Preventing Covid-19 transmission.

[Tumbleweed101]

So, for months we’ve been cleaning, sanitising, been locked down, washed hands, worn masks, social distancing and yet the number of colds since lockdown ended has gone back to a normal level (I work in a nursery).

If many colds are type of coronavirus what evidence is there that anything we’re doing works to reduce C19 - aside from lockdown (nobody had a cold then)?

I can’t help but feel we’re unlikely to stop C19 by any of our current measures and it’s going to be here for the long term.

Is there official evidence to the contrary that I’ve missed? obviously I’m just going by what I’m observing locally.

The last 6 months have shown that the only thing that significantly stops the spread is sitting in your sitting room, seeing nobody, going nowhere. The minute people start mingling again it spreads. It's a virus. It may be minimally helped by washing hands, wearing masks, but it will still spread, as we have clearly seen.

None of this is about stopping covid. Covid spreads by contact. So those who are vulnerable need to isolate as much as possible. It's miserable & exhausting.

For the rest of us, reducing contact reduces risk. It doesn't remove it. And there will always have to be some contact.

So we're playing a long game, keeping infections at a level where the nhs can cope, hoping for a vaccine. Maybe gaining herd immunity (if it exists) gradually.

And learning better treatments - steroids, anti-coagulants, donated antibodies etc.

My children had colds and a stomach bug in lockdown without seeing anyone!

Viruses like colds must just be hanging about in the air. I think masks must help a bit but I'm not convinced about all the wiping down and handwashing. Obviously I am doing all of that (and I still wipe down my shopping incase it helps), but for something that you breathe in I'm not sure having super clean hands really keeps you that much safer.

The kids are at school and DH is out at work because both are essential. Other than that though we don't do any socialising with others. We don't go to indoor venues or do inside dining andshoppingis mostly click and collect. It's limiting contact with others that makes the most difference.

There's an article floating around that explains this. In a nutshell cold viruses aren't as easily removed by hand washing as coronavirus. Something to do with their coating. So yes, keep washing your hands

Shadeelane - that’s interesting. That’s the kind of thing I’m curious to learn.

I am concerned about this too. I haven’t seen anybody lately apart from 1 old woman I helped cross the road. We do our shopping online and haven’t been put to eat anywhere or anything like that, yet myself and my 7 month old have a horrific cold now.

Hang on I'll see if I can find it. It was posted on another thread recently but I read it elsewhere a week or so ago.

Can't seem to find it now which is odd.

The measures in place clearly slow the transmission though. If we use deaths as a measurement (even though the goalposts have moved and now we only count deaths within, I think, 28 days of a positive covid test) in March deaths rapidly climbed from a handful to hundreds per day in a few weeks.

The UK has never had a goal of eradicating covid-19, it’s always been about keeping it within manageable levels. There’s only so much protection against a contagion that is workable in a large population.