When will this shit end?

[Fuzzy Afro]

4 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

This really is a shit thread these days.

 

I haven't been posting much lately, mainly because the thread is about a pandemic which has been over as a public health crisis in the UK for a few weeks now so there's no need to sit on here all day through lockdown. Time to get outside and start enjoying life again. 

[efcfanwirral]

21 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

It's snowing again 

Hahaha fair enough. Not arguing there, I'll toughen up to be a proper Englishman one day I'm sure...

[efcfanwirral]

16 minutes ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

 

I haven't been posting much lately, mainly because the thread is about a pandemic which has been over as a public health crisis in the UK for a few weeks now so there's no need to sit on here all day through lockdown. Time to get outside and start enjoying life again. 

Show me where I can and I will 😂

It's over for me when we get to 21st June and live events happen (full capacity I mean) 

Edited March 15, 2021 by efcfanwirral

[Zoo Music Girl]

1 hour ago, shoptildrop said:

I've said it before once we start opening back up it's going to take time for a lot of people to get used to social situations, crowds etc.. I know I'm going to have my work cut out easing the fella out the house as he had anxiety before all this and covid has not helped that tbh

Article in the Guardian on how to talk those baby steps back to normality

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/mar/15/how-to-address-social-anxiety

 

On a side note yesterday the 14th March was the last time I met with my friends socially 😞 I've done one brief doorstep visit before Christmas to drop some presents off, but all other interactions have been at either the supermarket or the post office... it's been along time!!

Thanks for sharing that, I found it helpful. I've not been quite as locked down as you as we got out and a bit over summer, but even then it felt quite odd to do it. But it did get easier after the initial weirdness. It's now been more than three months since I spoke to anyone in real life that isn't my partner (besides deliveries, shop etc) and before that it was another two months. It's hard to just bounce back to normal after that and I don't think it's a realistic expectation to do it either.

[Zoo Music Girl]

1 hour ago, zahidf said:

NHS leaders in England admitted to the Guardian that they fear that the row in Europe will lead to Britons shunning the AZ jab.

Ruth Rankine, primary care director at the NHS Confederation, which represents the 1,260 primary care networks of GP surgeries that have played a key role in the rollout, said:

Health leaders are concerned that the decisions from some European countries to temporarily suspend the roll out of the AstraZeneca vaccine will affect how confident people in England are about getting immunised, despite the EMA not having altered its license and the World Health Organisation explaining that there is no reason to stop administering it.

“This is particularly worrying as it is coming at a time when the national lockdown restrictions are beginning to be relaxed, when our vaccine stock has increased this week, and when we can see the benefits of the vaccinations coming through in reduced transmission.

“It is right that all concerns are investigated thoroughly and our members will continue to be guided by the advice of our independent regulator [the MHRA], which has maintained that both vaccines available in the UK are safe.”

Must admit this is a bit of a worry for me as I have my first volunteering shift on Wednesday! Slightly concerned that numbers will be down or people will be asking questions I can't easily answer 😞

[Hannibal Schmitt]

good, Austria continues with AstraZeneca and not going the way most other countries in the EU (including

Germany and France) are going.

[rascalpete]

7 minutes ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

Must admit this is a bit of a worry for me as I have my first volunteering shift on Wednesday! Slightly concerned that numbers will be down or people will be asking questions I can't easily answer 😞

Hey, which role are you doing again? I did my second shift yesterday and didn’t get any awkward questions, some weird ones but none linked to all this but I guess it’s been bigger news today. There are plenty of approachable healthcare professionals around and you will be supported by your shift lead... and if you’re a vaccination care volunteer, then you’ll be in the final area where folks have already have had their jabs and you’ll bypass these types of questions (which will be pre-jab)... I’m a VCV and have no contact with citizens before they’ve had their jab, you’ll be great, enjoy it 🙂  

[Lizzim]

59 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

They're smearing it to divert attention from their Own fuckkups as politicians do

Thanks for the voice of reason.  This thread is turning a bit nasty I fear.   There is no national exceptional-ism.  Everyone is as good or as bad as each other - state or individual.

[Zoo Music Girl]

5 minutes ago, rascalpete said:

Hey, which role are you doing again? I did my second shift yesterday and didn’t get any awkward questions, some weird ones but none linked to all this but I guess it’s been bigger news today. There are plenty of approachable healthcare professionals around and you will be supported by your shift lead... and if you’re a vaccination care volunteer, then you’ll be in the final area where folks have already have had their jabs and you’ll bypass these types of questions (which will be pre-jab)... I’m a VCV and have no contact with citizens before they’ve had their jab, you’ll be great, enjoy it 🙂  

Thanks for the reassuring words! Glad to hear your second shift was all good. I'm a patient advocate so at the opposite end of the process, but yes as you say it's not my job to get into the specifics. I'm looking forward to getting started, but I'm a bit nervous as it's my first one and this just feels like extra stress! Sure it will be fine as you say.

[rascalpete]

1 minute ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

Thanks for the reassuring words! Glad to hear your second shift was all good. I'm a patient advocate so at the opposite end of the process, but yes as you say it's not my job to get into the specifics. I'm looking forward to getting started, but I'm a bit nervous as it's my first one and this just feels like extra stress! Sure it will be fine as you say.

I hear you, I was the same before my first shift, but once you’re there, in the zone and chatting to people it all disappears, you’ll be  great! Good luck

[Paul ™]

Portugal removed from the 'Red List' from Friday, so no longer enforced quarantine for anyone returning back to the UK who has been there in the previous 10 days.

 

 

[Zoo Music Girl]

3 minutes ago, rascalpete said:

I hear you, I was the same before my first shift, but once you’re there, in the zone and chatting to people it all disappears, you’ll be  great! Good luck

Thanks 🙂 I will no doubt report back! 

[Mr.Tease]

1 hour ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

That's exactly what's happened here. A hostile foreign power is seeking to smear a (perfectly good) vaccine for no reason other than the fact that it's a British vaccine. 

 

They tried this previously with the trial data on over 65's and ended up with egg on their face, and now they're jumping on it again at the first sign of any adverse effect.

 

The motivation behind this may be partially Brexit related, but also sour grapes that the EU-backed GSK/Sanofi effort turned out to be a complete dud while the Oxford effort actually works.

 

Incredibly reassuring that our world beating scientists are defending the vaccine, and that hundreds of thousands of Brits will have the Oxford/AZ effort to help get our country out of this mess while the Europeans continue to dither and delay.

You do know Astrazenica are British-Swedish multinational corporation, and the vaccine got it’s initial approval thanks to volunteers in Brazil, South Africa and the US, don’t you? Science is one of the greatest examples of international cooperation and contribution we have.

Fortunately the co-creator of the vaccine doesn’t share your little England mentality, in fact just the opposite. 

 

The co-creator of the Oxford vaccine has called on people to give money to support coronavirus vaccination in poorer countries.

Professor Sarah Gilbert is backing a new campaign launching today, which asks people in the UK to give money to the World Health Organisation COVID-19 relief fund when they receive the date for their coronavirus vaccination.

 

"We produced and developed the Oxford vaccine as a vaccine for the world," Professor Gilbert said about the campaign, which is called Arm in Arm.

"We are happy to support a new initiative to get COVID vaccines to as many people as possible."

[StuMalinas]

7 minutes ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

Thanks 🙂 I will no doubt report back! 

Good luck. Thanks for giving up your time, SJA and GoodSam volunteers have been brilliant throughout the whole pandemic and without you guys Health and social care would be on its knees!

[stephos83]

9 minutes ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

Thanks 🙂 I will no doubt report back! 

Yep you'll be absolutely fine, it's so nice (I've found) to just be interacting with people again! Most people don't ask anything too complicated or challenging when I've been at mine. And if they do, I think simply reassuring them and asking them to speak to their vaccinator is enough. We've only had to get the clinical lead in a couple of occasions in the four weekends I've worked.

[JoeyT]

A reminder of the good vaccines can do...

 

[Fuzzy Afro]

11 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

A reminder of the good vaccines can do...

 

This is over as a health crisis in the UK. 

[Toilet Duck]

Anyway...as an aside to some of the crazy chat here this evening...two consecutive days with no deaths here in Ireland! Hopefully the beginning of the end (not there yet, but it’s been a long winter!)...

[StuMalinas]

7 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

Yeah I hear North Korea is a lovely place to live.

It’s actually a really interesting place to visit, highly recommend it

[Zoo Music Girl]

22 minutes ago, stephos83 said:

Yep you'll be absolutely fine, it's so nice (I've found) to just be interacting with people again! Most people don't ask anything too complicated or challenging when I've been at mine. And if they do, I think simply reassuring them and asking them to speak to their vaccinator is enough. We've only had to get the clinical lead in a couple of occasions in the four weekends I've worked.

Thank you! Also very reassuring 🙂

[StuMalinas]

Just now, Barry Fish said:

Would you live there?

Hell no. I only went for 8 days on a tour and most of the stuff we saw was scripted 

[JoeyT]

 

[efcfanwirral]

20 minutes ago, Barry Fish said:

You blew up my point by taking it on the chin 😄 

😂😂 got to pick battles and brexit is done and dusted. Snowflake doesn't bother me, it's a good grounding word rather an an insult...

[xxialac]

2 hours ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

That's exactly what's happened here. A hostile foreign power is seeking to smear a (perfectly good) vaccine for no reason other than the fact that it's a British vaccine. 

 

They tried this previously with the trial data on over 65's and ended up with egg on their face, and now they're jumping on it again at the first sign of any adverse effect.

 

The motivation behind this may be partially Brexit related, but also sour grapes that the EU-backed GSK/Sanofi effort turned out to be a complete dud while the Oxford effort actually works.

 

Incredibly reassuring that our world beating scientists are defending the vaccine, and that hundreds of thousands of Brits will have the Oxford/AZ effort to help get our country out of this mess while the Europeans continue to dither and delay.

I worry about your level of paranoia.

Getting towards 5G conspiracy theory levels...

[efcfanwirral]

1 hour ago, steviewevie said:

This really is a shit thread these days.

Currently one of the best sources of entertainment around so I'm quite enjoying it!