COVID-19 — Coronavirus

[mancity1]

Sweden didn't lockdown but are tanking just as hard as anyone else and they have the highest death rate out of all the Scandinavian countries.

Lockdowns also can work in terms of elimination, New Zealand went hard and went early and got rid of it.

NZ have had a second spike of sorts and will have more cases especially once overseas passenger travel is reintroduced.

 

[johnnytapia]

Given the easing up it's absolutely inevitable these cases were going to rise.
I was in Cornwall a week or so back and it was as rammed as it's ever been...save for masks in shops (and being hawked, although no 'pastie masks'...missed a trick there) and less people allowed in shops...pretty much business as usual.
This was, of course, in line with the perception the virus was filtering away...

As mentioned we'll need to be looking at how these translate into serious cases and deaths now.
Get that effen vaccine over the line...

I was in Cornwall a fortnight ago and it was blissfully peaceful. I didn't go traipsing around the packed streets of St. Ives, I stayed away from what I knew would be the rammed beach at Fistral and me and the family enjoyed endless miles of sand and sea in and around the Atlantic coast. There are hundreds of beaches/coves in Cornwall that would allow a lovely, quiet holiday - common sense (and a car) is all that's required.

 

[Blue Hefner]

If we are struggling in the first week of September what chance have we got from November to February?

We encouraged people to eat out, we told people to get back to the office and set in stone that kids would go back to school in September. I’m not arguing about any of that but they must surly have known cases would go up, it shouldn’t be a shock/panic

Test, trace isolate. It’s been said since March/April yet we are scratching round now. It’s fucked. The solutions to this cannot be retro-fitted

I fear the future is already written and we are just waiting for the inevitable I.e a complete collapse of Government, NHS, schools and general public regard for anything this shower advise

 

[Tim of the Oak]

NZ have had a second spike of sorts and will have more cases especially once overseas passenger travel is reintroduced.

New Zealand had 6 cases today and no deaths.

 

[City_Sean]

What did people expect? The minute you open places up the more contact and chances of spreading the virus there are.

It's mental that the people in charge are banning gatherings of more than six, but keeping classrooms of thirty open.

 

[somapop]

I was in Cornwall a fortnight ago and it was blissfully peaceful. I didn't go traipsing around the packed streets of St. Ives, I stayed away from what I knew would be the rammed beach at Fistral and me and the family enjoyed endless miles of sand and sea in and around the Atlantic coast. There are hundreds of beaches/coves in Cornwall that would allow a lovely, quiet holiday - common sense (and a car) is all that's required.

We mainly stayed in a local beach we found a few years ago tbf. We did go to Fistral but it''s so vast that social distancing is natural anyway.

Definitely interred in any decent spots you've found though - PM if you prefer.
We've been going for the past 20 years...

 

[johnnytapia]

We have some very, very difficult decisions to make. Most primary schools, mine included, are now open to 90% + pupils (the youngest, Nursery and Reception normally stagger their intake over the first few weeks, especially in current climate). At 90% capacity, within 2 days of opening, we've already seen several schools close classes, year groups and, in a couple of cases, whole cohorts. At my own school, we're already 3 staff down, as they've had children and/or other family members become symptomatic, so are now at beginning of 14 day isolation. We've had 8 pupils sent home, or been kept at home because of being symptomatic. All await test results. If all are positive, that could be the whole school closed. Before the end of week one. We will be guided by Public Health England. I have been registering all cases with the Local Authority - the system crashed. On day one.
So, how can we avoid schools closing - this is the difficult decision. We now know far more about who and how this virus affects / kills people. We are far better at treating it. We are slightly quicker at testing for it.
A vaccine would probably be the very best solution.
Much faster testing is certainly needed. I tried to book home testing kits for parents today but to no avail and couldn't get local test centre booking. This is something the government has had the whole summer (recess) to get right - it is woeful that we are one week back and in a situation like this. I digress...
Much wider testing for antibodies (this seems to have gone completely off the radar), but it must be reliable.
Or, and I think this is how it could very well play out...as a society we have to accept that Covid-19 is with us, we could get it, but that the overwhelming majority of us will not be harmed by it and therefore, we will require schools (and wider society) to implement some mitigating factors (washing hands) but things such as positive tests of pupils/staff will only mean that person being off until they are better, not the complete closing of classes, schools.
The current guidance would appear unsustainable - we can't have schools (and businesses) putting into practice the miasma of recommendations and still have a functioning education (and business) sector.
Tough choices ahead.

 

[somapop]

...Well that new lockdown announcement has sent a few over the top now.

"...this is definitely a mass global psychological experiment with no basis in science."

 

[johnnytapia]

We mainly stayed in a local beach we found a few years ago tbf. We did go to Fistral but it''s so vast that social distancing is natural anyway.

Definitely interred in any decent spots you've found though - PM if you prefer.
We've been going for the past 20 years...

Hello bud, Crantock, Perranporth, Perran Sands, Wipsiddery Bay. Pentire. Cornwall's fantastic (unless it's raining - then it's shite!).

 

[somapop]

We have some very, very difficult decisions to make. Most primary schools, mine included, are now open to 90% + pupils (the youngest, Nursery and Reception normally stagger their intake over the first few weeks, especially in current climate). At 90% capacity, within 2 days of opening, we've already seen several schools close classes, year groups and, in a couple of cases, whole cohorts. At my own school, we're already 3 staff down, as they've had children and/or other family members become symptomatic, so are now at beginning of 14 day isolation. We've had 8 pupils sent home, or been kept at home because of being symptomatic. All await test results. If all are positive, that could be the whole school closed. Before the end of week one. We will be guided by Public Health England. I have been registering all cases with the Local Authority - the system crashed. On day one.
So, how can we avoid schools closing - this is the difficult decision. We now know far more about who and how this virus affects / kills people. We are far better at treating it. We are slightly quicker at testing for it.
A vaccine would probably be the very best solution.
Much faster testing is certainly needed. I tried to book home testing kits for parents today but to no avail and couldn't get local test centre booking. This is something the government has had the whole summer (recess) to get right - it is woeful that we are one week back and in a situation like this. I digress...
Much wider testing for antibodies (this seems to have gone completely off the radar), but it must be reliable.
Or, and I think this is how it could very well play out...as a society we have to accept that Covid-19 is with us, we could get it, but that the overwhelming majority of us will not be harmed by it and therefore, we will require schools (and wider society) to implement some mitigating factors (washing hands) but things such as positive tests of pupils/staff will only mean that person being off until they are better, not the complete closing of classes, schools.
The current guidance would appear unsustainable - we can't have schools (and businesses) putting into practice the miasma of recommendations and still have a functioning education (and business) sector.
Tough choices ahead.

It really is tough. And just as those friends and family were getting on again after being polarised due to Brexit, this has once again drive a splintered wedge between many.