Social distancing Megathread

Spanish Eyes

I would like to think that we have a handle on this now and hopefully going forward.

But I am concerned about the number of flights coming in to Dublin from all over. WTAF

Anyway, if such flights were confined to repatriation and/or humanitarian reasons, fine. I just don't understand it otherwise.

Can someone advise?

Bob24

Bob24 wrote: »

I know people in a North East city of 7 millions which only had around a 100 cases, and for the first month the measures there were more restrictive than what we currently have in ireland (with much fewer cases per head than we currently have). Things have new been relaxed as they haven’t had new cases, but not fully back to normal. And everyone there is still wearing masks which we don’t.

Also when China locked down most of Hubei super tightly, they had 500 cases altogether. The fact that the completely isolated the epicentre early enough is what helped keep it under control. We missed that boat in Europe with northern Italy being locked down too lake and too loosely. So IMO now we’ll end up needing some type of extensive lockdown everywhere (not to mention we are not as good with distributing masks to the public, contact tracking, as well as quickly deploying large isolation centres and many temporary hospital beds).

People tend to wear masks in China anyway due to the pollution, but I agree with you.

I do think the social distancing could have worked if people had taken it seriously, but the combination of loose behavior, and the continuation of essentially freedom to travel, has pretty much ensured that it will get worse. I'm still amazed that there aren't attempts to hold people in their towns/counties...

I understood the lack of enforcement on people staying at home, due to "peoples rights" and manpower requirements... but I never quite understood why there weren't measures in place like the shutting down of trains/buses, and checkpoints to keep traffic to a bare minimum.

Bob24

[Deleted User] wrote: »

People tend to wear masks in China anyway due to the pollution, but I agree with you.

I do think the social distancing could have worked if people had taken it seriously, but the combination of loose behavior, and the continuation of essentially freedom to travel, has pretty much ensured that it will get worse. I'm still amazed that there aren't attempts to hold people in their towns/counties...

I understood the lack of enforcement on people staying at home, due to "peoples rights" and manpower requirements... but I never quite understood why there weren't measures in place like the shutting down of trains/buses, and checkpoints to keep traffic to a bare minimum.

Yes I think the way it is enforced here is slowing it down but won’t prevent saturation of hospitals and eventually stricter lockdown type of situation.

Just for reference - indeed people in China/Asia obviously tend to wear masks more than here. But to clarify it has became a myth here that all of them do, which is incorrect.

In normal times only a minority would be wearing masks at all times. I’ve been to the city I am referring to several time and you’re talking maximum 1% wearing a mask in normal circumstances (this will be much higher if there is an awful peek in air pollution but I still don’t think It would be over 50%). At the moment everyone does. Amongst other things they also still have a thing whereby they need to scan their phone every time they enter/exit a public area (shop, restaurant, etc) too allow for immediate and extensive contact tracking. This is a bit scary mass surveillance and not saying I want the same here, but between this, the masks, and a few other things, this is just to say that even a city with the same population as our island which only had 100 odd cases and currently has no active one is still under some restrictions.

Also, for a full month after Chinese New Year they were only allowed to go out of home twice a week for shopping; and every shop/restaurant/school/office/etc was closed besides health related stuff and local grocery stores. It was the first time the people I know there spent Chinese New Year alone at home (as you probably know since you seem familiar with China, it usually is a full week of extended family gatherings).

Just saying those things to raise awareness here on what happened in China to stop the epidemic: even 2000km away from Wuhan in a city of 7 millions which never had any significant outbreak, these are the type of restrictions which have been enforced (their first months was more restrictive than what we currently have while they had much few cases per hear of population.

Bob24

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I would like to think that we have a handle on this now and hopefully going forward.

But I am concerned about the number of flights coming in to Dublin from all over. WTAF

Anyway, if such flights were confined to repatriation and/or humanitarian reasons, fine. I just don't understand it otherwise.

Can someone advise?

I think the simple thing to do would be the Chinese way: no need to cancel flights, but anyone arriving from abroad needs to go into an immediate and strict 14 days quarantine at their own cost. This would completely discourage non-essential travel, and still allow essential one to occur while preventing imported cases.

But like any travel restriction it would be better if commonly agreed with NI authorities or if we do checks at the NI border.

Bob24

Bob24 wrote: »

Yes I think the way it is enforced here is slowing it down but won’t prevent saturation of hospitals and eventually stricter lockdown type of situation.

Just for reference - indeed people in China/Asia obviously tend to wear masks more than here. But to clarify it has became a myth here that all of them do, which is incorrect.

In normal times only a minority would be wearing masks at all times. I’ve been to the city I am referring to several time and you’re talking maximum 1% wearing a mask in normal circumstances (this will be much higher if there is an awful peek in air pollution but I still don’t think It would be over 50%). At the moment everyone does.

Well, it depends on the city, and the degree of pollution. In BJ, people wear masks almost all the time because the pollution is so heavy that it actually can burn your skin. The sand from the deserts in the north sweep in through the streets, so it's advisable to have a mask ready in BJ anyway.

Whereas take CQ (Chongqing), which is densely populated, and some pollution. Huge by Irish standards but relatively low by Chinese.. I'd say about 20% wear masks normally, with that increasing to 60% in the winter when the coal power plants kick in.

Everyone is now wearing a mask because the government has demanded that they do. It's a punishable offense to be caught outside or in public without a mask on. And people did break the rule and were punished.

Just for perspective, which city are you referring to?

Amongst other things they also still have a thing whereby they need to scan their phone every time they enter/exit a public area (shop, restaurant, etc) too allow for immediate and extensive contact tracking. This is a bit scary mass surveillance and not saying I want the same here, but between this, the masks, and a few other things, this is just to say that even a city with the same population as our island which only had 100 odd cases and currently has no active one is still under some restrictions.

It's only scary if you've done something wrong... or are part of a group that is being targeted by the government. It doesn't bother me that the government knows my movements, because I'm not doing anything wrong...

It's just more open now. Wechat and QQ have spyware which would tell the government where people were, and where they did cashless transactions. Most technology has some form of spyware if bought in China.

Just saying those things to raise awareness here on what happened in China to stop the epidemic: even 2000km away from Wuhan in a city of 7 millions which never had any significant outbreak, these are the type of restrictions which have been enforced (their first months was more restrictive than what we currently have while they had much few cases per hear of population.

I know. I said similar earlier.

Rows Grower

Deleted User wrote: »

People tend to wear masks in China anyway due to the pollution, but I agree with you.

I do think the social distancing could have worked if people had taken it seriously, but the combination of loose behavior, and the continuation of essentially freedom to travel, has pretty much ensured that it will get worse. I'm still amazed that there aren't attempts to hold people in their towns/counties...

I understood the lack of enforcement on people staying at home, due to "peoples rights" and manpower requirements... but I never quite understood why there weren't measures in place like the shutting down of trains/buses, and checkpoints to keep traffic to a bare minimum.

I would be inclined to believe this, I was on Inis Mór island a few years ago and we were on the pier when the ferry arrived.

Off came a load of Chinese and they all wearing masks, then one fella took his off to light up a cigarette.

Bob24

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Just for perspective, which city are you referring to?

Changchun.

dharma200

Rows Grower wrote: »

I would be inclined to believe this, I was on Inis Mór island a few years ago and we were on the pier when the ferry arrived.

Off came a load of Chinese and they all wearing masks, then one fella took his off to light up a cigarette.

over 3000 chinese people die per day due to air pollution

Rows Grower

dharma200 wrote: »

over 3000 chinese people die per day due to air pollution

That's a lot of people.

billybonkers

Genuinely shocked by the amount of people out and about not adhering to social distancing. Really disappointed

skaface

billybonkers wrote: »

Genuinely shocked by the amount of people out and about not adhering to social distancing. Really disappointed

It's crazy.. Passed at least ten people on bikes this morning, they were stopped chatting away to each other on the side of the pavement.. up close, no social distancing

Homelander

Some lad in Galway flies off the handle in a profanity ridden rant......after he got negative comments after he did a live facebook broadcast in an open pub.

What is wrong with people....

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4168150156544321&id=100000481320338&sfnsn=mo&d=n&vh=i

Sam Hain

Homelander wrote: »

Some lad in Galway flies off the handle in a profanity ridden rant......after he got negative comments after he did a live facebook broadcast in an open pub.

What is wrong with people....

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4168150156544321&id=100000481320338&sfnsn=mo&d=n&vh=i

Hes a disgrace. Unsurprisingly, judging by the hack of his mug (not the one he has his tea in), it looks like hes got a few slaps over the years.

fryup

he's the first one to crack

mr_fegelien

billybonkers wrote: »

Genuinely shocked by the amount of people out and about not adhering to social distancing. Really disappointed

I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of people taking this too seriously. It has a low mortality rate. Why would i care if i got it? And no, i dont have any elderly relatives living near me as well

blackcard

billybonkers wrote: »

Genuinely shocked by the amount of people out and about not adhering to social distancing. Really disappointed

#mindthegapplease

Rows Grower

blackcard wrote: »

#mindthegapplease

Bank.

Faugheen

mr_fegelien wrote: »

I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of people taking this too seriously. It has a low mortality rate. Why would i care if i got it? And no, i dont have any elderly relatives living near me as well

It doesn’t matter.

You could already have it and you’re spreading it to people who might have elderly people living nearby without showing any symptoms yourself.

It’s baffling that people don’t ****ing get it. ‘It has a low mortality rate’, 1-2% of people is still a lot of ****ing people.

Grow up and stop acting like an entitled child. ****’s sake.

martingriff

mr_fegelien wrote: »

I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of people taking this too seriously. It has a low mortality rate. Why would i care if i got it? And no, i dont have any elderly relatives living near me as well

How about the elderly relatives of your friends or they live near.

fryup

fryup wrote: »

what's the story with cafe's?? are they meant to close or obliged to close....cause my local cafe is still open

Deleted User wrote: »

Café's and restaurants are not obliged to close.

well shouldn't they? it's still social gathering isn't it?

Rows Grower

Where are the clowns, there ought to be clowns...

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/irishman-who-attended-cheltenham-festival-tests-positive-for-covid-19-39065160.html

PsychoPete

I passed a group of 10 people sitting beside each other having a picnic. Not surprisingly when it comes to this country

corks finest

Not doing too good in Cork AFAI see,some are but most aren't,still see groups of teens and yesterday encountered a large group of aged ( I'm over 60)hikers all bunched at Roberts cove absolutely inexcusable

Bob24

mr_fegelien wrote: »

I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of people taking this too seriously. It has a low mortality rate. Why would i care if i got it? And no, i dont have any elderly relatives living near me as well

Some smart people understood weeks ago that what matters isn’t really the mortality rate but the very high complication rate (which increases the mortality rate once hospitals are overwhelmed) combined to a rather high R0 causing exponential growth.

Most other people documenting themselves about the situation understood this fact sometimes in the past week or two.

barrymanilow

mr_fegelien wrote: »

I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of people taking this too seriously. It has a low mortality rate. Why would i care if i got it? And no, i dont have any elderly relatives living near me as well

Mid January Called , they want their badly informed ignorant opinion back.



You should read through the Ask me anything thread with the HSE Consultant in this Section its a pretty grim read. It has a low mortality rate IF medical systems can manage it but if it spreads like wildfire and everyone gets sick at once then it's an Italy like situation.


You mightn't care about getting it yourself but the people around you who are trying to protect elderly people and people with underlying conditions will when you go about with your chilled out attitude spreading it and trying to convince people that social distancing is OTT.

Kerry25x

mr_fegelien wrote: »

I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of people taking this too seriously. It has a low mortality rate. Why would i care if i got it? And no, i dont have any elderly relatives living near me as well

I don't mean this in a nasty way but it just sounds like you're not educated enough. Maybe take a look at how it has overwhelmed the health services in other countries that were hit sooner than us. Maybe spare a thought for health care workers on the front line. Doesn't really matter if you have elderly relatives living near you or not, you can easily pass it to other people who do have contact with the elderly and other vulnerable groups.

Dodge

mr_fegelien wrote: »

I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of people taking this too seriously. It has a low mortality rate. Why would i care if i got it?

Because the world doesn’t revolve around you, you dopey prick

ThewhiteJesus

It’s really annoying me people not paying any attention to the advice given for social distancing, it’s not that hard, people walking in the middle of a path basically blocking it, standing still talking in shop doors ect

is_that_so

PsychoPete wrote: »

I passed a group of 10 people sitting beside each other having a picnic. Not surprisingly when it comes to this country

If they are all part of the same social group, i.e in the same house, it's not required. Distancing from other groups should be observed.

Rows Grower

Rows Grower wrote: »

Where are the clowns, there ought to be clowns...

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/irishman-who-attended-cheltenham-festival-tests-positive-for-covid-19-39065160.html

Yet, we still have racing every day here. Even behind closed doors there’s no way of adhering to social distancing.