End of the lockdown.

Just an idle thought.......
If, in 'normal' years, there was some sort of test to see if a person had influenza, and if they did, then all their contacts had to self-isolate for a fortnight, just wondering how many thousands, each week would test positive.......and how many more thousands would have to self-isolate.
We know that 'flu is highly infectious, and the vaccine has only extremely limited efficacy each year. Yes, this illness does kill a lot of people every year, and many also have after effects for weeks, months afterwards.
I am not saying that CV19 is just another flu - but just thinking that even in those very bad 'flu years, we did not shut things down, and prevent people going to work.

I’m sure it would help if each and every single one of us tried our best to do the right thing. What is so hard about wearing a mask and washing our hands and social distancing?

I tend to agree Franbern
I have read varying figures about the death toll in this country from the 1968 Hong Kong flu epidemic, ranging from sixty to eighty million people yet life carried on as normal.

Thinking of those who still have symptoms months after covid reminds me of chronic fatigue syndrome which has been around for many years and can occur after viral infections.
Could long covid could be a form of that ?

Franbern the differences are these:

• Coronaviruses are not flu viruses, they are cold viruses.
• This winter we will all be at risk of seasonal flu and Covid.
• The Covid infection rate is much higher than normal seasonal flu.
• Covid deaths per person infected are much higher than seasonal flu.
• One of the reasons that Covid 19 is so dangerous is that it mutates and quickly.

Horrible as they are, lockdowns do work if they are observed. Unfortunately, it seems that people aren’t observing this one.

What is the matter with me? Honestly I am losing it!
The figures I quoted should have said between sixty and eighty thousand not million!

alltheglitterglue
I said I knew that CV19 was not flu
Death rate from Covid is 0.1% . Higher for people in older age groups, but is not the 'We're all going to die' killer disease that so many people think it is.
'Flu virus mutates all the time, which is why a vaccine is required annually.

Do think there is still panic about Covid - it is a horrible virus, and does cause death particularly amongst the old. Although even there the figures show that the average age of death from Covid is over 83 yrs, whereas average age of death in this country normally is just over 82 yrs

Not downplaying what a nasty virus this is, I am far more concerned at the complete destruction of so many people's lives through lost jobs, unemployment, severe mental health problems, loss of their housing, break-up of relationships, increase in abuse etc. etc.

let's face it our 'lockdowns' aren't really lockdowns, our 'quarantines' not real either.

I don't like the dog comparison. It's not exactly the same level of threat when we open the door, is it?.

After all, the virus is dependent, can only survive (for long) in humans, can only spread by transmission. If we reduce the transmission rate, we change the threat level.

When we open the door, it's a little terrier there!

And still the schools and colleges stay fully open all the time. My DD has now tested positive but says that as a teacher of 7-8 year-olds she has no option but to help with their coats and shoelaces and so on, so social distancing in the classroom is a joke. Masks are some help, but not enough. I suppose that when enough teachers have had to go off work they will have to shut schools anyway.

I know I’ve said this before, but IMO we’re far too lax about mask-wearing. Hardly anyone ever wears one in my local small shop - that is except me and the bloke behind the till. I refuse to believe that everyone else I see without one is exempt.

I see people in supermarkets wearing them below their nose, or even on their chin. Reminds me of an old lady I used to take to hospital appts - when I tried to fasten her seat belt she said, ‘It’s all right dear, I’ll just hold it.’ ?

In other countries they have signs saying masks are mandatory in shops.
Here it’s usually an oh so polite, ‘Please wear a face covering.’

I agree, it's a pity it isn't a legal requirement (but not sure how it could be enforced). On a bus journey yesterday there was a constant reminder over the speaker that wearing a face mask on public transport is a legal requirement, not optional.

Bazza I watched the programme about the 18/19 Spanish Flu. There was no lockdown as such although, people were seen to wear masks.
The reason it finished was that, it either killed those who caught it or, they became immune. There was nowhere left for the virus to go. It did not seem to leave the long-term effects on those who recovered from it either. We could ignore it and it would go away eventually or become a lesser illness but, what lives would need to be sacrificed!

In Scotland, we have been told that hospitals in the worst affected areas are already under pressure.
People may not all be dying but are certainly suffering.
How much more suffering would there be if we did not have restrictions.

In Scotland, we have been told that hospitals in the worst affected areas are already under pressure
FarNorth For information, I've just posted on the Good Evening Wednesday thread that South Australia has just been placed under 6 days lockdown (sounds very much like our recent Melb curfew!)
Their Chief M.O. said it was an urgent decision because a new outbreak of Covid in Adelaide is far more virulent and must be contained urgently.
Don't drop your guard!
OoRoo

To anyone who doubted my previous response, and to clarify; yes, influenza mutates, usually only slightly annually.

Covid 19 is on it’s 4th mutation in under a year that we know of. See attached.