Official COVID-19 megathread

[disjointed]

7 minutes ago, Behind Closed Doors said:

Any mathematicians on here?  
in Liverpool over the last 2 weeks they have tested circa 200k.....one of the benefits is that they say they have found 800 asymptomatic positives . My O level Maths tells me that is 400 per 100k even without symptomatic positives .   How is it possible that the official figure for Liverpool is 147 per 100k for 15th Nov to 22nd Nov? 

I think we all know the government will manipulate figures to suit their agenda. 

[latics22]

31 minutes ago, Behind Closed Doors said:

Any mathematicians on here?  
in Liverpool over the last 2 weeks they have tested circa 200k.....one of the benefits is that they say they have found 800 asymptomatic positives . My O level Maths tells me that is 400 per 100k even without symptomatic positives .   How is it possible that the official figure for Liverpool is 147 per 100k for 15th Nov to 22nd Nov? 

Its Danny rowes fault ?

[Matt]

This current lockdown made no sense compared to April's lockdown - why supermarkets didn't revert back to the 2m distance and reduced entry system is beyond me; and the restaurants I've been to over the last couple of months have been absolutely spot on with their approach to the guidelines  - anecdotal, I know - but that's the experience I've had. Pubs are harder to manage I guess, so I understand the concern with keeping them open - don't get me wrong, I think there is a need to protect the vulnerable and create some pause for the NHS - but logically, these lockdown measures are bewildering. Not exactly the fire-break I was expecting, and those motorway matrix signs announcing 'STAY AT HOME. ESSENTIAL TRAVEL ONLY' seem to be falling on deaf ears considering retail parks are still open - yet high street shops are closed?

[Behind Closed Doors]

20 minutes ago, latics22 said:

Its Danny rowes fault ?

This is a serious thread ....save it for the knockabout threads

[Bristolatic]

48 minutes ago, disjointed said:

I think we all know the government will manipulate figures to suit their agenda. 

It's amazing what you can do with a pencil, piece of paper and an eraser (I avoided the word "rubber"!). Weeks and weeks ago, scientists and many in the medical profession said that a two week "circuit break" would most likely have a beneficial effect. What did the Government do? They introduced the three tier system to be reviewed after 28 days.

 

The graphs shown today during the Boris the Buffoon show illustrated that cases, infections and deaths were rising over a month ago. It also showed that the tiered system was not being as effective in flattening the curve as was intended. So, basically, it didn't really work and we had a 4 week lockdown when a two week one a month earlier might, just might, have just done the trick.

 

So we now have another three tier system with slightly different rules. I live on the outskirts of Bristol in South Gloucestershire and will be in tier 3 next week, the same as the City of Bristol. A friend of ours lives a 15 minute drive away in Gloucestershire and they will be in tier two. My old mate, Mac (whom many of you have met) lives in Bath, 9 miles away. He will also be in tier two. We are almost directly in the middle of those two people.

 

It could really be fun in Keynsham (remember Horace Batchelor anyone?). It's quite a small place between Bristol and Bath, but half of it is in the County of Bath and North East Somerset (tier two) and the other half is within Bristol City Council (tier three). In some cases, the boundary line separates neighbours. Work that one out if you can, and I'll wager there are other places in the same situation.

 

And all this goes to pot for 5 days over Christmas. Maybe Covid-19 buggers off for those five days and comes back later. One thing is for certain. Hundreds, if not thousands, will flout the rules over Christmas and, as a number of scientific folk have openly stated today, there will be a third spike. Not maybe. It will be.

 

For Christ's sake, stay safe everyone and be sensible.

 

 

[latics22]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

This current lockdown made no sense compared to April's lockdown - why supermarkets didn't revert back to the 2m distance and reduced entry system is beyond me; and the restaurants I've been to over the last couple of months have been absolutely spot on with their approach to the guidelines  - anecdotal, I know - but that's the experience I've had. Pubs are harder to manage I guess, so I understand the concern with keeping them open - don't get me wrong, I think there is a need to protect the vulnerable and create some pause for the NHS - but logically, these lockdown measures are bewildering. Not exactly the fire-break I was expecting, and those motorway matrix signs announcing 'STAY AT HOME. ESSENTIAL TRAVEL ONLY' seem to be falling on deaf ears considering retail parks are still open - yet high street shops are closed?

People simple are not listening! The motorways are as busy as ever. This is a reply to Bristol.as well. U simply can't just blame the government! Dont get wrong blame lies in alot of places. People are tired of lockdown and it's only effective with a cure on the horizon which maybe the case

 Which sadly makes people think fuck it were almost there. I could go on and on, only idoits will go to elderly or  sick parents. There is  no answer other than do what u feel is right or libe with the consequences. 

[Bristolatic]

30 minutes ago, latics22 said:

People simple are not listening! The motorways are as busy as ever. This is a reply to Bristol.as well. U simply can't just blame the government! Dont get wrong blame lies in alot of places. People are tired of lockdown and it's only effective with a cure on the horizon which maybe the case

 Which sadly makes people think fuck it were almost there. I could go on and on, only idoits will go to elderly or  sick parents. There is  no answer other than do what u feel is right or libe with the consequences. 

Bang on. The Government have dropped some right bollocks in this pandemic, but my comment in the last paragraph highlights just how stupid some people will be and all the rules and regulations in the world won't stop that.

[latics22]

9 minutes ago, Bristolatic said:

Bang on. The Government have dropped some right bollocks in this pandemic, but my comment in the last paragraph highlights just how stupid some people will be and all the rules and regulations in the world won't stop that.

And most people with any sense wont take a risk. Myslef and my wife wont be seeing parents/grandparents! It's sad but necessity. The sad thing is people will die for Christmas. It's a simple fact, there is no way people will go unscathed. But it's a personal choice, I said months back it should really be a personal choice

 Right or wrong 

 

[Bristolatic]

It boils down to everyone being sensible and not taking risks that will affect, or infect, others. It is sad that you won't see loved ones at Christmas. We certainly won't. My son, daughter and grandchildren all live in Hull.

 

My wife's sons are at opposite ends of the country, one in Wimbledon and the other in Haverfordwest with his girlfriend. My wife's mother and sister live just outside Portsmouth, her brother is near Cambridge and her niece is in Norfolk. Not a hope in hell of seeing any of them.

 

We just hope that visits can start again safely at some point next year. In the meantime, I'll simply say stay safe, look after yourselves and each other. Don't take risks.

[Monty Burns]

Some people can't afford not to 'take risks'. Simple fact, hundreds of thousands if not millions of people are being forced to choose between their own health and feeding their kids and/or keeping a roof over their heads.

[Matt]

9 hours ago, latics22 said:

People simple are not listening! The motorways are as busy as ever. This is a reply to Bristol.as well. U simply can't just blame the government!

 

The General Public are idiots, and selfish too - there has been plenty of opportunity over the last five years for this to become apparent - equal measure, the Government are a complete and total shambles.

[JoeP]

11 hours ago, Behind Closed Doors said:

Any mathematicians on here?  
in Liverpool over the last 2 weeks they have tested circa 200k.....one of the benefits is that they say they have found 800 asymptomatic positives . My O level Maths tells me that is 400 per 100k even without symptomatic positives .   How is it possible that the official figure for Liverpool is 147 per 100k for 15th Nov to 22nd Nov? 

 

Isn't it because that's just taking into account the people who've been tested?

 

There's the (undoubtedly inaccurate) assumption that the other 300k in the area who haven't been tested haven't got it...

[TheBigDog]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

The General Public are idiots, and selfish too - there has been plenty of opportunity over the last five years for this to become apparent - equal measure, the Government are a complete and total shambles.

 

A little too extreme and too much of a generalisation at both ends of the argument for me but I agree with the sentiment. You and I are members of the General Public - would you class yourself as an idiot? 

 

Having said that, when we had Cummings exploiting the guidelines back in May the reaction from some was along the lines of “if he can break the rules then why shouldn’t we?” Criticising the guy for being an idiot whilst saying “I’m going to be an idiot too”.  

It was not a reaction shared by all but the media saw fit to turn the subject into some sort of crusade. So your first point does have merit but only if you don’t lump everyone under the same banner. 

 

And yes there are individuals in my area who break the rules about meeting indoors and are planning to do so during the run up to the Xmas ‘holiday’, but they are in a minority. Sadly, as is being proved, the damage that this minority can inflict is disproportionate.

 

The simple fact is that there will always be people who break the rules. Something that has been apparent throughout the centuries not just the past five years...

 

As for the Government being a total and utter shambles - this is more difficult to argue against -  it is fair to say that, faced with an unprecedented situation,  it has made many mistakes and has struggled to contain the virus.

The Government got some things right with the Furlough scheme and support for the NHS but generally our leaders have not been strict enough with the rule breakers and have been slow to implement adequate restrictions. In part this was driven by a fear on the government’s part that it would lose the support of the public - and this hesitancy has only fuelled the impact of the pandemic.

 

If the Government had been stronger and braver we would be in a far better place. If the section of the general public that continues to ignore the advice would wake up and do what is asked of them we would be in a far better place.

 

Now we cling to the hope that a vaccine will be the ‘magic bullet’ and we will come out of this lockdown by the summer.

 

 

 

 

[underdog]

We decided a few weeks ago to postpone our family xmas meet up. thats 5 families usually having one day of xmas chaos at my parents. However, My parents are in late 70's and we have had them almost locked in a cupboard under the stairs since Feb anyway.

 

One of my sister's is aghast that she is now going to have to cook a her familys own turkey meal - she was not best pleased when we advised her that she could visit my parents house but wrap up as she was not getting in my parents house. I offered to purchase a pop up marquee to keep her and the kids sheltered and th eloan of my patio heater at least as they can peer through my parents window - I know a bit Dickinsonesque..but needs must

 

My other sisters kids could come up too, so we said the same, wrap the great-grandkids up as they are not getting over the threshold...but they would have to book a different time so they did not clash with the other side of the family - well social distance rules about meeting in gardens that we have to adhere to aswell

 

So, its literally Tough love but its either we have our great grandparents, grandparents, parents for one day - Xmas Day (in our case) or you get them into the New year.(we hope)

 

So a virtual on line xmas it is, which will be fun as my parents and technology will almost be like pulling caveman into the 21st century. - the shock factor will be fun think carry on movie

 

We will then be having an aussie style summer Xmas BBQ instead - well if we are all ok by then.

 

My wish is that we all get through this the best we can, my family, my friends and my latics family - you chaps

 

Be safe

[TheBigDog]

29 minutes ago, underdog said:

My parents are in late 70's and we have had them almost locked in a cupboard under the stairs since Feb anyway.

 

Now there’s an idea...

[Longlostfan]

17 hours ago, latics22 said:

 But it's a personal choice, I said months back it should really be a personal choice

 

 

I agree that individuals have to make a choice, however its not just a personal decision. If those who take risks only exposed themselves that would be fine. However their actions have wider potential consequences.

I'm fully expecting 'shocking' pictures all over the press and internet on Dec 3 and over Christmas followed by anger from some of those pictured when the death rate climbs and we enter  lock down 3 in January.

Personal decision yes, but one that has to be seen in context of the wider effects.

 

There are some difficult calls to be made the authorities - there is an expectation that somehow we can avoid any deaths. That is unrealistic. My aunt is a 'Covid' death. But she was 84, in rapidly deteriorating health and probably died 6 months earlier than she might have done with covid.

 

My heart goes out to the parents of and the young cancer sufferer whose diagnosis has been delayed by the pandemic response. Rationally one might trade the few years of an elderly person for the 50 years of a younger person, but that decision is much harder when it is real and close to home. I would give up my life to save my children without a second thought. Not sure I'd do that for very many others.

 

Has the government got it wrong- absolutely. Lack of provision, ignoring the crisis developing in Italy, not thinking about the dumping of untested individuals into care homes, rules that seem neither thought through, consistently enforced or even introduced in a timely fashion as a few examples.

If I was in charge would I have got it absolutely right- I doubt it. I'd hope that I would have avoided some of the shambles from our government.

 

 

[Monty Burns]

9 of us on set this morning. None of gets paid if we aren't here and if we don't come in then we will no longer have a job to be absent from in the first place.

Social distancing impossible and not a mask in sight.

'personal choice' my arse.

[TheBigDog]

12 hours ago, latics22 said:

 But it's a personal choice, I said months back it should really be a personal choice

 

1 hour ago, Longlostfan said:

I agree that individuals have to make a choice, however its not just a personal decision. If those who take risks only exposed themselves that would be fine. However their actions have wider potential consequences.

 

Highlighted in bold - that is the crux of the issue. 

[Matt]

3 hours ago, TheBigDog said:

 

A little too extreme and too much of a generalisation at both ends of the argument for me but I agree with the sentiment. You and I are members of the General Public - would you class yourself as an idiot?

 

 

Maybe, who cares? Perhaps you are. I removed myself from society a while back. If I can navigate my way through the day without having to interact with stupid people, I'm happy. A trip to supermarkets - a microcosm of society, and generally a hotbed of cretins and brain donors - is usually swift visit at the extremes of the day, in and out - customer service phone calls, Christ why do they exist? I even run at some ungodly hour in the morning to avoid idiots who think that keeping dogs on a lead clearly excludes them.

[oafc 123]

22 minutes ago, Matt said:

 

Maybe, who cares? Perhaps you are. I removed myself from society a while back. If I can navigate my way through the day without having to interact with stupid people, I'm happy. A trip to supermarkets - a microcosm of society, and generally a hotbed of cretins and brain donors - is usually swift visit at the extremes of the day, in and out - customer service phone calls, Christ why do they exist? I even run at some ungodly hour in the morning to avoid idiots who think that keeping dogs on a lead clearly excludes them.

What a self righteous comment.

 

I take it you haven't got a job on the frontline where you don't have the luxury of who you interact with? 

[Matt]

3 hours ago, oafc 123 said:

What a self righteous comment.

 

I take it you haven't got a job on the frontline where you don't have the luxury of who you interact with? 

 

I'm very intolerant of morons - does that make me self-righteous? I never thought of it like that. Do I have to tolerate idiots? Look, I'm a deeply flawed person and I recognise that I don't fit in at all. I know exactly who I am, and what was (is?) wrong with me. I thought I made it pretty clear that I literally go out of my way to avoid people - because I think that the majority of folk are selfish wankers, it's not healthy but I'm better now than I was. At this point, It's best for me and society that I'm not (metaphorically anyway) in it. A number of years ago I came very close to literally removing myself from it , I guess that's another story...

 

I worked customer facing for years in different roles, hated it - managed to get jobs that suited me better. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate anyone who works in those roles, or in other public facing sectors (my wife works on a COVID positive ward, she deals with the general public exceptionally well, I would not be able to do that at all).

 

I apologise if I offended you.

[Worcester Owl]

23 hours ago, disjointed said:

Apparently the highest infection rates are in schoolchildren and young adults, what the fuck did this inept government think was going to happen once they opened the schools and university halls of residence. And the cost of this most probably means more small retail outlets and licensed premises going out of business. Matt fucking Hancock we would have been better off with Tony Hancock. 

You can blame the government for some things, but re-opening schools and universities is not one of them. Educating the citizens of tomorrow is one of the most important tasks for any society, and certainly a higher priority than re-opening shops and pubs, much as I am desperate to get back to my local.

[Chaddyexile84]

2 hours ago, oafc 123 said:

What a self righteous comment.

 

I take it you haven't got a job on the frontline where you don't have the luxury of who you interact with? 

To be fair, they have a choice too- no one makes them either sign up or stay - I used to work on a variety of front lines - hated every second and now I don’t 

[disjointed]

13 minutes ago, Worcester Owl said:

You can blame the government for some things, but re-opening schools and universities is not one of them. Educating the citizens of tomorrow is one of the most important tasks for any society, and certainly a higher priority than re-opening shops and pubs, much as I am desperate to get back to my local.

It was obvious what would happen, I agree education is a priority but you put hundreds or even thousands of schoolchildren and young adults together you are now seeing the results, a high percentage of these people could have been home educated via on line classes and lectures. I have said it before incompetent government of which the head is a bumbling glory seeking tosser. 

[al_bro]

1 hour ago, disjointed said:

It was obvious what would happen, I agree education is a priority but you put hundreds or even thousands of schoolchildren and young adults together you are now seeing the results, a high percentage of these people could have been home educated via on line classes and lectures. I have said it before incompetent government of which the head is a bumbling glory seeking tosser. 

Infection rates are coming down in most areas, yet schools and unis are still open. 

 

There was a chap on the news either yesterday or the day before who has been shielding since March. One trip to the shops and he's ended up in hospital om oxygen.

 

The Government has got things wrong, but so have Governments around the world. It could be said that New Zealand did ok, but that is a very sparsely populated country, with a population just over half that of London. They cut themselves off from the world and eliminated the virus. Germany had the ability to produce testing methods, which other countries didn't have. Every country in the world was trying to get their hands on PPE.

 

The Government is making another mistake not allowing people of all ages, seriously at risk of dying from Covid, who have been shielding themselves, having to go back to work or lose their job.