'No reason to think Covid will become more virulent’/'It could be like common cold by Spring'

[GoldFrankensteinAndGrrr]

Some positive news from people who know what they're talking about this morning.

As far as the common cold claim is concerned, there was the caveat that we have to get through winter first (wouldn't fit on my screenshot but that's all that it said, no predictions of catastrophe or anything).

Yes I know there are still vulnerable people whom covid could affect badly (I'm one of them), but this is good news. Although I'm sure someone will be along soon to tell me it's not

Wait, blowing our birthday candles is bad now?

Awful, unhygienic, disgusting, etc, etc

What are other people doing with birthday candles?

Well, one option mooted was to cover the cake with cling film and blow out candles, then whip off CF and serve. Tada. MN never fails be on these issues.

at cling film!

and does that PP even know what a strawman argument is?

@herecomesthsun

and does that PP even know what a strawman argument is?

Yes, I do.

No one has said any concerns are doom and gloom.

No one is dismissing people fears and gleefully mocking them.

Posters are just calling 1 person out on their long history of sensationalism, lies and bullshit.

Cling film

That sounds a bit yuck to me cakes need to be free from plastic confinement ;

I gave the birthday candles thread a swerve, I assumed it would be completely bonkers. Is it worth a read?

@DottyHarmer

My hill to die on is posters claiming online experience is better all round, particularly for young people. I am still at the tinpot HE poster claiming that online was for the benefit of disabled students. The very nerve of using disabled students for personal purposes…. As if disabled students are on so very happy to be stuck in their bedrooms and don’t want to participate in university life like anyone else .

Look, anyone can work from home, they just need a laptop...

It’s exactly as you would expect it to be.

So you’re probably right to avoid it.

If you suddenly discover you are not as well as you thought, you'll soon find that covid is having a huge impact on your medical management, investigations, quality of life

I do appreciate this is rubbish - I’ve had one significantly delayed referral myself, and a close family member has had an op delayed more than 12 months in total, leaving her in prolonged pain. It has been pretty awful.

But I suppose where I’d differ is drawing a clear line from that to “therefore, it’s blinkered to be optimistic about covid”. Health care system overload is a real concern to me, but it would continue to be a problem of covid disappeared tomorrow given how much of the backlog is issues that were delayed/worsened/caused by covid restrictions but aren’t directly caused by covid.

@Bordois you're oblivious to it then. There's a sneery mocking tone to certain posts.
Like the posters who are all doom and gloom, there are always the ones who are the complete opposite but paint themselves as eminently sensible and declare any diversion from tory right think as sensationalist.. Goes both ways. Nowt wrong with being cautious.

@Stasiland

I get people want it to be over. But the fact is for people who will need NHS care now and in the near future it sadly isn't and won't be for a good many years. Fine if you are young and well, yes it will seem like it's over and any concerns are just doom and gloom. If you suddenly discover you are not as well as you thought, you'll soon find that covid is having a huge impact on your medical management, investigations, quality of life. When you find that because of covid backlog your appointment for lung function tests is in march 22 you may not be as dismissive of peoples' fears and gleefully mocking them. Some sadly live in a bubble and can't see anything beyond their own nose and experience. No problem with being optimistic but equally no problem being with cautious.

My treatment for RA was put on hold from March last year until August this year. I've been in agony, daily, and been unable to start on my new meds (the appointment I had to start the various tests required was cancelled in March last year - I'm finally seeing my consultant this afternoon). So I do understand, actually.

No one has said any concerns are doom and gloom.

No one is dismissing people fears and gleefully mocking them.

Posters are just calling 1 person out on their long history of sensationalism, lies and bullshit.

Exactly.

No issue whatsoever with posters erring on the side of caution. No issue with pessimistic posters who at least have some scientific basis for their concerns, with all their graphs and data. Nope. Fine.

What I do object to is that one poster who posts lies, made up 'facts' and spurious projections, who claims other posters are happy people are dying and want the bodies to pile high, who makes offensive, insensitive comments designed to cause hurt and anxiety.

Huge difference between the two. Massive.

I didn't say it's blinkered to be optimistic. I said caution was ok. But it's easy to be sneery about peoples' concerns when you're alright jack.

What Idoobject to is that one poster who posts lies, made up 'facts' and spurious projections, who claims other posters are happy people are dying and want the bodies to pile high, who makes offensive, insensitive comments designed to cause hurt and anxiety.

Yep, and that particular poster used to come onto the good news thread to do that too. A thread created to share positive news that many anxious posters said helped them was constantly shat on with deliberate offensive, goady and off topic comments.

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone who has been sneery to someone concerned about waiting lists.

But there are multiple hardships when it comes to Covid - lockdowns included.

Forgive me but who are you lot to be the arbiter of opinion. To say that someone is a fantasist or a doom monger ? We all live in an echo chamber. If you've got off lightly with covid no doubt you will be itching to get back to normal. If you've had covid badly or worked on the front line maybe not so eager. But your experience doesn't trump mine.

You seem to be taking this personally stasiland... we are talking about 1 poster in particular here who has a proven track record of making stuff up.

Forgive me but who are you lot to be the arbiter of opinion

'You lot' presumably means posters on MN, all of them have an opinion, hence them posting.

@Bordois

What Idoobject to is that one poster who posts lies, made up 'facts' and spurious projections, who claims other posters are happy people are dying and want the bodies to pile high, who makes offensive, insensitive comments designed to cause hurt and anxiety.

Yep, and that particular poster used to come onto the good news thread to do that too. A thread created to share positive news that many anxious posters said helped them was constantly shat on with deliberate offensive, goady and off topic comments.

This is the only thread that person posted on yesterday - no coincidence that it was the only 'positive news' thread yesterday.

To purposefully go on the good news thread and attempt to cause anxiety and upset on what's essentially a bit of a refuge for those struggling illustrates perfectly what that poster is about. None of the other, shall we say, 'cautious' posters do that.

It's been said many times on this thread already but I'll say it again - @MNHQ really need to look into that poster.

@MarshaBradyo I don't necessarily agree with nanny whatever her name but she has the right to express her opinions as freely as anyone else. Thought that was the idea of mumsnet. There was an op a while ago who received the same treatment because some posters thought she was lying about being critically ill with covid. Same kind of sneery pile on by the same reoccurring posters who seem equally as obsessed with covid not being serious as the sensationalist granny killing ones.

Again, I feel it is noticeable that that particular poster doesn’t seem as interested in discussing covid as they do in people reacting to what they say. The more reaction the better.

To say that someone is a fantasist

On this thread alone that someone has said we were in lockdown last Christmas and that she'd seen the articles in my OP this time last year (ie before vaccines). Nobody has accused anyone of being a fantasist, merely pointed out that it's not ok to lie on topics like this. Or to post stuff that's designed to cause anxiety and upset, and has no basis in fact.

N&J has a long history of wildly inaccurate predictions. Then has the cheek to tell us, on this thread, that she only listens to people whose predictions have proved accurate. Pointing out that she shouldn't listen to herself then on is not bullying.

I feel it is noticeable that that particular poster doesn’t seem as interested in discussing covid as they do in people reacting to what they say. The more reaction the better

Indeed, but that's why it's not compulsory to bite, and yet every time people do

Even this discussion about rhe M.O. is probably catnip to them, which is why I don't usually comment and just go on ignoring. It's also why I asked if it's possible to block posts rather than whole threads, but sadly I find it's not

Indeed, but that's why it's not compulsory to bite, and yet every time people do

Yeah - I usually don’t, but even I’m doing it this time. Sigh.

The poster in question has a, let’s say ‘loose’ relationship with the truth and a clear desire to amplify others’ anxiety. That combination is pretty dangerous.

Whoever said her posts are all about what’ll push most buttons and maximise reaction and anxiety, regardless of applicability of topic was right. It’s not discussion in good faith.

She also has seemingly little grasp on the real world, which isn’t necessarily her fault, but can make her posting even more outrageous.