When will this shit end?

[DeanoL]

4 hours ago, JoeyT said:

I can understand the reasons it is perhaps easier to police nationally but at the same time surely you can see why it's frustrating for those who live in the areas with low rates currently to be staring down the barrel of a national lockdown?

The low rates are still increasing, and will increase to levels where intervention will be needed before even the most positive forecasts for a vaccine. So a lockdown will be required at some point in the next three months even there. So why not do it at the same time throughout the country?

Believe me, if cases were going down in some areas I'd be in agreement with you!

[FestivalJamie]

16 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

No, I know you don't want to catch it and I certainly don't recommend it. But I bet your mental health would improve afterwards if you did.

hmm, don't want to take the risks! 

[MEGABOWL]

8 hours ago, steviewevie said:

 

1) Of course people have eaten out. Shopping is only close behind. These are everyday activities for a lot of people 

2) What comes under ‘Other’? That’s actually the biggest.

[MEGABOWL]

9 hours ago, Fuzzy Afro said:

I think the feeling of authoritarianism is the biggest thing for me. My parents live in Glasgow, so I legally can’t visit them at the moment. I’ve chosen not to for a while because staying away is responsible and keeps them safe, but I always knew I had the option if I really wanted to. Now it’s illegal. And that really makes it feel so much worse. 

It’s actually quite scary that Government can mandate that

[steviewevie]

10 minutes ago, MEGABOWL said:

2) What comes under ‘Other’? That’s actually the biggest.

dogging?

[steviewevie]

Morning. I wonder how big the Trafalgar Sq protest will be today, and if the police will go in hard again like they did last time?

[Ozanne]

Take a look at this madness. 

 

[zahidf]

6 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

Morning. I wonder how big the Trafalgar Sq protest will be today, and if the police will go in hard again like they did last time?

Harder the better. Knock some brain cells into those anti mask twats

[zahidf]

Faucci says that a vaccine will be available in the US for Nov/Dec

[Toilet Duck]

20 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

Take a look at this madness. 

 

OMFG...She’s so right...all those superhero movies...they’ve been planning this for years! Aaaahhhhh...

[MEGABOWL]

9 hours ago, shoptildrop said:

I have to say I had a wobble earlier in the week when they basically sayings its gonna be up to 6 months.... sure I knew it wasn't going to go away anytime soon but 6 months put us to March and I have 2 rescheduled gigs one in Feb and one in March but I cannot see them happening now which really made me sad  

A lot of people I know-previously very strong, very cautious people-have ‘gone’ this last few days. More and more I’m hearing about ‘little’ rule breaks and ‘I’m young I’d rather just get it and get it over with.’ It’s really got me thinking about Human Nature and how unsustainable the current situation is.
 

Humans are capable of amazing levels of empathy and consideration for others....to a point. But we’re also naturally sociable people, we draw great solace and life force from contact with others especially those we care about. Leisure activities may seem trivial-a music festival, Afternoon Tea with your Mum, reminiscing with your Gran, Football at the weekend, your Child seeing a friend-but they’re what keep us going. They’re what gets us through the week. 
 

At first it was OK, it was ‘oh I won’t be able to go to the pub for a bit, haha I’ll see you on Zoom.’ But the longer it goes on the more genuine stress this puts on people. And we haven’t hit the Unemployment buffers yet-IMO we’re still paying for the Mass Unemployment of the late 70s and early 80s. Now we’re going to throw loads of young people on the scrapheap with the potential for negative effects on life outcomes that can cascade through generations.
 

I’m increasingly convinced the current situation is unsustainable. It may last the Winter. But step back from it. We’re asking, what, 98% of the population to make genuine sacrifices that become more Major over time to protect 1-2% that are at risk. We’re putting people out of work and into Financial and Mental strife to protect somebody they don’t know, when there is very little risk to themselves. That can’t last. And it doesn’t make people selfish or brutal, it’s just Human Nature. 

 

So I think we’ve got the Winter like this. But after that if there’s no Vaccine we need another plan. And a better plan than ‘the current restrictions but with Troops on the streets.’ The Libertarian idea of protecting the vulnerable is difficult but we’ve got months to figure out how to do it best we can. At some point that is going to become the least damaging approach.

[eFestivals]

40 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

Morning. I wonder how big the Trafalgar Sq protest will be today, and if the police will go in hard again like they did last time?

could go either way.

I think it's possible that it'll be much smaller because people don't want to get covid.  

[zahidf]

8 minutes ago, MEGABOWL said:

A lot of people I know-previously very strong, very cautious people-have ‘gone’ this last few days. More and more I’m hearing about ‘little’ rule breaks and ‘I’m young I’d rather just get it and get it over with.’ It’s really got me thinking about Human Nature and how unsustainable the current situation is.
 

Humans are capable of amazing levels of empathy and consideration for others....to a point. But we’re also naturally sociable people, we draw great solace and life force from contact with others especially those we care about. Leisure activities may seem trivial-a music festival, Afternoon Tea with your Mum, reminiscing with your Gran, Football at the weekend, your Child seeing a friend-but they’re what keep us going. They’re what gets us through the week. 
 

At first it was OK, it was ‘oh I won’t be able to go to the pub for a bit, haha I’ll see you on Zoom.’ But the longer it goes on the more genuine stress this puts on people. And we haven’t hit the Unemployment buffers yet-IMO we’re still paying for the Mass Unemployment of the late 70s and early 80s. Now we’re going to throw loads of young people on the scrapheap with the potential for negative effects on life outcomes that can cascade through generations.
 

I’m increasingly convinced the current situation is unsustainable. It may last the Winter. But step back from it. We’re asking, what, 98% of the population to make genuine sacrifices that become more Major over time to protect 1-2% that are at risk. We’re putting people out of work and into Financial and Mental strife to protect somebody they don’t know, when there is very little risk to themselves. That can’t last. And it doesn’t make people selfish or brutal, it’s just Human Nature. 

 

So I think we’ve got the Winter like this. But after that if there’s no Vaccine we need another plan. And a better plan than ‘the current restrictions but with Troops on the streets.’ The Libertarian idea of protecting the vulnerable is difficult but we’ve got months to figure out how to do it best we can. At some point that is going to become the least damaging approach.

For me, the mask wearing is fine, hand washing is fine but social distancing is the tough one.

[dotdash79]

But of a pointless app, how is it meant to trigger the contact tracing

[steviewevie]

10 minutes ago, MEGABOWL said:

So I think we’ve got the Winter like this. But after that if there’s no Vaccine we need another plan. And a better plan than ‘the current restrictions but with Troops on the streets.’ The Libertarian idea of protecting the vulnerable is difficult but we’ve got months to figure out how to do it best we can. At some point that is going to become the least damaging approach.

Protecting vulnerable very difficult...and that won't be solved in a few months, especially seeing as resources are going to be consumed with health care problems, test and trace problems, brexit etc. If no vaccine I think we'll get more waves, but maybe they will get less intense, and maybe the restrictions will be less necessary. But, hopefully we'll have a vaccine widely available by next spring/summer.

[Toilet Duck]

8 minutes ago, dotdash79 said:

But of a pointless app, how is it meant to trigger the contact tracing

What the what?? Even our shower of incompetent eejits managed to roll out a functioning app months ago, what on Earth have the UK government been at all this time? 

[MEGABOWL]

19 minutes ago, zahidf said:

For me, the mask wearing is fine, hand washing is fine but social distancing is the tough one.

Same here. People can get into very good habits when it comes to Masks, Hygiene, Ventilation at very little cost. But that isn’t being emphasised anymore.

[fatyeti24]

1 hour ago, Ozanne said:

Take a look at this madness. 

 

plus ca change

 

[MEGABOWL]

18 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

Protecting vulnerable very difficult...and that won't be solved in a few months, especially seeing as resources are going to be consumed with health care problems, test and trace problems, brexit etc. If no vaccine I think we'll get more waves, but maybe they will get less intense, and maybe the restrictions will be less necessary. But, hopefully we'll have a vaccine widely available by next spring/summer.

Very difficult to do with 100% effectiveness, but something that if there’s no Vaccine we are going to have to attempt. We aren’t managing it now by restricting the whole population. If we try we can protect the vulnerable much better than we do from other illnesses and develop a framework and approach that could serve us well in future.

I don’t think there’s a realisation yet of just how bad things are going to get re.Unemployment after this Furlough scheme ends but as a Socialist it scares me to death. At some point we are going to have to start properly balancing the damage and gain from Plan A (Number goes up = restrict people further) against the potential damage and again of Plan B (unprecedented protection for those who really need it). Especially as Plan A is unsustainable and either leads to decreasing effectiveness or an authoritarian nightmare.

[Zoo Music Girl]

29 minutes ago, dotdash79 said:

But of a pointless app, how is it meant to trigger the contact tracing

I don't get it- where else could your test have been done?

[mikegday]

1 minute ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

I don't get it- where else could your test have been done?

All the drive thru test centres and mail order tests are privately ran. This is referring to those done in hospitals by NHS. 

[zahidf]

At least we aren't florida.. 

[zahidf]

Poor Boris:-(

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8774005/amp/Wholl-bail-Boris-Johnson-taken-vast-pay-cut-PM.html?ito=amp_twitter_share-top&__twitter_impression=true

 

Who'll bail out Boris? Johnson has taken a vast pay cut to be PM, his ex-wife Marina Wheeler is 'cleaning him out' in expensive divorce, he's unable to afford a nanny - and is forced to pay for every No10 meal himself 

[mikegday]

35 minutes ago, dotdash79 said:

But of a pointless app, how is it meant to trigger the contact tracing

So basically ‘commercial partner’ tests (drive thru centres/mail order tests) are the only ones going through the app. That is a large % on of the tests mind.

 

[RobertProsineckisLighter]

12 hours ago, FestivalJamie said:

That’s why I’ve decided not to go for move in day... I just want to see what happens with everyone moving in and then turn up a bit later. I hope I settle in ok though. 

I hope I don’t get put into isolation too, I’m gonna be super careful around campus.

University is like the start of the rest of your life. You will make friends that you keep for life, maybe even your future partner - and that all starts from day one, you won't like everyone you meet, the people you hang around with and live with at the start might not be the people you hang around with at the end and after - but they might be. Don't let Covid ruin the chance of making friends for life, and ultimately, you as a person and your future. 

Be sensible, and careful by all means but you can't just lock yourself away from it as you can't hide from it, forever without doing yourself more damage than the virus itself is likely to do to you. 

Just be sensible but don't let it control your life and experiences, you might just end up regretting it. 

Good luck with it all it's a nervous time, but overall university is an experience and you learn more about yourself and others than you do inside any lecture theatre - and you will probably invent some new comfort foods of your own that 20 years later you make on shitty days at work in the middle of winter just to hark back to days of old!