SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)

Disgusting. It's baffling that they can convince people they're worth that much at the proposal stage, when it's just repackaging what exists on the market and charging extortionate prices, but the fact they're doubling down when the results on such a critical project have been so poor is absolutely shocking. Anyone ok with management consultants exploiting a pandemic to deliver below par results for prices well beyond what actual experts in the fields would charge is off their rocker.
To an extent I agree. However Derry is a party town, there’s a big pub scene (though they should in theory be controlling the numbers in). Also take into account there’s a huge movement of people for shopping and socialising between Derry and Donegal, especially letterkenny.
 
I think I've been resigned to the idea we'll be living with this from now on for a while. It's about finding ways to live with it that allows people to live normal lives and minimises the amount of people it kills.

50% effectiveness sounds rubbish but actually that's a potential game changer. If you can give a majority of vulnerable people a vaccine that gives them a 50% chance of being immune to the virus then you can imagine the difference that makes. If you can find a way to give that vaccine to a majority of people in general, then even the vulnerable people who the vaccine doesn't work for will be far less likely to catch it off someone else in the first place.

If you couple that with treatments and preperation getting better, and the hope (admittedly that's what it is at the moment) the virus will become less dangerous, then you are into the realms of being able to let people function and live out their lives without covid being a factor at every single corner.

I think my bigger scepticism with vaccines is how effectively they'll be distributed and how willing people will be to have them. Longer term carrying on as things have been this year will go out of the window one way or another, so it's all about bringing down the risk factor to normal day to day life I think. The idea of getting rid of the virus as a threat completely doesn't really add up to me. If people can catch it, recover and then catch it again it's unlikely to go away.

This is all assuming the vaccine stops you getting COVID full stop. Lot of talk that the vaccine will just stop the symptoms being as bad, and you will still be infectious, which isn’t great for the people who it doesn’t work for
 
We’re never gonna bring cases down while we have so many idiots playing with other people’s lives - my partner came home today and told me her boss, who has just returned from hospital, has a cough. Apparently she doesn’t have it because “I was tested when I was in hospital”.....I mean it’s not like she could have caught it there and brought it home.....honestly some people have zero sense.
My partner said she felt like she couldn’t discuss it with her and I was like “well you’re risking everyone’s lives by not”.

honestly sometimes I feel like I’m the one that’s mad and all these people making, in my eyes, crazy decisions must be right!
 
Absolutely, they’ve been softening the public up for weeks.
No coincidence a YouGov poll says most of the public back a lockdown, a poll which is then shared by journalists. Combine that with Whitty saying he current measures don't go far enough and this week is basically preparation for the lockdown. I predict either this Friday or mid next week
 
Nottingham has hit over 1000 cases per 100k people in 7 days in the latest data, NI still the highest region in terms of cases per 100k

Test return rates now up to 3.9 days, backlog of processing due to capacity being reached in labs and demand for testing increased. I can see this becoming a big discussion point politically next week if the return days trend past 4 days.

EkUArUNXYAA7A1L
 
No visitors from other households allowed in Ireland from tomorrow night. Every time they make up a framework of measures they rip it up and start again. This is going to piss people off. In a way, I think they would be better off not publishing these road maps to begin with.
 
No visitors from other households allowed in Ireland from tomorrow night. Every time they make up a framework of measures they rip it up and start again. This is going to piss people off. In a way, I think they would be better off not publishing these road maps to begin with.
Yeah it's not great. I'm not in Ireland these days, but was speaking to my parents today and I can imagine this news will be shite to them. Back to not being able to visit their grandchildren and generally not having much to look forward to. It's grim, and I can imagine this won't go down too well in Ireland? As I said, I'm not there so I don't have a good feeling of how people may react, other than my family and a few friends still there.
 
No visitors from other households allowed in Ireland from tomorrow night. Every time they make up a framework of measures they rip it up and start again. This is going to piss people off. In a way, I think they would be better off not publishing these road maps to begin with.
Yeah it's getting annoying now, we're level 3 in this level 4 in that and level 5 in this other thing, the point of the guidelines was to give us light at the end of the tunnel, but if they are going to pick and choose which levels we are on with different subjects, its going to cause confusion and angst.
 
I haven't had much time to read everything that's going on this week due to working nights so can anyone help me with this, is this circuit break they are talking about going to be like the lockdown in march non essential workplaces stayed open or will they be closing everywhere that is non essential ?
 
I haven't had much time to read everything that's going on this week due to working nights so can anyone help me with this, is this circuit break they are talking about going to be like the lockdown in march non essential workplaces stayed open or will they be closing everywhere that is non essential ?

My expectation would be that work, retail, and schools will remain open. Socialising settings, mixing households, and non-essential travel is what they’ll focus on restricting.

I don’t think we’ll ever have what we saw in March again.
 
This is over can argue all day until your blue in the face the public have lost trust even if a lockdown was forced people are gonna break rank its done the seeds have been sowed.

Not sure of any great method to get out of this, but the damage is done!
 
This is over can argue all day until your blue in the face the public have lost trust even if a lockdown was forced people are gonna break rank its done the seeds have been sowed.

Not sure of any great method to get out of this, but the damage is done!
The majority of the public want a lockdown.
 
The majority of the public want a lockdown.

Apart from anyone with a business affected by said lockdown.

The only lockdown we are getting is one where workplaces stay open bar hospitality, but schools and universities would still be open (maybe half term break if its planned correctly) which means we are never going to get infections as low as the proper lockdown realistically right.

Then someone (very naive) is going to tell me it gives us a chance to get on top of it with track and trace (which is an absolute shambles) so that's not gonna work either then in an even shorter period of time from this "circuit breaker" we are going to be back in this situation again rinse and repeat.

Just with more unemployed as their businesses have been destroyed and Christmas fast approaching in total disarray.

Impossible to win situation, made even worse by idiots in charge.

This is of course ignoring the elephant in the room looming over us which is also brexit.

It's a disaster on so many fronts what do you do?

This is also ignoring the fact the clocks go back so you wake up in darkness come home in darkness to add to the pleasure and peoples great mental state.
 
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Yeah it's not great. I'm not in Ireland these days, but was speaking to my parents today and I can imagine this news will be shite to them. Back to not being able to visit their grandchildren and generally not having much to look forward to. It's grim, and I can imagine this won't go down too well in Ireland? As I said, I'm not there so I don't have a good feeling of how people may react, other than my family and a few friends still there.
Yeah it's getting annoying now, we're level 3 in this level 4 in that and level 5 in this other thing, the point of the guidelines was to give us light at the end of the tunnel, but if they are going to pick and choose which levels we are on with different subjects, its going to cause confusion and angst.

It’s confusing and annoying but you can see the logic behind it. They’re doing everything possible to keep small businesses open, while clamping down on everything else. Which is ok by me. I have friends whose hearts are breaking with the stress and uncertainty of trying to keep their businesses afloat. I just think the government just come out and say that’s the priority. People would probably accept it. Even though Sinn Féin would have a fecking field day.

Keeping schools open seems to divide the most opinions (basically between people with kids and those without) but as @noodlehair pointed out during the first lockdown we need to remember that school can be a lifeline for vulnerable kids with shit lives at home. So I think keeping them open should be high up our list of priorities as a society.
 
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The majority of the public want a lockdown.

I don’t believe that for a second. Maybe some polls are saying that but people have had enough of all the disgraceful behaviour from our government and our fellow citizens.

We lock ourselves up while the idiots carry on like nothing is happening then they expect people to not have their grandchildren over to stay perhaps even over Christmas. Not dishing out heavy fines at the outset and giving the likes of Cummings a free pass just piss people off who have abided by the laws.
 
I don’t believe that for a second. Maybe some polls are saying that but people have had enough of all the disgraceful behaviour from our government and our fellow citizens.

We lock ourselves up while the idiots carry on like nothing is happening then they expect people to not have their grandchildren over to stay perhaps even over Christmas. Not dishing out heavy fines at the outset and giving the likes of Cummings a free pass just piss people off who have abided by the laws.
They've had enough of bad decision making. All the evidence is pointing to a lockdown of some sort being the best way forward and as you said polls have shown support for it.
 
They've had enough of bad decision making. All the evidence is pointing to a lockdown of some sort being the best way forward and as you said polls have shown support for it.

The idiots will still not abide by the laws and nothing will happen to them whatsoever. Until the government crackdown on people where it hurts they are just kicking the can down the road.

People are sick to the back teeth of keeping inside, not seeing families while the government feck things up again. Look over the road and see a party going on then expect yourself to be away from loved ones.

It won’t wash again I’m afraid and the government and ourselves are to blame.
 
Don’t we only need one to work?

One highly effective one would be the minimum although more would be much better.

I was thinking more of the mental effects if one of the main candidates e.g. the Oxford vaccine failed before we had a success. Even though that wouldn't be unexpected and wouldn't doom attempts to find a working vaccine we already have people talking about giving up and letting the virus run wild. The current poor levels of compliance we are seeing in places would probably escalate and that could be disastrous.
 
So NI have closed the schools, others in Europe have closed bars/restaurants. Will be interesting to see what changes regarding cases.

Getting really bad across Europe. 22k cases in France,, 12k in Spain. Italy have now passed 7k, Germany over 6k. Netherlands another 7K. Belgium 7k.
 
Definitely a second wave taking hold across all of Europe. I find it fascinating how during pandemics, once the first initial wave is over, subsequent waves have taken hold in certain continents rather than a general surge across the world. It happened with the flu in the 1920's as well after the relatively smaller first wave.
 
I don’t believe that for a second. Maybe some polls are saying that but people have had enough of all the disgraceful behaviour from our government and our fellow citizens.

We lock ourselves up while the idiots carry on like nothing is happening then they expect people to not have their grandchildren over to stay perhaps even over Christmas. Not dishing out heavy fines at the outset and giving the likes of Cummings a free pass just piss people off who have abided by the laws.
Cummings (and others) who blatantly ignored the rules they set, was the catalyst really.
 
The idiots will still not abide by the laws and nothing will happen to them whatsoever. Until the government crackdown on people where it hurts they are just kicking the can down the road.

People are sick to the back teeth of keeping inside, not seeing families while the government feck things up again. Look over the road and see a party going on then expect yourself to be away from loved ones.

It won’t wash again I’m afraid and the government and ourselves are to blame.
Wash your hands
Eat out to help out
Get brexit done
 
I can't imagine they'll be any compliance at all over the christmas period. I barely leave the house and even I'm going to travel and visit family.

I refuse to rob both sets of grandparents from seeing their grandsons first proper Christmas when they've seen him like twice all year. Especially when other people have been carrying on as normal.

It's why the government should be honest and say we need to lockdown hard now for say 6 weeks to allow some loosening over Christmas.
 
I can't imagine they'll be any compliance at all over the christmas period. I barely leave the house and even I'm going to travel and visit family.

I refuse to rob both sets of grandparents from seeing their grandsons first proper Christmas when they've seen him like twice all year. Especially when other people have been carrying on as normal.

It's why the government should be honest and say we need to lockdown hard now for say 6 weeks to allow some loosening over Christmas.

This is 100% what I think. Half the problem at the moment is the wishywashy nature of the advice, the “one rule for them” feeling breaking the “all in it together” attitude that got us through the first lock down and the endless nature with no hope that is making people say “we can’t go on like this forever, we just need to get on with life now”.

I think a 4 week hard lock down throughout November with the promise of relaxed restrictions if we manage to significantly reduce the R number would give people something to work towards and would reintroduce the team mentality. ,
 
This is 100% what I think. Half the problem at the moment is the wishywashy nature of the advice, the “one rule for them” feeling breaking the “all in it together” attitude that got us through the first lock down and the endless nature with no hope that is making people say “we can’t go on like this forever, we just need to get on with life now”.

I think a 4 week hard lock down throughout November with the promise of relaxed restrictions if we manage to significantly reduce the R number would give people something to work towards and would reintroduce the team mentality. ,

I think that’s kind of implicit but I agree, the messaging could be better. Some sort of a campaign around “crushing the curve for Christmas” might get more buy in then the confusion and upset we’re currently going through. God knows politicians are quick to hire PR gonks when there’s an election around the corner!
 
Cummings (and others) who blatantly ignored the rules they set, was the catalyst really.

That view really is a cop out and a load of ballcocks. Cummings certainly was a disgrace but then so was Kinnock and a few others. If your supposition is correct then Cummings must have a long reach for Ireland appears to be fecked as does France, Netherlands, Spain etc and even Germany look like they might be in trouble. Also if you are right then we have a considerable number of inhabitants who are a sandwich short of a picnic many of whom are supposedly intelligent enough to go to uni. Excuses as to why we are not obeying the advice/rules are for many exactly that.......excuses.
 
It’ll be unpopular with some, but i can’t really see SAGE advocating a day of the country mixing on Christmas Day. The impact of that amount of contacts will potentially have on the health system, come the early New Year, will be greater than what we’re seeing now.
 
I've no idea what the right policy is, but some alien observer would find it bizarre that we're focusing timing around a completely arbitrary date like Christmas. "Why can't the humans just delay their Christmas until the infection rate is low enough?"
 
I've no idea what the right policy is, but some alien observer would find it bizarre that we're focusing timing around a completely arbitrary date like Christmas. "Why can't the humans just delay their Christmas until the infection rate is low enough?"

Yup. And their minds would also be blown by recent decisions in Israel.
 
Personally speaking, I'm cool to have Christmas with just the immediate family this year (i.e. 6 people rather than 30+) after self isolating for a fortnight for a 2nd time this year, but I will be doing something for new years with mates my age. I've skipped all parties until this point so it doesn't seem egregious to me to have just the one. You do need to do something to boost morale and strengthen resolve when things last over exceptionally long periods. We're not exactly in the Christmas truce mindset of 1914 but that is an example of something dangerous and completely out of place that served a real purpose. Whether that's on Jan 1st exactly is less important.
 
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It’ll be unpopular with some, but i can’t really see SAGE advocating a day of the country mixing on Christmas Day. The impact of that amount of contacts will potentially have on the health system, come the early New Year, will be greater than what we’re seeing now.

True. But a halfway capable government would talk and lead.

To enable a less restricted Christmas Day, you only need the entire attending bubble to impose a strict two week self-isolation on themselves. It’s not hard. It sucks. But shrinking your life as much as possible for two weeks is doable.

That needs to be government led. With examples and simple messaging. Not lies, graphs and politicking.

Also, elephant in room - TEST, TRACK, TRACE fcuking working.