New Boris Statement: Where is this going?

[DadAManger]

‘We recommend masks but only recommend them’
‘Deaths will increase and we may reach 100,000 new cases per day’
‘We must open now and if not now, when?’
‘The slower we take it, the smaller number of people will die’
‘Return to the office of you can, otherwise keep working from home’

Just before Boris spoke, there was a BBC piece claiming that 10-20% of all Covid cases (mild, without symptoms, or otherwise) will be long-Covid cases of some sort or another. Now there a million long-Covid cases.

Are we aiming for herd immunity? Anyone else think this is going to be confusing for most and lead to a default setting of ‘normal’? Where is this going?

We have 3 ex students with it. Not sure they have any economic advantage being ill. In fact it's ruined their lives as had to drop out of Uni. V sad.

Take things slowly, be cautious!

Just like the yobs and crowds in and around Wembley last night, the crowds we’ve seen at Wimbledon, albeit more refined!

If last nights football match was the most watched programme since Diana’s funeral, that’s an awful lot of people who will be going back to pre-Covid life, especially after watching the news, people in the streets, not socially distancing, no masks! Isn’t football included in the ‘cautious’ approach?

I’ll wear my mask in crowded places, I’ll be cautious until the numbers start to fall, I’m REALLY hoping many of us choose this approach!

@Pinuporc

I’m imagining us all walking around very slowly

"Be cautious" is just the 2021 spin on "stay alert - control the virus" (I imagined everyone as meerkats for stay alert)

Ha at meerkats

Yes the opposite to that ;

@NotPersephone

There seems to be a strong correlation between long Covid and over-generous sickness terms in the public sector. I doubt it’s a coincidence.

Spot on

@NotPersephone Evidence please? You wouldn't make such a statement without backing it up, would you?

They're going to bump off, or long term incapacitate, the unhealthiest and most vulnerable.
Quite a cunty thing to do really. (But Johnson and his cronies have form for this).

I know two people with long Covid. It is really shit for them. Hopefully they will be able to find treatments for that soon, and it helps the people with ME etc.

How can we achieve herd immunity if catching it doesn't make you immune?

It's more about a population who do not have immune systems naive to covid19. It then effectively (hopefully!) turns into another cold strain, particularly with vaccines that massively lower the likelihood of serious disease from contracting it.

@Saucery those public sector workers get all the breaks. Not content with their gold plated pensions, they are now demanding bespoke rehab centres replete with platinum jaccuzis, really nice fluffy towels and all the best grapes. And of course the Tories, famously in thrall to the feather bedded union leaders, are powerless to resist any of it.

He's an idiot. If he wants us to crash into another lockdown, he's going about it the right way.

@NotPersephone and you get the vote for biggest f***g tosser. How dare you suggest that l'm milking the system. Tell that to the A/E doctor who treated me for Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia. Worked throughout the pandemic in ICU whilst you spend your time spouting garbage.

@NotPersephone

That’s not very nice for those that genuinely have it . It’s real and difficult to get treatment for .

[quote onlyreadingneverposting8]@bumbleymummy not for very long it would appear - I know a doctor, a paramedic and a house of students that have now had covid twice - the doctor and paramedic having been double jabbed in between first and second infections of covid.
With this line of unlocking we've to very much worry about the ambulance service - the paramedic that came out to assess our 11yr old on Friday (she's got covid - paramedic sent by 111) said they are quickly becoming swapped. I was told that our category of call out meant they aimed to be with us in 18minutes but not to be surprised if it were 55minutes as they were very busy! [/quote]
Most studies have shown it lasts for over 8 months in the majority. And a recent study (albeit with small numbers) showed antibodies after 12 months.

It's Boris trying to be all things to all people as usual and terrified of taking a decision or making a statement that will make him unpopular. Vaccination is going well, but his incompetence has since let in the Indian variant (let's call it what it is) as he tried to patch up one of his previous cock-ups (Brexit). What he should do is slow down and unlock gradually, but having already trumpeted his triumph with talk of Freedom Day, he can't bring himself to put the brakes on. The out-of-control supermarket trolley lurching from one side to another is the analogy that springs to mind.

Very difficult for employers. They can't enforce masks and distancing with no legal back-up. Who will be responsible if a staff member or service user is left with long covid, permanent ill health or disability as a result?

@nocoolnamesleft

The only reason that your statement would be true is if the British public can not use their common sense or judgement .

My feeling is that some can , and the ones who are stupid enough not to are probably not following the rules now .

@LillianGish many a true word spoken there!

WorraLiberty

I think we've given it our best shot and now we'll just have to learn to live with it.

Sad but true imo.

Simple but spot on, absolutely how I feel.

@LillianGish

It's Boris trying to be all things to all people as usual and terrified of taking a decision or making a statement that will make him unpopular. Vaccination is going well, but his incompetence has since let in the Indian variant (let's call it what it is) as he tried to patch up one of his previous cock-ups (Brexit). What he should do is slow down and unlock gradually, but having already trumpeted his triumph with talk of Freedom Day, he can't bring himself to put the brakes on. The out-of-control supermarket trolley lurching from one side to another is the analogy that springs to mind.

Yes - very hard to disagree with your conclusion (unfortunately).

@LillianGish

But how can he when deaths are so low ? Other illnesses are killing more people than covid .

I hope hospitals still restrict visitors because a large portion of infections were actually caught in hospital.

I hope that if someone is organising a wedding they ask guests to test before attending .

It will probably be 50 % sensible 50. % morons , so personally I will still be taking no risks .

@mumsneedwine

We have 3 ex students with it. Not sure they have any economic advantage being ill. In fact it's ruined their lives as had to drop out of Uni. V sad.

My DS knows more than 3 people who've had to drop out of Uni because they couldn't stand the isolation of online learning and an empty campus. No one is a winner with a pandemic.

@Halloweenrainbow

Very difficult for employers. They can't enforce masks and distancing with no legal back-up. Who will be responsible if a staff member or service user is left with long covid, permanent ill health or disability as a result?

No one will be responsible for it. It will just be one of those unfortunate things that can happen, same as those who got post viral syndrome from other viruses caught in their workplace or when they were shopping.

So @DadAManger

You have no faith in people assessing their own risk and their own actions then ?

I’m feeling ok. Message not as media portrayed earlier on but I’m ok with that.

@Halloweenrainbow

Very difficult for employers. They can't enforce masks and distancing with no legal back-up. Who will be responsible if a staff member or service user is left with long covid, permanent ill health or disability as a result?

The same who'd be responsible (if any) if it were flu or norovirus rather than covid. For an employee/business to be responsible, they have to have been negligent. They're not negligent if someone catches flu at work, so why should they be negligent if someone catches covid.

Their liability/responsibility ends at taking "reasonable precautions" - that's "reasonable" for the staff/customers, but also "reasonable" for the business itself. That can only be determined on a case by case basis.