Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

[Mel81x+]

44 minutes ago, RandoEFC said:

I don't mean to pick on anyone or catch anyone out here, so sorry if I quoted you, especially TAD who apologised a few posts later. I just had a sudden urge to look back at the conversations we were having a year ago, sort of inspired by the On This Day Covid account on Twitter a few people I know are aware of. The way I remember it, we were starting to process the significance of this by the time we got into February. Really we still had no idea. These are all posts from a year ago today. Italy had 2 confirmed cases. 5 weeks later they were in a national lockdown.

Unbelievable what happened at the start of last year and how unprepared everyone was for what was to come. Its also nice to take a look at how we all processed the information. 

[RandoEFC+]

28 minutes ago, Mel81x said:

Unbelievable what happened at the start of last year and how unprepared everyone was for what was to come. Its also nice to take a look at how we all processed the information. 

Looking at these numbers, if we had the testing and contact tracing capacity and the knowledge of the virus that we do now, I think it's actually conceivable that you could have more or less eliminated the virus with quarantine, early lockdowns and precautions such as masks and social distancing. 

Nonetheless, I'm in awe of the science we have at our disposal and the treatments and vaccines that have been developed in the space of a year, which is still a relatively short amount of time.

You just hope that firstly, it's a long, long time before we face something like this again, but if it isn't, we can put the lessons learned over the past year into action and prevent a lot more damage.

[Mel81x+]

9 minutes ago, RandoEFC said:

Looking at these numbers, if we had the testing and contact tracing capacity and the knowledge of the virus that we do now, I think it's actually conceivable that you could have more or less eliminated the virus with quarantine, early lockdowns and precautions such as masks and social distancing. 

Nonetheless, I'm in awe of the science we have at our disposal and the treatments and vaccines that have been developed in the space of a year, which is still a relatively short amount of time.

You just hope that firstly, it's a long, long time before we face something like this again, but if it isn't, we can put the lessons learned over the past year into action and prevent a lot more damage.

I think part of the problem is just how clueless we were about the rate at which it was spreading and how so many countries had no idea this was in China. The travel shutdowns and vector mapping of the disease could have stopped it in its track really fast had we known. Sadly, everyone dropped the ball and the rest is history.

I think we've learned how to combat this now but I also think that this isnt the last big event we'll see of this kind. These diseases evolve just like we do so theres a high chance we'll see something this big again within another century.

[nudge]

1 hour ago, RandoEFC said:

I don't mean to pick on anyone or catch anyone out here, so sorry if I quoted you, especially TAD who apologised a few posts later. I just had a sudden urge to look back at the conversations we were having a year ago, sort of inspired by the On This Day Covid account on Twitter a few people I know are aware of. The way I remember it, we were starting to process the significance of this by the time we got into February. Really we still had no idea. These are all posts from a year ago today. Italy had 2 confirmed cases. 5 weeks later they were in a national lockdown.

We started discussing this at work in early January; at first, everyone thought that it will be a regionally limited spread similar to SARS, then once China put millions of people into a lockdown, people started having mixed feelings - on one hand, lockdown there meant less opportunities for it to spread internationally, on the other hand, it showed how much more serious it was than originally thought. Then about two weeks later, my boss (a virologist) was already furious about lack of proper containment measures and testing in Europe/Western world, but especially about lax attitudes of politicians in charge, and correctly predicted massive outbreaks everywhere in a few weeks time. 

It's interesting to see how the attitudes changed in just a few months time; a lot of mistakes were and still are being made, hopefully the lessons will be learned though as I don't think it's the last time we deal with something like this. 

[RandoEFC+]

41 minutes ago, nudge said:

We started discussing this at work in early January; at first, everyone thought that it will be a regionally limited spread similar to SARS, then once China put millions of people into a lockdown, people started having mixed feelings - on one hand, lockdown there meant less opportunities for it to spread internationally, on the other hand, it showed how much more serious it was than originally thought. Then about two weeks later, my boss (a virologist) was already furious about lack of proper containment measures and testing in Europe/Western world, but especially about lax attitudes of politicians in charge, and correctly predicted massive outbreaks everywhere in a few weeks time. 

It's interesting to see how the attitudes changed in just a few months time; a lot of mistakes were and still are being made, hopefully the lessons will be learned though as I don't think it's the last time we deal with something like this. 

It's madness looking back. My housemate has a background in wildlife and animal habitat/ecology so he has a semi-relevant area of expertise if you believe the theory about the virus coming from a wet market in Wuhan, which I think is broadly accepted? Anyway, he agrees because of our lack of respect towards the environment and the way we store and treat animals in ways that aren't really natural and certainly aren't hygienic, that there will be more coronaviruses in our lifetime. Obviously SARS was the last major one and it didn't become a global crisis like this one has but I tend to lean towards agreeing that we won't be as lucky as to go another 100 years before something like this happens again.

[Stan]

41 minutes ago, nudge said:

It's interesting to see how the attitudes changed in just a few months time; a lot of mistakes were and still are being made, hopefully the lessons will be learned though as I don't think it's the last time we deal with something like this. 

Our government in particular seems very reluctant to do any learning of lessons. Nearly 12 months in and this crap still happens...

 

[Burning Gold]

1 hour ago, Stan said:

Our government in particular seems very reluctant to do any learning of lessons. Nearly 12 months in and this crap still happens...

 

A charitable reading suggests she meant no one was able predict when/how it would happen and what it would mean, not that it would happen, which is fair. I hope that's what she meant anyway...

Quote

It’s entirely understandable that everyone wants there to be a single, clear and straightforward route out of the Covid crisis. I think it’s very tempting to view ... that test and trace stands single-handedly to prevent the virus spreading, and lockdowns coming.

But actually we are part of an overall system ... Test and trace is only one of the elements that enables us to fight Covid. We are not the single silver bullet.

Between that business plan being published and us going into the lockdown that we are in now, we’ve seen the virus mutate. We have seen the new variant emerge, which was something that none of us were able to predict.

 

[Bluewolf]

Another one of my team is out with Covid  today.... that leaves just 3 of us now to plough on 

[RandoEFC+]

I'm starting to find this pretty emotional now to be honest. Personally I've found that the more you can begin to believe that an end to this whole thing is actually going to arrive, the more I've realised just how much worry, anxiety and pain I've repressed over the past year because of there being nothing I can actually do about it, and a fear of getting my hopes up only for some new complication to set us back again.

My Nana is the first person really close to me to be getting vaccinated, I've just found out she'll be getting her first jab on Friday and it's triggered this reaction where suddenly I can see a window into the relatively near future where I no longer have that worry at the back of my kind nibbling away at me that I could be the vessel carrying a virus to people I care about that could make them seriously ill or even kill them.

[Bluebird Hewitt]

11 hours ago, RandoEFC said:

I'm starting to find this pretty emotional now to be honest. Personally I've found that the more you can begin to believe that an end to this whole thing is actually going to arrive, the more I've realised just how much worry, anxiety and pain I've repressed over the past year because of there being nothing I can actually do about it, and a fear of getting my hopes up only for some new complication to set us back again.

My Nana is the first person really close to me to be getting vaccinated, I've just found out she'll be getting her first jab on Friday and it's triggered this reaction where suddenly I can see a window into the relatively near future where I no longer have that worry at the back of my kind nibbling away at me that I could be the vessel carrying a virus to people I care about that could make them seriously ill or even kill them.

Yeah, I'm hoping this will be the beginning of the end (or at least to be more controllable like the flu). Just be nice to see others again without fear of potentially carrying anything (had that possibility at the end of 2019).

My nan had her first jab yesterday via a home visit, while my mam had hers last Sunday, so am happy that they've been sorted while the rest of my folks should have the jab in the next few months. 

My only concern (not sure what it's like in England) is the approach for vaccinations appears to be a tad inconsistent in Wales, as a few people I know in my old workplace in the NHS have had the jab and are only a couple of years older than me, with no underlying health conditions I'm aware of for most. All work in the same office as well (all administrative staff), though I wonder if a senior manager or director is pushing it for them more than anything. 

[Honey Honey]

2 hours ago, Bluebird Hewitt said:

 My only concern (not sure what it's like in England) is the approach for vaccinations appears to be a tad inconsistent in Wales, as a few people I know in my old workplace in the NHS have had the jab and are only a couple of years older than me, with no underlying health conditions I'm aware of for most. All work in the same office as well (all administrative staff), though I wonder if a senior manager or director is pushing it for them more than anything. 

Not the same but know of GP practice that gives out the Astrazeneca vaccine. They have to mix the vaccines in the morning, people who have been invited come in, so your over 70s. At the end of the day if anyone didn't come in there's left over vaccines that need to be used then because they've been mixed so the staff have been giving the left overs to family members. If it keeps happening then they'll likely invite me in to use up a leftover in the next month. If you have a letter its too much of an administrative mess for them to call them in earlier to take any left overs.

[Stan]

4 minutes ago, Steve Bruce Almighty said:

Not the same but know of GP practice that gives out the Astrazeneca vaccine. They have to mix the vaccines in the morning, people who have been invited come in, so your over 70s. At the end of the day if anyone didn't come in there's left over vaccines that need to be used then because they've been mixed so the staff have been giving the left overs to family members. If it keeps happening then they'll likely invite me in to use up a leftover in the next month. If you have a letter its too much of an administrative mess for them to call them in earlier to take any left overs.

Heard about left-over vaccines quite a lot, all at the end of the day. I'm not so fussed about it really - it prevents wastage and at least more of the population get vaccinated, albeit not in the right priority. But as long as the vast majority of the priority categories get vaccinated - which is happening - I don't see much of an issue.

 

[Bluebird Hewitt]

I understand the wastage bit but for my scenario, I think it was all arranged via invites (like with others) as they had them at the Cardiff City Stadium. 

Got no issues with them having it, but was getting a tad annoyed when they were having it and my nan (nearly 90) was still waiting for hers at the time. 

[Honey Honey]

10 minutes ago, Stan said:

Heard about left-over vaccines quite a lot, all at the end of the day. I'm not so fussed about it really - it prevents wastage and at least more of the population get vaccinated, albeit not in the right priority. But as long as the vast majority of the priority categories get vaccinated - which is happening - I don't see much of an issue.

 

My main concern is the 2nd dose. Will a leftover taker get one on time? Or is it just jabbing people because there's still something to be said for 1 dose in the short term with all the cases we have.

[Stan]

15 minutes ago, Bluebird Hewitt said:

I understand the wastage bit but for my scenario, I think it was all arranged via invites (like with others) as they had them at the Cardiff City Stadium. 

Got no issues with them having it, but was getting a tad annoyed when they were having it and my nan (nearly 90) was still waiting for hers at the time. 

True. In Leicester my 93y/o gran only just received her vaccine last week, and then I saw a headline in one of the local news pages there that they're now offering over 70's a vaccine . 

14 minutes ago, Steve Bruce Almighty said:

My main concern is the 2nd dose. Will a leftover taker get one on time? Or is it just jabbing people because there's still something to be said for 1 dose in the short term with all the cases we have.

Good point. I guess at the time of giving them the vaccine, left-over or not, they must have their details taken and they get given the card to keep as proof they were given it. So with that, they are given a date 12 weeks in to the future?

[Bluebird Hewitt]

1 hour ago, Stan said:

True. In Leicester my 93y/o gran only just received her vaccine last week, and then I saw a headline in one of the local news pages there that they're now offering over 70's a vaccine . 

Good point. I guess at the time of giving them the vaccine, left-over or not, they must have their details taken and they get given the card to keep as proof they were given it. So with that, they are given a date 12 weeks in to the future?

Again, I can't comment for England (though I'd imagine it wouldn't be any different), but my mam has a card with a future date for the second dose towards the end of April. 

[CaaC (John)+]

 Well, that's me and the wife at a centre and had our jabs, the lady said it was the Oxford whatnot we just had, not allowed to leave until we sit down for 15 minutes, don't mind that but she said no alcohol tonight though, AAAAGGG 

[CaaC (John)+]

I feel ok after the Oxford AstraZeneca jab if anything just a few aches but the same as when I have had the flu jab every year, the wife is a bit cautious and watching me like a hawk if I suddenly feel ill then so will she but she has the same aches but a dry throat and drinking a lot of mineral water and milk but as I said to her that is per normal with you.

One thing that will be on the agenda later on when I have some lunch is this below...

[Tommy]

20 hours ago, CaaC (John) said:

  she said no alcohol tonight though

Well, well, well. That's enough to turn me into an Anti-Vaxxer! 

[Stan]

 

 

[Mpache]

First death in my family due to COVID. My fathers uncle. I didn't know him personally but my dad is down in the dumps because of this.  

[Azeem]

21 hours ago, Mpache said:

First death in my family due to COVID. My fathers uncle. I didn't know him personally but my dad is down in the dumps because of this.  

Condolences 

[LFCMike]

On 07/02/2021 at 16:53, Mpache said:

First death in my family due to COVID. My fathers uncle. I didn't know him personally but my dad is down in the dumps because of this.  

Sorry to hear that

[Bluewolf]

Just had a call from my boss telling me there are quite a number of people off tomorrow with Covid or related symptoms in other departments.. Then I got a call from one of my team about 5 minutes ago to tell me they have symptoms as well and HR have told him to self isolate so that's 3 of my blokes out currently out of a team of 5... That puts everyone right under the cosh, Last shift was tough as old boots trying to keep on top on the workload as it was with so many people missing but fuck knows what great wonders await us this shift.. 

[Carnivore Chris]

I've just thought now, why does the tuberculosis jab you have at secondary school leave a permanent scar on your arm?