I am sure that representatives of the Scottish and Welsh governments will be called to give evidence at some point.
No doubt they will both try to blame nasty old Westminster. (yawn)
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Remaining Effects of Covid
- Thread starter ainsworth74
- Start date
- Status
I am sure that representatives of the Scottish and Welsh governments will be called to give evidence at some point.
No doubt they will both try to blame nasty old Westminster. (yawn)
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
They'll have to be otherwise at the very least Module 2 (which is about decision making and political governance) will be a bit of a waste of time. At the moment we're doing Module 1 at the moment on preparedness and readiness of the UK as a whole, hence why someone like Cameron is giving evidence despite having not been PM for nearly five years by the time Covid hit. Module 2, in more detail, covers the below:
Core UK decision-making and political governance (Module 2) - UK Covid-19 Inquiry
The independent public inquiry to examine the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK
covid19.public-inquiry.uk
Can't really do all that without speaking to them!!
Edit: I think it might be worth bearing in mind that this inquiry is expected to be conducting hearings until 2025(!). Just because someone hasn't been called yet or doesn't have a date for their appearance does not mean they aren't ever going to be called. It's going to be a long drawn out process.
Last edited:
GRALISTAIR
Established Member
Sorry if this is slightly OT but heard a very sensible way forward this weekend in the USA.
Do NOT blame China - accept US responsibility for funding Gain of Function research at Wuhan. Once we then know for 100% certain that it was an accidental lab leak (as the Chinese will not be as embarrassed if they are not getting sole blame), world governments can somehow agree that this is biological weapon research and ban it so hopefully no COVID type things happen again.
Do NOT blame China - accept US responsibility for funding Gain of Function research at Wuhan. Once we then know for 100% certain that it was an accidental lab leak (as the Chinese will not be as embarrassed if they are not getting sole blame), world governments can somehow agree that this is biological weapon research and ban it so hopefully no COVID type things happen again.
I think that would be very sensible indeed, but unfortunately I think the chance of the US government agreeing either to take blame, or ban further such research, is effectively zero. Possibly if RFK somehow wins the Presidency, but probably not even then.
Sturgeon will be busy enough lecturing the Scottish enquiry. It will be interesting to see if she has to do it on day release.
156421
On Moderation
Wouldn't be surprised if we see another bout of "I don't remember"-itis.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Went to the doctors this morning for my periodic blood test. No masks to be seen anywhere, so properly back to "old normal" now.
All but a miniscule proportion of people are back to normal and the majority have been for a very long time.
I think it's totally justifiable to say that Sars-CoV-2 has now become the 5th endemic Human Coronavirus; I have been saying this outcome was likely for a very long time now (not because I made it up, but because I listened to podcasts of virologists and immunologists, rather than listen to misfits with scary spreadsheets like Ferguson). The restrictions we had during the Summer of 2020 probably delayed this outcome and made the winter of 2020-21 worse than it could have been, but the end result was inevitable.
I think the majority of people now accept that everyone is regularly exposed to viruses such as Sars-CoV-2 on a regular basis and this is simply part of being human; those who deny it are now a tiny minority and are burying their heads in the sand.
I am not only glad that we are very much back to normal, but especially so that those of us who long ago accepted - after listening to experts - that the virus would become endemic, were proven to be absolutely right.
Those people who erroneously claimed Sars-CoV-2 could be eliminated didn't do proper research and didn't listen to the real experts, such as actual immunologists and virologists. This is forgiveable; I totally respect anyone who made such claims who now accepts they were wrong, but those who listened to misfits like Edmunds, Ferguson et al, over the real experts, and called for more and more restrictions in order to attempt to eliminate the virus, should also apologise for the harms that restrictions did. I would gladly accept any such apology and respect anyone who does that.
I think it's totally justifiable to say that Sars-CoV-2 has now become the 5th endemic Human Coronavirus; I have been saying this outcome was likely for a very long time now (not because I made it up, but because I listened to podcasts of virologists and immunologists, rather than listen to misfits with scary spreadsheets like Ferguson). The restrictions we had during the Summer of 2020 probably delayed this outcome and made the winter of 2020-21 worse than it could have been, but the end result was inevitable.
I think the majority of people now accept that everyone is regularly exposed to viruses such as Sars-CoV-2 on a regular basis and this is simply part of being human; those who deny it are now a tiny minority and are burying their heads in the sand.
I am not only glad that we are very much back to normal, but especially so that those of us who long ago accepted - after listening to experts - that the virus would become endemic, were proven to be absolutely right.
Those people who erroneously claimed Sars-CoV-2 could be eliminated didn't do proper research and didn't listen to the real experts, such as actual immunologists and virologists. This is forgiveable; I totally respect anyone who made such claims who now accepts they were wrong, but those who listened to misfits like Edmunds, Ferguson et al, over the real experts, and called for more and more restrictions in order to attempt to eliminate the virus, should also apologise for the harms that restrictions did. I would gladly accept any such apology and respect anyone who does that.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I think it was very rapidly clear that eradicating or even eliminating it wasn't going to happen, even if it may have seemed possible right at the start. The thing for debate (and I think we may differ on the precise situation there) was exactly how the situation could be handled prior to vaccines becoming available, as in my view it is these which have done most of the "heavy lifting" in transitioning to an endemic type* situation. Yes, it'd have happened in the end if we'd done nothing at all, but one suspects the number of deaths would have been a lot higher without vaccination.
But of course it isn't possible to prove it either way without re-running the whole scenario differently in the same country (Sweden is a vague comparison, but their approach to voluntarily restricting themselves differed a lot from the UK), which I suspect we *will* agree is something we all hope won't happen again, at least not during our lifetimes.
* I think it's technically not endemic, if I recall, as endemicity is technically a situation where cases flatline, and they are still going in waves, but that is a similar level of technicality as whether Penalty Fares and out of court settlements can be described as fines or not, and so we probably can use that term in a less formal way to describe it as a virus with which we now coexist just as we did with the other 4 before.
Endemic equilibrium means cases rise and fall naturally; for example typically in Winter (but not necessarily; a new variant of a virus can cause a rise at a different time to usual; also in some places the natural rise occurs at a different time of year e.g. the Monsoon season instead of Winter)
I had a doctor appointment a couple of weeks back and for the first time, it was normal. I have a routine blood test tomorrow so will see if the nurses are also back to normal, then
Everything was normal for my blood test on Monday. (I can't remember ever having a blood test before!)
ABB125
Established Member
Interestingly, most of the staff in my local Specsavers are all wearing masks. Not sure why...
I think it's still a recommendation for opticians. They do tend to be quite close to you in a small room, and breathing the same air when they are looking into your eyes or changing the prescription in tests, so there's a degree of logic to it for non-Covid reasons.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I have noticed that Specsavers largely do seem to still be operating in COVID mode generally e.g. with a desk at the entrance rather than you going in and looking at the glasses (for example). I'm not quite sure why, maybe one of their directors is a bit paranoid or something. It does put me off going there now.
My dentist's email said to still wear a mask, but I'm almost certain I didn't last time, after all they can hardly treat me with one on, and the waiting room is no different from the one at the station. I don't intend to wear one to go there, though if they insist on providing one at their cost for the 10 second walk from the door to the chair I will if they must.
VauxhallandI
Established Member
And yet the industry survived for decades without them
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
How about for the ten seconds you assert yourself and help change their minds?
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I don't care enough to do that with regard to somewhere I go once every six months. Pick your battles.
The industry survived for decades without instantly wetting themselves in terror at the thought of somebody wearing leave-in contact lenses in the shower, and yet now it's treated on a par with deliberately poking yourself in the eye with a sharp stick. They have become a fascinatingly risk-averse professionAnd yet the industry survived for decades without them
I have been to Specsavers a few times since the end of COVID restrictions in July 2021, and everything was completely (pre-COVID) normal.
Masks were optional, and some (but not all) staff wore them.
Similarly for customers.
Perhaps each individual branch of Specsavers is allowed to make up its own rules.
Masks were optional, and some (but not all) staff wore them.
Similarly for customers.
Perhaps each individual branch of Specsavers is allowed to make up its own rules.
My local independent bookshop still has compulsory masks, a one way system, and limits on the amount of people allowed in at once. The latter will never really be a problem as they don't seem to have any customers.
The person behind the counter still wears a mask and visor. I really think they need some help from a professional, but it's none of my business.
The person behind the counter still wears a mask and visor. I really think they need some help from a professional, but it's none of my business.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
They are franchised, so quite possibly so.
I wonder if the compulsory masks, one way system and limits on the amount of people in the shop is connected with the fact that they never have any customers.
Treating people like they are ridden with the plague nearly two years after formal COVID restrictions ended isn't exactly welcoming to potential customers.
If for no other reason than the fact that 0.01% of the population would be in possession of a mask (and if they give you a "blue one" which are of course completely useless) at this point but certainly sounds like a place to actively avoid.
There is a dental office near me is still in full on COVID mode - plastered with 2023 date stamped posters about masks and the waiting room being closed so people should wait in their cars until being called.
All just a bit sad really
We don't need to do yet another round of "I went to this place and the did/didn't make me wear a mask/have social distancing/screens/etc and this was/wasn't a massive issue" or similar. So let's leave it there thanks
I note that according to the Covid dashboard (which I had largely forgotten about) there were 45,000 or so tests done last week. This is miniscule compared to the height of the pandemic, but it must mean there are still circumstances in which testing is taking place. I can't seem to find out when this would be. Does anyone know?
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-testing-during-periods-of-low-prevalence suggests they're still testing in health and social care settings where people may still be at high risk.
VauxhallandI
Established Member
And here lies the problem in our society
Anyone who has a government-issued testing kit can report their result online to the government. Anyone with a shop / online bought one can't.
I recently was at my parents where I tested positive for covid. I borrowed my parent's house testing kit to test myself. Being government issued I reported my results because I could.
As I'm on immunosuppressant medication I have my own supply of testing kits at home and so I can also report my results from their too. I must add I rarely test myself these days as I'm just getting on with life rather than consistently thinking I must test myself just to make sure I don't have covid.
156421
On Moderation
Churches seem to be one of the last vestiges of the cuckdown restrictions. Still plenty of face nappy users, also the part of the services where people used to shake hands now is a cringeworthy exchanges of waves, smiles, nods, grimaces, etc., very unwelcoming in my opinion. Also I've noticed that the communal cup doesn't seem to be served any more. That was probably never too hygienic in the first place. Any surviving Utraquists will I'm sure be most aggrieved at this.
- Status