Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[beorhthelm]

Scotland's Heath Minister has urged the country to 'hold their nerve' amidst the current wave but if cases remain high I can certainly see a return to legislation on ask wearing indoors and on public transport.

this will be interesting test of their resolve in Scotland. they about double the rate than England, and have the power to bring in mask and other mandates if they wish. so they can go ahead and legislate.

 

[dsr-burnley]

Scotland's Heath Minister has urged the country to 'hold their nerve' amidst the current wave but if cases remain high I can certainly see a return to legislation on ask wearing indoors and on public transport.

One hopes that any such return to compulsion would be accompanied by details statisitcs about why it's a good thing, why it works, showing comparisons with (say) England which has had far less stringent rules with little apparant difference in the numbers.

If they want to introduce mask wearing because it's a good thing that saves lives, that's fine if justified. If they want to do it just because they think they ought to do something and have no other ideas, I'd be less than impressed.

 

[e77]

I don't think they can. The temporary provision covered by the covonavirus act 2020 expired on 25th March 2022.

Any legislation brought in would have to go through a full act of parliament procedure.

At least in England

Would have to go through parliament again, although I don't see it happening.

 

[Gazwag]

My wife took part in the booster trial last year and had another online meeting last night. They have found that the best protection is having the same vaccine for 1 and 2 then a different one for the booster

 

[portlock seagull]

Up 30% in a week. Time to put the masks back on everyone, 2m etc.

I know so many people never previously had that have gone down with in last week. Cancelling weekend plans as consequence. Stay safe all.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Up 30% in a week. Time to put the masks back on everyone, 2m etc.

I know so many people never previously had that have gone down with in last week. Cancelling weekend plans as consequence. Stay safe all.

Carrying on personally….without a mask tvm

 

[Weststander]

Carrying on personally….without a mask tvm

R4 interview this afternoon with Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, the independent risk statistician who worked with the Chief Scientific Advisor throughout the pandemic. Discussing the latest ‘wave’, calmly … no concerns mentioned at all

He just mentioned that for coming winters, keeping up with inoculations is the best way to boost our immune system against future variants.

So nothing for Drakeford to get excited about.

 

[portlock seagull]

Carrying on personally….without a mask tvm

I just don’t want to catch, do without, and have vulnerable family members. Each to own.

 

[worthingseagull123]

Up 30% in a week. Time to put the masks back on everyone, 2m etc.

I know so many people never previously had that have gone down with in last week. Cancelling weekend plans as consequence. Stay safe all.

Think the days of mask wearing are over.

Too much apathy.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I just don’t want to catch, do without, and have vulnerable family members. Each to own.

No problem with that

 

[Weststander]

Think the days of mask wearing are over.

Too much apathy.

Laws/rules fatigue.

The vast majority of the public played the game, were socially responsible. Now living their lives again.

 

[darkwolf666]

Laws/rules fatigue.

The vast majority of the public played the game, were socially responsible. Now living their lives again.

As is always, there is a flip side to everything.

My father-in-law had a massive stroke 5 weeks ago and was admitted to the local hospitals’ acute stroke ward.

The visiting was strictly controlled with only two visitors per day and for no more than 2 hours, between 2 & 5pm. Your name was taken at the door as to who you were visiting, to make sure you had reason to be there, and you were expected to wear a mask at all times.

Last week, under pressure, they removed most of the rules in one go, you can still only have two visitors at bedside at a time, but can have as many visitors as you like over extended visiting times of 12 to 7pm. There is now no need to wear a mask and of course, many people don’t. My father-in-laws family all still wear masks.

The ward, with some of the most ill people in the hospital, now, surprise surprise, has an outbreak of Covid - some people’s lives are affected by others decisions, and “living their lives again” can clearly have a detrimental affect on other innocent, but poorly, people.

 

[LamieRobertson]

As is always, there is a flip side to everything.

My father-in-law had a massive stroke 5 weeks ago and was admitted to the local hospitals’ acute stroke ward.

The visiting was strictly controlled with only two visitors per day and for no more than 2 hours, between 2 & 5pm. Your name was taken at the door as to who you were visiting, to make sure you had reason to be there, and you were expected to wear a mask at all times.

Last week, under pressure, they removed most of the rules in one go, you can still only have two visitors at bedside at a time, but can have as many visitors as you like over extended visiting times of 12 to 7pm. There is now no need to wear a mask and of course, many people don’t. My father-in-laws family all still wear masks.

The ward, with some of the most ill people in the hospital, now, surprise surprise, has an outbreak of Covid - some people’s lives are affected by others decisions, and “living their lives again” can clearly have a detrimental affect on other innocent, but poorly, people.

Sympathies re your father in law.

Of course you’ll never know whether covid in the ward was down to relaxing rules or not.

 

[Weststander]

As is always, there is a flip side to everything.

My father-in-law had a massive stroke 5 weeks ago and was admitted to the local hospitals’ acute stroke ward.

The visiting was strictly controlled with only two visitors per day and for no more than 2 hours, between 2 & 5pm. Your name was taken at the door as to who you were visiting, to make sure you had reason to be there, and you were expected to wear a mask at all times.

Last week, under pressure, they removed most of the rules in one go, you can still only have two visitors at bedside at a time, but can have as many visitors as you like over extended visiting times of 12 to 7pm. There is now no need to wear a mask and of course, many people don’t. My father-in-laws family all still wear masks.

The ward, with some of the most ill people in the hospital, now, surprise surprise, has an outbreak of Covid - some people’s lives are affected by others decisions, and “living their lives again” can clearly have a detrimental affect on other innocent, but poorly, people.

About 4 weeks ago Worthing Hospital removed all mask wearing rules for when staff meet patients and their family. Until then, say 4 or 5 months past the last serious wave, all NHS staff were compelled to wear them. For some, that was entire shifts for well over 2 years. Tortuous. Mrs.W works there.

Genuinely, I’ll find out why exactly the hospital finally lifted the rule.

 

[darkwolf666]

Sympathies re your father in law.

Of course you’ll never know whether covid in the ward was down to relaxing rules or not.

No, of course not - but it sure didn’t help!

For me, some places, like hospitals should never have bowed to the pressure to relax all the rules. No, you will never know for sure how well the rules work, but surely they have to be better than no rules at keeping the most vulnerable safe.

My mother-in-law is now desperate to get him home, to give him care in their own home, despite being 87 years old herself. Sadly she feels he will be safer!

 

[darkwolf666]

About 4 weeks ago Worthing Hospital removed all mask wearing rules for when staff meet patients and their family. Until then, say 4 or 5 months past the last serious wave, all NHS staff were compelled to wear them. For some, that was entire shifts for well over 2 years. Tortuous. Mrs.W works there.

Genuinely, I’ll find out why exactly the hospital finally lifted the rule.

I would equally be genuinely interested to know the reasons. I would be interested to know if it was science led, Trust led, or pressure from patients?

I know my GP surgery has recently, very reluctantly, removed the need for patients to wear masks in the surgery, but a local decision by staff was made, unanimously, for patient facing staff to continue to wear masks.


PS - can you clarify what you mean by “serious wave”, is that serious as per number of hospitalisations causing strain on the NHS and its services, or “serious” as in number of deaths, which thankfully haven’t yet grown exponentially to the current rise in admissions?

 

[LamieRobertson]

No, of course not - but it sure didn’t help!

For me, some places, like hospitals should never have bowed to the pressure to relax all the rules. No, you will never know for sure how well the rules work, but surely they have to be better than no rules at keeping the most vulnerable safe.

My mother-in-law is now desperate to get him home, to give him care in their own home, despite being 87 years old herself. Sadly she feels he will be safer!

On the flip side….my late father was in hospital for two months during the latter part of 2020…..three separate outbreaks while he was in there resulting in no visits for up to five days at a time…..despite everyone including visitors (only one allowed for one hour booked in advance) wearing ppe and masks ….trying to talk to nurses wearing a mask was difficult. ..not helped by most having a foreign ascent.

I can sympathise with your mother in law in thinking she can keep him safer.

Ps my local doctors surgery still require masks to be worn

 

[Weststander]

I would equally be genuinely interested to know the reasons. I would be interested to know if it was science led, Trust led, or pressure from patients?

I know my GP surgery has recently, very reluctantly, removed the need for patients to wear masks in the surgery, but a local decision by staff was made, unanimously, for patient facing staff to continue to wear masks.


PS - can you clarify what you mean by “serious wave”, is that serious as per number of hospitalisations causing strain on the NHS and its services, or “serious” as in number of deaths, which thankfully haven’t yet grown exponentially to the current rise in admissions?

I’ll find out.

On the key metric of deaths, Variants BA.4 (identified in January) and BA.5 (in February) appear simply not to be killing folk.



The reasons, looking and listening to a consensus of objective scientists and risk experts, seems to be that 87% of us took at least two jabs, with R4 today quoting 97% of us have some immunity.

It was mentioned by virologists early in the pandemic that sooner rather than later this will have a similar effect to the winter common cold. Especially in a widely vaccinated population. Perhaps that time’s now? Perhaps there’s one more painful winter to come? Everyone hopes not.

 

[darkwolf666]

I’ll find out.

On the key metric of deaths, Variants BA.4 (identified in January) and BA.5 (in February) appear simply not to be killing folk.

View attachment 149284

The reasons, looking and listening to a consensus of objective scientists and risk experts, seems to be that 87% of us took at least two jabs, with R4 today quoting 97% of us have some immunity.

It was mentioned by virologists early in the pandemic that sooner rather than later this will have a similar effect to the winter common cold. Especially in a widely vaccinated population. Perhaps that time’s now? Perhaps there’s one more painful winter to come? Everyone hopes not.

Yep, then there’s the clinically extremely vulnerable, for whom many have developed no antibodies despite 5 or more vaccinations.

I don’t ever want to see a return to 2020, and the shielding that my family endured, but I would like to see a modicum of decency and empathy, and for people to stop keeping using phrases like “learn to live with Covid”, as, for some this just isn’t possible. While they are a minority they shouldn’t be forgotten or talked down to, like they don’t count...

 

[darkwolf666]

On the flip side….my late father was in hospital for two months during the latter part of 2020…..three separate outbreaks while he was in there resulting in no visits for up to five days at a time…..despite everyone including visitors (only one allowed for one hour booked in advance) wearing ppe and masks ….trying to talk to nurses wearing a mask was difficult. ..not helped by most having a foreign ascent.

I can sympathise with your mother in law in thinking she can keep him safer.

Ps my local doctors surgery still require masks to be worn

I should have also added that it seems the hospital themselves feel it’s more than a coincidence, as they have now restricted visiting to between 5 & 7pm of an evening, in I presume an attempt to keep all but the determined visitor away!