“Together we can defeat this virus”

[IfIHadAHeart]

From Boris’s press conference.

I really don’t think this is a helpful message. A virus cannot be “defeated”. Not to mention that the strategy is completely impossible to understand due to being different across different nations/areas, and the measures themselves seem contradictory and pointless.

Somebody somewhere is gathering fascinating data on all this as a study of social compliance (not a conspiracy theorist, but I’m sure this is all useful information for future governments).

[quote Janaih]@OpenlyGayExOlympicFencer everything you have posted is bang on the money. Bravo.[/quote]
Thanks!

@Friendsoftheearth

The Tories should not be blasé about the threat they face from Starmer - Charles Moore 25th September

I disagree with the idea that Boris Johnson’s classical education won’t have stood him in good stead over this period.

On the contrary, he must be plagued by an intense sense of hubris in having lied, back stabbed and manipulated his way to No 10 (via ancient history of Brexit referendum etc etc) only to see the prize of PM he’d coveted for so long turn to ashes in his mouth.

It must feel as if those Greek gods are having a proper laugh at his expense.

No wonder he looks so miserable,

@Figmentofmyimagination

I disagree with the idea that Boris Johnson’s classical education won’t have stood him in good stead over this period.

On the contrary, he must be plagued by an intense sense of hubris in having lied, back stabbed and manipulated his way to No 10 (via ancient history of Brexit referendum etc etc) only to see the prize of PM he’d coveted for so long turn to ashes in his mouth.

It must feel as if those Greek gods are having a proper laugh at his expense.

No wonder he looks so miserable,

Snort. It would take a heart of stone not to laugh.

There is always the example of those ancient Roman emperors.

Regular,

Flu mutates far more quickly than Corona-SARS 2. It is also capable of swapping DNA with other flu viruses in the body.

Each year, they guess which of the HxNy strains of flu are likely to predominate and vaccinate against those. Mostly, they get it right. Sometimes, they miss completely or a brand new strain emerges.

With Corona it should be far simpler.

However, the common cold is caused by a strain of coronavirus and we don't have a vaccine for the common cold.

So while I think it is great that so much is being done to look for a covid vaccine, it isn't definite that a vaccine will be effective. And everything is being done in a much faster time frame than has ever been possible before - we can't be sure a vaccine would even arrive before next winter.

So fingers crossed. But it's not a dead cert.

Common colds are caused by a mixture of rhinovirus, Corona virus and RSV.

Corona only causes 20% of colds.

We have not spent much money on a common cold vaccine as it is so mild.

We do have a corona virus vaccine, it's for cows because they get a serious illness so it was financially worthwhile

@larrygrylls

*Jasjas and Annabel,

So, what you want is a mea culpa, which would serve no purpose and, even if one were made, you would say it was just empty words*

Okay, so to put it another way. This second wave is driven mostly from schools, colleges and universities fully reopening. If it's a case of all these new or further restrictions are needed in order to keep them open (therefore prioritising education) then just say that.

Why blame the public for it, when just weeks ago the government were hounding people to go back to the office and bribing people to go to pubs and restaurants.?

it hardly matters anyway, given the next election is years away.

This is exactly why I'm not minded to overthink everything Starmer does or doesn't do/say right now - the next election is years away.

What matters to me is what the government does this week, next week, the week after.

I've no clue what state the country will be in by the next election, it feels like there are very varied and diverse possibilities.

Starmer is just allowing Boris enough rope at the moment. That's been his approach all year. Boris's only tactic is to try and spin things back to Labour. Corbyn gave him plenty of ammunition. Starmer's approach is 'well, you're the government'.

I have no problem with Cummings driving his child to his family house. The only outrage I see about this is on the news. The rest of us are more realistic in real life. They both had covid, the PM was in intensive care what they supposed to do???? No nannies were available at that time as you well know, and they couldn't ask friends. It was a media witchhunt whipped up to try and get rid of him

What was he supposed to do? The same as any of the rest of us who have been ill whether with Covid or not do, get the fuck on with parenting his own kid? Given he was able to drive he clearly wasn’t that ill. I’ve had to look after my own kids all on my own when I have been so unwell I have barely been able to crawl to the toilet. It’s not “special” just because he happened to have Covid.

unherd.com/2020/10/has-long-covid-left-us-leaderless/

"At least, if Boris caught Covid in April and his recovery follows the usual trajectory, he ought to be getting better fairly soon. But if a week is a long time in politics, six months is an eternity; if he’s blown his stock of political capital on remaining Prime Minister while severely ill, then it might be too late to come back now. Equally, though, it’s hard to argue that adding a leadership contest and possibly a general election to Britain’s to-do list is a good idea with Brexit imminent and the pandemic still raging.

Whether the drift is a consequence of Long Covid or (as his haters would have it) simply the Johnsonian character, as far as the rest of us are concerned the net result is the same either way. At a time of ongoing national crisis, Britain is effectively leaderless."

He’s just a dick, not long Covid.

I find all this Long Covid stuff really interesting. People with CFS, Fibromyalgia, Lymes, of which there are millions are usually treated, at least initially, as if they are crazy. It's all in the mind, etc etc. Suddenly, same symptoms, and it's immediately believable, sympathy galore, because its covid related. If it was post any other virus they'd have a very different reception.

@Venicelover

Did anyone find it odd that Chris Whitty was asked about complying with the rules? His answer was that he had 'tried' to do so and would 'try' to do so with the new ones.

I wondered if the press have something on him and were seeing what he said.

I thought it was a strange reply for someone in his position.

I thought this was very odd too, he should be encouraging people to stick to the rules, not "try".

He must have broken a rule or two
Even slipping into the co-op without a mask one evening at 10pm would be enough to gave him hung, drawn and slaughtered without lying about it too. And he doesn't know who might have seen him. Or maybe he does and he's being blackmailed.

@Treesofwood

I find all this Long Covid stuff really interesting. People with CFS, Fibromyalgia, Lymes, of which there are millions are usually treated, at least initially, as if they are crazy. It's all in the mind, etc etc. Suddenly, same symptoms, and it's immediately believable, sympathy galore, because its covid related. If it was post any other virus they'd have a very different reception.

Yep. It's as though other post viral conditions never existed.

Yep. It's as though other post viral conditions never existed.

Viruses can be nasty and wipe you out for months. The fact millions have had this virus in UK (hundreds of millions worldwide) then by the law of averages plenty will suffer after effects. That in itself isn't surprising.

Annabel85 No, the surprise is that its taken seriously and that the people suffering from it are treated so differently by health professionals and society in general.
Ask anyone with Fibromyalgia, CFS, FND, or even Lymes disease what their experience of symptoms to diagnosis was like. From teenagers to elderly people. It's not new.

@MadameBlobby

I have no problem with Cummings driving his child to his family house. The only outrage I see about this is on the news. The rest of us are more realistic in real life. They both had covid, the PM was in intensive care what they supposed to do???? No nannies were available at that time as you well know, and they couldn't ask friends. It was a media witchhunt whipped up to try and get rid of him

What was he supposed to do? The same as any of the rest of us who have been ill whether with Covid or not do, get the fuck on with parenting his own kid? Given he was able to drive he clearly wasn’t that ill. I’ve had to look after my own kids all on my own when I have been so unwell I have barely been able to crawl to the toilet. It’s not “special” just because he happened to have Covid.

this

And what he was supposed to was stay at home. As opposed to drive illegally all round the country when he was diagnosed with a highly infectious disease, potentially transmitting it if he had to stop the car and get out for any reason. Which could well happen if you are travelling with a young child.

And his child was ill so he took him to a hospital far, far from home with suspected covid. So hypothetically could have spread covid where there was none before.

@Friendsoftheearth

If you need to find someone to blame, (I personally don't, but it seems some of you definitely need a scapegoat) then don't blame those that are trying to keep us safe, trying to find ways to manage the crisis, that are up all night every night trying to agree ways to manage the pandemic.

You ought to be blaming those that flout the rules, have parties, those choosing to have large dinner parties or BBQS (we all know who they are) knowing the risks: they could not give a damn about anyone else.

Maybe that is you? Maybe it is your parents? Maybe it is your teenager. Who knows. But certainly there are many many people quite happily ignoring the rules, and THEY are causing the next calamity. Not Johnson and certainly not Chris Whitty!

You may screech and demand for a perfect track and trace, but the technology is new, it takes time. You may demand for more testing, but we are already testing more than any other European country. You may demand that this should not be happening to you, well sorry, but this is pandemic it is crap for all of us!

The reason why we are now in this position as a country is simply because we live in a selfish me me me society that has lost sight of the importance of acting for the greater good. You see meticulous care in Asia with hygiene, mask wearing, a careful following the of rules, and quiet respect for the safety of others. You certainly do not see that here!

We have lost sight of community based support and caring for others. We hold onto a wafer thin belief that our families are immune somehow from the virus because we are young/fit/untouchable, so we can do as we like. The lockdown restrictions are for others, not us.

Those that admire the Swedish model forget that it relies on everyone doing the right thing, being considerate and respecting others, and more importantly following the rules.

So we are where we are because we are a naturally rebellious nation, insular, selfish society that looks after number one. So instead of blaming others start looking at your own character and your contribution to the crisis.

Have to agree with this post!

If you have to agree with it, then that is exactly what this government wants. They want to us to turn on each other with our narrow definitions of "selfish" or "idiots" etc.

This virus is not being spread because of your friends and neighbours. It is being spread because that's what viruses do.