Remaining Effects of Covid

[zero]

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.

I asked a priest about this before covid and he said it's alcohol so it should be ok... they used a 13% ABV one and as they had to finish anything that wasn't drunk, they wouldn't drive for a few hours afterwards.

Of course certain congregations use juice instead.

 

[duncanp]

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.

I think this varies enormously depending on the church.

Face coverings are very much in the minority at the church I attend (Church of England) and people shake hands during the peace.

The communal cup isn't used any more, and whilst there is no outright ban, it is unlikely to come back any time soon partly because, as you say, some people regard it as unhygienic regardless of COVID.

 

[ainsworth74]

they used a 13% ABV one and as they had to finish anything that wasn't drunk, they wouldn't drive for a few hours afterwards

"Had" to finish anything that wasn't drunk. I'm sure they definitely "had" to

 

[156421]

"Had" to finish anything that wasn't drunk. I'm sure they definitely "had" to

Either that or pour into a sacrarium (which isn't always present).

 

[MikeWM]

I asked a priest about this before covid and he said it's alcohol so it should be ok... they used a 13% ABV one and as they had to finish anything that wasn't drunk, they wouldn't drive for a few hours afterwards.

Of course certain congregations use juice instead.

'Mustum', as the Catholics would say, used by priests who can't take alcohol for medical reasons (allergy or addiction).

I will say that in Catholic churches this hygiene concern about drinking from the chalice (which preceded covid in many people's minds) always seemed a bit odd to me, assuming you actually believe in transsubstantiation. What harm is going to come to you from Jesus' blood?

 

[Bald Rick]

What harm is going to come to you from Jesus' blood?

He might have Covid-29(AD)

 

[gswindale]

I asked a priest about this before covid and he said it's alcohol so it should be ok... they used a 13% ABV one and as they had to finish anything that wasn't drunk, they wouldn't drive for a few hours afterwards.

Of course certain congregations use juice instead.

Indeed they do. If I recall correctly, Shloer was the drink of choice at my local Methodist church growing up. None of that shared cup stuff either - umpteen shot glasses of the stuff.

Back on topic, I do still see some people with face masks on around town including students. Can't say I've noticed anybody with a nappy on their face though.

I have to also add that our office feels like a healthier place as people are now more likely to either WFH or call in sick rather than struggle on with a bad cold - certainly hear less coughing & spluttering tha I used to, so at least people are starting to be a bit more considerate.

 

[yorksrob]

I have to also add that our office feels like a healthier place as people are now more likely to either WFH or call in sick rather than struggle on with a bad cold - certainly hear less coughing & spluttering tha I used to, so at least people are starting to be a bit more considerate.

Same as mine. A very sensible takeaway from the Pandemic.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Is it healthier in the long term?

 

[gswindale]

I would hazard a guess that yes it is.

I have found that generally if I actually take time off work and rest/recuperate rather than struggling on that I recover quicker, so better for me. Also has the benefit that although I'm off for a day or 2 so working at 0% that when I'm back, I'm back to 100% capacity more or less straight away rather than working at 50% capacity for a couple of weeks.

 

[VauxhallandI]

I would hazard a guess that yes it is.

I have found that generally if I actually take time off work and rest/recuperate rather than struggling on that I recover quicker, so better for me. Also has the benefit that although I'm off for a day or 2 so working at 0% that when I'm back, I'm back to 100% capacity more or less straight away rather than working at 50% capacity for a couple of weeks.

Yes fair enough but how about the bigger picture of the human race?

 

[Pinza-C55]

I generally avoid getting into public lifts with other people if I can.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I generally avoid getting into public lifts with other people if I can.

I do as well, but not anything to do with COVID, just because sharing such a tiny space with others in silence is just a bit socially awkward.

 

[nlogax]

I joined about eighty of my European colleagues last week at a meeting down south. At least five of the team went home and started testing positive for Covid over the weekend. I feel pretty ropey but guessing it's just a cold as I continue to test negative.. either way we're all shrugging off whatever it is we've caught and getting on with it. This was the direction this was always going to go.

 

[gswindale]

Yes fair enough but how about the bigger picture of the human race?

I'm not an epidemiologist or otherwise medically/scientifically qualified to comment on this.

If I can avoid being ill, then I will, as I'm sure most people would try to do. Not sure why that's a bad thing? Was eradicating smallpox bad for the human race?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm not an epidemiologist or otherwise medically/scientifically qualified to comment on this.

If I can avoid being ill, then I will, as I'm sure most people would try to do. Not sure why that's a bad thing? Was eradicating smallpox bad for the human race?

I do prefer not to be ill, but when it comes to mild endemic diseases getting them mildly reasonably often is better than getting them less often and the immune system forgetting about them and so you getting them worse. The "supercold" that was going round last year is an example of what happens if you don't come across colds very often and so the body forgets how to deal with them, and it wasn't very nice.

Vaguely similar is the idea of exposing kids to chickenpox at an early age to avoid getting it as an adult, though I don't entirely understand why we don't vaccinate against it in this country, the US for example does. If there was a vaccine against the common cold* with a similar risk profile to an mRNA COVID vaccine I'd absolutely have it.

* I know it's not one single virus and so such a thing can't exist.

 

[Pinza-C55]

I do as well, but not anything to do with COVID, just because sharing such a tiny space with others in silence is just a bit socially awkward.

That's part of it but disease is another.

 

[nw1]

I generally avoid getting into public lifts with other people if I can.

I think that's a step too far, to be consistent you'd also have to avoid busy buses and trains which could end up being very limiting. Might have been a good idea during the height of Covid, but not so sure about now.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think that's a step too far, to be consistent you'd also have to avoid busy buses and trains which could end up being very limiting. Might have been a good idea during the height of Covid, but not so sure about now.

I wouldn't say so. Trains and buses are larger than lifts and typically (though admittedly not always) better ventilated.

Taxis might count as similar (and TBH I dislike the awkwardness of those as well) but you can open your window if concerned about disease.

 

[nw1]

Yes fair enough but how about the bigger picture of the human race?

What's "the bigger picture of the human race"?

You go into work during the two days when you have a fever?
That could be bad for the "human race" overall, as other people might come down with it!

I'd agree that the one "good" thing of Covid is that it has made us more aware of this.

(I would still go into work if I had a minor cold and didn't feel ill, though during Covid - up to about the end of 2021 - I might have avoided going in even in that circumstance. I wouldn't go in if I had a fever though).

 

[Dent]

I joined about eighty of my European colleagues last week at a meeting down south. At least five of the team went home and started testing positive for Covid over the weekend. I feel pretty ropey but guessing it's just a cold as I continue to test negative.. either way we're all shrugging off whatever it is we've caught and getting on with it. This was the direction this was always going to go.

That sounds like something of a mixed message. "started testing positive" and "continue to test negative" suggest that you are still regularly testing, which doesn't really fit with shrugging off whatever it is and getting on with it.

 

[Pinza-C55]

I think that's a step too far, to be consistent you'd also have to avoid busy buses and trains which could end up being very limiting. Might have been a good idea during the height of Covid, but not so sure about now.

Maybe it is , probably not rational but I haven't been on a train in 5 years and only occasionally on a bus. In the wake of the covid lockdowns a woman at work refused to get in the lift with me when I had the sniffles.
BTW I only had the symptoms of covid for 1.5 days and it felt like hay-fever.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What's "the bigger picture of the human race"?

You go into work during the two days when you have a fever?
That could be bad for the "human race" overall, as other people might come down with it!

I'd agree that the one "good" thing of Covid is that it has made us more aware of this.

(I would still go into work if I had a minor cold and didn't feel ill, though during Covid - up to about the end of 2021 - I might have avoided going in even in that circumstance. I wouldn't go in if I had a fever though).

Yes, presenteeism culture is a nonsense. If you're ill and can work from home, do. Then you only have one person who's down on productivity for a bit, not the whole office as it goes round. Far too many managers just don't get this.

 

[nlogax]

That sounds like something of a mixed message. "started testing positive" and "continue to test negative" suggest that you are still regularly testing, which doesn't really fit with shrugging off whatever it is and getting on with it.

Come on. This is about consideration for others. Regardless of my personal ability to work while having Covid I'd not be keen to share it with anyone else if I can help it. I test to know whether this is a risk for people around me.

 

[Richard Scott]

Come on. This is about consideration for others. Regardless of my personal ability to work while having Covid I'd not be keen to share it with anyone else if I can help it. I test to know whether this is a risk for people around me.

For goodness sake, there're loads of viruses etc going around all the time and you don't test for them.

 

[nlogax]

For goodness sake, there're loads of viruses etc going around all the time and you don't test for them.

Hospitals test for Covid before operations can go ahead, and I don't want to be responsible for someone having an operation delayed that they've been waiting years for because I may have inadvertently given them Covid. Yes, that is a situation that applies here. Simple bloody consideration is all. 'For goodness sake' indeed.

 

[nw1]

Come on. This is about consideration for others. Regardless of my personal ability to work while having Covid I'd not be keen to share it with anyone else if I can help it. I test to know whether this is a risk for people around me.

Should we continue to test for Covid though?

I'd have thought the "if you feel ill don't go into work, if you feel more-or-less OK then do" would minimise the spread of viruses effectively.

Covid is, from what I can make out, no more dangerous than flu right now. That doesn't mean it's not dangerous for a minority, but then flu can also be dangerous. So why continue to test for Covid rather than just use the "ill test"? Getting anxious in 2023 about "is it Covid?" every time you have the sniffles, testing, and self-isolating if positive, is no way to live life permanently.

 

[nlogax]

Should we continue to test for Covid though?

I'd have thought the "if you feel ill don't go into work, if you feel more-or-less OK then do" would minimise the spread of viruses effectively.

Covid is, from what I can make out, no more dangerous than flu right now. That doesn't mean it's not dangerous for a minority, but then flu can also be dangerous. So why continue to test for Covid rather than just use the "ill test"? Getting anxious in 2023 about "is it Covid?" every time you have the sniffles, testing, and self-isolating if positive, is no way to live life permanently.

While hospitals (both NHS and private) test ahead of operations and procedures it's out of our hands. Personally I think it shouldn't be a consideration after all this time but maybe that's a question that's best directed at health professionals.

 

[nw1]

While hospitals (both NHS and private) test ahead of operations and procedures it's out of our hands. Personally I think it shouldn't be a consideration after all this time but maybe that's a question that's best directed at health professionals.

Ah ok, fair enough - I thought you were referring to people buying test kits and testing themselves voluntarily.

 

[Richard Scott]

Hospitals test for Covid before operations can go ahead, and I don't want to be responsible for someone having an operation delayed that they've been waiting years for because I may have inadvertently given them Covid. Yes, that is a situation that applies here. Simple bloody consideration is all. 'For goodness sake' indeed.

Well then hospitals need to stop that nonsense too. It's costing money that they don't have. Operations are often cancelled if a patient is ill whatever it is. Common sense says if you're not well stay at home, we don’t need to clutch at straws to justify testing.
Don't need to do all this pointless testing so 'For Goodness Sake' still stands in my eyes.