OneGuyFromBarlick

Same here, Panbiker.

Stanley wrote: ↑01 Aug 2020, 02:40 Tizer it was private care homes with paid carers and 'care villages.

Then I don't understand the claim. Testing is available to all care home staff by the manager applying for it as explained in this gov.uk web page...
LINK
`Get coronavirus tests for a care home. Get coronavirus (COVID-19) testing kits to test the residents and staff of your care home. This testing is available throughout the UK. The staff and residents do not need to have coronavirus symptoms for you to get the tests..'.

P got her negative email this morning, no sign of my result yet...


Later

Your coronavirus test result is negative. You did not have the virus when the test was done.

And, if anyone is interested

Help the NHS with coronavirus vaccine research

Sign up below to be contacted about taking part in coronavirus vaccine studies.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavir ... -research/

Just heard the phrase 'differential shielding'. Sounds like we'll get it soon to deal with the increase in infections which will follow the easing of the lockdown.

I think it's a case of - 'this is where we came in' . That's what they wanted at the begining of this problem - until the consequences were exaggerated, and the policy changed.

I guess it's either that or bankruptcy. Glad I just bought another sack of flour. . . .

By the way is it in'. or in.' We pedants worry about such things.

Peter, the information was from a man who runs a private care provision company on R4 Today. Was he lying?
My beef at the moment is about pre Covid and post Covid. Pre doesn't matter, post is a myth, like the poor it will always be with us. This is reality. Holding out hope for a golden future is bunkum. (Same applies to Brexit. Can anyone see the point of the expensive TV ads promising a golden future?)

I’m back to Volunteering tomorrow after 19/20 weeks, doing my usual background admin support. A few things to be extra aware of and put into practice, it all seems quite straightforward. V’s who work on wards or in sensitive areas, or who are over 70yrs old (working anywhere) can’t return yet. Be ages I think.

You could well be right Cathy. Nice to know that you aren't affected and can go back to voluntary work. Take care!

Have a great day tomorrow Cazza.

Reports of even more severe lock down in Melbourne this morning.

Tripps wrote: ↑01 Aug 2020, 21:48 Just heard the phrase 'differential shielding'. Sounds like we'll get it soon to deal with the increase in infections which will follow the easing of the lockdown.

'differential shielding'. Sounds like we are invoking a bit of mathematical calculus where 'X' (covid) approaches zero and disappears altogether with a satisfactory pop. Much better than an integrated approach where it gets bigger where X approaches 'R' and we are all locked down for ever.
Must get out more!

The reports on R4 about carers being unable to get tested was about those working for homecare companies, at least that's what I understood from it.

I shall be making triple layered masks at some point this week. I truly believe we have been lucky thus far, but due to STUPID PEOPLE, believing life is ALL ABOUT THEM, life will change for us. Very disappointing to finally feel the brunt of human nature.

Wendyf wrote: ↑02 Aug 2020, 07:51 The reports on R4 about carers being unable to get tested was about those working for homecare companies, at least that's what I understood from it.

This is from the CQC web site here (under `testing' click to open the question `How can I access testing for staff and residents at my care home?': CQC
`All symptomatic and asymptomatic care home staff and residents in England are now eligible for testing to find out if they have coronavirus.'

Understood Tiz but these were carers going into peoples houses not in care homes.

I think we are disputing angels dancing on the head of a pin here on testing of carers. From anecdotal reports I am getting from the coal face testing on demand is not working. Ideally everyone in a care home should be tested at least once a week. When that starts happening we can relax a bit.
To go back to my beef; I don't believe any of this guff about the end of the pandemic or the golden future post Brexit. It is a con-trick to even talk about them. We are being subjected to news management on an enormous scale. Covid19 would be just as serious for me now as it would have been in March. End of story!
(I don't think I'm being pessimistic, this is reality.)

It looks like the government is faced with the choice of two undesirable options.
Keep the pubs open and accept that their users will pass the virus to old folk who consequently will die. or..
Open the schools and accept that the virus will work through parents to old folk who consequently will die.

Face with such a difficult choice they will probably go for a compromise of leaving pubs as they are and opening up the schools.
Result? Tin hats on Lads.

On testing of carers I've done a lot of searching since Stanley first raised the issue and according to the government testing is available to all carers. I think it boils down to the difference between availability and accessibility. It's officially available but in practice not accessible by all carers. This type of distinction seems to have applied in many instances during this pandemic, unfortunately.

The new rapid test in this morning's news is from Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd and this press release gives details: LINK
Accuracy is not stated in public yet but is said to be similar to the present tests.

The number of covid-19 infections and deaths in Iran are now shown to be much higher than the country admitted. `The position of the security services was not to admit to the existence of coronavirus in Iran'....
`Iran cover-up of coronavirus deaths revealed by data leak' LINK

How can the new tests be any good. They are not described as 'world-beating'. Or is that a good thing?

Stanley wrote: ↑03 Aug 2020, 12:09 How can the new tests be any good. They are not described as 'world-beating'. Or is that a good thing?

I think the government are being careful about 'bigging things up', they don't want this happening again...

Marilyn wrote: ↑02 Aug 2020, 08:21 I shall be making triple layered masks at some point this week. I truly believe we have been lucky thus far, but due to STUPID PEOPLE, believing life is ALL ABOUT THEM, life will change for us. Very disappointing to finally feel the brunt of human nature.

I made 6 today, three each. We have about 100 disposable ones which we will have to use in France , but we are trying to reduce the waste from disposable ones. I found a really good style on youtube, great fit, very quick to do. I made them on my overlocker which saved an extra seam or two . I used a 10 inch diameter plate and 10 inch narrow elastic on each side.
https://youtu.be/uRfhuRNua_E

Nice one Kev.
When Ian delivered my Sally masks he gave me a tip about sterilising them with a steam iron instead of full wash after one short use.
I noticed the other day a lady had twisted the elastic ear loop once and I have tried it, it works, mine fit better.

That video got me moving. I spent a good part of the morning ironing fabric and cutting out masks. All in neat stacks, ready for chain piecing tomorrow ( just run them through one after another and cut the threads in between to seperate them afterwards). I went a bit over board and think I have several dozen ( and I think I will triple layer them.
Haven’t got any narrow elastic in the house, so that will have to be sourced.
I shall set the machine up this afternoon, so I can just get on with things tomorrow. I think we are in for poor weather tomorrow anyway, so it will be a good day for sewing.
Hubby said he would not wear anything that wasn’t manly...the most mannish thing I had was a dark basket weave fabric, which will have to do. He is going to look like he has a cane basket on his face! I shall try not to laugh.

Just got this warning from a pal on the internet: Whatever you do, do not let people take your temperature on your forehead when you enter supermarkets. It causes memory loss. He went in to buy macaroni and cheese and came out with two packs of beer.

Oh dear...

That's on a level with Trumps latest pronouncements on Covid. We are in a mess but I feel sorry for America with a jerk like that in charge.
Later... See THIS Account of articles in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal. I don't know the site but recognise the Journal and it seems to be a very serious warning from a good source. Basically what it says is that unless track and trace is radically improved, reopening schools could trigger an even worse spike in Covid infection than we have seen so far.