Coronavirus: General discussion (see opening post for rules)

[Andrew_C]

PFY's daughter's class (junior school) 50%, some attending, and no masks.

[Koldov]

Mask wearing in Tesco is developing into a game of 'Spot the Mask'

 

I have been wondering when someone will say something

 

seriously gonna use the "No Government Gonna Tell ME when I can Wear A Mask"

 

 

confusing dumb people is always a good thing!!!

(not totally sure I should have been a teacher - but whatever)

 

No dark sarcasm in the classroom...

 

It is tearing through my department. 9 teachers, one returned yesterday, two went down.

 

Mrs_C's school much the same.

 

But we don't need any restrictions...

 

We don't need no thought control...

[paulkerton]

It's starting to smash into our school again. Really big number of staff off. We are in the 10th most infected place in the country right now.

And infections and hospitalisations have started to increase again... We keep making the same mistakes over and over again.

[Danp]

I've got two members of staff off today, not because of them being positive, but because of their own children. One child positive and the other their own school is closed due to some many cases with staff and pupils.

[HarryMonkey]

Went into Specsavers at the weekend, was told that we were required to wear a mask as they were providing NHS services (I don't have a problem with that). We were at a different Specsavers store the previous weekend where no-one was wearing a mask although both stores asked us to hand in any glasses that we tried on in order that they could be sanitised. (Not the same process in the expensive designer sunglasses store elsewhere in the shopping centre).

[elsiegee40]

The dentist I went to yesterday is still in full masks, sanitiser, asking you health questions mode.

 

Understandable really. The risks to them must be pretty high as NHS work goes.

[mavhc]

Glasses, finally something that can and should be sanitized.

 

ONS Survey:

There was a continuing decline in the percentage of people working from home, 15% compared with 26% over the period 6 to 16 January 2022; there was also an increase in the percentage travelling to work, 56% compared with 51% over the same period.

 

The use of face coverings in shops and on public transport has decreased among adults leaving home to do these activities, with 71% reporting always or often wearing face coverings while in shops (77% in the previous period) and 70% reporting wearing a face covering throughout the journey on public transport (78% in the previous period).

 

Almost one-third (32%) of adults reported always or often maintaining social distancing (35% in the previous period); this is the lowest proportion of adults reporting maintaining social distancing since data collection on this measure started in September 2020.

 

Around 4 in 10 (42%) adults reported they had taken a rapid lateral flow test in the past seven days, decreasing from 49% of adults in the previous period.

 

Around 4 in 10 adults (41%) reported they were very or somewhat worried about the effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on their lives right now; this is also the lowest since the start of the pandemic.

 

The proportion of adults in Great Britain who reported self-isolating in the past seven days remained at 4% in the latest period, this is similar to the previous period (5%).

 

The main reasons adults reported self-isolating for were:

 

they had tested positive for COVID-19 (59%)

they had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19 (21%)

they had COVID-19 symptoms (18%)

 

That's 2.67 million people self isolating, 1.575 million with COVID.

 

In UK it's estimated that 2.414 million people have COVID ( https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/latest )

[Koldov]

The use of face coverings in shops and on public transport has decreased among adults leaving home to do these activities, with 71% reporting always or often wearing face coverings while in shops

 

Statistics are great but anecdotal evidence seems to contradict it somewhat...

 

Mask wearing in Tesco is developing into a game of 'Spot the Mask'

 

More like 7%... ?

[Duranis]

Well we went over two years but it finally hit our house.

 

My youngest (5) was a bit snotty at the weekend. Tested her Sunday and was all clear so she went to school yesterday. When we picked her up she was really not herself, crying because she was cold, said she had been coughing a lot. Took her home and tested again. Weren't really expecting anything as we have done this at least 20 times in the last few months with the amount of colds going round school.

 

As the Mrs walked past and glanced at the test I just hear an "Oh, ummm, come and have a look at this". The other 4 of us then did tests too. Me and my oldest two boyos are still clear but the other half was positive. She had been feeling fine, maybe a bit congested but nothing major and standard for this time of year.

 

Left both of them on the sofa this morning, both feeling a little under the weather but nothing major yet.

 

Seeing as me and my youngest spend every day playing from when she gets home from school to when she goes to bed I think I will be extremely lucky to avoid it. Honestly part of me was hoping that I would test positive too because at least then it's less hassle trying to keep distance from each other and we will all be on similar timeframes.

 

The boyos can hide out in their rooms (which they kind of do most the time anyway) so hopefully can keep it away from them.

 

We don't really go anywhere were other people are and always wear masks when out so most likely has come from the youngest's school.

[Norphy]

I started testing positive about a week after my five year old did, he definitely brought it home from school.

[Ditto]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/60673638 - Novak in grey territory again! Please don't lets have a repeat of Australia for the sake of tennis!

[elsiegee40]

Daughter was surprised and annoyed to get this today

 

She has a broken ankle and has hardly been anywhere for the last 3 weeks. March 8th was a hobble to Boots to pick up a prescription where she had to wait ages and a coffee in Costa for a rest before hobbling back to her flat.

[6Foot2]

Link: What is the Deltacron variant of Covid and where has it been found? | Coronavirus | The Guardian

 

What is Deltacron?

 

As the portmanteau suggests, Deltacron is a Covid variant that contains elements of Delta and Omicron – in other words, it contains genes from both variants, making it what is known as a recombinant virus.

 

“These recombinants arise when more than one variant infects and replicates in the same person, in the same cells,” says Prof Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick. “Deltacron is a product of both the Delta and Omicron variants circulating in the same population.”

 

This week, Gisaid, a global community of scientists that shares virus information, posted that the first solid evidence for this variant had been shared by the Pasteur Institute in France.

 

Where has this variant been found?

 

Gisaid says the variant has been identified in several regions of France and appears to have been circulating since the start of the year. “Genomes with a similar profile have been also identified in Denmark and the Netherlands,” Gisaid says.

 

There have also been reports of Deltacron being detected in the US, and about 30 cases have been detected in the UK, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The i newspaper said the first cases of person-to-person transmission of Deltacron in the UK were expected to be confirmed this week.

 

Dr Etienne Simon-Loriere of the Institut Pasteur cautioned that there could be several different recombinant viruses formed from Delta and Omicron.

 

“The one we see in France and in Denmark/Netherlands look super similar and might be the same recombinant (with the same parental viruses) that have travelled,” he said. But, he added, the possible Delta-Omicron recombinants reported in countries including the UK and US appear to combine different pieces of their parental viruses, and therefore differ to the Deltacron seen in France.

 

“We might need to find a different name to indicate these recombinant, or start adding a number,” he said.

 

How worried should we be?

 

Experts have been quick to stress that recombinant variants are not uncommon, and that Deltacron is not the first and will not be the last to occur for Covid.

 

“This happens whenever we are in the switchover period from one dominant variant to another, and is usually a scientific curiosity but not much more than that,” says Dr Jeffrey Barrett, who formerly led the Covid-19 genomics initiative at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

 

With only a small number of cases of Deltacron so far identified, however, there is not yet enough data about the severity of the variant or how well vaccines protect against it.

 

Soumya Swaminathan, the chief scientist at the World Health Organization, tweeted on Tuesday: “We have known that recombinant events can occur, in humans or animals, with multiple circulating variants of #SarsCoV2. Need to wait for experiments to determine the properties of this virus. Importance of sequencing, analytics and rapid data sharing as we deal with this pandemic.”

 

Young agrees. “We need to keep an eye on the behaviour of this recombinant in terms of its transmissibility and its ability to escape vaccine-induced immune protection,” he says. “This also serves to reinforce the need to maintain genetic surveillance. As the virus continues to circulate, particularly in under-vaccinated populations and in people whose vaccine-induced immunity is decaying, we are very likely to see more variants including those generated through recombination.”

 

But that does not mean the variant is a reason to panic: according to the UKHSA, the variant is not exhibiting a growth rate of concern.

 

“It has been seen in the UK a small number of times, and so far seems to be very rare anywhere in the world, with only a few dozen sequences among the millions of Omicrons,” says Barrett. “So I don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about at present, though I’m sure it will continue to be monitored.”

 

Previous waves of Delta and Omicron, as well as vaccinations, mean there is likely to be at least some protection against this variant.

[Rob_D]

At what point does it stop being a covid-19 "variant" start being it's own strain of covid-22 or something?

[LeMarchand]

Mask wearing in the supermarket last night was an exception rather than the rule. Finally cracked and asked why some chap who decided he had to get to the rice right then couldn't wait a few seconds. He decided to turn around with a "What did you say?" and then scuttled off when I repeated my remonstration.

[elsiegee40]

Daughter was surprised and annoyed to get this today

[ATTACH]64915[/ATTACH]

 

She has a broken ankle and has hardly been anywhere for the last 3 weeks. March 8th was a hobble to Boots to pick up a prescription where she had to wait ages and a coffee in Costa for a rest before hobbling back to her flat.

 

And today daughter has tested positive herself having developed cold symptoms

[vikpaw]

Damn!

That’s why I’m worried about BETT. The proximity tracers will be wild.

[LeMarchand]

One of my schools is back to bubbles. Glad I was one of the few that carried on masking up.

[Norphy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-60750364

 

Make rules in Scotland are staying in place until April at least. Seems sensible, to be honest. Cars up here seem to be on the rise again.

 

In my highly scientific survey of my tiny corner of the country, people seem a lot more sensible about wearing masks here than they did in London, so hopefully there won’t be too much resistance.

[Andrew_C]

Highest COVID cases ever recorded

The latest ZOE COVID Study data, suggest there are over 250,000 new daily symptomatic cases of COVID. This is an increase of 47% from last week and indicates a record high in the number of cases recorded in one day. Prevalence rates are also high with 1 in 24 people currently infected. Rates are the highest across Scotland, London and the South East. Concerningly, we’re also seeing an increase among those aged 55 and over, who are more susceptible to serious illness.

Well, who could have predicted that?

[Norphy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-60750364

 

Make rules in Scotland are staying in place until April at least. Seems sensible, to be honest. Cars up here seem to be on the rise again.

 

In my highly scientific survey of my tiny corner of the country, people seem a lot more sensible about wearing masks here than they did in London, so hopefully there won’t be too much resistance.

 

Yea gods, anyone would think I make that post while drunk. Damned predictive text. That's mask rules in Scotland and cases up here.

 

Well, who could have predicted that?

 

Apparently, not HM Government :\

Edited March 17, 2022 by Norphy

[vikpaw]

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-60750364

 

Make rules in Scotland are staying in place until April at least. Seems sensible, to be honest. Cars up here seem to be on the rise again.

 

Yea gods, anyone would think I make that post while drunk. Damned predictive text. That's mask rules in Scotland and cases up here.

 

Well, who could have predicted that?

 

Apparently, not HM Government :\

 

TBF they did about as good a job as your predictive text 😂

There must be a study about the correlation between car makes and COVID

[jthompson]

There must be a study about the correlation between car makes and COVID

 

I'm going to hypothesise that driving an executive German saloon car is a very strong predictor of poor observance of social distancing rules.

 

I think an Ig Nobel is a nailed on cert for that.

[Garacesh]

Covid travel restrictions have ended in the UK

Aviation minister Robert Courts said: "Everything we have worked for - every jab, every test, and the sacrifices made by the whole country means that finally, nearly two years on, we can all travel without bureaucratic restrictions."

They weren't 'bureaucratic' restrictions. They were 'public safety' restrictions, you twit!

[Rob_D]

Covid travel restrictions have ended in the UK

They weren't 'bureaucratic' restrictions. They were 'public safety' restrictions, you twit!

 

Why can't they be both?