COVID-19: Your Thoughts and it's effects on you.

[verreli]

Consider that they were in these senior positions before the pandemic and they'll be in them after.

Can you find any info on SAGE say back to 2015/16/17 etc I can only track them back a year or so, and certainly not as far back as Ten years ago - just wonder if they are a Conservative influenced concern or have they been in exsistance even during a Labour parliment.

The point is, it's not just SAGE, it's all areas of government. It's not party specific; we live in a governance structure where these people are influencing all aspects of our life. The pandemic has just amplified their effect. I've also noticed how willing some are to fall into line and surrender liberties when other options were/are available. We've seen it in other recent events too.

As for SAGE, government quangos come and go, it's the movement of of the people leading these organisations that's important. If you want to understand why things are in such a mess, look to the leaders often unseen.

[FGR2]

It is getting stupid now, and people won’t comply for much longer. You have Johnson who looks dead behind his eyes, trying to string together coherent sentences whilst appearing like he has just been pulled out of a wheelie bin after a drunken night out, and Hancock almost despotic on his new found power. Re compliance, I am sure a person down my street has been having clients around to her house to do beauty treatments, as they sometimes park outside my place, so people aren’t abiding by the measures.

I have seen in the paper that household restrictions will go on to April, I understand Dr Nabarro from WHO said on an interview he expected the return to normal will be the end of next year, so what is the truth?

On the vaccine front we have some fudged data from the Oxford/Astra Zeneca trials where they ballsed up the dosages and got unexpected results, so have cobbled these together to get a higher effective percentage (how much confidence does that inspire)?

We have unexplained tiers wrecking the economy of small villages, and communities with no published cost benefit analysis.

It really is a mess and is destroying our country, and is a result of the lack of decisiveness and complete power vacuum at the top of government.

It comes to a point when you have to rely on the opposition to get things through parliament as your own MPs aren’t with you.

As an aside there was a programme on BBC about Finland’s prime minister Sanna Marin, very mature, measured in her responses, and talks clearly and to the point. At just 35 she is a complete contrast to the buffoon we have blagging his way with riddles and metaphors through the largely self imposed catastrophe that he has precided over here.

[Ken Shabby]

Yet more garbage from SAGE this morning. They’re saying we should be mindful of the type of music we play at home over Christmas, avoiding anything that could encourage people to dance together or cause other forms of close physical contact. Popular music is discouraged and instead they are advising we play classical music or other ‘non dance’ styles such a military brass band music.

They are also advising on the type of sexual relations we should have. The missionary position is to be avoided as it requires close contact and is deemed ‘very high risk’ in terms of spreading COVID-19. Their advice is that couples adopt positions that minimise face-to-face contact and limit intercourse to rear entry positions. SAGE acknowledges that men are mostly responsible for initiating sexual acts and that women are largely reluctant to adopt positions they consider to be unconventional. Positive messaging about such positions will, therefore, be generated in the lead-up to Christmas stressing they are perfectly natural.

No mention is made of same sex relationships which goes to show just how out of touch SAGE are.

(For the avoidance of doubt, I am making this up. The one about SAGE saying we shouldn’t play board games is real, though.)

[Ewart]

Yet more garbage from SAGE this morning. They’re saying we should be mindful of the type of music we play at home over Christmas, avoiding anything that could encourage people to dance together or cause other forms of close physical contact. Popular music is discouraged and instead they are advising we play classical music or other ‘non dance’ styles such a military brass band music.

They are also advising on the type of sexual relations we should have. The missionary position is to be avoided as it requires close contact and is deemed ‘very high risk’ in terms of spreading COVID-19. Their advice is that couples adopt positions that minimise face-to-face contact and limit intercourse to rear entry positions. SAGE acknowledges that men are mostly responsible for initiating sexual acts and that women are largely reluctant to adopt positions they consider to be unconventional. Positive messaging about such positions will, therefore, be generated in the lead-up to Christmas stressing they are perfectly natural.

No mention is made of same sex relationships which goes to show just how out of touch SAGE are.

Is it wrong that I can't decide if your post is typed for comedy effect or actually advice that's been published.

Either way I'm sitting here chuckling to myself about it.

[Ken Shabby]

Yet more garbage from SAGE this morning. They’re saying we should be mindful of the type of music we play at home over Christmas, avoiding anything that could encourage people to dance together or cause other forms of close physical contact. Popular music is discouraged and instead they are advising we play classical music or other ‘non dance’ styles such a military brass band music.

They are also advising on the type of sexual relations we should have. The missionary position is to be avoided as it requires close contact and is deemed ‘very high risk’ in terms of spreading COVID-19. Their advice is that couples adopt positions that minimise face-to-face contact and limit intercourse to rear entry positions. SAGE acknowledges that men are mostly responsible for initiating sexual acts and that women are largely reluctant to adopt positions they consider to be unconventional. Positive messaging about such positions will, therefore, be generated in the lead-up to Christmas stressing they are perfectly natural.

No mention is made of same sex relationships which goes to show just how out of touch SAGE are.

Is it wrong that I can't decide if your post is typed for comedy effect or actually advice that's been published.

Either way I'm sitting here chuckling to myself about it.

I’ve just put an edit on my original post confirming I’ve made it up. I acknowledge its becoming harder and harder make distinctions between comedy and real life at the moment.

[ericbee123]

Yet more garbage from SAGE this morning. They’re saying we should be mindful of the type of music we play at home over Christmas, avoiding anything that could encourage people to dance together or cause other forms of close physical contact. Popular music is discouraged and instead they are advising we play classical music or other ‘non dance’ styles such a military brass band music.

They are also advising on the type of sexual relations we should have. The missionary position is to be avoided as it requires close contact and is deemed ‘very high risk’ in terms of spreading COVID-19. Their advice is that couples adopt positions that minimise face-to-face contact and limit intercourse to rear entry positions. SAGE acknowledges that men are mostly responsible for initiating sexual acts and that women are largely reluctant to adopt positions they consider to be unconventional. Positive messaging about such positions will, therefore, be generated in the lead-up to Christmas stressing they are perfectly natural.

No mention is made of same sex relationships which goes to show just how out of touch SAGE are.

(For the avoidance of doubt, I am making this up. The one about SAGE saying we shouldn’t play board games is real, though.)

Ken - I stole your idea/post and posted it on a WhatsApp group containing a load of businessmen and financial people. They’ve all gone mental believing it to be true.

It’s totally believable !

I’m not going to tell them it’s made up. See if it spreads.

[verreli]

Question is, are they more concerned about restrictions to the vertical or horizontal dancing?

[Ken Shabby]

Question is, are they more concerned about restrictions to the vertical or horizontal dancing?

Both it would seem. Me and the missus are planning some doggy style to the tune of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending.

[Ken Shabby]

Yet more garbage from SAGE this morning. They’re saying we should be mindful of the type of music we play at home over Christmas, avoiding anything that could encourage people to dance together or cause other forms of close physical contact. Popular music is discouraged and instead they are advising we play classical music or other ‘non dance’ styles such a military brass band music.

They are also advising on the type of sexual relations we should have. The missionary position is to be avoided as it requires close contact and is deemed ‘very high risk’ in terms of spreading COVID-19. Their advice is that couples adopt positions that minimise face-to-face contact and limit intercourse to rear entry positions. SAGE acknowledges that men are mostly responsible for initiating sexual acts and that women are largely reluctant to adopt positions they consider to be unconventional. Positive messaging about such positions will, therefore, be generated in the lead-up to Christmas stressing they are perfectly natural.

No mention is made of same sex relationships which goes to show just how out of touch SAGE are.

(For the avoidance of doubt, I am making this up. The one about SAGE saying we shouldn’t play board games is real, though.)

Ken - I stole your idea/post and posted it on a WhatsApp group containing a load of businessmen and financial people. They’ve all gone mental believing it to be true.

It’s totally believable !

I’m not going to tell them it’s made up. See if it spreads.

Be careful - if it spreads too quickly the mods may need to put me into lockdown. Sadly, it’s not beyond belief that SAGE’s next missive might be along those lines. And there I was thinking their role was to advise the Government, not me on how to spend Christmas in my own house or perform my marital duties. Hell, I’m even confusing myself now.

[Teaboy]

presumably it's ilegal to take loads of heroin for christmas, even in your own home next to the tree? so they already were telling you what to do, i guess for your safety? either go full or don't.

[iainpeden]

I'm buying shares in the company which publishes "The Kama Sutra" for when the government decide to do a national mailing to ensure safe coupling.

[RAF4EVER]

Safe coupling,use a condom

[Ken Shabby]

From the Evening Standard website today:

London protests: Santa among 155 arrests as anti-lockdown demonstrators march on capital

Is this really what this country’s come to and, more importantly, who’s looking after the reindeer?

[Andyph]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Professor Gabriel Scally, a public health expert at Bristol University, today slammed the proposals, warning there was 'no point' in having a very merry Christmas only to 'then bury friends and relations in January and February'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ntist.html

He was obviously very keen to write the Fail’s headline for them. So how long does he want the lockdown to go on?

Well there has only been one logical way of doing this from the start.

Lock down HARD and stay Locked down HARD until you get ZERO cases - anything else is Bolleax.
Then lock your borders!

Works well for us in New Zealand.

The best time to have started this was March - the 2nd best is Tomorrow.

[rockfordstone]

saw some reports that Johnson has informed his backbenchers that these tiered restrictions won't go beyond February now. not sure how true it is but it would indicate he is so against asking labour for support that he will bend to his own back benches over the health of the nation.

in other news, Nadhim Zahawi has been promoted to Vaccine Rollout Minister...... what could possibly go wrong?

[Ken Shabby]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Professor Gabriel Scally, a public health expert at Bristol University, today slammed the proposals, warning there was 'no point' in having a very merry Christmas only to 'then bury friends and relations in January and February'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ntist.html

He was obviously very keen to write the Fail’s headline for them. So how long does he want the lockdown to go on?

Well there has only been one logical way of doing this from the start.

Lock down HARD and stay Locked down HARD until you get ZERO cases - anything else is Bolleax.
Then lock your borders!

Works well for us in New Zealand.

The best time to have started this was March - the 2nd best is Tomorrow.

Agree the best time to have started was March. I know I wasn’t alone in the UK watching what was going on in China and Italy and being flabbergasted that flights continued to arrive from those two countries at our airports.

Anyone who suggested they were stopped was seen as some sort of Nazi. Groups like SAGE should have stepped-up to the mark then; the best they can do nine months later is to say we should have a family quiz at Christmas instead of playing board games.

I think a truly hard lockdown in the UK wouldn’t have the same effect as in NZ given the size and density of the population in the UK. Plus, also even the ‘partial’ measures we’ve had has seen deaths from non-COVID causes rise significantly. All academic now, of course, we have the worst of both worlds - high number of deaths and a crippled economy.

[FarnboroJohn]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Professor Gabriel Scally, a public health expert at Bristol University, today slammed the proposals, warning there was 'no point' in having a very merry Christmas only to 'then bury friends and relations in January and February'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ntist.html

He was obviously very keen to write the Fail’s headline for them. So how long does he want the lockdown to go on?

Well there has only been one logical way of doing this from the start.

Lock down HARD and stay Locked down HARD until you get ZERO cases - anything else is Bolleax.
Then lock your borders!

Works well for us in New Zealand.

The best time to have started this was March - the 2nd best is Tomorrow.

The interesting question, however, will be answered post NZ lockdown, when the country finds out whether the rest of the world is irrelevant to New Zealand or New Zealand has become irrelevant to the rest of the world. Or possibly both.

[verreli]

From the Evening Standard website today:
London protests: Santa among 155 arrests as anti-lockdown demonstrators march on capital
Is this really what this country’s come to and, more importantly, who’s looking after the reindeer?

Isn't a red nose a sign of Covid? Potential super-spreader event right there.

[verreli]

The interesting question, however, will be answered post NZ lockdown, when the country finds out whether the rest of the world is irrelevant to New Zealand or New Zealand has become irrelevant to the rest of the world. Or possibly both.

NZ have a strategy that works well in the short term. In military terms, they won the skirmish but there's a battalion behind the next hill. Another question is 'is it possible to complete eradicate covid?' Even if NZ go down the vaccine passport route, 10% of holders could be asymptomatic carriers. With a single infected arrival you have a lot of low hanging fruit with perpetual lockdown the only recourse. That moniker of being an island on the edge of the world may be a bit close to the truth.

[ted633]

It seems fairly certain that Covid was in the country well before March and was well spread thoughout the country, this wasn't the case in NZ. Once it has spread (and I believe it was well spread in January), there is no stopping it short of locking everyone in their homes, which fortunately isn't acceptable in this country.
Also, we can't just seal our borders. What about all the cross-Channel freight? Vehicles and drivers would be mixing and it will find a way back in.

I'm in complete agreement with Verrili, Covid will get back into NZ even with vaccines. It is just going to end up being one of the winter virus' in general circulation, it won't be eradicated.

[Ken Shabby]

It seems fairly certain that Covid was in the country well before March and was well spread thoughout the country, this wasn't the case in NZ. Once it has spread (and I believe it was well spread in January), there is no stopping it short of locking everyone in their homes, which fortunately isn't acceptable in this country.
Also, we can't just seal our borders. What about all the cross-Channel freight? Vehicles and drivers would be mixing and it will find a way back in.

I'm in complete agreement with Verrili, Covid will get back into NZ even with vaccines. It is just going to end up being one of the winter virus' in general circulation, it won't be eradicated.

Fair point about the virus being in the UK before March and the difficulty / impossibility of sealing the country’s borders, although I still think a lot more could have been done to prevent people arriving from places that we’re already known to be ‘hot spots’ for the virus.

Also, there are over 10 million key workers in the UK. Even locking every non-essential indoors would have still left a considerable number outdoors in circulation.

[ted633]

It seems fairly certain that Covid was in the country well before March and was well spread thoughout the country, this wasn't the case in NZ. Once it has spread (and I believe it was well spread in January), there is no stopping it short of locking everyone in their homes, which fortunately isn't acceptable in this country.
Also, we can't just seal our borders. What about all the cross-Channel freight? Vehicles and drivers would be mixing and it will find a way back in.

I'm in complete agreement with Verrili, Covid will get back into NZ even with vaccines. It is just going to end up being one of the winter virus' in general circulation, it won't be eradicated.

Fair point about the virus being in the UK before March and the difficulty / impossibility of sealing the country’s borders, although I still think a lot more could have been done to prevent people arriving from places that we’re already known to be ‘hot spots’ for the virus.

Also, there are over 10 million key workers in the UK. Even locking every non-essential indoors would have still left a considerable number outdoors in circulation.

Yes, a lot more could have been done. But, hindsight is a wonderful thing!
Some areas would have been hotspots before anyone even knew about it, given the lack of testing, so it was always going to find a way in!

[Andyph]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Professor Gabriel Scally, a public health expert at Bristol University, today slammed the proposals, warning there was 'no point' in having a very merry Christmas only to 'then bury friends and relations in January and February'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ntist.html

He was obviously very keen to write the Fail’s headline for them. So how long does he want the lockdown to go on?

Well there has only been one logical way of doing this from the start.

Lock down HARD and stay Locked down HARD until you get ZERO cases - anything else is Bolleax.
Then lock your borders!

Works well for us in New Zealand.

The best time to have started this was March - the 2nd best is Tomorrow.

The interesting question, however, will be answered post NZ lockdown, when the country finds out whether the rest of the world is irrelevant to New Zealand or New Zealand has become irrelevant to the rest of the world. Or possibly both.

Well one of the things that has become apparent John has been our economy is much less depended on the outside world than we thought. NZ is doing very nicely than you - the economy is buzzing. People are not dying by the 100 - and we are enjoying being able to sensible mix (while realising we might have to quickly bunker down again is there are new cases) it really is not that hard!

And reading the opinion of some of the crazies on this thread I hope we do we keep our border closed for a long long time - well after Covid - just to keep some of the posters in this thread from coming!

For those those who are a bit hard of thinking - Australia has also managed to get rid of Covid- approx half the population of the UK and also you might be interested to note an island!
and also like New Zealand is still trading with the world.

No it is not too difficult in the UK - just need to lockdown hard enough and long enough to get rid of Covid - it just needs some backbone and people to get behind the plan.

[Ken Shabby]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Professor Gabriel Scally, a public health expert at Bristol University, today slammed the proposals, warning there was 'no point' in having a very merry Christmas only to 'then bury friends and relations in January and February'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ntist.html

He was obviously very keen to write the Fail’s headline for them. So how long does he want the lockdown to go on?

Well there has only been one logical way of doing this from the start.

Lock down HARD and stay Locked down HARD until you get ZERO cases - anything else is Bolleax.
Then lock your borders!

Works well for us in New Zealand.

The best time to have started this was March - the 2nd best is Tomorrow.

The interesting question, however, will be answered post NZ lockdown, when the country finds out whether the rest of the world is irrelevant to New Zealand or New Zealand has become irrelevant to the rest of the world. Or possibly both.

Well one of the things that has become apparent John has been our economy is much less depended on the outside world than we thought. NZ is doing very nicely than you - the economy is buzzing. People are not dying by the 100 - and we are enjoying being able to sensible mix (while realising we might have to quickly bunker down again is there are new cases) it really is not that hard!

And reading the opinion of some of the crazies on this thread I hope we do we keep our border closed for a long long time - well after Covid - just to keep some of the posters in this thread from coming!

For those those who are a bit hard of thinking - Australia has also managed to get rid of Covid- approx half the population of the UK and also you might be interested to note an island!
and also like New Zealand is still trading with the world.

No it is not too difficult in the UK - just need to lockdown hard enough and long enough to get rid of Covid - it just needs some backbone and people to get behind the plan.

Andy - there’s 80 million people in the UK compared with 4.5 million in NZ. More people live within a 10 mile radius of where I live than do in the whole of NZ. A total ‘hard’ lockdown here would be impractical, the economy would be destroyed in a few months. We have more key workers for COVID than your whole population. Do we lock them up too? Don’t go on about backbone. No one here is crazy; we’re just dealing with this the best we can, balancing fighting the virus whilst allowing life to go on with some sense of normality. Our pubs, restaurants, most shops, all hospitality, most workplaces were shut for months, many still are and will never re-open. All it did was suppress the virus, it soon came back when the restrictions were lifted - that’s what a virus does. What do you want us to do - have full lockdown for a year?

Countries with high populations densities are tending to be the ones suffering the worse deaths per head of population from COVID, as they always tend to be from viruses. And Australia’s population is 25 million, well short of half the UK’s! And it’s a hell of a lot bigger.

I just want all this to be over so I can start eating your lamb. Best in the world but can’t get it over here for love nor money at the moment. So not sure you’re still trading as normal.

And you will need to keep your borders closed for a long, long time if you want to stop the virus getting in, even after vaccines. Take care, my friend, enjoy your summer, the weather’s bloody miserable here!

[starbuck]

Over the weekend my daughters school got in touch via email to say that at present there are 27 confirmed cases in her year group with at least another 20 anticipated awaiting test results.

They are about to start their mocks for their A levels next week. As a consequence of so many either off school because they have tested positive or self isolating they have decided that the mocks will take place remotely from home and that they can use study aids.

This scenario must be being repeated up and down the country. The governments of all nations need to cancel next years GCSE's, A-levels and their devolved equivalents now.

We may be in a much better place come exam season next summer but that won't make up for all the turmoil that is going on now.