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Covid

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Original poster

Why are numbers rising?

43 replies

Csj50 · 13/08/2021 15:27

Hello everyone,

American here, living in the US, due to travel to London in two days with my 2 year old and getting cold feet as I see cases are still quite high and maybe even rising. I’m surprised by this bc I know the UK has a fantastic double vaxxed rate for adults- so out of curiousity what is driving up the numbers? Holiday? Is it the younger population?

We are going to see vaccinated family so will not do things like sightsee, but am still quite nervous that I will test positive and not be able to return home. Very anxious, but I’m not sure if the data is scarier than how things actually are, if that makes sense. Many thanks.

OP posts:

Original poster

Csj50 · 13/08/2021 16:35

@SparklingLime

What are the rates currently where you live in the US, *@Csj50*?

We luckily live NOT in the southern US which is a big mess right now, but just outside Washington DC; where I live it’s about 9 cases per 100,000, and everything has been fully opened for a while

OP posts:

Original poster

Csj50 · 13/08/2021 16:40

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair

It's interesting to hear an outsiders perspective as everyone I know is pretty much back to normal and life for me is largely unaffected by covid

Maybe we're all fooling ourselves but no one even really talks about it any more, they are getting on with their lives and have adapted to the changes

Looking at the overall statistics is pretty meaningless, if you're visiting London you're at zero risk from a nightclub outbreak I read about in Lincoln for example

By comparison I read earlier a discussion prompted by a case where a small child accidentally killed its mother with a gun. Most non US posters were commenting on how unsafe your gun laws are but you probably never give that a thought and wonder why the rest of the world has that impression of the US

My point is that outside impressions can be very misleading.

Thank you, which is why I wanted to get a perspective from UK citizens :). Not sure if there is just more fear mongering going on here.

And as a VERY anti-gun American, I know our laws are completely idiotic and it’s one thing I’m most embarassed about!!!

OP posts:

lannistunut · 13/08/2021 16:45

IMO things are pretty bad in the UK - and Delta spreads very easily - but I don;t think it will be worse than in the US.

I think there is a risk you will contract it whilst here, yes, but staying outside will undoubtedly help.

lannistunut · 13/08/2021 16:46

I’m not sure if the data is scarier than how things actually are, if that makes sense All the way through the data on positive cases has been lower than the real infection rate. The ONS study is more useful for assessing I think.

Egghead68 · 13/08/2021 16:51

ONS figures out today are that 1 in every 75 people in England had Covid in the week ending 6 August.

lannistunut · 13/08/2021 16:54

So if you make sure to only meet 74 people whilst here you will be fine!

mibbelucieachwell · 13/08/2021 16:57

data

More than 800,000 tests carried out yesterday. In a population of
67,000,000 people.

OP when were you thinking of travelling here? Cases here are predicted to rise for a few weeks then fall again as vaccinations and immunity from infections increases.

English schools return around the beginning of September which may well cause an increase in cases among school aged pupils. But the vaccination rate will have gone up too.

I feel for you. There's still so much uncertainty.

breadwidow · 13/08/2021 16:57

Not sure if this is a factor but based on personal recent experience I would not say London is more risky than other places. I am double jabbed and currently ill in bed with COVID. Double jabbed DH also has it. We got it from our 9 year old son who just have caught it when on a day out with my parents in either rural Herefordshire or Shropshire (he was there for a full week immediately before his symptoms). We live in central London, so managed to avoid it in the city and got it in the country.

mibbelucieachwell · 13/08/2021 16:58

Sorry link fail.

CrossIncontinents · 13/08/2021 17:04

If it's any consolation my husband is in the reverse situation. He is travelling to the US next week and is concerned about cases there. Doing anything that strays out of the small, narrow lives we have lived for the last 18 months does feel a little scary.

I hope you enjoy your trip and your time spent with family.

CombatBarbie · 13/08/2021 17:09

My parents are both double jabbed and both now have covid and are floored with it. We think it came from DFs workplace as he doesn't really go anywhere else and we are in Scotland where masks are still required.

Its quite surreal but if I were you I would also be wary. The people your visiting being double jabbed is a red herring.

Original poster

Csj50 · 13/08/2021 17:10

@CrossIncontinents

I hope you enjoy your trip and your time spent with family.

To where in the US is he traveling to?

I would absolutely not go if it’s the south. Many states are in crisis situations, and no beds.

OP posts:

MarshaBradyo · 13/08/2021 17:18

It is a risk - you might test positive yes but it’s a very low chance.

Cases are matching a steady hospitalisation and as we vaccinate more we can handle a higher infection.

Hard to advise as no one can guarantee you wouldn’t test positive. But life feels fairly normal and I don’t think about catching Covid. Still I don’t depend on a negative PCR to get on a flight.

CrossIncontinents · 13/08/2021 17:19

@Csj50 He's going to North Carolina

Original poster

Csj50 · 13/08/2021 17:33

@MarshaBradyo

It is a risk - you might test positive yes but it’s a very low chance.

Cases are matching a steady hospitalisation and as we vaccinate more we can handle a higher infection.

Yes. There is zero risk anywhere. We will just do our best. Open windows as much as possible, no public transport, outside things only and lots of hand washing!

OP posts:

Rosehip10 · 13/08/2021 17:50

@Csj50 Why do people still go on about "lots of hand washing" for covid? - agree that it is good for general hygiene, but hand washing/sanitiser does little to protect against a airborne virus.

CordeliasPencil · 14/08/2021 08:19

@NannyAndJohn

Because our shit for brains government are just letting it rip.

Their strategy is to go for herd immunity through the back door by getting as many of our children infected with Covid (and potentially Long Covid) as possible.

But what more can they do? People are getting vaccinated... Less people are dying... Do you want to be in lockdown forever? I don't like our gvmt and have nothing but profanities for Boris and co...but I don't see anything other than just living with it now as reasonable.

And I'm CEV. And not fully vaccinated before I get accused of killing vulnerable people or something.

Enough is enough now

delilahbucket · 15/08/2021 09:15

The UK do more than double the amount of testing as the US. Naturally this will pick up more cases when we are testing for asymptomatic cases regularly. I bet if other countries tested as much as us their figures would look very different too.
The key thing is, our in hospital numbers are dropping every day, deaths and ICU numbers remain low and manageable. Case numbers are irrelevant.
There is every chance you could catch Covid and not be able to travel home. That's the risk you take when travelling abroad right now.

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