Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[Supine]

The only ones I've seen for sale are single use.

I'd rather not risk re-using them.

Also as I understand it, to really protect you they'd need to be specifically fitted to your face, not just generic ones.

But I appreciate there are degrees of protection, and we all do what we can in our various circumstances.

The next level up requires fit testing. N95 fits superbly to almost everyones face, significantly better than surgical or cloth masks.

Buy five and swap them around daily. Covid doesn’t live on surfaces so you can mitigate contamination risks by doing that.

Single use doesn’t mean they fall apart or stop having electostatic protective properties after a few hours (although washing them may well bugger up that protection they offer so just let them sit on a shelf between uses).

 

[2hats]

What are the other countries doing differently?

 

[LeytonCatLady]

He looks so much like the first Blackadder in that shot. The rest of the time, he's Baldrick. "Are the words 'I have a cunning plan' marching with ill-deserved confidence in the direction of this conversation?"

 

[purenarcotic]

Sure, but day to day on the ground what is different. I know we’re run by a bunch of morons, that’s not quite what I’m trying to understand though.

 

[purenarcotic]

We imported the Delta variant & let it rip, which is why we are in the shit, it's only just starting to take off in the rest of Europe, no doubt partly because Brits have seeded it in holiday hotspots.

Is that literally it though, the variant I mean? They are all as open as we are?

 

[bimble]

Sure, but day to day on the ground what is different. I know we’re run by a bunch of morons, that’s not quite what I’m trying to understand though.

Spoke to my dad earlier, in Switzerland. Currently ..398 confirmed cases in the country, up from 60 so concerning.
Same basic rules as us (masks indoors in public places etc) the ones we are ditching on Monday. With 50,000 or whatever cases.
It’s the combination of our exceptional case numbers & our wild abandonment that makes us special.

 

[BillRiver]

The next level up requires fit testing. N95 fits superbly to almost everyones face, significantly better than surgical or cloth masks.

Buy five and swap them around daily. Covid doesn’t live on surfaces so you can mitigate contamination risks by doing that.

Single use doesn’t mean they fall apart or stop having electostatic protective properties after a few hours (although washing them may well bugger up that protection they offer so just let them sit on a shelf between uses).

OK thanks, that makes sense, and is useful info. Appreciated.

 

[elbows]

Is that literally it though, the variant I mean? They are all as open as we are?

You really have to wait, the biggest difference is timing. Not just timing of Delta seeding, but timing of previous waves, timing of restictions being imposed and relaxed.

Many countries in Europe had an Alpha wave quite a bit later than us (since we were the source of that variant). So their previous waves were often less time ago than ours.

And look at places like the Netherlands - they massively relaxed restrictions and then had to u-turn very quickly because their case numbers exploded really quickly. And unlike the UK, they hadnt planned for that level of growth in cases that quickly, so they u-turned and their leader even apologised for poor judgement.

I havent checked too many countries in detail recently, if I remember correctly then in addition to the Netherlands woes, Spain and Malta were going wrong. Oh and Greece, with a different variant.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Sky News is reporting that the government is considering putting France on the 'red list'.

COVID-19: Ministers to decide if France will be moved to red travel list within days

Sources have told Sky News that ministers are under pressure to make a decision before the end of the school term.

news.sky.com

 

[Supine]

Sky News is reporting that the government is considering putting France on the 'red list'.

COVID-19: Ministers to decide if France will be moved to red travel list within days

Sources have told Sky News that ministers are under pressure to make a decision before the end of the school term.

news.sky.com

Does that help keep Andrew Neil out of the country?

 

[purenarcotic]

You really have to wait, the biggest difference is timing. Not just timing of Delta seeding, but timing of previous waves, timing of restictions being imposed and relaxed.

Many countries in Europe had an Alpha wave quite a bit later than us (since we were the source of that variant). So their previous waves were often less time ago than ours.

And look at places like the Netherlands - they massively relaxed restrictions and then had to u-turn very quickly because their case numbers exploded really quickly. And unlike the UK, they hadnt planned for that level of growth in cases that quickly, so they u-turned and their leader even apologised for poor judgement.

I havent checked too many countries in detail recently, if I remember correctly then in addition to the Netherlands woes, Spain and Malta were going wrong. Oh and Greece, with a different variant.

Thank you, that’s really helpful.

 

[gentlegreen]

I suppose that's one day to spin things - put the rest of the world on the red list...

plus of course UK tourism industry ...

 

[Raheem]

I'm kind of glad I've got the inevitable out of the way now - and that it's been so mild (thus far).

Not necessarily. Pretty sure I've had it twice (once vanilla, once delta), including once after I'd had my first jab.

 

[editor]

Not necessarily. Pretty sure I've had it twice (once vanilla, once delta), including once after I'd had my first jab.

Unless you got tested you'll never know for sure though, and if you do get it the second time (which is very rare it seems) it's likely to be mild

You can catch covid-19 twice, but the second bout is likely to be mild

Several studies suggest that reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 is fairly rare in Europe and the US and when it does happen, symptoms are less severe second time round

www.newscientist.com

 

[Orang Utan]

The next level up requires fit testing. N95 fits superbly to almost everyones face, significantly better than surgical or cloth masks.

Buy five and swap them around daily. Covid doesn’t live on surfaces so you can mitigate contamination risks by doing that.

Single use doesn’t mean they fall apart or stop having electostatic protective properties after a few hours (although washing them may well bugger up that protection they offer so just let them sit on a shelf between uses).

the only reason i don’t use single use is cos of the waste

 

[sheothebudworths]

Loads of batshit stuff in this article, including -

On Friday it emerged that ministers have shelved proposals to urgently overhaul the app, however, which currently detects if a person has been within two metres of someone with Covid for more than 15 minutes and tells them to isolate for 10 days.

No 10 did not deny reports that people had been pinged through walls but said this would not affect a “large number” of people. It was a “matter for individuals” if they wanted to close windows at home to stop getting told to isolate, a spokesperson said.

So, in hot weather, and where we have been encouraged to invite visitors into our home with some obvious sensible guidance about ventilation/opening windows and doors, we should also shut them, to avoid getting pinged by next door (and/or to take personal responsibility for that happening)?

Eta - not to say I'm not relieved that they won't be tweaking the app to make it less sensitive to a more contagious variant, while also fuelling the spread.

And...

In a further sign that Downing Street has abandoned the notion that its roadmap is “irreversible”, the prime minister’s spokesperson also declined to rule out reimposing some lockdown restrictions but said Johnson wanted to avoid it “given the huge economic, social and health costs there are as a result”.

Contingency plans which outline “reimposing economic and social restrictions at a local, regional or national level if evidence suggests they are necessary to suppress or manage a dangerous variant”, are available, the Downing Street source said, but these would only be used as a “last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on the NHS”, which it is not currently facing.

But Lord Bethell, a health minister, signalled there would be no return to mandatory mask wearing, which will be dropped in most settings from Monday. He told the Lords on Friday: “Were we to mandate it, what is the option for the country? Are we going to issue tens of millions of fines to those who do not wear masks? If they do not wear them, will we lock them up in prison?”

I mean... do what we've already been doing for months and months, with no need to 'issue tens of millions of fines', let alone sling people in prison. It's not exactly an either/or situation, is it?

 

[sheothebudworths]

Unless you got tested you'll never know for sure though, and if you do get it the second time (which is very rare it seems) it's likely to be mild

You can catch covid-19 twice, but the second bout is likely to be mild

Several studies suggest that reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 is fairly rare in Europe and the US and when it does happen, symptoms are less severe second time round

www.newscientist.com

I can't read all of that - can you/someone c&p, please?

 

[a_chap]

 

[Supine]

the only reason i don’t use single use is cos of the waste

so don’t single use them. Its no safer to multi use another type of mask. The manufacturer cant say multiple use because they cant take responsibility for their product eternally.

 

[Orang Utan]

so don’t single use them. Its no safer to multi use another type of mask.

not if it comes apart in a washing machine or is less effective afterwads

 

[Supine]

not if it comes apart in a washing machine or is less effective afterwads

how often do you wash yours?

 

[Orang Utan]

how often do you wash yours?

after each use

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Don't put an FFP2 in a washing machine or in fact wash it at all.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Does that help keep Andrew Neil out of the country?

Doubtful, under government guidelines Andrew Neil classes as good for the economy and bypasses all rona controls and immigration barriers whereas a refugee who'll work there arses of to survive doesn't.

 

[Orang Utan]

Don't put an FFP2 in a washing machine or in fact wash it at all.

will it fall apart? i've just bought some disposables but can't afford to be using one just once. May end up sticking with the cloth ones, which also have the benefit of not going on your ears, which start getting irritated only about an hour of wearing them?
There must be some washable ones out there

 

[Supine]

after each use

fair play.

It’s a question of odds though isn’t it. The protection from different masks is something like:

n95 95-98% personal and protection for others
Blue surgical 60-70%
Cloth 20-40%
Face Shields 2%

I have no idea how washing the things changes those percentages. I’m happiest at the top of that list but each to their own

 

[Artaxerxes]

will it fall apart? i've just bought some disposables but can't afford to be using one just once. May end up sticking with the cloth ones, which also have the benefit of not going on your ears, which start getting irritated only about an hour of wearing them?
There must be some washable ones out there

Your mask becomes garbage and doesn't work.

You shouldn't even be reusing them really

 

[Orang Utan]

Your mask becomes garbage and doesn't work.

You shouldn't even be reusing them really

that's me out then

 

[FridgeMagnet]

will it fall apart? i've just bought some disposables but can't afford to be using one just once. May end up sticking with the cloth ones, which also have the benefit of not going on your ears, which start getting irritated only about an hour of wearing them?
There must be some washable ones out there

Washing them can damage them structurally and does nothing effective. Just leave them for a bit and re-use them. I have four or so on the go and use one per day.

 

[two sheds]

That's what I'd have thought - how long does the virus last on cloth or whatever the masks are made of?