Remaining Effects of Covid

[Bungle73]

Has the Government finally stopped publishing the weekly statistics? For the last couple of weeks or so, the link no longer works...


View attachment 131372

The Covid Dashboard is still there, doing its thing...... https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

 

[VauxhallandI]

Disagree. I'm a Health care worker, and we communicate so much using facial expressions. We don't want the patients thinking they are seeing some sort of faceless automaton.

Thank you, your patients appreciate it.

 

[yorkie]

Agreed. Were I vulnerable I would wear a properly fitted FFP3 in these settings myself, and then what others do doesn't matter.

Exactly; there is no need for anyone to tell anyone else what to do, given everyone has the ability to make such a choice.

I think I probably would wear one were I a healthcare worker too, not anything to do with COVID specifically but because the job literally is dealing with sick people all day, and sick people give you stuff.

We are constantly exposed to pathogens all the time; we build up good immunity to commonly circulating respiratory viruses due to being exposed to them. If you listen to the right experts, instead of the doom mongers, you would realise this. Look at the evidence, for example RSV and other viruses made a comeback due to our reduced immunity as a result of lockdowns, school closures and other restrictive measures and this had more severe outcomes than if we'd kept up our high levels of population immunity.

A little bit of knowledge can be a dangeorus thing; it is clear to me you know a bit about a lot of topics but if you delve into topics in more detail you may find things are not always as they appear at first glance.

 

[duncanp]

The Covid Dashboard is still there, doing its thing...... https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

And if you look at the graph of cases, it has been virtually zero for about a year, apart from a spike in July 2022, and two very small spikes over the autumn and winter.

I think we can safely say that COVID is over as a pandemic, and is now a disease that we will have to learn to live with, as with other viruses like the common cold.

Sorry, locktivists and maskivists, that means no restrictions and no compulsory face nappies.

Particularly relevant with the third anniversary of the first lockdown tomorrow.

 

[island]

Particularly relevant with the third anniversary of the first lockdown tomorrow.

The third anniversary of the first lockdown is on Sunday 26•MCH•23. Although Boris announced a lockdown on 23•MCH•20, it did not legally begin until three days later.

 

[Mag_seven]

The third anniversary of the first lockdown is on Sunday 26•MCH•23. Although Boris announced a lockdown on 23•MCH•20, it did not legally begin until three days later.

I know that and you know that but for the bulk the country the lockdown started when Johnson announced it (on 23rd March 2020) and for most people that is the anniversary legally correct or not.

 

[Dent]

I know that and you know that but for the bulk the country the lockdown started when Johnson announced it (on 23rd March 2020) and for most people that is the anniversary legally correct or not.

I doubt most people are interested in marking any such anniversaray at all, on the correct date or at any other time.

 

[Citybreak1]

Primark and bowling outlets still have massive covid screens. Think it’s a bit but over the top at this stage. Getting severed in Primark feels like a post office. Many shops have since removed these screens.

 

[Dent]

Back on topic , another remaining effect that hasn't been mentioned is the fourth tab of the BBC News web site. The article rate is below one a week, and much of it is analysis rather than breaking news.

Seems to have finally gone today, at least I can't see it now when I could this morning.

 

[Ediswan]

Seems to have finally gone today, at least I can't see it now when I could this morning.

So it has. Also, the previously demoted "Entertainment & Arts" is back on the main menu as "Culture", in a more prominent position than it had before.

 

[MikeWM]

Particularly relevant with the third anniversary of the first lockdown tomorrow.

Ah, so today is the third anniversary of my starting a 7-day rail rover that I only got to do for 2 days :-/

Meanwhile, there's this truly astonishingly brazen paper over at the BMJ by, among others, our old friends Stephen Reicher and Susan Michie of SPI-B, about how the government used fear during the pandemic even though they were advised not to (!):

https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p652

The UK government’s attempt to frighten people into covid protective behaviours was at odds with its scientific advice

The scientific literature shows that fear is generally an ineffective way of persuading people to engage in health protective behaviours

...

When Hancock and Case advocated scare tactics they were going against the scientific advice they had been given. They were not, as some have suggested, in lockstep with their scientific advisors.

 

[ainsworth74]

Just a gentle reminder that we're not going to be relitigating the mask debate. It was done in more than enough detail at the time and there's no need to go over it again.

 

[duncanp]

I know that and you know that but for the bulk the country the lockdown started when Johnson announced it (on 23rd March 2020) and for most people that is the anniversary legally correct or not.

Yes, and Boris Johnson used all sorts of threats to brow beat us into complying with effect from March 23rd (pubs already closed from March 20th) even though the necessary powers had not been voted through by parliament.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Primark and bowling outlets still have massive covid screens. Think it’s a bit but over the top at this stage. Getting severed in Primark feels like a post office. Many shops have since removed these screens.

Some shops have probably, dependent on clientelle, retained them not for COVID purposes but as assault screens.

 

[DustyBin]

Meanwhile, there's this truly astonishingly brazen paper over at the BMJ by, among others, our old friends Stephen Reicher and Susan Michie of SPI-B, about how the government used fear during the pandemic even though they were advised not to (!):

https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p652

That is unbelievable!

 

[Enthusiast]

And if you look at the graph of cases, it has been virtually zero for about a year, apart from a spike in July 2022, and two very small spikes over the autumn and winter.

It isn't actually zero (but the illusion is such because of a chart that scales up to 250,000). The daily average since September 2022 is around 4,300. But I agree: the pandemic is over; it is deceased; it is no more; it is a late pandemic. I've had a heated discussion on another forum with one or two contributors who still want precautions to continue "just in case it flares up again."

Meanwhile, there's this truly astonishingly brazen paper over at the BMJ by, among others, our old friends Stephen Reicher and Susan Michie of SPI-B, about how the government used fear during the pandemic even though they were advised not to (!):

https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p652

They should have looked at this before they published their paper:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/882722/25-options-for-increasing-adherence-to-social-distancing-measures-22032020.pdf

It is a paper prepared by SAGE’s behavioural science sub-group SPI-B, for discussion at SAGE #18 on 23rd March 2020. It is headed "Options for increasing adherence to social distancing measures." In particular, regarding the above mentioned paper is this (which some may remember):

"Perceived threat: A substantial number of people still do not feel sufficiently personally threatened; it could be that they are reassured by the low death rate in their demographic group (8), although levels of concern may be rising (9). Having a good understanding of the risk has been found to be positively associated with adoption of COVID-19 social distancing measures in Hong Kong (10). The perceived level of personal threat needs to be increased among those who are complacent, [my emphasis] using hard-hitting emotional messaging."

In other words, scare the shi'ite out of them.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The Covid Dashboard is still there, doing its thing...... https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

Ah.... they changed the URL on it...!!!

 

[DustyBin]

They should have looked at this before they published their paper:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/882722/25-options-for-increasing-adherence-to-social-distancing-measures-22032020.pdf

It is a paper prepared by SAGE’s behavioural science sub-group SPI-B, for discussion at SAGE #18 on 23rd March 2020. It is headed "Options for increasing adherence to social distancing measures." In particular, regarding the above mentioned paper is this (which some may remember):

"Perceived threat: A substantial number of people still do not feel sufficiently personally threatened; it could be that they are reassured by the low death rate in their demographic group (8), although levels of concern may be rising (9). Having a good understanding of the risk has been found to be positively associated with adoption of COVID-19 social distancing measures in Hong Kong (10). The perceived level of personal threat needs to be increased among those who are complacent, [my emphasis] using hard-hitting emotional messaging."

In other words, scare the shi'ite out of them.

That’s the very paper I had in mind when I wrote my previous reply. They must be banking on people having very short memories!

 

[MikeWM]

That’s the very paper I had in mind when I wrote my previous reply. They must be banking on people having very short memories!

Believe it or not, they do actually mention that specific paper in this Reicher/Michie/etc. paper. They say that particular line was fine (!!!) because the next sentence is that this will 'empower' people by also teliing them what to do to reduce the risk, and in combination that is 'sound science' and 'common sense'!

They then conclude, in some bizarre twisted logic, that the government did just this, but wrong somehow, and therefore they weren't following scientific advice (!).

They really are shameless and ludicrous.

 

[Runningaround]

Where in the country is this?

Plenty of pubs don't open during the day some not bothering at night early in the week, most are operating to the traditional pre 2002 times of 12 - 11pm weekends or even shorter 5-10pm weekdays. It looks like many will not bother to open at all during the quiet periods.

 

[philosopher]

Plenty of pubs don't open during the day some not bothering at night early in the week, most are operating to the traditional pre 2002 times of 12 - 11pm weekends or even shorter 5-10pm weekdays. It looks like many will not bother to open at all during the quiet periods.

While I agree this is happening, I suspect it more due to the high cost of energy at the moment rather than a legacy of Covid.

 

[ainsworth74]

While I agree this is happening, I suspect it more due to the high cost of energy at the moment rather than a legacy of Covid.

I was thinking that! Especially in winter, why run the heating full blast to keep the place warm when there's no-one in buying drinks/food?

 

[route101]

Still plenty of screens up in shops.

Not many wearing masks now though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Still plenty of screens up in shops.

Not many wearing masks now though.

Screens are probably now in part there as assault/anti spit screens.

 

[Cdd89]

On the topic of screens, I saw this in Japan a couple of months ago. It takes a lot for me to be surprised by a Covid measure so I didn’t predict a new bar would be crossed in 2023!

Image description: Image of a dining table with a screen on it.

 

[rapmastaj]

On the topic of screens, I saw this in Japan a couple of months ago. It takes a lot for me to be surprised by a Covid measure so I didn’t predict a new bar would be crossed in 2023!

Image description: Image of a dining table with a screen on it.
View attachment 131487

The depths of horrendousness these covid measures go to still continues to appal me. And even worse is the fact that most people I know are and have always been fully in support of them. How did society reach a point where it's considered healthy to tape off chairs and benches and lock up kitchen drawers with cable ties? The mental health implications of this pandemic will last for a long time.

 

[ChrisC]

This isn’t a joke I really did see it yesterday!

The Victoria Centre Market in Nottingham is sadly in the process of being closed down by the city council. There are a number of traders left and many people are still trying to support them. I walked past yesterday and couldn’t believe what I saw at the stall selling nuts. Customers were being asked to stand quite some distance away from the stall behind a red and white taped barrier where there are numerous signs about keeping your distance. It’s cash only and those serving behind the counter have fishing nets on the end of long poles. They hold the net out to you for you to place your cash in and then do the same again to give you what you have purchased and your change. Sorry I didn’t take a photo!

 

[Bletchleyite]

The depths of horrendousness these covid measures go to still continues to appal me. And even worse is the fact that most people I know are and have always been fully in support of them. How did society reach a point where it's considered healthy to tape off chairs and benches and lock up kitchen drawers with cable ties? The mental health implications of this pandemic will last for a long time.

Many of the measures, such as keeping children from their education or couples apart, or preventing people from seeing dying relatives, were horrendous. Plastic screens were just mildly irritating, to be honest, though I can understand why people don't like the memories they provoke.

 

[westv]

Apart from Hull Trains have any other TOC's catering not returned to pre Covid service?

 

[DelW]

Apart from Hull Trains have any other TOC's catering not returned to pre Covid service?

SWR have withdrawn all catering permanently. I think that withdrawal happened during Covid, although it had already been progressively reduced over a longer period.