Covid-19 discussion thread

[MyNameIsTerry]

Whilst it looks like overall rates of infections here in the UK have mostly levelled off over the past week or two (and still at reasonably manageable levels for the NHS and the like), there has been much talk over recent days that the vaccinations in this country are largely responsible for helping to cut the Covid death rates since the start of this year, even though they've also been known to see-saw up and down themselves over the past couple of weeks, albeit still remaining well below 100 per day.

Let's just hope that the recently-discovered Indian variant doesn't gain a major foothold in this country over the coming days, weeks and months.

Having said that, the SA variant so far hasn't wreaked major havoc as yet in this country, touch wood, and thankfully where there have been the odd flare-ups of it so far, surge testing has generally been ramped up in the affected areas.

Hopefully the very same actions will be taken over the Indian variant whenever and wherever further cases arise, but at least from early this morning, India has finally been added to the UK's 'red list' of countries to watch out for concerning Covid and further 'variants'.

As for the pandemic's impact on the UK economy, I seem to recall most people being far more terrified of the impact of the GFC back in 2008-09, but politically, I do reckon there were a fair few 'anti-Labour' agendas at play as well back then, whilst those on the Right were obviously taking advantage of said crisis to fulfil their personal political agendas, and seemed to believe that Brown and Co 'engineered' the crisis in order to 'control' us and as some cunning ploy to impose reckless austerity measures against our will!

Yeah right?

Lenco, 256k people in Stoke on Trent served by what many of us refer to as North Staffs for our hospital. Currently it is recording 6 patients admitted and none on ventilation. Figures are showing 1-2 admissions per day.

That's not about lockdown. Lockdown helped greatly but it never reached these levels of success. Vaccination is working in keeping people out of hospital.

Our deaths are also very low now. Sometimes none or 1 a week. Sad anyone dies but vaccination can only go so far with people with complicated health problems.

We are still on a decline for cases diagnosed. The last few days we have dropped below 100 cases. The % drops are also good (30-50 less cases in recent weeks) so after previous slow downs we still haven't quite reached our real level off figure.

Stafford and East Staffs have all but dropped off the charts. The latter you will remember was a hotspot not long ago. Staffs Moorlands is on the rise again but their numbers are small making them sensitive to spikes (Stafford and East Staffs could experience that too) due to some specific event or spreader problem. Newcastle-Under-Lyme is actually showing a sharp upward trend and whilst their numbers are low something must be happening around there.

[pulisa]

The situation in India is absolutely appalling. Anyone doubting Covid should take a look at the news footage.

[pulisa]

Hope your dad has managed to get a date for his 2nd jab, Terry?

[Lencoboy]

Lenco, 256k people in Stoke on Trent served by what many of us refer to as North Staffs for our hospital. Currently it is recording 6 patients admitted and none on ventilation. Figures are showing 1-2 admissions per day.

That's not about lockdown. Lockdown helped greatly but it never reached these levels of success. Vaccination is working in keeping people out of hospital.

Our deaths are also very low now. Sometimes none or 1 a week. Sad anyone dies but vaccination can only go so far with people with complicated health problems.

We are still on a decline for cases diagnosed. The last few days we have dropped below 100 cases. The % drops are also good (30-50 less cases in recent weeks) so after previous slow downs we still haven't quite reached our real level off figure.

Stafford and East Staffs have all but dropped off the charts. The latter you will remember was a hotspot not long ago. Staffs Moorlands is on the rise again but their numbers are small making them sensitive to spikes (Stafford and East Staffs could experience that too) due to some specific event or spreader problem. Newcastle-Under-Lyme is actually showing a sharp upward trend and whilst their numbers are low something must be happening around there.

I suppose there will always be some oddities and exceptions to the overall downward trends.

Of course, anywhere in our county basically seems to be of far less significance than the major cities, especially London, where the media almost always seem to make a song and dance over most of all, and not just concerning all things Covid.

I agree with what you say about lockdowns vs jabs. I'm sure if we still didn't have the Covid vaccines overall cases in the UK would have probably increased again by now, following the first easements of restrictions on 8th March, but they have thankfully so far continued their overall downward trend, despite generally stabilising over the past couple of weeks.

[Carys]

Anyone doubting Covid should take a look at the news footage.

I thought exactly this yesterday Pulisa, as I read through with horror the India stories, saw the videos on BBC and images. How can anybody doubt anything with evidence of death, placed full front page in graphic detail, before them ? Easy for the deniers in this country, who have not experienced COVID themselves, not been in hospitals or had their close circle suffer with this virus, to build conspiracy theories - witnessing a whole country 'talking' and dying in mass numbers, due to a lack of policies on gatherings social distancing etc, being non-prepared and having a government who is more intent on political games than lives of their citizens, should knock the stuffing out of the ridiculous 'opinions'. It was harrowing to see reported, and should touch most human hearts.

[Lencoboy]

I thought exactly this yesterday Pulisa, as I read through with horror the India stories, saw the videos on BBC and images. How can anybody doubt anything with evidence of death, placed full front page in graphic detail, before them ? Easy for the deniers in this country, who have not experienced COVID themselves, not been in hospitals or had their close circle suffer with this virus, to build conspiracy theories - witnessing a whole country 'talking' and dying in mass numbers, due to a lack of policies on gatherings social distancing etc, being non-prepared and having a government who is more intent on political games than lives of their citizens, should knock the stuffing out of the ridiculous 'opinions'. It was harrowing to see reported, and should touch most human hearts.

Yes, the typical 'don't care' and 'not my problem' attitudes.

Sadly the media attention of the 'do care' majority seems to be aped by the 'don't carers'!

[Lencoboy]

This is an interesting one as it is felt that older models of financial calculation may not be applicable - I wish I could point you at the reasoning behind it and where I read it. Certainly the "we'll be paying the debt for years" argument has been debunked. I suspect Brexit will have as big as, if not more of an impact.

I think the honest answer is "it's too soon to tell".

Kind of ironic as hardly anyone seems to be discussing Brexit and its possible effects on the economy anymore, and for better or worse, it all seems to have been aped by all things Covid since March last year.

Still only time will tell though, especially concerning the former.

[Lencoboy]

Just read reports on the BBC website about anti-lockdown protests in central London today, which is most ironic as restrictions are currently in the process of being phased out.

I can see it eventually getting to the point where people just say/think 'oh just another protest in central London, wow', and such events will no doubt eventually end up paling into insignificance and becoming meaningless, especially the more desensitised we become to hearing about them.

[Lencoboy]

Also today's ZOE case stats are down to triple-digit figures (943) for the first time since late summer last year, and that is despite the recent easements of restrictions plus concerns over the presence of the SA and Indian variants in this country.

[AntsyVee]

The situation in India is absolutely appalling. Anyone doubting Covid should take a look at the news footage.

Same with Brazil.