Coronavirus discussion thread

136 watchers

jennyh Jan 2021 2:12pm, 30 Jan 2021 5,495 posts	0 jennyh Re the anal swabbing, from what I’ve read it’s being used in conjunction with normal swabbing, isn’t designed to replace the usual methods, and seems to have been targeted towards testing people deemed to be a higher risk of contracting Covid. google.co.uk Huff Post article also quotes a U.K. scientist as being unsure of the value in conducting these swabs: google.co.uk
jda Jan 2021 2:19pm, 30 Jan 2021 9,345 posts	0 jda yes you're right bazo but the earlier lockdown is the easiest and most dramatically effective thing we could have done - it would even have been a shorter lockdown too!
icemaiden Jan 2021 3:23pm, 30 Jan 2021 5,096 posts	0 icemaiden And not lifting the 2nd lockdown in December when cases were already rising.
ThorntonRunner Jan 2021 3:29pm, 30 Jan 2021 4,532 posts	0 ThorntonRunner We've recently realised the implication of an up coming change: For the last few months we've been bubbling with son2's bf who lives on his own. Beginning of the year son2 started new job 5 miles other side of where bf lives, so son2 has tended to stay there during the week to cut down travelling time. Son2 is now talking of moving in with bf, although they'd probably still come over to ours at the weekend - as they do now. Except that if considers he's moved in rather than having overnight stays, then they are a two person household and can't bubble with us so under current rules cannot visit us.
Tim of Fife Jan 2021 4:02pm, 30 Jan 2021 3,259 posts	0 Tim of Fife Saw an example of great policing today. Humpback Whales in the Forth. About twenty to thirty people in the harbour car park spotting. All more than physically distanced. Many masked. Routine police drive by. Stopped. Asked about the whales. Saw there was no Covid risk. Left people to enjoy the fresh air. Good on them. Genuinely.
Fragile Do Not Bend Jan 2021 4:43pm, 30 Jan 2021 7,798 posts	0 Fragile Do Not Bend I guess he will have to “officially” stay living with you TR.
Little Miss Happy Jan 2021 5:53pm, 30 Jan 2021 4,243 posts	0 Little Miss Happy True TR but I guess if he's staying at his bf's then neither of them will be alone and in need of a support bubble.
larkim Jan 2021 6:54pm, 30 Jan 2021 13,377 posts	0 larkim Thanks for that fleecy - with the staffing ratios that the NHS guidance gives us, we wouldn't have sufficient staffing to supervise each swabbing, so I can see if each one is watched then you'd get more reliable results. Maybe I'll have to see if we can find more bodies to support it being more reliable.
It’sBeginningToLookALotLikeFleecy Jan 2021 7:05pm, 30 Jan 2021 51,824 posts	0 It’sBeginningToLookALotLikeFleecy Larkim: I think the first time or two some people need quite a bit of instruction and also reassurance. It takes quite a bit of time to do the first one, especially if they’re nervous or fearful about throwing up. After 2 or 3 swabbings they just need a quick reminder tops and they can get on with it quickly. You definitely need one swabbing assistant per swabbee if it’s their first time
larkim Jan 2021 7:11pm, 30 Jan 2021 13,378 posts	0 larkim The spreadsheet provided by the DfE / NHS says 1 processor per station, but I think is about a ratio of 1:8 for testing assitants to processing stations, so the guidance doesn't seem to expect the levels of supervision that you've been able to offer - your approach seems excellent, but as we'd be doing 500+ tests per day over 14 processing stations we'd need a permament workforce of about 35-40 people to man it as effectively as that, and we're not funded to achieve that!