So how do we feel about Sajid Javid telling us not to ‘cower’ from Covid

But people aren’t wearing masks or social distancing because the government told them it was freedom day and they no longer have to do it. You only had to see people at my local pub to know that. The government wanted it to rip through the country and that’s just what it’s doing.

"Cower" is probably a poor choice of words, but I agree with his sentiment. We need to do what we can - masks, distancing, hand washing and, most importantly, vaccination, then get on with (albeit a changed and cautious) life.

lemongrove

Nezumi
I won’t get into mixing it with you, suffice to say I don’t think using a word ( cower ) warrants the outrage on the thread ( or in RL)
There is a line to walk between protecting people and worrying about the economy, and that’s what government has to do.
I understand your personal anxieties of course.

If the government doesn't protect people there won't be any economy to worry about.

'Cower' is an offensive word. He didn't 'misspeak', he said what he really was thinking, then had to be shamed into a meaningless apology.

Tbh if you are at higher risk for whatever reason now is exactly the time to increase the precautions. I have never known so many people to have it as I do now. I lateral flow test before going anywhere with people inside at the moment. I’m going to the theatre on Friday and for the first time ever will wear a FFP2 mask rather than an ordinary one.

MerylStreep

I doubt very much if there are people cowering in the physical sense but there have been many who I would describe as cowering in the mental sense.
Many posters have described the extreme measures they’re adhering to.
Why would you do that if you weren’t frightened.

I’m frightened if catching what could be a life changing/life threatening novel virus. I’m not cowering though. Just being careful. People have eased up in my daughters village and she says the virus is ripping through the place.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has apologised after saying people should no longer "cower" from coronavirus.

He made the comments in a tweet announcing he had made a "full recovery" from Covid, a week after testing positive.

Labour accused him of denigrating those who followed the rules, while the founder of a victims' group said his comments were "deeply insensitive".

Mr Javid said: "It was a poor choice of word and I sincerely apologise."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57961870

I am thinking of starting a petition “ban politicians from tweeting”
I'll second that.

Why do they do it?
Then often have to retract what they tweeted?

Do they tweet themselves or do they have minions to twitter for them?

It's just not at all statesmanlike.
It's teenagerish

I doubt very much if there are people cowering in the physical sense but there have been many who I would describe as cowering in the mental sense.
Many posters have described the extreme measures they’re adhering to.
Why would you do that if you weren’t frightened.

lemongrove

Alegrias nobody can use plain language now without running it past the thought police.

Lemongrove do you just always support whatever any Tory
Politician does or says ? Genuine question.

This tweet was ill phrased at best. Why couldn’t he just say he was glad to be recovered and hoped the return to normality might be in sight ? Cower is such an emotive word.

FannyCornforth

Awful.
As well as the obvious insensitivity and ‘I’m alright Jack-ery’, he sounds very ignorant.
This ‘government’ just gets worse and worse.
The words ‘I despair’ are well overused; but I do, I really do

Oh good FannyCornforth we are back in the same team.
I agree.
I am thinking of starting a petition “ban politicians from tweeting”

Well lambda has some concerned. If it does evade vaccination then it is already in the U.K. and we have created ideal conditions for it to spread. If it doesn’t there will be new variants created all the time anyway and high rates of transmission in a partially vaccinated population increases those risks. Whatever those risks are they are increased but purposefully increasing transmission.

New info coming out regularly about the impact of having Covid - some alarmist, some concerning. It’s too early to tell how concerned we should be. I would suggest it is reckless to be experimental given this stage of our knowledge.

Personally I would prefer to see masks continuing and energy put into increasing ventilation in indoor spaces. I don’t think that makes me cowed.

The current rate of transmission is problematic for businesses anyway (which was predictable).

Fabulous turn of phrase muffin ???

I didn’t realise the legally mandated lockdown was now referred to as “cowering”.

Absolute muppet of a man

FrenchGranny
Which people?
Which views?
Which subjects?

I know this is a discussion forum but it always amazes me how people who are most definitely not experts have such strong views on subjects on which they know very little!

Yes same here. Due to go kn holiday tomorrow.

My daughter, who was going on holiday in a weeks time, is awaiting all sorts of results from people they’ve been in contact with to see if they now have to self isolate. I was going to visit them for the first time in over a year but that’s not going to happen now.

What a fuss about a poorly used word. All politically motivated of course.

MayBee70

Alegrias1

Why do you keep asking people that?

The risk of that happening is negligible.

Prof Sarah and her team think its highly unlikely, do you understand why?

But, according to DrJohns latest blog the Delta variant is 1000 times more transmissible than the original covid. That’s how much this virus can adapt if allowed to go unchecked. Again, I need to listen to the blog again in case I’ve misunderstood it.

I don't think a viral load of 1000x the original variant equates to 1000x as infectious MayBee70. But then I don't have a PhD in evolution, so I could be wrong.

Europe clamps down amid fears over rapid spread of Delta variant

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/25/europe-clamps-down-amid-fears-over-rapid-spread-of-delta-variant

Thing is, when I was doing my PhD, we were reminded to actually pay attention to the questions we were being asked and discussions we were having, and not to head off on our own pet topic. The Boris Johnson school of answers, if you like.

I said: There are people who still think the vaccine is going to be rendered useless by a mega-variant that is going to pop up any day.

Cath Green says: The good news is that we also think it is unlikely that the virus can mutate in a way that keeps it functioning but makes our vaccine completely ineffective.

That's because a change in the spike protein – which allows the coronavirus to enter and infect human cells – that is radical enough to make our vaccine completely ineffective would also, almost certainly, be so extreme as to make the virus non-functional

You said: New variants! Resistance!

Scientists are normally careful about how they phrase things so as not to cause alarm. Normally.

I am saying that if I wanted to create a vaccine resistant strain I would partially vaccinate a population with an imperfect vaccination, ramp up transmission to a really high level and sit back and wait.

The issue is the level of transmission.

And the incubation period is much shorter…

Alegrias1

Why do you keep asking people that?

The risk of that happening is negligible.

Prof Sarah and her team think its highly unlikely, do you understand why?

But, according to DrJohns latest blog the Delta variant is 1000 times more transmissible than the original covid. That’s how much this virus can adapt if allowed to go unchecked. Again, I need to listen to the blog again in case I’ve misunderstood it.

No it’s not what I am implying at all