Coronavirus (Non-Politics)

[OldBlueLady]

This must be the way we deal with this virus. what we are currently doing is madness for any longer

Indeed. My old lady roots are now nearly two inches long and I NEED to go to the hairdressers'!
In all seriousness, I think we could have done with more relaxing of things like outdoor sport and shops and restaurants opening. My hairdressers was absolutely bang on top of things and there was literally minimum risk in going there. Restaurants we visited were also in control and had taken sensible precautions.

 

[RobM]

My roots are the same shade of grey as the rest of it!

 

[Tinks]

Indeed. My old lady roots are now nearly two inches long and I NEED to go to the hairdressers'!
In all seriousness, I think we could have done with more relaxing of things like outdoor sport and shops and restaurants opening. My hairdressers was absolutely bang on top of things and there was literally minimum risk in going there. Restaurants we visited were also in control and had taken sensible precautions.

I am relived to say mine is all booked now but I am more worried about getting my nails done as that is the one thing I do spoil myself with.
got to agree that when we went out most places were adhering to the rules and my hairdresser and nail lady were operating very safely as was RH when we went to the games allowed

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

My daughter in law who lives with us does nails. Her shop is in Horseferry Road. After the last lockdown she was booked solid by panic-stricken customers who hadn't had their nails done for months. Some were pleading with her to breech lockdown and visit her at home which of course she didn't. Her diary is already filling up nicely for the post April 12th stampede.

 

[Tinks]

My daughter in law who lives with us does nails. Her shop is in Horseferry Road. After the last lockdown she was booked solid by panic-stricken customers who hadn't had their nails done for months. Some were pleading with her to breech lockdown and visit her at home which of course she didn't. Her diary is already filling up nicely for the post April 12th stampede.

I was probably one of those desperate people
Already been on the phone to my nail
Lady

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I have to say her work is incredible. She has some celebrity clients as well given her location.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

It's not questionable at all (see attachmen).FWIW I happen to agree with you about the problems of social distancing with teenagers (which is precisly why I quit last October).

That confirms it does it? Some graphic that anyone could've drawn up.

Another point: if they're being tested twice a week and test negative, why on earth do they need to wear a mask? I thought masks were mainly about preventing asymptomatic transmission... It's insanity.

Let’s hope that remains the case when schools go back.

Seems like some people are almost hoping cases rocket when schools go back. Even if they do (which I doubt), it doesn't matter if the vaccine continues to cut out deaths and serious illness. As GNH says, we have to live with this thing until it goes away, if it ever does.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Seems like some people are almost hoping cases rocket when schools go back. Even if they do (which I doubt), it doesn't matter if the vaccine continues to cut out deaths and serious illness. As GNH says, we have to live with this thing until it goes away, if it ever does.

Actually I'm really hoping they don't as my industry depends on things getting back to 'normal'. But it makes sense to wait a few weeks and just see .. surely, at least if rates do increase we know why. If we open hairdressers, pubs, shops etc it's not so clear. On the plus side even if rates do go up it should hopefully still see less hospitalisations/deaths due to the vaccine programme. In which case I agree .... let's get more things open.

 

[Member]

That will be the case forever more unless it's eradicated, which i believe is unlikely. You cannot be suggesting that we remain under restrictions until it's gone completely?

No I'm not in any way suggesting that. We massively reduce the chance of more serious variants emerging by reducing the cases, and reducing the transmission of the virus. We've brought the cases down with the lockdown and vaccine. I think we need the numbers to drop further, so we can get to a point where localised outbreaks can be traced and managed, but where there isn't constant low level spread across the whole country.

If a VOC emerges that looks to evade the vaccine another can be modified quickly to combat that. A new VOC is not going to be compleley able to evade the vaccine so the modification will enable a vaccine to be delivered while we carry on fully open.

at the moment that's the case but we don't know what future variants might be like. we can only effectively track variants that are concerning if the numbers are low to start with, otherwise we're relying on chance identification.

This must be the way we deal with this virus. what we are currently doing is madness for any longer

I know everyone is itching to get back to normal, but we're almost there. I think the govt set a vaccine target for all adults (end July) that they know they'll easily smash (because it's politically savvy to do so, and they made mistakes with targets last year). I really think we'll all be getting our first doses in the next couple of months, which is amazing news.

I agree with OBL that I think the outdoors restrictions could have been lifted a bit sooner (sports, recreation etc), but the main challenge is to continue to avoid localised variants spreading more widely while we don't have population herd immunity.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

That confirms it does it? Some graphic that anyone could've drawn up.

Another point: if they're being tested twice a week and test negative, why on earth do they need to wear a mask? I thought masks were mainly about preventing asymptomatic transmission... It's insanity.

The graphic was based on researched conducted by John Hopkins University,Baltimore.(You might remember the University being referenced in The Silence of the Lambs.They're leading experts in the field of epidemiology.

I'm sure someone else can answer your second question better than me.

 

[GNH]

No I'm not in any way suggesting that. We massively reduce the chance of more serious variants emerging by reducing the cases, and reducing the transmission of the virus. We've brought the cases down with the lockdown and vaccine. I think we need the numbers to drop further, so we can get to a point where localised outbreaks can be traced and managed, but where there isn't constant low level spread across the whole country.

The average for the entire UK at the moment is 74 cases per 100,000 people, how much lower can it go? Also worth mentioning that these low figures are with the incredible increase in daily testing that's occurring by way of the 'surge testing' in many areas. The last figure I saw showed that we were carrying out far in excess of 750,000 tests a day, a lot of the positive case numbers will be asymptomatic cases which would never of been found previously and the numbers are still down on the previous second wave counts even with all that factored in.

Worth pointing out here that I value your opinion on this subject, you know a great deal more than me but some things I simply don't agree with

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

The average for the entire UK at the moment is 74 cases per 100,000 people, how much lower can it go? Also worth mentioning that these low figures are with the incredible increase in daily testing that's occurring by way of the 'surge testing' in many areas. The last figure I saw showed that we were carrying out far in excess of 750,000 tests a day, a lot of the positive case numbers will be asymptomatic cases which would never of been found previously and the numbers are still down on the previous second wave counts even with all that factored in.

I understand pubs etc in the UK are due to open up on April 12th.What are you worried about?

 

[GNH]

I understand pubs etc in the UK are due to open up on April 12th.What are you worried about?

Sorry not sure what you are getting at here?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Sorry not sure what you are getting at here?

After schools re-opening on March 8th that's the next big landmark date,IMO.

 

[Member]

The average for the entire UK at the moment is 74 cases per 100,000 people, how much lower can it go? Also worth mentioning that these low figures are with the incredible increase in daily testing that's occurring by way of the 'surge testing' in many areas. The last figure I saw showed that we were carrying out far in excess of 750,000 tests a day, a lot of the positive case numbers will be asymptomatic cases which would never of been found previously and the numbers are still down on the previous second wave counts even with all that factored in.

We need the average to be lower as there are still regions and towns with stubbornly higher rates which aren't dropping as quickly. Hopefully a few more weeks and they'll continue to fall even as schools reopen and restrictions lift. Regional lockdowns didn't work last year, so it's right that this is being done at a slower national level.

We need to find those asymptomatic cases and break chains of transmission, so it's definitely good that we have wide-spread testing now. It's through testing that we can avoid significant lockdowns ever being needed again.

****ing hell I'm really starting to sound like a govt spokesman on here and that's just not good. I'm taking a bit of a break.

 

[GNH]

After schools re-opening on March 8th that's the next big landmark date,IMO.

TBH I'm not bothered about being able to go to the pub, I certainly won't be rushing down there for a few swift Strongbow's the minute they open. I would just like the chance to decide for myself what I will and won't do rather than have someone deciding that for me.

The problem now is that people have been locked down for such a long time that a huge proportion of the population probably will do just that, and you can't blame them.

 

[Member]

The problem now is that people have been locked down for such a long time that a huge proportion of the population probably will do just that, and you can't blame them.

Some of us ooop north have been in lockdown for even longer!

 

[jackj13]

I understand pubs etc in the UK are due to open up on April 12th.What are you worried about?

Outside only so weather dependant and also dependant on if the pub chooses to or not as I know may are not bothering as they won't be able to or won't come close to breaking even.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

We need the average to be lower as there are still regions and towns with stubbornly higher rates which aren't dropping as quickly. Hopefully a few more weeks and they'll continue to fall even as schools reopen and restrictions lift. Regional lockdowns didn't work last year, so it's right that this is being done at a slower national level.

We need to find those asymptomatic cases and break chains of transmission, so it's definitely good that we have wide-spread testing now. It's through testing that we can avoid significant lockdowns ever being needed again.

****ing hell I'm really starting to sound like a govt spokesman on here and that's just not good. I'm taking a bit of a break.

I enjoy reading your posts, given your knowledge in this area. But the lack of JVT style Covid analogies is disappointing ;)

 

[jackj13]

This is interesting reading.

COVID-19: Test and Trace barely used check-in data from pubs and restaurants - with thousands not warned of infection risk

Data from hundreds of millions of check-ins by people who visited pubs, restaurants and hairdressers before lockdown was barely used by Test and Trace, according to a confidential report obtained by Sky News.

news.sky.com