Disconnect with the data.

Sorry my post was a little off topic. I was most concerned when I witnessed yet another collection group of maskless parents.
No I Hope Scotland does not follow England’s negligence regarding the pandemic. Nicola S has always put her country as a priority. Such a pity our ‘leaders’ don’t. Our political leaders would benefit from a top up on leadership skills and putting out country first.

Some parents, most parents, who when dropping and collecting their precious charges at school stand around the school chatting and still not wearing face masks.
Covid is a growing problem in all schools and some of those who collect children, mummies, daddies, Nannies, au pairs or grandparents don’t appear to understand the growing gravity of the pandemic.
I’m in a mist privilege position where I work in many schools and this is my observation.
It’s heartbreaking to see the children being put at risk. The schools are working hard to ensure child safety when in their care. The parents, well most - just don’t put the theory they read into practice by wearing a CLEAN face mask.

I don’t think it’s ME as the people I knew with it suffered from extreme tiredness, not the heart and lung problems that long covid seems to cause. Maybe the brain fog is similar. I do think ME should have had more research/understanding over the years.

varian

Covid 19 has not been around for long enough for anyone to know the long-term effects of getting the infection.

What we do know is that there are millions of people who are right now suffering from long-covid.

Some were folk who became very ill with covid but others only had mild symptoms yet still suffer a year or more later.

I think that it is best to assume that long covid is a real danger and that is one good reason for protecting our secondary school children by vaccinating them asap.

You could be right there.

The known risks of vaccination for that age group would need to be balanced against the known risks of Covid for that age group, including long Covid. I personally do not know what either of those are (or how much is even known). But I expect the government scientific advisors do.

Covid 19 has not been around for long enough for anyone to know the long-term effects of getting the infection.

What we do know is that there are millions of people who are right now suffering from long-covid.

Some were folk who became very ill with covid but others only had mild symptoms yet still suffer a year or more later.

I think that it is best to assume that long covid is a real danger and that is one good reason for protecting our secondary school children by vaccinating them asap.

MayBee70

Skye17

Cossy said:

//People, please stop comparing flu with coronaviruses, flu does kill people and people can suffer from post viral conditions to, but nothing like coronaviruses.//

According to the BBC, flu killed over 20,000 people in the winter of 2017-18. Also according to the BBC, the current daily death rate from coronavirus is 37. That would mean around 5,500 deaths over 5 months (assuming winter is November-March). And the current daily death rate is in a situation where not everyone is vaccinated. It will go down.

According to the charity Action for ME, about 250,000 people in the UK currently suffer from ME, which is just one of several post-viral conditions. Many people are very seriously affected by it. It just hasn’t received the same publicity as long Covid. Most of these patients will have been made ill by other viruses apart from coronaviruses.

I am not sure you are right to say that coronaviruses are far more harmful than other viruses.

I think coronavirus is more likely than other viruses to result in long term ME like symptoms which, because I’ve had friends who suffer from it, can be life changing. Which is why I worry about young people just being allowed to catch it. Even people that suffer from covid mildly are at risk of suffering from long covid.

Do you have any evidence that coronaviruses are more likely to lead to ME than other viruses?

We certainly hear more via the media about long Covid (probably ME caused by coronaviruses) than about ME caused by other viruses. That doesn’t mean coronaviruses are more likely to cause ME - it just means coronavirus ME is more reported on.

Skye17

Cossy said:

//People, please stop comparing flu with coronaviruses, flu does kill people and people can suffer from post viral conditions to, but nothing like coronaviruses.//

According to the BBC, flu killed over 20,000 people in the winter of 2017-18. Also according to the BBC, the current daily death rate from coronavirus is 37. That would mean around 5,500 deaths over 5 months (assuming winter is November-March). And the current daily death rate is in a situation where not everyone is vaccinated. It will go down.

According to the charity Action for ME, about 250,000 people in the UK currently suffer from ME, which is just one of several post-viral conditions. Many people are very seriously affected by it. It just hasn’t received the same publicity as long Covid. Most of these patients will have been made ill by other viruses apart from coronaviruses.

I am not sure you are right to say that coronaviruses are far more harmful than other viruses.

I think coronavirus is more likely than other viruses to result in long term ME like symptoms which, because I’ve had friends who suffer from it, can be life changing. Which is why I worry about young people just being allowed to catch it. Even people that suffer from covid mildly are at risk of suffering from long covid.

If the Great British Public has a lot of common sense, how come Boris Johnson is PM?

Mincub

Maremia - I totally agree - the man has no moral code and is no hero- he simply followed orders - the vaccine wasn’t his idea nor did he have a hand in it, but he will take the glory when it comes. I suspect he never had Covid, had he, he would have had at least some understanding of what the virus can do. Instead, now the going is getting tough he washes his hands of responsibility and continues to follow the party line.
He’s not just a fool …he’s a bloody dangerous fool!

Well said. Totally agree.

It’s all well and good asking people to use their common sense but unfortunately we have grown accustomed to a nanny state where so many look to others to be shown what to do. Let’s see if common sense prevails, when the nightclubs turn out at 3 am?
As I’ve said previously, ‘Look after yourself and yours and let the fools fend for themselves’. You can do no more!

Advice not spice! Predictive text! Doh!

The DH and I have been very cautious and will carry on being so. We will keep our distance from others, continue to wash our hands frequently and probably don our masks in situations where closer contact is inevitable, indoors.

Having said that, we welcome freedom day and are going to make the most of our resumed liberties.

Covid cannot be stopped, nor can variants of the virus and with the vaccination programme such a roaring success the spice to use one’s sense is spot on.

Maremia - I totally agree - the man has no moral code and is no hero- he simply followed orders - the vaccine wasn’t his idea nor did he have a hand in it, but he will take the glory when it comes. I suspect he never had Covid, had he, he would have had at least some understanding of what the virus can do. Instead, now the going is getting tough he washes his hands of responsibility and continues to follow the party line.
He’s not just a fool …he’s a bloody dangerous fool!

'Take responsibility for yourself' says the man who has never taken responsibility for anything is his entire life. Johnson is bored with trying to be sensible, his backers are pushing him to open up the economy. I wish you all, health and safety, over the coming months, wherever you are in the World.

I know we have got to live with this virus but I think we should have kept mask wearing on public transport & in shops plus when in large crowds.

The first vaccine specifically tailored to tackle a new variant of COVID-19 is now being tested on volunteers, it was announced last night.

The UK’s Oxford-based vaccine development team have designed the vaccine to block the Beta variant of the virus, associated with South Africa.

It is to mostly to be tested as a booster dose, to see if it can tweak immune responses to counteract new variants, developers said. However, some of the more than 2,000 volunteers in the UK, South Africa, Brazil and Poland will test the vaccine as their first or second dose.

In the UK, it will be given to volunteers as a booster at least three months after their second dose.

The new vaccine AZD2816 has been developed using the adenoviral technology used for the original Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. It tackles ten changes in the viral spike protein, some of which have increased infectivity or reduced sensitivity of antibodies to the original virus.

Researcher Professor Sir Andrew Pollard said: “Testing booster doses of existing vaccines and new variant vaccines is important to ensure we are best prepared to stay ahead of the pandemic coronavirus, should their use be needed

Talk about not pleasing all of the people all of the time. Bubbles are to be scrapped for school children - just what teachers were wanting, now they are complaining that it will cause so much work! People don’t want to wear face coverings, now they are moaning that we should.

It seems to me that most people are just interpreting the information as it suits them.

We can’t be in lockdown forever. People’s lives are being greatly affected by it. The vaccinations are for nothing if we don’t get back to ‘normal’.
Mask wearing is obviously the big issue but to be honest, I see masks being worn incorrectly, they are (probably) not being washed regularly, if reusable, so are generally not really that effective in reality.
Wear one if it makes you feel safer and keep your distance but we really just need to get used to it. If hospital admissions/deaths increase, then they’ll have to think again.
The infection figure is irrelevant if most people just feel a bit ill for a while, like ‘flu.

To an extent, I'm in favour of people using their own judgement. The difficulty is with things like busy shops and public transport since wearing masks is not largely about your own protection and social distancing relies on the compliance of others. It would be good if there were shops which insisted on mask wearing, and others which didn't and clear signage so you could make your choice. Ditto taxis and maybe some buses.

More than once we've been in a situation where other people have blocked entranceways or narrow areas in such a way where SD was impossible. My sister, in her 70s was spat at when she asked some young people to move to one side so she could pass - and she's in a support bubble with her daughter who is having chemo. I don't know why but there are people in my area who are downright aggressive to anyone who wants to continue to wear masks etc as though it's a political statement. The vulnerable can't stay locked away all the time - even if they only need to emerge for vital services.

I may be a cynic (OK, I AM a cynic) but I think this is about costs. When all restrictions are lifted, the Government can cease paying people who are self employed etc. Children will be out of school, and the increase in cases can be blamed on the public.
I will wear a mask when going into shops and supermarkets, and will look to purchase the type that offers slightly more protection for the wearer (medical grade masks).
I genuinely hope that the majority of people are indeed possessed of common sense, but I really doubt it. I think many are already sick of restrictions and are willing to take the risk of becoming infected.
I feel for all those with compromised immune systems, who may actually die from Covid if they do contract it!

growstuff

I wish people would stop comparing Covid with flu. So far, Covid has proved to be about 7 times more deadly and flu doesn't leave people with long-term disabilities.

Covid has been more deadly than flu so far because there was no immunity in the population, no vaccines and no treatments. This is no longer true.

‘Flu doesn’t leave people with long-term disabilities.’ Flu and other viruses have left people with long-term disabilities for decades. I have two friends who have been unable to work for over 40 years following viral infections (glandular fever in one case). They are two of tens of thousands in this country alone. See the ME charities’ websites. Some ME patients are bed-bound.

Katie59. Couldn’t agree more, enough with all this now. We’ve thrown everything at this & sacrificed for so long. People are not dropping dead in the streets, NHS is fine so we need to get on with it now & be responsible for our own health.

Sheila11

The thing is Katie59 that wearing of masks protects others and not the wearers.

This is what we were told at the beginning of the pandemic, but it is not the current scientific view. Masks do give some protection to wearers.
theconversation.com/cloth-masks-do-protect-the-wearer-breathing-in-less-coronavirus-means-you-get-less-sick-143726

Cossy said:

//People, please stop comparing flu with coronaviruses, flu does kill people and people can suffer from post viral conditions to, but nothing like coronaviruses.//

According to the BBC, flu killed over 20,000 people in the winter of 2017-18. Also according to the BBC, the current daily death rate from coronavirus is 37. That would mean around 5,500 deaths over 5 months (assuming winter is November-March). And the current daily death rate is in a situation where not everyone is vaccinated. It will go down.

According to the charity Action for ME, about 250,000 people in the UK currently suffer from ME, which is just one of several post-viral conditions. Many people are very seriously affected by it. It just hasn’t received the same publicity as long Covid. Most of these patients will have been made ill by other viruses apart from coronaviruses.

I am not sure you are right to say that coronaviruses are far more harmful than other viruses.

It's a sad reflection on our Government that they are prepared to gamble with people's lives. Most of my immediate family have been vaccinated except my 26 year old son and his 22 year old girlfriend. Hopefully that will happen soon. In the meantime I plan to go on taking precautions and restricting my social life to family only. Only when it's clear that the risk is low will this change. I am thankful that I am not working atm and able to make these choices. Others are not so lucky and I feel for them. The truth is many have been living with it for all of it. Front line workers, carers, retail, emergency services, teachers. In saying that there needs to be a way to keep our economy running. But I think throwing caution to the wind is reckless. Hopefully the Government will see this in time. There will always be those that break the rules. The majority of us comply