Corona Virus and events

Yeah, I know where you’re coming from. I’ve learned a few lessons myself about information processing and recognising fact and fiction.
While the lockdown seems BS for now looking at the trajectory of other countries it remains a possibility in the future. What seems impossible one week becomes possible the next with this thing.

robinph wrote: »

Schools closing is not necessarily as useful as it appears though, it would likely actually cause more of an instant strain on the health services due to staffing problems, and whilst it makes for a good scary headline and gets people to notice that something serious is going on which is very useful, that you have those kids then still out mingling with each other and then getting looked after by grandparents so that the parents can still go to work in the hospitals destroys much of the benefit. Yes, close the schools in the areas directly adjacent to known cases, national shutdown at this point is less obvious benefit.

Kids are not supposed to be out mingling when they are off school in this situation. Obviously, health authorities are only too aware of the effect it will have on staffing but still consider it a step worth taking, which is not surprising as the description of young children being like "petri dishes" is quite apt.

Chivito550 wrote: »

Lots of BS going round. I've deleted Twitter and Facebook apps off my phone. Too much negativity, rumours and misinformation. Not good for one's mental health. Judging by this thread, I might take a holiday from this forum too.

I find the only way to not let this stuff and social media in general get to you is to stand back and not take it personally because they are pretty much like warzones especially in circumstances like this, disagreements on even the slightest issues get taken as personal attacks rather than discussion and it spirals from there.

robinph wrote: »

Ours won't be out and about mingling either but that is down to age, don't think that will apply to older kids and just because we are able to not need to make used of grandparents doesn't mean other will be able to do the same and still keep working.

I have a 10 year old & 14 year old both of them not mixing with others & not seeing their grandparents for now. My job is not closed but under no circumstances will i be leaving them with their grandparents. It's again down to personal responsibility, i know it is extremely hard to try get alternative childcare but who really wants to risk being responsible for passing it onto a loved one?

Two Oceans has been cancelled, only a matter of time before Comrades follows suit given they've declared a national state of disaster due to COVID-19.

Murph_D wrote: »

I do fear for the UK too and expect more organisations (hopefully including parkrun) will divert from the official line. They’ve been very slow to reveal the science behind the herd immunity strategy, although it has been promised. Maybe I missed it? Certainly many epidemiologists are sceptical. Sounds great in theory but I suspect there are far more cases than the numbers suggest. We will know soon enough. A friend in Bath ran a solo HM time trial instead of yesterday’s official event. I know it’s only a week since Bohermeen but I’d never run it now.

Herd immunity was binned 2 days ago. They are talking about self isolation for over 70's and have already set out guidelines to self distance(in he post you are replying to are their guidelines). Not sure why alot of the online media are still running with stories about herd immunity. The politicians and NHS higer ups have been all over sky news for the last two days saying that would not be their approach

Not surprising that media pick up a term when this is the direct quote:

“Our aim is to try to reduce the peak, broaden the peak, not suppress it completely; also, because the vast majority of people get a mild illness, to build up some kind of herd immunity so more people are immune to this disease and we reduce the transmission, at the same time we protect those who are most vulnerable to it.” (Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser)

The problem was little evidence of protecting the vulnerable. No official advice to care homes to limit visits, for example (many homes implemented their own restrictions). The current focus on protecting over 70s talks of taking action in ‘coming weeks’ (ie not now). Is that soon enough?

It all depends on the numbers. If numbers already carrying and spreading are higher than expected, the strategy is a real problem. And the first people to suffer will be the most vulnerable.

I know no one will listen to me as all your minds are already made up but what people here have to realise is that no one knows the answers and the politicalisation of this has further warped all reality. While it's easy to throw out words like incompetence and the problem with this approach or that approach is this or that, no one actually knows what the issues either short term or long term are.

The WHO has came out about all this, calling it an infodemic. All your social media accounts are sending you biased info which keeps reinforcing the echo chamber of online media. when you click on any link on your PC or phone, the website sends you cookies which track your movements(these are used to find out what you like so companies and media can target advertise you). Read the telegraph alot, it will be sent to you more often, read the covid 19 conspiracy media, it will be seen more often. Hence the issue with people not knowing that the UK Gov wasn't going with herd immunity because you have all been reading the media with agendas and bias over that because you've been constantly clicking on them articles.

Murph, when you say it's not suprising the media picked up herd immunity from the quote, it isn't suprising at all because they are the media and are in the buisness of making money. Vallance is an advisor, Did any of these media outlets actually confirm with the Government that this was the strategy? No because they are irresponsible as always. People need to stop believing everything they read. Matt Hancock( The UK health minister where official word is going to come from, not an advisor) was on the news the other night and said they were considering every option but would not be pursuing herd immunity, yet the media kept writing about it because fact checking does'nt matter to them.

People need to stop believing everything they read, when you read something online, you are getting an interpretation from the media which may onlybe loosely based on fact or in other cases, rumours. And people also need to understand that the info you do get online is completely biased to fit their opinions, confirmation bias.

For instance in another example, say someone only reads the gaurdian, they will be lapping up all the leftwing agendas, Only read the mail on Sunday and you'll be getting all the rightwing agendas. Social media works in the same way. And honestly, all of the politicalisation of the coronavirus during this whole crisis is complete and utter ****show, I'm pretty sure the virus doesn't give a flying fook about politics and neither will the best solution.