COVID-19 — Coronavirus

[Proy]

Mate the idiots are ripping it NOW. Its already a free for all. Except its the sensible people who are trying to keep the rules who are banned from seeing their loved ones from umpteen meters away whilst scallies on their bikes are riding shoulder to shoulder along tracks already filled with joggers. There's no sense to it. So for one, Im not prepared to keep saying "Oh OK i'll stay away from my family even 30 feet away" (with no risk to anyone) whilst the numpties are all partying risking everyone they come into contact with.

I see that as a bit like jumping off a tall building because my mate did. I know I’m dead if I do it.

There will always be a set of cunts unfortunately. And life dictates that the sensible ones have to keep being sensible whilst the idiots carry on being idiots. Right or wrong, it’s just how western society rolls.

They should be brought to book for what they are doing and that is not happening at the minute, agree with you there, I just don’t think the answer is to sink to their level because then we just become idiots ourselves.

Each to their own mate but I’d rather rise above it.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

The cretins ignored the lockdown from day 1. Nothing the govt says will impact them.

Even the cretins have contacts that do listen to advice. Whilst we can’t stop the cretins being cretins, we can try to stop them mingling with non cretins.

That’s what the government advice needs to focus on.

 

[Proy]

I tend to agree. We’ve not been great under these current guidelines, so keeping them the same cannot do much harm.

However, people need hope. If they can come up with some meaningless and harmless way of suggesting they are easing the lockdown, then it will be a morale boost.

Ultimately, we need to keep as far apart as we can for as long as possible. We need PR people to come up with ways of “easing the lockdown” bit by bit, whilst keeping the necessary social distancing for as long as is Britishly possible,

The answer imo is simple. When we feel we have the right assurances that getting back to some normality is safe, then we do it.

Until then, we don’t.

It’s poor practice in eased measures that helps 2nd waves.

It’s a fucking surreal and horrible situation but it is what it is and we have a duty to get through it safely, whatever that may look like.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

And me mate. Im the most risk averse person there is, but Im not about to tolerate someone else telling me what Im doing is wrong. As if they know better, when the odds are, they don't.

Just a further thought on this post.

The “draconian” “guidelines” given by the government aren’t aimed at you or I, nor anyone else who has the ability to socially distance competently. It’s aimed at the people who don’t have a clue what this virus is capable of and feel “fine” and either feel that their freedom is impacted or they know better than everyone else.

The lockdown is to prevent the spread of the virus from asymptomatic people to the vulnerable. It requires the ability to recognise that whilst you personally feel fine, that you could still pass the virus on unknowingly and potentially kill a loved one etc.

I don’t see it as a loss of freedom. I see it as a necessary and effective tool in delaying the spread of the virus whilst scientists do their thing. If we we our job in not getting it nor spreading it, then we are buying time for them to find an effective treatment/cure.

The economy is obviously a major worry, but it will recover. The money we are borrowing is imaginary. Most western nations are in the same boat. There will be some form of write off forged down the line.

 

[Ohrodneyrodney]

I see that as a bit like jumping off a tall building because my mate did. I know I’m dead if I do it.

There will always be a set of cunts unfortunately. And life dictates that the sensible ones have to keep being sensible whilst the idiots carry on being idiots. Right or wrong, it’s just how western society rolls.

They should be brought to book for what they are doing and that is not happening at the minute, agree with you there, I just don’t think the answer is to sink to their level because then we just become idiots ourselves.

Each to their own mate but I’d rather rise above it.

Meeting with family from 30 feet away (as I have suggested is OK) is neither jumping off a tall building or becoming an idiot. The onus is on the Govt to give us sound advice on Sunday that allows us, within reason, to do what we want to do with sensible precautions. The current lockdown is not sustainable and the country does not have the resources to enforce it. So something needs to give.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Meeting with family from 30 feet away (as I have suggested is OK) is neither jumping off a tall building or becoming an idiot. The onus is on the Govt to give us sound advice on Sunday that allows us, within reason, to do what we want to do with sensible precautions. The current lockdown is not sustainable and the country does not have the resources to enforce it. So something needs to give.

We’ve beaten around the bush somewhat in the last few pages.

What do you suggest the government say in their relaxation of the current “lockdown” guidelines?

 

[Proy]

Meeting with family from 30 feet away (as I have suggested is OK) is neither jumping off a tall building or becoming an idiot. The onus is on the Govt to give us sound advice on Sunday that allows us, within reason, to do what we want to do with sensible precautions. The current lockdown is not sustainable and the country does not have the resources to enforce it. So something needs to give.

Nobody is suggesting that meeting family 30 feet away is an issue. That in itself is fine.

The argument is that people will take the piss once we start to allow that situation to happen.

That is the consequence of what you are suggesting and the point that a few are trying to make here.

If everyone adhered to the rules of what you are suggesting then it would okay. But they won’t. So it isn’t.

My point with the tall building was in response to you saying that because everyone else is doing it, I should be allowed to as well.

We all get it. The good ones get punished. Like the rich get richer. Like the poor get poorer.

Until we tackle those issues without going to the same depth as those who take the piss, then I’m afraid good citizens like you and myself will just have to suck it up.

That’s life.

 

[Proy]

We’ve beaten around the bush somewhat in the last few pages.

What do you suggest the government say in their relaxation of the current “lockdown” guidelines?

I think the bottom line for Gavo is that he doesn’t see why he can’t practice safe distancing whilst physically being with his family, especially when others are taking the piss.

For most, there is an understanding why that scenario isn’t possible and it’s why we have been refrained from doing it for 6 straight weeks. It happened because it was the right thing to do and will continue to happen because it continues to be the right thing to do. No matter how many cunts want to break it.

It will go around and around and around this debate so I’m gonna leave this one alone now.

 

[abu13]

90% of the people are sensible enough to follow advise, its the other 10% who think they know better.

I know that while the restrictions will be eased i personally will only making some very minor changes to my lifestyle, i am finding the changes quite refreshing and want to include them in my new normal.

 

[Vic]

I don’t know is the honest answer. I know nothing of the Tanzanian government nor their testing abilities. Did they use a haruspex to look at its liver?

Press commonly take short cuts to invoke an emotion, so I don’t take their opinion as gospel.

I think the point was to show the unreliability of a particular testing kit, that a farm animal and a fruit tested positive. It's false negatives that are more of a problem.

 

[Academica]

Overwhelmed my arse. Most of them seem to be pissing about dancing and making tiktok videos.

I have 3 colleagues currently pissing about in intensive care.

 

[i8rags]

I have 3 colleagues currently dicking about in intensive care.

Tik tok mate?

 

[Academica]

Tik tok mate?

No fighting for their lives.

 

[sir baconface]

Really not sure what some people are wanting. Are they really suggesting unending lockdown with no easing (with restrictions and regulations) so a completely collapsed economy, potential food shortages, increasing domestic violence, increasing mental illness, growing numbers of suicides etc etc etc or the phased easing like the government is suggesting ? What's the bloody alternative ?

Have a guess at their jobs.

 

[Bazzmand Show]

Mate the idiots are ripping it NOW. Its already a free for all.

Massive exaggeration.

Stop being hyperbolic and throwing your toys out the pram, the vast majority of people are adhering to the rules and understand why we need them.

 

[i8rags]

No fighting for their lives.

That was my point mate, ie not TikTok

 

[shemnel]

this R value has been brought down to a good level, all the while there has been a minority who havent really 'gotten into the spirit' of things throughout. Where i live it felt like it went back to almost normal life (but at 2m distance) about 2 weeks ago. I saw 6 socials in gardens yesterday in the space of about 500 yds, no joke. tis what it is.

 

[Marvin]

Different approach here from the BBC. Quite a good article because it challenges your preconceptions. Is this the start of a new propaganda campaign, or just a one-off different perspective?

I think the strategy is going to evolve so that we use new technology (mass, fat testing for antigen and antibodies) to protect the old and shielded population whilst the rest of the population get on with it. So far the old have not been adequately protected anywhere in the world where there has been a significant infection. Could it be done properly? We probably will have time now to implement much better procedures now if we wish to do this.

I switched disciplines from physics to bio-physics and there are a lot of biologists who hold these views. I think because this was the main-stay of epidemiology but does testing and new technology provide a way out. The argument I have heard is that South Korea and Germany show that mass-testing can work but it isn't an exit strategy. The world is international and you could eradicate it like New Zealand but once it's out it will always be there. Mass-testing buys you time at best. If there's a vaccine then this is the way to go. If there or it really does take 18 months then I am guessing that we are going to hear a lot more of the like you may read below.

The intellectual framework is now changing as we move from lockdown to post-lockdown. And we have a re-assessment of risk. That's how I read it. Or it could just be a kite.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52543692

 

[Academica]

That was my point mate, ie not TikTok

Ok I apologise, bit touchy.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Different approach here from the BBC. Quite a good article because it challenges your preconceptions. Is this the start of a new propaganda campaign, or just a different perspective?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52543692

Propoganda would be my perspective. I got to the sentence that said 'Edinburgh University and a group of London-based academics published a paper this week arguing restrictions could be lifted quite significantly if the most vulnerable were completely shielded', and choked on my cornflakes because we have been so competent in protecting our most vulnerable citizens so far haven't we? How many more care home deaths are we willing to tolerate as an allegedly civilised society?