China Coronavirus

[imtommygunn]

That doesn't mean they don't drive it in the north.

Maybe they don't and universities are another variable but I don't know how you can be sure of that. The growth in the north does suspiciously correlate to school timings. (Yes there are many other variables like time of year, universities, maybe less lockdown *at times* but I don't see how it can be point blank ignored.)

Also we had a one year old who tested positive from a small cough. Now that seemed innocuous and came to nothing for anyone in the nursery / house however he tested positive from a cough. Kids are being sent home from different schools with more symptoms than a cough, not being tested and then going back in within the next day or two. I know of a few instances of that and based on my own experience then if you have that kind of thing you should definitely get tested as you could be in for a hell of a surprise. Tolerances like that will spread things a lot surely? Now not all schools are like that I am sure but some definitely are.

[thewobbler]

Facts, huh?

The fact remains that Covid doesn't differentiate between 16 year olds who work on sites, 16 year olds who have part time jobs in Tesco and 16 year olds who are lucky enough to concentrate solely on school.

The fact also remains that the majority of juveniles who are infected, would never be aware of their infection unless a colleague / friend fails a test, thereby entering them into the system.

What isn't a fact is your perception of figures. Schools had to remain open to ensure the economy could tick over. By either request or need, the media and the health authorities have done whatever they can to deflect attention form schools. You have been asked, by osmosis, to join in with this deflection. And you're compliant.

—-

By the way it's possible, like me, to both acknowledge that schools are necessary during these times, and a major cause of spread. This is not a juxtaposition.

[imtommygunn]

By the way it's possible, like me, to both acknowledge that schools are necessary during these times, and a major cause of spread. This is not a juxtaposition.

I would strongly agree with that statement.

[armaghniac]

If you are calling for more testing then that is a no brainer. Better to test and close particular schools and classes than close the whole lot to save yourself the trouble of testing them. In this pandemic the only alternative to general lockdown and closures is targeted closure driven by actual data.

[imtommygunn]

More testing and more open mindedness to the fact that schools could potentially be a source of spreading because IMO there are too many that think they just can't be and I don't mean you I mean people in "authority".

[bennydorano]

I've stated previously there is a bit of an Omerta going on in schools, I totally believe that but I accept it's a necessary evil. If mass testing was brought into schools they'd all be be shut down if they followed guidance to the letter of the law ' even in the ROI which apparently is the bestest in the whole world.

[GetOverTheBar]

I've stated previously there is a bit of an Omerta going on in schools, I totally believe that but I accept it's a necessary evil. If mass testing was brought into schools they'd all be be shut down if they followed guidance to the letter of the law ' even in the ROI which apparently is the bestest in the whole world.

Don't you feel slightly insulted however when it's the biggest open secret in the country and our Health Minister stands in front of the media and says people didn't stay in during the 2 week lockdown?

Schools all around here my way now are falling, teachers I know / Know of are taking to twitter to express their concerns about positive tests, schools being closed and having to isolate over Xmas. Looks like the whole thing is starting to crumble really.

[imtommygunn]

Unfortunately it crumbled a long time ago. 

Relaxing lockdown so people can go shopping and then telling people who go shopping they may have to self isolate. You couldn't make it up.

[Seaney]

Over 400 today again but with ~twice the number of tests. The number in hospitals / ICU seems to be kind of flatlining however I guess with people having passed away that still means more coming in 

I was speaking to a doctor who was saying that even case numbers are not that relevant - it's more the fact that from the hospitals perspective it is just constant.

Jesus you are a brave man saying you have a doctor mate - all these folks know more than your supposedly doctor mate!! 

[Smurfy123]

Question
And please just gives answers
The day Wales went into lockdown over 7 weeks ago
206 cases per 100k
Now today and still in lockdown 409 per 100k
Explain that ??

[6th sam]

Question
And please just gives answers
The day Wales went into lockdown over 7 weeks ago
206 cases per 100k
Now today and still in lockdown 409 per 100k
Explain that ??

There are so many "stats " out there of varying relevance , open to interpretation and must be contextualised.
The contrast between north and south on the same island is worth exploration in itself, why is ROI doing much better? Is it possible that the clear  unified messages from impressive leaders across the medical/scientific and political spectrum in ROI continues to engage and motivate the population. Whilst the daily negative scaremongering from a well meaning but mournful Robin Swann and lack of unified approach in NI and in UK , has resulted in population "switch off" in the North

Regarding the Wales stat above , you can only say lockdown wasn't worthwhile,  if you could do a trial of same number of cases, in two comparable areas , lock one area down , and don't lock the other area, and see how they end up. Though I share frustration around the limits of evidence behind lockdown, nobody's going to be brave enough not to lockdown and "let 'er rip"
What we do know from simple mathematics , as opposed to medical science , is that if you want to arrest spread, , lockdown early before exponential growth takes hold. This approach from the start could have let to shorter more effective lockdowns. In short the Wales figures above probably show that they locked too late, rather than lockdown wasn't worthwhile . If they didn't lockdown and figures went up to say 1000/100000 a historically underfunded NHS couldn't cope .
At the very start of this pandemic I remember the WHO saying the 3 best ways to beat this were: Test, Test,Test!
If you keep numbers low from the start and aggressively detect and isolate spikes  , it would be much easier to motivate people to comply.
If you procrastinate, and daily feed negativity, and inconsistent messages ( the Ni approach) , !the population switches off.
Having said that, we are where we are, opening up at Christmas with a myriad of rules is fraught with danger. The only logic in this , I imagine , is to give people a breather in the hope that they will better be able to comply in January , and hope the NHS can cope with the likely surge.
Mass Vaccine uptake and roll out , will hopefully see us in a different place by March, April

[Milltown Row2]

Question
And please just gives answers
The day Wales went into lockdown over 7 weeks ago
206 cases per 100k
Now today and still in lockdown 409 per 100k
Explain that ??

How many tests are being carried out?

What's the figures for hospitalisation?

How many are dying?

[dublin7]

Over 400 today again but with ~twice the number of tests. The number in hospitals / ICU seems to be kind of flatlining however I guess with people having passed away that still means more coming in 

I was speaking to a doctor who was saying that even case numbers are not that relevant - it's more the fact that from the hospitals perspective it is just constant.

Jesus you are a brave man saying you have a doctor mate - all these folks know more than your supposedly doctor mate!! 

Twisting the narrative again Seany. There's a surprise. If someone offers an opinion of a medical doctor them that person has some experience in the area and can have valid points.

When chemical engineers offer expert opinions on vaccines and medical matters then their opinion is less likely to be taken seriously, especially when the stats they put forward for the success rates of vaccines are wrong and/or complete nonsense

[imtommygunn]

Also it's a pretty uncontroversial opinion when you only seem to favour controversial ones

On the test test test 605k in the north have been tested with just over 1 million tests. That's about a third of the population is it not? Interesting to see so many people getting retested.

Interesting to see when lockdowns don't work. The south's has done pretty well and places like New Zealand and a few others have done well with lockdowns. I can only speak for here but the lockdown has been half assed with very little decisiveness on decisions. Wales may or may not have been like that? I don't think here or quite frankly most of the uk are a case study in lockdowns with the current governments. Even with medical or scientific advice the politicians seem to think they know better so I don't even know it's necessarily the advice they're getting.

[Denn Forever]

Now a new flu identified in China.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53218704