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

Brwned said:
A legitimate worry no doubt, but I couldn't handle worrying about another thing completely outside our control!



Do people worry about the new variant in South Africa? I know they've been talking about it since November but it sounded a bit academic at that point, and it handed filtered down to the population. And I do think people in rich countries do think about the problems differently. People in the UK say "why do I have to go to work when I can't see my friends?" while people in Turkey said "I don't care about the virus and all of the restrictions, I gotta work 'cause I gotta eat".
Click to expand...
Much more the Turkey approach.
Unfortunately our government is so broke (due to corruption) that closing the economy down will result in more deaths due to hunger for the poor.

Also, it’s a bit of a perfect storm. This time of the year is the prime holiday period for the wealthy as it’s the middle of summer. So the virus is just going to continue spreading. It’s looking really dire.
 
Traub said:
I know two people who have had it twice. Once at the start in March and again recently. This is in South Africa, so no idea if it has anything to do with the variant.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen any studies that have found large numbers of reinfection (doesn't mean they don't exist though) but if one of those positive tests wasn't a false one that is a little worrying. It may point to waning immunity after 6 months, especially in the case of mild infections.
 
Another day another new policy :lol: I've been back in the UK 2 weeks and am about to enter a 6th new set of rules.

I'm waiting for Matt Hancock to throw his notepad on the floor and storm out, yelling feck it I give up you're all on your own.
 
Hammerfell said:


Mass testing in Liverpool clearly worked.
Click to expand...


Bizarre it's not been systematically rolled out in key cities since then.

Also why are people traveling abroad at the moment? Granted some essential travel may be necessary.

So many selfish folk. All those people rushing out of London to lower tier places make my blood boil.
 
Vitro said:
I haven't seen any studies that have found large numbers of reinfection (doesn't mean they don't exist though) but if one of those positive tests wasn't a false one that is a little worrying. It may point to waning immunity after 6 months, especially in the case of mild infections.
Click to expand...

Anecdotally, there’s loads of examples of reinfection. Every hospital doc I know has at least one colleague who’s had it twice. Those numbers will get higher and higher in the coming months. I’m just hoping that a more severe dose, second time round, is very rare.
 
Last edited:
11101 said:
Another day another new policy :lol: I've been back in the UK 2 weeks and am about to enter a 6th new set of rules.

I'm waiting for Matt Hancock to throw his notepad on the floor and storm out, yelling feck it I give up you're all on your own.
Click to expand...
You should be able to get back to Italy soon, hopefully. It's safer here now than in the UK.
 
Penna said:
You should be able to get back to Italy soon, hopefully. It's safer here now than in the UK.
Click to expand...

Yes supposedly from today we can, with a negative test.

I'm giving a friend a lift home after Christmas, we all just want to get out of here now before it gets even worse.
 
It's crazy in my area in Kent we've gone from 6.6 in 100,000 towards the back end of September to 630 in 100,000 as of yesterday. With area's bordering all having higher rates of infection, including one of 940 per100,000. I genuinely don't see a quick end in site especially with the large numbers who commute from the worst affected area in large numbers for work and education around the county.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Anecdotally, there’s loads of examples of reinfection. Every hospital doc I know has at least one colleague who’s had it twice. Those numbers will get higher and higher in the coming months. I’m just hoping that a more severe dose, second time round, is very rare.
Click to expand...

Very interesting, I had no idea it was so widespread.
 
Vitro said:
Very interesting, I had no idea it was so widespread.
Click to expand...

You can never trust anecdotes and it’s possible that each “I know a guy” story is a very small number of cases becoming legendary in hospital small talk. It’s always been likely repeat infections would happen though. It’s been the case with common cold coronaviruses since forever.
 
This news about a second variant from South Africa sounds worrying. Somebody reassure me it’s not please.
 
Woodzy said:
This news about a second variant from South Africa sounds worrying. Somebody reassure me it’s not please.
Click to expand...

There have been loads of different variants since the pandemic started. These recent ones have coincided with a period of explosive growth in case numbers. So the worry is that the virus has become more transmissible. But we have to bear in mind there might be other reasons for explosive growth this past month i.e. everyone losing their mind in the run up to Christmas, socialising and shopping like maniacs, just like they do every year.

Is that reassuring?
 
11101 said:
Yes supposedly from today we can, with a negative test.

I'm giving a friend a lift home after Christmas, we all just want to get out of here now before it gets even worse.
Click to expand...
You'll need to do the 14 days in quarantine too, unfortunately. The website thelocal.it has all the info, as ever - have you got your residency documents with you, by the way?
 
Looks like Ireland in the shit now, big time. Quickest rise in cases of anywhere in Europe. Barely 2 or 3 weeks after getting our 14 day incidence down to amongst the very lowest. Crazy how quickly this thing can get away from you, if you let your guard down even a tiny bit.

On a side note, this also torpedoes the “it’s the schools!” arguments. Schools have been open since September and the Irish caseload graph has gone up, come right down, then shot up again. All without any change in the behaviour of the kids at school.

@Brwned

*To be clear, cases came down before half term and this recent dramatic escalation only started several weeks after they came back. What we do have, however, is a very clear correlation with pubs/restaurants/offices/non-essential retail reopening after shutting them got the numbers right down.
 
Last edited:
Pogue Mahone said:
Looks like Ireland in the shit now, big time. Quickest rise in cases of anywhere in Europe. Barely 2 or 3 weeks after getting our 14 day incidence down to amongst the very lowest. Crazy how quickly this thing can get away from you, if you let your guard down even a tiny bit.

On a side note, this also torpedoes the “it’s the schools!” arguments. Schools have been open since September and the Irish caseload graph has gone up, come right down, then shot up again. All without any change in the behaviour of the kids at school.

@Brwned

*To be clear, cases came down before half term and this recent dramatic escalation only started several weeks after they came back. What we do have, however, is a very clear correlation with pubs/restaurants/offices/non-essential retail reopening after shutting them got the numbers right down.
Click to expand...

That’s wild. I just had it in my mind things were all rosy down south and the Brits coming through the back door might create a bit of a problem. feck knows what happens now with that plus Christmas partying...
 
Have tested positive today. Got a fever that comes and goes but get's worse at night to the point of shivering, slight shortness of breath, rough throat and chest, occasional dry chesty cough, fatigued. Still got my sense of taste and smell though so gonna at least be able to enjoy food whilst isolating.

Could have been much worse!
 
Brwned said:
That’s wild. I just had it in my mind things were all rosy down south and the Brits coming through the back door might create a bit of a problem. feck knows what happens now with that plus Christmas partying...
Click to expand...

Looks like the Brits snuck through the back door a while ago...
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Looks like Ireland in the shit now, big time. Quickest rise in cases of anywhere in Europe. Barely 2 or 3 weeks after getting our 14 day incidence down to amongst the very lowest. Crazy how quickly this thing can get away from you, if you let your guard down even a tiny bit.

On a side note, this also torpedoes the “it’s the schools!” arguments. Schools have been open since September and the Irish caseload graph has gone up, come right down, then shot up again. All without any change in the behaviour of the kids at school.

@Brwned

*To be clear, cases came down before half term and this recent dramatic escalation only started several weeks after they came back. What we do have, however, is a very clear correlation with pubs/restaurants/offices/non-essential retail reopening after shutting them got the numbers right down.
Click to expand...

Despite the doom and gloom I’m actually feeling optimistic/positive for the first time in ages. A hard lockdown for January and February (which are shite months anyway) should give us space and time to vaccinate the elderly and vulnerable. By early March we may be looking forward to a more relaxed summer.

So basically I’m hoping we just have two months left of a 12 month saga before we can begin to think about normality. I think we can do it.
 
iluvoursolskjær said:
Have tested positive today. Got a fever that comes and goes but get's worse at night to the point of shivering, slight shortness of breath, rough throat and chest, occasional dry chesty cough, fatigued. Still got my sense of taste and smell though so gonna at least be able to enjoy food whilst isolating.

Could have been much worse!
Click to expand...
Stay safe. What's the situation in your house?
 
2cents said:
Despite the doom and gloom I’m actually feeling optimistic/positive for the first time in ages. A hard lockdown for January and February (which are shite months anyway) should give us space and time to vaccinate the elderly and vulnerable. By early March we may be looking forward to a more relaxed summer.

So basically I’m hoping we just have two months left of a 12 month saga before we can begin to think about normality. I think we can do it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that’s where I’m at too. We’re in the shit but I’m perversely hopeful that this is the last really big lockdown. And, like you said, Jan/Feb are a pile of wank at the best of times.
 
Irish government advising anyone who travelled from the UK since December 11th to isolate in their rooms, including on Christmas day.

Surely if someone arrived in Ireland that long ago and followed the then advice to stay at home (as opposed to isolating in their room away from others in their home) then the virus would have already spread to the rest of the household by now?
 
The control of our borders in the UK is an utter shambles and has been from the start. We just don't seem to give a damn about people coming in and out of the country, it's just so fecking bizarre.
 
RedSky said:
The control of our borders in the UK is an utter shambles and has been from the start. We just don't seem to give a damn about people coming in and out of the country, it's just so fecking bizarre.
Click to expand...

It's more there should be checks in place. I don't like this idea of borders being closed everywhere. Only people who need to travel should. PCR tests before and on arrival with a institutional quarantine (paid for by the traveller, only exempt if you can't afford it but must travel). I don't understand why that is so difficult personally, seems to work in many other nations. Europe never really did that and their cases bouncing around shows that
 
iluvoursolskjær said:
Cheers mate. Wife and kids will be isolating with me [they aren't showing any symptoms thankfully] and I have family close by who can drop off essentials so should be alright, God willing.
Click to expand...
I hope you get better very soon, and that your family members don't show any symptoms. x
 
RedSky said:
The control of our borders in the UK is an utter shambles and has been from the start. We just don't seem to give a damn about people coming in and out of the country, it's just so fecking bizarre.
Click to expand...

People obsess a bit about closing borders but there has been a lot of pushback on the idea that it would be particularly effective once the virus is already present in the country. The below links off to a few different pieces.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...rs-really-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus/amp/

Implementing harder border controls is more complicated and nuanced an issue than it might appear offhand.
 
Just had a call from my gf, her kids dad has been working with someone who has tested positive, they have been with him, then her, and her with me. His test is tomorrow, how long roughly do test results take at the moment guys, and I'm assuming this means I should isolate immediately?
 
It's not surprising it's so bad here when the track and trace system is dogshit. My parents have covid and they get messages almost every day to tell them to isolate until a certain date but the date is never the same. The website to list where you've been and who you may have been in contact with is utter shite too apparently.

My dad is a key worker, only two people he works with got pinged by the app. The rest of them are still working! Madness.
 
acnumber9 said:
And for many people that won’t be the case. You should give up your own armchair psychiatry.
Click to expand...

Relating to how my own personal experience effects affects my ability to think rationally is hardly armchair psychiatry, echoed by the original poster who whom I was replying. Someone who actually suffers from mental health issues.

I have no idea how many people with mental health issues are incapable of rational thought due to their condition but apparently you do. But I do know a bandwagon jumper when I see one.

So thanks for the expert advise Sigmund, its much appreciated but I'll pass :lol:
 
sullydnl said:
Irish government advising anyone who travelled from the UK since December 11th to isolate in their rooms, including on Christmas day.

Surely if someone arrived in Ireland that long ago and followed the then advice to stay at home (as opposed to isolating in their room away from others in their home) then the virus would have already spread to the rest of the household by now?
Click to expand...

Incubation period can be 10 days or longer, so this advice could prevent some people from mingling with their family while shedding virus. Basically this advice is better late than never!
 
Sparky_Hughes said:
Just had a call from my gf, her kids dad has been working with someone who has tested positive, they have been with him, then her, and her with me. His test is tomorrow, how long roughly do test results take at the moment guys, and I'm assuming this means I should isolate immediately?
Click to expand...

If he goes to a test centre results are typically between 24-48 hours in my experience.
 
sullydnl said:
People obsess a bit about closing borders but there has been a lot of pushback on the idea that it would be particularly effective once the virus is already present in the country. The below links off to a few different pieces.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...rs-really-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus/amp/

Implementing harder border controls is more complicated and nuanced an issue than it might appear offhand.
Click to expand...

The difference being that having some border control would at least provide some protection to foreign mutations of the virus which have been allowed to come freely into the country with zero warning. It is probably an expensive thing to setup and that's why we're not doing it because of how broke we are as a country thanks to fecking brexit. Alternatively the Government simply don't care and have the attitude of dealing with the next crisis when it arises rather than even pretending to defend us against it.

It's a very strange way of dealing with a global epidemic though.

@Sparky_Hughes - my sister got a covid test a few days ago and it took a little bit over 48 hours to process.
 
Sparky_Hughes said:
Just had a call from my gf, her kids dad has been working with someone who has tested positive, they have been with him, then her, and her with me. His test is tomorrow, how long roughly do test results take at the moment guys, and I'm assuming this means I should isolate immediately?
Click to expand...
You don't need to isolate. If her kids dad tests positive you could consider it but even then probably not necessary.
 
Just got an NHS covid app notification to isolate for 3 days. I guess I must have been exposed to someone last Wednesday, I was in the office for the day but the colleague I was closest to hasn't had a notification or test so who knows.

No symptoms and luckily doesn't effect Christmas plans as they've already all been cancelled apart from the MIL who has been living with us the last week anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.