It's just a cold

Kali2

Yes, he is being forced into it by the same culprits.

It will be interesting if a large % of the population, perhaps those over a certain age, 50, 60, 70? will choose to continue wearing masks, gel, etc, and not go out to many public places as they feel unsafe due to others not being careful anymore.

Reports I have read state that although certain restrictions will be lifted masks will be kept for now
Rates are dropping very fast and these restrictions that were brought in as it was unknown how big the wave would be. A lot of the fears were unfounded so no reason not to lift restrictions

Rates are dropping very fast

Suspiciously fast, IMO. I've not seen rates drop that fast before over the last 2 years.

OTOH, the numbers of tests being carried out has dropped rapidly, too.

Didn't we have a shortage of both tests very recently?

Daily testing is still around 1.5m

MaizieD

^Rates are dropping very fast^

Suspiciously fast, IMO. I've not seen rates drop that fast before over the last 2 years.

OTOH, the numbers of tests being carried out has dropped rapidly, too.

Didn't we have a shortage of both tests very recently?

Well, there's a coincidence.

But how long before we've all had it anyway?

rosie1959

Kali2

Yes, he is being forced into it by the same culprits.

It will be interesting if a large % of the population, perhaps those over a certain age, 50, 60, 70? will choose to continue wearing masks, gel, etc, and not go out to many public places as they feel unsafe due to others not being careful anymore.

Reports I have read state that although certain restrictions will be lifted masks will be kept for now
Rates are dropping very fast and these restrictions that were brought in as it was unknown how big the wave would be. A lot of the fears were unfounded so no reason not to lift restrictions

I dislike wearing a mask but I do; as soon as I'm in the open air I take it off if people are a distance away.
The hand sanitisers give me contact dermatitis.

I can't wait for restrictions to be lifted.

Will not be wearing a mask and have never used hand sanitiser. I use soap and water.

Do you have soap and water when you get to the shops and other public spaces? Really? And you've never worn a mask to go into shops, the doctor's, etc?

Calistemon

rosie1959

Kali2

Yes, he is being forced into it by the same culprits.

It will be interesting if a large % of the population, perhaps those over a certain age, 50, 60, 70? will choose to continue wearing masks, gel, etc, and not go out to many public places as they feel unsafe due to others not being careful anymore.

Reports I have read state that although certain restrictions will be lifted masks will be kept for now
Rates are dropping very fast and these restrictions that were brought in as it was unknown how big the wave would be. A lot of the fears were unfounded so no reason not to lift restrictions

I dislike wearing a mask but I do; as soon as I'm in the open air I take it off if people are a distance away.
The hand sanitisers give me contact dermatitis.

I can't wait for restrictions to be lifted.

You don't need to be sanitizing or handwashing all the time. It was established ages ago that fomite (contact with a surface that has covid particles on it )infection was extremely unlikely.

Normal hand hygiene is, of course, very good and should always be done, but all this 'sanitising' everywhere is just making the alcohol gel manufacturers rich.

rosie1959

Daily testing is still around 1.5m

But has dropped quite a lot in the past few days, was at about 1.8 million for a while.

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/testing?areaType=overview&areaName=United%20Kingdom

MaizieD

rosie1959

Daily testing is still around 1.5m

But has dropped quite a lot in the past few days, was at about 1.8 million for a while.

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/testing?areaType=overview&areaName=United%20Kingdom

Looking at the monthly graph 1.5m looks a fair average

MerylStreep

Will not be wearing a mask and have never used hand sanitiser. I use soap and water.

Now that the virus is becoming endemic vulnerable people will depend on as many people as possible wearing masks to protect them. Don’t you think it’s totally selfish to not wear one? If someone said to you ‘ you could save someone’s life today’ would you go ‘nah, can’t be bothered’. We’re still all in this together.

MaizieD

Calistemon

rosie1959

Kali2

Yes, he is being forced into it by the same culprits.

It will be interesting if a large % of the population, perhaps those over a certain age, 50, 60, 70? will choose to continue wearing masks, gel, etc, and not go out to many public places as they feel unsafe due to others not being careful anymore.

Reports I have read state that although certain restrictions will be lifted masks will be kept for now
Rates are dropping very fast and these restrictions that were brought in as it was unknown how big the wave would be. A lot of the fears were unfounded so no reason not to lift restrictions

I dislike wearing a mask but I do; as soon as I'm in the open air I take it off if people are a distance away.
The hand sanitisers give me contact dermatitis.

I can't wait for restrictions to be lifted.

You don't need to be sanitizing or handwashing all the time. It was established ages ago that fomite (contact with a surface that has covid particles on it )infection was extremely unlikely.

Normal hand hygiene is, of course, very good and should always be done, but all this 'sanitising' everywhere is just making the alcohol gel manufacturers rich.

That's a relief.

I do avoid the hand sanitisers if I can but if I have a nurse standing over me with a fierce look on her face I tend to go for the easiest option. ?

However, definitely not at M&S as I think the stuff outside their shop is skin stripper.

Surely those at greatest danger from COVID, would in normal times (pre 2020) been in great danger from flu, which is currently almost non-existent.

What measures were they taking then to avoid flu and other dangerous viruses?

M0nica

Surely those at greatest danger from COVID, would in normal times (pre 2020) been in great danger from flu, which is currently almost non-existent.

What measures were they taking then to avoid flu and other dangerous viruses?

Hopefully, those at greatest risk of flu have been vaccinated and precautions have been taken to protect those most at risk in care homes.

Nevertheless, the annual deaths from flu for England and Wales (according to the ONS) was 1596 in 2018 and 1213 in 2019. That's a fraction of the number who are still dying from Covid.

The numbers would suggest that greater precautions need to be taken at a society level for Covid than for flu.

And in future flu should be taken more seriously. I can’t see me ever travelling by bus or train in the future without wearing a mask.

growstuff that is the point I am making, flu is just as dangerous for those whose immune system is compromised for any reason as COVID is. What were those with compromised immune systems doing to avoid flu and other such illnesses before COVID?

There is a flu vaccine, there is also a COVID vaccine - and both will have a 'failure' rate. Someone in my own family has an auto-immune illness, is vaccinated and has had COVID, but because of the vaccine had a relatively mild attack.

We do need to remember, shocking though the hospital admission and deaths are, they are a tiny percentage of the number who have had COVID. A larger proportion of those who are vulnerable, but a relatively small proportion of them as well.

We seem to have got into a mind set where if someone gets COVID, it is considered a miracle if they do not end up in hospital on a ventilator and with long COVID, if not dead, when it is the other way round. If you get COVID, you are unfortunate if it is more than a week off work and a week convalescing, assuming you are vaccinated, of course.

Tests are down by 45% in my area - and cases are lower this week, but that's only to be expected after the post-Christmas increase, of course. The situation varies depending upon where you live. There are signs of a levelling off in London but here the R rate is 0.7 to 1.1.

Look up your postcode and the 'see more data' for details:

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map/cases

Hetty58

Tests are down by 45% in my area - and cases are lower this week, but that's only to be expected after the post-Christmas increase, of course. The situation varies depending upon where you live. There are signs of a levelling off in London but here the R rate is 0.7 to 1.1.

Look up your postcode and the 'see more data' for details:

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map/cases

Thanks Hetty I was trying to work out from this is this just the number of PCR tests
As the rules have just changed I tested positive on a lateral flow test and since Tuesday I no longer had to complete a PCR so obviously loads more like me including my husband
So that is less people needing a PCR

rosie1959

Hetty58

Tests are down by 45% in my area - and cases are lower this week, but that's only to be expected after the post-Christmas increase, of course. The situation varies depending upon where you live. There are signs of a levelling off in London but here the R rate is 0.7 to 1.1.

Look up your postcode and the 'see more data' for details:

coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map/cases

Thanks Hetty I was trying to work out from this is this just the number of PCR tests
As the rules have just changed I tested positive on a lateral flow test and since Tuesday I no longer had to complete a PCR so obviously loads more like me including my husband
So that is less people needing a PCR

Completely puzzled by your post, Rosie59.

I am suggesting that the number of new covid cases 'might' be dropping because there are fewer tests available. You appeared to be contesting this, but now you're saying that you've tested positive on an LFT but not done a PCR. I've always understood that only PCR tests are counted in the daily 'new cases' figure, so where does it leave us if people with positive LFT results don't have a PCR test?

MaizeD I have not done a PCR test as I am following government guidance I have received following up txts and Emails from test and trace
I believe results from Lateral flow tests are counted as new cases
This was done to ease the pressure on PCR testing and as the Lateral flow tests seen pretty efficient at picking up positive cases
I wouldn't even have done a PCR asvi have no obvious symptoms

We seem to have got into a mind set where if someone gets COVID, it is considered a miracle if they do not end up in hospital on a ventilator

I would absolutely refute this sweeping exaggeration M0nica when the majority of us will probably have or have had adult children and grandchildren with Covid and while for instance I am concerned that 2 of my daughters and one SIL are currently suffering , my mindset is far from what you describe.
Let us keep things in perspective.

Kali2

MayBeMaw ''As Lemongrove has pointed out , to say we in the U.K. are dropping all safety measures is mis-speaking on a grand scale.''

I was just a couple of weeks ahead.

As a former MFL teacher, you will appreciate the importance of accurate tense usage.

Oh but I was.

Switzerland are dropping the need for negative pre-arrival tests for vaccinated and recent recovered covid cases from January 22nd.

Above from The Times transport/travel correspondent.