Boardmasters Festival - superspreader event!

[ineedaholidaynow]

Did anyone go to this festival and not come down with COVID! Every local youngster who went to it seems to have contracted COVID, and I see it keeps getting mentioned on MN, and all posters can't be referring to the same youngsters.

Have other festivals been the same?

@Notonthestairs

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-58323500.amp

Thank you!

Problem with the testing as well is that you could be incubating the virus when you test so show up negative at that time then develop the virus later. Also LFTs are notoriously not particularly accurate.

The problem is that different things are important to different people. Think of the outcry when people’s plans had to be dialled back (NB - not cancelled) at Christmas, whereas I (and no doubt thousands of teenagers who went to Boardmasters) didn’t mind that at all. But I don’t come on here saying Christmas should be cancelled because I’m not personally interested in it.

I don't understand at all how Cornwall Council say they happy with this event they feel if was successful.
Now they saying tourists try and not come to Cornwall.

bbc.in/3y8IH41

This shows disconnect between economy / business v public health and NHS.
They only have 1 hospital.

They’ve actually said please don’t come to Cornwall unless you’ve prebooked - which is a bit of a pointless statement but not quite the same as saying please don’t come at all

@AlecTrevelyan006 can’t imagine there are many spare places to go if you haven’t booked

Not everyone from a working class household is going to be able to fulfil those

Oh good grief.
You said festivals were only affordable by middle class.
I pointed out that wasn't the case.
Your answer is to say not ALL working class people can go.

No shit sherlock. Who ever said ALL working class people or families could go? No-one. Of course all you 'conditions' could have happened to ds, care breakdown etc. But at the same time, people who went could be (and were) from all walks of life.

Drop the daft class assumptions. They are actually irrelevant. Who cares if the teens who went were working class or middle class anyway?

For my ds, he has not been able to go out and socialise properly, do things like pubs and clubs, parties etc. Of course he is fine, no-one NEEDS those things, but he has also been desparate to go out and have some fun. The festival was great for him and his friends. They still see getting sick afterwards as worth it.

We all need different things. For me and dh our desire is to get to The Netherlands, to see his family. We are still waiting for that. But according to mn, anyone who wants to travel overseas is the devil incarnate.

@DumplingsAndStew

I don't understand the maths.

5,000 out of 50,000 people have covid. 50,000 people who had to 'prove' they were negative beforehand. How does that fit with an R of 0.9-1.2?

Or is the testing or vaccine pass that ineffective that massive numbers were actually carrying the virus when they arrived?

R measures the rate of growth not absolute numbers, and for the whole population not just those at a festival.

You could have 30% of the population infected and a R below 1 if numbers were decreasing, or 0.1% infected and R way above 1 if there was uncontrolled exponential growth.

Who ever said ALL working class people or families could go? No-one.

The person quoted in the BBC article said 'festivals are core to the mental health of young people'

Not 'festivals are core to the mental health of those young people who can afford to go'

I stand by my point that this is nonsense - the sort of sweeping statement that leads to bad decisions. The idea that the mental health of young people who can't access a festival (for whatever reason) will necessarily suffer, is bollocks, as I originally said. And it comes from a point of view that assumes everyone can access a festival, as long as it's there.

I get your point Squirry and fwiw I completely agree. It reminds me of the part in the Brexit debate where parents were admonishing leavers as selfish because their children's chance to travel/study across Europe was being taken away. No thought to the children who were never going to be able to do that Brexit or no brexit.

Yes, that's the sort of mindset I mean, mrshoho.

I wouldn't have an issue with a more general statement like 'young people's mental health is helped by opportunities to socialise, for example, festivals'.

But this statement that 'festivals are core to the mental health of young people' is being presented as a justification for allowing this specific festival to go ahead. It isn't a justification. There are plenty of other things young people could and should be encouraged to do if their mental health is suffering - things that young people who can't afford to go to festivals have always had to 'make do with' .

Perhaps I am just an old meanie but now there have been a few mass outdoor events and they have proved to provide covid transmission despite being outdoors, perhaps we need to stop them for now.
I don't buy into the argument that young people's mental health needs these type of mass events. Part of being a teen is thinking you're a bit indestuctible, a case of FOMO and that selfishness that means you feel you need to be a festival and are entitled to have fun.
Unfortunately for many teens around the world, that kind of release and fun provided by a festival isn't possible in any case.
Mass events are just not worth the risk right now - not just to those who attend but to the families, workplaces, friends etc that they will bring it back to - many of whom won't be in as good health as a teen.
Let's not forget vaccines are not effective against all varients and some people have no response to vaccines.

Have to say as a teenager festivals would have been detrimental to my mental health, can't stand crowds and hate camping!

I'm not sure being ill and isolating for 10 days is very good for mental health.

Dd back from Cornwall camping and hanging out with tons of teens all snogging and sharing spliffs (apart from her of course mum I would never do that 🙄) has just tested negative so we'll see. They all tested this morning before they got on the train as well and all wore masks. Not sure what else anyone expects them to do tbh

So many really miserable people on here I am genuinely delighted that dd has had a chance to socialise after the year they've all had. Never mind her mental health, my own mental health has had a boost vicariously through her.

I agree that there are some very nasty, bitter-sounding posters. My dcs don’t much care for festivals, but sure would like to socialise in other ways. Ds has just got a job - in his bedroom. That’s not very exciting for a young man.

I remember a post from someone on here stating sweepingly that there was no need at all for young people to go out ever again as they could socialise and even meet a partner online. Fantastic. ( I expect this poster would be happy for them to deliver their shopping, though.)

@DottyHarmer

I agree that there are some very nasty, bitter-sounding posters. My dcs don’t much care for festivals, but sure would like to socialise in other ways. Ds has just got a job - in his bedroom. That’s not very exciting for a young man.

I remember a post from someone on here stating sweepingly that there was no need at all for young people to go out ever again as they could socialise and even meet a partner online. Fantastic. ( I expect this poster would be happy for them to deliver their shopping, though.)

You are joking! I do think there's a large proportion of mumsnet who prefer being online rather than being with RL people.

I'm guessing the ppl on this thread that can't see the benefit to older teens after what they have been through either don't have DC that who or have older teens that aren't that bothered.

My 17 yo DS has just left for Reading and I couldn't be happier for him. He's had a shit time stuck in his bedroom for almost 1.5 years, was shafted with his GCSEs, learning to drive and so many other milestones.

He had Covid last month so he won't be catching and spreading it. But even if he hadn't I am just so fucking pleased for him.

Like others, I'm glad to see DD and her friends able to be doing this kind of thing. Many of those at Boardmasters had been waiting with tickets for two years and more - 2019 was cancelled for weather; 2020 for covid.

Dd had an amazing time. The friend who got covid says he had a great time and doesn't regret going. Although he had a rough couple of days with covid, he's fine now - just has to miss Leeds due to isolation period. He's obviously fed up he can't go but at least he managed to get someone to buy his ticket from him, even if it didn't cover the full amount.

Like many teens Dd had a pretty rubbish time over lockdowns and the last 18 months from dealing with cancelled exams and cancelled 18th birthday celebrations right through to three close family deaths over a short period of time.

She's ready to move on and willing to take the risks - she's sensible and takes the precautions they can. She is fully vaccinated but we know she doesn't have any virus-acquired antibodies (as tested) so covid is still a potential for her. She's pretty much isolated beforehand, and she will test when she gets back too. Hopefully she will stay well during and after.

And as her mum - I'm just glad they're back socialising and having fun, that she's finally able to celebrate being 18, albeit a year later, and doing all the types of things many older teens have enjoyed for years before.

There are safer things than crowding together by the thousands and sharing portaloos.

The cost of the tickets! Don’t know about class, but definitely spoilt brats with indulgent parents. Now a whole county is suffering high covid levels because of this entitled lot.

Oh bullshit @Catma2021. Numbers in Cornwall were already spiking because it's a tourist destination. Although I'm sure you'd rather the tourists stayed away and just posted their money instead.

Festivals are fun. There are also ways of adapting the idea of them a bit so they are safer. We can do without moshpits for just a year or 2. Listening to music outside with people spaced apart a bit in a small music festival should be fairly safe.

@Catma2021

There are safer things than crowding together by the thousands and sharing portaloos.

The cost of the tickets! Don’t know about class, but definitely spoilt brats with indulgent parents. Now a whole county is suffering high covid levels because of this entitled lot.

What a nasty, mean thing to say. I feel sorry for you. Even if you are perfectly nice in RL the fact that you feel able to post this on a thread full of parents with teens means you have ishoos

Listening to music outside with people spaced apart a bit in a small music festival should be fairly safe and fairly depressing