Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Elixir]

26 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

The fall in cases south of the border is down to fewer tests being done than a week ago, rather than some collapse. The test positivity is the same roughly. 

18th October, 779,000 tests. 25th October, 658,000 tests. 

The real drop will come in a couple of weeks, as the English half term effect kicks in. 

Somewhat true - but hospitalisations are also starting to turn downwards which is a key indicator of when a fall is genuine or meaningful.

 

21 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

RE: Devi

Joking aside, how can it be that our 'experts' (who, remember, hold all the qualifications that @Bob Mahelp demands to see) consistently get it so wrong?

Just realised she's labelled an epidemiologist there too.

 

16 minutes ago, Michael W said:

Percentage of English people actually wearing masks on public transport and in shops: nowhere fucking near 81% and 76%.

Yup, it's absolutely hilarious stuff having just come back from good old London town. It was as if Covid never happened. Hardly anyone wearing a mask.

[welshbairn]

31 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

Oooh. Unlucky @oaksoft - looks like you're out of step with mainstream English public opinion. 

Hang your maskless head in shame! 

  Reveal hidden contents

YouGov is utter bollocks however

 

The people who self select for these non election polls for YouGov are fucking weirdos tbf.

Edited October 26, 2021 by welshbairn

[effeffsee_the2nd]

37 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

Oooh. Unlucky @oaksoft - looks like you're out of step with mainstream English public opinion. 

Hang your maskless head in shame! 

  Hide contents

YouGov is utter bollocks however

 

been said already but f**k it

 

PISH!

if that many people wanted masks in england then there would be far more people doing it than currantly are

You just have to look at the small number of people who chose to wear masks outdoors in scotland to see how many would bother indoors if they weren't mandatory, i'd give them an extra 10 % since indoors is "higher risk"

Edited October 26, 2021 by effeffsee_the2nd

[Wee Bully]

43 minutes ago, Michael W said:

Percentage of English people actually wearing masks on public transport and in shops: nowhere fucking near 81% and 76%.

It’s nowhere near that.  I was down south last week and I would say on the Tube at rush hour is was probably 50%.  Outside London is was a fraction of that, and when the Tube was quieter, the mask wearing rate was a lot lower than 50%.  

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Where did you see those claims?

On this thread.

[Michael W]

8 minutes ago, Wee Bully said:

It’s nowhere near that.  I was down south last week and I would say on the Tube at rush hour is was probably 50%.  Outside London is was a fraction of that, and when the Tube was quieter, the mask wearing rate was a lot lower than 50%.  

Yep, very similar to my experience as well. I go into London once or twice a week and I'd put it around 50/50 on trains (sometimes perhaps 60/40 in either direction) and a lot lower in shops, maybe around 20/25%  masked. Staff are also starting to stop wearing them. 

I have no recent experience with TfL services, where masks are still mandated*. Interesting to see, however. 

*You won't be fined as they don't have the power to do that, but if you're very unlucky, might be denied travel. The odds on this are however very small. 

[Jan Vojáček]

1 hour ago, scottsdad said:

Oooh. Unlucky @oaksoft - looks like you're out of step with mainstream English public opinion. 

Hang your maskless head in shame! 

  Reveal hidden contents

YouGov is utter bollocks however

 

20 percent of people support 'Only allowing people to leave their homes for essential shopping, exercise and work'. Jesus Christ. 

[Salt n Vinegar]

12 minutes ago, Jan Vojáček said:

20 percent of people support 'Only allowing people to leave their homes for essential shopping, exercise and work'. Jesus Christ. 

Dunno... I can think of quite a few folk who shouldn't be let out of the house. 

[strichener]

1 minute ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

Dunno... I can think of quite a few folk who shouldn't be let out of the house. 

Probably far less than should be prevented from having internet access.

[welshbairn]

A lot more relaxed in Portugal near Lisbon than when I was here in June. Still about 10% wearing masks outside on the street but it was about 90% last time. Still universal in shops but more casual in bars and restaurants.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Negative day 2 PCR result from my holiday to Kos - just missed the switch to LFTs by 3 hours.

I genuinely think it's a waste of time and money - does anyone actually know someone who has tested positive from these day 2 tests?

[Elixir]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

The people who self select for these non election polls for YouGov are fucking weirdos tbf.

 

1 hour ago, Wee Bully said:

It’s nowhere near that.  I was down south last week and I would say on the Tube at rush hour is was probably 50%.  Outside London is was a fraction of that, and when the Tube was quieter, the mask wearing rate was a lot lower than 50%.  

 

There's hope yet.

[welshbairn]

1 hour ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

Negative day 2 PCR result from my holiday to Kos - just missed the switch to LFTs by 3 hours.

I genuinely think it's a waste of time and money - does anyone actually know someone who has tested positive from these day 2 tests?

No, and no other country makes people do it afaik, and I'm sure it's why countries like the Netherlands make us test daily if we want to go inside a bar. Reciprocity. It's a bung to Tory spivs.

Edited October 26, 2021 by welshbairn

[Salt n Vinegar]

9 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

I've noticed that masks are now taking on an almost mystical, some may even say magical quality.

In many ways it's reminiscent of the days when people swore by the use of leeches to cure everything from headaches to impotence.

And of course the adherents of this new magical mask religion, like all religions before it descry the non-believers as "just idiots".

It's a fascinating study in how humans behave.

I'd hardly say that masks are akin to a religion.  If anything, denial of science in favour of what's popular is much less rational. 

Still, each to his own. 

[williemillersmoustache]

If only religion was based upon decades of academic research, clinical and real world public health experience as opposed to just talking convenient fucking nonsense to get acclaim in the form of coloured circles from strangers.

[welshbairn]

2 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

Decades of research?

On the efficacy of masking as a protective measure against covid?

Less than 18 months ago our own top scientists were warning us that lockdowns wouldn't work (they turned out to be correct) and that masks were useless (they were correct).

You have no idea what you are talking about.

That was when the entire planet was trying to buy up the PPE stock, and people in the front line in care homes and hospitals couldn't get any. The advice changed as soon as supply picked up. A white lie if you will.

[williemillersmoustache]

Just now, oaksoft said:

Decades of research?

On the efficacy of masking as a protective measure against covid?

Less than 18 months ago our own top scientists were warning us that lockdowns wouldn't work (they turned out to be correct) and that masks were useless (they were correct).

You have no idea what you are talking about

That's very selective remembering you're doing there. Plenty of scientists were urging for lockdown and there was clearly undue heed paid to a certain subgroup of behavioural scientists from the cabinet offices nudge unit. 

Not sure how we could have had research on Covid prior to its discovery but you can't, although I'm looking forward to you doing it anyway, claim that masking hasn't been an accepted, verified and unarguably effective method of infection control for quite some time. 

The fact it's a bit annoying and has become a culture wars battleground is really a pretty sad state of affairs and indicative of the post truth "we've had enough of experts" wasteland of national discourse developed over the last few years. 

I'm sure if there were social media kudos points for saying you can safely stick your fingers in plug sockets or take the toaster for a bath, you'd be here arguing for these too. You total hazard. 

[williemillersmoustache]

8 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

That was when the entire planet was trying to buy up the PPE stock, and people in the front line in care homes and hospitals couldn't get any. The advice changed as soon as supply picked up. A white lie if you will.

And when the national pandemic stocks had been run down, allowed to go out of date and stored inappropriately they panicked. 

[welshbairn]

1 minute ago, williemillersmoustache said:

And when the national pandemic stocks had been run down, allowed to go out of date and stored inappropriately they panicked. 

Quite.

[welshbairn]

11 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

The problem  with all religious zealots is that they become experts in obfuscation, supposition and justification.

Just like you are doing here.

What part of my post do you think is mistaken? It would be great if you could narrow it down rather than just saying all of it.

Edited October 26, 2021 by welshbairn