Coronavirus Thread (Off Topic, Politics) (15 Viewers)

[Walsgrave]

Just been up to the ricoh as still cannot get a test.

Cannot just turn up (as i thought) but got told can only book online. When i explained look i need a test result for the purposes of work paying me/thinking I'm taking the piss it was 'well if you cant get a test online then there's nothing we can do'

I know they're doing their job but its empty. Standing round doing absolutely shit all

Worst thing about these people is that they get paid for standing around doing nothing, so they have no incentive to use their discretion. Its typical of all kinds of compliance officers - they just push the problem away so they don't have to do anything.

 

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[Brighton Sky Blue]

I understand why you're worried, same here, which is why its such a travesty we cant get a test.

How many people are going to be the same as us and cant afford time off so will go into work thinking 'just a cold' and unwittingly spread the virus


All because tests are impossible to get

Going off a few weeks into term will have my classes playing catch up from an early stage, really not what I want.

 

[shmmeee]

I’m coughing intermittently with sneezes and a headache but what you’re saying worries me because I can’t afford a few weeks off thanks to a cold

I do think they’re prioritising teachers. God knows though. Just saw an MP on Twitter saying the same as me and saddlebrains had: nothing at all online but empty test centres that won’t take you unless you book online.

 

[shmmeee]

Worst thing about these people is that they get paid for standing around doing nothing, so they have no incentive to use their discretion. Its typical of all kinds of compliance officers - they just push the problem away so they don't have to do anything.

Theyve been told to stop taking people without booking apparently (again according to this MP on Twitter). If the booking system worked that’s fair enough, but clearly it doesn’t.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I do think they’re prioritising teachers. God knows though. Just saw an MP on Twitter saying the same as me and saddlebrains had: nothing at all online but empty test centres that won’t take you unless you book online.

That’s something, though as I don’t drive it’ll be interesting getting it done.

 

[Saddlebrains]

Seems this is a country wide problem. How the hell is it not front page news?

All the hallmarks of a second wave and no one can get a test

 

[fernandopartridge]

Worst thing about these people is that they get paid for standing around doing nothing, so they have no incentive to use their discretion. Its typical of all kinds of compliance officers - they just push the problem away so they don't have to do anything.

It isn't their fault, don't fall into the trap of blaming under utilised people for the piss poor service design from DH & Serco

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

It’s because of all the young people without symptoms taking them. Ala Hancock’s half hour

 

[Saddlebrains]

It isn't their fault, don't fall into the trap of blaming under utilised people for the piss poor service design from DH & Serco

Agreed. The woman in question was quite Blasé about it however, basically admitting they do fuck all everyday which is irritating.

Not her fault though, as you say its the clusterfuck of a government who have caused this

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Done 111 it says I can look after myself

 

[David O'Day]

twitter is choka with people who have symptoms but can't get tests.

what are the real new cases numbers like?

 

[David O'Day]

world beating test and trace in action

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

I was infected with coronavirus in March, six months on I’m still unwell

Charlie Russell, 27, is one of an estimated 600,000 people with post-Covid illness, a condition that may give an insight into chronic fatigue syndrome

www.theguardian.com

Don’t worry though Grendel knows it doesn’t affect anyone under 65

 

[Walsgrave]

It isn't their fault, don't fall into the trap of blaming under utilised people for the piss poor service design from DH & Serco

Agreed, I take back the literal statement Annoying how we have a situation where it has to be like that - in an ideal world the service would work and I wouldn't be scapegoating these people who clearly have very little to do.

Theyve been told to stop taking people without booking apparently (again according to this MP on Twitter). If the booking system worked that’s fair enough, but clearly it doesn’t.

As above, yep. Resources going where they should not be going and money being thrown down the drain.

 

[Grendel]

I was infected with coronavirus in March, six months on I’m still unwell

Charlie Russell, 27, is one of an estimated 600,000 people with post-Covid illness, a condition that may give an insight into chronic fatigue syndrome

www.theguardian.com

Don’t worry though Grendel knows it doesn’t affect anyone under 65

Of course it does but its a tiny tiny proportion of the population. The response has to be proportionate - more of that age group will die of alcohol and drug abuse and wreckless driving - will you ban all those things to protect the tiny few?

 

[shmmeee]

Of course it does but its a tiny tiny proportion of the population. The response has to be proportionate - more of that age group will die of alcohol and drug abuse and wreckless driving - will you ban all those things to protect the tiny few?

.... we do ban drug abuse. And wreckless driving.

 

[Grendel]

.... we do ban drug abuse. And wreckless driving.

We don't as you have admitted and indeed boasted of a drug habit I believe - so its a passive response. Also banning drivers who have already killed themselves is not a ban is it - and all stats prove young drivers are far more at risk of an early death than from the dreaded COVID. Also its very odd as the BLM protests were blatant infringements of any "rules" at the time were they not and yet I suspect Pete would not be reporting them but would if 7 people turned up at a house next door.

 

[Sick Boy]

Schools went back today in Italia...

 

[skybluetony176]

In other news PM breathes sigh of relief ahead of PMQ’s as Kier Starmer has to self isolate.

 

[skybluetony176]

We don't as you have admitted and indeed boasted of a drug habit I believe - so its a passive response. Also banning drivers who have already killed themselves is not a ban is it - and all stats prove young drivers are far more at risk of an early death than from the dreaded COVID. Also its very odd as the BLM protests were blatant infringements of any "rules" at the time were they not and yet I suspect Pete would not be reporting them but would if 7 people turned up at a house next door.

New drivers only get 6 point allowance for the first two years from passing their test. It’s illegal to be in possession of drugs. There’s deterrence from taking action that can harm you. Why should it be any different for a pandemic that’s killing people?

 

[Tommo1993]

I see more of a lack of care and sensibility in the older generation in all this.

 

[shmmeee]

We don't as you have admitted and indeed boasted of a drug habit I believe - so its a passive response. Also banning drivers who have already killed themselves is not a ban is it - and all stats prove young drivers are far more at risk of an early death than from the dreaded COVID. Also its very odd as the BLM protests were blatant infringements of any "rules" at the time were they not and yet I suspect Pete would not be reporting them but would if 7 people turned up at a house next door.

I used to smoke weed yes. That was as illegal if not more illegal than any coronavirus measures. Wreckless driving is always illegal too even if you don’t kill anyone.

You’re desperate.

According to this Statistics on Drug Misuse, England, 2019 - NHS Digital there were just under 3000 drug related deaths all last year. That’s across all age groups.

There have been over 600 15-44 year old confirmed COVID deaths April to August this year. So extrapolated that’s just under half, of we assume all drug deaths are the same age group (they won’t be) with severe methods to stop the disease which we wouldn’t consider for drugs.

Clearly even if we pretended people over 45 don’t count for some reason COVID is more of a threat to young lives than drugs are.

BTW considering some of your alcohol fuelled posts over lockdown, Id be careful looking down on others that abuse substances if I were you.

 

[David O'Day]

Grenners claiming drugs and dangerous driving are nit illegal

Fucking made up clown\

 

[fernandopartridge]

I'm interested to understand whether there are any people suffering with long covid / post viral fatigue who were infected after the initial peak

Looking at that story above, this quote jumped out at me:

“If I had known that I’d be this ill, I would have taken everything a lot more seriously back in March,” Russell said. “But all that we heard back then was that if you were infected and you were a young person, you’d most likely not have any symptoms at all. Or you’d be ill for a couple of weeks and that would be it.”

That's bollocks. Back in March the advice was that it was a novel virus the effects of which were not clear.

 

[CCFCSteve]

Of course it does but its a tiny tiny proportion of the population. The response has to be proportionate - more of that age group will die of alcohol and drug abuse and wreckless driving - will you ban all those things to protect the tiny few?

This is correct. I’m not sure how many tests were carried out last week but guessing around 1.2m and out of those only around 20k actually had it. Around 1.7% (of people who thought they had it have actually got it). Obviously there’s a stack of people who haven’t been able to be tested who think they’ve got it, but far more who don’t think they’ve got it/haven’t got it.

Thats not excusing the testing capacity (lab) issue which I still haven’t seen reasoning/justification for, just a little perspective.

 

[skybluetony176]

This is correct. I’m not sure how many tests were carried out last week but guessing around 1.2m and out of those only around 20k actually had it. Around 1.7% (of people who thought they had it have actually got it). Obviously there’s a stack of people who haven’t been able to be tested who think they’ve got it, but far more who don’t think they’ve got it/haven’t got it.

Thats not excusing the testing capacity (lab) issue which I still haven’t seen reasoning/justification for, just a little perspective.

Aren’t they double counting the tests so the actual number of people being tested is about half of the number of tests?

 

[David O'Day]

This is correct. I’m not sure how many tests were carried out last week but guessing around 1.2m and out of those only around 20k actually had it. Around 1.7% (of people who thought they had it have actually got it). Obviously there’s a stack of people who haven’t been able to be tested who think they’ve got it, but far more who don’t think they’ve got it/haven’t got it.

Thats not excusing the testing capacity (lab) issue which I still haven’t seen reasoning/justification for, just a little perspective.

The positive cases to tests ratio is rising sharply

 

[David O'Day]

Aren’t they double counting the tests so the actual number of people being tested is about half of the number of tests?

yep nasal and throat swaps are counted as individual tests

 

[CCFCSteve]

The positive cases to tests ratio is rising sharply

Im not saying it’s not increasing but it’s still a fraction of the population. I was just looking for the latest national sampling figures as that should give a reasonable indication, can’t see them at the moment and got some work to do. Will check

 

[Ring Of Steel]

This is correct. I’m not sure how many tests were carried out last week but guessing around 1.2m and out of those only around 20k actually had it. Around 1.7% (of people who thought they had it have actually got it). Obviously there’s a stack of people who haven’t been able to be tested who think they’ve got it, but far more who don’t think they’ve got it/haven’t got it.

Thats not excusing the testing capacity (lab) issue which I still haven’t seen reasoning/justification for, just a little perspective.

bit desperate tbh

 

[David O'Day]

Im not saying it’s not increasing but it’s still a fraction of the population. I was just looking for the latest national sampling figures as that should give a reasonable indication, can’t see them at the moment and got some work to do. Will check

Cool lets not worry about anything then as some bloke on a cov city forum is looking for reasons why it's not that bad.

 

[NorthernWisdom]

I'm assuming the tests also include the routine ones, for people who are set to be admitted to hospital? They'd be an anticipated negative.

How do the NHS staff tests work? Do you have to have a regular test, or just when you display symptoms?

 

[CCFCSteve]

Cool lets not worry about anything then as some bloke on a cov city forum is looking for reasons why it's not that bad.

Did I say that ?!! I’m fully aware of ‘how bad it is’...I’ve not seen my mum since March (as she’s asthmatic and in her 70s) and my ex wife hasn’t been able to see her mum who nearly died from a stroke a few weeks ago because of Covid restrictions in hospital. I’m just saying the proportion of people who have it is still very small (even those of thought they’d have who actually do is around 2%) and also the risk to most appears low.

Ive also said before that for me it’s keeping an eye on the hospital admissions and hoping they remain low/under control which can hopefully be done by shielding those most at risk.

 

[skybluetony176]

Did I say that ?!! I’m fully aware of ‘how bad it is’...I’ve not seen my mum since March (as she’s asthmatic and in her 70s) and my ex wife hasn’t been able to see her mum who nearly died from a stroke a few weeks ago because of Covid restrictions in hospital. I’m just saying the proportion of people who have it is still very small (even those of thought they’d have who actually do is around 2%) and also the risk to most appears low.

Ive also said before that for me it’s keeping an eye on the hospital admissions and hoping they remain low/under control which can be done by shielding those most at risk.

You’re figures are wrong though Steve. 1.2M tests is about 600K people. They count mouth and nasal swabs separately. Even then a number of people are having to do a second round of tests as the first were inconclusive/not properly swabbed/other reasons so the amount of people tested is probably lower still.

 

[CCFCSteve]

You’re figures are wrong though Steve. 1.2M tests is about 600K people. They count mouth and nasal swabs separately. Even then a number of people are having to do a second round of tests as the first were inconclusive/not properly swabbed/other reasons so the amount of people tested is probably lower still.

Understand. But the point remains the same Tony ie only a fraction of the population have got it. The sampling that’s carried out should provide a more accurate number

Edit - just trying to bring some perspective and stop widespread panic !!