UK doing ok

[ExmoorPony]

A lot of people seemed to love the fact our infection rates were so much higher than the rest of Europe.

Not so now! So much for Spain's strict lockdown and mask wearing policy.....it didn't work!

But a lot of older people were still in denial at the start and it wasn’t clear back in early March exactly who was vulnerable - the extra risk from diabetes wasn’t immediately obvious.

Anyone who was offended by my original post, please re-read it. In a nutshell, Spain-tough lockdown-now high infection rates, UK-sensible lockdown-now keeping rates low. And have one of these.....

The main hotspots in Spain have not only been mass tourism spots, though.
It will have been a combination of tourism and the life style of the locals too.

A long and hard lockdown will have meant people were fed up. And with very few cases, most people wouldn't have taken great care either.

In a nutshell, Spain-tough lockdown-now high infection rates, UK-sensible lockdown-now keeping rates low.

In a nutshell, though, your logic is wrong.
Italy also had a long and strict lockdown and they are keeping numbers down.

It's not the type of lockdown, dear. It's the type of reopening.

If you're interested, the reality of mask wearing in Spain.

english.elpais.com/society/2020-08-10/how-spains-face-mask-rules-are-being-broken.html

All that is needed is for friends and family to gather in private homes with no safety.

@ExmoorPony

No gloating here. Simply pointing out that Spains idiotic lockdown has done them no good in the long term. Sweden all the way

Oh my goodness. There's a lot wrong with this, mostly tone.

We have no idea what is coming next, not in Spain, Sweden or the UK.

@Lweji

In a nutshell, Spain-tough lockdown-now high infection rates, UK-sensible lockdown-now keeping rates low.

In a nutshell, though, your logic is wrong.
Italy also had a long and strict lockdown and they are keeping numbers down.

It's not the type of lockdown, dear. It's the type of reopening.

Surely it's both together? I think both of you are right!

@Timeforanotherusername

Explain it to me then Einstein.

That article is about wearing masks outside in the open air..

@Lweji

If you're interested, the reality of mask wearing in Spain.

english.elpais.com/society/2020-08-10/how-spains-face-mask-rules-are-being-broken.html

All that is needed is for friends and family to gather in private homes with no safety.

Interesting article thanks. I really don't understand wearing masks outside. Perhaps in cities or where there is a lot of people gathered. But it seems excessive and potentially counter productive.

Surely it's both together?

How?

Explain it to me then Einstein.

You really don't need to be Einstein to realise that Spain's issues are not only down to lots of tourists..........

I'm not gloating over Spain. They did exceptionally well early on by being strict but things changed when they loosened restrictions. it's a lesson to everyone in the world, could easily be us next.

Maybe they are focusing their energies in the wrong places, most countries have identified indoor gatherings as being the main problem, not outdoors... that must influence the public surely that attitude, thinking all will be Ok as long as I wear a mask along the beach or whatever. Kind of glad at least we get sensible advice..

I thought it was the doom mongers who were accused of being gleeful. This could have been a very positive message, but it is incredibly spitefully written. I have to admit I have wanted to come back and ask those posters, the ones who shredded my early posts, called me all sorts of delight, what they think now? (Mainly thinking of one regular poster who was extremely vituperative when I said I didn't think we'd be free of restrictions by this Christmas and would probably still be seeing some edicts through next year too!).

But it is still far too early to ask as we don't yet know what opening up again will do to any country in the mid and long terms, let alone the UK. We simply have no idea!

I think one of the main problems seemed to be that they went ahead and opened up quickly including nightclubs...

But it seems excessive and potentially counter productive.

I agree. People will remove them as soon as they are out of sight of the authorities and possibly when they are most needed.

For example, I've just been on a weekend away with my mum. I wore a mask when in the car, as did she. We don't have to wear masks on the street, so we do get some mask free time.

If it was reversed, it wouldn't make much sense.

Masks make sense indoors or in crowds. And worn properly.

But my point is that having a stricter mask policy doesn't mean that the use is more widespread in practice.

To be fair, we have had a few posts like this in the past, from the gloating Spanish!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3967705-Masks-GET-A-GRIP?pg=11

"So England. PLEASE. Stop with the selfishness. Literally dozens of countries have mandatory mask wearing and citizens comply because they care about each other and don't spend their time acting entitled and "I'm all right Jack"

There are articles in the European press about this. Literally "English people are selfish - is it any wonder they are so resistant to wear masks". It's embarrassing. As a nation, as a society, it's time to grow up and just put the mask on like everyone else.

English people. You aren't special. You are starting to look like the kid who gets thw whole class detention because they just keep on breaking the rules."

Charming

[quote Pixel7777]To be fair, we have had a few posts like this in the past, from the gloating Spanish!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3967705-Masks-GET-A-GRIP?pg=11[/quote]
What makes you think that poster is Spanish? S/he doesn't say so?

Yes, she does, in the first line, she is from an area of Spain. Catalunya.

They did exceptionally well early on by being strict but things changed when they loosened restrictions. it's a lesson to everyone in the world, could easily be us next.

For the record, Spain were never a good example.
They did exceptionally badly early on. They did eventually impose lockdown and that was effective. But their entire response to covid was very poor at the start.
They did start lockdown before the UK, but they had much higher numbers early on. Along with Italy, Spain were the red flags of what could go wrong if control measures weren't put in place. Eventually they did control it, but it took a long time.

If you want to draw comparisons in terms of lockdown, it would be with Portugal, for example. The pandemic hit both a bit later but Portugal did manage to keep numbers of infected and dead lower by starting lockdown relatively earlier, due to seeing what happened in other countries.

The outcomes after lockdown will be due to when lockdown was ended and the control measures still in place, and that are adhered to.

[quote Noextremes2017]@Timeforanotherusername

Explain it to me then Einstein.[/quote]
Most of the worst affected areas are not the usual tourist hotspots.

"In Catalunya where I live" doesn't tell us what nationality she is.

I remember that post. She was an expat (Brit) who hated Brits.