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Original poster

Anyone else think this seems far far worse than the first wave?

207 replies

XiCi · 05/10/2020 08:59

I'm in the NW. When we locked down in March I didnt know a single person that had had the virus. I knew of one anecdotally, someone my mum knew of, that had it after a skiing trip in Italy. That's it. Now, virtually the whole of my extended family have had positive tests, friends, friends of friends, their families. It goes on and on. Its absolutely rife and just blazing through everyone. Just seems like noone will escape it. Although luckily, this hasnt translated into a high number of deaths so far, the virus just seems far more prevalent.

OP posts:
Everywherethatmarywent · 05/10/2020 14:30

Its absolutely rife and just blazing through everyone

Well thank god this virus is so ineffective to 80% of the people it infects. People don’t even know they have it, most people it’s just like a cold.

Can you imagine that though... a virus apparently so serious you don’t have any symptoms ... crazy.

NRatched · 05/10/2020 14:40

lockheart

I would think it was a mix of your 2nd and 3rd explanation.

I would have said 1st also, however, that doesn't really seem to be tracking with the numbers we have either. Been rising for a while now, we would have seen a rise in more severe cases.

Whatever is happening, I would much much rather have high infection rate with low death/serious illness, than lower infections with thousands dying tbh.

Lockheart · 05/10/2020 14:44

@NRatched oh of course. That's exactly what we have most winters with other cold and flu viruses. High infection rates, but not deadly or seriously detrimental to the majority of the population.

Letsgetgoing123 · 05/10/2020 14:53

@XiCi

We are nw too, but still don’t know many personally who have had it.

A few from work, and a few friends of friends only.

What area are you, is it a city? We are more rural, not sure if that makes a difference.

Were all of the cases yo know linked and do they know where the got it?

I think the reporting of stats has changed and the testing criteria, so it’s difficult to compare.

I would like more info on how poorly people are and how many admissions are due to covid to be able to get a clearer picture. (Don’t forget all admissions are tested now, plus some work places and universities are testing people who are not symptomatic).

Letsgetgoing123 · 05/10/2020 14:55

#you know

they got it

jessstan1 · 05/10/2020 15:01

I don't think it is worse than the first wave but it is certainly depressing for a lot of people who hoped they would be able to pick up their 'normal' lives again to an extent.

I have a cousin who, with her partner, have tested positive and are quarantined; they both have other health issues.

My son hasn't received a salary as such since the end of February though is doing bits and pieces of work; he also has a fiancee in America who was planning to come over to live here and marry him. Goodness knows what is happening there, I'm scared to ask.

It is so very difficult for people with young children and for those who have mental health problems.

What can we do? Only be careful and hope for the best. It may not last long.

JacobReesMogadishu · 05/10/2020 15:10

Not for me.

I was certainly more scared in the first wave even though I only knew one person who had it......sadly he died.

Now even though no friends or family have had it in this second wave I know a lot more people as a friend of a friend, or a family member of a friend who's had it. Loads of cases in local schools. So it seems more prevalent locally now but there isn't the media stories of hospitals being overwhelmed, etc so it doesn't seem as bad.

Original poster
XiCi · 05/10/2020 15:24

Letsgetgoing123 suburbs of a city with lots of people commuting to both Liverpool and Manchester. One of the incidences definitely linked - nephews/their mum and grandparents & girlfriends but others seemingly unrelated. Nephew thinks he got it in the gym as hasnt really been anywhere else but of course youd never be sure.

OP posts:
NotAKaren · 05/10/2020 15:27

@ForthPlace

Yes, I agree with you. I work with schools. Last term, from March no positive COVID cases at all within schools, now, the same schools 50 schools have positive COVID cases, 10 of them full outbreaks.
No one was tested in March so there was no way of knowing how prevalent it was back then.
Letsgetgoing123 · 05/10/2020 16:14

@XiCi
“One of the incidences definitely linked - nephews/their mum and grandparents & girlfriends “

We’re they all one household? I think that has been the cause of much of the spreading according to the news if they’re reporting truthfully.

If not, were they all distancing etc? This is the sort of information that we could all do with having reported to allow us to all analyse our own level of risk...

There were a few at our work that caught it, but we think it was from sitting too close together at lunch. (They were definitely doing this).

bumblingbovine49 · 05/10/2020 16:15

@XiCi

I'm sensing you will be really really disappointed if they havent Janevaljane. My cousins husband and my nephews grandfather have been hospitalised yes. No deaths yet thank god.
Actually I think Janevaljane. was hoping for you to say no-one was badly ill so she could tell you to stop panicking.
ForthPlace · 05/10/2020 16:18

Yes, I agree with you. I work with schools. Last term, from March no positive COVID cases at all within schools, now, the same schools 50 schools have positive COVID cases, 10 of them full outbreaks

But there was no testing in March, unless someone was in hospital with suspected covid. So how do you know the numbers in schools for March to compare?

I said 'from March' so throughout until the end of the summer term.

Before testing was in place, although some children and staff were not in school, daily DfE returns were completed around absences. Absence data didn't show a significant dip at this time for any illness.

Following this, reporting on illness during the summer term included a daily report on symptomatic pupils and staff. None of these symptomatic reports showed as positive for COVID either.

Reporting daily during the summer term on staff/pupils in isolation due to a symptomatic family member also showed that there were no positive cases at this time.

A very different story to now.

Letsgetgoing123 · 05/10/2020 17:31

I do seem to know loads of kids who’re having to isolate because of being in close contact with positive cases at school, but I suppose we didn’t have that in March, as they were only testing people who were hospitalised. And there were less in the summer as those that returned to school were distanced in class and in smaller bubbles etc.

Original poster
XiCi · 05/10/2020 18:05

One of the incidences definitely linked - nephews/their mum and grandparents & girlfriends

We’re they all one household? I think that has been the cause of much of the spreading according to the news if they’re reporting truthfully

Lol, no. I'm just imagining all of them under one roof there would be murder Grin

OP posts:
alreadytaken · 05/10/2020 19:59

Numbers in hospital in the north west region have risen faster in the last week than they did in the week leading up to the pandemic peak. Anyone not concerned by that ought to be.

BunsyGirl · 05/10/2020 20:05

I think it very much depends on where you live. I was ill for over 6 weeks February to early April. Doctor suspected Covid but I wasn’t eligible for a test. I know lots of people who were in the same position. There were also a number of confirmed cases at my DCs school and at my place of work. We are SE commuter belt, 40 miles from London. We also had several people at work who were very ill at the beginning of January. Strong possibility that it was Covid, particularly as those that were ill went skiing over Christmas. A family member (who lives close to an Alpine ski resort) became ill at the end of December and hasn’t fully recovered. Seems that he has long Covid as his doctors in France are convinced that Covid has caused his current medical problems.

BunsyGirl · 05/10/2020 20:06

Oh and we’ve only had one positive case at school so far this term whereas there were a number pre-lockdown.

MushMonster · 05/10/2020 20:17

That sounds like quite a lot of people around you indeed.
I think is raising quickly in quite a lot of places, including other countries too.
Here, South Wales we are in lockdown. I know of two people getting tests since the lockdown, one due to a fever and the other due to contact. All negative. But this week I hear of people isolating due to positive tests on their households.
So it feels like it is closing in again!
It reminds me of the situation in March. We had several people feeling quite ill, though no with the symptoms in the list. But one colleague was in full isolation for the 14 days with the whole symptoms. No test available now.

MushMonster · 05/10/2020 20:17

Ooops I meant there was no testing available then!

MushMonster · 05/10/2020 20:26

@alreadytaken then it could be worst than the first wave indeed! It is just difficult to figure out whether we have more cases because we are finally testing or because it is more prominent this time.
Also, sadly, we need someone who can check if the hospital admission criteria is different now, and they are taken patients in a condition that they did not before. If as they have capacity the hospital is offering a better service indeed.
I only check my local news now, so I do not know has anyone from the Health department say whether is spreading faster this time?

CoffeeandCroissant · 05/10/2020 20:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CoffeeandCroissant · 05/10/2020 20:43

@alreadytaken

Numbers in hospital in the north west region have risen faster in the last week than they did in the week leading up to the pandemic peak. Anyone not concerned by that ought to be.
If the current rate of growth continues, hospital admission numbers in the North West of England are less than 3 weeks away from reaching the same numbers as they did in April, although I am not sure how badly hit that region was then in comparison to other regions at the time? mobile.twitter.com/BristOliver/status/1313149044244598785
MintyMabel · 06/10/2020 11:38

It’s completely incomparable. No testing except hospitals in March. Hundreds of thousands of people being tested now.

But the percentage of positive tests is now higher than it was then. If this were just a jump because of testing numbers, the percentage of positive tests would be lower now than back when criteria of who was being tested was more strict.

alreadytaken · 06/10/2020 18:44

More than 100 extra people in hospital in the north west today compared to yesterday. That is not simply a rise in testing numbers. Deaths are up today too.

Take as much care as you can.

whatswithtodaytoday · 06/10/2020 18:57

I'm in the south east, commuter town into London. We have, thankfully, low numbers here and I don't know anyone who currently has it. Everyone I know who's not a key worker is working from home, and being very careful about socialising - only outside for most.

In February/March I knew masses of people who were ill with a bad cough, me included. Lots of people off work, and coughs resounding around the train into London. Two of our family died, both caught it in hospital. I know a couple of people under 40 who had/have long Covid and are still recovering.

I wonder if people in the North aren't taking it so seriously because it didn't hit so hard earlier in the year?

There are likely fewer deaths because PPE is actually available now, so viral load is lower and vulnerable people in hospital and care homes are better protected.