Covid - 19

[Sorastro]

All of a sudden there is easing of lockdown by the P.M.

A cynical person would almost believe he has done this to attempt to turn everyone's attention away from the Cummings fiasco.
Either way I STILL think it's too soon, whatever his motives he could be gambling with peoples lives by doing this.

One bit of good news {well two actually} M.P's will be returning to Westminster next week {huzzar} and to avoid them mixing with the riff raff especially on public transport, Parliament has deemed it a good idea to let M.P.'s use taxi's, at the taxpayers expense obviously.

Only one good thing has come out of the Cummings fiasco, that is at least the vast majority of Parliament know where Durham is now!

[Alsatian]

I agree wholeheartedly with you about easing of lockdown is too soon, i would much rather it have continued for at least another three weeks. Even the experts on last nights BBC programme said that, although cases are coming down, they're not coming down much.

Surely that indicates that we are still in a fragile position and it could easily lead to a spike in the number of cases.

Oh well, what do we commoners know? I just hope that we cynics are proved wrong.

As an aside, my sisters care home was tested last week (at last) and 15 carers and residents gave positive test results! Fortunately my sister is in a separate building for the disabled, along with 4 other residents. They have now locked down further whereby just 3 carers are covering all the shifts to avoid transmission of the virus.

[Sorastro]

 It would appear Theresa May has now called for the "Dom"" to be sacked, and if anyone knows about being cr*p at your job it's her.

Quite a few of the experts, and doctors, say it's to soon. I still don't see what the rush is, from a financial point of view maybe but what price can you put on your {and others} health.

[Sorastro]

Heard on the radio this morning about letting dentists re open.
The dentists say they haven't been given enough time {??} to prepare with screens, P.P.E.equipment staff etc. and they say if they do open the amount of time spent changing gowns and masks and cleaning the room after every patient means they will possibly only get to see about half a dozen patients a day.

Obviously whoever made that statement has a future as a politician. My new dentist whom I've only visited just once last year and hoping to go this July, from what I've seen of the building there are at least 6 dental "rooms" so just 3 dentists sharing 2 rooms each. After 3 patients seen in rooms 1, 2 and 3 they will see the next patients in rooms 4,5 and 6 whilst the first 3 are cleaned and keep alternating like that.

Obviously I don't fully know what's needed but it surely can't be THAT difficult to see more than 6 patients a day.

[Old Cruser]

I agree wholeheartedly with you about easing of lockdown is too soon, i would much rather it have continued for at least another three weeks. Even the experts on last nights BBC programme said that, although cases are coming down, they're not coming down much.

Surely that indicates that we are still in a fragile position and it could easily lead to a spike in the number of cases.

Oh well, what do we commoners know? I just hope that we cynics are proved wrong.

As an aside, my sisters care home was tested last week (at last) and 15 carers and residents gave positive test results! Fortunately my sister is in a separate building for the disabled, along with 4 other residents. They have now locked down further whereby just 3 carers are covering all the shifts to avoid transmission of the virus.

That very worrying for all concerned, the kits have taken far too long to be put into practise.
I was listening to an interview during this last week. The person being interviewed was in the track and trace team and was saying she had had no one contact her at all, so was spending her time on other things.

[Old Cruser]

Heard on the radio this morning about letting dentists re open.
The dentists say they haven't been given enough time {??} to prepare with screens, P.P.E.equipment staff etc. and they say if they do open the amount of time spent changing gowns and masks and cleaning the room after every patient means they will possibly only get to see about half a dozen patients a day.

Obviously whoever made that statement has a future as a politician. My new dentist whom I've only visited just once last year and hoping to go this July, from what I've seen of the building there are at least 6 dental "rooms" so just 3 dentists sharing 2 rooms each. After 3 patients seen in rooms 1, 2 and 3 they will see the next patients in rooms 4,5 and 6 whilst the first 3 are cleaned and keep alternating like

Obviously I don't fully know what's needed but it surely can't be THAT difficult to see more than 6 patients a day.

I think the idea has been rejected for now.

[Old Cruser]

I agree that it is too soon, I'm guessing that the decision is more economy based rather than health!
It is a worrying situation with so many not working and struggling.
However, we do not need another lockdown with so many people dying again.
The scientists and Drs are telling the Government it is too soon for what they are doing - but they plough on!

We will continue as we are with isolating for now I can manage with ordering from Tesco and Iceland, anything they don't send I have someone who will get it for me.
See what happens in a couple of weeks I I believe the R has increased?

Currently, I'm waiting for a Visor - do not laugh 
I ordered them for us all yesterday and they are due today, just a trial and this may be the 'new 'norm' in the future in some situations.
We have masks but I struggle with wearing mine because of my Asthma.

[Old Cruser]

So my Visor ( Face Shield) came and I wear it when entering a shop, not that I am entering many.
We seem to be hurtling out of the Covid 'scare' of keeping our distance  - to it's ok don't be afraid to get out there.

i know I know - it's the economy, we are in a mess but lets not forget March and April 2020. Awful months where so many died.

Many are not wearing masks when out and those that are can sometimes be seen with the mask under their nose???
I'm wondering how many really understand how or why we should be wearing masks/ face shields.
Confusion on the buses, where some drivers let people on without a mask and some don't ( maybe that person has declared a medical reason)
Some complain that ( like me ) they cannot wear a mask - so buy a face shield -

I'm unsure if people who are wearing masks are under the impression that it will keep them safe, when in actual fact they are to keep others safe from the person wearing the mask -

We are in confusing times where the powers that be cannot agree on the way forward with this.
As fo little old me - I think it is too much too soon and this old girl is staying in semi isolation !!

[Sorastro]

Drifting slightly left field but Covid connected.. I sent a small letter/parcel to an address down South. It was sent Tuesday 23rd and obviously, without giving it much thought, paid for next day delivery.

Up to now it has not been delivered. Now I know {and it says on the Royal Mail website} due to the pandemic we can't promise the agreed delivery day because everything is up in the air, which I fully understand and have no trouble with, but I did pay for next day delivery and obviously didn't get it, so my question is :-
"Why, if they knew darn well it wouldn't be delivered on the day stated, was I still asked what I wanted and charged that price?"
Fortunately we are not talking a massive amount difference between 1st and 2nd class and the item wasn't urgent, but non the less like all parcel delivery companies over the past few years they are promising more than they can deliver, as soon as they hit a bump in the road things start to unravel.

[Sorastro]

The new normal........

Some good things seem to be coming out of this, I've noticed over the weeks shopping has become {and made people become} more organised in their shopping habits. Many now just shop once a week, no more pushing and jostling for position in the supermarkets, browsing has almost ceased to exist, you are "herded" in an orderly fashion in and out of the store, everybody made to wait their turn, and most people have stopped griping about it.
As for holidays I believe holidays {if any at all}in this country will be the norm for a few years to come, mainly because we will probably end up with fewer flights and cruises, besides every country will be wanting it's population to spend and get the "mother" country back up and running first before spending your cash abroad, just imagine what places like Benidorm are like at this moment.
It looks like the new norm will be a condensed version of what we have been used to, and I can't see it becoming a bad thing in some respects.

Yes some people can't wait to get back to normal....
Back to people coughing and sneezing in your face or down the back of your neck.
Back to sitting on a bus next to someone that smells like a polecats rear end.
Back to wading through hoards of smokers cluttering up building entrances.
Back to having people constantly invading your space.
 Yes can't wait!!

[Sorastro]

 News this morning in which they seem to be on the cusp of a real breakthrough In the fight against Covid. This antidote, still early days as trials continue but hopefully a "cure" will be ready later this year early next year.....good news without a doubt.

This pandemic hit over 6 months ago now and it was brand spanking new, the world had never seen the like, nobody knew anything about it, nothing! and it's cut a swathe through the worlds population {and still is} yet here we are. The t.v. has people telling us a cure is just round the corner.

YET..... What about Cancer?
Cancer has been with us for DECADES now, although quite different it has the same effect as Covid by being a world crisis, maybe not as swift as Covid but just as devastating and yet having said that, they don't seem to be any closer to a cure and they've had a heck of a lot more time to work on Cancer that has claimed millions of lives.
I'm not medically trained. I don't claim to know the complexities of these diseases and/or their cures but after decades, a cure for Cancer seems as far away now as it has ever been. 
Yes they constantly claim "making progress"..." great leaps forward"...."innovative technology in the fight" but never the magic word!

[Old Cruser]

Sorastro, so many people who are just back to normal and yes i think we may be heading towards another serious outbreak.
I caught a brief mention on the news that we have protests against wearing masks.
So they want to right to pass on and ( maybe kill) others should they themselves have the virus and not know it?
Is this right?

We used Amazon a lot more than we normally do ( in fact I order very little normally via the internet.
However there has been items such as Hedgehog food my normal retailer couldn't get - so I used Amazon.
All was well and good came pretty quickly - then we had a delivery which 'should' have been made by the post office - it never arrived?
I got a refund but it was supposedly 'dispatched ' so where did it go ?

Cancer, I think they can extend life more than what they used to be able too but there are some that grow much quicker than what the medics can cope with - maybe one day -------

Back to Covid, I will carry on using online shopping as much as possible especially for groceries, and yes I do now go into shops but only with my face shield on!
Also slowly introducing my daughter back to shops ( she loves her shopping) but again she wears a face shield.

Lets hope that jab to combat Covid works and is available soon

[Sorastro]

Unfortunately O.C. Covid appears to effect people based on their age. Like you and me we are in the "danger zone" so to speak so we have to tread carefully, so strangely enough we have some sort of understanding of Covid.
Unlike Cancer, as has been shown, this can attack people of ALL ages, so without down crying Covid I would still have finding a cure for Cancer right up there on the "to do" list and as I say decades have now passed and yes progress has been made, but progress is not a cure.

[Old Cruser]

Unfortunately O.C. Covid appears to effect people based on their age. Like you and me we are in the "danger zone" so to speak so we have to tread carefully, so strangely enough we have some sort of understanding of Covid.
Unlike Cancer, as has been shown, this can attack people of ALL ages, so without down crying Covid I would still have finding a cure for Cancer right up there on the "to do" list and as I say decades have now passed and yes progress has been made, but progress is not a cure.

Totally agree with you obviously different diseases must bring different challenges. It would be interesting to read WHY they are struggling so much with a complete cancer cure.
Some is genetic we know this so I suppose that may pose different problems.
 

[Sorastro]

As I said I have no medical background.

The good bit in me would like to think that Cancer is so varied and complex, even with the tests and trials that are ongoing and many avenues to explore, a cure won't be found any time soon, it all appears to be in the lap of the Gods.

The cynical bit in me thinks like many others, it's all down to cost. If the worlds ills are cured straight away 90% of these medical labs would not be needed and so go out of business, it's like the old "finding a cure for the common cold" chestnut that has been around longer than the Cancer trials, plenty of stuff on the market to help relieve your cold that millions buy yearly that generate billions for these drug companies, yet so far down this road no "cure" and compared to today's ills with the technology they have you would have thought curing a cold would be a doddle.