to remind you that we are actually allowed outside?

[Pishposhpashy]

I am following social distancing guidelines.

I am not seeing friends or family.

I am getting nearly all my food delivered online.

I am going out once a day for my allowed daily exercise. Yes, to my local park, because I live in London, in a flat with a 4 year old and no garden.

I am constantly seeing threads on here berating "idiots" for "flocking" to parks and suchlike. But the thing is, if I go to the park for my walk, and see other people there - they aren't "idiots", they are people doing the same thing I'm doing - their ALLOWED daily exercise!

I mean, if you have a garden, bully for you. But I don't, we are allowed out, and I will continue to take my son for a walk in the fresh air once a day.

The thing is @Pishposhpashy you ARE allowed out for a walk in the park or wherever, but if you do so when it's crowded, you risk being infected. Someone can cough or sneeze and you can't get out of the way in time. The now think the virus can spread far more than 2 mtrs- they are talking of more like 20 feet.

If somewhere is very crowded you cannot guarantee you can keep your distance.

Someone's toddler may run up to you and you can't stop them. They may be carrying COVID but unaffected. Same for their parent who has to run after them and scoop them up.

I am lucky to live semi rural but this weekend we are staying in, because the walk we usually do over some fields has become so busy at weekends. It's over a track and at times it's impossible almost to keep 2 mtrs apart from families coming in the opposite direction. Some have several kids with them and the kids aren't able to keep their distance.

If I were you I'd try to go out early or late in the day when it's quiet. If it's crowded, just come home and try again later if you can.

Going for a walk in a park vs sitting in a park.

If you have 3000 people sitting, even in household groups, in a park, that might be a lot of virus in the air, even if it doesn't travel too far.

Then again - it might make no difference whatsoever.

Same for the beach - spread out on a beach in your own household.

I am lucky as I have a small garden - and a massive project planned for it.

I feel for people in large crowded cities - especially with no garden - trying to get exercise safely outside.

@jinglinghellsbells the risk from both of those scenarios is tiny tiny most infection is due to close contact within 2 metres for 10 minutes ie family, sitting standing next to someone on tube, bus or train, working next to someone at close proximity, chatting at normal social distance etc, while in theory cross infection can happen from surfaces and momentary contact the risk is much much lower

I think those of us who aren't shielding or isolating due to symptoms should be getting out once a day for a walk.

The risk when passing someone for a few seconds, even at less than 2m, is miniscule. And anything that keeps us sane will surely help us observe the lockdown for longer.

I also saw a photo of people "flocking" to a busy park in London - people walking in groups of two or three, way more than 2m apart. No one sunbathing or playing football. So a bunch of people doing a perfectly legal, healthy, sensible thing then!

You are right OP. C19 has shown in stark relief many problems already present in society, one of which is an inability to take part in sensible polite evidence-based discussion; and another of which is how unhealthy we are as a nation. We are in the midst of an obesity crisis which has been silently causing early death for many years as well as storing up lifetime health problems for the children suffering from it. People who can, really should, (obviously with SD) , be exercising, and hopefully will continue to do so after lock down.

I agree OP. I'm going to the park for exercise too.

There is way too much hysterical media hype. I think many of the people being admitted to hospital are suffering the side effects of stress, not virus.

Agree. Parks are perfectly safe if yo keep distance.
Ignore the stasi on here. they have nothing better to do

It really has brought out the worst "school prefect" in some people.

Utterly ridiculous.

We should be criticising lazy fatsos who aren't moving (given 70% of covid intensive pair patients are fat as butter

I was under the impression that the proportion of people in ICU who are overweight or obese is roughly equivalent to the proportion of the public who are overweight or obese.

Of course, you would have to look at the age range in ICU, gender split etc - and compare that to a similar population to see if being overweight / obese was a factor.

But don' let actual epidemiology and science get in the way.

I live in a tiny 5th floor flat with no balcony or garden space at all, my 2 children are going stir crazy having not left the flat in 3 weeks (they were ill 1 week before lockdown) but everywhere is so busy that I don't feel able to take them out. My eldest is so hyperactive that she is barely sleeping at all and her behaviour has deteriorated rapidly because she is bored and missing her friends.

I have to go to work still - I do not do anything important but the government has classed me as an essential worker so if I want to get paid my national minimum wage and feed my family then I have to go out and put myself and my family at risk while getting a load of abuse for not staying in/from angry customers because things have changed because you know we are in the middle of a pandemic. When I walk to work I see at least 100+ people on my 20 minute journey. I walk to work in the late afternoon and come home at night and still see a ridiculous amount of people. So yes we are still allowed out but honestly people are NOT being sensible with it so maybe we shouldn't be.

If only fat people are getting the 'virus' how come all the celebrities have it?

When I walk to work I see at least 100+ people on my 20 minute journey. I walk to work in the late afternoon and come home at night and still see a ridiculous amount of people.

Are they social distancing?

I am not sure how the govt are monitoring things, but if the percentage of non complying people is too high for their modelling, things could get stricter.

The reality is the Govt has no way of accurately "monitoring" compliance. They can only look to the scientists over the coming weeks for signs (through the metrics they gather) that the social distancing as a consequence of enforced "lock-down" is making a difference in controlling spread.

The Govt is already aware that the negative effects of increased poverty, poor MH (loneliness, depression, separation, fear through isolation) and relationship breakdowns will have a massive negative impact on the population's ability to bounce back after the virus is contained and they are currently being forced to plan the exit strategy of this lockdown, rather than inflicting more misery on its people, by increasing restrictions further.

The aim is to get the likelihood of infection down to p= 0.1 ie 1 person being likely to infect less than 1 other person, when it has been 3-4 (ie 1 infected person infecting 3-4 other people which has led to this pandemic. This is where the herd immunity can enable a relaxation in restrictions, with people gradually returning to work, whilst continuing to recommend ongoing protection for the most vulnerable.

Testing for immunity will be a game changer. For example my DM is in the vulnerable category. We think my DSis may have had Corona, so if she can be tested for antibodies and the test proves positive it would enable her to visit our DM, bring her food, keep her company, but I'd have to stay away as I haven't had it.

All this is playing for time, keeping things under control until the vaccine is available.

YANBU OP.

In fact exercise is recommended to be prepared for the disease: www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-52076856

I've seen some awful comments online recently about people being outside. I've seen people criticising runners for putting themselves at risk of tripping up and potentially putting a strain on the NHS, and I've no doubt that the people doing the criticising are sat at home all day slowly developing T2 diabetes.

The media isn't helping. They've been stoking up the idea that people aren't following the rules but when you see the images most people are clearly observing social distancing.

My own mother shared a video on Facebook of people queuing two metres apart outside M&S with the caption "the imbeciles are out". Apparently we're not even allowed out to buy food anymore.

Honestly if these emergency powers become established in the long term then the British people deserve to live in the inevitable police state that follows because of the Stasi like fury they're showing to their neighbours.

Have a good time in the sunshine in the park OP.
I’m hoping my son who lives in a northern city centre flat will be able to take a walk without any police hassle . He has twice been stopped and questioned whilst walking alone through the centre to get to the waterfront .He spent yesterday serving people in a supermarket from 0900 to 1730 .

mindproject, "There is way too much hysterical media hype. I think many of the people being admitted to hospital are suffering the side effects of stress, not virus."
Thanks for that,made m snort out loud!
I'm sure treatment in ICU ,oxygen,needing to be on a ventilator etc is just as likely to be due to stress as to a virus affecting the respiratory system...and hospitals are cancelling out patient clinics and drafting in retired professionals and students because of an outbreak of.....stress???
Honestly

Exercise in a park is fine.

But not meeting friends for barbeques, picnics, sunbathing or football matches.

This is why some parks have been closed.

I'm the same! I live in a flat in an average sized town. I'm lucky to be surrounded by fields and green space so I use it for my daily exercise. If I had a garden/balcony I'd be out in it every day but would probably still want to walk most days of the week.

I have thus morning seen both a message from Lambeth Coincil saying that Brockwell Park will be closed from today because of the number of large groups and sunbathers in it yesterday

And Wandsworth Council making a plea for non locals to stop travelling from other parts of London to use Battersea Park (I expect that'll either close for Easter, or you'll need to bring proof of local address)

Flocking to the nicer green areas is a problem, not because exercising outdoors isn't allowed, but because too many people are congregating there.

I live in a rural farm but 12 minutes drive and I'm at the beach.. I have dared to go there with the kids and we walk the farm land and stay in the garden. Plenty to do!
I did an essentials shop alone yesterday at the big supermarket, on my drive back I see I huge live-in mobile home pull up just past the main motorway to take a look at his map!! Kids in the front clearly heading for the seaside on holiday (UK number plate). What nutter in their right mind packed up the motor home and fecked off for the Easter break during a world pandemic 🤷‍♀️
So OP you are absolutely right about you and your little taking a stroll at the park, but because of idiots like Mr Motorhome I fear we will all be even more confined soon!

I just can't understand the many comments, not just on this thread, sneering at the 'couch potatoes suddenly exercising'. Why would you mock anyone suddenly feeling the need to get up and do something (within the guidelines), probably to keep their MH health in check.

They probably took for granted their daily commute, lunch time walk. Don't fucking sneer at those choosing to incorporate a little exercise when obesity rates are ridiculous in this country.

we know it lives on steel/plastic etc for up to days

No, we don't know this at all. If anyone does know this please link to the peer-reviewed published report that confirms this.

Developing work in this area, in unpublished briefings, is suggesting the opposite. One of EUs leading virologists, Hendrik Streeck, says

"We know it's not a smear infection that is transmitted by touching objects, but that close dancing and exuberant celebrations have led to infections."

I'm not being arsey, just trying to stick to facts as we all pick out way through what is best for each if us.

YANBU OP

No, you should not be cooped up in your flat with your child for 12 weeks. That would be awful. I’m sure you’re sensible enough to know what 2 metres looks like (I like the odd person I have seen in my daily walk) so I don’t get the problem. I walk out of my house, headphones in and hands in pockets and in 5 minutes am in a very secluded and quiet nature reserve. Sometimes I see the odd one or two people, sometimes not at all. And yes, we have a garden. Should I not be leaving my property at all??

We know it's not a smear infection that is transmitted by touching objects, but that close dancing and exuberant celebrations have led to infections

I did not know this. I honestly thought it was transmitted by people touching infected surfaces and touching their face afterwards - hence all the hand washing??