COVID-19/Coronavirus Information and Support Thread (see OP for useful links)

[RacingGrandpa]

We can only get a test if we're sick.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coron.../get-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/

Same here in Sweden.

 

[Touring Mars]

My other workmate nearly gave me heart failure today after he said he won't be in next week as he has a week off...

I heard it as 'wee cough'...

The joke is, he does have a cough, so maybe it is just as well...

 

[Danoff]

I'm amazed you guys are having a hard time getting tested, that seems ridiculous at this point in the pandemic. We have so much spare testing here that every weekend they have a drive-up clinics where you don't need an order or anything, if you think you need testing you just show up. In Utah alone, we're averaging 4,000-ish test per day.

We can only get a test if we're sick.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coron.../get-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/

Same here in Sweden.

In the US you can get tested to attend a Chiefs game.

https://fox4kc.com/sports/chiefs/ch...suites-must-get-negative-covid-19-test-first/

 

[UKMikey]

In the US you can get tested to attend a Chiefs game.

https://fox4kc.com/sports/chiefs/ch...suites-must-get-negative-covid-19-test-first/

I hadn't looked into it before, but I do have the option to buy a test for £65.

https://www.bupa.co.uk/health/payg/covid-testing

It's antibody only though, not antigen, so I wouldn't be able to tell whether I had it currently.

In the meantime, our government has banned social gatherings of more than six people in England from Monday.

 

[x3ra]

Do you get your money back if it's a false positive? In the UK it's basically over. The media in the UK is finally coming round to this. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54064347

Operation Moonshot...pffft. Operation Bankrupt and Pointless is closer to the mark.

"The object is not to stay alive but to stay human”. Winston Smith.

Won't be long before everyone is a criminal. Boris the Fascist.

@Danoff Changing the goalposts. What do you think a case of Covid-19 consists of?

 

[Danoff]

@Danoff Changing the goalposts. What do you think a case of Covid-19 consists of?

I don't even understand your question. Can you answer mine?

 

[Joey D]

What do you think a case of Covid-19 consists of?

Is this a trick question? A COVID case is someone who has COVID.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Are you asking for symptoms?

 

[Blitz24]

Do you get your money back if it's a false positive? In the UK it's basically over. The media in the UK is finally coming round to this. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54064347

Operation Moonshot...pffft. Operation Bankrupt and Pointless is closer to the mark.

"The object is not to stay alive but to stay human”. Winston Smith.

Won't be long before everyone is a criminal. Boris the Fascist.

@Danoff Changing the goalposts. What do you think a case of Covid-19 consists of?

Basically over? Have you created a vaccine that can 100% prevent the virus? Or are you off spouting nonsense again? The tests aren't foolproof so there can be false positives. I'd rather have a false positive though instead of a false negative, because then you might, I don't know, take precautions to keep others well.

 

[UKMikey]

I think the conspiracy theory goes that we're all supposed to stop wearing facemasks and start mingling so the stronger amongst us can develop immunity like the Swedes... something something Gompertz curve. Yeah, no thanks, I'm-a continue to "live in fear" for my elderly mum's sake, thank you.

 

[Dotini]

As a result of the pandemic, 100% of US states are facing significant revenue drops. This is well into the double digits in several larger states. Skyrocketing expenses make the outlook very serious.

 

[RacingGrandpa]

I think the conspiracy theory goes that we're all supposed to stop wearing facemasks and start mingling so the stronger amongst us can develop immunity like the Swedes... something something Gompertz curve. Yeah, no thanks, I'm-a continue to "live in fear" for my elderly mum's sake, thank you.

I think you have misunderstood the Swedish way of dealing with the pandemic.
The reason we have so many deaths have more to do with privatisation of elderly care and less to do with achieved flock immunity.
We have had pretty much the same guidelines with social distancing and work from home as the rest of Europe.
The biggest difference is that we haven't closed to schools.

 

[novcze]

We have had pretty much the same guidelines with social distancing and work from home as the rest of Europe.
The biggest difference is that we haven't closed to schools.

Guidelines are the same, but weren't enforced in Sweden, especially face covering.

btw. Our government totally screwed things up after cautios initial response.

 

[RacingGrandpa]

Guidelines are the same, but weren't enforced in Sweden, especially face covering.

btw. Our government totally screwed things up after cautios initial response.

Face covering was never a guideline in Sweden. The guideline was to keep distance instead. At least 1,5-2 meters at all times
And it's seems to work, the spread is down.

We believe that guidelines doesn't need enforcement as we all wanted to follow them.

 

[UKMikey]

I think you have misunderstood the Swedish way of dealing with the pandemic.
The reason we have so many deaths have more to do with privatisation of elderly care and less to do with achieved flock immunity.
We have had pretty much the same guidelines with social distancing and work from home as the rest of Europe.
The biggest difference is that we haven't closed to schools.

That's why I called it a conspiracy theory. This is not the way I see things but is instead the kind of thing anti-lockdowners like Ivor Cummins are putting about on YouTube.

You don't have to watch this but it's people like he who kept bringing up your low curve as "proof" that lockdown measures weren't effective while ignoring the fact that you are more civic minded and socially responsible as a people than we are.

 

[RacingGrandpa]

Then I get it. We had lockdown. But voluntary.

 

[Touring Mars]

Public co-operation and understanding of what needs to be done and why is key to keeping outbreaks under control.

What really infuriates me is that so many people in the UK are doing their bit - but too many are not... either because they are truly ignorant, or because they won't be told what to do, even if it is for their own benefit.

Meanwhile in the UK, the entire testing strategy is crumbling - testing is still a shambles and even key workers in care homes cannot get test results promptly. This is totally unacceptable.

As in the USA, it is hard to see how skeptical or even compliant people can be expected to keep making such an effort to modify their behvaiour when the government arenot doing their bit to make things easier.

In the last few weeks, the government have made all restaurant meals half-price during the week to encourage people to 'Eat Out to Help Out', and want people to return to work as soon as possible in order to reboot the economy. And yet now cases are starting to skyrocket again, and testing is still not available, even to key workers.

They cannot have one without the other.

 

[Dotini]

...in the UK, the entire testing strategy is crumbling

In the US, much of the economy is crumbling. Every state is deep into the red. Millions of people previously living from paycheck to paycheck are out of money and are going hungry. Federal support has dried up amid squabbling politicians, and is very unlikely to be readdressed until after the elections in November.

 

[x3ra]

What on Earth are you trying to say here? You think the "goalposts" need to stay put by refusing to test?

I'm saying that a case is only a case if someone has symptoms. https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/infectious-positive-pcr-test-result-covid-19/

PCR results may lead to restrictions for large groups of people who do not present an infection risk. The results indicate that viral RNA load cut-offs should be used: to understand who is infectious, the extent of any outbreak and for controlling transmission.

In the beginning the only people who were tested were suffering from Covid, this is different to having it and not having any symptoms, which will be the bullk of the population being tested positive.

This is what I mean by over

Current deaths with Covid a factor 41,614. (from ONS)

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

As in the USA, it is hard to see how skeptical or even compliant people can be expected to keep making such an effort to modify their behavior when the government are not doing their bit to make things easier.

It's very difficult. People can't even follow the directional arrows in the parking lot.

 

[DesertPenguin]

I'm saying that a case is only a case if someone has symptoms.

So we're just ignoring all the facts and data about a symptomatic cases?

 

[Joey D]

I'm saying that a case is only a case if someone has symptoms.

That makes no sense. A COVID case is someone who has COVID, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic. The link you posted doesn't even argue what you're trying to say either, it's saying that we should be studying and trying to understand PCR results better.

Also, I found this amusing:

During our Open Evidence Review of oral-fecal transmission of Covid-19, we noticed how few studies had attempted or reported culturing live SARS-CoV-2 virus from human samples.

Oral-fecal transmission? Man, what do you people get up to in the UK?

(Kidding of course)

 

[Touring Mars]

Oral-fecal transmission? Man, what do you people get up to in the UK?

Well, we do have quite a lot of people who talk out of their arses.

 

[ryzno]

It's very difficult. People can't even follow the directional arrows in the parking lot.

I must say that shop in this direction thing was stupid. You still had to walk past people in the aisle... I felt like a cow lined up for slaughter with a bunch of other cows that had no idea what they were doing and blindly following the heard.
And I've said before, people sitting at home on lock down just is making it take longer for "heard immunity". You can stay in your house all you want, sooner or later you gotta go outside.

 

[DesertPenguin]

I felt like a cow lined up for slaughter with a bunch of other cows that had no idea what they were doing and blindly following the heard.

Considering how narrow mindedly you've presented yourself as on here, that seems to be accurate.

 

[ryzno]

Considering how narrow mindedly you've presented yourself as on here, that seems to be accurate.

I wasn't the heard. I went whichever direction I needed to go to get out of the store as quickly as possible and get away from people I don't like being around in the first place, pandemic or not! Twas fun watching them.
Thanks for the insult though. Mr. Holier than thou.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I must say that shop in this direction thing was stupid. You still had to walk past people in the aisle... I felt like a cow lined up for slaughter with a bunch of other cows that had no idea what they were doing and blindly following the heard.
And I've said before, people sitting at home on lock down just is making it take longer for "heard immunity". You can stay in your house all you want, sooner or later you gotta go outside.

I was just referencing the parking lot where people can't seem to follow what direction they're supposed to drive. There's been a few too many times now, where I'm leaving and people are clogging up the lot by going the wrong way.

 

[DesertPenguin]

You started the sentence with the word "I" so how am I not supposed to know you aren't talking about youself?

I wasn't the heard you idiot. I went whichever direction I needed to go to get out of the store as quickly as possible and get away from people I don't like being around in the first place, pandemic or not! Twas fun watching them.
Thanks for the insult though. Mr. Holier than thou.

Considering I have no problem wearing a mask I'd say yes, I'm holier than you. At least smarter and a more productive member of society.

 

[Joey D]

And I've said before, people sitting at home on lock down just is making it take longer for "heard immunity". You can stay in your house all you want, sooner or later you gotta go outside.

The problem with something like COVID is that in order to get to herd immunity quickly, we're going to run into an issue with hospitals getting overrun. If there was a proven, effective treatment for COVID then I'd agree that building a heard immunity would work. People could just get sick, get a prescription, stay at home for a couple of days to recover, and then be good. But the problem is we don't have an effective treatment and while a majority of people can just stay home and recover, many can't. So what would happen is that you'd have a ton of people get sick all at once and flood the healthcare system. This would not only result in people dying from COVID, it'd also prevent people who need the healthcare system for other things to not get the care they needed.

I don't think a lockdown is currently needed, but people should be staying at home and doing all the can to prevent contracting COVID.

In talking with the head of infectious disease where I work, he believes we're on track to have a vaccine by December. Then in Q1 of 2021 people in nursing homes would get it along with clinical staff that has direct contact with patients. By Q2 we'll see others starting to get it based on their need and by Q3 it'll be available for everyone. So there's no sense in rushing herd immunity if we're within a year of getting vaccinated.

 

[ryzno]

You started the sentence with the word "I" so how am I not supposed to know you aren't talking about youself?

Considering I have no problem wearing a mask I'd say yes, I'm holier than you. At least smarter and a more productive member of society.

I recall saying I started wearing a mask after I posted a link here saying that the strain of Covid was how do I say, morphing into different strains.
I was dumb for not wearing it and changed my mind after taking to you fine people here. Also I needed to go to the store at some point. Can't go in with no mask. Though I do perfer my camouflage bandana.