Coronavirus

[Mike T]

Maybe time to re-address your social media use Mike? Where do you see these comments? Do you actually follow the people who make them?

I find Twitter often has news well before the mainstream media, and sometimes it never makes the mainstream media. I try not to only follow those that agree with my thinking. Challenge is good, though there is lots of rubbish and abuse out there. I only post occasionally, and only to those I know, though I "like" frequently.

[Llani Boy]

(This is a post from me free of both sarcasm and satire.)

I spent yesterday walking in the Brecon Beacons. On my way home I stopped for petrol at a petrol station with a Spar shop attached. It was on the outskirts of Cardiff, just before I joined the M4. Quite a busy little place, cars continually departing and arriving, people going into and out of the shop. (The pumps were 'pay in the shop' only.) There was not a single face mask in sight (apart from mine). Not one. It felt really quite weird, as though I'd gone back in time. I didn't realise at the time, but I checked it later at home, that face masks are not compulsory in shops in Wales (in general). They will be from Monday, though, because cases have been going up. Why on earth wait until cases are already increasing before implementing such a simple mitigation measure?

Even now that I know that masks aren't compulsory in Wales, I still find it quite incredible that, of all the people there (and there were quite a few), I was the only one wearing a mask. I said this shop/petrol station is on the outskirts of Cardiff, but, actually, it's closer to the centre of Caerphilly than it is to the centre of Cardiff. It must be really quite close (probably less than a mile) to the Caerphilly County Borough boundary within which, as I understand it, various restrictions, including the requirement to wear a face mask in shops, etc., were introduced a few days ago. The reason the restrictions were introduced, of course, is that there has been "a sharp and rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus" in the Caerphilly region. And yet, less than a mile away, not a single person was wearing a mask in that shop/petrol station. Furthermore, even though the shop had implemented a form of one-way system for people entering and leaving, the people there when I was there seemed to be paying no heed whatsoever to the concept of social distancing. None.

Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that Boris Johnson was talking about a significant return to normality in time for Christmas, and saying that we (i.e., in the UK) should all be "looking ahead with optimism"? I wish I had access to whatever substances he's on. And as for those people who say that everything would be fine if it was all left to individual responsibility - say what!?

I also found it different when I was in Wales a few weeks ago although I noticed that people seemed to be keeping more of a distance from each other than in mask wearing England.

On another note I found it odd that the Welsh Health Minister, as you have, referred to Caerphilly County.
I was not aware that Caerphilly was a county and thought it was in the old county of Monmouth and latterly Gwent.
It is not a county, it is a newly named county borough formed in 1996 when, no doubt, a lot of empire building and wasting of money was taking place!

[Mike T]

(This is a post from me free of both sarcasm and satire.)

I spent yesterday walking in the Brecon Beacons. On my way home I stopped for petrol at a petrol station with a Spar shop attached. It was on the outskirts of Cardiff, just before I joined the M4. Quite a busy little place, cars continually departing and arriving, people going into and out of the shop. (The pumps were 'pay in the shop' only.) There was not a single face mask in sight (apart from mine). Not one. It felt really quite weird, as though I'd gone back in time. I didn't realise at the time, but I checked it later at home, that face masks are not compulsory in shops in Wales (in general). They will be from Monday, though, because cases have been going up. Why on earth wait until cases are already increasing before implementing such a simple mitigation measure?

Even now that I know that masks aren't compulsory in Wales, I still find it quite incredible that, of all the people there (and there were quite a few), I was the only one wearing a mask. I said this shop/petrol station is on the outskirts of Cardiff, but, actually, it's closer to the centre of Caerphilly than it is to the centre of Cardiff. It must be really quite close (probably less than a mile) to the Caerphilly County Borough boundary within which, as I understand it, various restrictions, including the requirement to wear a face mask in shops, etc., were introduced a few days ago. The reason the restrictions were introduced, of course, is that there has been "a sharp and rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus" in the Caerphilly region. And yet, less than a mile away, not a single person was wearing a mask in that shop/petrol station. Furthermore, even though the shop had implemented a form of one-way system for people entering and leaving, the people there when I was there seemed to be paying no heed whatsoever to the concept of social distancing. None.

Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that Boris Johnson was talking about a significant return to normality in time for Christmas, and saying that we (i.e., in the UK) should all be "looking ahead with optimism"? I wish I had access to whatever substances he's on. And as for those people who say that everything would be fine if it was all left to individual responsibility - say what!?

This is so important - masks/distancing cost so little/nothing - yet people are not doing them. Avoiding the virus is about avoiding people, and what is in their exhalations/coughs/sneezes and what is on their hands and what they have touched. Some public health advertisements along these lines would be so helpful. As to announcing measures that will start in a few days time - why not straight away??

I am reading "Duty of Care" by Dominic Pimenta - even though I have an idea of what is coming it is really quite frightening to read things from his point of view.

[Dave_Mole]

This is so important - masks/distancing cost so little/nothing - yet people are not doing them.

...and people on here are posting videos of "sceptics" arguing that they don't work/had no effect on the course of the virus.

[Derby Tup]

Dave, log off and go out and have a run today. If you can’t run go for a walk or a bike ride

[Fellbeast]

Dave, log off and go out and have a run today. If you can’t run go for a walk or a bike ride

And for balance maybe Witton should too. As for stagger he should go for a very very very long run 🤔

[molehill]

. As to announcing measures that will start in a few days time - why not straight away??
.

They stated that it was to give people a chance (couple of days) to purchase masks if they didn't have them. Which makes sense.

[Witton Park]

(This is a post from me free of both sarcasm and satire.)

I spent yesterday walking in the Brecon Beacons. On my way home I stopped for petrol at a petrol station with a Spar shop attached. It was on the outskirts of Cardiff, just before I joined the M4. Quite a busy little place, cars continually departing and arriving, people going into and out of the shop. (The pumps were 'pay in the shop' only.) There was not a single face mask in sight (apart from mine). Not one. It felt really quite weird, as though I'd gone back in time. I didn't realise at the time, but I checked it later at home, that face masks are not compulsory in shops in Wales (in general). They will be from Monday, though, because cases have been going up. Why on earth wait until cases are already increasing before implementing such a simple mitigation measure?

Even now that I know that masks aren't compulsory in Wales, I still find it quite incredible that, of all the people there (and there were quite a few), I was the only one wearing a mask. I said this shop/petrol station is on the outskirts of Cardiff, but, actually, it's closer to the centre of Caerphilly than it is to the centre of Cardiff. It must be really quite close (probably less than a mile) to the Caerphilly County Borough boundary within which, as I understand it, various restrictions, including the requirement to wear a face mask in shops, etc., were introduced a few days ago. The reason the restrictions were introduced, of course, is that there has been "a sharp and rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus" in the Caerphilly region. And yet, less than a mile away, not a single person was wearing a mask in that shop/petrol station. Furthermore, even though the shop had implemented a form of one-way system for people entering and leaving, the people there when I was there seemed to be paying no heed whatsoever to the concept of social distancing. None.

Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that Boris Johnson was talking about a significant return to normality in time for Christmas, and saying that we (i.e., in the UK) should all be "looking ahead with optimism"? I wish I had access to whatever substances he's on. And as for those people who say that everything would be fine if it was all left to individual responsibility - say what!?

What you highlight firstly is the situation that has been created where differing parts of our country have different regulations. I don't think that is helpful.
Devolution was and remains a dog's breakfast.

I don't have an issue with masks - I have an issue with face coverings and to be clear it is face coverings that have been asked for.

To abide by the regulations I wear a buff. I have only once had to wear it for a long period when in a shopping centre in Nottingham a few weeks ago. It did get a bit warm. But mostly I wear it for nipping in the Post Office, the local convenience store etc. so only a few minutes each time.

There is some weak evidence that suggests wearing a mask in a public area, particularly indoors, may reduce the aerosol effect of an infected COVID person.
OK, accepted.

But there are also knock on consequences such as what Llani alluded to, which was some of those wearing a face covering seem to thing it offers a more significant level of protection than it does - they also seem to think it offers protection to themselves.

There are also possible knock-on consequences of face coverings. There is little evidence for the consequences, just as there is for the benefits.
But that doesn't mean to say they aren't realistic. You can imagine a child at school face covering on, then off in to the pocket, constantly touching it and the cloth could be capturing and accumulating pathogens that can then be transferred by touch.

So if you are pro face covering, that's fine. It's a reasonable position to take if you see that as erring on the side of caution.

I'm not. I tend to think the slim chance of any benefits is countered by the similarly slim chance of negative effects.

The HSE are fairly pragmatic.

Face coverings are not classed as personal protective equipment (PPE) as they:

are generally not manufactured to a recognised standard and not CE marked
do not provide a proven level of protection for work risks such as dust and spray

and they ask employers to support workers who choose to wear them.

[Fellbeast]

One of the articles posted by Mike T yesterday was a great one in that it explained the benefits of ‘layering’ - masks alone isn’t the answer, social distancing alone isn’t, sanitisation etc etc. But taken altogether they are absolutely the right way to go.

That’s why masks are a good thing 🧐

On the flip side, and to show some balance, I also like this article from the Spectator:

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/...he-rule-of-six

Especially this quote:

“Our leaders amount to little more than a Dad’s Army of highly paid individuals with little or no experience of the job at hand.”

😊

[Fellbeast]

Another great article here from yesterday’s Times regarding statistics and how they can be (mis)used by the government and others to suit the point they want to make

“Sir David Spiegelhalter: When a politician says they follow the science, that’s when I start screaming”

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/s...ming-hqtl2pfgf

(Probably behind a pay wall but we’ll worth opting for the free trial to read)