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

"The number of deaths is still a far-cry away from the peak of the pandemic during the spring, when more than 9,400 patients died in the worst week. And to bring the figures into perspective, Covid-19 was only responsible for one in 16 total deaths in the UK in the most recent week, and flu and pneumonia killed twice as many people."

For those who are confused by this - this is an article from the Daily Mail about the amount of deaths registered two weeks ago. The average at the time was around 100 a day. You only need to look at the death figures for the last seven days (exactly 200) to see that the number will now be in line with flu and pneumonia and spreading a lot quicker.
 
My whole family recently recovered from Covid. We had a moderate fever for a week or so - and that's about it. Only my father steps out of the house for work and I have been working from home for the last seven months. I would say that if anyone in the family gets it, then there is a good chance that everyone else in the family will get it too.

How long would we now be immune? I have been reading conflicting reports on the internet.
 
My whole family recently recovered from Covid. We had a moderate fever for a week or so - and that's about it. Only my father steps out of the house for work and I have been working from home for the last seven months. I would say that if anyone in the family gets it, then there is a good chance that everyone else in the family will get it too.

How long would we now be immune? I have been reading conflicting reports on the internet.

Nobody knows and anybody who says otherwise is lying.

We know there is some immunity and we're pretty sure it's not lifelong, but the virus is too new to draw any other conclusions. Best guess at the moment is a year or two.
 
It was struggling to cope with the surge. So as numbers got higher and higher we might underestimate more and more. However it shouldn’t cause total daily positives to decrease.

Total numbers aside, the positivity % has decreased from last week. Which also points towards things getting back under control. Mind you, I’d want to see more than just a few days data to have any confidence this is more than a blip in an upward trend.
But wouldn't the positivity rate go down when tracing falls away and those most likely to be positive dont know to go for tests? People love small numbers but I go the other way, I want large numbers because it means they're being caught, anything else right now isnt realistic.
I just think its too early into lockdown to be optimistic about these numbers
 
But wouldn't the positivity rate go down when tracing falls away and those most likely to be positive dont know to go for tests?
I just think its too early into lockdown to be optimistic about these numbers

Positivity rate will go up as soon as community testing starts to flounder because the emphasis shifts to sicker people self presenting, with a higher chance of being positive. The better we get at tracing and testing all contacts the lower the positivity rate. It’s currently at 5.7% which is still too high but good to see it lower than this time last week.

Here’s an article about the recent problems they have had which seem to have been fixed (or on the way to being fixed anyway).

I agree that it’s too early to get optimistic but would definitely prefer to see these numbers than the sort of increases we saw in recent weeks.
 
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There were arguments in this thread about the morality of people not isolating if they had come into contact with someone who has shown symptoms, or if they had any reasons to suspect they may have Covid. I think this points out why it's not so easy to make those judgement calls - if self-isolating sees your income fall to a level where you can't afford to pay your bills or feed your children, then why would you? You would obviously take the risk, hope that you don't make anyone unwell, but assume that the odds are in your favour that it's not worth you putting yourself (and potentially your loved ones) into a dire situation it's hard to get out of.
 
My whole family recently recovered from Covid. We had a moderate fever for a week or so - and that's about it. Only my father steps out of the house for work and I have been working from home for the last seven months. I would say that if anyone in the family gets it, then there is a good chance that everyone else in the family will get it too.

How long would we now be immune? I have been reading conflicting reports on the internet.

any ideas how you caught it? How it got in to your house?
Glad you are all ok
 
There were arguments in this thread about the morality of people not isolating if they had come into contact with someone who has shown symptoms, or if they had any reasons to suspect they may have Covid. I think this points out why it's not so easy to make those judgement calls - if self-isolating sees your income fall to a level where you can't afford to pay your bills or feed your children, then why would you? You would obviously take the risk, hope that you don't make anyone unwell, but assume that the odds are in your favour that it's not worth you putting yourself (and potentially your loved ones) into a dire situation it's hard to get out of.
Yeah myself and others argued at the time about not judging those who can't afford to see their income fall. Some may well be in a position to but for millions of people across the country that simply isn't the case, they're on the precipice as it is and our SSP is a joke and not fit for purpose. I hope a consequence of COVID will be that we realise as a country how our benefits system and systems of support for people who need it is in need of a major overhaul and action is taken. Wishful thinking most likely, however.
 
Yeah myself and others argued at the time about not judging those who can't afford to see their income fall. Some may well be in a position to but for millions of people across the country that simply isn't the case, they're on the precipice as it is and our SSP is a joke and not fit for purpose. I hope a consequence of COVID will be that we realise as a country how our benefits system and systems of support for people who need it is in need of a major overhaul and action is taken. Wishful thinking most likely, however.
Yeah, good luck with that.
 
There were arguments in this thread about the morality of people not isolating if they had come into contact with someone who has shown symptoms, or if they had any reasons to suspect they may have Covid. I think this points out why it's not so easy to make those judgement calls - if self-isolating sees your income fall to a level where you can't afford to pay your bills or feed your children, then why would you? You would obviously take the risk, hope that you don't make anyone unwell, but assume that the odds are in your favour that it's not worth you putting yourself (and potentially your loved ones) into a dire situation it's hard to get out of.
Yeah myself and others argued at the time about not judging those who can't afford to see their income fall. Some may well be in a position to but for millions of people across the country that simply isn't the case, they're on the precipice as it is and our SSP is a joke and not fit for purpose. I hope a consequence of COVID will be that we realise as a country how our benefits system and systems of support for people who need it is in need of a major overhaul and action is taken. Wishful thinking most likely, however.

This is definitely important and it looks as though EU countries with a better safety net in terms of sick pay seem to be doing less bad (nobody is doing well right now!)

I don’t think this means that we can assume that people failing to self isolate despite no financial downside isn’t also an issue. There’s a hell of a lot of people in the UK who can easily self isolate without becoming out of pocket at all. If every one of them did the right thing your stats on compliance would look much better.

Only 11 per cent of people in the UK in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 are quarantining, and just 18 per cent of those who develop symptoms are self-isolating, according to new research from King’s College London.
 
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"The number of deaths is still a far-cry away from the peak of the pandemic during the spring, when more than 9,400 patients died in the worst week. And to bring the figures into perspective, Covid-19 was only responsible for one in 16 total deaths in the UK in the most recent week, and flu and pneumonia killed twice as many people."
Ohhh I think one walks amongst us.
 
It's so out of control here. According to the numbers we've got 'only' 150-200 people dying per day due to covid the last few weeks but excess deaths last week were over 3k. Our government has also decided it's good time to ban abortion now, which has prompted protests and people on the streets so they can blame the outbreak of covid-19 on the pandemic (shifting the blame is their only goal because hospitals are done for anyway). Our death toll for yesterday was 236, on all Facebook posts about that people are laughing all over the place about fake pandemic and how all those people died from other causes for sure, and that we should all go out and protest against government taking away our freedom by forcing us to wear masks (same shit different day).

UK, Spain and Italy in Q2 will look wonderful compared to what we are going to have here and the worst thing is, people will still be laughing about all these deaths. I feel like crying. My mate's friend had his mother, father and grandpa infected within a few days. His grandfather and father died the same week. We are going to have so many more of these soon and there's nothing we can do because nobody here thinks it's issue, or that it's even a real virus.
 
It's so out of control here. According to the numbers we've got 'only' 150-200 people dying per day due to covid the last few weeks but excess deaths last week were over 3k. Our government has also decided it's good time to ban abortion now, which has prompted protests and people on the streets so they can blame the outbreak of covid-19 on the pandemic (shifting the blame is their only goal because hospitals are done for anyway). Our death toll for yesterday was 236, on all Facebook posts about that people are laughing all over the place about fake pandemic and how all those people died from other causes for sure, and that we should all go out and protest against government taking away our freedom by forcing us to wear masks (same shit different day).

UK, Spain and Italy in Q2 will look wonderful compared to what we are going to have here and the worst thing is, people will still be laughing about all these deaths. I feel like crying. My mate's friend had his mother, father and grandpa infected within a few days. His grandfather and father died the same week. We are going to have so many more of these soon and there's nothing we can do because nobody here thinks it's issue, or that it's even a real virus.
Sorry to hear about your friends family Sarni, all the best, stay safe.
 
For those who are confused by this - this is an article from the Daily Mail about the amount of deaths registered two weeks ago. The average at the time was around 100 a day. You only need to look at the death figures for the last seven days (exactly 200) to see that the number will now be in line with flu and pneumonia and spreading a lot quicker.
I was of the understanding that Covid deaths were now already ahead of Influenza and Pneumonia.
I thought the general consensus was that Influenza and Pneumonia attributed mortalities were heavily reduced due to Covid taking the lives of a large amount of at risk people.
 
It's so out of control here. According to the numbers we've got 'only' 150-200 people dying per day due to covid the last few weeks but excess deaths last week were over 3k. Our government has also decided it's good time to ban abortion now, which has prompted protests and people on the streets so they can blame the outbreak of covid-19 on the pandemic (shifting the blame is their only goal because hospitals are done for anyway). Our death toll for yesterday was 236, on all Facebook posts about that people are laughing all over the place about fake pandemic and how all those people died from other causes for sure, and that we should all go out and protest against government taking away our freedom by forcing us to wear masks (same shit different day).

UK, Spain and Italy in Q2 will look wonderful compared to what we are going to have here and the worst thing is, people will still be laughing about all these deaths. I feel like crying. My mate's friend had his mother, father and grandpa infected within a few days. His grandfather and father died the same week. We are going to have so many more of these soon and there's nothing we can do because nobody here thinks it's issue, or that it's even a real virus.

Sounds like things are really tough for you. Can I suggest you take a break from Facebook? This pandemic is tough on everyone’s mental health and I’m convinced that spending any time immersed in all the bullshit and negativity it provokes on social media will only sour your mood even further. I deleted Facebook years ago (because it’s awful) but got quite addicted to Twitter. I’ve cut my Twitter use right down and notice a very obvious downturn in my mood for an hour or two after spending any time on there. I think I might keep off it altogether.

Everything will turn out ok in the end. Eventually. All pandemics burn out. That’s what they do. Stay focussed on that and try to only think about the things within your control. Such as your own use of social media and trying to find stuff to enjoy in your day to day life. Best of luck.
 
Sounds like things are really tough for you. Can I suggest you take a break from Facebook? This pandemic is tough on everyone’s mental health and I’m convinced that spending any time immersed in all the bullshit and negativity it provokes on social media will only sour your mood even further. I deleted Facebook years ago (because it’s awful) but got quite addicted to Twitter. I’ve cut my Twitter use right down and notice a very obvious downturn in my mood for an hour or two after spending any time on there. I think I might keep off it altogether.

Everything will turn out ok in the end. Eventually. All pandemics burn out. That’s what they do. Stay focussed on that and try to only think about the things within your control. Such as your own use of social media and trying to find stuff to enjoy in your day to day life. Best of luck.
Yeah I think this is great advice. My mental health definitely took a boost when I deleted FB. Since got rid of Instagram which helped further and I perhaps spend between 45 minutes and an hour on Twitter across a day, which is OK (but a definitely noticeable dip in mood similar to Pogue).
 
Everything will turn out ok in the end. Eventually. All pandemics burn out. That’s what they do. Stay focussed on that and try to only think about the things within your control. Such as your own use of social media and trying to find stuff to enjoy in your day to day life. Best of luck.
Well said, and important to remember this.

I think as humans we suffer from mental biases which tend to make us overly optimistic about the short-term, and overly pessimistic about the long-term.
 
Because they’re fcuking stupid.

We have solutions to the stupidity of the British condition.

Have a National ‘Zoom Christmas’. Get a throng of 10,000 celebrities, sports people, politicians, and encourage people to have Virtual Xmas days online. Have celebrities Zoom-Bomb those family fun times throughout the day.

That’s an arse fart of an idea that would probably placate people while still being additive. People would love it. Nobody will act responsibly unless they have reason to.

Everyone staying home, hoping to get David Beckham or Adele dialling in as they open their Xmas presents with Mum and Nan... ending up with Joey Essex.

We can find ways to solve problems without throwing our arms in the air saying ‘Ah feck it’
Zoom is not the answer to everything.
 
Sounds like things are really tough for you. Can I suggest you take a break from Facebook? This pandemic is tough on everyone’s mental health and I’m convinced that spending any time immersed in all the bullshit and negativity it provokes on social media will only sour your mood even further. I deleted Facebook years ago (because it’s awful) but got quite addicted to Twitter. I’ve cut my Twitter use right down and notice a very obvious downturn in my mood for an hour or two after spending any time on there. I think I might keep off it altogether.

Everything will turn out ok in the end. Eventually. All pandemics burn out. That’s what they do. Stay focussed on that and try to only think about the things within your control. Such as your own use of social media and trying to find stuff to enjoy in your day to day life. Best of luck.

I think that's a sound advice. Gonna take a break from FB, will only keep Messenger. This won't make all the idiots go away though, the last three times I went to a shop to buy food there was police arguing with an anti-masker.
 
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I took a break from Facebook 2 weeks ago, the kind of idiots @Sarni describe, perpetuate my feed, some of them family.

feel so much better staying away from that shit
 
I also deleted Facebook a couple of years ago, and would strongly recommend it to anyone!

The caf more than satisfies my appetite for bullshit.
 
I think that's a sound advice. Gonna take a break from FB, will only keep Messenger. This won't make all the idiots go away though, the last three times I went to a shop to buy food there was police arguing with an anti-masker.
It must be very hard when you're a sensible, rational person to see this on a significant scale in your own country. I'm really sorry. All you can do is protect yourself as much as possible when you have to go out and make sure your family are protected, too.
 
I also deleted Facebook a couple of years ago, and would strongly recommend it to anyone!

The caf more than satisfies my appetite for bullshit.

Yeah. Facebook is a cesspool of scum, deleted it years ago. I've stopped using Reddit and unfollowed everything political on Instagram as well. Too much negativity on the internet now.
 
I’m all for free speech, but there are people like that idiot from right said Fred on Facebook spouting some really stupid shit.

There is also a young girl called Ellie Grey on Facebook that is really pushing the anti vaccine agenda and people are lapping it up.
 
I’m all for free speech, but there are people like that idiot from right said Fred on Facebook spouting some really stupid shit.

There is also a young girl called Ellie Grey on Facebook that is really pushing the anti vaccine agenda and people are lapping it up.
So you’re all up for free speech as long as it’s the same as your opinion?
 
I’m all for free speech, but there are people like that idiot from right said Fred on Facebook spouting some really stupid shit.

There is also a young girl called Ellie Grey on Facebook that is really pushing the anti vaccine agenda and people are lapping it up.
If everyone deleted Facebook the world would be a better place. What value does it add to people’s lives? It’s come a long way from being a better version of friends reunited.
 
So you’re all up for free speech as long as it’s the same as your opinion?
Anti vaccination stuff isn’t just people’s opinion though. It’s a concerted effort to undermine one of the worlds most important public health measures based on disinformation. The platform given by social media has taken it into the mainstream at a time where uptake of immunisation is going to be really important. I’m of the opinion that social media platforms should have responsibility for the content that they allow to be spread.
 
If everyone deleted Facebook the world would be a better place. What value does it add to people’s lives? It’s come a long way from being a better version of friends reunited.

I keep in touch with my widely scattered family and friends but don't get news from it, so I find it much better than Twitter which I largely avoid.
 
So you’re all up for free speech as long as it’s the same as your opinion?
Freedom of speech doesnt mean you can say anything. Hate speech or saying things that would incite actions that harm people isnt covered under any freedom of speech right.

People often use it as an excuse to spout a lot of nonsense..
Anti vaxxers with their pseudo science cant claim to be protected under freedom of speech.
 
Anti vaccination stuff isn’t just people’s opinion though. It’s a concerted effort to undermine one of the worlds most important public health measures based on disinformation. The platform given by social media has taken it into the mainstream at a time where uptake of immunisation is going to be really important. I’m of the opinion that social media platforms should have responsibility for the content that they allow to be spread.
Freedom of speech doesnt mean you can say anything. Hate speech or saying things that would incite actions that harm people isnt covered under any freedom of speech right.

People often use it as an excuse to spout a lot of nonsense..
Anti vaxxers with their pseudo science cant claim to be protected under freedom of speech.
I'm just not sure there are enough “absolutes“ or knowns with this novel virus or potential vaccines to be saying one set of people is “right” or “wrong” and that one set of people shouldn’t be allowed a say.

For the record, I don’t agree with them and will be happy to be vaccinated once a safe vaccine is available
 
:lol: so they only put the new tier system in two weeks ago and already they need to change it. No wonder nobody listens to them.

I'm not sure that's what's happened here. It just seems like the mayor's own branding, possibly to displace the blame to make it sound like a central government move. They're still in tier 1 at a national level and the local council has voted to add in extra measures. Which is supposed to happen in all 3 of the tiers anyway.
 
Social media is the fecking problem.
Too many arseholes with too much airtime and exposure when they actually have no fecknig clue about actual facts. Thats what makes me so angry.
Without social media the world would be a better place
 
I keep in touch with my widely scattered family and friends but don't get news from it, so I find it much better than Twitter which I largely avoid.
Buy wibcafe.net, create a forum, have them all sign up, delete Facebook, problem solved. Could even have a private sub-forum for complaining about the in-laws.