Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[BlueToff]

Most countries similar to UK in size and supposed economic wealth have less deaths, so some are doing it better than the UK it seems.

Less deaths overall yes - they dealt with it better initially.

Right now us, France and Germany are getting absolutely smashed by this thing. And, if you look at the mortality rate, it's the same in each country. Just all relative depending on infection rate and population.

 

[BlueToff]

Of course every country is vaccinating. They should be. But vaccination shouldn't be your only option for recovery and supression. We currently have no other option for a return to normality other than vaccination (at break neck pace) as a result of how poorly the pandemic has been centrally managed.

okay, fair enough

but in reality, nowhere has another option - in the end, the only solution is vaccination

like you say, we - and Europe/US/Canada - are having to do it at pace because of the mess we're in and I agree with that. That's a fair point. My argument was that in the end it all boils down to the vaccines anyway though. So it's probably just crossed wires.

I refuse to accept that anywhere in Europe has dealt with this well. Even the nations that had track and trace set up have now been hit. France are yet to start vaccinating. Germany has been frustrated by EU regulations and because of their regional government approach have been hit hard in the second wave. So the solution is vaccination.

The one thing the UK had on its side was that it's an island. I don't know why there wasn't/isn't quarantine and around the world I don't know why any non-essential travel (as in going abroad) is allowed.

 

[Blues Harp]

The Government has a role in delivering a clear message and its been poor, no-one can say their messaging has been clear or followed coherent policy.

They have been all over the place, from eating out to spreading it about, from world beating apps to track and trace, over promising on vaccines, 5 days off at Christmas which had to be revised to 1 day and generally overpromising and stating from the onset.

Countries are led and reflect their leaders in general. Clear majority are having a spaffing time!

Anyone remember that guy who drove to Barnard Castle to test his eyesight breaking government rules in the process, with the majority of the cabinet then coming out and defending him?
Bozo bottled the opportunity to sack him there and then, and we are having to live with the consequences.

 

[degsy]

Johnson will be still of the mind (and he'll be advised to go this way) that every crisis presents an opportunity: in this case to recast society completely. There'll be social engineering being dreamt up for the post-Covid19 era and it'll be based around the demolition of all notions of collective response and communitarian values. A generational cleavage wll be encouraged. Theories on Social Darwinism will be getting the dust brushed off them.

The election of the Tories in 2010 and Brexit have prepared a path toward semi-barbarism in this country.

Like it wasn't just under the surface anyway...or on the surface in some places.
Q)Just how much more Lumpen can the Lumpen P get?
A) A lot.

I doubt that this Govt. has the brains for a matrix like cunning plan...oh don't get me wrong, there's plenty that would like to wind the clock back 100, 120, 140yrs.
I remember when 10 men would queue each day for 1 job on the docks and were picked on favouritism and if your face fitted...which was what the 1966 dock strike was about.

Keep it up dave.

 

[Amw79]

Anyone remember that guy who drove to Barnard Castle to test his eyesight breaking government rules in the process, with the majority of the cabinet then coming out and defending him?
Bozo bottled the opportunity to sack him there and then, and we are having to live with the consequences.

I agree with this. I think that was the moment the country collectively said “you can get f’d”.

A clear and obvious breaking of the rules, which the leaders of the country let slip, and wheeled him out in a press conference to lie to each and every one of us, with their blessing.

Absolutely no surprise when Joe Public then thinks the rules don’t apply to him either.

 

[COYBL25]

What would you like me to do?

Can I suggest you write a strongly worded letter of complaint to yourself. Reminding yourself that if you continue to display such a flippant attitude to the current global crisis, that more drastic and punitive measures may needed to bring yourself back into line.

 

[Jebus_lives]

okay, fair enough

but in reality, nowhere has another option - in the end, the only solution is vaccination

like you say, we - and Europe/US/Canada - are having to do it at pace because of the mess we're in and I agree with that. That's a fair point. My argument was that in the end it all boils down to the vaccines anyway though. So it's probably just crossed wires.

I refuse to accept that anywhere in Europe has dealt with this well. Even the nations that had track and trace set up have now been hit. France are yet to start vaccinating. Germany has been frustrated by EU regulations and because of their regional government approach have been hit hard in the second wave. So the solution is vaccination.

The one thing the UK had on its side was that it's an island. I don't know why there wasn't/isn't quarantine and around the world I don't know why any non-essential travel (as in going abroad) is allowed.

I'm not going to get into more arguments about how to manage outbreak effectively, I've done that enough times in this thread, not am I going to get drawn on looking at Europe for comparison like it's the only place we should compare against (comparing and contrasting country vs country in my opinion is apples and oranges), I disagree that vaccination is the 'only option', it isn't, it's the most effective and long lasting solution, but it's not the only one.

However, objectively the UK has been poor; we were initially slow to react, when we gained time (via Lockdown) we wasted it, we insentivised conditions to accelerate infection, we've flip flopped and u-turned on major decisions, we've dismissed criticism as 'hindsight', we've flirted with pseuedo-science and entertained the thoughts of libertarians pushing herd immunity.

 

[Sassy Colombian]

The hypocrisy shown by Evangelical Christians is quite outrageous. Sean Feucht is against killing fetuses but he is okay with getting his followers infected with Covid and having some of them probably killed by the virus just so they can attend his concert.

“Come home. Come home tonight. Come on, run to the cross. Run to the cross. In the name of Jesus, run, run, run quickly,” Feucht says in one video.



It is also quite absurd that California's government can't do anything to stop this gatherings.

Evangelist singer draws a crowd of 2,500 to New Year's Eve gathering, ignoring risk of COVID-19 spread

Sean Feucht again defied health warnings. Kirk Cameron also drew a crowd to Pt. Mugu Beach in Ventura County but it was smaller

www.latimes.com

 

[tsubaki]

Hang on, all along people were saying that the vaccine is the only way out of this long term?

We deal with the flu using a jab? Every year.

Really don't think we need to be track and tracing for people catching the flu... it's flu, we live with it and get on with it. Same as loads of other risks. We manage it relatively well. We do need the healthcare systems to be funded properly/managed properly so that they're not overwhelmed?

I agree we need to make sure we have a method in place that if the next time an epidemic/pandemic whatever comes along, we have a better way of dealing with it.

Is "we live with it and get on with it" really appropriate now? I mean, we have thousands of deaths a year from flu normally; actually trying to prevent them would at least keep a track and trace system gainfully employed.

 

[sbbefc]

Less deaths overall yes - they dealt with it better initially.

Right now us, France and Germany are getting absolutely smashed by this thing. And, if you look at the mortality rate, it's the same in each country. Just all relative depending on infection rate and population.

Genuine question, might be wrong, but aren't these countries further along the wave than us? Similar to last spring, we were lagging a few weeks behind? Our media was quick to latch onto how badly Italy were getting it then France. Looking at our current cases and hospitalisations (it's weeks off peaking), I wouldn't be supprised if we overtook continental Europe again.

I honestly don't understand the governments half arsed response to this. Lockdown properly and early and we can open up sooner. Less deaths and the economy doesn't take as much of a hit. Repeating the same mistakes as last spring but it'll be worse this time.

I have no problem with a tier system when cases are low (e.g in the summer) but to continue with it on the eve of the worst crisis of this pandemic is negligent.

 

[peteblue]

Hang on, all along people were saying that the vaccine is the only way out of this long term?

We deal with the flu using a jab? Every year.

Really don't think we need to be track and tracing for people catching the flu... it's flu, we live with it and get on with it. Same as loads of other risks. We manage it relatively well. We do need the healthcare systems to be funded properly/managed properly so that they're not overwhelmed?

I agree we need to make sure we have a method in place that if the next time an epidemic/pandemic whatever comes along, we have a better way of dealing with it.

Track and Trace was a filler before we had the vaccine. Now we have the vaccine every resource should be devoted to getting the vaccine into people......

 

[arminisgod]

What is keir starter demanding? What is a national lockdown?

 

[LinekersLegs]

it’s the imbecility of it that’s shocking - I mean, getting back to normal requires these measures to be taken. Not doing them is what’s wrecking the economy.

Even if you ignore the callousness of “tolerable level of deaths”, how you can get back to normal with hospitals full and healthcare system overwhelmed??

 

[Deckard2049]

Is "we live with it and get on with it" really appropriate now? I mean, we have thousands of deaths a year from flu normally; actually trying to prevent them would at least keep a track and trace system gainfully employed.

I know your specifically talking about track and trace here, but in terms of trying to prevent future flu deaths would you tolerate restrictions akin to what we face right now?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Can I suggest you write a strongly worded letter of complaint to yourself. Reminding yourself that if you continue to display such a flippant attitude to the current global crisis, that more drastic and punitive measures may needed to bring yourself back into line.

Shall I throw myself to the floor as well sir?