Topic: COVID-19

[Ketsbaia]

If I tag along with mam and dad for their vaccines at 4:30pm and the surgery closes at 8pm, I probably won't be offered one will I?

You hear stories of last-minute texts to stop batches going to waste.

Is there a reason you feel you need it urgently?

No, none at all. It's just these 'dont let us bin these' stories had me thinking.

Not a problem if they wont, though.

[Tomato Deuce]

Hope for a fast recovery, Deuce. Fingers crossed he doesn't get impacted too badly given his fitness but yes, does bring it home that this virus is indiscriminate.

thanks, Neil.

[Jackie Broon]

So we're essentially going back to the level of restrictions that didn't work to contain the Kent strain before this lockdown but we're still at 10k positive tests per day and now the Kent strain is the dominant strain everywhere and we'll have 25% of the population walking around with partial immunity thinking they're invincible. What could possibly go wrong?

But we're not easing restrictions today, only announcing it. Infact, the date when all social distancing restrictions gets lifted is still 4 months away. They have also said that the dates can be pushed back if the situation changes.

We're basically going back to what was tier 4 in two weeks time, tier 4 did not work to contain the surge of the Kent strain before this lockdown. It will just surge again and that will increase the likelihood of new stains that make the vaccine less effective.

We should be increasing restrictions rather than easing them because this lockdown is barely working

[Decky]

I wouldnt say its barely working. Cases and deaths have dropped massively since the peak in mid-January.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

Advocating but doubtless sitting at home posting about it.

If Gove gets in Im off on one.

[Jackie Broon]

But we're nowhere near a point where we could ease restrictions and say replace them with a test and trace system. We're not dealing with the same virus we were even when we went into this lockdown, when the Kent strain was not the main strain everywhere. Where it was tier 4 restrictions weren't enough to contain it.

[Troll]

i think cases will start to rise when schools reopen, but nowhere near as quickly as in December.  The tier 4 restriction weren't sufficient to bring case numbers back down as fast as needed, but shouldn't cause another rapid increase.  I'd expect hospitalisations and deaths to be massively reduced too.

Teachers and school staff should be prioritised for the vaccine though.

[Lazarus]

Would anyone like to guess when Boris's birthday is? 

[joeyt]

Might be an unpopular opinion but our country has such a weird relationship with alcohol.

Don't get me wrong I'm looking forward to having a pint in a pub again but my first reaction yesterday wasn't excitement that pubs and nightclubs will be reopening. I'd like to think that in the last year I've prioritised my mental health by being active with walks and runs and I'd like to think I won't fall back into the habit of drinking every weekend and having terrible hangovers.  Felt like people were more happy the pubs will be open than being able to freely see family again. There was uproar when the pubs closed initially, not sure if there was as much uproar in other countries when their bars were told to close.

Anyway probably me being a bit of a spoil sport but yesterday's reaction did surprise me a bit

[relámpago blanco]

I wonder how many pubs will actually reopen. I bet most of the small outfits have gone under

[neesy111]

Might be an unpopular opinion but our country has such a weird relationship with alcohol.

Don't get me wrong I'm looking forward to having a pint in a pub again but my first reaction yesterday wasn't excitement that pubs and nightclubs will be reopening. I'd like to think that in the last year I've prioritised my mental health by being active with walks and runs and I'd like to think I won't fall back into the habit of drinking every weekend and having terrible hangovers.  Felt like people were more happy the pubs will be open than being able to freely see family again. There was uproar when the pubs closed initially, not sure if there was as much uproar in other countries when their bars were told to close.

Anyway probably me being a bit of a spoil sport but yesterday's reaction did surprise me a bit

It's partly to due with the UK's relationship with alcohol but also our laws around licenses is very strict compared to most european countries so if you want a drink of alcohol you usually need to go to a pub and also pub's have been central to communities for centuries.  I do agree with what you are saying though, the slower the better imo.

[ponsaelius]

Pubs are central to communities and social connections in this country and have been for centuries. It isn't the case in Europe in the same way.

And anyway - there probably isn't the uproar because bars are mostly open in Europe.

[Wullie]

I don't think it's as much to do with alcohol as it is pubs being very culturally ingrained in Britain as a point of social interaction.

[madras]

But we're nowhere near a point where we could ease restrictions and say replace them with a test and trace system. We're not dealing with the same virus we were even when we went into this lockdown, when the Kent strain was not the main strain everywhere. Where it was tier 4 restrictions weren't enough to contain it.

What is this "test and trace" ?

[Elliottman]

So we're essentially going back to the level of restrictions that didn't work to contain the Kent strain before this lockdown but we're still at 10k positive tests per day and now the Kent strain is the dominant strain everywhere and we'll have 25% of the population walking around with partial immunity thinking they're invincible. What could possibly go wrong?

33% of adults already vaccinated, the groups responsible for 90% of deaths have all been vaccinated, that will increase by the time the Schools go back and even further again by the time the next set of restrictions are lifted. The objective was always stopping the NHS from being overwhelmed which should be the case moving forwards.

[neesy111]

Pubs are central to communities and social connections in this country and have been for centuries. It isn't the case in Europe in the same way.

And anyway - there probably isn't the uproar because bars are mostly open in Europe.

No they are not.  Germany, France and quite a few other counties and regions have them shut.

[ponsaelius]

So we're essentially going back to the level of restrictions that didn't work to contain the Kent strain before this lockdown but we're still at 10k positive tests per day and now the Kent strain is the dominant strain everywhere and we'll have 25% of the population walking around with partial immunity thinking they're invincible. What could possibly go wrong?

33% of adults already vaccinated, the groups responsible for 90% of deaths have all been vaccinated, that will increase by the time the Schools go back and even further again by the time the next set of restrictions are lifted. The objective was always stopping the NHS from being overwhelmed which should be the case moving forwards.

There really needs to be an unfortunate acceptance that people are going to die of Covid - even with full vaccination of the populace that's likely to be the case and continue to be so forever.

10-15,000 die over a year in the UK with flu. We don't shut down the entire economy because of the flu. 2000 people die in car accidents every year - and an estimated 30,000 die as a direct or indirect result of air pollution. But people aren't clamoring to ban cars completely. You have to reach an accepted threshold for the continuation of society.

This isn't alt-right darwinistic nonsense, this is just the reality if you approach it without hysteria. The goal has to be to bring the entire thing down to an acceptable level of harm - whatever that point is. Mass vaccination should do that.

[Jackie Broon]

So we're essentially going back to the level of restrictions that didn't work to contain the Kent strain before this lockdown but we're still at 10k positive tests per day and now the Kent strain is the dominant strain everywhere and we'll have 25% of the population walking around with partial immunity thinking they're invincible. What could possibly go wrong?

33% of adults already vaccinated, the groups responsible for 90% of deaths have all been vaccinated, that will increase by the time the Schools go back and even further again by the time the next set of restrictions are lifted. The objective was always stopping the NHS from being overwhelmed which should be the case moving forwards.

Setting the objective as being the NHS not being overwhelmed has resulted in 120,000 deaths. It is a lagging indicator, if the NHS is anywhere near being overwhelmed we're already at the point where we have 2 months+ of 500+ deaths per day, 15,000+ deaths per month, and countless other people being left with long term heath conditions. The objective should have and should be to get a keep case levels down to a level that can be controlled by testing and tracing. Each time we have left our lockdowns far too late and come out of them too soon, and we've clearly haven't learnt any lessons from that either in the government, scientific community or population.

[Lush Vlad]

Might be an unpopular opinion but our country has such a weird relationship with alcohol.

Don't get me wrong I'm looking forward to having a pint in a pub again but my first reaction yesterday wasn't excitement that pubs and nightclubs will be reopening. I'd like to think that in the last year I've prioritised my mental health by being active with walks and runs and I'd like to think I won't fall back into the habit of drinking every weekend and having terrible hangovers.  Felt like people were more happy the pubs will be open than being able to freely see family again. There was uproar when the pubs closed initially, not sure if there was as much uproar in other countries when their bars were told to close.

Anyway probably me being a bit of a spoil sport but yesterday's reaction did surprise me a bit

I can see your angle.  Since New Year, I've had a couple of rums on Valentine's Day and I didn't really enjoy them, to be honest.  I think a decent beer and I may have had a different view.  But I've not really missed the drinking, the getting p*ssed, the hangovers.  I'm a lot healthier, fitter and stronger than I've been for quite a while. 

However, I do miss the social side of it.  I guess as me and my mates have gotten older.  We do a bit more socialising at each other's houses and I enjoy that.  But when it's in a group, or just the lads.  It would always be beers on a Thursday and a catch up in the pub.  Out for a curry, then the pub.  Go and watch the football together on a Sunday...... in the pub.  I wouldn't even always drink, TBH.  I just liked the interaction and atmosphere.

I also think there is a massive "look at me" vibe around a lot of people going daft on social media about the pubs reopening.  Like you never see them out all that much and they're not even big drinkers.  But suddenly they're talking about all dayers and getting back in the local.  Do me a favour, FFS.  You'll go in there twice at the start of it all, making the local boozers annoyingly rammed.  Then once the novelty has worn off, you'll be back to not bothering.

[ponsaelius]

I don't even drink anymore

I'm secretly more looking forward to going for coffee and lunch than I am the pub. Pubs are just symbolic of normal society in this country - and that's why they seem to be the major thing people cling to IMO.

[neesy111]

So they are talking about having 90k of fans at Wembley in June for the Euros.  That's far far too quick imo.

[ponsaelius]

Yeah even for me that's a bit soon I reckon. To be honest I wish they'd just delay the Euros until next summer. World Cup is in the winter anyway, just rejig the league seasons a bit.

[Wullie]

If they're going to reopen schools in a fortnight, I really don't know why they've not set aside one or two days and just vaccinated as many school staff as possible. At the rate they've been going they could have done first doses for the lot in a couple of days.

[madras]

So we're essentially going back to the level of restrictions that didn't work to contain the Kent strain before this lockdown but we're still at 10k positive tests per day and now the Kent strain is the dominant strain everywhere and we'll have 25% of the population walking around with partial immunity thinking they're invincible. What could possibly go wrong?

33% of adults already vaccinated, the groups responsible for 90% of deaths have all been vaccinated, that will increase by the time the Schools go back and even further again by the time the next set of restrictions are lifted. The objective was always stopping the NHS from being overwhelmed which should be the case moving forwards.

There really needs to be an unfortunate acceptance that people are going to die of Covid - even with full vaccination of the populace that's likely to be the case and continue to be so forever.

10-15,000 die over a year in the UK with flu. We don't shut down the entire economy because of the flu. 2000 people die in car accidents every year - and an estimated 30,000 die as a direct or indirect result of air pollution. But people aren't clamoring to ban cars completely. You have to reach an accepted threshold for the continuation of society.

This isn't alt-right darwinistic nonsense, this is just the reality if you approach it without hysteria. The goal has to be to bring the entire thing down to an acceptable level of harm - whatever that point is. Mass vaccination should do that.

Thats already a given. Dont think anyone is expecting it eradicated but accepting of flu like levels.

[Colo's Short and Curlies]

So we're essentially going back to the level of restrictions that didn't work to contain the Kent strain before this lockdown but we're still at 10k positive tests per day and now the Kent strain is the dominant strain everywhere and we'll have 25% of the population walking around with partial immunity thinking they're invincible. What could possibly go wrong?

33% of adults already vaccinated, the groups responsible for 90% of deaths have all been vaccinated, that will increase by the time the Schools go back and even further again by the time the next set of restrictions are lifted. The objective was always stopping the NHS from being overwhelmed which should be the case moving forwards.

There really needs to be an unfortunate acceptance that people are going to die of Covid - even with full vaccination of the populace that's likely to be the case and continue to be so forever.

10-15,000 die over a year in the UK with flu. We don't shut down the entire economy because of the flu. 2000 people die in car accidents every year - and an estimated 30,000 die as a direct or indirect result of air pollution. But people aren't clamoring to ban cars completely. You have to reach an accepted threshold for the continuation of society.

This isn't alt-right darwinistic nonsense, this is just the reality if you approach it without hysteria. The goal has to be to bring the entire thing down to an acceptable level of harm - whatever that point is. Mass vaccination should do that.

Thats already a given. Dont think anyone is expecting it eradicated but accepting of flu like levels.

I'd say on internet forums there are as many people holding a view that 0 deaths is the only acceptable position as there are those who just want to open things up now. Thankfully the internet is still a realtively empty vessel where the voices of the extreme ends of the spectrum are the loudest, the general public are a lot more centered and as you say accept that Covid is now just one of many things that will cause people to die off each year, but hopefully at much, much smaller numbers