Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

Is it a younger demographic?

Thing is there are risks and there are stakes. I know that if I go to a bigger shop or sit outside my local cafe with the lots of people who were sat outside yesterday the risk of me catching covid is pretty low but for me in my opinion the stakes are high. And the risks of me not having a mild case are higher than for some others if I was unlucky enough to get it.

Obviously there will be people who have a similar profile as me who are more cavalier than me. People have different levels of comfort with risk or prefer not to think about it. Also there will be some others with the same profile who are being more cautious than me.
 
teuchter said:
I get the feeling that different people are operating in totally different parallel bubbles with regard to perception of risk and so on.

On here, a lot of people are worrying about being asked to go back to work, discussing wiping down shopping, wearing gloves to the supermarket etc.

On another forum that I sometimes look at, there's a thread with an OP basically saying can't we just abandon social distancing already and get back to normal and stop pandering to the paranoid and overly cautious. And most of the replies agree with them, to a greater or lesser extent. They are describing people they see in the supermarket wearing masks and gloves, trying to stay 2m away from everyone, as if they are nutters.
Click to expand...

Oh definitely, and you can see that in real life too, where there's a visible minority who just don't do social distancing, won't wear a mask, and the rest of it. A couple of months back there was a particularly aggressive bloke in a shop I sometimes used who - the woman behind the checkout told me - was on the verge of being banned for refusing to obey any of the instructions on social distancing and so on. There's always been a minority who are convinced it's 'just a little flu' and won't be told otherwise, and there's not much any of us can do about that except try to protect ourselves!
 
Having differing views and assessment of risk is ok and expected but respect that other people are more worried. It doesn’t kill you to keep to two metres, not reach across people in shops etc but it could make a medically vulnerable or anxious person feel better about going about their day.
My friend has gone from being completely panicky and paranoid to deciding she’s done with it all. A garden gathering soon turned into pressure to go inside the house for a zoom party. She was offended that a friend brought her own food and didn’t eat anything she’d made (this friend has a young baby who was very early and a shielding parent). She’s now organising a pub garden meet when most of us said we wouldn’t be going in pubs for a while so now I feel huge pressure to do something I’m not comfortable with.
I want to see her and spend time with her but she makes every one else feel bad because we’re not at the same stage as her. Apart from anything, the rest of us all work in care and with vulnerable people so we’re being careful for them too.
 
Looby said:
Having differing views and assessment of risk is ok and expected but respect that other people are more worried. It doesn’t kill you to keep to two metres, not reach across people in shops etc but it could make a medically vulnerable or anxious person feel better about going about their day.
My friend has gone from being completely panicky and paranoid to deciding she’s done with it all. A garden gathering soon turned into pressure to go inside the house for a zoom party. She was offended that a friend brought her own food and didn’t eat anything she’d made (this friend has a young baby who was very early and a shielding parent). She’s now organising a pub garden meet when most of us said we wouldn’t be going in pubs for a while so now I feel huge pressure to do something I’m not comfortable with.
I want to see her and spend time with her but she makes every one else feel bad because we’re not at the same stage as her. Apart from anything, the rest of us all work in care and with vulnerable people so we’re being careful for them too.
Click to expand...

That's really unreasonable of her. As you say, others have differing assessments of the risk both in general and to themselves specifically, and that's fine, but there's no way people should be pressured into taking risks with which they are not comfortable.
 
Yes, fair enough putting yourself at risk (although it likely means someone will have to look after them), putting others at risk is just selfish.
 
Roadkill said:
That's really unreasonable of her. As you say, others have differing assessments of the risk both in general and to themselves specifically, and that's fine, but there's no way people should be pressured into taking risks with which they are not comfortable.
Click to expand...
It can be awkward.
She has her reasons, single parent and WFH so she’s desperate for adult company and some fun. She’s lovely but she’s not great and seeing other people’s points of view!
 
I’ve had more colleagues join me at work this week and have observed that social distancing is almost impossible all the time, even if you have the room to work 2 metres apart. There’s so many things we do that are second nature as we’ve done them so many times - leaning over someone to look at their screen, using door handles, touching things others have touched, just talking to someone, especially if there’s a few of you. Even remembering to wash your hands after handling things is a challenge. Even the most fastidious worker we have is making rounds of tea, which surely is a bad ideas. We can do what we can, but old habits die hard. <strokes chin> oops, sorry <bites nails>
 
Last edited:
teuchter said:
They are describing people they see in the supermarket wearing masks and gloves, trying to stay 2m away from everyone, as if they are nutters.
Click to expand...
When I go into my local Co op, where the weak attempt at distancing lasted about 10 mins, no one on the door, no enforcement etc, the staff have visibly recoiled when they see me. My mask is quite dark, and has skulls on it, but it's like they genuinely think I'm about to rob them at gunpoint. No fucker else masks up in there. Only middle-aged people mask up in the Tesco.
 
sojourner said:
When I go into my local Co op, where the weak attempt at distancing lasted about 10 mins, no one on the door, no enforcement etc, the staff have visibly recoiled when they see me. My mask is quite dark, and has skulls on it, but it's like they genuinely think I'm about to rob them at gunpoint. No fucker else masks up in there. Only middle-aged people mask up in the Tesco.
Click to expand...

I have to say, round my way I think the situation with masks is getting better. A couple of weeks ago I felt a bit of an outlier wearing a mask, whereas now a lot more people seem to be doing so when shopping - mainly older folk, but not all by any means - and whereas a couple of weeks ago a majority on buses weren't wearing them, now most do seem to be.
 
I only go in small versions of the supermarkets. In theory the customers distance but you cant distance from the staff because they are working and you have to pass them. None of them wear masks usually any longer. They are the ones in there for hours so more risk than customers. But I havent been aware of any outbreaks in the shops by me or reported by any supermarket staff I know. After 3 months of working indoors with many customers coming in for 3 months and no one seeming to catch it they are bound to be more cavalier and employers dont seem to be enforcing mask wearing by staff.
 
HEADS UP - Today’s coronavirus briefing is expected to begin at 4.30pm on BBC One, BBC News & Sky News.

Not officially confirmed, but the floppy hair twat is expected to host it.
 
I'm not wearing a mask in the street or when going into the small shops that I use. Will of course on public transport. The difference, one's mandatory and is a longer spell of time.
 
MrSki said:
Yes it's at 5pm. Today's death toll is 137 but still the pubs are opening tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Down from 184 last Friday, that brings this week's 7 day rolling average down to 113 per day, whereas last Friday it was 136, so still heading in the right direction.

Italy was on an average daily death rate of 181, when they re-opened bars & restaurants, and continued to drop, down to 'just' 20 now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

elbows
UK Inquiry Module 3: Impact on UK Healthcare Systems
2 3
Replies
76
Views
2K
elbows
elbows
elbows
UK Inquiry Module 1: Resilience and preparedness
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
165
Views
6K
elbows
elbows
elbows
UK Inquiry Module 2: Decision-making & political governance
2 3 4 5 6
Replies
173
Views
5K
elbows
elbows
frogwoman
Shanghai lockdown
2
Replies
55
Views
3K
skyscraper101
skyscraper101
editor
Professional football and coronavirus
Replies
6
Views
602
elbows
elbows
Back
Top Bottom