Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[JLW]

I keep my rankings close to my chest as they change daily.

Come onnn I must be up there fighting for the title

 

[Nymzee]

Come onnn I must be up there fighting for the title

Nah you’re on the list but you’ve a long way to go.

 

[Disgruntledgoat]

What about the balance between health and the economy ?

I was reading an article last night that predicted that one in four jobs in the hospitality industry could go by Spring 2021.

That`s not just people who work directly in them, but included delivery drivers, cleaners, maintenance staff, caterers, brewery staff - I could go on.

All these people pay taxes, that would no longer be getting paid and would then go onto benefits.

Some would invariably lose their homes, split up from their families, meaning the State would be picking up the pieces from that, without getting into the social problems that arise from this.

Local shops and businesses in these areas would suffer / go bust, as people wouldn`t have the money to spend anymore.

Crime, drug / alcohol abuse goes hand in hand with unemployment, meaning more pressure on the Police, hospitals etc .

So it`s a balancing act, between trying to stop all of the above, whilst at the same time trying to keep the lid as best as we possibly can.

As for the 10pm rule, my take on it, is that it`s there to put the brakes on the youth, who seem to be driving the spread at the moment.

Over here we had masks everywhere outside and an 11pm curfew (not closure, full on in-yer-house-or-yer-getting-nicked) in areas with big spikes and everything closing at 1am for the rest. You used to be able to have groups of 15 at a table, then it was 5 and now it's 8. One of every group has to give their contact details to the pub/restaurant whatever and then you'll get a call or email if your number comes up on the track and trace (not that I know anyone who has...). Infection rate is still pretty high, but hospitalisations and deaths have been stable for months. It does work, because you don't have a load of drunks getting rowdy in close quarters, but then between April and October most people sit outside the cafe. Be interesting to see how it works when everyone is back inside and still have to distance.

Find it really funny that in the Netherlands there is some sort of hashtag led backlash over their super lax rules.

 

[BlueToff]

Mate, you are quoting a terrible source there.

That radio show is essentially our version of Fox News.

It's irrelevant. The person they're interviewing isn't from TalkRadio (aware most of their shows have an agenda, but so do most differing media shows - which is why I hate the argument of media bias (as a whole) because they tend to cancel each other out).

 

[evilwebby]

Daily infections up 2000 today. 6000 plus in last 24 hours.

Where? How?

Get the distinct impression we have right royally screwed this up. Having the pubs closed an hour earlier aint going to change anything.

Mercifully, admissions are still easily within coping range, and probably not much different from last year; hope so anyrate.

Yes, numbers have been on an increasing trajectory since July now. This is not unexpected but it's human limitation that we tend to think and act arithmetically rather than geometrically (ie we think in absolute number rather than relative numbers). People aren't worried that infections have grown from 50%, they are worried that they have increased by 2000, but in geometric terms this is the same increase as we have been experiencing for the last 8 weeks now.


My own theory is that the incubation time for Covid symptoms may be a lot longer than scientists are estimating, ie there is a very big lag between social measures and the impact on the R number - could be as long as 8-10 weeks. Hence the increase we are seeing now is due to the relaxation of the initial lockdown and the higher level of social interaction from back in July. If so, the daily case numbers will get much worse for at least the next 3 months, and we won't see the low numbers that we did over July/August (<1k cases/day) unless we go back into full lockdown.

 

[COYBL25]

Over here we had masks everywhere outside and an 11pm curfew (not closure, full on in-yer-house-or-yer-getting-nicked) in areas with big spikes and everything closing at 1am for the rest. You used to be able to have groups of 15 at a table, then it was 5 and now it's 8. One of every group has to give their contact details to the pub/restaurant whatever and then you'll get a call or email if your number comes up on the track and trace (not that I know anyone who has...). Infection rate is still pretty high, but hospitalisations and deaths have been stable for months. It does work, because you don't have a load of drunks getting rowdy in close quarters, but then between April and October most people sit outside the cafe. Be interesting to see how it works when everyone is back inside and still have to distance.

Find it really funny that in the Netherlands there is some sort of hashtag led backlash over their super lax rules.

I was in my local the other night and they`ve implemented the change of rules early - to get people used to it.

Here`s a " new " evening in the pub.

Enter wearing a mask.
Hand sanitise.
Provide details for track and trace.
Find a table.
Take your mask off.
Wait for table service.
Have a drink.
Put your mask back on to go to the toilet.
Toilet, hand sanitise, back to your table.
Order another drink.
Rinse and repeat.
Put your mask back on and go home at 10 pm.

The net effect will be that people will just stop going out, as it`s too much hassle and not really very relaxing.

 

[BlueToff]

Yes, numbers have been on an increasing trajectory since July now. This is not unexpected but it's human limitation that we tend to think and act arithmetically rather than geometrically (ie we think in absolute number rather than relative numbers). People aren't worried that infections have grown from 50%, they are worried that they have increased by 2000, but in geometric terms this is the same increase as we have been experiencing for the last 8 weeks now.


My own theory is that the incubation time for Covid symptoms may be a lot longer than scientists are estimating, ie there is a very big lag between social measures and the impact on the R number - could be as long as 8-10 weeks. Hence the increase we are seeing now is due to the relaxation of the initial lockdown and the higher level of social interaction from back in July. If so, the daily case numbers will get much worse for at least the next 3 months, and we won't see the low numbers that we did over July/August (<1k cases/day) unless we go back into full lockdown.

Which long-term just isn't the solution.

So how the hell do we get out of this without - and I hate to use this term - 'taking it on the chin' at one point or another.

I'm not expecting you to answer that and surely there has to be another solution, but atm it doesn't seem like any organisation or government has a clue.

 

[Disgruntledgoat]

I was in my local the other night and they`ve implemented the change of rules early - to get people used to it.

Here`s a " new " evening in the pub.

Enter wearing a mask.
Hand sanitise.
Provide details for track and trace.
Find a table.
Take your mask off.
Wait for table service.
Have a drink.
Put your mask back on to go to the toilet.
Toilet, hand sanitise, back to your table.
Order another drink.
Rinse and repeat.
Put your mask back on and go home at 10 pm.

The net effect will be that people will just stop going out, as it`s too much hassle and not really very relaxing.

Only difference for me from normal is the mask as I'm mates with the owner and he already has my number (in every sense). Ten is just such a weird time though, almost as if people in Whitehall don't realise that most people over 25 remember when pubs closed at 11 every night.

 

[BlueToff]

I was in my local the other night and they`ve implemented the change of rules early - to get people used to it.

Here`s a " new " evening in the pub.

Enter wearing a mask.
Hand sanitise.
Provide details for track and trace.
Find a table.
Take your mask off.
Wait for table service.
Have a drink.
Put your mask back on to go to the toilet.
Toilet, hand sanitise, back to your table.
Order another drink.
Rinse and repeat.
Put your mask back on and go home at 10 pm.

The net effect will be that people will just stop going out, as it`s too much hassle and not really very relaxing.

Given the weather is turning too, and you can't socially distance in pubs really, it's going to kill it completely imo.

Even with government backing.

And the thing is, this isn't going anywhere soon so these 'measures' will just have to continue until there's a vaccine, which is frankly mental.

 

[COYBL25]

Only difference for me from normal is the mask as I'm mates with the owner and he already has my number (in every sense). Ten is just such a weird time though, almost as if people in Whitehall don't realise that most people over 25 remember when pubs closed at 11 every night.

The culture over here now since they relaxed licensing is for the youngsters to go out at 10/11pm, so I reckon that has a lot to do with it.

 

[evilwebby]

View attachment 102040
Hopefully we get told to stay in incase we get murdererd

roughly the same chance

Have you bothered fact-checking these numbers?

 

[Disgruntledgoat]

The culture over here now since they relaxed licensing is for the youngsters to go out at 10/11pm, so I reckon that has a lot to do with it.

Well then this will just teach them to do pubs properly, won't it?

 

[ToffeeTim]

Telling students to stay at university over Christmas is just unworkable and not credible imo.

Give guidance on how to mitigate against the risk rather than saying you can't. Tell students to isolate prior to travelling home, not that they can't. The mental health issues of something like this are enormous.

 

[JLW]

I was in my local the other night and they`ve implemented the change of rules early - to get people used to it.

Here`s a " new " evening in the pub.

Enter wearing a mask.
Hand sanitise.
Provide details for track and trace.
Find a table.
Take your mask off.
Wait for table service.
Have a drink.
Put your mask back on to go to the toilet.
Toilet, hand sanitise, back to your table.
Order another drink.
Rinse and repeat.
Put your mask back on and go home at 10 pm.

The net effect will be that people will just stop going out, as it`s too much hassle and not really very relaxing.

I’ve just been home for almost 2 months and went the pub twice and both times I had 2 pints then left, no atmosphere, not relaxing, pretty grim to be fair the only time you get out your seat is to go the toilet. The first time I went I sat on a chair and waited 20 minutes before the bar staff came over and asked what I wanted. I mean it is what it is in the current climate but for me it’s not worth the effort to get ready to go out.

 

[Brennan]

Telling students to stay at university over Christmas is just unworkable and not credible imo.

Give guidance on how to mitigate against the risk rather than saying you can't. Tell students to isolate prior to travelling home, not that they can't. The mental health issues of something like this are enormous.

Covid is spreading like wildfire through universities already.

What’s worse, missing Christmas at home for a year or killing your elderly relatives who come to visit ?