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Coronavirus - how is it/has it affected you?

Lord Tyrion said:
1/ The media like to scare people. It gives them a headline, they are irresponsible
2/ The govt wants people to stick to distancing, staying home, washing hands etc for some time yet. At least until the first 9 groups have been jabbed, probably longer. A little scare every now and then keeps people on their toes to do this, asking nicely does not work for a lot of people sadly. The alternative is a drift in behaviour.

My views are pretty cynical on this but I don't think I am too far out of snyc
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It is one of the few times when I think that a bit of scare tactics is viable (though it should never be in such a way as to make people doubt if they want to be vaccinated). With a number of positive occurrences at the moment (Vaccine, infections down etc) it would be easy to become complacent and so a little nudge to keep people following the rules does no harm at the moment.
 
Lord Tyrion said:
1/ The media like to scare people. It gives them a headline, they are irresponsible
2/ The govt wants people to stick to distancing, staying home, washing hands etc for some time yet. At least until the first 9 groups have been jabbed, probably longer. A little scare every now and then keeps people on their toes to do this, asking nicely does not work for a lot of people sadly. The alternative is a drift in behaviour.

My views are pretty cynical on this but I don't think I am too far out of snyc
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I don't think they are cynical at all. I got slated a month or two ago by stating I thought closer to 50% of people were breaking the rules in some way or another.....at this point I'd say it's at least that much, maybe even 75%. I'm likely breaking the rules a hair this weekend....my wife's oldest sons wife died of cancer last Easter (36) and has twin daughters (8), they had stupidly put a house they bought in Huddersfield in her name...no will of course, even though they knew this was coming:rolleyes:. It has finally gone through probate and he is desperate to sell it finally. We are going this weekend to help him clean the house/garden since the renters had trashed it. Not really with the rules.....but the guy needs some help.

It does look like the jabs are going well enough that I might get mine earlier than thought. I'm 63 and healthy (physically. Mentally, it's arguable).
 
Lord Tyrion said:
1/ The media like to scare people. It gives them a headline, they are irresponsible
2/ The govt wants people to stick to distancing, staying home, washing hands etc for some time yet. At least until the first 9 groups have been jabbed, probably longer. A little scare every now and then keeps people on their toes to do this, asking nicely does not work for a lot of people sadly. The alternative is a drift in behaviour.

My views are pretty cynical on this but I don't think I am too far out of snyc
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Yeah, sorry I meant to make that post sound a lot more facetious than I clearly managed!
 
Old Skier said:
Your post may be many things but caring isn’t one of them. I’m sure you and your wife did all you could under the circumstances. Condolences to your family
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My post reflects a terrible sadness in my wife's family - a sadness that has been experienced by 10s of thousands of families around the country and the globe - it is nothing more than that no matter that you think it may be many things...as for 'but caring isn't one of them' - well...
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
My posts reflects a terrible sadness in my wife's family - a sadness that has been experienced by 10s of thousands of families around the country and the globe - it is nothing more than that no matter that you think it may be many things...as for 'but caring isn't one of them' - well...
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Perhaps it read the wrong way, it was meant as you appeared to be a caring person. Apologies if it read differently
 
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GreiginFife said:
I must admit to being a little confused by all the mixed messaging that's flying around just now.
My understanding (please someone correct me if I'm wrong here) was that lock downs and staying at home were for two primary outcomes. 1) to prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed (Protect the NHS) and 2) to stop people dying (Save lives).
And the means to achieve these was to prevent the spread (Stay at Home).

Now we have a group of vaccines that are proving, for the most part, to help us to work our way back to some normality. And that is good, positive news and should be treated as such.

But, my confusion comes from the (admittedly media driven) the vaccine doesn't deal will with this variant, or that strain... And whilst I appreciate this in NOT positive news (yet the study sized do seem small, e.g, 2000 people in SA out of a population how big?) there are admissions that the vaccines STILL provide protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death.

Now, IF, and only IF, our primary levers in this were reduce pressure on the NHS (Protect the NHS) and prevent people dying (Save Lives) then WHY is the news that the vaccine actually still does achieve these things being treated so negatively?

Yes, I get that the virus will still spread, but surely the reason for the lockdown was only to prevent the spread so as to stop 1 and 2 happening.

yours
ConfusedinFife
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Confused here too, I may be a bit mixed up, but the time line doesn't seem right, when was the Oxford vaccine actually approved, when did they get their supply, when were the vaccines given, did they wait the 3 weeks . All seems rather rushed to me.
 
GreiginFife said:
I must admit to being a little confused by all the mixed messaging that's flying around just now.
My understanding (please someone correct me if I'm wrong here) was that lock downs and staying at home were for two primary outcomes. 1) to prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed (Protect the NHS) and 2) to stop people dying (Save lives).
And the means to achieve these was to prevent the spread (Stay at Home).

Now we have a group of vaccines that are proving, for the most part, to help us to work our way back to some normality. And that is good, positive news and should be treated as such.

But, my confusion comes from the (admittedly media driven) the vaccine doesn't deal will with this variant, or that strain... And whilst I appreciate this in NOT positive news (yet the study sized do seem small, e.g, 2000 people in SA out of a population how big?) there are admissions that the vaccines STILL provide protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death.

Now, IF, and only IF, our primary levers in this were reduce pressure on the NHS (Protect the NHS) and prevent people dying (Save Lives) then WHY is the news that the vaccine actually still does achieve these things being treated so negatively?

Yes, I get that the virus will still spread, but surely the reason for the lockdown was only to prevent the spread so as to stop 1 and 2 happening.

yours
ConfusedinFife
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If we had a society full of self-aware and socially responsible people, the messaging could have been more nuanced.

The basic objectives were as you describe. The measures put in place were, arguably, to allow a limited but controllable spread, later modified to trying to stop spread entirely.

Vaccination will start to have an effect when a decent proportion is vaccinated, but that presents a danger where the vaccinated go back to normal and expose those who are not yet vaccinated to either harm by spread, or piss them off by having a good time they can't have.

Part of the concern is that further mutation is inevitable and SAv2.0 might be worse again. Part of it is also that long Covid often arises from mild to moderate disease, so some of those who 'get away' with not a severe illness will likely still have downstream problems. And some of those who get mild Covid will spread to unvaccinated who can still die or get severe illness.
 
There does seem to be some important wording in the text of the articles about the impact of the vaccine on the SA variant. The concern appears to be on the impact on mild and moderate cases. Yes, the ideal would be to have a vaccine that stopped them as well but surely at present the priority is to do something about the serious cases that cause hospitalisation and death. If it has an impact there then I would see that as more than worthwhile.
 
Three of our neighbours are nurses on the 'front line'...
Witnessing the impact covid is having on both them and their families...
If ramping up scare tactics helps them out in any way go for it...
 
Our local community centre seems to have become a covid testing centre from today. Didn’t see anyone but a bouncer out there, I always thought these testing centres are quite busy?
 
banjofred said:
I don't think they are cynical at all. I got slated a month or two ago by stating I thought closer to 50% of people were breaking the rules in some way or another.....at this point I'd say it's at least that much, maybe even 75%. I'm likely breaking the rules a hair this weekend....my wife's oldest sons wife died of cancer last Easter (36) and has twin daughters (8), they had stupidly put a house they bought in Huddersfield in her name...no will of course, even though they knew this was coming:rolleyes:. It has finally gone through probate and he is desperate to sell it finally. We are going this weekend to help him clean the house/garden since the renters had trashed it. Not really with the rules.....but the guy needs some help.

It does look like the jabs are going well enough that I might get mine earlier than thought. I'm 63 and healthy (physically. Mentally, it's arguable).
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Your not the first to get ripped to bits on here for suggesting breaking the rules is the norm. For me there are instances when folk have broken the rules but certain situations arise when that has unfortunately has to happen. Contrary to popular belief there are some people out there that are not stupid, and should not be put in the same category as those who attend a 1 year olds birthday party or any other kind of party.
That said. lockdown to protect the NHS? Has that happened. Not by a long shout and quite frankly I think it is scandalous. I know who I blame. And political comments are not allowed so I will leave that there. We are in a lock down yet B and Q , Dunelm Mills etc etc are open to the thousands that go, yet it is wrong to go to your relatives house to clean it up. How’s that right.
As Jim Royal would say “My Rrrrs”.
Re the Vaccines, even to an idiot surely they know one vaccine will not protect you against a virus that has ever changing strains, so why the negativity, it is beyond me.
Good luck with the house clean up this weekend. Give missis BF a cuddle this weekend it’s gonna be a tough un.
 
Tashyboy said:
Your not the first to get ripped to bits on here for suggesting breaking the rules is the norm. For me there are instances when folk have broken the rules but certain situations arise when that has unfortunately has to happen. Contrary to popular belief there are some people out there that are not stupid, and should not be put in the same category as those who attend a 1 year olds birthday party or any other kind of party.
That said. lockdown to protect the NHS? Has that happened. Not by a long shout and quite frankly I think it is scandalous. I know who I blame. And political comments are not allowed so I will leave that there. We are in a lock down yet B and Q , Dunelm Mills etc etc are open to the thousands that go, yet it is wrong to go to your relatives house to clean it up. How’s that right.
As Jim Royal would say “My Rrrrs”.
Re the Vaccines, even to an idiot surely they know one vaccine will not protect you against a virus that has ever changing strains, so why the negativity, it is beyond me.
Good luck with the house clean up this weekend. Give missis BF a cuddle this weekend it’s gonna be a tough un.
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Come on Tash! Talk about over react, nobody has been “ripped to bits” but coming on and plucking figures out of the air with no more than “a feeling” to back them figures up is asking to be questioned.

We all see things differently and no doubt some places/age groups etc are worse than others, but if you are going to quote figures back them up with facts.

The same can also be said about breaking rules, I and others agreed we’d do the same as you when you broke the rules, it still didn’t make you or I correct, taking ownership is different than saying it’s ok “cos others do”
 
pauldj42 said:
Come on Tash! Talk about over react, nobody has been “ripped to bits” but coming on and plucking figures out of the air with no more than “a feeling” to back them figures up is asking to be questioned.

We all see things differently and no doubt some places/age groups etc are worse than others, but if you are going to quote figures back them up with facts.

The same can also be said about breaking rules, I and others agreed we’d do the same as you when you broke the rules, it still didn’t make you or I correct, taking ownership is different than saying it’s ok “cos others do”
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Ave not quoted any figures or facts, although BF did. And my post was aimed more at BF having to “ break rules”, not me going to have a Covid test. My parents have broken rules and I have pulled them up on it more than once. Now they have had a vaccine, according to them there indestructible. There not.
It seems to me that BF has taken ownership of what he has done and so did I, and only speaking for me, I didn’t do it coz others do.
 
Tashyboy said:
Ave not quoted any figures or facts, although BF did. And my post was aimed more at BF having to “ break rules”, not me going to have a Covid test. My parents have broken rules and I have pulled them up on it more than once. Now they have had a vaccine, according to them there indestructible. There not.
It seems to me that BF has taken ownership of what he has done and so did I, and only speaking for me, I didn’t do it coz others do.
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But nobody has been “ripped to bits” regardless of how they did or intend to break the rules.
 
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