Generic Virus Thread

[Genie]

1 hour ago, chrisp65 said:

It is promising. But there are a lot of variables.

The average age in SA is 28, here its 41, we have far more older people. I would suspect that for that same reason, we also have significantly more people with other existing conditions, in that you tend to collect illnesses and problems as you get older. 5.5% of South Africans are aged over 65, it’s closer to 20% in the UK, so crudely, we have four times as many elderly as a percentage of our population.

But it is promising. I’d love for this ‘wave’ to be a non-event.

If it turns out to be much milder then I expect Boris to open everything up and also introduce a “kiss a stranger to help out” scheme to really speed up the herd immunity.

[CVByrne]

Just now, Genie said:

If it turns out to be much milder then I expect Boris to open everything up and also introduce a “kiss a stranger to help out” scheme to really speed up the herd immunity.

The latest daily infection data from London showing highest daily figure yet isn't great news. It's still not too bad where the average is still in that mid 20k region.

People in hospital with Covid only increased a little over 100 though. So it's still looking good on that front. Seems hospital stay time is low in this wave. 

[trekka]

EDIT: ignore me - I read the data wrong. 

About 8000 in hospital now compared to something in the region of 40000 in hospital back in January .

Edited December 22, 2021 by trekka

[a m ole]

1 hour ago, villakram said:

Don't blame me. I'm not the one who decided to call these things vaccines and then having to do all sorts of dances when people who have been vaccinated are becoming sick all over the place.

So much of all of these issues could have been avoided if those in pharma land decided to call these what they are, instead of re-defining the pre-pandemic meaning of the word vaccine. Anyway, something to note for the next pandemic, as it's of feck all use to argue about it now.

Lol what? The Smallpox vaccine, the first one, which invented the term, was only 95-% effective. It seems the misunderstanding was all yours.

[nick76]

36 minutes ago, El Zen said:

If treated as one large single event, my student years were extremely formative. As life-defining as anything. 

Maybe this is where we differ and life experiences differ thus answer the previous question differently.  I had an amazing Uni time but is only one of a number of large single events/life defining in my life that has shaped me in my 45 years of life.

[fightoffyour]

1 hour ago, bickster said:

When you're older (I know I know) you'll think being at the birth of your children, getting married etc will be much more important than a few pissups

Those just a few pissups as well to be fair

[mjmooney]

2 hours ago, villakram said:

Don't blame me. I'm not the one who decided to call these things vaccines and then having to do all sorts of dances when people who have been vaccinated are becoming sick all over the place

Do you by any chance post as 'VillaLad21' over in On Topic? 

[HanoiVillan]

6 hours ago, nick76 said:

Not only that, the generation he wants to tax are mostly retired and aren’t paying tax anymore.

Not endorsing the idea of the tweets here, but this objection is daft - there are plenty of other forms of taxation which would fall primarily on older generations (most obviously land/property, dividends, inhritances).

[Panto_Villan]

2 hours ago, nick76 said:

Wow, mate I don’t know what to say!  I get they are suffering but then you compare to the elderly loneliness or people losing their job and trying find food for their children.  You’ve honestly blown my mind that you think students then have suffered more!

It’s worth considering that students might overlap with the other groups you’ve mentioned too. Wealthy students might not have been inconvenienced much, but not everyone at uni is middle class. Those that do work overwhelmingly work in the kind of jobs that were lost in the pandemic and not covered by furlough. I knew students with kids too, etc.

I think on average student probably has been quite a bit harder than the life of the average working person in settled accommodation and full-time employment. 

Obviously the elderly have had it the worst on a day to day basis - but as others have said, they weren’t exactly expecting to be having the time of their lives anyway.

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, villakram said:

Don't blame me. I'm not the one who decided to call these things vaccines and then having to do all sorts of dances when people who have been vaccinated are becoming sick all over the place.

So much of all of these issues could have been avoided if those in pharma land decided to call these what they are, instead of re-defining the pre-pandemic meaning of the word vaccine. Anyway, something to note for the next pandemic, as it's of feck all use to argue about it now.

Even by your own extremely high standards, that's one hell of an indecipherable post.  I'm in awe. 

[HanoiVillan]

Just for one obvious point re 'suffering' through lockdowns, is it easier to be locked down in a flat or a house with a garden?

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, nick76 said:

Apologies I edited my post afterwards but too late

My issue with the comment though is most people are in a group(s) that has really suffered.  This pandemic has hit every group and most people aren’t in one group but many.  Almost everybody has impacted either through losing people, hit economically, mentally, physically, emotionally or whatever and I think students have had a shit time as everybody has said but that impact has been just as bad as every other group we can think of, even just a few examples in my quote above but there are many more.  I think very few people will come out of this unscathed. Students have been hit very hard but so has almost every other group and I find it hard to accept having also been a student in the past that their suffering, while really bad) has been harder than most other groups.

I think the issue is that the original tweet that lead to this discussion was some bloke basically wanting cash payment for young people putting themselves through the inconvenience of staying in to protect old people. 

Of course he completely missed the point that we all had to stay in and it was to protect the NHS from total implosion, not specifically old people.  In fact I'm sure Boris would happily chuck the old and infirm under a bus if the NHS didn't crumble under the strain of it. 

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, Genie said:

If it turns out to be much milder then I expect Boris to open everything up and also introduce a “kiss a stranger to help out” scheme to really speed up the herd immunity.

Tongue out to help out. 

Snappy 

 

[nick76]

15 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

Not endorsing the idea of the tweets here, but this objection is daft - there are plenty of other forms of taxation which would fall primarily on older generations (most obviously land/property, dividends, inhritances).

Really? Are these taxations going to generate enough revenue to cover the cost suggested in the tweet that would give everybody under the age of 30, quite a few thousand pounds each.

Not only the idea of the older generation having to pay a thank you taxation is disgusting imo but I can’t imagine any tax like that even getting a fraction of the money needed to cover the cost of giving all that money/stimulus to under 30’s.

[trekka]

2 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Tongue out to help out. 

Snappy 

 

[Genie]

2 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Tongue out to help out. 

Snappy 

 

Make out to help out.

[sidcow]

22 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

Just for one obvious point re 'suffering' through lockdowns, is it easier to be locked down in a flat or a house with a garden?

Definitely a flat. I know a lot of London City types living in swanky apartments who had a right miserable time of it. 

Edited December 22, 2021 by sidcow

[Rugeley Villa]

1 minute ago, trekka said:

Is that from when we last won the Fa Cup? 

[El Zen]

Or one Boris might use if caught offside: Step out to help out. 

[sidcow]

5 minutes ago, trekka said:

One of the most iconic photographs ever taken. 

Of course in 2021 he'd be arrested