Coronavirus (Covid19) Corner

[Stanley]

[Big Kev]

Good to see government departments looking after their workforce (not).

Leeds DWP office failed to enforce social distancing

[Stanley]

I heard that report as well Kev. Fine example for the rest of industry!

[Tizer]

The Royal Statistical Society is catching up with us...The Times reports on it's front page this morning that the RSS warns that Boris's mass testing would `risk damaging tens of thousands of lives and letting infected people mingle with others'. It says the plan `doesn't take account of fundamental statistical issues' and `its success may require new tests to be more accurate than diagnostic tests for any other disease'. It says that `current tests miss a fifth of cases and have false positive rates of 1 to 2%'.

[PanBiker]

Our Finlay got sent home from school yesterday with the rest of his year group as someone associated tested positive for Covid. Finlay and Isla go to Silsden Primary School which is under Bradford Education Authority. It may have knock on effects to our Carla who teaches at Glusburn School which is under North Yorkshire. Each authority is left to formulate it's own rules regarding isolation and lockdown within the framework suggested by the government. Carla is meeting with her headteacher today to formulate a plan. It's a total mess and another example of a hidden consequence that Bozo's lot have not catered for.

[Tizer]

At first I thought Glusburn was a typo for Gisburn so I looked on Wikipedia - well I never, I'd never heard of Glusburn!

More on the madness of mass testing...
`Coronavirus: What are the challenges of mass testing?' LINK

[Tripps]

meeting with her headteacher today to formulate a plan

I'm a bit surprised that there was not already a plan for this likely and predictable possibility.

It's all on the Gov website. Schools guidance I looked into it when my grandchildren were affected, but it was a false alarm so I lost interest.

Of course as usual it's all the fault of Boris's gang.

[PanBiker]

Yes there is the general guidance but the final decision has been left to individual Education Authorities of which there are two involved in this instance. Carla, with her parent hat on last night had no information provided by the Bradford Authority.

[Tripps]

As I said - I've not got into the detail when my family stopped being directly affected. Like most of the issues with Covid there are differences of opinion and ambiguity. I don't envy those who have to manage these situations, but surely having an infected pupil was a strong possibility / certainty, and a plan to deal with that should have been part of the 'back to school' scenario.

I remain uncharacteristically pessimistic.

[PanBiker]

I don't think the person infected was a child. My daughter is both mum in one Ed Authority and teacher in another. Her meeting with Richard her headteacher was to avail him of the situation and see if the risk assessment plan already in place covers for the 30 or so bubble of kids Carla has responsibility for with her teaching hat on. Does she stay at home to provide childcare for Finlay or does dad (who is self employed) have to abandon his current jobs. We cannot help as Grandparents, (don't kill Grandma). Finlay could be asymptomatic of course, he is 8 years old.

[Tripps]

My brain is hurting working all that out. A bit harsh me saying there should have been a plan for that. Best wishes to all concerned. A bit of 'survivors guilt' creeping in here.

[PanBiker]

Aye it's a can of worms for sure. It will all come good later this month though when we all get access to the tracing app, the much lauded and promised game changer.

[Stanley]

I'm with David on this one, it makes my head hurt also. I am lucky of course, being too bloody old to have any responsibility for anyone other than myself, I don't need to understand it. I feel sorry for those that do and at the moment feel that the main problem the teachers and other carers have is insufficient information, guidance and support in an ever changing scenario. I have only one contact, daughter Susan who comes this morning to give my feet a treat (an to check they are OK). I am fairly safe with her as she is tested once a week because of her contact with the Crumblies at Thornton. I of course have the added advantage that I am totally isolated and managing it well.
What we really need is a strategy which is totally honest and admits that Covid is a fact of life and will remain so. A certain element of risk is part of the human condition, nothing is perfectly safe (Not even the stairs in your own house!) and we have to look after ourselves sensibly, anyone that doesn't gets culled. Marshalls on streets and penalties under law aren't the final answer. That's what it will come to in the end.

[plaques]

I don't think the person infected was a child. My daughter is both mum in one Ed Authority and teacher in another. Her meeting with Richard her headteacher was to avail him of the situation and see if the risk assessment plan already in place covers for the 30 or so bubble of kids Carla has responsibility for with her teaching hat on. Does she stay at home to provide childcare for Finlay or does dad

A real dilemma to which I can't give an answer only perhaps add another layer of difficulty.
The schools guidelines place Finlay at risk therefore by extension Carla is at risk. The question must be asked would a parent of a child in Carla's class be comfortable with someone in the risk category teaching their children? Glad I don't have to decide.

[PanBiker]

Exactly, next week Carla will be teaching her class via Zoom from home, in her own words, that should be interesting.

[Tizer]

I guess all you regular smartphone users will already be aware of this news...
`Coronavirus: England and Wales' contact-tracing app gets launch date' LINK

I notice at the bottom of the front page of today's Telegraph a nib titled `Covid cases surge in older generations' and it's referring primarily to `the over-fifties'.

Some more scams...
`Coronavirus: False claims test kits for ‘Covid-19’ were sold in 2017' LINK

[Stanley]

I got an email yesterday that was so obviously suspect just from the address that I simply deleted it. Offering me 'pillls$' {sic} What for |I don't know. There are some strange people out there....

[Tizer]

The pills comment reminds me - have you heard about the problem in America with lots of people receiving letters through the post containing seeds? They mostly come from China and the authorities are having to tell people not to eat them or grow them because it's not known if they are safe.

Our elderly neighbour opposite is receiving lots of phone call scam attempts. Luckily he's sufficiently sensible to ignore them!

[chinatyke]

- have you heard about the problem in America with lots of people receiving letters through the post containing seeds? They mostly come from China and the authorities are having to tell people not to eat them or grow them because it's not known if they are safe.

That's a strange one. Import of seeds and other agricultural products are strictly controlled in America. When we drove from New Mexico to California we encountered a checkpoint on the highway where all vehicles were stopped and checked to make sure they were not bringing things in that could contaminate California. Someone could be maliciously spreading some very nasty invasive species. Donald Trump and blame China again?

[Stanley]

Oz was just as careful. That's why the packing case for Margaret and Janet's engines cost well over £100. It had to be certified free of Wood Wasps! It never got sent in the end and that's why I have a shabby chic toilet roll holder in the bathroom.

[Marilyn]

We cannot carry fruit, vegetables, plants, or seeds across our internal borders (even though in some cases they came from a different state before we bought them).
It is mainly due to Fruit Fly worries, but also insects and viruses that attack crops.
There are bins at the border and people must stop and dump whatever they are carrying. If you choose to disregard the signs, and you are stopped and searched...huge fines.
Our van was also searched for Fish and Firearms going to and from Tasmania. They physically check the van’s fridge/freezer/cupboards etc and they checked and tagged onboard gas tank.

[Sue]

The pills comment reminds me - have you heard about the problem in America with lots of people receiving letters through the post containing seeds? They mostly come from China and the authorities are having to tell people not to eat them or grow them because it's not known if they are safe.

Our elderly neighbour opposite is receiving lots of phone call scam attempts. Luckily he's sufficiently sensible to ignore them!

It has happened in the UK too. I write on an allotment page and several have received them

[Stanley]

I heard a lot of complaints on R4 yesterday from people who can't get tests even though they qualify. The problem might be the fact that academics who were volunteering/moonlighting have now gone back to teaching so they are short-staffed.

[Sue]

I heard a lot of complaints on R4 yesterday from people who can't get tests even though they qualify. The problem might be the fact that academics who were volunteering/moonlighting have now gone back to teaching so they are short-staffed.

The problem is also they can’t process them any faster, there is a backlog due to lack of technicians ans technology.

[Stanley]