COVID-19 — Coronavirus

[squirtyflower]

We had a covid19 scare on friday all staff told to get tested before coming back to work if negative. We were all negative and came in today, just found out one member of staff didnt get tested but came in anyway. Not happy to be working around him. Chances are he is negative but this is out of order in a pandemic. I am 60 and wife is diabetic yet this member of staff ignores the company and it seems that arent doing anything about it. Really not happy

I would speak to the union rep or the person responsible for H&S.
Failing that have a word with HR or management as what the employee is doing could be considered reckless. Fines could be levied against the employee or company if they are complicit.

 

[mosssideblue]

We had a covid19 scare on friday all staff told to get tested before coming back to work if negative. We were all negative and came in today, just found out one member of staff didnt get tested but came in anyway. Not happy to be working around him. Chances are he is negative but this is out of order in a pandemic. I am 60 and wife is diabetic yet this member of staff ignores the company and it seems that arent doing anything about it. Really not happy

Have you told anyone about this?

 

[mosssideblue]

What's the plan if there is no vaccine? Repeated lock downs forever?

That is up to us as a nation

 

[Fred_Quimby]

That is up to us as a nation

Very, very true. It is long past time everyone in this country started to take it seriously. Kids, and parents, not social distancing, people not wearing masks or not wearing them correctly, people not social distancing. I could go but you know what is going on.

 

[grunge]

What's the plan if there is no vaccine? Repeated lock downs forever?

Wouldn't be forever, natural herd immunity kicks in and it just becomes another seasonal virus ( maynot stop you getting it but my lower severity etc ).

Spanish flu for example lasted 3 years before that happened.

we would either need to lock down to "circuit break" it to prevent a big peek. create a solid track and trace system to prevent the peeks or increase NHS capacity to deal with the bigger peeks.

Have a play with this simulation. has all the scenarios in there.

What Happens Next? COVID-19 Futures, Explained With Playable Simulations

an interactive guide

ncase.me

 

[inbetween]

We all know the lockdown isn't aimed at eradicating the virus, but to ensure the NHS can function through winter.

My gut feel is that we will remain in lockdown longer than that currently prescribed

It depends on how things respond because there's an argument that any number of cases is acceptable providing that deaths and hospital admissions aren't increasing. Deaths are delayed by a period of 2-3 weeks or more from infection so whatever we do today won't even start to take effect until December.

It has taken approximately 2 months to go from a very low number of cases to the current level which is resulting in a high number of deaths. So if we can recover even a quarter into December then at least the Christmas period can be held sort of normally.

I'm not holding my breath, I think this has come way too late and should of happened back when deaths started to creep up. We will only see in the next couple of weeks what impact the tiering system has had but it's probably nothing looking at the rise in daily cases.

In the NW cases are still up in every single area despite tier 3 in most areas. Blackburn has been in special measures and then tier 3 for over a month and cases are STILL rising.

 

[oman0115]

You are. We are on the market and an agent emailed us to say that the house sale industry is not being affected

This virus is very selective, and only goes after certain people and professions, also, if a government asks it to it'll wait till monday to enter public transport it will obey, so people have time to get their masks ready, it also respecfully avoids BLM marches. It is very compliant

 

[give it to gordon]

Have you told anyone about this?

Yes spoke to my line manager who isnt happy about it. The employe is now booked in at noon but still at work , ibwould have thought he should be sent home until he gets the results

 

[mosssideblue]

It depends on how things respond because there's an argument that any number of cases is acceptable providing that deaths and hospital admissions aren't increasing. Deaths are delayed by a period of 2-3 weeks or more from infection so whatever we do today won't even start to take effect until December.

It has taken approximately 2 months to go from a very low number of cases to the current level which is resulting in a high number of deaths. So if we can recover even a quarter into December then at least the Christmas period can be held sort of normally.

I'm not holding my breath, I think this has come way too late and should of happened back when deaths started to creep up. We will only see in the next couple of weeks what impact the tiering system has had but it's probably nothing looking at the rise in daily cases.

In the NW cases are still up in every single area despite tier 3 in most areas. Blackburn has been in special measures and then tier 3 for over a month and cases are STILL rising.

The question for me is why are they still rising and what is being done to address that

 

[mosssideblue]

Yes spoke to my line manager who isnt happy about it. The employe is now booked in at noon but still at work , ibwould have thought he should be sent home until he gets the results

I'd have thought so too. Companies need to air on the side of safety first

 

[inbetween]

Wouldn't be forever, natural herd immunity kicks in and it just becomes another seasonal virus ( maynot stop you getting it but my lower severity etc ).

Spanish flu for example lasted 3 years before that happened.

we would either need to lock down to "circuit break" it to prevent a big peek. create a solid track and trace system to prevent the peeks or increase NHS capacity to deal with the bigger peeks.

Have a play with this simulation. has all the scenarios in there.

What Happens Next? COVID-19 Futures, Explained With Playable Simulations

an interactive guide

ncase.me

There is evidence of reinfections that are more serious, likely because there are many COVID variants floating around.

Herd immunity is a very dangerous idea whilst we have no understanding of what we are dealing with.

Genomic evidence for reinfection with SARS-CoV-2: a case study

Genetic discordance of the two SARS-CoV-2 specimens was greater than could be accounted for by short-term in vivo evolution. These findings suggest that the patient was infected by SARS-CoV-2 on two separate occasions by a genetically distinct virus. Thus, previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 might...

www.thelancet.com

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30783-0/fulltext

 

[Otamendi's Beard]

No issue with writing a strongly worded letter, but to blatantly ignore the rules is a no no

I don't think many will ignore the rules if they remain in place.

 

[blueparrot]

The question for me is why are they still rising and what is being done to address that

I'm not sure what the rules have been in England over the last few weeks. What seems to be slowing it in Scotland though over the last 3 weeks is no mixing with other households. Closing pubs and restaurants either completely in the central belt or at 6.00pm elsewhere. This weeks case numbers will be a big test.
The positives in my area have come from people ignoring advice and going to Blackpool in a mini bus ( a group of carers no less)Apparently over 20% of Glasgow caes have also been traced back to Blackpool in October against all advice.

 

[mosssideblue]

I'm not sure what the rules have been in England over the last few weeks. What seems to be slowing it in Scotland though over the last 3 weeks is no mixing with other households. Closing pubs and restaurants either completely in the central belt or at 6.00pm elsewhere. This weeks case numbers will be a big test.
The positives in my area have come from people ignoring advice and going to Blackpool in a mini bus ( a group of carers no less)Apparently over 20% of Glasgow caes have also been traced back to Blackpool in October against all advice.

It always comes down to non adherence imo, and for some reason, the Government are allowing it to continue

 

[grunge]

There is evidence of reinfections that are more serious, likely because there are many COVID variants floating around.

Herd immunity is a very dangerous idea whilst we have no understanding of what we are dealing with.

Genomic evidence for reinfection with SARS-CoV-2: a case study

Genetic discordance of the two SARS-CoV-2 specimens was greater than could be accounted for by short-term in vivo evolution. These findings suggest that the patient was infected by SARS-CoV-2 on two separate occasions by a genetically distinct virus. Thus, previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 might...

www.thelancet.com

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30783-0/fulltext

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't advocating it. just saying at most I see this ( the lockdown measures etc ) lasting 3/4 years if no vaccine appears.

the reinfection side of things though while concerning is currently very small in number ( evidence wise ).

The 1 from Ecuador is the biggest concern mind you. confirmed Antibodies after 1st infection and getting reinfected.

 

[VOOMER]

Previously testing simply wasn't happening. Then they allowed 80,000 students to Manchester from all over the place. Then we have numerous companies who either can't, or won't adhere to the rules. Now that we have testing and most importantly private testing, cases have gone up. In 2018 influenza B, recorded over 12 million cases just through the normal JP process.

 

[Healdplace]

Clearly not

Well it was either coincidence or the measures or some other factor like the virus changing (which we would know if it had) that has led to a very significant drop in the cases across Merseyside since they entered Tier 3.

Before they had all the worse areas with Liverpool and Knowsley dominating the top ten red watch places in the government list. Since then they have all fallen far enough to not even be on it.

Whereas GM is very different. And now dominating the list. Is it because they resisted tier 3 - rightly or wrongly as I liked the reason for the stand being taken but not the delay it caused to the measures coming in? In retrospect we should have just gone in and carried on arguing the case, perhaps. Andy Burnham should say that. I think it would be the honest thing to do and also be a good political step.

Either way there was no instant impact in GM as there was on Merseyside. But some signs in recent days it might be turning around. But as yet not as obviously as on Merseyside.

These things all might have happened anyway and be unconnected with the measures. But there are similar signs of the cases plateauing in Scotland and N Ireland. Quite clear in the numbers. ~

Cases will always be the first thing to be visibly improved by any restrictions. Hospital numbers next as those who get the bug get sick enough. Then ICU, Then deaths. With weeks between them.

Measures obviously do work and work faster the more restricted they are. But its a matter of proportion I understand.

The rapid rise in deaths spooked them no doubt but to quote Boris was 'baked in' by the delays so inevitable. Does not mean the projections were right.

But I get the impression (perhaps cynically) that if you over predict and what you do works only modestly you then end up able to claim a huge victory by turning 1000 deaths a day into 300 - if most people believe the worst case scenario and do not realise that the most likely outcome was only ever about 400 or 500.

 

[lancs blue]

So if we can recover even a quarter into December then at least the Christmas period can be held sort of normally.

What is the point of a "normal" Christmas if the only effect is to increase infections and hospital admissions leading to yet another lockdown in Jan/Feb? I still think that the "halfway house" policies of popping in and out of lockdown are just extending the problem and we end up with the worst of both worlds, many deaths and a trashed economy.

In normal times I wouldn't be a supporter of draconian measures but too many idiots are ignoring the regulations, those at that rave in Bristol should have been rounded up and locked up for a couple of weeks as an example. If we're going to have temporary emergency legislation to deal with this virus then at least give it some teeth.

 

[give it to gordon]

I'd have thought so too. Companies need to air on the side of safety first

He has been told to come back to work because the member of staff who might of had it is negative.
We arent happy that management arent going to have a chat with him. We were told we cant come back until a negative result. He ignored it and just came back !

 

[Phil1]

What is the point of a "normal" Christmas if the only effect is to increase infections and hospital admissions leading to yet another lockdown in Jan/Feb? I still think that the "halfway house" policies of popping in and out of lockdown are just extending the problem and we end up with the worst of both worlds, many deaths and a trashed economy.

In normal times I wouldn't be a supporter of draconian measures but too many idiots are ignoring the regulations, those at that rave in Bristol should have been rounded up and locked up for a couple of weeks as an example. If we're going to have temporary emergency legislation to deal with this virus then at least give it some teeth.

You get the feeling that for many, having a normal xmas comes before people’s health.
If we lose one xmas to help preserve life then we have to do it.
It beggars belief the priorities held by some.