To just be really confused about the isolation thing?....

[OscarWildesCat]

I get it, if you have symptoms, isolate, ok. Nobody in my family have symptoms and have to care for an elderly relative who falls into the vulnerable bracket. I'm still being expected to go into work as normal (not a key worker by any stretch and I work with the public every day). What is the point of me isolating all weekend then being in contact with the public all week?, surely it defeats the purpose?, if I catch it from a member of the public at work, I'm carrying it home anyway to my family and passing it on to DH who is doing shopping etc for the elderly family member.
I'm sorry, I'm rambling but I just dont see how we can totally avoid passing this thing about if we are still going to work? (If I don't go in, I don't get paid btw)......

You can’t totally avoid passing it on if you catch it if you’re going out to work - the point is to minimise the amount of people you spread it to. It can’t be stopped completely, we’re taking measures to slow it down.

I think in your case it’s more about social distancing and avoiding unnecessary contact, lots of hand washing. There’s no perfect solution here is there?

There is a difference between isolating and social distancing. People with symptoms and vulnerable should be isolating as much as is humanly possible. Everyone else should be socially distancing, ie only contact as absolutely necessary, working from home where possible, No groups or get togethers, no public meeting places. The govt failed to convince people to stay away from bars and restaurants so they had to close. Do no more mixing than you absolutely have to. In my book that includes large supermarkets

If you are a key worker, your job is regarded as necessary social contact. Everything else, involving friends, family and leisure time is unnecessary social contact This virus incubates for up to a week with no symptoms, if you have not had the test, you can't possibly know if you have it. Why is it so difficult to understand that the more people you choose to come into contact with, the more risk of exponential contagion? This is not a complicated concept.

With risk assessments the idea isn't to eliminate all risk because thats 100% impossible. Instead, what they do is manage risk so they are reduced and at an acceptable level. You are at risk dealing with the public but if you then add going out and about to the pub at weekends you are at even more increased risk. You will never be at zero risk so at least reduced risk is better than full risk. Does that help?

It’s about minimising contact as much as possible

If you go to work you come into contact with, say, 20 people a day

If you go to work and the supermarket then maybe 30 people

If you go to work, the shops, your mates houses, the library, chat with neighbours then you start mixing with 50/60 people

It’s a numbers game and the aim is to keep the numbers as low as possible

It’s definitely all about minimising. If everyone else who can social distance does, then this protects people like you (and the vast majority of health, social care, food services, utilities and emergency workers who can’t work from home) who can only partly comply with social distancing.

We are quite literally all in this together.

The idea is to avoid unnecessary contact. You obviously have to go to work if you haven’t been told not to, you will still need to go buy food. You’re not supposed to purposely socialise with people who don’t live in your household I.e spending time in a pub or restaurant.

@BovaryX as I said in my post, I am NOT a key worker but being expected to go into work.
Thanks all, I suppose it makes a bit more sense that its limiting contact outwith work to limit the risks etc. Its such a worrying time for everyone.
Fir info, I have not been anywhere except work and the supermarket for over a week.

Isolation and social distancing are totally different things.

If you're not vulnerable and don't have symptoms (and don't live with someone who does) you don't need to isolate yourself. You can still go to work and to the shop, you can still drop supplies at people's houses, but the idea is to avoid anything unnecessary.

You can still do things like go for a walk or a bike ride, take the dog out, go for a run, or even have a picnic on the beach, you just need to avoid other people and practise social distancing.

Tbh that's why we should all be wearing face masks outside. I wonder when will government say so

Tbh that's why we should all be wearing face masks outside. I wonder when will government say so

They won’t/can’t. We don’t have enough for hospital use at the moment.

No one has enough. That's why people make them. Some countries have ban to go outside without them so people were sewing like it was Olympics. Which is jist lovely to see

They won’t recommend face masks because they don’t reduce the risk of transmission and if not used properly they can increase it.

The other thing to think about OP is that as well as reducing your personal risk social distancing is going to reduce the risk of you passing it on.

There’s not much you can do about work, but if you have got it from work then by socialising with someone outside of work you risk spreading it to them.

If everyone keeps to the minimum possible social interaction then the number of times the virus has the opportunity to spread from person to person will decrease. So the circulating level of virus in the population will decrease and those that have to have contact at work will be less likely to get ill because fewer of the people they come into contact with will be contagious.

They won’t recommend face masks because they don’t reduce the risk of transmission and if not used properly they can increase it.

Numbers from countries where masks are mandatory show the opposite. The thing is. If one person in 100 wears it, it has zero effect. But if everyone wears it, it does lower transmissions.
However, bit differently than people expect. It's more about not spreading it rather than not catching it.

Obviously though I absolutely agree that incorrect use can make it worse for the wearer and subsequently people around. It needs to be changed regularly and if reusable (100% cotton so it can be boiled) properly sanitised.

Tbh that's why we should all be wearing face masks outside. I wonder when will government say so

It won’t happen. People who are not used to wearing masks touch their faces 4 times more than usual while wearing them. They’d be pointless here. They’ve had some effect in countries where they are already standard, and it’s seen as irresponsible not to wear one, but they’d be totally new here and it’d increase spread as people got used to them, as well as requiring an almost complete uptake in people wearing them.

And that’s before we get to logistical issues with getting enough, making people clean them enough...

You need to isolate your vulnerable relative, which is not going to be easy when you live in the same house.

Ideally, they should sleep in their own room and eat in their own room and use a separate bathroom from the rest of the family.

Basically, the rest of you need to have as little contact as possible with the vulnerable person.

@ShellsAndSunrises again. People in countries where they are certainly not a standard are managing. I don't see a reason why Brits couldn't

I honestly think that it still hasn't hit home with people in UK as to how serious this actually is.