Covid-19 the second wave.

[Chippy_Tea]

The First Coronavirus thread ended in a lot of Tory bashing and arguments and was moved to the bridge, i hope this one doesn't go the same way and am posting it here so members who don't want to see what is discussed in the bridge forum can join in.


Coronavirus: Further 2,988 cases confirmed in UK

A further 2,988 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the UK in the past 24 hours, government data showed.

It is the highest number reported on a single day since 22 May and a rise of 1,175 on Saturday, according to the UK government's coronavirus dashboard.

Scotland recorded 208 new cases on Sunday, its highest daily increase for more than 17 weeks.

Two further deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded, taking the total number of UK deaths to 41,551.

Wales recorded a further 98 cases, its highest daily rise since 30 June, and Northern Ireland recorded 106 new cases, its highest rise since 25 April.

Overall, 347,152 cases have been confirmed.

It came as tougher measures limiting household contacts were introduced in Bolton in an effort to stop coronavirus cases rising and prevent a full local lockdown.

The infection rate in the area has risen to 99 cases per 100,000 people per week - the highest in England.

• How many confirmed cases are there in your area?
• As summer ends, UK must square up to Covid again
• How do I get a coronavirus test?

Commenting on Scotland's increase, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "While this reflects the substantial opening up of the economy, it reminds us of the need to deploy counter measures."

She added that the "first line of defence" is to "take greater care on face coverings, hygiene and distance".

Increased demand for testing led bosses in charge of the coronavirus testing system to apologise after it emerged UK labs were struggling to keep up with demand.

Screening capacity was described last week as being "maxed out" - 170,000 tests a day are being processed, up from 100,000 in mid June.

Meanwhile, speaking earlier on Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the economy "needs to have people back at work".

Mr Raab acknowledged there was likely to be a "bit more" remote working in future.

However, he added: "It is important to send a message that we need to get Britain back up and running, the economy motoring on all cylinders."

Mr Raab also played down suggestions that coronavirus testing at airports would help travellers avoid mandatory quarantine.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54050342

 

[Clint]

The cases are "rising" because they keep testing....the more you look the more you find...it's the death count that's critical and that's dropping....but we've all got to get back to work...
Reminds me of Tubbs from the League of Gentlemen...
I can I can't....
If it's all true....which I doubt it is..

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I think the days of going to the office every day will now be history for a lot of workers, there have been numerous discussions on 5 live about it and more people phoning in are saying they are far more productive, feel better in themselves and are saving money by not commuting.

 

[MmmBeer]

I received a letter on Friday, inviting me to take part in a Covid antibody study, run by NHS & UCL. I had a bug last christmas, which just gave me a cough for a couple of weeks, but didn't feel like a normal cold. I doubt it could have been Covid, but would be interested to find out for sure.

The increase in new cases will be partly due to the increased testing, but the new outbreaks seem to be concentrated in similar areas and similar types of towns. It might be just coincidence, but it feels like there may be some social practices that are increasing the risk of spreading.

 

[Leon103]

Wales especially as stepped up testing with more drive thru centres and good track and trace. And increase was always going to happen

 

[marshbrewer]

The hospitalisation rates are steady / falling, which may indicate it's as @Clint says - the more you test, the more you find.

 

[marshbrewer]

There was also an article in the papers this weekend that the test they use is so sensitive, it's giving positives for people who have had the virus and recovered; something to do with DNA or virus fragments left in the body, or something.

 

[dad_of_jon]

I think the days of going to the office every day will now be history for a lot of workers, there have been numerous discussions on 5 live about it and more people phoning in are saying they are far more productive, feel better in themselves and are saving money by not commuting.

Agreed England and to a lesser degree Scotland have more proper cities than Wales having Cardiff with Swansea being a p155 poor 2nd. So going back to big city office blocks to work is less important for Wales (Cardiff excepted) hope that's what keeps the return to the office to save the economy mantra doesn't apply to wales. So one of the biggest employers in Swansea is the DVLA and there are no local services of note next to them.

Therefore I'm hoping to stay working from home. WFH in wales will have a minimal effect to the economy but I understand the issue especially in England. The second wave is coming, in fact France has got there 1st and infections are higher than first time around but deaths are lower ATM probably due to younger people across Europe being fed up of being couped up and partying like theirs no tomorrow.

They'll be ok in general but the amount of covid in circulation will spill over into the vulnerable population and a second wave of elderly and vulnerable will die. There are better treatments now available so I believe the death/infection rate will be lower this time round also given that the covid has finished off a lot of ill people those that remain will be a bit less likely to succumb also given our awareness of it the viral load the vulnerable will be exposed to should be less too.

It should be mostly finished by summer 2021, even so I have no desire to set foot in the office again.

 

[Leon103]

Are deaths down because all those who were always going to die have now died, I.e. the elderly or very ill. Or the medication they are using improving survival rates.

 

[marshbrewer]

Thing is @Leon103 , hospital admissions are down as well; if it was due to the better understanding of treatments, or that most of the vulnerable have already passed away, then you would expect admissions to be increasing as cases increase, but deaths not to, if you see what I mean.

 

[terrym]

Are deaths down because all those who were always going to die have now died, I.e. the elderly or very ill. Or the medication they are using improving survival rates.

I fall into the 'vulnerable' group due to health issues and age, although I am/was actually outside the official group that was set up. My wife and I have restricted what we do and who we see and how we interact with them since before the lockdown. For example I haven't been on a bus or train since the end of February, nor visited a pub or a restaurant, and I have only been in a shop three times. I certainly would not entertain going on an aeroplane under any circumstances at present. And there are many people similarly placed to us who we talk to who have adopted a similar strategy. So I'm afraid that there are still many people out there perhaps like me who remain vulnerable, and just because we havent died yet doesn't mean that can't happen.

 

[Linalmeemow]

Child #2 has been back at school for a week and a half and has had a persistent cough since yesterday morning. Off she goes to get tested tomorrow morning, none of us can leave the house until the results come in.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Today's our Labor Day. To me, it's a day-off. We'll see how the country handles it.

 

[ppsmith]

Child #2 has been back at school for a week and a half and has had a persistent cough since yesterday morning. Off she goes to get tested tomorrow morning, none of us can leave the house until the results come in.

Fingers crossed it's nothing serious. I took my wife to get tested last week at one of the drive through testing points (fortunately came back clear). The thing that really got me was the scale of the operation. There were only a few dozen cars there at the time we were, but there's capacity for I'd guess maybe 500 there.

I guess that's a good thing but I doubt they'd plan for that number if they weren't expecting to need it at some point.

 

[the_quick]

I'm not sure if testing has increased in the last week or 2. There possibility that with more cases there will be more and more people getting ill and hospital admissions will go up again, in time.
I think what we have seen in lockdown, number of cases didn't show true number of people infected.
I bet there were many more cases, but out testing capacity wasn't just there. Another thing, people who are at more risk I think are more careful now. Most of the cases are people below age of 40 - it is well known that age group below 40 are much less impacted, than older people.
Still with the number on the raise, I'm going to stay careful - working in the school might that easy

 

[Linalmeemow]

Fingers crossed it's nothing serious. I took my wife to get tested last week at one of the drive through testing points (fortunately came back clear). The thing that really got me was the scale of the operation. There were only a few dozen cars there at the time we were, but there's capacity for I'd guess maybe 500 there.

I guess that's a good thing but I doubt they'd plan for that number if they weren't expecting to need it at some point.

Thanks mate, think it's just a cough but got to follow the guidelines. Wouldn't want her to infect anyone else if it is COVID. It also means child #1 is back off school isolating with us until the test results are in, she's absolutely delighted!

 

[Moonraker]

Just took a break from searching the online job boards (there's b*gger all out there) and wandered into the kitchen to make a cuppa, some in-depth blether on the radio about testing, infection rates ("R" rate - remember that?!), different rules in different parts of the uk, whether to stay 6 feet or 1 metre apart, use of masks etc.. etc..

Most of it seems to be interpretation, extrapolation or just downright pure speculation (although stated very earnestly and emphatically) - seems to me that it would be much more honest if they just played the "Alan Davis" card from QI;



This afternoon I shall be doing a very low-risk socially-distanced activity of going for a walk down the country lanes picking blackberries for wine making, and glaring and shouting abuse at sweaty and panting cyclists who get too close. :^)

 

[obscure]

I’ve had the delight of being back in the office today (am in two days a week only at the moment thankfully).

Truthfully it seems rather pointless I am in a side office, with my laptop and second monitor doing exactly what I was doing last Friday from home. Except I have to pay £7.70 to the good folks at GWR for the privilege.

Train this morning wasn’t too bad though that may have something to do with it being a 6:30 train, its the 4PM train tonight I’m worried about.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I have removed several posts this morning an will continue to remove any that don't follow the request in the OP -

The First Coronavirus thread ended in a lot of Tory bashing and arguments and was moved to the bridge, i hope this one doesn't go the same way and am posting it here so members who don't want to see what is discussed in the bridge forum can join in.

 

[AdeDunn]

One of the theories is that testing is picking up fragments of "dead" virus from old infections, as in people who had very mild cases and didn't even realise, then catch a cold or something so get tested, test comes up positive as it detects remnants from when they did have covid. So infection rates go up, as a percentage of the positives are false ones, but deaths and admissions don't as they already survived it and got through it without needing hospital treatment. There was a load of talk about a need to follow up positive tests with then culturing from the sample to see if there was live virus in the test samples, and thus confirm the false positives, but this costs money and takes time.... Both a luxury in these days.

More worrying is the spike since schools opened, most especially as the foci is schools. Death is only a part of the concern with Covid 19, there are many other ways that it can mess you up than that. It's hardly surprising though, schools have always been a hot house for infectious disease, as any parent will tell you, especially in deprived areas.