Coronavirus

[redarmy82]

Well, listening to scientists on the news today, this year is going to be a full year in lockdown, again, and the thought amongst some is that even if we vaccinate every person in the country, we will still need restrictions in place on a permanent basis.

The longer this goes on, the less confidence I have in life ever returning to anything near what we are used to.

[River Don]

I have a feeling we're going to be playing a game of catch up with this virus for a longtime. As vaccines come along we'll squeeze it until a new varient emerges that requires a new vaccine. Then we'll be back to a new round of vaccinations. I'd bet now it's going to be a regular winter procedure.

These new super vaccination sites are going to become a permanent fixture. As is mask wearing indoors and regular hand washing.

[Axholme Lion]

Well, listening to scientists on the news today, this year is going to be a full year in lockdown, again, and the thought amongst some is that even if we vaccinate every person in the country, we will still need restrictions in place on a permanent basis.

The longer this goes on, the less confidence I have in life ever returning to anything near what we are used to.

Are they off their rocker? Life has to return to normal. They need to accept their will be casualties.

[belton rover]

I suppose it depends on what ‘normal’ means.
I think masks, for example, will become a permanently common sight. Not necessarily compulsory, but common nonetheless.
I think some form of social distancing and extra sanitising are also here for the long haul. Again, not by law, but certainly a change in attitude my many.

[River Don]

In the end it will not be the scientists or governments who decide what happens.

If there aren't enough people who feel comfortable shopping in high street stores, watching pictures at the cinema, eating in restaurants or visiting cafes or drinking in pubs, then we can expect a lot of these establishments to vanish.

Not wearing a mask indoors might be seen as an antisocial act. Like smoking indoors.

Certainly a lot of people are desperate for things to get back to normal but there will be many who wont be confident about it.

[redarmy82]

Glastonbury cancelled today. I don't see festivals and large scale music events or similar returning for a very long time, if ever.

I'm more convinced social distancing and large indoor/outdoor gatherings won't return to what we are used to.

Like the previous poster it is always going to be a case of catching up and new variants.

A UK University is saying we won't achieve herd immunity even if every person in the UK is vaccinated.

[redarmy82]

Also, I dont see travelling abroad for holidays or other means to happen for a long, long time with the new variants springing up.

Airports, airlines etc will simply not survive another year of no passengers.

Pubs, venues, cinemas, etc all in the same boat. There won't be a great deal left when (or if) we ever come out of this.

[wilts rover]

To add to the good news, a bit more detail on the governments 'levelling up agenda' announced today.

Amount of vaccine provided to Yorkshire & the North East to be halved to give more to other areas:

https://twitter.com/PippaCrerar/status/1352222522335502337

https://www.hsj.co.uk/primary-care/exclusive-leading-regions-vaccine-supply-to-be-halved-so-others-can-catch-up/7029342.article?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=newsfeed

[BillyStubbsTears]

Nice one Ldr. Watch out for Bill Gates using wi-fi to make you piss your bed.

Or wait til you get an update and you’re left hanging for hours on end

Normally happens to me at THE most inconvenient moments...

[River Don]

Glastonbury cancelled today. I don't see festivals and large scale music events or similar returning for a very long time, if ever.

I'm more convinced social distancing and large indoor/outdoor gatherings won't return to what we are used to.

Like the previous poster it is always going to be a case of catching up and new variants.

A UK University is saying we won't achieve herd immunity even if every person in the UK is vaccinated.

Festivals are outdoors, making them less of a risk, and younger people aren't so concerned about the risk. I believe there are issues around insurance but once the vaccines are widespread, chances are they will be popular again.

Didn't they sell out for this years event before they had to cancel?

[BillyStubbsTears]

Conflicting news on the spread of the virus at the moment. The graph  below shows the trend of new positive cases and the daily deaths, moved back three weeks. (NB: Both sets of data are based on the date that the tests or deaths actually happened, not when they were reported, so both terminate at the end of last week, as this week's figures aren't fully in yet.) Seems clear from that that the lockdown is having the desired effect, with a big change of direction in early Jan and the deaths are had just about topped out by the end of last week.

But the big REACT study reported this morning that new infections weren't coming down. Data over the next couple of weeks should sort this out one way or the other.

Massive thing that jumps out of that graph at me is what a mistake it was to go back to the Tier system in December. I'll be honest, I didn't call that one, but there were LOTS of people who said that the Tier system wasn't going to contain the virus. Including (at the risk of being accused of trying to score political points, when I am in fact just recording a fact) Kier Starmer.
https://labourlist.org/2020/12/starmer-declares-covid-tier-system-not-strong-enough-to-control-the-virus/

I trust that people who have called Starmer "Captain Hindsight" while accusing other people of trying to score political points on this issue, will weigh up this evidence properly, rather than try to start another fight. It is really REALLY f**king serious. That graph says that we have probably already had 10,000 more deaths than we would have done if we hadn't lost control of the virus in December. And there will probably be another 10-20,000 extra deaths before we get on top of this surge. Not to mention the ongoing grind of lockdown.

[drfchound]

Glastonbury cancelled today. I don't see festivals and large scale music events or similar returning for a very long time, if ever.

I'm more convinced social distancing and large indoor/outdoor gatherings won't return to what we are used to.

Like the previous poster it is always going to be a case of catching up and new variants.

A UK University is saying we won't achieve herd immunity even if every person in the UK is vaccinated.

Festivals are outdoors, making them less of a risk, and younger people aren't so concerned about the risk. I believe there are issues around insurance but once the vaccines are widespread, chances are they will be popular again.

Didn't they sell out for this years event before they had to cancel?

RD, whenever I have watched festivals such as Glastonbury there seems to have been lots of older people mixed in with the crowds.

[Janso]

Glastonbury cancelled today. I don't see festivals and large scale music events or similar returning for a very long time, if ever.

I'm more convinced social distancing and large indoor/outdoor gatherings won't return to what we are used to.

Like the previous poster it is always going to be a case of catching up and new variants.

A UK University is saying we won't achieve herd immunity even if every person in the UK is vaccinated.

Festivals are outdoors, making them less of a risk, and younger people aren't so concerned about the risk. I believe there are issues around insurance but once the vaccines are widespread, chances are they will be popular again.

Didn't they sell out for this years event before they had to cancel?

RD, whenever I have watched festivals such as Glastonbury there seems to have been lots of older people mixed in with the crowds.

Not to mention people basically on top of each other and often drunk.

[no eyed deer]

Glastonbury cancelled today. I don't see festivals and large scale music events or similar returning for a very long time, if ever.

I'm more convinced social distancing and large indoor/outdoor gatherings won't return to what we are used to.

Like the previous poster it is always going to be a case of catching up and new variants.

A UK University is saying we won't achieve herd immunity even if every person in the UK is vaccinated.

Festivals are outdoors, making them less of a risk, and younger people aren't so concerned about the risk. I believe there are issues around insurance but once the vaccines are widespread, chances are they will be popular again.

Didn't they sell out for this years event before they had to cancel?

RD, whenever I have watched festivals such as Glastonbury there seems to have been lots of older people mixed in with the crowds.

Not to mention people basically on top of each other and often drunk.

Drunk at a festival. What's next ?

Sounds a bit like a football match

[Janso]

Glastonbury cancelled today. I don't see festivals and large scale music events or similar returning for a very long time, if ever.

I'm more convinced social distancing and large indoor/outdoor gatherings won't return to what we are used to.

Like the previous poster it is always going to be a case of catching up and new variants.

A UK University is saying we won't achieve herd immunity even if every person in the UK is vaccinated.

Festivals are outdoors, making them less of a risk, and younger people aren't so concerned about the risk. I believe there are issues around insurance but once the vaccines are widespread, chances are they will be popular again.

Didn't they sell out for this years event before they had to cancel?

RD, whenever I have watched festivals such as Glastonbury there seems to have been lots of older people mixed in with the crowds.

Not to mention people basically on top of each other and often drunk.

Drunk at a festival. What's next ?

Sounds a bit like a football match

Always there, lurking in the shadows. 

I was talking about in the context of the likelihood of festivals being open any time soon.

[drfchound]

Glastonbury cancelled today. I don't see festivals and large scale music events or similar returning for a very long time, if ever.

I'm more convinced social distancing and large indoor/outdoor gatherings won't return to what we are used to.

Like the previous poster it is always going to be a case of catching up and new variants.

A UK University is saying we won't achieve herd immunity even if every person in the UK is vaccinated.

Festivals are outdoors, making them less of a risk, and younger people aren't so concerned about the risk. I believe there are issues around insurance but once the vaccines are widespread, chances are they will be popular again.

Didn't they sell out for this years event before they had to cancel?

RD, whenever I have watched festivals such as Glastonbury there seems to have been lots of older people mixed in with the crowds.

Not to mention people basically on top of each other and often drunk.

Yeah, I know but I was posting my response because RD had said that younger people aren’t so concerned  about the risk of being in crowds.

[redarmy82]

Either way, I think it's going to be many years before they happen again.

[Bentley Bullet]

Can we have just one night without all the falling out?

[belton rover]

We could have our own ‘festival’

[no eyed deer]

It wont be long before large sections of the population makes thier voices heard.

[BillyStubbsTears]

NED.

What do you propose we do instead of lockdown?

[River Don]

We could have our own ‘festival’

I only ever went a festival once. Cold, wet, muddy, wet, sodden. On and on into the night. It's the closest I've ever been to experiencing what the Somme must've been like.

Never again.

Live music for me is best in a small venue, pubs, old theatres, student unions, nightclubs. Warm, dry, decent ounderstanding system. The kind of place that will be struggling to reopen.

[no eyed deer]

NED.

What do you propose we do instead of lockdown?

Isolate the elderly and vulnerable (if they want to) 

BST
How many death are acceptable to come out of lockdown?

[SydneyRover]

Ask yourself if you are willing to give up your life so others can do the 'normal' thingy

[Nudga]

This is interesting, something I touched on a few months back.


https://twitter.com/drdavidsamadi/status/1352189984867016705?s=19

[no eyed deer]

Ask yourself if you are willing to give up your life so others can do the 'normal' thingy

I would be will to take the chance yes.

How many years of lockdown would you be willing to accept. Probably sat in your nice house with a job.

[SydneyRover]

would you be willing to take the same odds as the most vulnerable?

[no eyed deer]

would you be willing to take the same odds as the most vulnerable?

Answer my question

[BillyStubbsTears]

NED
How do you keep 15 million people safe?

[SydneyRover]

Ned, unless you can invent another way of restricting the spread there is no other way than lockdown until everyine that needs to be are immunised. Look at the countries that have contained the virus well.