Important steps on the testing front. A close friend of mine (works in NHS) is in isolation after testing positive last week, they got it from their manager who came into the office with it and has infected 6 of her colleagues. They all had no symptoms and wasn't able to get a test. Thankfully they saw a bit of sense and got tests, unfortunately one of the colleagues is now in ICU (fit, healthy and early 30s). If they're struggling with testing even for NHS workers, then it doesn't paint a great picture of improvement for the public in the coming weeks.
SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)
- Thread starter Don't Kill Bill
- Start date
Important steps on the testing front. A close friend of mine (works in NHS) is in isolation after testing positive last week, they got it from their manager who came into the office with it and has infected 6 of her colleagues. They all had no symptoms and wasn't able to get a test. Thankfully they saw a bit of sense and got tests, unfortunately one of the colleagues is now in ICU (fit, healthy and early 30s). If they're struggling with testing even for NHS workers, then it doesn't paint a great picture of improvement for the public in the coming weeks.
Don't be so naive!The data would suggest that it isn't politically motivated, but you knew that already.
How is it?
Mobility data, which showed the number of people going to work in London in April during the height of the lockdown was 77% lower than before the pandemic. I can't see that has improved massively.
Your argument would carry some logic if London wasn't significantly impacted in the first wave.
Yes, but no more than anywhere else because that was before they came up with the idea of regionalising lockdowns
I still can't fathom how there are some occupations who get a test on a weekly basis, while the staff that work in the COVID wards don't see a swab entering our orifices unless we say "I've got a cough".
Before moving on to our new rotations in August, we all had an antibody tests to see if we've had it. A friend of mine who hasn't taken a single day off during the whole of COVID had a positive antibody - which means at some stage, he was an asymptomatic carrier of COVID. This whole thing about staff not getting tested unless we get symptoms is ridiculous. What's happened in our sister hospital where outbreaks of COVID occurred on a few "clean wards" indicate that it is likely a member of staff may have given it to them. Can you really blame them if they were asymptomatic and were oblivious that they were transmitting it to patients?
I'm sure it differs from hospital to hospital - a friend of mine who works in one of the large Emergency Departments in London gets swabbed on a weekly basis - which 100% should be the case.
Before moving on to our new rotations in August, we all had an antibody tests to see if we've had it. A friend of mine who hasn't taken a single day off during the whole of COVID had a positive antibody - which means at some stage, he was an asymptomatic carrier of COVID. This whole thing about staff not getting tested unless we get symptoms is ridiculous. What's happened in our sister hospital where outbreaks of COVID occurred on a few "clean wards" indicate that it is likely a member of staff may have given it to them. Can you really blame them if they were asymptomatic and were oblivious that they were transmitting it to patients?
I'm sure it differs from hospital to hospital - a friend of mine who works in one of the large Emergency Departments in London gets swabbed on a weekly basis - which 100% should be the case.
And, don't forget, London escaped specific extra measures in that first wave despite it having more cases than anywhere else. And, now that the Furlough support is being scaled back, the Northern lockdown is being scaled up
ONS data suggests London had the worst impact of hospitalisations and excess deaths in the first wave back in March-May.
Exactly - but they didn't have a local lockdown. Glad you're realising what I'm saying now
Different regions have been affected at different times in various countries. Here's Galicia in Spain in May. @JPRouve could tell you about the highly regional aspect of the virus throughout the pandemic in France. At the beginning of the pandemic in Europe, it was reported over and over again how the north of Italy was hit particularly hard, especially in Lombardy.
You don't need conspiracy theories to explain why the data shows that the north has many more cases now than the south. Just as you didn't need an explanation for why Birmingham had local restrictions placed earlier, following the highest case rates.
Well our local coffee van guy turned up an hour early this morning (trafford) if you want a proper indicator of increasing cases and people isolating.
Local lockdowns would have been the preferred measure from the start, but they dropped a b*llock early doors and had to input the national lockdown. However you're saying that there is a conspiracy as to why there is a local lockdown, and my point is the data clearly suggests that the North is f*cked and the South isn't based on case rates. No point on having the same measures for both the North & South if the data is completely different.
Potentially, but London was also ravished by the virus during the first wave. There's a chance that Covid was able to take hold here in a way it's only just doing now in other cities.
The nature of London's economy has also meant people are much more able to work from home/adapt to new Covid-aware working conditions.
In Ireland we’ve got the capital city getting hammered but also smaller, less populous counties doing very badly for no obvious reason. They’re also in the north of the country, mind you.
I would like to understand the governements end goal in all of this... Is it to get rid of Covid completely - which is not going to happen. So what is the point in restricting people to lockdowns and such? How many months of my life am i going to be wasting and why?
I know the risks, i am aware of the advise. As an adult, this should be enough for me to life my life how i want to. If i catch it, its my fault. If i die, its my fault, and the same for everybody else. If someone does not want to catch it and chooses to isolate themselves completely then that is fine, but it should also be fine for me to have a meal, play football, let me kids play out with other people, enjoy some wine at a friends if i choose to.
I know the risks, i am aware of the advise. As an adult, this should be enough for me to life my life how i want to. If i catch it, its my fault. If i die, its my fault, and the same for everybody else. If someone does not want to catch it and chooses to isolate themselves completely then that is fine, but it should also be fine for me to have a meal, play football, let me kids play out with other people, enjoy some wine at a friends if i choose to.
I don't think they know what the end goal looks like until they see a vaccine. Their goal, until a vaccine is developed, has always been ensuring the NHS and it's critical care capacity isn't overwhelmed.
At no point in your rant do you take into account being a possible spreader. It’s all about you
International football must be a massive super spreader currently. You had the Scotland and Ireland cases at the weekend with Connollly and Idah sitting 1.9m from ROI official who was tested positive and I think a few cases in recent weeks were lagged from the September round of games.
Considering there's currently a fair few premier league players in South America I imagine that trend will continue going into November.
BTW I travelled outside of the West Midlands for first time since early March on Saturday. Went for a look around Winchester so had to change a few trains to get there. Now I'm always interested in people claiming hardly anyone are wearing masks as in my experience of using public transport in last few months the compliance is very high and was same on the trains, pretty much everyone was wearing a mask bar one elderly couple sitting to the right of me.
Was going to say something but quickly realised one was Timothy West and the other Prunella Scales (Fawlty Towers) so thought ah you're national treasures I'll let you off.
If letting everyone take their own chances only affected themselves then that would be fine. But it doesn't.
My daughter has just had a text message from the school to say that one of the kids in my 3 year old grandsons bubble has tested positive and he now has to self isolate for 14 days. He can`t be tested unless he shows any symptoms and his 8 year old brother can still go to school and his dad can still go to work . He travelled to school on a minibus which doesn`t have to stop either. There is no wonder it is spreading like mad.
Would surely be higher though given they were going off confirmed cases in March-April rather than the more logical number of 100K a day given number of deaths.
If it was really 100k a day for March-April and May then you're talking 6m covid cases right there so 10% straight off.
There is some logic to that. So long as your grandson is in the very early stages of his (potential) illness the chance of him passing it on is fairly low. By keeping him out of school they reduce the chance of him infecting others if/when he gets symptoms and starts shedding virus. At that point he should be tested, while the other members of his household self-isolate. And so on.
The minibus just needs a deep clean. Which it should be getting every day anyway.
Yes, I can see the sense as otherwise we would never get out of a lock down situation. It just makes you realise how difficult this thing is to contain, there is no right or wrong it is just a matter of having as little contact as possible with other people and doing our best to shield the vulnerable.
Going to be very hard in winter months though which we're now on verge of.
That's one thing you can't prevent with more harsh restrictrions, minus temperatures in November, December and January which will keep people indoors for prolonged periods. Of course though you still need to go to shops to stock up in this period.
The light in the tunnel will hopefully be from Feb onwards but it's going to be a long and painful slog to get there.
Yeah, basically. Plus asymptomatic spread means even the most stringent possible measures will still let cases slip through the net.
Though again, Manchester went into special measures in July - and had lower numbers at that time (and through August in most areas) than London does now.
The goalposts have moved. Which is fair enough, but a difficult sales pitch if the rate/policy debate is supposed to be science based. Of course, in reality, it's not science based it's a juggling act - but the juggling act has not worked in Manchester.
Yep, as I have said before , I look after my in laws who are in their 80s and he has Alzheimers and sleep apnoea . Up until this last week or so we have been sitting outside but it is just too cold for them now so I go in masked up . Their living room is 7 metres x 7 metres so we sit as far away as possible . I can`t stop visiting as the social isolation would destroy them , my mother in law especially. They already have to face up to not seeing their great grandsons . It is going to be a tough old winter. Also doesn`t help that there is a holiday home next door to me with a family of scousers in it this week and just across the field the neighbour there has all sorts in and out of his house everyday, there are still a lot of people that aren`t affected by this.
Such a selfish outlook.
So any relatives you may have who are 50+, you don't mind potentially giving them a death sentence/getting extremely ill because of your actions? Same goes for older/vulnerable people in general, but I know a lot of selfish people at the moment don't give a care if they die as apparently "they're old and would die anyway"...
You enjoy playing football, as I do aswell (I am currently playing Saturday league, as I feel outdoors the chances are almost zero of catching it), but this virus has affected many healthy individuals who had the flu symptoms, yet now 5-6 months on still have breathing troubles and fatigued etc. and can't do any sport. That absolutely terrifies me.
I wouldn't say its all about me or i am selfish - i follow the guide lines, unlike many folk. I wear a mask, i dont mix my bubbles and so on - i am just concerned for my welfare as i am finding it hard being dictated too and i am not 100% why. As i can see the death % seems relatively low considering the amount of positive cases. I understand about not wanting to overwhelm the NHS but didnt they build a currently unused nightingale as an overflow?
Just as a separate question which hopefully someone could shed some light on for me.... My Son has had to isolate for 2 weeks as a supply teacher he has tested positive which is fine.
There is a bloke i work with in an office that has tested positive last week, management have told us we do not need to isolate and must continue coming to work. There is now another lad who has developed symptoms and is awaiting results of a test.
Are work in the wrong by making us come to work still? bear in mind - we are able to work from home, but apparently we are more productive in the office.!
Basically, yes.
It’s possible you don’t fit the definition of a close contact but if you were, you shouldn’t really be leaving your house. Never mind going to work.
Anyway, if you’re able to work from home you should be working from home. That was true before your colleague tested positive and even more so now.
We wlked past each other in the brew room but were both masked up at the time.
Management have said that the office has been deemed 'Covid safe' which i think means we have a temp checked daily, we have a new sanitizer and if somebody tests positive, we get the feather duster out and clean up a tad.
I feel like we are having the wool pulled over our eyes - we were all working from home the first few months then we was urged to return to the office, and when Boris recently said if you can work from home you should - we were just told this doesn't apply to us. They believe we do more work in the office than at home.
So Manchester is going to be tier 2. Here in Oldham that actually means are restrictions will be relaxed! Mental!
Anyone else feel like this is being treated like some crap transfer deadline day.
"Government sources are telling"
"MP is telling me"
"Update coming soon"
"We understand that"
"Big announcement"
Government sources accidentally on purpose leaking to the media
"Government sources are telling"
"MP is telling me"
"Update coming soon"
"We understand that"
"Big announcement"
Government sources accidentally on purpose leaking to the media
Anything on Sancho?
They're just monitoring the situation
The hope is our population is now far better educated about virus pandemic protocol (like some Asia countries), and all the key institutions of British life are also prepared and adjusted.
Think back to March when crowds were still allowed in football stadiums, nightclubs schools and offices with zero knowledge or precautions: that naivety seems insane now.
I think once the death numbers get into high 3 digits, people will also start to get scared and become more compliant, with Government interventions as well.
Hopefully everyone aged 50+ is vaccinated early next year and we'll be able to see the end of this nightmare.