For those who are following the statistics around the current situation with covid and making comparisons between the UK and other countries, this is a fascinating thread.
All I know is that there are nearly 50,000 cases today in the Uk, with a huge number coming from 10-15 year old schoolkids (and then their parents), with certain schools with only 50% of kids in attendance.
Countries in Europe have about 5,000 - 7,000 cases a day (France and Germany) - with a large amount of testing still in France because, up until right now, it's freely available to anyone. The positivity rates obviously show that it's not the amount of testing, anyway.
And so, what's going on? Well, could it be that masks are still obligatory in French secondary schools?
And still obligatory in primary schools unless the department has less than 50 cases per 100,000 habitants for 4 days on the trot.
All I know is that there are nearly 50,000 cases today in the Uk, with a huge number coming from 10-15 year old schoolkids (and then their parents), with certain schools with only 50% of kids in attendance.
Countries in Europe have about 5,000 - 7,000 cases a day (France and Germany) - with a large amount of testing still in France because, up until right now, it's freely available to anyone. The positivity rates obviously show that it's not the amount of testing, anyway.
And so, what's going on? Well, could it be that masks are still obligatory in French secondary schools?
And still obligatory in primary schools unless the department has less than 50 cases per 100,000 habitants for 4 days on the trot.
And the fact that the universities arent seeing many cases must be down to a larger vaccinated cohort at that age?
Partly maybe but also that (apart from a bit of freshers frolicking) uni students are far less 'densely' populated and for far shorter hours - speaking to two students in London this week, they have two hours of physical lectures per week, and one hour of tutorials - now they might meet friends etc (I'm sure they do) but it's hardly the same as classes of kids right together, from 9 till 4, five days a week
Partly maybe but also that (apart from a bit of freshers frolicking) uni students are far less 'densely' populated and for far shorter hours - speaking to two students in London this week, they have two hours of physical lectures per week, and one hour of tutorials - now they might meet friends etc (I'm sure they do) but it's hardly the same as classes of kids right together, from 9 till 4, five days a week
True although in my daughters halls they share 10 folks in a shared flat, kitchen and living space and hang out together a lot.
All I know is that there are nearly 50,000 cases today in the Uk, with a huge number coming from 10-15 year old schoolkids (and then their parents), with certain schools with only 50% of kids in attendance.
Countries in Europe have about 5,000 - 7,000 cases a day (France and Germany) - with a large amount of testing still in France because, up until right now, it's freely available to anyone. The positivity rates obviously show that it's not the amount of testing, anyway.
And so, what's going on? Well, could it be that masks are still obligatory in French secondary schools?
And still obligatory in primary schools unless the department has less than 50 cases per 100,000 habitants for 4 days on the trot.
As I have said before, its not rocket science. The virus is doing what its designed to do i.e. spread and we are helping it, by not adhering to the practices we know will limit that. Mainly mask wearing and social distancing (especially in crowded spaces indoors)
Just going up and up with this laissez-faire failing UK government.
Yes, with the vaccine roll-out there is nothing like the previous consequences. But deaths are rising a bit again. And the ongoing big absence consequences do no help to the ecomomy or education in this country or help out our hospitals. MASKS where some real danger of spread, such as on public transport and in shops, please folk!!! If our leaders won't lead let us all try and do our own bit to help against covid and prevent our international reputation for competence falling yet further.
Sorry for sermonising a bit but I get so angry and frustrated, particularly with Boris and co, Jacob Rees-Moggs latest being that Tory MPs have no need to wear masks in the Commons chamber because they know each other so well given the convivial fraternal spirit that exists in their party and are following government guidelines.
On a week to week basis Scotland's new case numbers are nothing to write home about but from being over twice as high as the UK as a whole 6 weeks ago are now about a quarter lower than the UK as a whole.
-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 21st of October 2021 06:20:46 PM
Just going up and up with this laissez-faire failing UK government.
Yes, with the vaccine roll-out there is nothing like the previous consequences. But deaths are rising a bit again. And the ongoing big absence consequences do no help to the ecomomy or education in this country or help out our hospitals. MASKS where some real danger of spread, such as on public transport and in shops, please folk!!! If our leaders won't lead let us all try and do our own bit to help against covid and prevent our international reputation for competence falling yet further.
Sorry for sermonising a bit but I get so angry and frustrated, particularly with Boris and co, Jacob Rees-Moggs latest being that Tory MPs have no need to wear masks in the Commons chamber because they know each other so well given the convivial fraternal spirit that exists in their party and are following government guidelines.
On a week to week basis Scotland's new case numbers are nothing to write home about but from being over twice as high as the UK as a whole 6 weeks ago are now about a quarter lower than the UK as a whole.
-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 21st of October 2021 06:20:46 PM
When we took our daughter up to uni the other week and spent a weekend in Edinburgh, we noticed a completely different attitude. In Shops, hotel, restaurants everyone kept their masks on , very disciplined. we went and did a big shop with her in m and s food store and Id say 99 per cent had masks on. Ive literally just been to our local m and s here. Id say 5 percent, maybe 10 percent max had masks on.
That's because it's still the law in Scotland to wear masks Indoors in public places
yeah, I realised that watching question time last night, still I think it is effective and being followed whereas here, there is effectively a free for all.
The downside is all lectures are all online in Scotland still which is not the real teaching and learning experience students need and hopefully that can change soon
The government needs to act now as Corona cases rise and fears grow that vaccine immunity levels are starting to wane among the most vulnerable. There seems to be a lot of confusion over the roll out of booster vaccines.
Sage has met just three times since July because there is lessened demand from ministers for scientific advice
Cant help worrying that there will be a 4th wave this winter.If the government wont do anything, people need to act for themselves and protect each other. Wearing masks (seems to be few people actually doing this in shops and on public transport), working from home where possible, regular testing (many people are asymptotic) and getting vaccinated/booster shots
I think that a major part of the problem is that there is no effective opposition at present so Boris and his chums can do whatever they want.
I couldn't agree more.
I had SUCH high hopes for Keir - irrelevant as to whether I would have voted Labour or not (not sure) but simply to provide a proper opposition, as you say, after the Corbyn nightmare.
And yet he is AWOL, invisible, utterly not at the races, or so it seems to me.
And so, yes, Boris looks at the polls (as he always does) and says no worries, let's just carry on...
Re the Scotland comment, well done to them, and shows the law works, no? The crying shame about masks etc is that no one likes them BUT you had just about got the country accepting them and wearing them. That was hard work and should have been banked. But they let it all go because a couple of people said some guff about 'liberties'....
Minister Keegan said yesterday she wasn't wearing one because it's not 'comfortable' wearing a mask - and this is supposed to be the British bulldog backbone that got us through the war and all that ! She's not comfortable, oh dear .....
And 'we're not a country that tells people what to wear'. Pardon? Motorbike helmets?
When I look at countries that I currently know well (about 4 different ones, from being there and from family members there), mask wearing seems to be the clearest difference.
Some, like France, are identical in every way as a profile, except for masks and vaccine passes.
Some, like Japan, had less vaccinated people, only have the Delta variant, are very densely populated, are back at work, and bars etc are open (pretty much).
And according to the Reuters covid tracker
Japan: 2 infections per 100k people.
France: 50 infections per 100k people
UK: 479 infections per 100k people
And nothing to do with amount of tests, the positivity rates are just scary......
I think that a major part of the problem is that there is no effective opposition at present so Boris and his chums can do whatever they want.
I couldn't agree more.
I had SUCH high hopes for Keir - irrelevant as to whether I would have voted Labour or not (not sure) but simply to provide a proper opposition, as you say, after the Corbyn nightmare.
And yet he is AWOL, invisible, utterly not at the races, or so it seems to me.
Also thought Kier could be a good replacement for Jeremy Marmite Corbin. A grammar school boy from a normal background, he probably has a far greater understanding of every day peeps than the Tory posh boys. However he was thought to be ineffective in his shadow cabinet role and is very ineffective as a leader. Just pops up occasionally to rubbish what the government are doing without having any suggestions of his own. Constructive criticism and alternatives are whats required!
There are a couple of leading think tanks saying the positive tests have peaked and will drop down quite quickly to around 5k.
Increased vaccines for 12-15 Yr olds, booster jabs and a lot of people have built immunity recently having contracted the virus.