To not understand where all the Covid cases are coming from

[nomorecrumbs]

16,000+ cases a day can’t just be the result of the virus circulating in schools, care homes, universities, factories and those breaking social distancing rules surely?

Does anyone else find this an extraordinarily large number - I can’t get my head round it? Perhaps very naively I thought the virus would have burned itself out by now, and it would have infected every social group and setting possible. But maybe I say that as I see the same four people week in, week out...what are other people doing to ensure it is spreading to so many new people every day?

If you’re asymptomatic you’re unlikely to shed the virus, so the risk of transmission is low. Same with hard surfaces, very unlikely to catch it from a parcel as it only survives 48 hrs max: and you’d have to touch parcel then touch your mouth or nose with unwashed hands to risk transmission.

I think it’s spreading in a lot of primary schools because teachers are still sharing staff rooms, not wearing masks and attending staff meetings outside of their bubble. Appreciate some schools are being sensible and following infection control guidelines but many aren’t. Then kids catch it, pass it onto family members. Lots of people are going to work with a ‘cold’ that’s actually covid 😡

I think teachers need to be tested regularly, masked and banned from interacting with teachers outside of their bubble. Otherwise one teacher gets it, spreads it to fellow teachers in a stuffy staffroom and suddenly a whole town catches it.

@HikeForward I think you're right about primary schools. I know someone who's a TA that went to work with a 'cold' and turned out it was Covid and there was then 10 cases in the school, 7 were staff.

My children's school is now closed at a member of SLT caught the virus outside of school and hadn't distanced from fellow SLT members, so they have to isolate and there's no safeguarding lead, so the school has to close, with only 1 case!

Between the schools and Christmas shoppers it is impossible to social distance.

The people i know have got it from the workplace

I dont think it necessarily spreads consistently anyway.

My friend (NHS worker) had it in April. Shared a bed and a small 2 bed terrace house with wife & daughter and they never caught it. And then you hear stories as a PP said of someone who has locked themselves away since March and managed to catch it.

I think viral load and a bodies natural immunity must play a part. Kids always catch everything going as their immune system is still developing and iirc that is the case well into late teens/early 20s. Immunity in the elderly reduces as well, so easier for them to catch it.

It's clearly not as simple as lockdown cures all. Remember, we have around 66 million people in this country and less than 2 million have caught it since April (although I suspect the figures may well be higher) but still, that's actually a tiny proportion of the UK.

@HikeForward I don't think it is teachers spreading it, it's more likely students bringing it in.
I see lots of secondary school students huddled together messing about at lunch time, the little ones are snotty sharing hugs and high-fives.

The people on here who have not been out since March and have caught it have all turned out to have isolated “except for their best friend, midwife, their DH who works outside the home, and delivery drivers they've interacted with without masks”.

I haven’t seen anybody who has truly isolated from everyone and has caught it. Even that woman who claimed to be a subsistence farmer/lived out of her freezer since January had family members who were still going out to work.