Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[The Clamp]

What should people do now if they have already organised things like painters / decorators and so on for the next week or so? These are all self-employed, and so need to be supported, but inviting them into your home for 4-5 days goes against all the prevailing advice.

Another quandry faced by many I should think.

Does your home really need decorating right now?

 

[vagabond]

I know this is the calm before the inevitable storm or phoney war, but like you I’m hoping that all the sensible moves being made by individuals and the authorities hugely reduce the numbers who’ll pass away.

But both BBC Breakfast today and Sky News showed packed pubs last night, some full of blokes in their 60’s and 70’s. Beggars belief.

Utterly dangerous, irresponsible behaviour. Unfortunately why I have zero faith in the intelligence of the British public.

They stupidly think it’s just their own lives they’re putting at risk. Honestly this is why we should be in lockdown already.

 

[Bodian]

What should people do now if they have already organised things like painters / decorators and so on for the next week or so? These are all self-employed, and so need to be supported, but inviting them into your home for 4-5 days goes against all the prevailing advice.

Another quandry faced by many I should think.

Well what do you think...?

You cancel these appointments surely, or is your decorating more important then your and your families lives?

Why is social distancing so hard a concept for so many people to grasp? I genuinely don’t get it.

Not really, no. You cancel, without a doubt, you cancel.

Same as these efing idiots going on jolly to Snowdon, or Skegness, thinking this won't impact them.

Time for stricter measures if people keep flouncing this advice. Time to introduce fines for those ignoring the current measures.

Does your home really need decorating right now?

Hang on - it's not me! I was just thinking / theorising about those who are self-employed, who haven't been promised anything yet by the Government, and how others respond to the situation.

 

[vagabond]

Every western democracy will increase more than for Wuhan, where the military and secret police confined people to their homes literally at gunpoint. It works on a pure numbers game, but is arguable barbaric.

View attachment 121335

For many reasons, their strategy can’t be copied in civilised nations.

I worry for our trend and think we may actually have a more severe out break then Italy.

We’re very much a pub culture here, and only until last night most of the British public still happily ignoring medical science and government advice.

 

[dazzer6666]

Junior has just had a facebook invite to a ‘as the pubs are closed, let’s organise our own pissup’ event..........

I despair.

 

[Poojah]

So, I’ve spent this evening watching the 2011 film, Contagion. Maybe slightly dark of me to do so in these times, but quite an intriguing watch all the same. It’s clearly well researched; so much of the language and the public response - people walking around in masks, the panic buying, the conspiracy theories - all fit with what we’re seeing right now.

There are some major differences. The nature of the virus itself, and more importantly the mortality rate (c.35%). However it does capture some interesting concepts, the potential for massive social unrest, particularly in relation to vaccines. It will be interesting, if and when a vaccine arrives, as to how and to who it is distributed globally. We’re not going to go from the launch of a viable vaccine to global immunity in two weeks. It will take time.

One thing missing from the film however is the overload on healthcare systems that we are beginning to see, and will inevitably see across the globe. It also misses the economic shutdown and the complete cessation of international travel. That in itself makes you think. The research upon which the film is based can only have been based on historic pandemics, not future ones. That’s potentially a sign of just how unprecedented this is.

FYI - if you have a bit of a morbid fascination, it can be rented on Amazon Prine for £3.49.

 

[Solid at the back]

So, I’ve spent this evening watching the 2011 film, Contagion. Maybe slightly dark of me to do so in these times, but quite an intriguing watch all the same. It’s clearly well researched; so much of the language and the public response - people walking around in masks, the panic buying, the conspiracy theories - all fit with what we’re seeing right now.

There are some major differences. The nature of the virus itself, and more importantly the mortality rate (c.35%). However it does capture some interesting concepts, the potential for massive social unrest, particularly in relation to vaccines. It will be interesting, if and when a vaccine arrives, as to how and to who it is distributed globally. We’re not going to go from the launch of a viable vaccine to global immunity in two weeks. It will take time.

One thing missing from the film however is the overload on healthcare systems that we are beginning to see, and will inevitably see across the globe. It also misses the economic shutdown and the complete cessation of international travel. That in itself makes you think. The research upon which the film is based can only have been based on historic pandemics, not future ones. That’s potentially a sign of just how unprecedented this is.

FYI - if you have a bit of a morbid fascination, it can be rented on Amazon Prine for £3.49.

Don't recommend it, the similarities are scary

 

[clarkey]

Junior has just had a facebook invite to a ‘as the pubs are closed, let’s organise our own pissup’ event..........

I despair.

There is a rowdy house party a few doors down from me, in London. Have had to restrain myself a few times from going over. I have no words. What is 20 of you singing along to Shania Twain in the garden really worth to you, absolutely infuriating.

 

[Poojah]

Junior has just had a facebook invite to a ‘as the pubs are closed, let’s organise our own pissup’ event..........

I despair.

It’s a strange one. As a husband, and a father of two kids in his mid thirties, with parents in their seventies, I’m appreciating the seriousness of this and, like most, feeling the economic consequences.

And yet I’m still seeing large groups of teenagers socialising and generally twatting about. I was sixteen years old on the day of 11th September 2001, and I remember being deeply affected by the events. It consumed me at the time - but it didn’t really change the immediate world around me. I could drink some cheap vodka and smoke a joint with my mates, shag some bint on a Friday night.

There’s a cruel juxtaposition about this virus. It’s great that it doesn’t appear to greatly harm or kill the young. But that in itself breeds this complacency amongst the young that it’s not a problem for them. They’re not getting the bigger picture. 9/11 was ultimately much easier for me to process because I wasn’t directly affected by it. EVERYBODY is affected by this.

However, if you’d have asked a 16 year old me to sever my social relationships, stop drinking cheap vodka and stop shagging bints, I’d have probably told you to fúck off. ‘Cos I’ll be alright, Jack.

 

[vagabond]

Any reasons given as to why our death rates are so high? And how the likes of Japan and Korea have been able to test and track so effectively compared to European countries?

Cultural differences play a part, no doubt.

But I think the biggest difference is the likes of South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong etc are better prepared for an out break like this. Both in terms of infrastructure and socially.

They’ve already dealt with dangerous outbreaks before, many buildings have temperature read outs, more tests, and the populace are generally more compliant and are already wearing masks.

It concerns me that we are not as prepared, so I do fear what our peak will be.

 

[vagabond]

It’s a strange one. As a husband, and a father of two kids in his mid thirties, with parents in their seventies, I’m appreciating the seriousness of this and, like most, feeling the economic consequences.

And yet I’m still seeing large groups of teenagers socialising and generally twatting about. I was sixteen years old on the day of 11th September 2001, and I remember being deeply affected by the events. It consumed me at the time - but it didn’t really change the immediate world around me. I could drink some cheap vodka and smoke a joint with my mates, shag some bint on a Friday night.

There’s a cruel juxtaposition about this virus. It’s great that it doesn’t appear to greatly harm or kill the young. But that in itself breeds this complacency amongst the young that it’s not a problem for them. They’re not getting the bigger picture. 9/11 was ultimately much easier for me to process because I wasn’t directly affected by it. EVERYBODY is affected by this.

However, if you’d have asked a 16 year old me to sever my social relationships, stop drinking cheap vodka and stop shagging bints, I’d have probably told you to fúck off. ‘Cos I’ll be alright, Jack.

As you say it’s hard to be too critical of them. They are kids being kids. That’s what they do, it’s what we would do no doubt.

It’s why, especially with schools being closed, the government have to mandate a lockdown. I suspect this will happen soon in line with France, Spain, Italy etc.

 

[Driver8]

Hopefully we don't track Italy. They had a hot-spot in the North and a lot of people seemed to escape there before lock-down to distribute South.

Surely with the new restrictions, we should see a slow down in 2-3 weeks and probably will track Italy rates until then unfortunately.

Not if people keep ignoring the restrictions.

 

[Swansman]

As you say it’s hard to be too critical of them. They are kids being kids. That’s what they do, it’s what we would do no doubt.

It’s why, especially with schools being closed, the government have to mandate a lockdown. I suspect this will happen soon in line with France, Spain, Italy etc.

Surely its more a question of "when" than "if" at this point. If you look at the complacency everywhere except in Asia (where they probably learnt a lot from SARS + public debate about these ****ing bats), its hard to imagine a country that wont need a lockdown at some point.

 

[dazzer6666]

It’s a strange one. As a husband, and a father of two kids in his mid thirties, with parents in their seventies, I’m appreciating the seriousness of this and, like most, feeling the economic consequences.

And yet I’m still seeing large groups of teenagers socialising and generally twatting about. I was sixteen years old on the day of 11th September 2001, and I remember being deeply affected by the events. It consumed me at the time - but it didn’t really change the immediate world around me. I could drink some cheap vodka and smoke a joint with my mates, shag some bint on a Friday night.

There’s a cruel juxtaposition about this virus. It’s great that it doesn’t appear to greatly harm or kill the young. But that in itself breeds this complacency amongst the young that it’s not a problem for them. They’re not getting the bigger picture. 9/11 was ultimately much easier for me to process because I wasn’t directly affected by it. EVERYBODY is affected by this.

However, if you’d have asked a 16 year old me to sever my social relationships, stop drinking cheap vodka and stop shagging bints, I’d have probably told you to fúck off. ‘Cos I’ll be alright, Jack.

Fair points.......’junior’ is 22, recently graduated and his G/F suffers from asthma, so his view was more mature (and he sent a suitable response to the invite). I hadn’t really thought of a 9/11 parallel.........but I was actually in New York on business when it happened. I’m a lot more worried about this than I was about that......

Seems many of the old and young are acting similarly - basically that they aren’t overly bothered about catching it, so will carry in regardless. Not sure how the messages about spreading haven’t sunk in........as other’s have said, it’ll result in total lockdown I guess. When you have the owner of one of the biggest pub chains encouraging people to keep going to his pubs as recently as yesterday, we’re fooked.

 

[Poojah]

Not if people keep ignoring the restrictions.

Very, very soon, you simply won’t be allowed to. I’d give it three or four days, max. Personally, I’ll be more worried if we’re not there in three or four days, going off the patterns in Italy.

My missus is still quite blase about this, and has been all along. She doesn’t quite get the gravity of it. “We can still go for a drive out, for a walk in the park, go and see my [late 50s] parents”. I mean, tomorrow, maybe. But if you look at the Italian, French and Spanish models - and we will 100% follow those in the coming days - then no, you won’t.

 

[dazzer6666]

There is a rowdy house party a few doors down from me, in London. Have had to restrain myself a few times from going over. I have no words. What is 20 of you singing along to Shania Twain in the garden really worth to you, absolutely infuriating.

I’d call the police.........

 

[Wozza]

Any reasons given as to why our death rates are so high? And how the likes of Japan and Korea have been able to test and track so effectively compared to European countries?

Big variation in testing rates, speed of lockdown, ICU availability etc, plus average age of a population and cultural differences.

Asia generally well prepared due to previous outbreaks (eg SARS).

 

[Weststander]

Very, very soon, you simply won’t be allowed to. I’d give it three or four days, max. Personally, I’ll be more worried if we’re not there in three or four days, going off the patterns in Italy.

My missus is still quite blase about this, and has been all along. She doesn’t quite get the gravity of it. “We can still go for a drive out, for a walk in the park, go and see my [late 50s] parents”. I mean, tomorrow, maybe. But if you look at the Italian, French and Spanish models - and we will 100% follow those in the coming days - then no, you won’t.

With the lockdown in some other countries, people are allowed out for essential trips such as getting groceries or visiting the pharmacy. As is exercising outdoors on your own.

Ironically, specialist tobacco shops are considered essential in France and Italy, selling their destructive ware.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Updated graphic :

https://twitter.com/witter_jim/status/1241475920659189760?s=19

 

[SK1NT]

Posted this on another thread... a busy brighton beach...


I have realised how stupid humanity is during all of this. I know it was thick but not this stupid.. I am almost half hoping that the people with a lack of regard for others, going to pubs, socialising etc get this virus. They maybe ok but what about others. Selfish and stupid.


I know a family that have two elderly people in with lung issues, diabetics, kidney transplant over 70 etc. Their children and grand children have told them to not go out and isolate however they are going about their own jobs and then going back to these two elderly people... I mean WTF... are people really this thick. I am amazed at how many people don't get it and aren't isolating. Out of everyone i know... i would hazard a guess that less than 50% are isolating. I am made to feel the one acting over the top by not seeing anyone.