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Coronavirus - how is it/has it affected you?

They're a whole lot betting than the numerous models that predicted horrendous numbers up to 200,000 or so infections a day with the deaths etc that would go along with it. Whilst they present numbers aren't ideal they're still an awful lot better than the predictions and I'm not entirely sure what the alternative is.
100 people dead today is anything but ideal, neither is around 30,000 new cases. The alternative would be for those numbers to be lower through better control of mask wearing and distancing.
 
The amount of money I see wasted on this each day through the testing programme, is really annoying :confused: Money should be chucked at it, but some thought and care should go into doing it. Instead it is just a case of chucking stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.
 
They're a whole lot betting than the numerous models that predicted horrendous numbers up to 200,000 or so infections a day with the deaths etc that would go along with it. Whilst they present numbers aren't ideal they're still an awful lot better than the predictions and I'm not entirely sure what the alternative is.

Those forecasts changed behaviour. Right after 'Freedom Day', there was still a pretty high level of mask usage and social distancing but that is fading badly now.
 
I was encouraged approaching Lidl today that the first few shoppers leaving had masks on. Inside it was different though and I'd say 50/50. Once it starts tipping towards more non-wearers than wearers the risk is those wearing start to feel sub-conscious (I know I did in the early days) and mask-wearing becomes a minority/rare.

Last few golf matches there has been zero social distancing. Quite the opposite at Northampton last week as they had a wedding reception so everyone else was poked into a tiny corner of the clubhouse. I don't like it and makes me feel a bit vulnerable.
 
Those forecasts changed behaviour. Right after 'Freedom Day', there was still a pretty high level of mask usage and social distancing but that is fading badly now.
Is there a case/death level that people will be comfortable with that will enable less mask wearing and social distancing or is this permanent?
 
Those forecasts changed behaviour. Right after 'Freedom Day', there was still a pretty high level of mask usage and social distancing but that is fading badly now.

I’m not convinced they did, I think a lot of people were tired of the ridiculous forecasts by the modellers that weren’t even in the ball park of being right throughout the entire thing. They were looking to scare the general population in most instances but took it to such extremes that they lost a lot of credibility imo.
 
I’m not convinced they did, I think a lot of people were tired of the ridiculous forecasts by the modellers that weren’t even in the ball park of being right throughout the entire thing. They were looking to scare the general population in most instances but took it to such extremes that they lost a lot of credibility imo.
Does the fact that someone got a prediction wrong make the current deaths and infections acceptable.
 
Is there a case/death level that people will be comfortable with that will enable less mask wearing and social distancing or is this permanent?

Nobody wants it to be permanent, but keeping hygiene measures until the vaccination pressed down endemic numbers more would have given us a better chance in the long run. If case numbers bounce back, there will be no option but to reinstate some measures.
 
Does the fact that someone got a prediction wrong make the current deaths and infections acceptable.

It was a forecast, not a prediction. Saying that people will die if road safety is not improved is a forecast, because the (intent and) result may be to cause people to improve safety. Saying Arsenal will not qualify for the Champions League is a prediction. Well, a certainty, really.
 
All it seems to me is that they have shifted the blame from the gov to the individual if you feel unwell now

So you don't have to self isolate , economy doesn't suffer as much and firms won't refund you if you cancel because you feel unwell and don't want to chance it
 
It was a forecast, not a prediction. Saying that people will die if road safety is not improved is a forecast, because the (intent and) result may be to cause people to improve safety. Saying Arsenal will not qualify for the Champions League is a prediction. Well, a certainty, really.
That's pedantic, I think you understand what I meant .
Forecast is a calculation or estimate of future events.
Prediction is the act of declaring or indicating something in advance.
Usage
Forecast is specially used with weather and economic trends.
Prediction can be used in almost any context.
 
Nobody wants it to be permanent, but keeping hygiene measures until the vaccination pressed down endemic numbers more would have given us a better chance in the long run. If case numbers bounce back, there will be no option but to reinstate some measures.
Is there a view of what ‘more pressed down endemic numbers‘ are?
 
With reference to the thread title, one extremely trivial way it affected me is I became, obsessed I suppose, with checking various stats. Have been weaning myself off recently and in the spirit of closing off ...
Back on 22nd of December I noted that "the UK became the 11th country to reach the 1000 deaths per million population ? The USA will follow in a few days."
Today, using this measure, the USA for the first time moved above the UK
USA 20th 1923/mil
UK 21st 1922/mil

Now, this doesn't really matter of course. I'd been tracking partly due our similar values, way of life etc. The similarity in vaccine take up (in the early months). The numbers had remained close. In spring when the UK was doing so well it came within a few days of happening but then the UK numbers picked up and the gap widened again. I guess recently USA has worsened a little faster than the UK.

I know that comparing countries is of low value, there are so many differences in what has been recorded. Peru I think deserves a mention. They revised their figures a couple of months back and jumped to the top of the list at 5899/mil

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-57307861
I'm sure there's a few other countries who haven't been as 'honest'

Incidentally Hungary top the list in Europe with 3119/mil

Anyway, time to crack on with a bit more normality....
 
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