Are we reurning to 'normal' too quickly.

Somthing called common sense works well

 

Problem with common sense it's not.


Common

 

True

 

The lockdown was because the NHS was overwhelmed and could not cope after years of politicians and top management (Moneymen or MBA not doctors) running it down. Risk assessments for crisis were ignored for all frontline areas, stocks run down to 'save money'.
As for us deciding at an individual level about the risk are prepared to take - that would be fine if you lived in a bubble, on an isolated island. We live in communities build with high levels of interaction, so any virus that can be breathed in or passed hand to hand will be a risk for others, then still others need to risk themselves, and their families, to treat too many of the original risk takers.
With a disease that doesn't just kill too many, but leaves even larger numbers of people with long term health issues.

Meanwhile you could have got help - I was one of the thousands of people who offered to switch to one-one or small group teaching for parents. Most of us were ignored. Yet I am well-qualified to do this. For years since retiring I did reading support for year 3 and 4. I can also teach creative writing, this would have been my new post in spring but it was cancelled, maths and basic science (my A level were maths and statistics,England and Biology. My physics and chemistry isn't so good but I have degrees in biology, psychology and applied statistics.
I also used to run a playgroup when my children were at school, now I help with a youth study class.
I have a current DBS certificate. I use skype, zoom (yes,with security), microsoft teams, google classroom.

 

I am sorry that your skills weren't picked up by the educational authorities but not surprised because it has been a hard ask to organise teachers. My kids are those middle class ones with a chrome book and a supervising parent plus lovely grandparents who've offered to pay for any tutoring required.
I got the concept of lockdown to save the NHS but this is evidently NOT needed now and hasn't been for a while (deaths peaked on 8th April in the UK and the Nightingales were empty exhibitions of hospitals that never got used just like that ship in New York).
So we are left with the draconian measures which are causing immense harm economically, socially and to our health to protect us from a virus which it pretty bad if you are very elderly and frail i.e. the kind of person who dies from seasonal flu when the vaccine isn't working (e.g. Winter 2017/18) but without locking down. Why is this different? Yes we live in a social context but the questions I have are even if we could stop a virus like this spreading (and it seems like a King Kanut job to me) why are the lives of those who need to work, be cured of cancer or heart disease worth less than the 0.01% who have died of the virus? I am afraid that to me it is not as morally certain as you all seem to think.

 

I completely agree with you're concerns. I find it infuriating when strangers don't respect my 2m space when lm shopping for food. I always wear a mask beneath a face shield to minimise exposure to cv19 to myself from ignoramouses at large
I suspect there will be localised spikes of contagion within coming weeks.

 

I agree with you're concerns we're returning to pre cv-19 days without a proven vaccine to safeguard the population.

 

PPE? Worn properly.

 

Still looking for one for SARS-1 after what 16 years?

 

I think masks should be obligatory whilst in an area where social distancing is not always an option. I realise by wearing one we are stopping spreading it rather than getting it but if everyone wore one I’d be more confident doing simple things like a food shop which I haven’t done since March. Have watched my daughter in a shop, people push past her , reach over her and generally do not appear to keep distanced from her , she’s a timid 15 Year old so would not say a word to anyone but wish she’d just say “My mum is high risk, patience is a virtue now step away from
Me....”Stay safe.

 

Surely a second wave is coming with all these idiots such as those on Bournemouth beach and elsewhere, and the various ad hoc street parties, raves, and demonstrations. It will make a mockery of the hard work most of us have put in. Makes me fume.

 

That's half the problem with all these governments. Head in the sand half the time and won't deal with issues unless they are slapped in the face by them. The work towards SARS and MERS vaccines along with all funding was pulled when it became evident that the diseases could be controlled due to the fact that people became ill very quickly so could be quarantined rather than walk around asymptomatic spreading the thing like Covid. "If" the work and funding had continued until a conclusion had been reached then maybe, just maybe, we might have had something sitting in a fridge somewhere that would deal with this infection, or at least the scientists might have been 90% of the way there. Same with Boris or maybe May last year. Not sure if true but the rumour was the "Pandemic Squad" or whatever it was called was pulled by all accounts. It's always the same with governments, always reactive, never pro active!

 

Or you could say that like the non-existent common cold vaccine it will simply never happen and we might as well develop herd immunity as COVID seems very bad to a relatively very small percentage of the general population..

 

Has anyone come across evidence of visors rather than masks as a sensible precaution? The few articles I’ve seen suggest they might be more protective to the wearer and a little less protective to the people around them. Kind of the opposite of masks/face coverings. They are a total physical barrier to direct propelled droplets. They aren’t much use for airborne lingering particles though.

Much more wearable and less restrictive than masks. Easier to breathe and communicate through. Easily cleanable and reused. A physical barrier to touching your face and less likely to irritate as non contact, thus reducing the temptation to fiddle.
I have a b&q bought one from pre pandemic that I have tried wearing and whilst feeling a major *** it’s much more pleasant and less irritating than a mask.

 

Dropped off the wife at work this morning though she is working from home she still has to cover for other staff occasionally She works at the local hospital and all you could see in any direction were masks and visors I bought one for Judith that she takes to work with her.

 

I totally get where you are coming from, my store is set open July 13th and I'm not sure people who need shielded should be allowed to return to work

 

Yes, I agree that a visor is so much more comfortable than a mask. I am going to wear one when I go back to work.

 

I recently needed to start a new job in a location I was at last year. My new work mates laugh at me (nicely) wearing my visor/mask but they apparently have no idea what 2m or even 1m is so they will be like dominos should one of them catch covid and then perhaps not be laughing at me dancing away from them and avoiding the cramped tea room! Many of them are higher risk than I am statistically