Matt Hancock finally starts telling the truth

[jomartin281271]

This is an extract from an interview Matt Hancock gave on Radio 1 this morning, when he was reacting to the sharp increase in reported cases.

The health secretary stressed how serious coronavirus can be for young people, even though they are less likely to die or get seriously ill.
"Long Covid is really serious. And people can be in a bad way for months and months and months," he says.
"The second really important message is that younger people spread the disease, even if they don't have symptoms.
"Don't kill your gran by catching coronavirus and then passing it on. And you can pass it on before you've had any symptoms at all."

And now that schools have opened the number of cases has rocketed and children are unwittingly bringing the virus back into their homes, possibly infecting older members of their family. Isn't it about time we had some joined up thinking from this government. It's only a week ago that Gavin Williamson and Boris Johnson were telling us that young people were almost immune.

Why are people acting like all grannies have one foot in the grave and haven't left the house in 6 months? Get a grip, plenty of grannies are going to work, going out to eat, go shopping, traveling etc. so the idea that the only way a granny will get infected is if her grandchildren pass it on is lunacy.

It's just another way for the govt the play the blame game. "Don't look over here to see what we've done to the care homes, to the economy and to your lives, or how we fucked up to case count and death count, look at the evil young people passing the virus on to their poor grandparents!"

Those suggesting upthread that young people need to work where vacancies are needed rather than what they have the aptitude for...if they sign on for benefits they will be applying for anything and everything regardless of aptitude just to keep their benefits. No patience or caring qualities? Yep..forced to apply for nursing homes

While it’s clear the outbreaks haven’t been caused by schools in most of England as there hasn’t been time (not true in Scotland or in Leicester incidentally) Can’t you see that putting everyone together in numbers of over 1000 with no masks or distancing might be a very efficient way to spread infection?

(So give us a choice? people who want (or need) to take the risk do. People who don't or can't , don't.*

Yep, let’s lock up the elderly and vulnerable Because others won’t socially distance

I don’t think it’s a case of starting to tell the truth. That makes it sound deliberate .

A friend went to donate plasma and the medic admitted they are all still learning .

Especially about antibodies and the long term affects.

She said it is like nothing they have had to deal with before.

well of course they are still learning
it is a new virus.
every day is new

@cardibach

While it’s clear the outbreaks haven’t been caused by schools in most of England as there hasn’t been time (not true in Scotland or in Leicester incidentally) Can’t you see that putting everyone together in numbers of over 1000 with no masks or distancing might be a very efficient way to spread infection?

Only if it's out in the local community around the school. If the parents/teachers etc have been following guidance, then there's no reason it would be in the community, so very low risk of it getting into the school. If it's not in the school, then you don't need SD etc.

Trouble is far too many people have been ignoring the guidance/restrictions, etc., so it's growing in the community - the same people who somehow expect others to keep schools safe, when they themselves have been ignoring guidance and doing what the hell they want.

@Bobbyandme

My nephew's school sent all the year 8s home today. One kids already tested positive. Been back 2 days! All off now for 2 weeks. It's going to be a night mare!

If only back 2 days, then hopefully won't have spread. Good that it's been nipped in the bud before loads more got infected.

This is spot on. I am no longer young and classed as clinically vulnerable but the level of scaremongering is around the risk of Covid to younger people is really irresponsible

If young people were all staying at home and the pubs and restaurants were empty then it'd be another 180 and 'go out to help out'.

Sure, some younger people need to follow the guidelines better but there's no cut off age for where everybody follows the rules.

@Tomatoesneedtoripen

well of course they are still learning it is a new virus. every day is new

But isn’t that the point? Why do we all get so mad at MH or ‘the Government’ for not managing it well when we then bang on about how unprecedented it is. Everything is new. Some things will work some won’t.

FWIW if they want us to accept the new normal as is with masks, distancing etc then things like bars and schools NEED to be open. People won’t comply and accept it as a new way of life (albeit temporarily) if they are stressed, wfh home schooling kids and in an unsustainable situation. Likewise young people in crap rented flats can’t be expected to wfh and never meet friends, go out or do anything indefinitely. The government is trying to create a middle ground between a liveable life with risk reduction.

A decade ago, after completing my PGCE at 50, I realised that I wasn't a sought after NQT because I wasn't malleable. I had an idea for a daily lesson plan in my subject (citizenship, civics, current affairs) that could have been accessed and downloaded by non specialist teachers, including supply, for a modest school subscription fee (which would have been my earnings) with enough subtlety built in that a competent teacher could have run it with any age group from 11 to 18 years old. It would sometimes have led on maths and stats, and sometimes on exercise and eating well, and sometimes on celebrity gossip where it raised important issues for discussion. For example, is Marcus Rashford a hero for raising food poverty as a social issue? Or a distraction from a more important agenda? One is aimed at 14 year olds, the other at 18 year olds. It got no traction from any of the schools I talked to at the time, so I let it go.But COVID makes it seem relevant again.

@coldwarenigma

Those suggesting upthread that young people need to work where vacancies are needed rather than what they have the aptitude for...if they sign on for benefits they will be applying for anything and everything regardless of aptitude just to keep their benefits. No patience or caring qualities? Yep..forced to apply for nursing homes

Oh right, I am suggesting that support and bursaries would be a good idea offered as an option for people who want to work in that field. From working with student nurses, and other student HCPs, bursaries were very much desired (I think nursing bursaries are finally being brought back now in fact, by popular demand).

A colleague's child chose to do a particular related field at one point, because they wanted a health related/ caring field and the offer of a bursary with that one was very desirable. They are a great incentive for people drawn in that direction anyway.

So I am suggesting that people be offered paid work (which they can choose to do if they are interested) that will give experience of the field.

It was one of the other posters who raised the idea of forcing people into fields for which they didn't have aptitude, creating a straw man argument by repeatedly misinterpreting my suggestions. Cheers.

Imagine how far along this process we could have been if the Govt and the silly pressure groups hadn't ignored all the science until this point. They could have spent the summer putting funding and infrastructure in place to support this.

This is what the majority of teachers (me included) have been saying.

Blah blah.. can do attitude.. blah...

Lots of older people do not die and think they show;d not make it sound as if they do. Have a look here at some of these very elderly recovery stories

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3907855-Oldest-person-recovers-and-other-positive-recovery-stories

a different view point on MH
www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/07/matt-hancock-goes-haywire-taking-a-spin-with-ferrari

How about the young "earn" the respect they crave by following the guidance??

The only person on my street not following guidance has been the 60yr old barrister, who had all her boyfriend’s children and grandchildren round to visit every Saturday throughout lockdown, and continues to have huge non-family garden parties every other weekend (20 people or more).

The 20-somethings in the flatshares have been as quiet as mice, and always have masks on when I see them in the street.

It’s the same story on my mum’s road in Sussex - pensioners ignoring the restrictions and organising family parties, walking groups meeting in groups of 20 and going to the pub together, even the church choir has been practising in each other’s houses since they aren’t allowed to meet “officially” as group singing is deemed too risky.

Do not pin this on people in their 20s.

I was sent the below update on new infections:

Birmingham 90 404 1st
Bradford 64 345 2nd
Leeds 61 278 3rd
Bolton 53 271 4th
Manchester 51 254 5th
Oldham 25 150 6th
Sheffield 20 147 7th
Kirklees 32 131 8th
Salford 30 119 9th
Wirral 26 114 10th

Source: NHS, PHE, PHW, PHS, NI DoH, Gov.uk

• 26 Aug - 01 Sep. **Ranked by highest number of infections in the 7 day period 26 Aug - 01 Sep in England.

Don’t you think it’s strange London or any London borough isn’t on there at all? Over 8 million people live in London, can anyone explain it?

Sorry this might be better:

Area

New Cases
on 01/09

New Cases
in 7 Days*

Rank**

Birmingham 90 404 1st
Bradford 64 345 2nd
Leeds 61 278 3rd
Bolton 53 271 4th
Manchester 51 254 5th
Oldham 25 150 6th
Sheffield 20 147 7th
Kirklees 32 131 8th
Salford 30 119 9th
Wirral 26 114 10th

Source: NHS, PHE, PHW, PHS, NI DoH, Gov.uk

• 26 Aug - 01 Sep. **Ranked by highest number of infections in the 7 day period 26 Aug - 01 Sep in England.

Van Dam on BBC now saying mild in the young but to take care.

"The fact that 17 to 21-year-olds are not becoming ill means they are lucky, but they also forget because the disease is not severe for them that they are potent spreaders."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54065793

Don’t you think it’s strange London or any London borough isn’t on there at all? Over 8 million people live in London, can anyone explain it?

It peaked early and has higher antibody levels than most places. Also many not returned to work in the centre, so I have read anyway which might be helping. Only what I have read though.

Don't kill your gran by catching coronavirus and then passing it on. And you can pass it on before you've had any symptoms at all

It has however been perfectly acceptable for us all to do just that for years with regards to passing on flu and potentially killing granny or leaving her with numerous lasting effects. Just because granny has had the flu vaccine it doesn't make her 100% immune and scientists don't always correctly predict the flu strain that is going to be most prevalent each year (hence very high death rates some years). We were all still quite happy to enlist the help of grandparents for free childcare and popping round for sunday tea despite this possibility of passing on what can also be a potentially deadly virus before Covid came along...

The elderly vulnerable I know have been to Majorca and Amsterdam this summer, having to quarantine on return (one didn't). They were visiting family not partying though but still...it's not just the young

@Alex50

I was sent the below update on new infections:

Birmingham 90 404 1st
Bradford 64 345 2nd
Leeds 61 278 3rd
Bolton 53 271 4th
Manchester 51 254 5th
Oldham 25 150 6th
Sheffield 20 147 7th
Kirklees 32 131 8th
Salford 30 119 9th
Wirral 26 114 10th

Source: NHS, PHE, PHW, PHS, NI DoH, Gov.uk

• 26 Aug - 01 Sep. **Ranked by highest number of infections in the 7 day period 26 Aug - 01 Sep in England.

Don’t you think it’s strange London or any London borough isn’t on there at all? Over 8 million people live in London, can anyone explain it?

We peaked earlier and higher level of antibodies

Yes, why is he not telling the older people to take care? Might be good advice.