Coronavirus (Covid19) Corner

[Cathy]

Tize.
We have to stay confident and positive .

[PanBiker]

Everyone will have to wear a mask or face covering in shops from 24th July. About time, it's only taken them three months to make the decision. Why 24th July? Not as if folk haven't been aware of the problem.

[PanBiker]

Sally is back on scrubs at the moment and is fitting in the production of more masks, although she does have a reasonable existing stock.

[Marilyn]

we have our masks...hubby often chooses not to wear his, but I cannot enforce it. He has been provided! That is the best I can do.

[Tizer]

Fortunately I'm not often going anywhere that I need to wear a mask. I get out of breath very quickly in a mask, as I've learned in recent years when using them in the garage during DIY jobs. I'll wear one when needed but hopefully not for any long periods.

[Big Kev]

We've been wearing masks (thanks Sally) in shops for a few weeks now. This image highlighted the potential benefit for me.

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There's a lot of people, over in FB land, who don't like the idea and spout all sorts of reasons why they shouldn't have to wear one, other than legitimate medical reasons. If it stops someone else getting it I struggle to see how they can be so selfish. To have to make something, that protects others, compulsory says a lot for society...

[Marilyn]

I’m a mask wearer...( well I have been when the risks were unknown/ minimal and I will wear mine again at the slightest knowledge that activity has started again in our bit of the world). The “re-surgence” possibility gets stronger every day. People sneaking over borders, evading testing, refusing isolation, putting others at risk. ( what is wrong with you Turkeys?!)
Trust no one!
Protect your own air space, and TRUST NO ONE!

[PanBiker]

We had occasion to visit Asda yesterday and wore our masks, we were the exception rather than the rule! I reckon no more than two or three others that we saw and certainly not including the individual taking absolutely no notice of the one way system in the aisles. Hopefully that should all change now but I do wonder how it is going to be policed so to speak.

[Big Kev]

We have to rely on the common sense of the minority...

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[Tripps]

From the BBC today -

How Blackburn with Darwen compares

Figures show Blackburn with Darwen now has 41 new cases per 100,000, up from 29.5.

Leicester, where a local lockdown has been imposed, has seen the rate fall from 156.8 in the seven days to 26 June, to 114.3 in the seven days to 10 July.

The second highest rate is in Pendle, Lancashire, where the rate has gone up from 14.2 to 67.8

[Whyperion]

T. Any ideas why ? Family sizes ? BooHoo? Any apparel manufacturers ?

[Whyperion]

I see Gove managed to raise a fog of uncertainty over face masks yesterday. Opinions and personal preferences should be suppressed and a coherent collective view adhered to. But that's probably a vain hope with this lot.
Weak leadership?

When do the folk Johnson lets out on the media get fed up of the opposite of what they have just defended becoming known, or policy, 24 hrs later?

[Stanley]

Peter, I understand David's point of view and share it. He's working on worst case, not a bad plan in my experience. Link that with Cathy's advice and you have a workable strategy.
Kev, love the IDS item. Right on!

[Tizer]

Tripps, those data seem to have been updated today... Quoted below from this link

How Blackburn with Darwen compares.
Figures show Blackburn with Darwen recorded 47 new cases per 100,000 in the week ending Saturday, up from 31.6 the previous week.

In Leicester, where a local lockdown has been imposed, the rate has risen from 115 per 100,000 to 118 over the same period.

But this is still down from 152.2 in the seven days to 27 June.

Based on figures released on Tuesday, Pendle in Lancashire currently has England's second-highest rate of new cases for the week, rising from 14.2 per 100,000 to 76.6 in the week to 11 July.

[Tripps]

rising from 14.2 per 100,000 to 76.6 in the week to 11 July.

So it's 'improving worse' as Aunty Josie used to say.

[PanBiker]

Based on figures released on Tuesday, Pendle in Lancashire currently has England's second-highest rate of new cases for the week, rising from 14.2 per 100,000 to 76.6 in the week to 11 July.

Yes but the local news is featuring Blackburn with Darwen more than Pendle despite Nelson and Brierfield being the second highest in the country. Makes no sense to me.

Also nonsensical is that facemasks or coverings will become mandatory for everyone in shops, but the same does not apply to the shopkeeper? This is stupidity at the highest level. They are occupying the same enclosed space as the customers, breathing in and expelling the same air, makes no sense at all.

[plaques]

Yes but the local news is featuring Blackburn with Darwen more than Pendle despite Nelson and Brierfield being the second highest in the country. Makes no sense to me.

As predicted all the new outbreaks will be explained by chopping the numbers up into small parcels reducing them to a size that can be safely ignored or catagorised under a vague headings such as 'high household occupancy contact'. The fact that it could continue to ripple through the Pendle corridor needs a bit more brain power than our government appears to have.
On Face Masks.
Click and collect at Argos Colne, Incidentally to collect another G7 Motorola phone, the only way I could stop Mrs P 'permanently borrowing mine, Mrs P wearing mask Stopped at the door by an assistant not wearing mask and directed to collection point. Out again in 2 minutes flat.
Colne Market Hall outer shop. Intending to by a phone wallet, shop all marked out for distance, again the assistant with no mask but kept a good distance away. Reasonably happy with the setup.
Colne Market Hall inside. Everybody wearing masks. Quick look at my Samaritans book stall, they were just restocking after the closure. All books had been quarantined in a separate location before hitting the shelves. Felt happy with the measures but would re-quarantine them If I made any purchases.
Mrs P into Boots Chemists. Full masks and screens and distance markers. Very well organised.

A sideline comment, Drove down Albert Rd and saw a middle aged couple 2 metres apart in conversation actually laughing. Cheered me up no end.

[Stanley]

Two sections of MD's article on Covid fro this week's PE. The man talks sense.

[Tripps]

Is this 'spooky'? - getting close. . .

Speaking of experts - there's one who is on the radio quite often now - BBC and LBC. He's Doctor Chris Smith who is described as a virologist from Cambridge. I like what I hear from him. I googled him of course - seems to be world wide expert.

Anyway - it 'emerged' that he is married to Sarah Smith 'a GP in S. Cambridgeshire'. Well my GP is called Sarah Smith - so after a telephone appointment yesterday, which went well, I asked her if Dr Chris was her husband - and she confirmed that he was. I told her to give him a pat on the back, and thank him from me, for clear well presented information. She said she would. I felt a bit cheeky, but the chat was going so well -it seemed the natural thing to do. She said he'd be pleased at the feedback.
"
"Chris Smith is a consultant medical virologist and a lecturer at the University of Cambridge and is also a Fellow Commoner at Queens' College, Cambridge.

Outside the Public health and Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Chris is busy with the Naked Scientists. He laid the foundations for the Naked Scientists radio show, podcast and website back in 1999. He currently co-presents the Naked Scientists, is a science correspondent for the ABC RN (Radio National) Breakfast show, Australia, presents "5 live Science" on BBC Radio 5 live on Sunday mornings and also talks science and answers listeners' questions for thirty minutes every Friday morning on Primedia's Talk Radio 702 / 567 CapeTalk, in South Africa. Periodically he also appears on Radio New Zealand National's "This Way Up" to talk about recent scientific breakthroughs.

Previously, Chris also created the Royal Society of Chemistry's "Chemistry World" and "Chemistry in its Element" podcasts"

[PanBiker]

Here is the YouTube video from Stanley's post:

Learning to cope with post post viral fatigue

[Tizer]

A very brief video...
`How to stop your glasses steaming up with a mask on' LINK

[plaques]

Yes but the local news is featuring Blackburn with Darwen more than Pendle despite Nelson and Brierfield being the second highest in the country. Makes no sense to me.

Returning to this subject. Pendle have a new case coronavirus count of 74 per 100,000. but Pendle doesn't have a population of 100,000, the last estimate was 92,000, this makes the count roughly 10% lower = 67 cases. but then we are told its mainly in the Brierfield and Nelson areas.
Pendles population in round figures...
Brierfield = 10,000. Nelson = 29,000 . Colne = 19,000. Barnoldswick = 10,500. Barrowford = 6,000.
If we suppose that the bulk of the cases are Brierfield and Nelson and allocated a figure of 60 to them and then divided them in proportion to the population this would give a rate of 150 per 100,000.
Should we be concerned if we were to view figures as high as this? Perhaps not but it does demonstrate that figures without explanation become meaningless. Also I suspect that our local leaders haven't a clue what is going on irrespective of how you present the numbers. Mushroom management.

[PanBiker]

Here is the latest from Pendle Borough Council:

Urgent action plan to prevent local lockdown in Pendle due to coronavirus spike

[Stanley]

I watched the video Ian. What good clear communication! Can you see why I like the man? (Incidentally, I conform exactly to his CLANGERS, reassuring....)
Ken, what a good and perceptive post. Dead right, and breathe it not but could Asian Family habits be a factor? I know it's verboten to mention race and ethnicity but it does seem to be pertinent.

[plaques]

Unfortunately the Asian community are where we were 80 years ago, some with large families and cramped accommodation. If this virus does hit an Asian family the probability is that the outcome is worse than that of the average white population. In this respect we shouldn't stand back and ignore the situation we should make every effort to help them and by doing so help ourselves. On the face of it Pendle's plan is to carry on as we are but follow the recommendations. This isn't a plan its carry on and see what happens. Ostrich stuff.