Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

at what point do you just say to yourself:
"y'know what, all these guidelines and tiers and what not have been arrived at by a shower of utter know-nothings who have routinely ignored science - maybe it's best if i just stay the fuck indoors and away from anyone, at least until such time as a provable improvement can be observed."

Like @Brommers “don’t be a dick” rules?

(I 100% empathised on this).

Thread:

https://twitter.com/JenWilliamsMEN/status/1316678603132866561?s=19

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All this cos they pissed away time to get more testing setup during summer and reopened too quickly. I mean, sure, we should not be covidiots but you can't fix stupid governance.

The way I worked it: Low risk (cinema/bus/shop with mask on derr/eating with seated people only/drinking outside at our local in good old windy Belfast): OK
Parties indoors/weddings etc.. :Nope.

Problem is if we all stay in, even more jobs are lost. As let's face it, the government help has been poor for too many sectors. We both still have our jobs.

BUT if you are near somebody who must be shielding, even that may be too much of a risk.

i wouldn't know, i've blocked the tiresome chump - but yes, i suppose.

Problem is if we all stay in, even more jobs are lost.

sure. but I'm not convinced sacrificing citizens on either side of that shitshow in service of propping up a failed, neoliberal economic system that exists to perpetuate further wealth hoarding is sending the right kinda message, like.

Mass unemployment and a vanishingly small number of individuals in possession of all the cash has never ended well.

also - staying indoors is better than... dying.

Sure, that's why I stay well away from high risk events. And if I had to take care of high risk people I'd lock myself in. I am not particularly at risk cos then... I'd lock myself in. I am not saying this is the right choice for everyone.

And the UK just happily voted in Brexit/The Cons. I don't know what to do.

Because you are right, but that's not going to magically let them open their wallets and hearts. No work? Good luck starving on universal credit. (though maybe this will wake up people...? some of them at least)

Meanwhile our local pub has to close again and they have been cooking meals for people during the first lockdown.

Pretty much what we have been doing with only a small handful of exceptions.

and i think that's what's so frustrating. as it stands, people with low incomes aren't really left with any meaningful choice. work and die of an avoidable disease, or don't work and die of fucking rickets.

i also appreciate that the ability to totally isolate is a choice only the truly privileged can make.

i also appreciate that the ability to totally isolate is a choice only the truly privileged can make.

And be able to make article about how to make lockdown fun.

I like the 'Vegan' idea - on a call with some work colleagues this morning reacting utterly aghast at the change in london status made me realise how removed I am from the norm: I'm still living in March! It'd be great to be able to communicate that.

yup, still feels like march here (glasgow) too (albeit with a little more group riding). not helped by fact we’ve been in local lockdown again since august

not socialised with anyone outside my cycling club since february. lovely stuff

Same dilemma here - I've effectively isolated for the last 6 months, outside of a bi-weekly supermarket trip and the postman occasionally dropping a parcel I've had almost zero interactions: intuitively I am surely low risk and ok to host my parents as planned.

Though that's not the letter of the law, and invariably is why we are heading back into stricter measures: everyone thinks they are being as safe as necessary (irrespective of whether they are)

Very true. My sister works for the Scottish Government and the talk around there is that it’s not solely big groups of idiots that are responsible for imposing local lockdowns - they are the most annoying and visible - but “sensible” folk just straying beyond what’s “tolerated” as they are generally acting right up to the limits of govt advice. A lot of our neighbours are just carrying on as usual, but then we live in Leith which has a lot of, ahem, characters. My steroid-munching dickhead neighbour who has been selling cars on the street for the last 7 months is just one example of not giving a fuck. No masks, sitting in the car with the “customers” whilst they hand over bundles of cash, all transactions completed with a handshake.

While I have no problem with wearing a mask, I don't think they're an effective measure at all

There's an awful lot of evidence that says they are. I do agree that masks alone are not the answer and you need distancing as well but it's not really responsible to say things like that...

generally acting right up to the limits of govt advice

If that's a problem, it's because the govt advice either isn't strict enough or clear enough. It's the equivalent of doing 30 in a 30 zone - they'll counter they're obeying the rules.

100%

We both work from home, annoying as it is, it is safe.

Working in food processing factories/carehomes/NHS? Good luck!

So what to do, well, knocking on doors asking if people are OK and raise a community £ fund/get the food bank donations coordinated better? I think there will be so much behind closed doors and people being ashamed to ask, but the local community is actually really OK.

Those people need a slap!

Hope your customers are all sensible.

I don’t disagree. Messaging up here I suppose errs on the side of “use your own common sense” which is precisely why folk are taking the piss. Aside from literally imposing a curfew I fear that will not change.

I have just after two days deliberation convinced myself it is OK to go for a beer tomorrow (second time since Feb), I am in a Tier 1 area still. It will be outdoors and is hosted by the local microbreweries and City. It appears to be obeying all the rules, outdoors, table service only, max tables of 6 early, have to book within timeslots with a complete clean between slots. I wfh and won't be in contact with anyone for the following weeks. I couldn't be more on board with being cautious but surely supporting local businesses in this way is not a risk to society?

I think the main reason for the refusal to wear masks is that they're a visible sign of government failure to curb the spread of the virus. While I have no problem with wearing a mask, I don't think they're an effective measure at all, except for certain situations like working in a hospital where you will need full PPE to work safely.

Genuinely curious, have you considered the ample evidence from Asian countries regarding the effectiveness of masks in countering respiratory illness outbreaks?

I don’t see the logic in people refusing to wear a mask, disobeying the Govt‘s instructions intended to curb the virus, then blaming the Govt for failing to curb the virus.

Interesting to hear how limited some people are being.

I'm towards the other end of the spectrum I guess (but a long way from those I see taking the piss).

On the restrictive side:-

• I'm WFH and haven't been into the office since March
  
• I have no problems wearing a mask when required/requested but don't wear one everywhere I'm out
  
• I sanitise my hands more often than others I see (e.g. entering shops/pubs/etc)
  
• I think I've used public transport < 10 times since March and never at peak times
  
• I have the NHS app and have no problem running it all the time
  
  

On the reckless side:-

• I have a child in full time education (Y6) and is mixing with the other 28 people in her class (but years are kept apart as much as they can)
  
• She's had friends over for playdates and she has gone to friends houses or local parks/etc
  
• I play 5-a-side football twice a week, which involves direct physical contact with others (one of the games is properly competitive) but we are reminded to sanitise hands after playing and I'm good at not touching my face anyway
  
• I go to the pub after 5-a-side with up to 5 others (that I've just been playing with) but we're sat outside - we might have had 7 of us for 15 minutes once (call the cops!)
  
• There might be another pub visit (inside) at the weekend with friends for a meal
  
• I've been going swimming 3 times a week indoors but the pool has all the "Covid secure" practices and I follow them
  
• I've been doing a spinning class once a week (indoors again) albeit with machines >2m apart
  
• I've donated blood twice since March, both times at the donor centre at the local hospital
  
• I go out running 3 times a week (obviously no mask) but pick routes where I can maintain social distancing and have no problems stopping to let people through the few places that are bottlenecks
  
• I go to the local supermarket 2 or 3 times a week - this is up from one big shop every 2 weeks and then a couple of top ups for perishables - no chance of getting a delivery here
  
  

The playdates, spinning class, indoor pub visits with friends will all go away from Saturday and we've moved a restaurant booking with friends (again, parents of a child in my daughter's class) to tomorrow night from Saturday night to avoid cancelling it completely.

I'll comply with the new rules but, as kl put it, more in terms of a "doing 30 in a 30 is still legal" sense.

If we still can (i.e. the restrictions don't get stricter) we'll still be going on a mini half-term break to Kent for a few days.

Whilst I'm doing all of the above I'm avoiding visiting my family. If I did want to visit my parents then I'd plan it properly and hunker down for 2 weeks properly before going to see them (but the rules pretty much prohibit it now anyway so it's a moot point).

All my local beer spots where I live are as you have described and i feel perfectly safe when there. Mask on to the toilet, loads of hand sanitizer and everyone sat far apart. It’s about as safe as you can be in a pub/ bar. I wouldn’t take my parents though.

Won’t need to worry soon as they will be closing in Manchester very soon, Andy Burnham is still fighting for us though.

By perfectly safe I don’t mean perfectly safe, as safe as you can be I would describe it as and they are very strict.

We were up in Scotland in August and the messaging there was much more cautious that it is down here. We turned the radio on and happened to hear Sturgeon saying something like "if your life feels pretty normal then you're doing it wrong". It made us feel quite guilty since we were on a completely "unnecessary" holiday and it was a strikingly different tone from the "go to the pub and wash your hands" chat that we are used to down here.