SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)

[Jippy]

Fortunately I can work from home with no issues. You can tell from my username I live in Purley. To get to work I walk to the station, get the overland train to Victoria or London Bridge and then its a bus or a tube to Covent Garden/Leicester Sq.
If my employer told me I had to be in the office there is no other option other than public transport. I do have a car, but parking is scarce and would cost £40-£50 per day. I do have a pushbike, but its a 12 mile round trip on busy (or maybe not so busy now?) roads. Only takes a lorry to do an unexpected left turn and you are a streak of jam on the road. Not going to be an option for me.
I'd imagine millions of other people are in the same boat, so what do they think would happen?
I can only imagine its a calculated action, surely nobody could be that stupid that they thought everyone would magically find new ways to get into work whilst still social distancing?

Yeah I'd have a similar length cycle from Brook Green to Vauxhall- Hammersmith Broadway and Vauxhall Bridge roundabout are just two of the total death traps for cyclists along the way.

Even if I did, the office has four showers for c200 people, which would create its own issues.

I don't have a car right now either and not sure people not living realise how nigh on impossible it is to park in central London anyway. Not as in hard to find a space, more as in no parking is tolerated anywhere to force people into public transport or cabs.

 

[The Purley King]

Not all workplaces have showering facilities either and I wouldn’t want to do a 6 mile bike ride and then sit down to a full days work without a shower first.

Very good point!
Would be one way to naturally social distance yourself though. Just stink and nobody comes near you.......

 

[RobinLFC]

Jesus. Really?

Would be the cautious approach but also death to tourism during the summer. What percentage of the population has the time and money to go into quarantaine for 14 days first before starting their holiday?

 

[The Purley King]

Yeah I'd have a similar length cycle from Brook Green to Vauxhall- Hammersmith Broadway and Vauxhall Bridge roundabout are just two of the total death traps for cyclists along the way.

Even if I did, the office has four showers for c200 people, which would create its own issues.

I don't have a car right now either and not sure people not living realise how nigh on impossible it is to park in central London anyway. Not as in hard to find a space, more as in no parking is tolerated anywhere to force people into public transport or cabs.

just realised I should have said 12 miles each way, so 24 miles every day.
I’d be fitter than I am now thats for sure. Not too many cycle lanes up through streatham and Brixton though, let alone on the Purley way so I really wouldn’t fancy it.

 

[DoomSlayer]

Jesus. Really?

Yes. Their argument is that all EU members already had similar restrictions, so there is no need to continue with such harsh measures.

There is also an argument about doing everything possible to make sure the summer holiday season goes as normal as possible.

 

[SteveJ]

Spoiler

 

[Ekkie Thump]

Headline is a little misleading but still:

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An internal NHS update email seen by HSJ, which is meant to tell local organisations how many residents and staff in their areas have tested positive, states that full information is “increasingly becoming unavailable” and cannot be reported “until further notice”.

Instead the reporting is based only on NHS lab tests, which make up less than half of total tests now being carried out, a proportion which is still shrinking further.

Also of interest, unless i'm missing something, is that any deaths that come from testing outwith pillar 1 seem not to be included in official figures:

All the deaths data shown on this website are deaths of people who have had a positive test result confirmed by a Public Health or NHS laboratory.

The data do not include deaths of people who had COVID-19 but had not been tested, people who were tested positive only via a non-NHS or Public Health laboratory, or people who had been tested negative and subsequently caught the virus and died.
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/about

 

[JPRouve]

Jesus. Really?

Not really no. From what I have seen, the EU recommend to progressively reopen internal borders and that member states adapt their travel measures based on each countries sanitary context and not go with blanket measures. They also recommend that member states cooperate.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Came across this article just now saying that the US and UK are leading their conversational rhetoric around WAR!

https://theconversation.com/governm...en-it-comes-to-public-health-messaging-137550

Not really a real study but seems somewhat true. Spirit of the blitz and all that.

 

[africanspur]

Headline is a little misleading but still:

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Also of interest, unless i'm missing something, is that any deaths that come from testing outwith pillar 1 seem not to be included in official figures:

I don't know how they would know about the 1st group (we can obviously suspect but can't say with 100% certainty without a post mortem I guess), second point not sure about and third point..well I'd say the same as the first. How do we know they've subsequently caught the virus if we've not tested or they've tested negative in their subsequent illness?

Death certificates are legal documents and we have to be careful what we put on there.

 

[Ekkie Thump]

I don't know how they would know about the 1st group (we can obviously suspect but can't say with 100% certainty without a post mortem I guess), second point not sure about and third point..well I'd say the same as the first. How do we know they've subsequently caught the virus if we've not tested or they've tested negative in their subsequent illness?

Death certificates are legal documents and we have to be careful what we put on there.

I just put the full quote in for context, the second point is the one I'd like clarification on. I've bolded the salient bit now.

 

[africanspur]

I just put the full quote in for context, the second point is the one I'd like clarification on.

Ah fair enough. That I'm not sure about sorry, as our trust has scaled up our own lab massively so think we're currently doing it all in house.

 

[Zexstream]

So many people thinking its all over.

I wonder what this thread will look like in 30 days, good or bad?

 

[Sylar]

The Government are also suggesting that people work different shifts to spread the demand for public transport out - e.g. instead of everyone starting at 8/9am, some could start at midday, others at 4pm, etc.

I mean if something is a good idea, I will say good idea.
But suggesting things and throwing things out there without a plan in place is inexcusable.

I also wonder how that is put into practice. Not everybody is the same in the same circumstances. Starting at 4pm for some might be fine (if they dont have family or kids). Shift work is doable when people sign up for it. Throwing it on people with a plan is bonkers and can lead to a snowball of issues.

No. I work for the "media" and the blame is on the government. We were criticised for being too harsh on them and not matching to their war drum.

These pictures and videos aren't to point the finger at the public but the government. Look at the coverage post Boris speech. Even Daily Mail had their knives out

That might be the case. But anybody reading the headline will see it as blaming the people not the government.
Government says 'a;
Public not following 'a'

 

[dwd]

So many people thinking its all over.

I wonder what this thread will look like in 30 days, good or bad?

Who thinks it's all over?

 

[Zexstream]

Who thinks it's all over?

Some of the wider general public do, especially with governments announcing border restrictions being removed and holidays going ahead this year.

 

[onemanarmy]

Some of the wider general public do, especially with governments announcing border restrictions being removed and holidays going ahead this year.

Which countries have had border restrictions removed? Here it's communicated that you probably won't be able to travel abroad this summer.

 

[onemanarmy]

This confused me - I'm not following the press conference but I read that "training in groups up to 20 people" was allowed outside. I assumed that meant football's allowed as well again, but that would contradict the social distancing part. Maybe they only mean cycling in groups and stuff like that.

There's a lot of sports you can do outside without close contact of course, football wasn't mentioned.

 

[dwd]

Some of the wider general public do, especially with governments announcing border restrictions being removed and holidays going ahead this year.

Ah ok, thought you meant on here. In the UK summer is cancelled for us apparently.

 

[Pagh Wraith]

Which countries have had border restrictions removed? Here it's communicated that you probably won't be able to travel abroad this summer.

Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria are ceasing most of their border controls this week. All borders will reopen completely on Jun 16.

 

[arnie_ni]

No. I work for the "media" and the blame is on the government. We were criticised for being too harsh on them and not matching to their war drum.

These pictures and videos aren't to point the finger at the public but the government. Look at the coverage post Boris speech. Even Daily Mail had their knives out

The headline says buses are packed despit the government asking people to avoid public transport... thats shifting the blame to the people on the buses

 

[arnie_ni]

Not all workplaces have showering facilities either and I wouldn’t want to do a 6 mile bike ride and then sit down to a full days work without a shower first.

I live in a small town in NI. Ive always wanted to cycle to work and this is the exact reason why I don't.

 

[FootballHQ]

So, which countries did well so far? We shall base our wild assumptions on random and biased news reports.

Here's my Top 5:

1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. Israel
4. Singapore
5. South Korea

Greece? They had a very stringent lockdown and despite being tourist hotspot haven't had many deaths at all.

 

[Tibs]

It's been about 2 weeks I think since B&Q fully re-opened, a lot more take aways opened up, and obviously this week garden centres, and more people back to work.

When would we be looking to see any upward trends for infection? End of May, or longer?

 

[Abizzz]

It's been about 2 weeks I think since B&Q fully re-opened, a lot more take aways opened up, and obviously this week garden centres, and more people back to work.

When would we be looking to see any upward trends for infection? End of May, or longer?

It varies for different regions but my guess is that it's already happened and now it's just a matter of lag until it's reflected in the numbers.

 

[Zexstream]

It's been about 2 weeks I think since B&Q fully re-opened, a lot more take aways opened up, and obviously this week garden centres, and more people back to work.

When would we be looking to see any upward trends for infection? End of May, or longer?

Upto 30 days I read, 14 days for transmission, 1-2 weeks after to show symptoms and require medical attention.

 

[dumbo]

Phew, what a tough ordeal PMQs is for Boris Johnson:

It sounds like the enactment of a real life Human Centipede, only with willing participants.

 

[Ludens the Red]

Lockdown measures were announced on 23rd March, a day when there were supposedly 967 new cases in the UK. Now we are easing lockdown while they are reporting 3-4,000 new cases per day. Surely anyone can see this is not going to work out well.

They’re testing a significantly higher number of people though, to be expected really right?

 

[Jippy]

just realised I should have said 12 miles each way, so 24 miles every day.
I’d be fitter than I am now thats for sure. Not too many cycle lanes up through streatham and Brixton though, let alone on the Purley way so I really wouldn’t fancy it.

Christ, 12.6 miles for me and just realised the route also includes Hyde Park Corner. No thanks.

 

[horsechoker]

So much for social distancing

6 months ago I wouldn't have felt anything looking at that picture, now I feel claustrophobic, the train looks tiny. I've been on the tube many times and never felt uncomfortable.

 

[Shakesy]

So many people thinking its all over.

I wonder what this thread will look like in 30 days, good or bad?

The second wave of this thread will be something to behold. This thread is just a puppy. Wait till it becomes a rabid beast in 2021

 

[Shakesy]

6 months ago I wouldn't have felt anything looking at that picture, now I feel claustrophobic, the train looks tiny. I've been on the tube many times and never felt uncomfortable.

Where are all the women?

 

[horsechoker]

Where are all the women?

I can see one next to the man in the red coat

 

[Ludens the Red]

No

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And the media are blaming the public not the government

Yeah, what choice do the public have.
I feel part of the onus is on TFL to do something too. Although as they’ve had two months of significant financial loss I don’t expect that to happen, especially on trains and tubes. They’ll be needing to recover.
Guess this is what happens when you grossly overpay a ‘selective’ group of your staff.

 

[Rado_N]

Christ, 12.6 miles for me and just realised the route also includes Hyde Park Corner. No thanks.

The R0 of cycling through there must be about 10*



* I know that doesn’t directly translate I just wanted to make a joke.

 

[United Hobbit]

Didnt they loosen the 2 metre rule to 2 metres "where possible" so I can see them dodging the rammed bus questions by merely saying it isnt possible or some other blame dodging answer.

Like people have said you cant blame the people on the bus if they are late for work no doubt there will be disciplinaries etc. If the option is get this bus and the next one isnt due for a while you'll have to get this one. What about the key workers who are now having to deal with even busier buses?

They've rushed to open too many places, wait until they drop the wfh if possible advice, and you then add the school run plus other businesses returning...

Wait until bank holiday if its sunny because you're allowed to go to the park/ beach all day if you want.... I'd have kept the lockdown until after then, apart from maybe allowing construction type places. They seem to be doing massive steps not the baby ones they keep saying they would do... I'd maybe have increased the trains and buses first as well, at least in cities, before sending people back

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

Christ, 12.6 miles for me and just realised the route also includes Hyde Park Corner. No thanks.

Hyde Park corner is a dream on a bike. Very well controlled and safe.

 

[SteveJ]

Still waiting for Boris's Damascene conversion...

 

[buchansleftleg]

I really hope that I'm proved wrong and we don't get a second wave following this ridiculous easing way too early. However even if I am proved wrong everyone needs to realise that Bojo has just essentially bet the countries health on calling back and spinning the roulette wheel.

He's a very dangerous man and can't be trusted - don't be fooled by the "bumbling idiot" act. He's a nasty piece of work.

 

[United Hobbit]

For all the criticism about the government's vagueness and ambiguity, they've nevertheless managed to use the words 'You MUST return to work' regularly enough; a mere coincidence, I'm sure.

So true