Coronavirus (Covid19) Corner

[Marilyn]

Well, I am probably reading all the wrong graphs ( or reading the right graphs up the wrong way), but I think there is a measure of control in UK. Mind you, complacency will be the downfall. If things get a further hold, it will be devastating.
I can look closer to home to find that! I see tonight that all of the state of Victoria must now wear masks. ( please don’t let these folk over our border or we will get taken down too). It is a big worry, when there are “Covidiots” sneaking through and giving false details.

[Tizer]

I feel as though I'm outnumbered on this subject. In my normal sceptical way I was saying how opportune it is for the government to be taking such an interest in the BAME population now that the covid-19 virus has killed such large numbers off.

Keep in mind that no matter how much research you do on the responses of different ethnic groups to infectious diseases you still have to do a study from scratch again when a new virus emerges, as with covid-19.

It may seem that comparative studies on ethnic groups are relatively new but back in the 1970s I was listening to presentations on how people from south-east Asia and the Pacific Islands differed from North Americans in their response to diet. When the Asia/Pacific people switched to a typical Western diet they suffered much more from obesity and heart disease than did the Americans. Unfortunately a lot of good research fails to be acted upon and gets swept away under the steam roller of commercialism, marketing, economics etc.

[Big Kev]

Home testing kit ordered yesterday, arrived by Amazon courier at lunchtime today.

Easy to follow instructions.
Hardest bit was not gagging when swabbing my tonsils and folding the return box, it had a mind of it's own and kept springing open. It was fine on e all the tabs were in place but it would have been easier if I had 3 hands.
Placed in a priority post box (handy that there's one just over the road) and the job is done.

[Tripps]

Side issue but important.
I saw a TV programme with Tony Singh the Scottish chef visiting Fiji. A line stuck in my teflon memory. 'Welcome to Suva, the Type two Diabetes capital of the world'.

Fiji

Must be a large factor, but I'm guessing there is more than diet involved here.

********************

I agree with Plaques a few posts back when he said this is not the second wave - It's still the tail end of the first. Half the country is behaving as if it's all over and it is far from that.
I've been a bit pessimistic throughout, and not much has changed. The country is close to 'trading whilst insolvent' and the coming events won't make that any better.

I made some decisions a while ago and for me nothing has changed. I am working on the basis of what I see, not what Boris and his gang tell me.

That said - I keep cheerful, and have on two other fronts, had an absolutely amazing day. Might tell you more one day. My delivery man came exactly on time Maz.

[plaques]

I made some decisions a while ago and for me nothing has changed. I am working on the basis of what I see, not what Boris and his gang tell me.

I suspect you are not alone judging by the posts on One Guy. Every statistic is telling us that the UK is going down the Covid tube. There are more Covid bubbles than in a witches cauldron. Just a minor dislocation in the time compendium but never fear everything will come together in the end we are told. Someone should point out that in the end we are all dead and we are not to keen on rushing into this state. But from the top of his dead cat mountain he can see that everything will be back to normal by Christmas, that is if you live that long and have come out of your medically induced coma. But Caesar Boris has decreed that to show this wimp of a virus has lost its sting all those who have been mistakenly hiding away from it can now face it head on. Ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die.

What will change from August 1?
From Saturday 1 August, the 2.2million plus clinically vulnerable people in England will officially be told they no longer have to shield from the virus.

It will bring to an end a period of isolation lasting more than four months.

[Big Kev]

Further restrictions in Pendle just announced
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53602362

[Wendyf]

I was looking forward to family coming up from Devon for a couple of days next week for my 70th.

[Tripps]

There has been very little notice for the latest restrictions and perhaps it's connected with the fact that the festival of Eid al Adha starts tonight until Monday. The measure seem to be specifically aimed at more than one family meeting together which is what usually happens.


More confusion. . .

[Marilyn]

You don’t seem to be having much luck with celebrations of any kind, Wendy.

[Stanley]

I was surprised to hear yesterday that many home carers don't qualify for testing and are refused it.

[Big Kev]

I was surprised to hear yesterday that many home carers don't qualify for testing and are refused it.

Depends where they are located, currently anyone in Pendle (symptomatic or not) can be tested. Not sure what other areas this includes...

[Tizer]

I was surprised to hear yesterday that many home carers don't qualify for testing and are refused it.

If by home carers you are referring to unpaid carers looking after someone in his/her own home then this is relevant: `COVID-19 testing now available for unpaid carers' LINK

Side issue but important. I saw a TV programme with Tony Singh the Scottish chef visiting Fiji. A line stuck in my teflon memory. 'Welcome to Suva, the Type two Diabetes capital of the world'. Fiji. Must be a large factor, but I'm guessing there is more than diet involved here.

That's typical of what I was referring to, Tripps. The Pacific Islanders are genetically more susceptible to the diseases that result from bad Western diets. The same was seen when native Hawaiians changed to an American diet. The man in the article was brought up in his village on a local diet of fish and fruit but then he moved to the capital Suva and changed to the western diet. All this was known in the 1970s but the warnings from nutritionists were drowned out by the publicity of supermarkets, Coca Cola, MacDonald's etc. (All very similar to the stories about tobacco and climate change currently being aired on Radio 4 each day at lunchtime.)

[Tripps]

Good interview on Sky News with one Councillor John Pennington Tory leader of Bradford Council (I think). He was asked if these measures were taken deliberately because of the imminence of Eid - he answered quite simply "yes".

Refreshing to see the absence of spin bluster and dissembling in a reply from any politician - let alone a Tory. Eventually reality has to be handled.

PS It looks like the Crucible World Snooker which started today with a partial audience, may have to have a re-think. I don't think there will be much of a crowd tomorrow or even this afternoon.

[Tizer]

No wonder the PM has postponed easing lockdown when you see these photos of the beaches and train...
`Beach crowds descend on Bournemouth, Brighton and Poole' LINK

[Stanley]

You're right about the Snooker at the Crucible David no spectators at all from now on but there are hopes that in 17 days, when they have the final, that restriction might have been lifted.
Pater, it was private care homes with paid carers and 'care villages.
I heard a lady from I think it was Victoria talking about the level of deaths in privately run care homes in Australia being far higher that in the state run ones. She was quite certain that the difference was because workers in state homes had qualifications and were well paid whereas the private ones ran on minimum wages and had far less qualified staff. Sounds plausible to me.

[Marilyn]

Partly true re Australian Private Care homes re the minimum wages, Stanley. This means that a lot of the workers take on extra shifts across several sites (Typhoid Mary’s). They are also reluctant to take sick days as they need the money to make ends meet. With this current wave of Covid they have been limiting workers to one site. A bit late now the horse has done a runner...

[Stanley]

I like her basic premise, employ qualified staff and give them good wages and conditions. Sounds like a no-brainer to me and Sir Andrew Dilnot would agree.

[Marilyn]

Where will the money come from, Stanley? The residents and families can’t afford to pay more...
( and to be honest, you don’t need a lot of highly trained staff changing sheets, bathing/feeding/toileting old people)

[Stanley]

Maz, we are talking about basic social facilities in relatively rich developed societies. If like me you believe that a society is measured by the way it treats the elderly, disabled and less fortunate the answer is obvious. It should come from central government by cutting back on large vanity projects and concentrating on the basics. The first question to ask is is it morally acceptable to accept dividends from an organisation that profits from providing for old frail people, forcing them to sell assets to pay for basic care?
What is society and our financial system for? Increasing the wealth of the capital holders or providing for the welfare of people who have spent their lives contributing to that system. It's called community responsibility.

[Marilyn]

I know. It is a can of worms!
On the flip side, families don’t want to contribute more than granny’s own pension for her care...sad but true. Meanwhile, Granny has often been saving for a rainy day all her life and she doesn’t realise it is raining!
The truly poor and disabled get better care in facilities than granny who may be cash poor but wants to leave her assets/home to the family. My own thoughts are that if I ever find myself needing care, I will pay for it, and the kids can have what is left. Hubby and I have discussed this many times. For once, we will put our needs first and make sure we are getting the care we require ( and we will do it for each other of course, should the need arise). We haven’t paid Superannuation and made investments all our working lives to leave the bulk of it to the kids.

[Marilyn]

This was in today’s paper re Motor Neurone Disease...

[Marilyn]

Some nursing homes will only take people who are continent. They refuse incontinent clients.
I realise this is a very difficult topic to talk about. I accept we have very different health care systems.
In our world, if you pay peanuts, you get peanuts.
We have no cradle to grave health care here.

[plaques]

Returning to a more local issue. Its been know for a couple of weeks that in the local Muslim community has seen an increase in the number of covid cases. Even this data was glacier slow in being released to the councils who could only guess at the reasons for the increase. Now with just three hours before the big celebrations of Eid they are told not to have family gatherings. Preparations have been made, food travel accommodation and that's just the start. Why didn't they flood the areas with leaflets emphasising the dangers and request contact details for visitors and worshipers. Not a perfect solution but better that the current actions which smacks of Islamophobia and racism. Compare this with the masses of people on the beaches. No bulldozers moving them on or Black Mirias carting people off. One starts to think that Blackburn Burnley and Pendle have become a forgotten corner and consigned to the dustbin of history.

[Marilyn]

Wouldn’t we say the same, if they announced this on Dec24th?
( not that there would be folk on the beach)

[PanBiker]

We had to surrender contact details along with the order for our lunch yesterday in Cleveleys.