If this doesn’t make you think twice about breaking COVID rules....

[Strawberrycreamsundae]

Then nothing will......🤬😡
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55479018

calling him a knob and dismissing his heartfelt pleas is childish and ignorant.

I wholeheartedly agree. I can’t help thinking it’s the petulance people exhibit when they’re called out for doing something they know is wrong.

I have complete and utter sympathy with him and share his frustration at the utter stupidity of so many people and their weasel excuses for having gatherings / wearing masks beneath their chins / hugging and back slapping.

@RiojaRose

calling him a knob and dismissing his heartfelt pleas is childish and ignorant.

I wholeheartedly agree. I can’t help thinking it’s the petulance people exhibit when they’re called out for doing something they know is wrong.

Agree

We've come a long way since The Clap, and not always for the better

@LittleSpyintheSky, well said and I too hope you're on your way back to full recovery now.

I can't wear a mask due to PTSD and shit like this makes me get confronted more and more.

Even had it in hospital this morning from both members of the public and staff during an OP investigation.

@Scaredshitlessagain

I'm pissed off with this doctor. He said the following.

"It is making me actually very angry now that people are laying the blame on the virus, and it is not the virus, it is people, people are not washing their hands, they are not wearing their masks,"

For fucks sake. IT IS THE VIRUS. IT'S WHAT THEY DO. He is supposed to know about science. I can't stand the fact the people are being blamed for spreading the virus. We have had to live an isolated existence for nearly a year and yet people like him have no empathy.

Yeah, this surprised me too. Of course it's the virus. Unhelpful.

@singingstones

Well, here we have a professor of medicine, specialist in intensive care, telling us what the situation is like at his hospital in London to try and get people to understand the consequences of breaking the rules.

MN response: "seems a bit like rhetoric to me" / "I don't think I believe the claim" / "scaremongering" / "hyperbolic"

Amazing - who would you lot believe?

Absolutely agree!

@Happymum12345

Quite frankly comparing the two is offensive and ignorant.

[quote MrsMomoa]@HibernatingTill2030

You're completely right of course.
But I just don't think it's right that everyone not wearing a mask is immediately branded a selfish 'blood on their hands' granny-killing twat!

Just for the record, I am exempt and I do wear a mask.
But I work every day with people who are mask exempt and they are far from selfish.[/quote]
If you wear a mask, as in you're physically/mentally able to, then you're not exempt.

Saying "I am exempt but I wear a mask" is a contradiction in terms.

grapewine He said that in the context of talking about the new strain though – it's very clear when you watch the interview. He said the new strain doesn't make people any sicker or they die sooner, it simply transmits quicker, so people saying 'well it's the new virus to blame for the rise in cases' are wrong – cases are rising because lots of people are no longer following the basic rules of hands, face, space (and some never have).

You know absolutely nothing about me and perhaps I am able to compare being raped and being on a ventilator. People just need to wear masks to protect people. Perhaps prevent them from getting ptsd from being ill with covid or have someone they love die from it. I think not wearing a mask is incredibly selfish. Stay at home you really can’t wear one.

@ThelmaNotLouise

grapewine He said that in the context of talking about the new strain though – it's very clear when you watch the interview. He said the new strain doesn't make people any sicker or they die sooner, it simply transmits quicker, so people saying 'well it's the new virus to blame for the rise in cases' are wrong – cases are rising because lots of people are no longer following the basic rules of hands, face, space (and some never have).

This. People just need to listen to what he said. Critically ill patients are being sent in ambulances from one overloaded hospital to others, miles away. Meanwhile, I can look out of my window and see groups of people gathering with their fireworks, their bottles of booze, not a mask to be seen. My nephew is on duty in ITU tonight. He is absolutely exhausted, trying to supervise junior staff who are inexperienced. Many colleagues are off sick or isolating because none of them have even been offered their vaccinations yet. They are having to choose which patients get the ITU beds, when they actually all need them, but there aren't enough to go round. And people are complaining because an exhausted ITU consultant didn't choose his words carefully enough, and make them simple enough to avoid upsetting people.

Another ICU consultant in London here. It’s truly upsetting some if the vile comments on here directed against one of my colleagues, who I know personally not to be a ‘knob’ but an extremely caring, hard working individual who may have said some very hard hitting, emotional words, but they came from a place of heartfelt desperation at trying to impart to all those people knowingly and repeatedly breaking the rules to stop. He didn’t target anyone who can’t wear a mask at work (for example teachers) or for another reason... nor did he blame his patients for catching COVID... only those who knowingly and repeatedly break the rules and have a blatent disregard of the consequences.

And to clarify, we are seeing families ‘wiped out. Here is my list of patients in the past two months... and that’s my personal list... my colleagues will have had more:

• a wife, her 2 sons dead and another still in ICU. All had attended the same funeral
• a husband and wife dead.
• another husband and wife dead
• a son and mother dead
• an ICU nurse desperately ill with COVID on ICU and her husband has died also from it. She doesn’t know yet.

And age-wise, he is spot on. We are seeing so many in the age group 40-60 now. And younger. From memory of the past week, I’ve given critical care therapy to a 27, 34, 37, 38, 44 and 49 year old.

I honestly don’t know what ‘agenda’ people think we have.

ICUDoc
Thank you for everything you and your colleagues are doing.
I am ashamed of some of the comments on here.

@lljkk

I thought his comments were very hyperbolic. I had to switch station because my ire started to rise when he started ranting.

He basically implied that everyone who caught C19 was either a totally innocent victim or a desperately bad selfish person. No inbetween. Nobody understandably struggling with horrible decisions.

So yeah, his comments make me think twice -- but in opposite way OP wanted. I am sorry the man is stressed out but his guilt-mongering still backfires with me.

Wouldn't surprise me if someone comes forward to say the guy himself has not followed every rule perfectly since February. He's set himself up for it.

Agree completely with this

I don't know why it's turned into a blaming of people who don't /can't wear masks. It's people who can't keep away from other people. For example people who organise and attend gatherings in their driveway or garden thinking it's OK, it's outside.

@HelloMissus

so what about his patients who broke the rules and became infected? Are they to be blamed for their own situation? Do they have their own blood on their hands

I'm afraid you could say that, yes.

I'm specifically thinking of those who know what the guidance is but decide not to follow it - e.g. hold pool parties, go on holidays when it's advised against, can wear a mask but don't want to, who else would they blame but themselves?

The government are culpable in this, I agree, but I don’t think Professor Montgomery’s warning is hyperbole. I live in Haringey and loads of people here are not following the rules. You only have to step outside to see people congregating in big groups, not wearing masks in the shops and on buses, queuing right up against each other when social distancing signs are right there on the floor. People do not give a . It’s been difficult for all of us but the situation in London hospitals is a genuine emergency.

I have a lot of time for what he has to say, tbh. From the beginning he’s given excellent explanations of how the virus transmits, how the R rate works and provided clear advice to people.

The school closure debacle has been pathetic but some people are breaking the rules and putting people at risk still. It’s a fact.

@ICUDoc many thanks for your hard work and thank you for speaking out here. You and your NHS colleagues need to speak out more to give people insight in to what is happening- they clearly don’t believe the com government so perhaps hearing it directly might help themselves understand better. I know of a married couple in their 40s well known in our town as they own a small shop both tested positive on 7th December. Since then the husband is in ICU, had a tracheostomy, chest drain, and been on a ventilator despite coming of for a few hours but not able to manage without. The wife is also now in ICU in a different hospital. It’s all well and good saying ‘it won’t kill me’ or ‘I’m low risk so I won’t die from it’- it isn’t death or return to normal there are many long term effects of COVID and people are silly to think this is made up

My family, tier 4, went to visit my aunt. Indoors today. Hugged her, hugged my uncle. She has days to live. IF anyone contracts it, and masks are being worn, do they deserve it?

@Scaredshitlessagain and @grapewine

IT IS THE VIRUS. IT'S WHAT THEY DO. He is supposed to know about scienceconfused. I can't stand the fact the people are being blamed for spreading the virus

If people didn't get together and observed the guidance, the virus would not be able to infect. The virus is dependent on people's behaviour for transmission.

So it's not the virus, it's definitely (some) people who are to blame

I was in Tesco earlier. Loads of teens/20's buying up alcohol and party stuff (balloons etc). I'm sure they will all be at home with their parents.

People who are already obeying the rules will continue to, whilst those that don't care will continue to flout them.

I can understand why young people would be unwilling to give up their lives for a year when they themselves aren't at risk. I can also understand why a Doctor whose work life is made terrible by the virus would want to limit spread.
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I agree with you, it makes you angry when you see people flout the rules. I’m seeing more snd more not wearing masks. I saw about 10 polish men in Tesco tonight with one trolly, 4 bottles of vodka, beer and about twenty bananas. Obviously having a wee party.