[COVID-19] General Discussion

[Which Tyler]

Covid-19: Liverpool to pilot city-wide coronavirus testing

It will use rapid results tests that could be offered to "millions" by Christmas, the PM says.

www.bbc.co.uk

Bit of glimmer of hope if it works. Being able to test so quickly, so frequently if the next best thing to a workable vaccine.

Combine that with a functional Test and Trace system, and we'll have this virus under control pretty quickly.
I'll believe it when I see it, not when BJ announces it.

 

[Al Bangor]

I am sorry to hear about your uncle.
I got cancer last August. Luckily I had private medical via my work and got operated within 2 days of diagnosis. And that was before the pandemic. But still need to go for regular testing - blood tests and MRI.

My oncologist tried to keep delaying my appointment in May and then June's before I put my foot down and said no to him that I would keep to the appointment and he relented.

I can't imagine what it's like for the NHS. Their resources and having ICU beds stacked again with COVID patients is going to make it even worse for other patients. Excess deaths from the Knock on effect of COVID is also going to be a killer.

If this second wave is even worse than the first one then we will need all that extra capacity in the NHS and the nightingales as possible. It's all about preparation. And just learning to live with it without all people taking the precautions is getting us to the same point again like in March.

And now the population is going to kick back even more now a likely month lockdown is coming into force.

I'm sorry that you have cancer too. I hope you're doing well after your surgery. Blessings to you and Tallshort's uncle.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

I'm sorry that you have cancer too. I hope you're doing well after your surgery. Blessings to you and Tallshort's uncle.

Thanks for your kind words.

Thankfully they got it out of me and I was only stage 1. But I am still at higher risk of it coming back and that is why I still need to go for regular testing every 3 months for 2 years post op and regular annual checks up to 10 years after. If it does then I will need chemo, which I really do want to avoid if I can.

That's why it makes me angry why certain people in the population don't understand why it's important to control this virus. It's not just about COVID patients but also the knock on effect if our hospitals resources are totally overwhelmed by it. No country or Government wants to go into lockdown if they can avoid it. But UK one has seriously mishandled it here yet again after March. It truly beggars belief.

And good luck to your country today and hopefully the country will Dump Trump and by a landslide. Although sadly he would still be in office until January inauguration even if he were to lose.

 

[Al Bangor]

Thanks for your kind words.

Thankfully they got it out of me and I was only stage 1. But I am still at higher risk of it coming back and that is why I still need to go for regular testing every 3 months for 2 years post op and regular annual checks up to 10 years after. If it does then I will need chemo, which I really do want to avoid if I can.

That's why it makes me angry why certain people in the population don't understand why it's important to control this virus. It's not just about COVID patients but also the knock on effect if our hospitals resources are totally overwhelmed by it. No country or Government wants to go into lockdown if they can avoid it. But UK one has seriously mishandled it here yet again after March. It truly beggars belief.

And good luck to your country today and hopefully the country will Dump Trump and by a landslide. Although sadly he would still be in office until January inauguration even if he were to lose.

It seems that the USA and UK are in the same sinking boat. Our hospitals are overwhelmed when they shouldn't be. If most people took Covid-19 seriously back in March it probably wouldn't still be in pandemic mode today. But Trumpanzee and his super spreader followers have spun it out of control with their selfish and ignorant behavior.

On a brighter note, your personal news sounds positive and that's great.

 

[duncanb]

Pulse.co.uk ( medical professionals news paper) reporting breaking news covid vaccine to be rolled out December to frontline staff and over 85s.
Would add Mrsduncanb has kot heard anything at her practice but obviously the news came up on her PC as it's full of medical news.
She says generally reliable.
Hopefully see more across main news outlets.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

How interesting is it that whenever a country is about to go into it's cold months, this Virus appears to spread even more. And yet, the Flu is something non-existant this year.

And then people still say there is no evidence to support that this Virus is being affected by heat/cold.

Half of Europe is going into a hard lockdown now, while other countries in the SH are seemingly so close to being effectively prepared that no further outbreaks could happen, it makes you think that this virus is perhaps just the new flu which we will get.

....didn't Europe and north america have their first major outbreaks in March/April...ie Spring and they carried on into Summer?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Perhaps but you can purchase alcohol from my local to drink at home under normal circumstances not sure why you cannot do it in lock down. Might pop down my local as its open tonight when it's normally shut on a Monday. Will sing when will I see you again to my pint of Doombar...

The first article that came up on the (Irish) news site I frequent this morning was about a U-turn on this. Not exactly what I was looking for but enjoy the lockdown pints!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Government must be dizzy as hell with all the u-turns they've been doing

 

[Which Tyler]

Government must be dizzy as hell with all the u-turns they've been doing

That'd explain why Raab fell flat on his face when attempting a side-step.
Well, that plus inherent incompetence

 

[McTallshort]

The first article that came up on the (Irish) news site I frequent this morning was about a U-turn on this. Not exactly what I was looking for but enjoy the lockdown pints!

Going to check that out now!

 

[TRF_heineken]

....didn't Europe and north america have their first major outbreaks in March/April...ie Spring and they carried on into Summer?

That's when most countries had their outbreaks, not just Europe and America. It was when the virus started to spread as it reached the majority of areas and the governments weren't prepared for what was to come.

It's also when most countries went into a hard lockdown. And it's only after the spreading started, that international travel by most, if not all countries were stopped.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

That's when most countries had their outbreaks, not just Europe and America. It was when the virus started to spread as it reached the majority of areas and the governments weren't prepared for what was to come.

It's also when most countries went into a hard lockdown. And it's only after the spreading started, that international travel by most, if not all countries were stopped.

Yeah, but the summer didn't stop it spreading did it

 

[TRF_heineken]

Yeah, but the summer didn't stop it spreading did it

No it didn't and that's not what I'm contending, as a lot of people get the flu in the summer too. I for one only get Flu in January or October which is Summer in South Africa.

I'm saying is that in the winter time, it appears that this virus appears to be more productive in affecting more people, even now with everyone doing social distancing, sanitizing and wearing face masks.

It's just an anomaly for me, that the entire Europe is going into hard lockdowns now, while Countries in the SH are nearly back to normal.

 

[Which Tyler]

I'm saying is that in the winter time, it appears that this virus appears to be more productive in affecting more people, even now with everyone doing social distancing, sanitizing and wearing face masks.

But there's literally no evidence for this view; and even if it is true, there are many more likely reasons for it than "cold"

If you're discounting the first spike in the NH in Spring/Summer because it was a new virus; then you also have to discount the first spike in the SH in Autumn/Winter because it was a new virus.
If we're discounting the first spike, then there hasn't been a winter yet anywhere else in the world. A spike that happens before the weather turns cold really can't be blamed on the cold.

 

[TRF_heineken]

But there's literally no evidence for this view; and even if it is true, there are many more likely reasons for it than "cold"

If you're discounting the first spike in the NH in Spring/Summer because it was a new virus; then you also have to discount the first spike in the SH in Autumn/Winter because it was a new virus.
If we're discounting the first spike, then there hasn't been a winter yet anywhere else in the world. A spike that happens before the weather turns cold really can't be blamed on the cold.

Yeah, that's one side of the coin and, yes the lack of evidence isn't helping my case at all. But based on the global decline in flu, while this pandemic has overtaken everything, where people with flu-like symptoms test positive for COViD, just gives me the impression that it's the new superflu

 

[Kiwiwomble]

I mean, the flu has been so uncommon because so many people are practicing better personal hygiene and not interacting as much (offices etc)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Plus flu season, in the NH, is Dec - Mar, so we're not there yet

 

[Which Tyler]

Yeah, that's one side of the coin and, yes the lack of evidence isn't helping my case at all. But based on the global decline in flu, while this pandemic has overtaken everything, where people with flu-like symptoms test positive for COViD, just gives me the impression that it's the new superflu

It isn't - but "flu like symptoms" just means that it's a respiratory virus.
As above though, there's no evidence that flu is lower during flu season, as you're discounting the first spike for the SH and the NH hasn't entered flu season.
Equally, and as above, we EXPECT flu season to be quiet this year, not because flu is being mis-diagnosed as Covid, but because the things that stop covid spread are even more effective at stopping flu spread. Because they're both a respiratory virus.

Flu is an influenza virus; covid is a coronavirus - they're as similar as humans are to pandas - and only that similar because they're both respiratory viruses.

 

[McTallshort]

How the hell are illegal car washes allowed to stay open but pubs are not?

Isn't it bad enough that these places are allowed to carry on laundering money and exploring migrants at the best of times without them taking the **** during lockdown

 

[ncurd]

If something is already illegal I don't think the lockdown is going to stop them?

Are you sure it's illegal car washes and not legal ones?