Coronavirus discussion thread

1 lurker | 136 watchers

Little Miss Happy Feb 2021 6:50am, 7 Feb 2021 4,266 posts	0 Little Miss Happy Ten miles isn't 'local' though Hunkyteddy. I was anti mask at the beginning but changed my mind with the emergence of evidence which indicated that wearing them helped to prevent infected people transmitting the disease. I do wish people would realise that they don't make them immune though and that they still need to keep their distance etc.
jda Feb 2021 7:12am, 7 Feb 2021 9,391 posts	0 jda Science isn’t just the stuff you were taught in school. Science is how we learn about new things. Of course it changes. We wouldn’t be learning new things otherwise.
Hunkyteddy Feb 2021 7:52am, 7 Feb 2021 763 posts	0 Hunkyteddy Local hasnt been defined, that is the whole point. I would class a trip from Exeter to Exmouth as local, I grew up there, I'm aware of the geography. Yes wearing the masks is more effective, but are we really all saying that the masks everyone has been wearing for the past 6 months are a waste of time? Why not go the whole hog and force everyone into hazmat suits, or ban going out completely? Where does it end?
Little Nemo Feb 2021 8:09am, 7 Feb 2021 11,850 posts	0 Little Nemo I tried walking in Hyde Park yesterday afternoon - it was as busy as if it was a lovely sunny day! I gave up after a couple of minutes and came home. The boring streets nearer home are far less crowded.
um Feb 2021 9:40am, 7 Feb 2021 4,236 posts	0 um Ht - I don't think I was criticising, or at least not meaning to. Just offering an explanation for the change in messaging. As for local. I think it is defined, as in "your village, town or the part of a city where you live" So - for exercise, I only run or walk from home. I won't go into the New Forest since it means driving, even though <10 miles. Ditto the coast. So, I don't think Exeter to Exmouth really counts as 'local' in this wave. But it depends on the reason for being out & about. Eg my nearest supermarket is 10 miles away in Salisbury, as are the nearest banks, Kwik Fit for tyres etc. So I would make the journey there for that, as the closest 'local' option for those 'essentials'.
Little Miss Happy Feb 2021 9:52am, 7 Feb 2021 4,267 posts	0 Little Miss Happy um - that was what I thought about the definition of local too. If I were already out to visit the supermarket I would combine that with a walk or run though and consider that within the spirit of the rules. Hunkyteddy - no, I think what is being said is that initially we didn't think that there was evidence to support the wearing of masks by the public then we learnt that a three layer cloth mask prevented virus particles being expelled by an infected person as much and now we know that better protection will be gained if xx masks are used. There is no official minimum quality of a mask - it's up to the individual whether they simply pull a buff over their face (better than nothing) or acquire fit tested masks (if you're really worried about being out near others).
Hunkyteddy Feb 2021 10:05am, 7 Feb 2021 764 posts	0 Hunkyteddy I'm just saying I'm fed up of the criticism of people being out and about, when there are more important issues. Masks were made mandatory when daily deaths were in single figures. They didn't stop the second wave. So what is their effectiveness? 10%? 1% 0.1%? People have spent a lot of money on masks. If it's been a waste of time we should be told.
um Feb 2021 10:20am, 7 Feb 2021 4,238 posts	0 um Ht - what if the masks (when worn properly etc) were actually 60-70% effective? How bad could it have been? Think of some of the 'super spreader' events - what if that was the norm without masks? (just suggesting that because there was a second wave doesn't mean masks don't work). But - as Tim said a few days/pages back - I still struggle with the fact we're in lockdown, 6 weeks on, and still (at least) 20k cases a day. Where are people catching it, since we're long past the 'already infecrted & spreading it t home' stage. Something doesn't stack up.
Too Much Water Feb 2021 10:22am, 7 Feb 2021 8,038 posts	0 Too Much Water The workplace and the home. There are those who can’t easily SD at work, and there will be plenty who won’t be following guidelines at home.
Derby Tup Feb 2021 10:28am, 7 Feb 2021 48,890 posts	0 Derby Tup It’s easy for folk working at home (I’m one) and maybe going to the shops once per week (ditto) to not get that a great many people still have to go to work in a factory or office and potentially on public transport. If you love rurally (me again) it’s easy to overlook that many folk live in cities. If you have no kids or dependent relatives (that’ll be me, again) one can forget other people have folk to visit at their homes for legitimate reasons. It appears that the new mutant strains are more contagious too. I have several customers who have been working safely for many months but recently have had problems. One was visiting a relative to care for them; another doesn’t know how they got it