Coronavirus (2021) thread

[Summerbuzz]

Tuppenethworth: Seems a bit late to sort the NHS out now, for this winter, anyway. Rest of the world coping with (in most cases) more restrictions than us seems to set a precedent.

Many people wanted to believe this was a closed chapter in June, and there's not an awful lot you can do to reason with people who want to believe a thing. Most of the public has gone along with it, including me, for better or for worse. If things stay on this course, We can't say we didn't give returning to normality a go.

Of course there's no harm at all in people feeling strongly that personal liberties should not be encroached upon. But it's not the only voice out there that needs to be listened to, and it can come across a bit selfish at times. I think actually it's a mistake to get hung up on other people's character in all this. We're all buggers, none of us has the last word on what the right way to think is, but we don't half like to judge others. That's typically how this has gone. Alternating between - Ban the selfish pricks! Stop the health nazis from controlling peoples lives!

Both the unreasonable expressions that emerge from people who are no different to their parents, their parents, and so on. Everyone is thinking and reasoning with the world, and most of the arguments have a grain of a fundamental truth in them, they come from a place of defending a thing that we as a society couldn't, shouldn't live without.

But giving in to too much emotion, name calling, painting all opponents with the same brush is a problem. Doctors and the rest are all doing their best. And they are listening. The question of what can be reasonably be done is in the political arena.

For me, the fascinating question is, why did we stop wearing masks in shops? Sure, they weren't required. But there was always a chance they'd help prevent us reaching this stage again. I have to say, the mass dropping of the masks looks like a combination of magical thinking and virtue signalling. Like it would actually help make sure June was the last we'd hear of Corona. There's also an issue with the magical thinking that arises around new treatments and medicine.

Said it over and over again. When you are given a course of treatment - you finish it. You don't stop taking antibiotics just because you return to work. If you want to stay at work, your best bet is to finish the damned course.

We never finished the treatment. Britain decided it was going on holiday. Perhaps Britain needed that. Perhaps it was just political. Either way, I'm glad we did get several months of pure freedom, in many ways at the best possible time. I appreciated it.

But it's true, the future is not known. And we've not planned ahead for a moment. How foreseeable was it that we'd end up asking questions in October? For me, totally. I did forget for a bit tho. Which was nice. And good for me to learn to doubt myself. But TBH, I expected by this stage they'd be much further ahead with the third jab. That's the thing. Why call it a booster? It's just the third jab. It was always going to be required. And it will surely not be the last.

There's probably a thing going on with people who aren't used to this sort of messy deal. If you are contracted in to rebuild a house, you do the work agreed, and that's the end of it. This is nothing like that. This is more like owning the house and finding out it has a shit load of problems. And you can't sell it. What's that, the dry rot contractors have been and gone? You did get them to do EVERY LAST CORNER, didn't you? No? Couldn't afford it? Couldn't afford to have the house out of action for so long? Understandable. But you do realise, we'll be doing it again next year, right?

I mean, I remember you saying, that was it, job done. Is that how such problems are usually solved? We tackle the problem to our satisfaction? Or do we need to - realistically - defer to the surveyors, the professionals?

Super good luck going forward to everyone. Stay positive.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Very few masks on the government benches at PMQs today. Even if they don’t want to make mask wearing mandatory, which I do understand, they should be aware that people respond to ’nudges’, and if they see their representatives wearing masks, they might just follow suit. It’s an issue in the U.K. that has now been tied to freedom of choice, but I confess to not understanding the logic in that.

It's ridiculous. They "justify" it on the basis that the guidance is only for crowded areas with people you don't know, but they all "know" each other.

600, many elderly people shouting together in a highly crowded area is about as bad a scenario as can be imagined. They're a dangerous joke.

 

[Healdplace]

ZOE NORTH WEST NUMBERS:-

In the NW they have both Liverpool up again into mid 16 K and St Helens flat on 14K

BUT Warrington falls a bit finally on 22, 580 after being UP tp 23, 607 - though still highest in the Merseyside area.



The Fylde coast area has STOPPED rising but is still on some very high numbers - Fylde on 22K & Wyre on an astounding 48, 980 down very slightly from 49, 073 - signs of a bigger drop to come but not as yet.


Though the Lake District is fairly flattish on 21K and Lancaster/Morecambe down on 19K


Cheshire East is UP again on 18, 692 from 18, 048 v Cheshire West also UP on 25, 154 FROM 24, 709 - so East still behind. But both now rising and above ALL of GM again. Even Stockport clearly now in Cheshire West's case.


As for GM - Stockport had a fall of around 1000 most in past three days but way above the rest of GM.


The GM order according to Zoe with to nearest K numbers is:-

Stockport still top but DOWN ONTO 22, 478 FROM 23, 446. Good news IF the fall lasts which as we know is a big IF here. But still well ahead of the rest now as Wigan in second spot FALLS today also on 17, 946. Indeed a fast rising Rochdale sneaks ahead of Trafford into third rising fast over recent days and on 15, 983 as Trafford is well DOWN just below it under 16K. Bury is next one of the few today going UP into mid 14Ks Manchester edges up in high 13Ks ahead now of Salford who has a good fall DOWN to the mid 13Ks. Tameside DOWN just under 13K,. Bolton falls a lot to mid 11K.And Oldham NO LONGER the only borough left in the lower watch zone and RISES BIG today to 10, 366.

SO GM HAS NOBODY OUT OF THE MIDDLE OR (IN STOCKPORT'S CASE) UPPER WATCH ZONES. A RARITY IN PAST MONTHS.

BUT SHOWS THE COMING TOGETHER OF THE GM NUMBERS SETTLING AT SOME KIND OF HIGHISH MIDWAY POINT AND NOT MASSIVELY POLARISED BETWEEN VERY HIGH AND VERY LOW AS IT WAS A TWO WEEKS AGO.

 

[BlueAnorak]

NHS chief warns PM to enforce 'Plan B' restrictions immediately​

"Plan B" coronavirus restrictions must be enforced immediately to prevent the UK "stumbling to a winter crisis", an NHS leader has warned.
NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor has urged the government to bring back certain measures, including mandatory face coverings in public places.

Nah. Cases will collapse in U30s in 3 or 4 weeks as Herd Immunity is reached in these population cohorts. At least 60% of U18s have had it. Not much further to go - three weeks tops.
Indeed vaccination of U16s won't be required as the NHS and Education services have been too slow to get it moving after approval nearly a month and a half ago. UK beuracracy is effing useless.

 

[hgblue]

We don't want to be anywhere near those levels because we need to be treating other things which we weren't last January. We need to be clearing an ever growing back log.We need to be prepared for flu which we didn't have last year because of lockdowns Not to mention bed blocking due to lack of care home staff. So using January levels isn't a good idea. What we want is to keep hospitals as free as possible for normal hospital treatments, like flu ,cancer even elective procedures.
Your idea of doing nothing will mean ever growing lists and missd treatments.

I thought Scotland kept masks? Have they worked?

 

[Healdplace]

A woman on the radio this morning said its been over 6 months since her second dose but when she goes online it says she isn't eligible as its only for NHS workers and care workers at the minute.

My mum and dad had a text off the GP saying they will get boosters and flu jab at the same time and to sit tight till then (It wont be 6 months for then till November)

That is exactly what I was saying on here yesterday and we discussed then after I had tried to find out why my friend could not book her booster EIGHT Months on. I saw that message and pointed out its deterring nature on those in need of boosters now.

IT is yet another admin mess up not removing this post which was probably only intended for the first week or two whilst they cleared the NHS staff first - as right and proper. But now will just deter older people who will not want to go ahead of doctors and nurses.

Hard to see why our admin and data reporting is so frequently screwed up. You do the numbers sloppily and do not see glaring errors then you are entitled to fear some of the bigger decisions are going to be as slipshod in their application.

But the real big deal here is that the lack of action and press conferences appears to be a deliberate plan to let this play out and that only makes sense if they WANT lots of young people to catch Covid now not in mid winter as they are less likely to be vaccinated. It makes no sense to downplay what is happening as they are otherwise.

Though I suspect we will get a press conference soon now the media have started calling the rising numbers out.

 

[BlueAnorak]

more likely the hospitals are under severe pressure and hospitals beds/ICU are rapidly filling up.

If only that was true. 100 a day rise in beds for Covid patients. 4000 available PAP/Oxygen equipped beds + whatever is done to reduce regular load (this has increased a lot - maybe due to catch up).
We may have to introduce face masks in 2-3 weeks but that's about it as far as I can see.

 

[Gabriel]

All anecdotal, of course, but I'm surprised by the number of cases I read about older people, many with no means of private transport, being sent to out-of-reach places for their booster.

 

[Manchester33]

It's ridiculous. They "justify" it on the basis that the guidance is only for crowded areas with people you don't know, but they all "know" each other.

600, many elderly people shouting together in a highly crowded area is about as bad a scenario as can be imagined. They're a dangerous joke.

They also have a duty to govern our country. Taking a precaution such as wearing a mask reduces the chances of a major outbreak in Westminster and means they will be able to perform their duty as our elected representatives.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Let's be honest, It's absolutely embarrassing that we as citizens don't wear masks on public transport and other indoor settings. Such a simple thing to do, yet we're so innately selfish that most of us couldn't care less that more transmission puts more vulnerable people in hospital.

You just don't get that the government want as maby to catch it as possible before December when viral loads will increase dramatically and post viral bacterial infections ramp up with the massive increases in hospitalizations and deaths that would follow