degree of solidarity towards those whose exercise of choice is not 'permitted'

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I got mine a year or so ago to change cat litter. They were freely available on Amazon and eBay - not dodgy ones but full FFP3 compliant masks. Because there was no shortage then.

Aye, that's possible too.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Are you out on your bike? What's your attitude to cycling right now?

I get out at 6am for an hour or so when there's not many, if any, people about, face and nose covered. IMO that's about as responsible as you can get.

There's some utter bollocks being spoken about cycling and the spread of infection.

From my experience in the last week or so it's been bleedin Tour de Britain out there.

 

[roydo]

From my experience in the last week or so it's been bleedin Tour de Britain out there.

Same here.