Coronavirus: Where is the science behind social distancing?
Dr Vernon Coleman MB ChB DSc FRSA
The theory behind social distancing is that it will protect people from other folk who sneeze or cough. The lunatics who are currently running the asylum say that we will have to maintain social distancing for ever.
For ever.
Really. That’s what they’ve been saying.
But there isn’t any real science to it.
In some countries people have to keep three feet apart. In others they must keep four and a half feet apart. In Britain adults and children are told they must keep six feet apart. The latest rule in Britain is that two people can meet one person but one person cannot meet two people.
I’ve thought about that a lot and I don’t think I’m completely potty just yet but I can’t get my head round it.
Two people can meet one person but one person cannot meet two people.
That’s the law. And it is, quite possibly, the most completely stupid piece of advice ever given to anyone anywhere. But if you break the law you can be fined. I’ve no idea how much. I’m still too busy trying to work out how the law works to care what the fine is.
There is no uniformity to the rules between countries because they are just made up by people who think they are a good idea.
Our lives are being regulated and destroyed by rules which somebody somewhere thought were a good idea.
Forcing us to stay in our homes is also something that was just made up.
And it’s pretty clear that the authorities – the people who dreamt up the rules and who insist that we follow them – don’t bother to take much notice of them.
I’ve lost count of the number of senior public figures who have been caught flouting the rules. They always have a good excuse, of course. But then we all have good excuses for flouting the rules.
Am I the only one to have noticed that the police don’t seem to think the social distancing rules apply to them when they are out hunting for people who are sunbathing or sitting on park benches?
And when the police attend demonstrations against the lockdown they completely ignore the social distancing rules – standing close to one another and then getting very hands on with demonstrators.
The police are certainly breaking the social distancing laws when they arrest people.
So why should the police not arrest themselves?
Or maybe the demonstrators could arrest the police for breaking the social distancing laws.
Apart from the massive social and economic implications, there is of course one big problem with the social distancing rules.
A sneeze doesn’t stop at three feet or four and a half feet or six feet. And nor does a cough.
A cough can spread droplets for 18 feet. And a sneeze can travel 24 feet.
So these social distancing rules are arbitrary and utterly pointless.
If we were going to have effective social distancing then we would all have to keep at least 24 feet apart – preferably 30 feet apart.
But that would bring the world to a complete standstill, everyone would go bankrupt, no one would ever be able to buy any food and we would all starve to death.
Cars will have to be huge if everyone has to be 30 feet from everyone else.
So they made up these lower figures.
And even these figures are destroying lives and will destroy businesses and everything which makes our world good.
Social distancing forces friends to shout to one another and prevents grannies hugging their grandkids. Social distancing makes people fearful. It breeds distrust, suspicion and even hatred. Passers-by step to one side and walk on the road if they see someone coming towards them. Social distancing will prevent meetings and demonstrations.
It is difficult to think of a business which won’t be adversely affected by social distancing. Restaurants are told they will have to throw out three quarters of their tables and then try to make a profit. How many waiters can serve food from six feet away. A bowl of tomato soup will cost £200. Airlines have been told that they have to throw out a third of their seats and airline bosses have pointed out that if they do that then they will never be able to fly again. Hairdressers will need to use scissors that are two yards long. Sports arenas can only seat people if they have six feet of space all around them. Cinemas and theatres will have to close off most of their seating and either close or charge a fortune for their seats.
Hotels are doomed by social distancing .
Can you imagine trying to get back to your room after breakfast.
`I’m afraid there is a one hour queue for the lift, sir. We’re only allowed to put two people into one lift. And when sharing a lift you must both face the walls.’
I sense that the people who made up the social distancing rules are beginning to weaken.
The sensible solution is to push our so called leaders into forgetting about social distancing laws.
When they know that we don’t believe their lies and that we do know what is going on – and how they are trying to take over our lives with their power grabbing emergency legislation – then they will back off. They want to stay in power and if we shout long enough, loud enough and hard enough then they will listen.
We need to encourage old-fashioned good manners; to encourage everyone to cover their mouths and noses if they sneeze or cough. That’ll protect us all against all the diseases which can be transmitted this way.
If we do these simple things we can go back to living ordinary lives. We can eat out, watch live sports and talk to people we meet without having to shout at them.
If we must have laws to control our behaviour then introduce a law which says that if you don’t cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze then you will be punished.
And if we must have a punishment for breaking the law, bring back the stocks that were popular in England a few hundred years ago. People who don’t cover their mouths and noses will be sentenced to 24 hours in the stocks where the rest of us can stand and throw rotten fruit and vegetables at them.
Oh, and tell local authorities to install more public loos with decent hand washing facilities. One of the most insane things done during the last few weeks has been to close public loos in the UK. The people who decided to do that should be put in the stocks too.
Copyright Vernon Coleman May 31st 2020