Current Affairs

[david63]

that is over 200 per day

Which less that half the number that die from cancer each day - just another sobering thought.

(https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health ... for-the-uk)

[oldbluefox]

460 people each day die from heart disease according to bhf.

The figures for Covid deaths are sobering and sad but it's important to keep the situation in context. We don't know the context of those in hospital or those who lose their lives.

[towny44]

150,000 deaths in the UK have been put down to COVID. A very sobering thought ... that is over 200 per day and about 1 in every 450 people.

I am not quite certain what point you are making, especially as my last post was referring to the present vaccinated population getting used to living with a milder variant of covid.

[Kendhni]

that is over 200 per day

Which less that half the number that die from cancer each day - just another sobering thought.

(https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health ... for-the-uk)

There is something strange with the numbers on that site. On one hand an infographic claims that in the 2 year period 2016-2018 166K people lost their lives to cancer, on another part they say that is 450 per day (which I believe is the more accurate number).

The big 3, dementia, heart and neoplasms, are things we have lived with for many years, however COVID was non-existent 2 years ago. I don't see this as a competition, just sad that something that was non-existent 2 years ago has grown to be the top killer in many months during the past 2 years. I also suspect there will be a knock on effect to those with other diseases since, in some cases, they cannot get the treatment they need.

I know some will argue about how things are counted, but in the absence of any other credible, verifiable data we have to go with the only evidence the government is supplying. That sort of reminds me of a survey done about 15-20 years ago, during the Blair era, when each department in the health service was asked to provide numbers for their department. One of the figures that came out was that when they added together the number of patients that had died in the care of each department, the total number exceeded 120% of actual deaths in the UK for that year ... that is explainable but shows the poor quality of counting at the time.

[david63]

There is something strange with the numbers on that site. On one hand an infographic claims that in the 2 year period 2016-2018 166K people lost their lives to cancer,

In the details it actually says that it us 166k a year

[Stephen]

Interesting if correct.

https://www.facebook.com/1007820164/pos ... 264161698/

[david63]

Interesting if correct.

https://www.facebook.com/1007820164/pos ... 264161698/

Link not working

[Kendhni]

There is something strange with the numbers on that site. On one hand an infographic claims that in the 2 year period 2016-2018 166K people lost their lives to cancer,

In the details it actually says that it is 166k a year

Yea, as I said I believe the bigger number (per annum) is correct and the infographic is wrong

[Mervyn and Trish]

There will always be arguments over how the number is calculated. The 28 day rule is one controversial element. If someone has a test and dies within that period of having a test they are counted even if the cause of death is being hit by a bus. It is really a measure of died with Covid, rather than died of Covid. And anyone who dies on day 29 isn't counted. All that makes any comparison with other countries whose counting methods vary suspect. However the number of excess deaths compared to the 5 year average and the associated graphs show this has been a hugely significant event. It does not provide reliable evidence for political posturing and what ifs. No-one can properly judge what might have been from what was.

[Onelife]

The big 3, dementia, heart and neoplasms, are things we have lived with for many years, however COVID was non-existent 2 years ago. I don't see this as a competition, just sad that something that was non-existent 2 years ago has grown to be the top killer in many months during the past 2 years. I also suspect there will be a knock on effect to those with other diseases since, in some cases, they cannot get the treatment they need.

A sobering thought Ken

[Gill W]

Well, it looks like fans of ‘we just gotta live with it’ are going to be excited

The messaging in the client newspapers this morning is very much that it’s over. The government messaging is now to soften us up to expect free lateral flow testing to be phased out. Also the need for PCR testing is to be reduced this week, so the daily figures will look like they are reducing. The Observer’s front page even suggests that mass vaccination should be scaled back.

The trouble is, the virus can’t be bent to our will, no matter how much people want to pretend it’s 2019 and we act like it doesn’t exist. An illness that is treated as ‘endemic’ can’t be ignored - especially if ‘endemic’ is something like 1 in 50 people have the virus at any one time, It will continue to make people ill, it will kill people, it will use the resources of the health service and it will continue to mutate. It will always be one step ahead of us.

And we don’t even know what the long term effects of the virus will be.

Very, very concerning situation.

[david63]

Very, very concerning situation.

So what is your plan to return to some semblance of normality?

[Ray B]

Very, very concerning situation.

So what is your plan to return to some semblance of normality?

I do think that is something we are hoping to see gradually as the year progress.

[Stephen]

Interesting if correct.

https://www.facebook.com/1007820164/pos ... 264161698/

Link not working

Try this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-33w1Kf0Mg

[Ray B]

So cut through the BS, was Nigel just trying to get his message out at the end.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Never mind the client newspapers, whatever that means, what is Twitter saying? That's what matters.

[Onelife]

Interesting if correct.

https://www.facebook.com/1007820164/pos ... 264161698/

Link not working

Try this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-33w1Kf0Mg

I think sporting icons have a moral responsibility to set good examples, his failure in not having any covid vaccinations will have influenced some of his country folk, of which over 12,000 of them have died.

Deport him!

[david63]

his failure in not having any covid vaccinations

If, as is currently being reported, he has had Covid recently then that is a valid reason to not be vaccinated - in fact in the UK you cannot be vaccinated if you have recently had Covid. However not getting your paperwork right is another matter and entirely his own responsibility.

I think sporting icons have a moral responsibility to set good examples

Do not disagree - unfortunately there are many in the sporting world who do not. The last I read was that around 20% of English league football players have not been vaccinated.

[Stephen]

It will be interesting what the outcome is tomorrow….or !

Novak Djokovic: Australia loses bid to delay tennis star's visa appeal https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-59926777

[Onelife]

his failure in not having any covid vaccinations

If, as is currently being reported, he has had Covid recently then that is a valid reason to not be vaccinated - in fact in the UK you cannot be vaccinated if you have recently had Covid. However not getting your paperwork right is another matter and entirely his own responsibility.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2022 ... ovid-last/

He clearly has no concept of what being responsible is

I think sporting icons have a moral responsibility to set good examples

Do not disagree - unfortunately there are many in the sporting world who do not. The last I read was that around 20% of English league football players have not been vaccinated.

[Manoverboard]

Athletes do apparently have a genuine concern that the jabs can affect their levels of fitness going forward but they have reason and experience to be less concerned if they catch it as the effects thus far are seen to be minimal. The only problem is that the Clubs, in the case of footy, will not be able to pick them to play when they test positive.
.

[towny44]

Well, it looks like fans of ‘we just gotta live with it’ are going to be excited

The messaging in the client newspapers this morning is very much that it’s over. The government messaging is now to soften us up to expect free lateral flow testing to be phased out. Also the need for PCR testing is to be reduced this week, so the daily figures will look like they are reducing. The Observer’s front page even suggests that mass vaccination should be scaled back.

The trouble is, the virus can’t be bent to our will, no matter how much people want to pretend it’s 2019 and we act like it doesn’t exist. An illness that is treated as ‘endemic’ can’t be ignored - especially if ‘endemic’ is something like 1 in 50 people have the virus at any one time, It will continue to make people ill, it will kill people, it will use the resources of the health service and it will continue to mutate. It will always be one step ahead of us.

And we don’t even know what the long term effects of the virus will be.

Very, very concerning situation.

Gill, do you actually believe all these dire warnings you keep pointing out, or do you get some sort of morbid satisfaction from all the doom and gloom forecats?
If you accept that covid is now endemic, then it is important that we need to develop a policy of how we live with it, and that will have to be with the least stringent rules possible, in a similar manner to how we live with winter flu.

[Gill W]

So what is your plan to return to some semblance of normality?

I can only plan my own life, regardless of what the government messaging is.

I will continue to monitor the progress of the pandemic as much as I can, and , as now use this information to inform my actions when I go on any outings. Although, I suspect the government will soon be withdraw it's daily information, so this will become increasingly more difficult.

Unfortunately, some of the things I used to enjoy like cruising and going to the theatre will be off the agenda, in favour of things like self catering holidays, where I can maintain a bit of distance and go to places at quieter times. Also, I'll continue to wear my mask, and take any vaccinations that are offered. This, for me is 'living with it'. An acceptance that life has changed and that 2019 is not coming back.

Gill, do you actually believe all these dire warnings you keep pointing out, or do you get some sort of morbid satisfaction from all the doom and gloom forecats?
If you accept that covid is now endemic, then it is important that we need to develop a policy of how we live with it, and that will have to be with the least stringent rules possible, in a similar manner to how we live with winter flu.
[/quote]


Your first sentence is ridiculous and insulting. I'm not going to grace it with a reply.

Regarding the endemicity of Covid. We are still in a pandemic, but it seems clear that Covid will be with us for many years, so yes, it will become endemic. But this is not a good thing. I know a lot of people think that 'endemic' is good, because they think it means they can ignore it and they can start living their 2019 lives again.

But this is not true, an endemic illness still needs monitoring and action needs to be taken to keep it at the accepted level. Also we still have to work to eliminate even endemic diseases, even though we might not see the benefit of this in our lifetimes. For example TB and smallpox were once endemic, and were for 100's of years. it was only quite recently that we managed to eliminate smallpox.

I only had flu once, about 25 years ago and it knocked me out for about 3 weeks. I don't particularly want to be risking that every year with a high endemicity illness like Covid.

Regarding the long term effects of Covid, I personally know someone who's life has been changed by Covid. Unfortunately he has multiple organ damage, and after much investigation, it turned out that both he and his wife had Covid without even knowing it. In his case the virus caused the organ damage. His life has been completely changed. He went from being a very fit person, to someone who can't walk very far without becoming breathless.

I know a lot of people would prefer to stick their heads where the sun doesn't shine and ignore these things - but it will have to be faced by everyone sooner or later. I'm facing it now, and it is very difficult to accept that life has changed. But I find it easier than pretending that we are going to be able to go back to 2019

[Mervyn and Trish]

It seems the government minister interviewed this morning wasn't copied into the "government messaging" as he denied LFTs are being scrapped.

And despite the cynicism of some I have more confidence in him than I have in the Sunday Times, which is, from personal experience of dealing with it, a disreputable rag happy to print stories which it knows are untrue.

[Stephen]

Djokovic wins court case.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-a ... type=share