Coronavirus - how is it/has it affected you?

Foxholer

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The whole mask thing is completely jumbled ( I'm not against masks and wear one when I feel appropriate) however there's enough doubt in my mind as to their effectiveness.
I'd love to see the data th government are using to justify their decisions.

Where will you have to wear a mask?

Train ✅
Bus ✅
Shop ✅
Supermarket ✅
Bank ✅
Post Office ✅

Theatre ❌
Cinema ❌
Pub ❌
Restaurant ❌
Nightclub ❌
Concert ❌
Office ❌

(From Tuesday. Based on current understanding of the Gov rule change - not yet published)
Seems to me that - notably apart from 'Office' - the 'masks optional' venues are all 'by choice' ones that depend on 'customers' for their livelihoods/commercial existence, whereas the 'masks compulsory' ones are venues where rules can be imposed without fear of significant 'commercial' consequences.
And, 'Offices' will almost certainly have their own rules - hopefully tightened up somewhat because of the new threat.
Personally, I wouldn't go to ANY of the above venues without wearing a mask (where 'practical')!
 

GB72

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If they are brought them in (and I suspect they may have to) I wonder how the fine detail of vaccine passports would work. I become entitled to get my booster from 9th December but the most covenient appointment I could get was for 19th and so I am booked in. Since the outbreak of the new strain, I have tried to move it to an earlier date but nothing showing as available. Does that mean I cannot use a vaccine passport between 9th and 19th as I am entitled to a booster but have not had it yet or will there be a grace period/
 

GB72

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Seems to me that - notably apart from 'Office' - the 'masks optional' venues are all 'by choice' ones that depend on 'customers' for their livelihoods/commercial existence, whereas the 'masks compulsory' ones are venues where rules can be imposed without fear of significant 'commercial' consequences.
And, 'Offices' will almost certainly have their own rules - hopefully tightened up somewhat because of the new threat.
Personally, I wouldn't go to ANY of the above venues without wearing a mask (where 'practical')!

At least we never stopped wearing masks at work in communal areas. I do not have to wear one in my office but need to wear one everywhere else in the building.
 

road2ruin

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I wasn't actually referring to you, but you seem to recognise yourself. And you are the one who is getting personal. If that is how you want to play it ...

Send me a reference. I will review it if it is published in a reputable journal, seeing as how I am a man of science and all.

Alternatively, just put on the flipping mask and act like a responsible person who is willing to show respect for others.

This isn't meant to antagonise however a genuine question. Aren't mask studies a little redundant as we have real life figures that show that they do little to stop the spread, don't we just look at the countries that have had strict mask mandates and see how their figures are going through the roof to prove that? I agree with your earlier comment that masks are an easy option, they take no effort to do and they give the impression that more restrictions are being put in place. The restrictions that really do stop the spread are limiting contact and WFH however both of those have economical impacts therefore the powers that be are more reticent to go back down that path.
 

Foxholer

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At least we never stopped wearing masks at work in communal areas. I do not have to wear one in my office but need to wear one everywhere else in the building.
Understandable, though not particularly effective imo.
Do you have colleagues come into your office/go into offices of colleague(s)?
Either of the above turns the office into a 'communal' area with (potentially) virus contamination!
 

GB72

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Understandable, though not particularly effective imo.
Do you have colleagues come into your office/go into offices of colleague(s)?
Either of the above turns the office into a 'communal' area with (potentially) virus contamination!

Masks on for both parties if you go into someone elses office.
 
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If you think that is a rant ....

I see you have not finished avoiding the question, though, which says much about the quality of your arguments. Post a link to the article if you are serious about it.

Nope not stopped yet I see.....
 

Crazyface

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Michael Mina on Twitter: "Monitoring wastewater for viral load estimates outbreak size In just a few weeks, in Pretoria S. Africa (north of Johannesburg) viral load detected in wastewater has reached similar levels as the peak of Delta This at least indicates that transmission may be remarkably swift https://t.co/TxR7DxsOuA" / Twitter

Lets hope this doesn't continue and doesn't reflect in hospitalisations espeically as SA has a high level of protection of infection/less so with vaccines.

Worrying times again :(

Going to be probably 2 weeks before we know for certain, how it all stands.

I saw someone on TV last night saying they had not noticed anything really bad on the effects of this new variant. No worries from me then, just fed up I'm now expected to wear a mask again at work. I'm going to claim a medical reason not to and see how that pans out.
 

Ethan

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This isn't meant to antagonise however a genuine question. Aren't mask studies a little redundant as we have real life figures that show that they do little to stop the spread, don't we just look at the countries that have had strict mask mandates and see how their figures are going through the roof to prove that? I agree with your earlier comment that masks are an easy option, they take no effort to do and they give the impression that more restrictions are being put in place. The restrictions that really do stop the spread are limiting contact and WFH however both of those have economical impacts therefore the powers that be are more reticent to go back down that path.

Do we have real world evidence to show that? SE Asian countries which have high use of masks have had more cases lately but are still well behind the UK and Western Europe.
 

Foxholer

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I saw someone on TV last night saying they had not noticed anything really bad on the effects of this new variant. No worries from me then, just fed up I'm now expected to wear a mask again at work. I'm going to claim a medical reason not to and see how that pans out.
Irresponsible imo! Both to youself/family and to work colleagues
 

GB72

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Still a bit of copout compromise imo, but understandable.

How else would you do it, not got the necessary secure, locked fireproof cabinets at home to be able to work there, cannot shut the business down until this is over, cannot keep people locked in their offces due to needing copiers, bathrooms, kitchen etc. How else would you do it that would not, to your mind, be a copout compromise. Having people in rooms on their own for most of the day and imposing covid protective measures in areas where people do share facilities seems anything but a copout to me.
 
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Tested positive today for the first time. I was at a conference last week, ironically with many delegates from the vaccine taskforce. Everyone had to have a neg LFT before attending. Of course it could have been there but the place I felt most vulnerable was on the rail network in England.
Had to wear masks on the Scotland and Wales legs of the journey but England was a free for all.
 

road2ruin

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Do we have real world evidence to show that? SE Asian countries which have high use of masks have had more cases lately but are still well behind the UK and Western Europe.

I was mainly thinking about Europe, they've had the mask mandate throughout the whole of this, along with Scotland/Wales and their numbers don't appear to have been drastically reduced by mask wearing.
 

Foxholer

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How else would you do it, not got the necessary secure, locked fireproof cabinets at home to be able to work there, cannot shut the business down until this is over, cannot keep people locked in their offces due to needing copiers, bathrooms, kitchen etc. How else would you do it that would not, to your mind, be a copout compromise. Having people in rooms on their own for most of the day and imposing covid protective measures in areas where people do share facilities seems anything but a copout to me.
Applying 'wear mask everywhere' would be 'better' imo. 'Bit of a copout' only applied to the 'single person in own office' situation.
 
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